I must say that these numbers definitely surprised
me...
JDG
Minister claims greenhouse gain
Terry Macalister
Wednesday March 26, 2003
The Guardian
The government today hails signs that its climate
change strategy is producing results, with carbon
dioxide emissions falling 3.5% over the past 12 months
after rises over the previous two years.
That appears to put Britain on target for cutting
greenhouse gases ahead of the timetable agreed at
Kyoto. The figure will be announced by energy minister
Brian Wilson alongside �82m of public money for wind
projects.
The minister is likely to disappoint a meeting of the
British Wind Energy Association by suggesting that
money to build a new national electricity
infrastructure capable of meeting the needs of
renewables must come from the private sector. He will
urge regulator Ofgem to do more to make this happen.
The energy white paper set a goal of cutting carbon
dioxide output by 60% from 1990 levels by 2050; the
government previously talked of 20% by 2010.
New figures produced by Mr Wilson suggest Britain's
greenhouse gas emissions fell 9% in 2002 compared with
1990, not far short of the 12.5% by 2008-12 agreed by
all signatories of the Kyoto protocol.
That was achieved despite a 30% increase in economic
output over the past 12 years and is attributed mainly
to the switch from coal to gas-fired power plus energy
efficiency. It has been helped by a fall in energy
consumption.
The drive to produce electricity from renewable
sources is also beginning to help and will accelerate
as new schemes come on stream.
There are more than 1,000 wind turbines in Britain and
120 were sanctioned over the past week alone. The
percentage of electricity demand met by renewables
fell slightly last year because of growth in
consumption.
Mr Wilson aims to stimulate this sector further with
�42m of public money to be allocated to five schemes.
Another �40m has been earmarked for capital grants
covering offshore wind schemes.
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John D. Giorgis - [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Tonight I have a message for the brave and oppressed people of Iraq:
Your enemy is not surrounding your country � your enemy is ruling your
country. And the day he and his regime are removed from power will be
the day of your liberation." -George W. Bush 1/29/03
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