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EU renewables package a faltering step forward

Coal is the worst climate offender Enlarge Image

Stop climate change

The world's leaders meet at the end of 2009 in Copenhagen to determine the fate of the climate. They could set us on the path to a deep emissions cuts or they could lock the planet into catastrophic, irreversible climate change.

Take action

With the world on the brink of runaway climate change, millions are anxious about the effects that a warmer globe will have on our everyday lives. Wanting to learn, act and agitate is a perfectly valid response.

A clear indication that while the delegates inside the convention make new alliances and forge tenuous political partnerships, outside the UN buildings very real walls based on access to resouces continue to exist. Enlarge Image

Governments

There is a fundamental irony and injustice at the heart of the climate change problem. Today’s growing body of evidence indicates very clearly that the first and worst impacts of climate change are felt by the poor in the developing world. The responsibility for the problem, however, lies primarily with the rich industrialised nations, and increasingly the rapidly industrialising nations.

Activists display banners claiming 'Coal is a climate killer' inside of the coal power plant. The power plant belongs to Electrabel, one of Europe's leading electricity producer. Electrabel produces unclean electricity with coal and nuclear energy and is uninterested in promoting clean energy such as solar and wind. Enlarge Image

Europe

As one of the biggest global emitters of greenhouse gases, the European Union (EU) must lead the international efforts to stop climate change.

One of the largest wind farms in South America. Enlarge Image

Solutions

Greenpeace is pushing for some big, visionary measures to turn around the global trend towards runaway climate change. The plan needs political will to make it happen and the opportunity is at the Copenhagen summit in December. You can get behind our plan in a whole lot of different ways. Here's how.

Building a toxic free, sustainable home for low-income families. The house is free of toxic materials like PVC, the wood is from sustainable forests and the construction is solar powered. Enlarge Image

Energy efficiency

Energy efficiency is a very broad term referring to the many different ways we can get the same amount of work (light, heat, motion, etc.) done with less energy. It covers efficient cars, energy saving lights, improved industrial practices, better building insulation and a host of other technologies. Since saving energy and saving money often amount to the same thing, energy efficiency is highly profitable.

The UK's first wind farm in the Irish Sea which will supply 50,000 homes with power. Enlarge Image

Wind

Wind power, the world's fastest growing energy source, is a deceptively simple technology. Behind the tall, slender towers and steadily turning blades lies a complex interplay of lightweight materials, aerodynamic design and computer controlled electronics. Power is transferred from the rotor through a gearbox, sometimes operating at variable speed, and then to a generator (although some turbines avoid a gearbox by use of direct drive).

Close up of the sun. Globally, the sun provides 10000 times the energy humanity uses – energy free to anyone who can harness it. Enlarge Image

Solar - Sunlight to Energy

Solar Energy is already being harnessed in many part of the world and it has the potential to provide several times the current world energy consumption if properly exploited. Solar can be used to directly produce electricity or for heating and even for cooling. Future potential of solar is only limited by our willingness to seize the opportunity.

Geothermal energy plant near Reykjavik. Iceland has abundant amounts of free geothermal energy. Enlarge Image

Geothermal

Geo (Earth) thermal (heat) energy means harnessing heat from inside the Earth. Our planet's core is incredibly hot – 5,500° Celsius (9,932° F) by recent estimates – so it's no surprise that even the top three metres of Earth's surface stay a nearly constant 10-16° Celsius (50-60° F) year round. Plus, thanks to various geological processes, at some places much higher temperatures can be found in some places.

Bioenergy

Bioenergy (aka biomass energy) is using organic matter (plants, etc.) as fuel via technologies such as gas collection, gasification (converting solid material to gas), combustion and digestion (for wet wastes).

Hydroelectric

Hydroelectric energy is water energy. Moving water contains an enormous store of natural energy, whether the water is part of a running river or waves in the ocean. Think of the destructive force of a river breaking its banks and causing floods or of tall waves breaking on a shallow coastlines, and you can visualize the amount of power involved.

The Sellafield... or is it Springfield?... Nuclear Power Plant Enlarge Image

Solutions myths

Questions about solutions answered, and some myths debunked.

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