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Government accuses BBC of creating 'false balance'
on climate change with unqualified sceptics
A new parliamentary report has
criticised programmes across the BBC of attributing the same weight
to opinions and scientific fact when covering climate science. The
Science and Technology Committee said it was "disappointing" that
the broadcaster does not "reflect the actual state of climate
science in its output." The Financial Times has the story and an
Independent editorial lends strong support to the
committee's conclusions. "Ministers who question the majority view
among scientists should "shut up" and instead repeat the Government
line on the issue", is the Times's take on the report's findings.
The BBC has responded by saying, "We don't believe in
erasing wider viewpoints even if the select committee doesn't agree
with them." The Today Programme featured a discussion
between chair of the cross-party committee Andrew Miller and BBC
director of editorial policy David Jordan (listen from
8:35am).
The
Independent
Climate and energy news:
Lib Dems 'block Conservative plan to halt new wind
farms'
Nick Clegg has blocked a proposal by David Cameron to
restrict the construction of onshore windfarms. The Prime MInister
is coming under increasing pressure from some within his party to
make a manifesto commitment on wind energy, through a cap on the
onshore turbines' output, lower subsidies or tighter planning
restrictions, reports Rowena Mason for The Guardian. But capping the number of
onshore wind turbines would mean resorting to more expensive
alternatives, says the Guardian's Damian
Carrington. The BBC's Today Programme featured a short discussion
on the Tory party stance on renewable energy ahead of the 2015
general election.
BBC
News
U.N. draft sounds alarm as world looks set to miss
emissions target
Reuters looks at what the IPCC's Working Group Three report -
due in a couple of weeks - says about the scale of emissions cuts
needed to stay below two degrees warming above preindustrial
levels. Unlike the previous report in 2007 which only set targets
for industrialised nations, the new report says China and India
would have to limit emissions to around 2010 levels by
2030.
Reuters
Exxon Mobil says climate change unlikely to stop
it selling fossil fuels
Hot on the heels of the new IPCC report on climate change
impacts, Exxon has said all of its fossil fuel assets will be
needed to meet global demand for energy. A new report from the world's largest oil
and gas company acknowledges the need to address climate change
climate but says policies are "highly unlikely" to curb the sale of
fossil fuels far into the future. BusinessGreen also
reports.
The
Guardian via Press Association
Frame climate change as a food issue, experts
say
Talking more about climate change's impact on crop production
and food security could be a way to better connect with public on
climate change, say academics and campaigners. Food offers an
immediate and personal connection, says Rachel Kyte, the World Bank
vice-president for climate change.
The
Guardian
Britain can cut gas prices by working with Europe,
says Mandelson
Peter Mandleson says a single, joint purchasing agreement
with Europe would strengthen the UK's position with respect to
Russian gas imports. Speaking at the the British Chambers of
Commerce annual meeting, the labour peer said "We pay more because
Russia and Gazprom play divide and rule". Backed by cabinet
minister Ken Clarke, Mandelson said the UK would be "bonkers" to
leave the EU as it would leave us handicapped in trade
negotiations.
The
Telegraph
Climate and energy comment:
IPCC report highlights the importance of carbon
targets
It's essential that the UK does more to adapt to the climate
risks identified in the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change report. The view that adaptation should be the sole focus of
our response to climate risk is a "seductive view, but ultimately,
a naively mistaken one", Lord Deben adds.
The
Guardian
Yeb Sano: unlikely climate justice
star
John Vidal meets Yeb Sano, who he says is an "unlikely
climate justice superstar" after the young Filipino diplomat wept
during Un climate talks in Poland last year following the
devastation super-typhoon Haiyan caused to his country.
The
Guardian
Errors in estimates of the aggregate economic
impacts of climate change
Bob Ward, communications director at the London School of
Economics, details his ongoing struggle to correct errors in the
report relating to the work of Richard Tol, a professor economics
at the University of Sussex. Ward claims Tol's work contains "a
number of errors", wrongly plotting studies which had found net
negative impacts as if they were positive benefits.
LSE
Telegraph and Mail concede on climate
change
In giving evidence to the cross-party Science and Technology
Committee, both the Daily Telegraph and Daily Mail have admitted
they believe climate change is happening and humans play a role,
reports the Guardian. The Huffington Post also picks up the
story.
The
Guardian
New climate science:
How useful are complex flood damage
models?
A new study uses flood prediction models to examine building
damage for five historic flood events in two different regions of
Germany. Increasingly complex models aren't always good news for
overall reliability, the researchers find.
Water
Resources Research