Tiempo Climate Newswatch
Interview with Peter Read
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José Alberto Garibaldi describes his priority for action on global warming. You can play the low bandwidth or the high bandwidth version
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zerocarbonbritain details how Britain can eliminate emissions from fossil fuels in 20 years and break dependence on imported energy.
Plan B, from the Earth Policy Institute, details how to rescue a planet under stress by cutting carbon emissions 80 per cent by 2020.
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And finally,
The United Nations Paint for the Planet exhibition features paintings by child artists on the theme of climate change.
About Newswatch
Tiempo Climate Newswatch is a weekly on-line magazine with news, features and comment on global warming, climate change, sea-level rise and development issues. It is edited by Mick Kelly and Sarah Granich and maintained by Mick Kelly and Mike Salmon. The cartoons are created by Lawrence Moore.
The news stories carried by Newswatch are updated weekly. Comment, features, interviews and other sections of the magazine are updated on a weekly to monthly basis.
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Peter Read discusses the potential of bioenergy and the broader role of the biosphere in controlling the composition of the atmosphere. He also comments on George Monbiot's critique of biomass as a fuel source. |
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Find out about Peter Read's global warming priority (low or high bandwidth streaming video) |
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To listen to the streaming audio or video files, you will need RealPlayer or Real Alternative, both free downloads |
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Streaming audio |
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What is the potential of bioenergy? |
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You're advocating a holistic approach to the carbon cycle in responding to global warming. Just what do you mean by a holistic response? |
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Can you give an example of this approach? |
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Is this an approach the Intergovernmental Panel on Climatic Change, the IPCC, with its rather technocentric approach to the climate problem, would advocate? |
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Are there any potential drawbacks to the widespread use of bioenergy? |
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The commentator George Monbiot has described the adoption of biofuels as a humanitarian disaster, committing land to energy rather than food production. What do you think of his critique? |
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Should governments in the North be adopting this approach? |
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And what of the South? |
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On the Web |
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In the Policy Debate on Global Biofuels Development, various authors debate George Monbiot's controversial view that the adoption of biofuels would be a humanitarian and environmental disaster (0.5Mb download). |
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Biography |
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Peter Read is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Applied and International Economics at Massey University in New Zealand. He was awarded a PhD in Engineering at Cambridge University and worked in Whitehall on energy policy, before emigrating to New Zealand in 1980. He is author of "Responding to Global Warming", published by Zed Books. |
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Contact information |
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Peter Read, Department of Applied and International Economics, Massey University, Private Bag 11 222, Palmerston North, New Zealand. Fax: +64-6-3505660. Email: p.read@massey.ac.nz. Web: econ.massey.ac.nz. |
Bright Ideas
EnOcean motive energy converters generate electricity from the press of a button
The Sonatrach- BP- Statoil carbon dioxide capture and storage project at the Algerian In Salah gas field should inject close to one million tonnes of compressed gas underground each year
Westmill Wind Farm Co-op in southeast England produces enough green electricity to power more than 2,500 homes
The Solekshaw is a solar-electric rickshaw for eco-friendly urban transport
The Vatican aims to be the world's first carbon neutral state and has installed 2,400 solar panels on the roof of the Paul VI Centre audience hall
Rwanda is generating electricity from methane gas extracted from Lake Kivu
Offsetting air travel with atmosfair buys solar mirrors that provide energy for the preparation of thousands of meals daily in India
Dow Building Solutions has prepared a short information sheet covering the construction of green roofs
The fabric in Asics Commitment range of sportswear is woven from bamboo yarn
SolidNav has developed electric propulsion units for small water craft and sailboats
WATT, a nightclub in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, has a dancefloor that generates electricity and toilets that flush with rainwater
During play, the Energy Merry-go-round generates electricity that is transferred to a battery and 220V invertor for use in the classroom
Tiempo Climate Newswatch
Updated: January 4th 2009