Transition Island Blog

Civilisation aims to protect us from the extremes of nature through a system of cooperation, mostly invisible (taken for granted) these days. Research indicates that the more ‘civilised’ we are, the less worried we are.

Civilisation is designed to reduce our need to worry about our environment.
We can worry about entertainment rather than food.
We can concern ourselves with philosophy instead of shelter.

warnings ignored

“For decades, scientists in the US had pointed out that New Orleans was a disaster waiting to happen.

The city lies in an area that is prone to annual hurricanes, half the city is below sea level, and a force 5 hurricane was bound to hit the city, so drastic measures had to be implemented immediately to avoid disaster.

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Food security and the rapid rise in food prices are the urgent issue that politicians must face up to quickly.

Global grain stores are currently at the lowest levels ever, just 40 days from running out.

Famine will get us before climate change.

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Empty shelves in Caracas. Food riots in West Bengal and Mexico.

Warnings of hunger in Jamaica, Nepal, the Philippines and sub-Saharan Africa.

Soaring prices for basic foods are beginning to lead to political instability, with governments being forced to step in to artificially control the cost of bread, maize, rice and dairy products.

Record world prices for most staple foods have led to 18% food price inflation in China, 13% in Indonesia and Pakistan, and 10% or more in Latin America, Russia and India, according to the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO).

Wheat has doubled in price, maize is nearly 50% higher than a year ago and rice is 20% more expensive, says the UN.

These are caused by climate change and peak oil. Read more at the Guardian .

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The UK, the US and Japan are to form a joint fund to help developing countries slash their greenhouse gas emissions.

It was announced at a meeting of G7 finance ministers and central bank governors in Tokyo on 16/2/08.

Japan’s leader Yasuo Fukuda proposed the new fund at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last month.

The fund will be managed by the World Bank and aims to ’scale up’ investment and use clean technologies in developing nations.

US president George Bush said in his final State of the Union message last month that America will contribute $2 billion (£1 billion).

Japan is to also call on non-G7 nations to participate.

Chancellor Alistair Darling said other countries have expressed interest in the fund.

“They want to be sure that a new fund will help and do things existing funding is not able to do,” he told journalists.

We feel this is a great step forward, aligning with the multinationals making a stand, and starting to show the way forward.

A wind farm proposed for Lewis has been given the go-ahead by Western Isles councillors.

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar’s environment committee approved 13 of the 16 planned turbines for Eishken Estate.

Although not big enough to be called in automatically by the Scottish Government, it could be for environmental reasons.

A decision on 181 turbines proposed for Barvas Moor on Lewis remains outstanding.

“Not content with refusing to lift planning regulations on installation of solar panels and wind turbines in this country our wonderful government now wants to throw a spanner in the works of European micro-generation.

55% of the world’s photovoltaic power is generated from the 300,000 systems in Germany. A ‘Feed-in’ system due to a German law obliges power companies to buy energy back from renewable resources at above market prices for a 20 year period.

The British government wants to scrap ‘Feed-in’ systems …”
Read more at the Ventbag Blog

The BBC reports…

Economic growth will be jeopardised if plans for a massive wind farm on the Western Isles are rejected, the Scottish Chamber of Commerce has said.

The construction of 181 turbines on The Scottish Isle of Lewis is at stake.

Chief executive Liz Cameron is to meet Enterprise Minister Jim Mather to voice concerns that the Scottish Government is minded to refuse Lewis Wind Power.

She said there had been “over-zealous” interpretation of European designations designed to protect the environment.

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A huge row over the biggest land-based wind farm ever proposed in Britain is coming to a climax.

A decision on whether to proceed with the 181-windmill development on the Hebridean island of Lewis is imminent.  Some reports claim that Scottish ministers have already turned down the project on environmental grounds.

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