Shetland Turning Wind into Hydrogen Fuel

Very interesting article providing good reasons to move away from EV's and go towards hydrogen whilst getting over the hurdles of smart grids and storing electricity from wind.
Company website http://www.pure.shetland.co.uk
See Guardian article

Electric car grant could be axed in spending cuts

The planned discount on new electric cars could become a casualty of the government's cost-cutting drive.

The £5,000 discount on all new electric cars, which had been due to be introduced next year, could be scrapped as part of the government's cost-cutting drive, the Guardian has learned.
Guardian

10% of cars must be electric by 2020, report says

AT LEAST one in ten vehicles on Scotland's roads must be electric by 2020 to achieve climate change targets, according to a new environmental charity report.
The WWF Scotland study said that electric vehicles (EVs) have an important role to play in helping to achieve the Scottish Government's 2020 target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 42 per cent.
Scotsman

Our Addiction to Flying

The number of general aviation hours will grow an average 2.5 percent a year through 2030. International air travel, measured in paid passenger miles, was 10.3 percent higher than a year earlier, according to the International Air Transport Association.
Guardian

Abengoa 50 MW solar plant goes online in Spain

Spanish renewable energy firm Abengoa said on Monday a 50-megawatt solar plant it had built which is capable of supplying 27,500 homes had begun feeding power to the grid.
Reuters

Firms to increase climate change spending

Seventy percent of firms with revenue of $1 billion or more say they plan to increase spending on climate change initiatives in the next two years, a global survey reported
Reuters

Scotland publishes progress towards environmental targets

The Scottish Government published its Annual Environmental Report 2008-09 on Friday 21 May. It summarised the Scottish Government’s performance against pre-set environmental targets and found an increase of 2.5% in CO2 emissions as a result of increased energy demand across the government estate.
Scottish Government

CCS could be 19% of GHG reduction, but technology not capable

The International Energy Agency estimates that carbon capture and storage (CCS) could contribute 19 percent of the total greenhouse gas emission reductions necessary between now and 2050.
Reuters

U.S. Senate climate bill sees big cut in oil imports

A climate change bill being unveiled in the U.S. Senate envisions a reduction in U.S. imports of foreign oil of 40 percent by 2030 as vehicles are forced to become more energy-efficient and oil refiners would face new federal requirements, Senate aides said on Wednesday.
Reuters

Solar can provide 22 percent world's power by 2050: IEA

Solar power can provide up to a quarter of the world's electricity by 2050, the International Energy Agency said on Tuesday, but it needs government lifelines in the next decade until it can compete with conventional power
Reuters

Dutch government plans subsidy for CO2 storage at sea

The Dutch government will provide subsidies of up to 150 million euros ($190.5 million) in the next 10 years for a carbon dioxide (CO2) capture and storage project (CCS) at sea, it said on Wednesday.
Reuters

Converting Surplus Wind and Solar Energy into Gas for Storage?

It is now possible to convert renewable electricity into synthetic natural gas with the aid of a new process. This would solve the issue of storage of excess wind/solar energy. The process "separates water from surplus renewable energy using electrolysis. The result is hydrogen and oxygen," explains Dr. Michael Specht of ZSW. "A chemical reaction of hydrogen with carbon dioxide generates methane - and that is nothing other than natural gas, produced synthetically."
Energy Daily

Could CO2 be the green fuel powering tomorrow's cars?

Imagine a green fuel that could power our cars, keep the wheels of industry turning, and wean us off our addiction to oil - a fuel called CO2.
Guardian

Lufthansa to use biofuel on flights by 2012

Lufthansa is set to become one of the world's first airlines to mix biofuel with traditional kerosene on commercial flights as carriers seek ways to cut soaring fuel costs, its chief executive said.
Reuters

UK businesses wasting £300m powering idle PCs

A new report published today claims that British businesses are wasting £300m a year powering idle computers. The report calculated that, if the 17 million workers in the UK who regularly use a computer turned it off at night, carbon emissions would be reduced by 1.3 million metric tonnes, or the equivalent of removing 243,440 cars from the road.
Business Green

Nation Grid proposal for Assets to be used for CCS consultation

National Grid has updated its proposal for the possible alternative use of some of its NTS assets for Carbon Capture and Storage. This 2nd consultation describes the revised proposal and invites comments to inform the decision on whether to grant consent.
Ofgem

The 21st Century Office - Youtube

6 minute video on YouTube on The 21st Century Office: A low carbon economy and transformative change.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwRPPj7A0MQ