1.  Article | 24/09/2008

The lesser evil

For a long time biofuels were the beacon of hope among alternative energies, but now they are increasingly seen as a problem. The EU is cutting back its quotas while international organisations are calling for a major shift in thinking regarding energy consumption. » more

Brown coal too cheap despite emissions trading

The amount of electricity generated from brown coal went up by five percent in Germany last year. According to a report by the German Working Group on Energy Balances this means that together with the renewable energies coal is benefiting most from the  decision to phase out nuclear power. But the real reason for this development is the crippling practice of emissions trading, the left-leaning daily taz points out: "Because this plus in coal-energy production is simply the result of a shift within the fossil fuels. … The energy sector has switched from more environmentally friendly resources like natural gas to the dirtiest source of energy the Earth has to offer: brown coal. For each tonne of carbon dioxide a power plant emits it currently pays between 7 and 9 euros - but only at prices above 25 euros per tonne do companies have enough incentive to opt for greener fuels. So anyone wanting to reduce the use of brown coal must start by taking action on emissions trading. There must be major cutbacks in the certificates that are issued in great quantities across Europe."

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