March 2022
– IPCC issues ‘bleakest warning yet’ on impacts of climate breakdown
– Coal power’s sharp rebound is taking it to a new record threatening net zero goals
– How ‘super-enzymes’ that eat plastics could curb our waste problem
– How to store excess wind power underwater
– Reasons to be hopeful: the climate solutions available now
– Nuclear fusion heat record a ‘huge step’ in quest for new energy source
New Zealand’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) And Emissions Budgets Need Urgent Review
Our current Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), made under the Paris Agreement, is extremely weak. While not clearly stated, the undertaking to reduce our emissions by 30% over the 2005-2030 period is based on a comparison of gross emissions in the base year with net emissions in the target year. On a consistent net-net basis it is actually an undertaking to increase our net emissions by approximately 1% over this period.
Read MoreOctober 2021
– Our last, best chance on climate
– Construction companies should avoid knocking down buildings
– The Scandinavian way to zero carbon construction
– Climate crisis: Do we need millions of machines sucking CO2 from the air?
– Global windfarm installations expected to surge after Covid drop, says report
– Reducing cows’ methane emissions
UN warnings over nations’ climate plans
– Climate Action Tracker Global Update September 2021: Summary
September 2021
– Desertification is turning the Earth barren
– One in three trees face extinction in the wild
– Agrivoltaics – three dual land use examples
– Making milk by fermentation
– It’s not the cow, but the how
A New Perspective on the Importance of Methane in New Zealand’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Recent analysis shows that in the relatively short timeframe available to curb our carbon emissions, it is even more important than we thought to get on top of our methane emissions. This is not an easy message to get across in New Zealand, which relies heavily on its agricultural economy.
Read MoreJune 2021
– Calculating emission reduction requirements to achieve net zero – A discussion.
– The water is coming’: Florida Keys faces stark reality as seas rise
– IPCC steps up warning on climate tipping points in leaked draft report
– Cloud spraying and hurricane slaying: How ocean geo-engineering became the frontier of the climate crisis
– Can old traditions and tech help Singapore reach zero waste?
April 2021
– New Zealand emissions rise as government vows action
– The poorly understood power of seaweed
– The rice of the sea: How a tiny grain could change the way humanity eats
– China ‘must shut 600 coal-fired plants’ to hit climate target
– Fossil fuel cars make ‘hundreds of times’ more waste than electric cars
– First dog on the moon cartoon on “Hope”
Submission To: Climate Action For Aotearoa
Although the need for action to limit climate change has been well understood since at least 1990, global CO2e emissions have continued to increase strongly over the past 30 years and only now is the rate of increase showing some signs of deceleration. It has become very clear that, in order to avoid potentially disastrous consequences, we need to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. The Paris Agreement, which came into force on 4 November 2016, was a step forward in addressing this very major challenge, but the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted so far are not nearly adequate to meet the target.
Read MoreFebruary 2021
– A report on the transport content of the Climate Change Commission 2021 Draft Advice
– A link to a talk by Climate Change Commissioner Dr Judy Lawrence to be held in Wellington on 18 February 2021
– An item from ECO News 4 February 2021 on car import standards to be introduced by the Government to reduce New Zealand’s carbon footprint
– A link to a webinar recording of a recent talk on harnessing Cook Straight tidal energy.
– An article on Denmark’s proposed huge investment into an artificial island for generating electricity from North Sea wind energy.
– ESR Online Discussion Group