[North-NV-Greens] Fwd: USGP-INT Asia Pacific Green leaders call for urgent shift to renewable energy

[Paul Etxeberri]

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>
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>Subject: Green leaders call for urgent shift to RE
>Date: Sat, 19 Feb 2005 18:08:14 +0800
>From: bency ellorin <bency.ellorin at gmail.com>
>
>
>Green leaders call for urgent shift to Renewable Energy
>By BenCyrus G. Ellorin
>
>Kyoto, Japan -- Leaders of the Asia Pacific Green movements and
>political parties have
>issued urgent call for a global shift to renewable energy.
>
>In an International Symposium on Renewable Energy, Sen. Bob Brown of
>the Australian Green Party said that "renewable energy is the way
>forward"
>
>He said that it is important to call on donors and international
>financing institutions to invest more in renewable energy projects.
>
>While admitting that his home country, Australia is "the Bad Boy" for
>being the biggest producer of coal worldwide "combining our forces
>internationally will magnify our influence" in promoting renewable
>energy."
>
>Sen. Brown said that the Australian Greens are now still pushing for
>the passage of the Sun Fund Bill that seeks to replace diesel fuel
>subsidies with an "up-front goal to install renewable energy."
>
>They are also pushing for the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol by
>Australia. Australia along with the United States have refused to
>ratify the important international agreement which seeks to limit
>Greenhouse Gas Emissions in order to mitigate the impact of climate
>change and global warming.
>
>Barbara Unmussig, president of the Germany-based Heindrich Boll
>Foundation underscored the need for increased political lobbying to
>pressure governments to make policies that will make concrete shifts
>to renewable energy.
>
>Even with the Kyoto Protocol entering into force on Feb. 16 this year,
>environmentalists are saying that the reduction of greenhouse gas
>emissions may not be enough to mitigate the impact of climate change
>and global warming.
>
>The Kyoto Protocol may reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions by about 10%,
>but in reality, we may need to reduce 60-80% our global emission of
>greenhouse gases.
>
>Uwe Fritsche a German physicist with the Institute for Applied Ecology
>said that there are already ecomically competitive
>renewable energy technologies.
>
>He added that aside from climate change and global warming, fossil
>fuels will continue to lose its advantage in terms of cost because of
>the continuing price in oil prices. "Oil prices will not just remain
>high but will continue to rise," said Fritsche.
>
>He also added that promotion of renewable energy should be done
>side-by-side increasing efficiency in energy production.
>
>The German physicist also debunked claims that there are clean fossil
>fuel technologies like the so-called clean coal.
>
>"There is no such thing as clean coal. Rather, if we really need to
>use coal, it must be used in the most efficient way, otherwise, we
>should restrict it."
>
>The problem with renewable energy is not technological but in the
>current energy policy framework of governments and international
>financial institutions, said Mei Asoka of Japan-based Kiko Network
>which is active in the Kyoto Protocol negotiations.
>
>Sen. Brown said that multi-lateral banks like the World Bank and the
>ADB and export credit agencies should increase financing to renewable
>energy.
>
>Export credit banks like the Japan Bank for International Cooperation
>have been involved in financing coal-fired power plants like the
>controversial Mindanao Coal-fired Power Plant in the Philippines.
>
>Experts are claiming that in the next 100 years, we should hold down
>increase in global temperature to below 2 degrees celsius.
>
>__
>The writer is a freelance journalist and environmental campaigner. He
>is a leader of the Ang Partido Kalikasan (Philippine Green Party) in
>Northern Mindanao, Philippines.
>
>
>
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-- 
Paul Etxeberri

"Forests precede civilizations and deserts follow"   ---Chateaubriand