This picture does not need any explanation. It was taken by Greenpeace during their action in D.C. today to increase the awareness of the worlds largest polluters that are currently meeting at the State Department in D.C. An expression from a friend of mine fits to this banner: “We need to get too connected to fail.”

Let us improve our connections and focus on a single clear goal: create a global low carbon society within the next decades. It does not matter what efforts it will take. The alternative is unacceptable. - Maiken Winter

Source: Thanks to Joshua Trust who referred me to Greenpeace

From an interview with the CEO of Duke Energy, Mr. Rogers, on 60 minutes, it again became distressingly clear that some people are not able to “connect the dots”, as the US-based climatologist Jim Hansen calls it.

Even though Mr. Rogers admits that his company is one of the largest CO2 emitters of the states, that the US needs a federal law to limit CO2 emissions, and that we urgently need to act on climate change, he does not draw the immediate consequences for his own company from that. (more…)

Unnoticed by most, small in financial amount, but enormous in its symbolic meaning: German students acted while the world is waiting for each other.

Last week, during the UN climate talks in Bonn, Stuart Scott, member of Al Gore’s Climate Project (TCP), gave a presentation to 300 German students about climate change. The students were so moved that they spontaneously collected 131 Euro to be donated to the adaptation fund. (The picture shows Stewart, the students, and the head of the adaptation fund at a press conference in Bonn; courtesy of Steart Scott).

Of course, 131 Euro will not safe the world. Of course, none of the students gave all their savings, but just a little bit of their weekly allowance, maybe just 1 - 3 % of it? (more…)

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An article by David Scrimgeour, CEO of DS Consulting and Foreign Direct Investment Expert for Germany, UK and USA

Renewable energy is a remarkable success story in Germany. Current estimates suggest that at least 250,000 are employed in this industry. Half of the world’s market for solar energy is in Germany and the majority of the global wind turbine manufacturers and component suppliers are German SMEs. In the biogas sector there are already 4000 anaerobic digestion plants using organic material as feedstock.

Over the last few years a new industrial sector has emerged with specialist engineering consultancies, plant manufacturers as well as service and maintenance providers. Some of these companies have become relatively large, often able to raise substantial capital by going public. The industry has engaged in cross-border investment, both within and beyond Europe, and this has enabled German companies to profit from international trends in alternative energy deployment and to become the world’s technology leaders in renewable energy.

However, although all this sounds positive, there are obstacles to be overcome and also risks to be managed. The main issues are: lack of capital, limited resources and “thinking big”. And the main danger is …inaction. If German companies do not get their act together quickly then foreign investors will acquire these technology assets thereby cutting out the entrepreneurs from the opportunity to generate wealth in global markets. In fact there are signs that this is already happening. (more…)

If you thought you knew all about climate change, and that you truly understood what we are up against, think again.

The overwhelming scientific evidence presented at the climate change conference in Copenhagen during the last 3 days have been quite stunning and very disturbing, to say the very least. The urgency is immense, the actions too whimpy, and the speed of change too slow.

“Have you ever played Russion Roulette?” John Schellnhuber, director of PIK and climate advisor of the German government, asked at his plenary speech. Nobody of the several thousand scientists in the hand raised his or her hand. “Well, we all are plaing it right now.”

Russian Roulette is the fun game of loosing your life with a 1 out of 6 chance. Actually, seems not really such a fun game if you think about it. If you have seen Harry Potter, when Harry, Ron, and Hermione play wizzard chess, you know what I mean.

After calculations by Malte Meinhausen from PIK, we have a 1 out of 6 chance to NOT stay underneath a global warming of 2 Degrees celsius even with an 80% cut of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 compared to 1990 levels.

Think about it. We have an about 16% chance to face a global catastrophe. As became apparent at this conference, a warming by more than 2 Degrees Celsius wouldbe “very difficult”.

Maiken Winter

Die Wärme aus dem Erdinneren birgt ein schier unerschöpfliches Energiereservoire. Die Tiefengeothermie stellt in diesem Zusammenhang eine klimafreundliche und wirtschaftliche Energieversorgung dar. In Zeiten von Klimawandel und steigenden Energiekosten also eine förderungswürdige Maßnahme, mit hohem Wachstumspotenzial.
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Für ausgediente  CDs sind bereits die tollsten Verwendungsmöglichkeiten gefunden worden. Mit ihnen lassen sich zum Beispiel Wände tapezieren, Vögel aus Obstbäumen fernhalten oder, am Straßenrand aufgehängt, Rehe vor dem Überqueren der Fahrbahn schützen.

Dennoch bleibt das Entsorgungsproblem bestehen, denn die Silberlinge verrotten nicht. Eine fachgerechte Entsorgung von alten CDs bieten in diesem Zusammenhang weder der normale Hausmüll noch die allgegenwärtigen „Gelben Säcke“. Wer seine nutzlosen Disks also umweltgerecht recyceln und hiermit der Natur einen Gefallen tun möchte, der sollte die Blueboxx nutzen.

Die Idee, einen Sammelbehälter aus wiederverwertbarer Wellpappe ins Leben zu rufen, stammt von einem jungen Unternehmen aus dem Bereich des Kunststoff Recyclings. Die Blueboxx GmbH aus Hemmingen bei Hannover, mit der gleichnamigen Sammelbox, wurde 2006 gegründet und stellt seine CD-Behälter kostenlos in ganz Deutschland auf. Die zusammengetragenen Datenträger, die Leerung der Behälter ist selbstverständlich ebenfalls kostenlos, dienen dabei als Ausgangsstoff für neue Produkte.

-Judith Schomaker-

Unbemerkt von der Welt ereignete sich eine wichtige Wende genau vor einem Jahr: ich wechselte mein Alter von einer 3-er zu einer 4-er Dekade. Diesen Anlass benutzte ich, um das neue Lebensjahrzehnt optimistisch und engagiert zu beginnen. So ging ich denn zum Kanzleramt, um Angela Merkel persönlich einen Brief von Jim Hansen zu überbringen. Etwas besseres kann man sich doch für seinen 40. Geburtstag nicht wünschen, oder?

In diesem Brief - der ähnlich verfasst war wie Hansens Brief an Gordon Brown - beschreibt Jim Hansen warum wir die CO2 Konzentration der Erdatmosphäre auf maximal 350 ppm reduzieren müssen, und warum wir uns deswegen keine weiteren Kohlekraftwerke, die kein CCS haben, leisten können.

Damals war ich überzeugt, dass Deutschland - u.a. dank dieses Briefes - Vorreiterland sein wird, (more…)