Media – Web, November 2013
- Transylvania revolts: Farmers against fracking |(27 November 2013)
“But Ponta's government is facing an unexpectedly uphill battle in meeting their resource ambitions. In recent weeks the controversial Canadian-owned gold mine in Rosia Montana has been put on hold, forced into submission by waves of protests in city streets numbering tens of thousands.
And in the latest public showdown, a fracking rig operated by Chevron further south, has been chased away from a test site by communities deeply fearful of the damage that they believe fracking may bring.
With almost 4 million peasant farmers in Romania reliant on clean air, water and soil for their livelihood, support for natural resource protection campaigns are finding fertile ground in the most unlikeliest of places, among the conservative communities in the country's rural heartland.”
- EU list of failings on low carbon grows | Financial Times (26 November 2013)
“Common economic sense tells us that reducing CO2 emissions to mitigate climate change is expensive because it requires new energy sources and they cost a lot. This is why many regard the carbon-reduction effort as a game played by rich governments, Brussels bureaucrats and green bullies.”
- UK failing on green commitments, conservation groups say | The Guardian (17 November 2013)
“"David Cameron promised the greenest government ever. Using the government's own promises as a yardstick, today's findings show he's failed to stick to his plan," said Dr Elaine King, director of Wildlife and Countryside Link, which represents 41 groups including the WWF, the Wildlife Trusts, the RSPCA, the RSPB, the Campaign to Protect Rural England and the Marine Conservation Society. Only one in three people polled thought the government took the natural environment or scientific advice into account when making decisions and just one in five thought the government was "the greenest ever".
"We're told an economy in crisis is a higher priority than nature in crisis. Yet the government is missing a huge opportunity – a healthy environment helps the economy and enhances people's health and wellbeing".
The report says the crisis in nature "translates into a crisis for people too, because the environment is the foundation of our lives and livelihoods, and a source of great joy and fulfilment for many millions of people across the country".”
- Developed nations back out on earlier commitments at Warsaw climate meet | The Economic Times (13 November 2013)
“The new global regime, which should be in place by 2015, would require developing countries like India and China to set out their plans for the post-2020 period. The real question, however, is how can developing countries be asked to step up their efforts when industrialised countries are backing off from their commitments”.
- EU more cautious as nations approach 2030 climate targets | Reuters (8 November 2013)
“As industry and EU nations demand enquiries into the impact of green subsidies and carbon charges on a fragile economic recovery, some politicians say the bloc must retain its climate leadership to support industrial innovation and avoid long-term costs.”
- Is a living economy possible for Greece and Europe? | New Europe (4 November 2013)
“We need to rethink development. Not just for Greece, but for the entire world. We need to plan for equitable development and economic activity that provide for sustainable livelihoods, within the planet’s finite boundaries.
There is a solid, robust business case and a promise for better life in the proposed plan. However, the most important reforms will not be easy. The hardest part is the fundamental shift from the business-as-usual scenario, which favours only marginal reforms and resists real change.”