[News] from [guardian.co.uk]
[Environment > Heathrow third runway]
Eden Project architect risks green reputation over Heathrow contract
Campaigners denounce Grimshaw's green credentials as 'laughable' as practice set to be named third runway designer
Robert Booth
guardian.co.uk, Friday 13 November 2009 18.00 GMT Article history
From its opening in 2001, the Eden Project in Cornwall has come to exemplify the fightback against global warming – and its designer, Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, has basked in the green glow of a reputation as one of the country's most sustainable architects.
But environmental campaigners today branded the firm's green claims "laughable" after it emerged that the practice led by Grimshaw, the president of the Royal Academy, was set to be named lead designer of Heathrow's £8bn third runway expansion. The project will allow an extra 350 flights and transform Heathrow into the single biggest emitter of CO2 in the UK, according to Greenpeace.
Grimshaw's selection has yet to be formally announced by Heathrow's operator, BAA, but rivals for the job have been privately informed by the client that the firm has won the contract, the architecture newspaper Building Design reported today. That was confirmed by competing architects, as environmentalists pledged to take direct action against Grimshaw in the coming weeks to try to persuade the firm to stand down from the job.
"Grimshaw trades on its reputation as a green architectural firm," said Leo Murray, spokesman for Plane Stupid, the anti-aviation protest group.
"They celebrate the Eden Project and are a founder member of the UK Green Building Council. They are a prime target for us because they are exactly the kind of firm that could back off because of the danger of reputational damage."
A spokeswoman for Grimshaw today declined to comment on the criticisms, stating: "We can't confirm or deny any involvement". BAA also declined to comment, stating that it would formally announce its selection in the near future.
The firm was defended by the UK Green Building Council, an alliance of architects and building services companies, which said Grimshaw "is in many ways at the cutting edge of sustainable design, as confirmed by its involvement in the Eden Project".
"The firm's involvement in a controversial aviation project has to be seen in the context of the UK's overall carbon budget," said John Alker, spokesman for the council. "If this is going to bust those budgets then we need to direct our anger at the policymakers involved. Where does this stop? Should we be protesting against the people that pour the concrete for coal-fired power stations?"
Today, campaigners against the third runway planted an orchard on land required by BAA for the expansion, which they have acquired in a bid to block the plan.
Actors Alison Steadman and Richard Briers were joined by the Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg, and the poet laureate, Carol Ann Duffy, as well as local residents to plant trees on the land purchased by Greenpeace earlier this year.
"The government is absolutely wrong to stubbornly push ahead with a third runway at Heathrow," said Clegg. "How can Gordon Brown go to Copenhagen and credibly call for big reductions in carbon when he has such a dire environmental track record at home?"
The orchard includes a Cox's apple tree, sponsored by David Cameron, the leader of the Conservative party, which has pledged to scrap the third runway if it wins the next general election.
News of Grimshaw's selection comes amid a campaign by Plane Stupid aimed directly at architects who work on aviation projects.
The campaign group hijacked the Architect of the Year awards at the Intercontinental hotel at Park Lane last week when two activists dressed in evening wear took to the stage and tried to give a spoof award to Pascall and Watson, a firm of architects who work at Heathrow.
They tried to give the firm the "we don't give a shit" award "in recognition of their 50-year aviation portfolio, which includes expansion at Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Birmingham, Manchester, Dublin and Abu Dhabi airports". There was applause from some architects in the room as the protesters were bundled out.
[Environment > Carbon emissions]
World leaders 'must not use recession to delay action on climate change'
Economic downturn may cut emissions 9% by 2012 but only delay dangerous climate change by 21 months, say economists
James Randerson
guardian.co.uk, Friday 13 November 2009 17.31 GMT Article history
World leaders cannot use the global recession as an excuse to delay action on climate change, according to leading economists. In a new analysis they predict that the economic downturn will cut carbon emissions by 9% by 2012 and delay the onset of "dangerous" climate change by just 21 months.
The report, published today by the ESRC Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy, compared economic forecasts made before the recession with revised estimates that incorporate the contraction in the global economy. They used this to work out the knock-on effect on carbon emissions and hence the climate.
Even using assumptions that are most favourable to a drop in emissions, the economists only predict a delay in reaching 2C warming compared with pre-industrial temperatures of 21 months — 2C is the point that the EU defines as the threshold for dangerous climate change.
Professor Andy Gouldson, who is a co-author of the report and director of the Centre at the University of Leeds, said that a deal at the UN climate talks in Copenhagen in December was still important. "They should not use the recession as an excuse to not act with ambition," he said.
The report, which uses economic data compiled by the IMF and UK National Institute for Economic and Social Research found that even a devastating recession on the scale of the 1930s depression would not have as large an effect as some might think. Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels in such a recession would, they predict, drop by 23% and the point at which the world hits 2C of warming would be delayed by only five years.
"If we return to 'business as usual' emissions after the economic crisis is over, the profound and severe risks of climate change impacts will continue to grow. So the global downturn does not remove the urgent need for a strong agreement to be reached at the United Nations climate change conference in Copenhagen in December," said Gouldson. His team also predicted that UK emissions would be up to 9% lower in 2012 than would have been expected without the recession.
The team's predicted fall in emissions is much more severe than some analyses conducted before the full extent of the recession was known. It is also higher than the 3% drop in 2009 that the International Energy Agency predicted last month. Gouldson said that was because his team had assumed that improvements in the carbon intensity of the economy — the amount of carbon released per unit of economic activity — would continue at the same rate. In reality, this is unlikely to be the case because businesses will have less money available for investment in energy efficiency and lower energy prices might give users less incentive to restrict their consumption. So the 9% figure is a best-case scenario, and the actual drop in emissions may be smaller.
"It is clear that the recession has made it easier for the UK to meet its commitments under the Kyoto protocol. But that is no reason for complacency, given that the recession and lower energy prices may have slowed down investments in energy efficiency by UK businesses," said Gouldson.
Dr Victoria Johnson, a climate change and energy researcher with the new economics foundation thinktank, said that almost all of the economic stimulus packages being delivered by governments around the world were focused on increasing consumption rather than boosting clean technology. So when the world economy emerges from recession, carbon emissions may actually accelerate. "We're not changing the underlying energy infrastructure," she said. "The recession is casting a veil over the underlying fact that globally, the transition to the low-carbon economy isn't happening." She also pointed out that in the run up to the recession the carbon intensity of the world economy was actually increasing as countries began burning more coal, the dirtiest of fuels in terms of its carbon emissions.
One implication of the recession is that there has been a drastic fall in demand for carbon credits in the European Emissions Trading Scheme. The price of a credit has fallen from €30 in summer 2008 to around €13. That means there will be less money available to invest innovations in energy efficiency and low-carbon technologies.
The report was commissioned by the UK Economic and Social Research Council and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. It was published today as a working paper ahead of a public debate hosted at the University of Leeds. The analysis has been peer reviewed by researchers at the Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy but has not yet been formally published or subjected to external peer review.
[Environment > Heathrow third runway]
Eden Project architect risks green reputation over Heathrow contract
Campaigners denounce Grimshaw's green credentials as 'laughable' as practice set to be named third runway designer
Robert Booth
guardian.co.uk, Friday 13 November 2009 18.00 GMT Article history
From its opening in 2001, the Eden Project in Cornwall has come to exemplify the fightback against global warming – and its designer, Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, has basked in the green glow of a reputation as one of the country's most sustainable architects.
But environmental campaigners today branded the firm's green claims "laughable" after it emerged that the practice led by Grimshaw, the president of the Royal Academy, was set to be named lead designer of Heathrow's £8bn third runway expansion. The project will allow an extra 350 flights and transform Heathrow into the single biggest emitter of CO2 in the UK, according to Greenpeace.
Grimshaw's selection has yet to be formally announced by Heathrow's operator, BAA, but rivals for the job have been privately informed by the client that the firm has won the contract, the architecture newspaper Building Design reported today. That was confirmed by competing architects, as environmentalists pledged to take direct action against Grimshaw in the coming weeks to try to persuade the firm to stand down from the job.
"Grimshaw trades on its reputation as a green architectural firm," said Leo Murray, spokesman for Plane Stupid, the anti-aviation protest group.
"They celebrate the Eden Project and are a founder member of the UK Green Building Council. They are a prime target for us because they are exactly the kind of firm that could back off because of the danger of reputational damage."
A spokeswoman for Grimshaw today declined to comment on the criticisms, stating: "We can't confirm or deny any involvement". BAA also declined to comment, stating that it would formally announce its selection in the near future.
The firm was defended by the UK Green Building Council, an alliance of architects and building services companies, which said Grimshaw "is in many ways at the cutting edge of sustainable design, as confirmed by its involvement in the Eden Project".
"The firm's involvement in a controversial aviation project has to be seen in the context of the UK's overall carbon budget," said John Alker, spokesman for the council. "If this is going to bust those budgets then we need to direct our anger at the policymakers involved. Where does this stop? Should we be protesting against the people that pour the concrete for coal-fired power stations?"
Today, campaigners against the third runway planted an orchard on land required by BAA for the expansion, which they have acquired in a bid to block the plan.
Actors Alison Steadman and Richard Briers were joined by the Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg, and the poet laureate, Carol Ann Duffy, as well as local residents to plant trees on the land purchased by Greenpeace earlier this year.
"The government is absolutely wrong to stubbornly push ahead with a third runway at Heathrow," said Clegg. "How can Gordon Brown go to Copenhagen and credibly call for big reductions in carbon when he has such a dire environmental track record at home?"
The orchard includes a Cox's apple tree, sponsored by David Cameron, the leader of the Conservative party, which has pledged to scrap the third runway if it wins the next general election.
News of Grimshaw's selection comes amid a campaign by Plane Stupid aimed directly at architects who work on aviation projects.
The campaign group hijacked the Architect of the Year awards at the Intercontinental hotel at Park Lane last week when two activists dressed in evening wear took to the stage and tried to give a spoof award to Pascall and Watson, a firm of architects who work at Heathrow.
They tried to give the firm the "we don't give a shit" award "in recognition of their 50-year aviation portfolio, which includes expansion at Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Birmingham, Manchester, Dublin and Abu Dhabi airports". There was applause from some architects in the room as the protesters were bundled out.
[Environment > Carbon emissions]
World leaders 'must not use recession to delay action on climate change'
Economic downturn may cut emissions 9% by 2012 but only delay dangerous climate change by 21 months, say economists
James Randerson
guardian.co.uk, Friday 13 November 2009 17.31 GMT Article history
World leaders cannot use the global recession as an excuse to delay action on climate change, according to leading economists. In a new analysis they predict that the economic downturn will cut carbon emissions by 9% by 2012 and delay the onset of "dangerous" climate change by just 21 months.
The report, published today by the ESRC Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy, compared economic forecasts made before the recession with revised estimates that incorporate the contraction in the global economy. They used this to work out the knock-on effect on carbon emissions and hence the climate.
Even using assumptions that are most favourable to a drop in emissions, the economists only predict a delay in reaching 2C warming compared with pre-industrial temperatures of 21 months — 2C is the point that the EU defines as the threshold for dangerous climate change.
Professor Andy Gouldson, who is a co-author of the report and director of the Centre at the University of Leeds, said that a deal at the UN climate talks in Copenhagen in December was still important. "They should not use the recession as an excuse to not act with ambition," he said.
The report, which uses economic data compiled by the IMF and UK National Institute for Economic and Social Research found that even a devastating recession on the scale of the 1930s depression would not have as large an effect as some might think. Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels in such a recession would, they predict, drop by 23% and the point at which the world hits 2C of warming would be delayed by only five years.
"If we return to 'business as usual' emissions after the economic crisis is over, the profound and severe risks of climate change impacts will continue to grow. So the global downturn does not remove the urgent need for a strong agreement to be reached at the United Nations climate change conference in Copenhagen in December," said Gouldson. His team also predicted that UK emissions would be up to 9% lower in 2012 than would have been expected without the recession.
The team's predicted fall in emissions is much more severe than some analyses conducted before the full extent of the recession was known. It is also higher than the 3% drop in 2009 that the International Energy Agency predicted last month. Gouldson said that was because his team had assumed that improvements in the carbon intensity of the economy — the amount of carbon released per unit of economic activity — would continue at the same rate. In reality, this is unlikely to be the case because businesses will have less money available for investment in energy efficiency and lower energy prices might give users less incentive to restrict their consumption. So the 9% figure is a best-case scenario, and the actual drop in emissions may be smaller.
"It is clear that the recession has made it easier for the UK to meet its commitments under the Kyoto protocol. But that is no reason for complacency, given that the recession and lower energy prices may have slowed down investments in energy efficiency by UK businesses," said Gouldson.
Dr Victoria Johnson, a climate change and energy researcher with the new economics foundation thinktank, said that almost all of the economic stimulus packages being delivered by governments around the world were focused on increasing consumption rather than boosting clean technology. So when the world economy emerges from recession, carbon emissions may actually accelerate. "We're not changing the underlying energy infrastructure," she said. "The recession is casting a veil over the underlying fact that globally, the transition to the low-carbon economy isn't happening." She also pointed out that in the run up to the recession the carbon intensity of the world economy was actually increasing as countries began burning more coal, the dirtiest of fuels in terms of its carbon emissions.
One implication of the recession is that there has been a drastic fall in demand for carbon credits in the European Emissions Trading Scheme. The price of a credit has fallen from €30 in summer 2008 to around €13. That means there will be less money available to invest innovations in energy efficiency and low-carbon technologies.
The report was commissioned by the UK Economic and Social Research Council and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. It was published today as a working paper ahead of a public debate hosted at the University of Leeds. The analysis has been peer reviewed by researchers at the Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy but has not yet been formally published or subjected to external peer review.
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