UK Highlights – Queen’s Speech, Barrages and Butterflies
The Green Investment Bank, electricity market reform and proposals for the water industry all made it into the Queen’s Speech on May 9, and environmental groups and business leaders are pressing for further details on Government plans. A proposed tidal barrage across the Severn estuary, the Government’s commitment to green growth and the UK’s springtime weather has also made the headlines.
UK Highlights – Easter eggs, airports and health reform
With Parliament breaking for Easter Recess, politicians have been busy stoking up the debate on airport capacity in the South East, turning the spotlight on wasteful Easter egg packaging, and discussing ways to better engage the public on climate change. Ministers have launched a new Carbon Capture and Storage competition, a new energy saving advice line and set out plans to cut emissions from heat. After the twists and turns of NHS Reform debate, the Health and Social Care Bill has finally received Royal Assent and the Prime Minister has launched a challenge to tackle the “crisis” in dementia care.
Great Lakes Wind; Rio+20; Power Plant Standards; Clean Water Act; New York, New Jersey, Florida, Georgia Energy Efficiency Efforts; Earth Day; and Other U.S. News
Last week, President Obama called for an end to $4 billion in U.S. oil and gas subsidies, instead using that money to “double-down on investments in clean energy technologies… investments in wind power and solar power and biofuels, investments in fuel-efficient cars and trucks, and energy-efficient homes and buildings.” I, therefore, begin this week’s blog entry with the recently signed Great Lakes Wind Agreement, which streamlines procedures for offshore wind development in several Midwestern states. Watch the President’s full video address below. Other U.S. Government highlights this week include recent sustainable development efforts by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in preparation for Rio+20. There are also newly proposed carbon emissions standards by the EPA for power plants, the approval of E15 blended gasoline for the U.S., and national recognition of the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act. I discuss efforts to improve energy efficiency in federal buildings and at state and local levels in New York, New Jersey, Florida, and Georgia. I finish with advances in science on biofuels, hydrogen fuel cell technology, and the creation of a $5 million DOE supercomputer institute.
U.S. Announces “Coalition Against Climate Change”; $2.4 Billion CCS Plant; New Nuclear Reactor Licenses; Other U.S. Government News
This week, I highlight America’s ongoing commitment toward tackling climate change and bringing international stakeholders together to achieve specific, measurable results. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced on February 16 the formation of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, a new global initiative to combat climate change and reduce short-lived climate pollutants—methane, black carbon, and many hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs)—that account for approximately one-third of the current global warming. Bangladesh, Canada, Ghana, Mexico, Sweden, and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) are other coalition partners. I describe several efforts by the Departments of Energy, Commerce, EPA, and USAID to invest millions of dollars in new clean energy projects and training programs. There is also a summary of newly released climate change research from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
$120 Million Storage Hub, NY Tidal Energy Project, CCS Research, and other U.S. Government News
This week, I highlight several developments in clean energy technology and energy efficiency: a new battery storage “catapult-style” technology hub, the first commercially licensed U.S. tidal energy project, an Energy Department carbon capture storage (CCS) research agreement, new energy efficiency awards, and a publically-accessible clean energy database. The federal government also launched several new initiatives toward preserving America’s forests, cleaning up its beaches, investing in STEM education, and taking a first step toward eradicating malaria. I finish with two videos, the first from NASA’s GRAIL satellite of the far side of the moon and the second from the Washington Monument during last year’s earthquake. In follow up to last week’s blog entry, here is a fact sheet released by the White House that explains President Obama’s energy agenda in simplified, graphic representation. Read more 
Risk Perceptions about Nuclear Power and the UK’s Energy Infrastructure
Parliament’s Science and Technology Committee held its second inquiry into “Risk Perception and Energy Infrastructure” on January 25 to investigate public perceptions toward the risk of nuclear power in the UK. The first inquiry took place on January 18. In this second inquiry, two panels of experts testified. The science media panel — Sense about Science Managing Director Tracey Brown, Science Media Centre Director Fiona Fox, and former Science Editor for The Times Mark Henderson — testified about the responsibility journalists and government officials have in presenting accurate scientific assessments of risk to the public during crises, rather than sensationalized headlines. Read more
Grantham Institute Special Lecture – Energy trends and climate change challenges
Dr Fatih Birol, Chief Economist of the International Energy Agency, spoke to a packed lecture theatre at Imperial College London yesterday evening about energy trends and climate challenges. Presenting the findings from the World Energy Outlook, Dr Birol said rising incomes and population will push energy needs higher, the question is how we meet those needs.
UK news highlights
What with climate change negotiations, the cross-governmental Carbon Plan, Water White Paper, Electricity Market Reform, smart meter roll out, UK’s first Carbon Capture and Storage plant, red tape challenge, and lessons from Deepwater Horizon and Fukushima, it has been a busy few weeks for ESTH issues in the UK.
Weekly highlights of U.S. Government news
Please allow me to introduce myself, Michael Wautlet, the new Environment, Science, Technology, and Health (ESTH) Officer at the U.S. Embassy in London. I encourage all of our readers to post comments and ask questions about blog posts, announcements, or events related to ESTH topics.
Climate Change. Today’s “U.S. Government highlights” cover a range of issues from the past two weeks. I begin with the 17th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Durban, South Africa. Jonathan Pershing, the Deputy Special Envoy for Climate Change at the U.S. Department of State and head of the U.S. delegation for the first week of the Read more
Weekly highlights of UK news
This week, MPs published a report on preparations for the Rio+20 Earth Summit next year and Ministers sought to counter accusations that the Cabinet is at odds over its environmental commitments. Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne made the case for renewable energy while Climate Change Minister Greg Barker warned that solar subsidies must be reviewed to remain sustainable. In other news, if you are carving pumpkins this weekend, scroll down for some green Halloween tips.