By Mikael Santelli-Bensouda With ongoing unrest across the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA), ambitious plans to plaster sections of the Sahara desert with solar panels seem to have disappeared, for the meantime at least. Saharan solar is seen by many analysts as a key plank in Europe’s long-term energy strategy – but how … Continue reading
In case you’ve been on holiday on Mars – or in Cornwall – some riots took place last week. Starting in north London, they spread across the UK capital, then to other towns and cities across England. Not Scotland, First Minister Alex Salmond was keen to remind us all. Riots only happen in England. What … Continue reading
Here’s a thought experiment. Imagine you were the head of a regional government of a poor province in India. Your task, broadly speaking, was to ensure sustainable economic development of the region. Sustainable development, as popularly understood, is ensuring a pattern of resource use to meet the needs of the people at present as well … Continue reading
By Karina Garnes Reigstad As a Norwegian I’m interested in how can resource dependent supplier states play a role in mitigating climate change. Climate change mitigation and energy security must be dealt with together. The growing awareness of the security of energy supplies and increasing knowledge of global climate change have forced policy-makers to rethink … Continue reading
In any debate over nuclear power, the people calling for a “rational” discussion tend to be proponents of nuclear power. In response, those in the “anti-nuclear” camp will often adopt the “rational” vocabulary of their “pro-nuclear” counterparts, basing their arguments on issues of cost and statistical risk (and perhaps some case studies to prove the … Continue reading
Is it possible that some people – some organisations – can be too green for their own good? That their intense focus on what they see as the solution – or indeed the problem – can mean they miss the bigger picture? I only ask as I spent a good hour last week chewing the … Continue reading