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 – Clean Energy Ministerial
Energy Ministers from 23 of the world’s leading economies gathered together in London last week for the third Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM3) to help accelerate the transition to clean energy technologies. A joint press release was released from Energy Ministers outlining commitments made on energy efficiency, renewable energy, energy access, and other cross-cutting initiatives. Under pressure from green groups, UK Government Ministers were keen to demonstrate their renewed commitment to be the “greenest government ever” and give a clear vision to investors in renewable energy.
Drought in parts of the UK
The Environment Agency has declared that East Anglia, the south east of England and parts of Yorkshire are in drought, following prolonged dry weather in parts of the UK. Several water companies are to impose hosepipe bans on April 5.
World Water Day
Today is World Water Day, and this year’s theme is Water and Food Security: The World is Thirsty Because We are Hungry. In honor of this, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will announce a new U.S. water public-private partnership (USWP) that will share U.S. knowledge, leverage and mobilize resources, and facilitate cross-sector partnerships to find solutions to global water accessibility challenges in the developing world. Watch her remarks here. Read more 
All-of-the-Above Approach to American Energy; $44 Million for Nat Gas & Biofuels; Going Green in North Carolina & Massachusetts; Other U.S. Gov’t News
This week’s summary of U.S. government news starts with President Obama’s “All-of-the-Above Approach to American Energy,” which stresses America’s need to wane itself off foreign energy and shift to renewable sources. The plan involves in part increased research and development on natural gas and biofuels, investment on new nuclear power, and continued efforts at improving energy efficiency. As examples, I note two recent success stories in North Carolina and Massachusetts. There are also summaries of new programs to improve water in the Middle East, the economic gains from America’s national parks, a report showing minimal fallout within the U.S. from Fukushima, and NASA’s latest satellite, which will monitor the Earth’s ozone layer.
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.
What should be the environmental priority?
Earthwatch Institute held a fascinating “Mission Critical” debate last night at the Royal Geographical Society in London discussing what should be the number one environmental priority for the next 40 years. We heard from five experts who made the case for: food security; energy and climate change; oceans; water; and education and population.