Published Date: 09 October 2008
CREATING a greener Scotland is one of the Scottish Government's main objectives and businesses have a huge role to play in achieving it.
But if businesses are to be encouraged to play their part, the Scottish Government, along with the wider public sector, must take a lead by getting its own house in order and it is currently setting about that task with considerable energy and commitment. Its stated aim is to become a "zero waste government", and is taking action to drive down its carbon footprint through a range of measures to reduce energy use, minimise waste and increase recycling levels. This summer it signed up to the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management Programme with the objective of contributing towards its target of a 30 per cent reduction in business-related emissions by 2020. It is also promoting more sustainable business travel by staff. The Scottish Government Travel Campaign, launched in December last year, is underpinned by initiatives to encourage more cycling, walking and car sharing. Only last month, it announced it was phasing out water coolers and expanding the chilled drinking water facilities in its buildings. This follows an earlier decision to replace bottled still water with filtered water as part of its hospitality service. Recently, a new energy saving software product has been introduced to automatically shut down computers which are not in use. Ministers are also committed to promoting greener methods of business travel. For example, the Scottish Government has reduced air travel over the past year with ministers and civil servants making increasing use of video conferencing facilities.Richard Lochhead, cabinet secretary for rural affairs and the environment, has already announced plans for a national Zero Waste Strategy and introduced tough new targets to increase recycling and cut down on waste sent to landfill.As part of this, Scottish businesses will be encouraged to reduce commercial and industrial waste and reminded of the financial benefits of doing so – waste typically costs up to 4 per cent of business turnover.Over the next few months, the Scottish Government will be encouraging households and businesses to reduce their energy use and save money.Lochhead says: "It is absolutely essential for the Scottish Government and wider public sector to lead by example in developing a greener Scotland. We are determined to ensure that future generations can enjoy at least the same quality of life as we do."We have already undertaken lots of good work to drive down our carbon footprint, with initiatives on travel, waste and energy, but we can't afford to be complacent, especially in a time of public concern about high energy costs. "We are also working hard to create a more successful country with opportunities for all to flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth while supporting rural communities and the farming, fishing, forestry and food industries that underpin the rural economy. "Of course, many Scots are already taking decisive action and thinking about the consequences of their actions – recycling more and using more energy-efficient light bulbs as well as buying more seasonal and unpackaged produce – and they deserve praise for doing so. "These small but significant changes are helping to reduce our impact on the environment, but we can – and must – do more."Businesses can sign up to the Go Greener campaign at www.infoscotland.com/gogreener
Friday, 10 October 2008
Water firm pouring effort into reducing carbon footprint
Published Date: 09 October 2008
SCOTTISH Water's carbon footprint for the year 2006-07 was 470,000 tonnes of equivalents – that's what the town of Perth, which has a population of 43,000 people, would emit in a year. Its electricity demand grew 10 per cent from 2002 to 2006 and a similar increase is expected in the 2006-2010 regulatory period. Scottish Water currently generates up to 5 per cent of its electricity demand from its own renewable schemes. It has the potential to double this within its core asset base, f
Its focus just now is to halt the increase of its carbon footprint and then start to reduce it. How it breaks down: 66 per cent of Scottish Water's footprint is grid electricity – of that: waste water treatment works consume 45 per cent; the sewerage network uses 13 per cent; raw water pumping and water treatment works take 30 per cent; clean water pumping uses 9 per cent, while supporting assets and others consumes 3 per cent.The remaining 34 per cent of the company's footprint is made up this way: 13 per cent natural gas; 9 per cent sludge; 6 per cent wastewater treatment process emissions; 3.5 per cent transport and travel; 2.2 per cent process skip waste, for example grit and screenings; and 0.3 per cent water treatment process emissions.The reason the footprint has grown is simple. By investing billions of pounds to improve drinking water quality and clean up the environment, Scottish Water has needed more sophisticated systems which require more power, meaning greater carbon emissions.
Climate change alert for birds and frogs
Published Date: 09 October 2008
By Emily Beament
MORE than half the world's amphibians and more than a third of birds face possible extinction because of climate change, a study has warned.
More than seven out of ten warm-water reef corals are also particularly susceptible to changing climate, yesterday's report from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) said.Changes in temperature, seasons, rainfall, extreme weather events and carbon dioxide levels are all expected as the Earth's climate warms – with knock-on effects including habitat loss and changes in fertility for wildlife.According to the IUCN report, there are more than 90 biological traits which increase species' susceptibility to the effects of climate change.They include a reliance on specific habitats, such as polar ice, mangroves or cloud forest, a vulnerability to small changes in temperature or a dependence on environmental triggers such as spring or rainfall to breed, migrate or hibernate.Species that rely on interactions with prey, hosts or competitors or have a poor ability to disperse or find a new suitable habitat will also be hit.Some 3,438 of the world's 9,856 bird species and 3,217 of the 6,222 amphibians were "climate change susceptible".
Environmentalists criticise World Bank on climate ahead of annual meeting
Elana Schor in Washington
guardian.co.uk,
Wednesday October 08 2008 20.42 BST
Ahead of the World Bank annual meeting in Washington this weekend, an alliance of US environmental campaigners today stepped up their criticism of the Bank's proposed funds to combat climate change.
The Bank's climate investment funds were unveiled in July, when 10 industrialised nations pledged $6.1bn (£3.5bn) in aid to developing nations to fight the threat of rising global temperatures.
But environmental groups as well as some representatives from developing nations have condemned the Bank for attempting to set climate policy while continuing to fund large fossil fuel-burning projects such as the planned Tata Mundra coal plant in India.
The same concerns about the Bank's involvement with coal projects have prompted the US Congress to delay approval for an American contribution to the climate funds.
"The Bank is proposing that the solution to this problem of climate change is advocating cheap energy in the form of coal, that coal is integral in overcoming poverty," Janet Redman, a research director at the Institute for Policy Studies, a liberal-leaning US think tank, told reporters today.
Redman called the climate funds "a classic move of the World Bank, which is to announce something that doesn't have the critical buy-in it needs to move forward".Republican senator Pete Domenici and other coal supporters in the US have cheered the proposed climate funds, although Congress is unlikely to authorise an American share until next year.
Developing nations in the so-called Group of 77 also have pushed back against the Bank's climate funds, contending that the UN should take the lead on climate policy in preparation for next year's Copenhagen talks on a global emissions treaty. "We are very concerned by the Bank's attempt to control global financing policy on climate," Brent Blackwelder, president of Friends of the Earth US, said. "The World Bank is a major climate polluter, a major deforester."
The global financial meltdown - which prompted a US government rescue plan more than 100 times the size of the proposed climate funds - is likely to dominate the Bank and International Monetary Fund meeting, pushing climate change further down the agenda.
Uncertainty about evaporating worldwide credit could ultimately help by dissuading the Bank from pursuing a solely market-based climate policy, according to Bernarditas Muller, lead coordinator for the Group of 77 and China during last year's UN climate talks in Bali.
"We've been told that the market will solve the problem," Muller said. "What's happening right now shows very clearly that markets will not necessarily, or even not at all, solve the problem."
Another controversial aspect of the proposed climate funds is the possibility that wealthier nations will offer aid in the form of loans, requiring developing countries to pay back the money with interest.
Redman, of the Institute for Policy Studies, said the loan-based structuring risks "undermining climate justice". She pointed to a sunset clause in the proposed funds that allow the Bank to step aside if the UN reaches a deal on a new global climate treaty next year.
The UK government has defended the funds as innovative. Phil Woolas, the environment minister, and Gareth Thomas, the trade and development minister, wrote to the Guardian in May that the proposal would "influence [the Bank's] lending to move in the right directions".
guardian.co.uk,
Wednesday October 08 2008 20.42 BST
Ahead of the World Bank annual meeting in Washington this weekend, an alliance of US environmental campaigners today stepped up their criticism of the Bank's proposed funds to combat climate change.
The Bank's climate investment funds were unveiled in July, when 10 industrialised nations pledged $6.1bn (£3.5bn) in aid to developing nations to fight the threat of rising global temperatures.
But environmental groups as well as some representatives from developing nations have condemned the Bank for attempting to set climate policy while continuing to fund large fossil fuel-burning projects such as the planned Tata Mundra coal plant in India.
The same concerns about the Bank's involvement with coal projects have prompted the US Congress to delay approval for an American contribution to the climate funds.
"The Bank is proposing that the solution to this problem of climate change is advocating cheap energy in the form of coal, that coal is integral in overcoming poverty," Janet Redman, a research director at the Institute for Policy Studies, a liberal-leaning US think tank, told reporters today.
Redman called the climate funds "a classic move of the World Bank, which is to announce something that doesn't have the critical buy-in it needs to move forward".Republican senator Pete Domenici and other coal supporters in the US have cheered the proposed climate funds, although Congress is unlikely to authorise an American share until next year.
Developing nations in the so-called Group of 77 also have pushed back against the Bank's climate funds, contending that the UN should take the lead on climate policy in preparation for next year's Copenhagen talks on a global emissions treaty. "We are very concerned by the Bank's attempt to control global financing policy on climate," Brent Blackwelder, president of Friends of the Earth US, said. "The World Bank is a major climate polluter, a major deforester."
The global financial meltdown - which prompted a US government rescue plan more than 100 times the size of the proposed climate funds - is likely to dominate the Bank and International Monetary Fund meeting, pushing climate change further down the agenda.
Uncertainty about evaporating worldwide credit could ultimately help by dissuading the Bank from pursuing a solely market-based climate policy, according to Bernarditas Muller, lead coordinator for the Group of 77 and China during last year's UN climate talks in Bali.
"We've been told that the market will solve the problem," Muller said. "What's happening right now shows very clearly that markets will not necessarily, or even not at all, solve the problem."
Another controversial aspect of the proposed climate funds is the possibility that wealthier nations will offer aid in the form of loans, requiring developing countries to pay back the money with interest.
Redman, of the Institute for Policy Studies, said the loan-based structuring risks "undermining climate justice". She pointed to a sunset clause in the proposed funds that allow the Bank to step aside if the UN reaches a deal on a new global climate treaty next year.
The UK government has defended the funds as innovative. Phil Woolas, the environment minister, and Gareth Thomas, the trade and development minister, wrote to the Guardian in May that the proposal would "influence [the Bank's] lending to move in the right directions".
FTSE 100: rankings show how ready companies are for climate change
Louise Gray, Environment Correspondent
Last Updated: 6:01pm BST 08/10/2008
Companies that fail to assess the impact of climate change are storing up problems for the future in a similar way that the financial community built up debt leading to the current financial crisis, according to City experts.
The Carbon Disclosure Project asseses how well prepared the world's top companies are for the challenges of climate change.
The Bloomberg indices board on the Cromwell Road in London
The aim is to inform investors about the risk these firms will face in the event of rising carbon costs and environmental disaster.The not-for-profit organisation's latests rankings of the FTSE 100 show companies are getting better at measuring carbon emissions and setting targets to reduce greenhouse gases.
Some 90 per cent of companies in the FTSE 100 responded to the CDP questionaire this year, although not all were willing to make the results public.
However the FTSE 250 had a far worse response rate at just 58 per cent.
Paul Simpson, chief operating officer at CDP, said those companies that are failing to try to reduce carbon emissions and protect the environment are storing up problems for the future.
Like the "credit crunch", where banks borrowed against assets they were unable to pay back, he said companies are currently using up resources that are irreplaceable.
This will eventually cause a "carbon crunch" where those companies that have not cut carbon emissions find they are fined by government or even face environmental disaster from climate change.
"Looming on the horizon is the credit crunch. If we say for the next five years lets ignore climate change and concentrate on getting the economy back on an even keel, we may find climate change will come back to bite us," he said.
"Everything, including our economy is reliant on the ecosystem. What we are doing is pushing the ecosystem beyond its sustainable limits to the point where it breaks and that is basically what we have done with the economy by lending money that does not really exist and people cannot afford to pay back."
The Carbon Disclosure Project was set up on behalf of 385 investors worth around £33 trillion in order to assess how well prepared different companies are for climate change.
The organisation aims to inform investors of the risks companies face from the changing climate, such as fines for producing too much carbon.
Mr Simpson said a company that understood the risks and opportunities of climate change would be far better prepared for the future.
For example those companies promoting renewable technology and cutting energy use are likely to boom in the future whereas those still reliant on fossil fuels will struggle.
He added: "Clear understanding and disclsoure of these opportunities and risks will help avert long term undisclosed exposure to climate change bringing down the value of companies - as the current economic crisis shows, failing to address undisclosed risk in the short term can lead to substantially larger problems in the long term."
The FTSE 100 companies that did not respond to CDP included InterContinental Hotel Group, Thomas Cook and Reuters.
Well known companies in the top 20 companies best prepared for climate change included: Barclays, Lloyds TSB, HBOS, RBS, HSBC, Tesco, Cadbury, Unilever and BT.
Last Updated: 6:01pm BST 08/10/2008
Companies that fail to assess the impact of climate change are storing up problems for the future in a similar way that the financial community built up debt leading to the current financial crisis, according to City experts.
The Carbon Disclosure Project asseses how well prepared the world's top companies are for the challenges of climate change.
The Bloomberg indices board on the Cromwell Road in London
The aim is to inform investors about the risk these firms will face in the event of rising carbon costs and environmental disaster.The not-for-profit organisation's latests rankings of the FTSE 100 show companies are getting better at measuring carbon emissions and setting targets to reduce greenhouse gases.
Some 90 per cent of companies in the FTSE 100 responded to the CDP questionaire this year, although not all were willing to make the results public.
However the FTSE 250 had a far worse response rate at just 58 per cent.
Paul Simpson, chief operating officer at CDP, said those companies that are failing to try to reduce carbon emissions and protect the environment are storing up problems for the future.
Like the "credit crunch", where banks borrowed against assets they were unable to pay back, he said companies are currently using up resources that are irreplaceable.
This will eventually cause a "carbon crunch" where those companies that have not cut carbon emissions find they are fined by government or even face environmental disaster from climate change.
"Looming on the horizon is the credit crunch. If we say for the next five years lets ignore climate change and concentrate on getting the economy back on an even keel, we may find climate change will come back to bite us," he said.
"Everything, including our economy is reliant on the ecosystem. What we are doing is pushing the ecosystem beyond its sustainable limits to the point where it breaks and that is basically what we have done with the economy by lending money that does not really exist and people cannot afford to pay back."
The Carbon Disclosure Project was set up on behalf of 385 investors worth around £33 trillion in order to assess how well prepared different companies are for climate change.
The organisation aims to inform investors of the risks companies face from the changing climate, such as fines for producing too much carbon.
Mr Simpson said a company that understood the risks and opportunities of climate change would be far better prepared for the future.
For example those companies promoting renewable technology and cutting energy use are likely to boom in the future whereas those still reliant on fossil fuels will struggle.
He added: "Clear understanding and disclsoure of these opportunities and risks will help avert long term undisclosed exposure to climate change bringing down the value of companies - as the current economic crisis shows, failing to address undisclosed risk in the short term can lead to substantially larger problems in the long term."
The FTSE 100 companies that did not respond to CDP included InterContinental Hotel Group, Thomas Cook and Reuters.
Well known companies in the top 20 companies best prepared for climate change included: Barclays, Lloyds TSB, HBOS, RBS, HSBC, Tesco, Cadbury, Unilever and BT.
Biological traits make animals susceptible to climate change
Paul Eccleston
Last Updated: 4:01pm BST 08/10/2008
More than one in three birds, half of amphibians and almost three-quarters of reef-building corals are at risk from climate change, a new study has revealed.
They display some of the biological traits that make them susceptible to climate change, according to the first results of a study by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Penguins are one of the birds that are likely to be susceptible to the effects of climate change
The study reveals:* 3,438 of the world's 9,856 bird species have at least one out of 11 traits that could make them susceptible to climate change.* 3,217 of the 6,222 amphibians in the world are likely to be susceptible.
* 566 of 799 warm-water reef-building coral species are likely to be susceptible.
Species which rely on specific habitats, such as polar regions or tropical forest, those that are vulnerable to changes in temperature, and those which rely on climate triggers such as rainfall to breed or migrate, will be most at risk.
Predators which rely on other species for food and those unable to move on to new habitats when their own becomes unsuitable will also be most affected.
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Among birds Albatross, penguin, petrel and shearwater are all likely to be susceptible while heron and egret families, and osprey, kite, hawk and eagle families are among those least likely to be affected.
In amphibians three salamander families could be particularly susceptible, while 80-100 per cent of Seychelles frogs and Indian Burrowing Frogs, Australian ground frogs, horned toads and glass frog families were assessed as susceptible.
Specialised habitat requirements, such as species with water-dependant larvae, and those unable to disperse due to barriers such as large water bodies or human-transformed habitats are most at risk.
Among corals the Acroporidae family, including staghorn corals, had particularly high numbers of susceptible species, while the Fungiidae family, including mushroom corals, and the Mussidae family, including some brain corals, possess relatively few.
Coral species qualified due to their sensitivity to increases in temperature, sedimentation and physical damage from storms and cyclones. Poor dispersal ability and colonisation potential were used as a further important indicators.
In all the IUCN study identified more than 90 biological traits which puts species at risk.
Wendy Foden, of IUCN's Species Programme, said: "This is the first time that a systematic assessments of species' susceptibility to climate change has been attempted.
"Climate change is already happening, but conservation decision makers currently have very little guidance on which species are going to be the worst affected."
According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 32 per cent of amphibians are threatened with extinction. Of these, 75 per cent are susceptible to climate change while 41 per cent of non-threatened species are susceptible to climate change.
For birds, the overall percentage of those threatened with extinction is lower - 12 per cent. However, 80 per cent are susceptible to climate change.
Jean-Christophe Vie, deputy head of the IUCN Species Programme, said: "Climate change may cause a sharp rise in the risk and rate of extinction of currently threatened species.
"But we also want to highlight species which are currently not threatened but are more likely to become so as climate change impacts intensify. By doing this we hope to promote pre-emptive and more effective conservation action."
Last Updated: 4:01pm BST 08/10/2008
More than one in three birds, half of amphibians and almost three-quarters of reef-building corals are at risk from climate change, a new study has revealed.
They display some of the biological traits that make them susceptible to climate change, according to the first results of a study by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Penguins are one of the birds that are likely to be susceptible to the effects of climate change
The study reveals:* 3,438 of the world's 9,856 bird species have at least one out of 11 traits that could make them susceptible to climate change.* 3,217 of the 6,222 amphibians in the world are likely to be susceptible.
* 566 of 799 warm-water reef-building coral species are likely to be susceptible.
Species which rely on specific habitats, such as polar regions or tropical forest, those that are vulnerable to changes in temperature, and those which rely on climate triggers such as rainfall to breed or migrate, will be most at risk.
Predators which rely on other species for food and those unable to move on to new habitats when their own becomes unsuitable will also be most affected.
advertisement
Among birds Albatross, penguin, petrel and shearwater are all likely to be susceptible while heron and egret families, and osprey, kite, hawk and eagle families are among those least likely to be affected.
In amphibians three salamander families could be particularly susceptible, while 80-100 per cent of Seychelles frogs and Indian Burrowing Frogs, Australian ground frogs, horned toads and glass frog families were assessed as susceptible.
Specialised habitat requirements, such as species with water-dependant larvae, and those unable to disperse due to barriers such as large water bodies or human-transformed habitats are most at risk.
Among corals the Acroporidae family, including staghorn corals, had particularly high numbers of susceptible species, while the Fungiidae family, including mushroom corals, and the Mussidae family, including some brain corals, possess relatively few.
Coral species qualified due to their sensitivity to increases in temperature, sedimentation and physical damage from storms and cyclones. Poor dispersal ability and colonisation potential were used as a further important indicators.
In all the IUCN study identified more than 90 biological traits which puts species at risk.
Wendy Foden, of IUCN's Species Programme, said: "This is the first time that a systematic assessments of species' susceptibility to climate change has been attempted.
"Climate change is already happening, but conservation decision makers currently have very little guidance on which species are going to be the worst affected."
According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 32 per cent of amphibians are threatened with extinction. Of these, 75 per cent are susceptible to climate change while 41 per cent of non-threatened species are susceptible to climate change.
For birds, the overall percentage of those threatened with extinction is lower - 12 per cent. However, 80 per cent are susceptible to climate change.
Jean-Christophe Vie, deputy head of the IUCN Species Programme, said: "Climate change may cause a sharp rise in the risk and rate of extinction of currently threatened species.
"But we also want to highlight species which are currently not threatened but are more likely to become so as climate change impacts intensify. By doing this we hope to promote pre-emptive and more effective conservation action."
Autumn reds disappearing as global warming blurs boundaries between the seasons
Michael Day in Milan
Last Updated: 11:01am BST 08/10/2008
The vibrant palette of autumn is draining away from Europe's woodlands, as global warming continues to blur the boundaries between seasons, scientists have warned.
Researchers at the Italian Meteorological Society have observed less gold, copper and red foliage in the country's woodlands, and linked this to rising temperatures and extended springs and summers.
'Colours are fading because the temperature difference between night and day is getting smaller'
A similar warning has come from the Veneto region's forestry department.
The developments in Italy mirror concern elsewhere in Europe - and the Northern Hemisphere. The US Department of Agriculture has just begun funding a study into claims that the northern states' famed Fall colours are also fading away with climate change.
"I'm in the forests and woods every day," said Dr Giustino Mezzalira, a forestry expert and director of agricultural research for Italy's northern Veneto region, told the Telegraph, "and in recent years, we just haven't seem seen the same beautiful colours that we used to see.
"Something is clearly happening to make the colours less vivid. The wood is a living organism that tries to adapt to the climate, and change in climate is the cause. We really need to study and understand what's happening.
"But I think that, as in the United States, the colours are fading because the temperature difference between night and day is getting smaller and smaller."
In the US, researchers at the University of Vermont have just received $45,000 grant from the Department of Agriculture to monitor the situation following fears that famous autumnal displays in its woodlands are losing their splendour.
This group's research will also focus on temperature. Like Dr Mezzalira, the Vermont researchers suspect that the summer-like conditions that increasingly prevail in September and October, with a diminishing gap between day and night-time temperatures, is causing the woodland's palette to fade.
Botanists believe that brilliant leaf colours associated with autumn are promoted by cold nights followed by warm, sunny days; in the absence of such conditions, the trees probably continue to produce the green pigment chlorophyll as if it were still summertime.
"The leaves are telling how the climate is changing," said Dr Luca Mercalli, president of the Italian Meteorological Society.
In the alpine Aosta Valley he is measuring whether temperatures are changing in the area's forests and examining what effects such changes might be having. He has already found evidence linking less colour and higher temperatures.
His team is studying various woodland locations, starting in April this year and going right through to November, and comparing the results with previous years. The researchers are even measuring numbers of every single leaf on some branches.
"The preliminary data confirms what we suspected regarding the temperature," he told La Repubblica newspaper. "The rising temperatures are provoking an elongation of the vegetative season.
"The leaves are sprouting earlier by 15 days or more. So the spring is arriving earlier, while the leaves are staying put in autumn."
As a result the of the continuing heat and sunlight, the green pigment chlorophyll, which gives leaves their colour is not draining away so quickly in autumn to reveal the minor pigments, such as anthocyanins, that give trees their seasonal red, gold and copper hues.
This means that more leaves are dropping off later in November cold snaps before they have had the chance to change colour.
Dr Mercalli said that, in addition to robbing us of one of nature's most beautiful spectacles, the fading of autumn woodlands highlighted potentially disastrous environmental changes that were taking place.
"The temperatures are continuing to rise and nature is obviously reacting. Unfortunately mankind is doing very little about it," he said.
Last Updated: 11:01am BST 08/10/2008
The vibrant palette of autumn is draining away from Europe's woodlands, as global warming continues to blur the boundaries between seasons, scientists have warned.
Researchers at the Italian Meteorological Society have observed less gold, copper and red foliage in the country's woodlands, and linked this to rising temperatures and extended springs and summers.
'Colours are fading because the temperature difference between night and day is getting smaller'
A similar warning has come from the Veneto region's forestry department.
The developments in Italy mirror concern elsewhere in Europe - and the Northern Hemisphere. The US Department of Agriculture has just begun funding a study into claims that the northern states' famed Fall colours are also fading away with climate change.
"I'm in the forests and woods every day," said Dr Giustino Mezzalira, a forestry expert and director of agricultural research for Italy's northern Veneto region, told the Telegraph, "and in recent years, we just haven't seem seen the same beautiful colours that we used to see.
"Something is clearly happening to make the colours less vivid. The wood is a living organism that tries to adapt to the climate, and change in climate is the cause. We really need to study and understand what's happening.
"But I think that, as in the United States, the colours are fading because the temperature difference between night and day is getting smaller and smaller."
In the US, researchers at the University of Vermont have just received $45,000 grant from the Department of Agriculture to monitor the situation following fears that famous autumnal displays in its woodlands are losing their splendour.
This group's research will also focus on temperature. Like Dr Mezzalira, the Vermont researchers suspect that the summer-like conditions that increasingly prevail in September and October, with a diminishing gap between day and night-time temperatures, is causing the woodland's palette to fade.
Botanists believe that brilliant leaf colours associated with autumn are promoted by cold nights followed by warm, sunny days; in the absence of such conditions, the trees probably continue to produce the green pigment chlorophyll as if it were still summertime.
"The leaves are telling how the climate is changing," said Dr Luca Mercalli, president of the Italian Meteorological Society.
In the alpine Aosta Valley he is measuring whether temperatures are changing in the area's forests and examining what effects such changes might be having. He has already found evidence linking less colour and higher temperatures.
His team is studying various woodland locations, starting in April this year and going right through to November, and comparing the results with previous years. The researchers are even measuring numbers of every single leaf on some branches.
"The preliminary data confirms what we suspected regarding the temperature," he told La Repubblica newspaper. "The rising temperatures are provoking an elongation of the vegetative season.
"The leaves are sprouting earlier by 15 days or more. So the spring is arriving earlier, while the leaves are staying put in autumn."
As a result the of the continuing heat and sunlight, the green pigment chlorophyll, which gives leaves their colour is not draining away so quickly in autumn to reveal the minor pigments, such as anthocyanins, that give trees their seasonal red, gold and copper hues.
This means that more leaves are dropping off later in November cold snaps before they have had the chance to change colour.
Dr Mercalli said that, in addition to robbing us of one of nature's most beautiful spectacles, the fading of autumn woodlands highlighted potentially disastrous environmental changes that were taking place.
"The temperatures are continuing to rise and nature is obviously reacting. Unfortunately mankind is doing very little about it," he said.
'Milk run' is miles better
By Rod Newing
Published: October 9 2008 03:00
Five years ago, Jaguar Land Rover did not know the carbon footprint of its supply chain. Now, it has been measured, reduction targets have been set, measures are being taken and the results are being monitored.
"Our total supply chain carbon dioxide footprint in January 2008 was 186,076 tonnes a year," says Kevin Wall, the company's material, planning and logistics director. "We are on target to reduce this by 2,621 tonnes this year and we have a 10-year plan to eliminate 90m road miles."
Jaguar Cars is one of the world's premier makers of luxury cars and Land Rover's four-wheel drive vehicles are world-famous. Together the two companies, which were acquired by Tata Motors from Ford Motor earlier this year, manufacture 290,000 vehicles a year in he UK.
About five years ago Jaguar Land Rover set up an integrated Europe-wide supply chain to collect components from 380 suppliers based in the UK and Europe. The aim of this "milk run" is to maximise the full capacity of a trailer, by consolidating five or six suppliers in a similar geographical area. This has reduced average road miles per week from 59,280 to 30,780, a 52 per cent saving.
Although created to reduce costs, it has also eliminated CO 2 emissions of 1,772 tonnes a year. The third-party logistics contract has just been rebid and next-generation truck engines were specified, to reduce emissions and improve economy by 10-12 per cent. Other projects include reduced pallet pool balancing between Europe and the UK, which has saved 1,265 tonnes a year, and reduced inter-site movements that have saved 151 tonnes a year.
"Ten years ago our supplier base was mainly in the UK, but now it is truly global," says Mr Wall. "You can't look at the purchase price any more, you have to look at the total landed cost, including freight, packaging, customs and the cost of returning any unique containers. It is difficult to calculate, but we have used this basis for several years and it takes into account both the financial and environmental implications of global sourcing."
The company has been trying to switch vehicle delivery from road to trains. Finished vehicles for the US, Australia and Japan go to Southampton by rail. This has eliminated 777,925 road miles a year, equating to 1,188 tonnes of CO 2 .
"It has been extremely difficult to get through the bureaucracy," says Mr Wall. "The business case requires a minimum number of carriages and a minimum journey of 100 miles to make it beneficial."
From Southampton, vehicles are transported by Wallenius Wilhelmsen ships. In partnership, the two organisations have optimised fleet utilisation, streamlined routes and run vessels - where possible - at more economical speeds.
Most significantly, instead of normal bunker fuel, the company pays extra for the ships to use low-sulphur fuel, which contains 1.3 per cent of the mineral, compared with an International Maritime Organisation target of 4.5 per cent. Between 2001 and 2007, this low-sulphur fuel saved 98,500 tonnes of sulphur dioxide emissions, a reduction of 43 per cent, and has cut CO 2 emissions by 17 per cent.
Future projects include reviewing vessel steaming speeds. A two-knot reduction saves 244kg of CO 2 per transported unit, 21 per cent less than present.
JLR is also exploring Wallenius Wilhelmsen's Orcelle project for a lightweight environmentally sound ship that can carry 10,000 cars. Using solar, wind, and wave power, it does not release any emissions into the atmosphere or the ocean.
"The Jaguar and Land Rover logistics professionals have long understood their role in moving freight from road to rail and sea, where practical," concludes Mr Wall. "It has now taken on a whole new emphasis in educating colleagues in the engineering and purchasing areas to ensure that a common approach is applied, with environmental measures underpinning all the actions that ultimately will lead to cost benefits."
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008
Published: October 9 2008 03:00
Five years ago, Jaguar Land Rover did not know the carbon footprint of its supply chain. Now, it has been measured, reduction targets have been set, measures are being taken and the results are being monitored.
"Our total supply chain carbon dioxide footprint in January 2008 was 186,076 tonnes a year," says Kevin Wall, the company's material, planning and logistics director. "We are on target to reduce this by 2,621 tonnes this year and we have a 10-year plan to eliminate 90m road miles."
Jaguar Cars is one of the world's premier makers of luxury cars and Land Rover's four-wheel drive vehicles are world-famous. Together the two companies, which were acquired by Tata Motors from Ford Motor earlier this year, manufacture 290,000 vehicles a year in he UK.
About five years ago Jaguar Land Rover set up an integrated Europe-wide supply chain to collect components from 380 suppliers based in the UK and Europe. The aim of this "milk run" is to maximise the full capacity of a trailer, by consolidating five or six suppliers in a similar geographical area. This has reduced average road miles per week from 59,280 to 30,780, a 52 per cent saving.
Although created to reduce costs, it has also eliminated CO 2 emissions of 1,772 tonnes a year. The third-party logistics contract has just been rebid and next-generation truck engines were specified, to reduce emissions and improve economy by 10-12 per cent. Other projects include reduced pallet pool balancing between Europe and the UK, which has saved 1,265 tonnes a year, and reduced inter-site movements that have saved 151 tonnes a year.
"Ten years ago our supplier base was mainly in the UK, but now it is truly global," says Mr Wall. "You can't look at the purchase price any more, you have to look at the total landed cost, including freight, packaging, customs and the cost of returning any unique containers. It is difficult to calculate, but we have used this basis for several years and it takes into account both the financial and environmental implications of global sourcing."
The company has been trying to switch vehicle delivery from road to trains. Finished vehicles for the US, Australia and Japan go to Southampton by rail. This has eliminated 777,925 road miles a year, equating to 1,188 tonnes of CO 2 .
"It has been extremely difficult to get through the bureaucracy," says Mr Wall. "The business case requires a minimum number of carriages and a minimum journey of 100 miles to make it beneficial."
From Southampton, vehicles are transported by Wallenius Wilhelmsen ships. In partnership, the two organisations have optimised fleet utilisation, streamlined routes and run vessels - where possible - at more economical speeds.
Most significantly, instead of normal bunker fuel, the company pays extra for the ships to use low-sulphur fuel, which contains 1.3 per cent of the mineral, compared with an International Maritime Organisation target of 4.5 per cent. Between 2001 and 2007, this low-sulphur fuel saved 98,500 tonnes of sulphur dioxide emissions, a reduction of 43 per cent, and has cut CO 2 emissions by 17 per cent.
Future projects include reviewing vessel steaming speeds. A two-knot reduction saves 244kg of CO 2 per transported unit, 21 per cent less than present.
JLR is also exploring Wallenius Wilhelmsen's Orcelle project for a lightweight environmentally sound ship that can carry 10,000 cars. Using solar, wind, and wave power, it does not release any emissions into the atmosphere or the ocean.
"The Jaguar and Land Rover logistics professionals have long understood their role in moving freight from road to rail and sea, where practical," concludes Mr Wall. "It has now taken on a whole new emphasis in educating colleagues in the engineering and purchasing areas to ensure that a common approach is applied, with environmental measures underpinning all the actions that ultimately will lead to cost benefits."
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008
Doubts Raised Over Promise of Liquid Coal
By STEPHEN POWER
WASHINGTON -- Encouraging greater production of transportation fuel made from liquefied coal and Canadian oil sands could help reduce oil prices but also undermine U.S. efforts to fight global warming, according to a report to be released Wednesday by the Rand Corp.
The study by Rand, a nonprofit research institute in Santa Monica, Calif., illustrates the tensions between fighting global warming and reducing U.S. dependence on Middle East oil. It buttresses some criticisms leveled by environmental groups that certain alternative sources of fossil fuel result in higher levels of carbon-dioxide emissions than conventional motor fuel, when all of their emissions -- from production through development and consumption -- are measured.
The study's authors note that carbon-dioxide emissions from the production and use of oil sands are roughly 20% higher than conventional petroleum, and that emissions from the production and use of liquid fuel from coal are about twice the emissions of conventional fuels. At the same time, the authors say, greater production of fuel from oil sands and liquid coal could help expand global fuel supplies and work to slow the rise in oil prices.
The Rand study was funded by the National Commission on Energy Policy, a Washington-based group that advises government officials on energy matters.
Tax legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush last week contains a provision that makes alternative jet fuel made from liquefied coal eligible for the first time for a 50-cents-a-gallon tax credit.
A spokesman for the National Mining Association, Corey Henry, acknowledged that fuel made from liquefied coal produces high carbon-dioxide emissions, but said delaying production of it would exacerbate U.S. dependence on foreign oil.
Write to Stephen Power at stephen.power@wsj.com
WASHINGTON -- Encouraging greater production of transportation fuel made from liquefied coal and Canadian oil sands could help reduce oil prices but also undermine U.S. efforts to fight global warming, according to a report to be released Wednesday by the Rand Corp.
The study by Rand, a nonprofit research institute in Santa Monica, Calif., illustrates the tensions between fighting global warming and reducing U.S. dependence on Middle East oil. It buttresses some criticisms leveled by environmental groups that certain alternative sources of fossil fuel result in higher levels of carbon-dioxide emissions than conventional motor fuel, when all of their emissions -- from production through development and consumption -- are measured.
The study's authors note that carbon-dioxide emissions from the production and use of oil sands are roughly 20% higher than conventional petroleum, and that emissions from the production and use of liquid fuel from coal are about twice the emissions of conventional fuels. At the same time, the authors say, greater production of fuel from oil sands and liquid coal could help expand global fuel supplies and work to slow the rise in oil prices.
The Rand study was funded by the National Commission on Energy Policy, a Washington-based group that advises government officials on energy matters.
Tax legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush last week contains a provision that makes alternative jet fuel made from liquefied coal eligible for the first time for a 50-cents-a-gallon tax credit.
A spokesman for the National Mining Association, Corey Henry, acknowledged that fuel made from liquefied coal produces high carbon-dioxide emissions, but said delaying production of it would exacerbate U.S. dependence on foreign oil.
Write to Stephen Power at stephen.power@wsj.com
France Will Spend $547 Million to Help Develop Greener Cars
Sarkozy Calls for Looser EU Rules on Aid
By DAVID GAUTHIER-VILLARS in Paris and EDWARD TAYLOR in Frankfurt
French President Nicolas Sarkozy called Thursday for the European Union to loosen rules restricting state aid to industry, and said France will spend €400 million ($547 million) of public funds to help its auto makers develop greener cars.
EU officials recently have given the impression that they may be growing more lenient on state-aid restrictions as European governments struggle to respond to the global financial crisis. And many EU countries have adopted emergency domestic bailout plans without consulting their neighbors.
But some economists said that with his proposal to soften state-aid rules, Mr. Sarkozy was trying to use confusion over the European Commission's role to push a favorite project: the resurrection of government-sponsored industrial policy. In France, several big industries -- nuclear power, high-speed trains and aerospace -- have grown as a result of state aid and guidance.
"Mr. Sarkozy is resuming his lobbying," says Jean-François Jamet, an economist and consultant for the World Bank. "I am not sure many EU member states will support him."
European antitrust authorities have rejected several attempts by the French to prop up their auto industry, on the grounds that such aid would violate EU rules against state aid. In February, the commission blocked a French plan to grant Peugeot up to €100 million in state aid.
European car makers squeezed by the financial crisis are pressing the EU to agree to a €40 billion soft-loan package. Mr. Sarkozy said during a visit to the Paris Auto Show that it was time for the EU to loosen its antitrust rules and allow countries to help key industries -- or risk their decline. The French president, who holds the EU's rotating presidency until the end of 2008, said it was urgent to take action because the U.S. was drafting a $25 billion package to support its auto makers.
By sticking to the current rules which restrict EU subsidies, "I think we are being naive," Mr. Sarkozy said. "And I think it's been going on for too long."
The commission will examine the latest French plan as soon as it is notified by Paris, according to a spokesman for Antitrust Commissioner Neelie Kroes. "Under the current framework, governments can provide aid for research and development, training and environmental projects," spokesman Jonathan Todd said.
The bulk of the French funds for greener vehicles will go toward electric-car projects, Mr. Sarkozy said as he visited the stands of French auto makers PSA Peugeot Citroën SA and Renault SA at the Paris auto show.
Associated Press
President Nicolas Sarkozy
He also said France will replace all government cars more than 10 years old with fuel-efficient vehicles. In addition, the country will extend until 2012 a €5,000 subsidy to buyers of ultra-low-emission cars.
The French government fears that the financial crisis, as it has in the U.S., will damp demand for cars -- big-ticket items that most customers buy on credit.
The gloomy economic outlook and change in credit conditions have already hurt passenger-car sales in Western Europe, a key market for the French auto makers. In September, car registrations in Spain fell 32% on the year. Spanish car manufacturers' association Anfac attributed the drop to "higher mortgage payments and the overall increase in prices," which had "decreased disposable income."
Italy's new-car registrations in September dropped 5.5% from a year earlier. In Germany, passenger-car registrations fell 1.5%; new-car registrations in the U.K. skidded 21%. It was the U.K.'s fifth consecutive month of decline, and these are "the most difficult economic conditions the industry has faced in 17 years," the U.K. Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said. SMMT Chief Executive Paul Everitt called for "government action to restore consumer confidence and boost demand in the real economy."—Neal E. Boudette in Detroit contributed to this article.
Write to David Gauthier-Villars at David.Gauthier-Villars@wsj.com and Edward Taylor at edward.taylor@wsj.com
By DAVID GAUTHIER-VILLARS in Paris and EDWARD TAYLOR in Frankfurt
French President Nicolas Sarkozy called Thursday for the European Union to loosen rules restricting state aid to industry, and said France will spend €400 million ($547 million) of public funds to help its auto makers develop greener cars.
EU officials recently have given the impression that they may be growing more lenient on state-aid restrictions as European governments struggle to respond to the global financial crisis. And many EU countries have adopted emergency domestic bailout plans without consulting their neighbors.
But some economists said that with his proposal to soften state-aid rules, Mr. Sarkozy was trying to use confusion over the European Commission's role to push a favorite project: the resurrection of government-sponsored industrial policy. In France, several big industries -- nuclear power, high-speed trains and aerospace -- have grown as a result of state aid and guidance.
"Mr. Sarkozy is resuming his lobbying," says Jean-François Jamet, an economist and consultant for the World Bank. "I am not sure many EU member states will support him."
European antitrust authorities have rejected several attempts by the French to prop up their auto industry, on the grounds that such aid would violate EU rules against state aid. In February, the commission blocked a French plan to grant Peugeot up to €100 million in state aid.
European car makers squeezed by the financial crisis are pressing the EU to agree to a €40 billion soft-loan package. Mr. Sarkozy said during a visit to the Paris Auto Show that it was time for the EU to loosen its antitrust rules and allow countries to help key industries -- or risk their decline. The French president, who holds the EU's rotating presidency until the end of 2008, said it was urgent to take action because the U.S. was drafting a $25 billion package to support its auto makers.
By sticking to the current rules which restrict EU subsidies, "I think we are being naive," Mr. Sarkozy said. "And I think it's been going on for too long."
The commission will examine the latest French plan as soon as it is notified by Paris, according to a spokesman for Antitrust Commissioner Neelie Kroes. "Under the current framework, governments can provide aid for research and development, training and environmental projects," spokesman Jonathan Todd said.
The bulk of the French funds for greener vehicles will go toward electric-car projects, Mr. Sarkozy said as he visited the stands of French auto makers PSA Peugeot Citroën SA and Renault SA at the Paris auto show.
Associated Press
President Nicolas Sarkozy
He also said France will replace all government cars more than 10 years old with fuel-efficient vehicles. In addition, the country will extend until 2012 a €5,000 subsidy to buyers of ultra-low-emission cars.
The French government fears that the financial crisis, as it has in the U.S., will damp demand for cars -- big-ticket items that most customers buy on credit.
The gloomy economic outlook and change in credit conditions have already hurt passenger-car sales in Western Europe, a key market for the French auto makers. In September, car registrations in Spain fell 32% on the year. Spanish car manufacturers' association Anfac attributed the drop to "higher mortgage payments and the overall increase in prices," which had "decreased disposable income."
Italy's new-car registrations in September dropped 5.5% from a year earlier. In Germany, passenger-car registrations fell 1.5%; new-car registrations in the U.K. skidded 21%. It was the U.K.'s fifth consecutive month of decline, and these are "the most difficult economic conditions the industry has faced in 17 years," the U.K. Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said. SMMT Chief Executive Paul Everitt called for "government action to restore consumer confidence and boost demand in the real economy."—Neal E. Boudette in Detroit contributed to this article.
Write to David Gauthier-Villars at David.Gauthier-Villars@wsj.com and Edward Taylor at edward.taylor@wsj.com
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