sustainability – 3E Intelligence

Archives for sustainability

EU climate lead in peril

12 November, 2008

For how long will the EU’s self-acclaimed “climate leadership” survive the Obama revolution? Could a “green” Obama administration pose a bigger challenge to the EU’s climate credentials than the temporary backlash of the financial crisis? Who will win the race for the new “eco-competitiveness”? These questions are hard to answer for the moment but there… » read more

Posted by Willy De Backer

Climate change, energy security, sustainability, US climate policy

A President for “Hard Times”?

4 November, 2008

Whoever wins the US Presidency today will be facing the ultimate challenge: steering a self-destructing Western-based economic growth model through a painful transition towards a new global sustainability. This is a task far beyond any past Apollo project. These are indeed historical elections and it is appropriate that the whole world is watching. Although the… » read more

Posted by Willy De Backer

Climate change, energy security, sustainability

Europe’s climate and energy debate keeps on living in Disneyland

30 October, 2008

Friends of Europe’s annual energy summit (held on 30 October) saw tough exchanges between CCS defenders and the renewable energy sector but kept dodging the real question: can we solve the climate/energy crisis without questioning our economic growth and development paradigm? Energy commissioner Andris Piebalgs, as expected, defended his commission resolve not to “deviate” from… » read more

Posted by Willy De Backer

Biofuels, China, Climate change, energy saving, energy security, Global Warming, renewable energy sources, sustainability, sustainable energy

Stop blaming the bankers

24 October, 2008

In times of crisis, people always need scapegoats in order to avoid having to look at one’s own responsibilities and this financial crisis is no different. But blaming bankers is a bit too easy when one looks at this crisis from a systemic and sustainability point of view. We have all enjoyed living beyond our… » read more

Posted by Willy De Backer

Climate change, financial crisis, sustainability

Strengthen climate/energy policies to avoid the Great Depression

22 October, 2008

Spending on “green infrastructure” will be the key to avoiding a severe recession according to a new study published by Deutsche Bank’s Asset Management division. The report will scare the climate sceptics who are still hoping that the financial crisis will kill the world’s climate efforts and the EU’s climate/energy package. Necessity and opportunity should… » read more

Posted by Willy De Backer

Climate change, energy security, financial crisis, sustainability

“History will punish those who act too late”

19 October, 2008

Allow me to use and paraphrase the famous Gorbatchev quote in order to show that our political “leaders” keep missing the historical chances to deal with our worldwide sustainability collapse. If the Western world would have learned the lessons from the first energy crisis in the 70s, we would not be facing these hard times… » read more

Posted by Willy De Backer

Climate change, financial crisis, sustainability

Hurrah, we are being nationalised and regulated!

13 October, 2008

This is a bit like experiencing the second Fall of the Berlin Wall now nearly 20 years ago. I thought this kind of historic miracle only happened once in a lifetime. Who would have believed that Wall Street could get into ecstasy after several governments announced that they are going to nationalise some of their… » read more

Posted by Willy De Backer

Climate change, energy security, financial crisis, Peak oil, sustainability

How financial meltdown could help the energy revolution

10 October, 2008

The energy-and-climate-crisis deniers are having a hell of a party these days. The financial crash has raised their hopes that global warming, peak oil and all the other “humbug” will finally be kicked off the political agenda. One climate policy “monitor” even served us the ludicrous title: “EU: saving the economy or saving green dreams?”… » read more

Posted by Willy De Backer

Biofuels, Climate change, energy saving, energy security, financial crisis, Global Warming, renewable energy sources, sustainability, sustainable energy

Tom Friedman: "Green the bailout"

28 September, 2008

Great Op-Ed by Thomas Friedman once more in the NY Times. Like no other, Friedman, who’s recent book “Hot, flat and crowded” should be mandatory reading for all EU policy-makers hits the nail on the head. Two quotes from the excellent article: The bailout is necessary, says Friedman, but “we don’t just need a bailout.… » read more

Posted by Willy De Backer

Climate change, energy security, financial crisis, sustainability

A tale of two crises and their hidden connections

26 September, 2008

A friend of mine reacted to my previous post (Let’s get the climate panic started!) with the following “inconvenient” questions: “- will the current financial crisis spill over and affect the strong EU policy focus on climate change & energy? Could it shift priorities for the December or the Spring Summit? And for the EP… » read more

Posted by Willy De Backer

Climate change, financial crisis, Peak oil, sustainability

Archives for sustainability

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