Climate Newsprint
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Heart and Head Misfire Together
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Swine Flu Complacency and a Win for Biotech
Ministers accused of 'misleading' public over emissions success
Data published this year fell short of the government's code of practice, says statistics watchdog chief
Ministers were accused of exaggerating Britain's success in fighting climate change today. The government's statistics watchdog said figures on carbon dioxide emissions could "mislead" the public.
Sir Michael Scholar, chairman of the UK Statistics Authority, said presentation of the data by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) was "unsatisfactory".
In a letter to Tim Yeo, the chairman of the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, he said a statistical bulletin released in February "fell short" of the government's code of practice. Scholar raised serious concerns about the claim that CO2 emissions had fallen by 12.8% compared to 1990 levels.
But nearly a third of that fall is made up of carbon credits purchased by polluters in an EU trading scheme and do not represent actual cuts in UK emissions. Without the credits, the fall is a much more modest 8.5%. Scholar said ministers should in future include a clearer explanation of how the figures are calculated.
He said: "In this case, the figures mentioned are, in our view, likely to be used by non-expert observers to judge progress in reducing CO2 emissions within the UK.
"We regard the quoted figures, and particularly the percentage change, as unsatisfactory in the context of that use."
Yeo said the figures were not being used in a "straightforward way" and called on ministers to put right the problem "as soon as possible".
"The committee has had some concerns about this presentation for some time so I'm not surprised by this," he said. "It's very important if the government is going to maintain the confidence of the public and the green lobby that they should be absolutely objective and straightforward about it.
"It's a very complex area and there are already a number of confusions surrounding claims about emissions reductions."
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Caught on camera: Britain's crap cycle lanes
From amusing and pointless to downright dangerous lanes, the Warrington Cycle Campaign's book of Crap Cycle Lanes is notorious among cyclists
Rush Limbaugh goes the extra mile in rant about New York Times environmental reporter | Suzanne Goldenberg
Shock jock turns on Andy Revkin after his comments on population and greenhouse gas emissions
US radio host Rush Limbaugh's main reason for existence is to go too far — and then drag mainstream conservative discourse out there with him.
But even by Limbaugh's standards — and remember this is a man who has over the years referred to Greenpeace and Sierra Club as "econazis" and "environmentalist wackos" — he seems to have gone the extra mile in calling the New York Times environmental reporter, Andy Revkin, a jihadi and a terrorist and telling him to kill himself.
As Revkin's colleague, Paul Krugman, says on his blog: "Always good to know what we're dealing with."
Limbaugh started off by ranting against militant environmentalists likening them to "jihad guys" (Media Matters for America has audio):
They convince these families to strap explosives on who? Not them. On their kids. Grab your 3-year-old, grab your 4-year-old, grab your 6-year-old, and we're gonna strap explosives on there, and then we're going to send you on a bus, The jihad guys have to maintain control. The environmentalist wackos are the same way.
Then Limbaugh turns on Revkin:
This guy from The New York Times, if he really thinks that humanity is destroying the planet, humanity is destroying the climate, that human beings in their natural existence are going to cause the extinction of life on Earth — Andrew Revkin. Mr Revkin, why don't you just go kill yourself and help the planet by dying?
The talk show host was raging about remarks Revkin delivered by Skype to a conference last week in which he talked about how population growth would raise greenhouse gas emissions. Revkin covers much of the territory in a column in his Dot Earth blog last month that asked — stating clearly that he was not making any such proposal — whether there would be a possibility one day of spinning off a carbon market from contraceptives. That is, if population growth means more emissions, should there be credit for limiting future children?
Now it's not entirely clear what set Limbaugh off on his anti-Revkin rant. The column was published more than a month ago; the conference last week was not widely covered although it was reported by a Christian news service. Revkin repeatedly makes clear he is not advocating forced population control – let alone call for suicide bombings to promote greener policies. Not that any of this would faze Limbaugh.
But it's worth noting that Limbaugh is the second figure on the right to equate environmentalism with terrorism in just a few days.
Daryl Metcalfe, a state representative in Pennsylvania, who like Limbaugh has a history of attacking gays, Muslims and others, reached his own personal low this week when he called a veterans' group "traitors" for supporting a climate change bill.
The connection is important. The White House and Democratic leaders in the Senate over the last few weeks have been finding traction among voters with the argument that dependence on fossil fuel poses a national security threat.
Operation Free, a group of Afghan and Iraq war veterans this week began taking that argument on the road, with a bus tour to persuade Americans that catastrophic climate change is a security risk — which is now the official position of the CIA and the Pentagon.
Not that the Pentagon or CIA apparently rank as security experts to Metcalfe. He wrote an email to the group saying:
Any veteran lending their name, to promote the leftist propaganda of global warming and climate change, in an effort to control more of the wealth created in our economy, through cap and tax type policies, all in the name of national security, is a traitor to the oath he or she took to defend the Constitution of our great nation!
Remember Benedict Arnold before giving credibility to a veteran who uses their service as a means to promote a leftist agenda. Drill Baby Drill!!!
The veterans are demanding an apology.
As for Revkin, he says Limbaugh's rant is a distraction from a deadly serious issue:
This might be funny, in a sad way, if it weren't for the fact that my mailbox is already heaped with hate mail. And of course there's the reality that explosive population growth in certain places, particularly sub-Saharan Africa, could be blunted without a single draconian measure, many experts say, simply by providing access to family planning for millions of women who already want it, but can't get it — whether or not someone gets a carbon credit in the process.
Suzanne Goldenbergguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Quick carbon calculator: Baby steps to cutting climate clown footprints to size
The Guardian's quick carbon calculator shows the steps you can take to reduce your carbon emissions
You've calculated your carbon footprint. You know if you have footprints from clown shoes (nearly 20 tonnes, like the US) or baby ones (just over 1 tonne, like the average Indian). Now it's time to try cutting your emissions down to size, hopefully bringing them towards the magic 3.1 tonne figure that UK "per capita" carbon footprints must reach by 2050 for a sustainable future.
Here are our guides to slimming your footprint:
• Green your home - from eco bulbs to major insulation, everything you need to know about saving energy at home
• Chris Goodall shows you how to cut 10% off your footprint for the 10:10 campaign
• How to cut your footprint if you live in rented accomodation
• Get more tips and ideas in our Green Living Blog and Ask Leo and Lucy, our archive of green living answers
Plus some inspirational stories of people who've cut their footprint:
• Guardian columnist Madeleine Bunting on her baffling journey to a low carbon life
• One woman's war on energy waste
• Actor Pete Postlethwaite explains how he cut this footprint
• Couple Tracey and Colin Codhunter: 'We're not eco warriors'
And finally, some useful external resources for cutting carbon:
• The Energy Saving Trust - consumer tips, energy efficient products and info on eco grants from the government's official energy-saving agency
• 10:10 - advice and energy-saving tips from the 10:10 carbon-cutting climate campaign
• Act On CO2 - the government's official carbon calculator, plus useful data such as league tables of the most efficient cars (which you can also find on our environment data store)
Adam Vaughanguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
How to cut yours down to size
The Guardian's quick carbon calculator shows the steps you can take to reduce your carbon emissions
You've calculated your carbon footprint. You know if you have footprints from clown shoes (nearly 20 tonnes, like the US) or baby ones (just over 1 tonne, like the average Indian). Now it's time to try cutting your emissions down to size, hopefully bringing them towards the magic 3.1 tonne figure that UK "per capita" carbon footprints must reach by 2050 for a sustainable future.
Here are our guides to slimming your footprint:
• Green your home - from eco bulbs to major insulation, everything you need to know about saving energy at home
• Chris Goodall shows you how to cut 10% off your footprint for the 10:10 campaign
• How to cut your footprint if you live in rented accomodation
• Get more tips and ideas in our Green Living Blog and Ask Leo and Lucy, our archive of green living answers
Plus some inspirational stories of people who've cut their footprint:
• Guardian columnist Madeleine Bunting on her baffling journey to a low carbon life
• One woman's war on energy waste
• Actor Pete Postlethwaite explains how he cut this footprint
• Couple Tracey and Colin Codhunter: 'We're not eco warriors'
And finally, some useful external resources for cutting carbon:
• The Energy Saving Trust - consumer tips, energy efficient products and info on eco grants from the government's official energy-saving agency
• 10:10 - advice and energy-saving tips from the 10:10 carbon-cutting climate campaign
• Act On CO2 - the government's official carbon calculator, plus useful data such as league tables of the most efficient cars (which you can also find on our environment data store)
Adam Vaughanguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Carbon calculator: let us equip you with the right tool to help you fight climate change
Our carbon calculator is more sophisticated and more accurate than any other on the internet
Our new carbon footprint calculator is designed to help individuals get a meaningful sense of their contribution to climate change – and what they can do to reduce it. We created the tool in response to the fact that, although there are loads of calculators out there, none of them really do what we feel they should.
One problem is that existing carbon calculators tend to focus exclusively our consumption of gas, electricity, car fuel and flights. Significant as these emissions sources are, they only add up to around half of the average footprint. The other half is made up of all the other goods and services we purchase – everything from food to gadgets to healthcare. These "indirect" emissions often get missed out, so our tool includes them and aims to provide a more rounded picture of the emissions we're each responsible for.
Instead of entering precise numbers for only a part of your carbon footprint (gas and electricity bills), you enter more approximate information for all of it. To keep things simple, we've also designed the calculator just for individuals - it doesn't look at households or include emissions from your workplace. We hope this makes it quicker to use, as well as giving ameaningful result. To create the tool, we started off with a summary of the UK's total carbon footprint, including those emissions embedded in the goods we import from China and other countries. The summary breaks down the total into 15 key areas – everything from domestic electricity use through to the manufacture of paper products and cars.
Next, we divided these 15 numbers by the UK's population to provide a comprehensive breakdown of the carbon footprint of a typical UK resident. Then we created a set of sliders that enable you to change each figure to reflect your own lifestyle.
If you're interested in the detailed methodology behind the calculator, here a few points about the data:
• The figures for UK emissions are based on a sophisticated "input-output model" created by Small World Consulting. They include all the Kyoto greenhouse gases (such as methane and nitrous oxide as well as CO2) and are adjusted for imports and exports. In other words, the figures are as close as we can get to an accurate summary of the carbon footprint of all the goods and services that UK citizens consume.
• Since the Small World input-output model exists only for the UK, the figures for different countries shown to the right of the tool are approximate. We've arrived at them using data for national emissions and imports and exports, so they should be considered as indicative rather than precise.
• We've tentatively included for comparison a figure for a "sustainable" footprint. We've plumped for 3.1 tonnes by 2050, based on the UK's target for an 80% cut in emissions by 2050 but factoring in carbon from goods in addition. But we're well aware that what counts as a sustainable footprint depends on a whole host of assumptions, including how quickly we reduce our emissions and how much risk of runaway climate change we're prepared to accept. Again, then, this is just an indicative number. Some people would argue that the only truly sustainable footprint is a non-existent one.
• For more information on what's included in each slider, click on the question marks next to each one on the calculator.
Lastly, it's worth saying the calculator is very much a continual work in progress, so if you have suggestions for features or improvements, let us know in the comments below. Equally, we're keen to answer any questions you have about the data too.
• Click here for tips on cutting your carbon footprint.
Duncan Clarkguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
The Guardian's quick carbon calculator
Calculate the impact of your travel, home and shopping habits with our simple carbon footprint calculator
Duncan ClarkMairead O'ConnorCalculate your personal carbon footprint
Calculate the impact of your travel, home and shopping habits with our simple carbon footprint calculator
Duncan ClarkMairead O'ConnorGovernment climate change ad investigated after 350 complaints
Advertising Standards Authority to look into £6m campaign accused of scaremongering and misleading the public
The advertising regulator has launched an investigation into the government's climate change TV campaign after receiving more than 350 complaints accusing it of scaremongering and misleading the public.
The Department of Energy and Climate Change launched the £6m campaign, in which the government states for the first time that scientific evidence has confirmed that climate change is man-made, earlier this month.
The Advertising Standards Authority has received 357 complaints about the campaign.
Some of the complaints argued that there is no scientific evidence of climate change. Others claimed there was a division of scientific opinion on the issue and that the ad should therefore not have attributed global warming to human activity.
Another complaint was that the ad, which features a father telling his daughter a scary bedtime story about climate change in which a cartoon dog drowns, is inappropriate for children because it is "upsetting and scaremongering".
The ASA has said it intends to investigate the complaints and the assertions on which the campaign has been based.
The campaign marked a step change in the tone of the government's marketing around its Act on CO2 initiative. The DECC came out with the hard-hitting message after research showed that more than half of the UK public think climate change will have no effect on them.
Last week the DECC defended the campaign, and the science behind it, arguing that the goal is to "protect the next generation".
"It is consistent with government policy on the issue, which is informed by the latest science and assessments of peer-reviewed, scientific literature made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and other international bodies," said the energy and climate change minister Joan Ruddock.
• To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000.
• If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".
- Advertising Standards Authority
- Advertising
- Television industry
- Climate change
- Climate change scepticism
- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
- Marketing & PR
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