2005 – Page 2 – Tom Burke

Businesses and politicians must plan for a future affected by climate change

On May 30, 2005May 18, 2012 By admin

This was published by the Carbon Disclosure Project, in May 2005 Climate change will be the dominant issue of the 21st Century. There is now consensus within the scientific community that not only is the problem caused by human activities but that it is more serious and more urgent than […]

Whither green?

On May 25, 2005April 3, 2012 By admin

Published in the House Magazine, published in May 2005. What ever happened to the environment? This question has puzzled commentators and environmentalists alike since the election. It certainly had no significance as an issue. There was a brief burst of media attention on the Green Party but it quickly faded. […]

Plant Life

On May 18, 2005March 13, 2012 By admin

Published on The Guardian, 18th May 2005. New nuclear power stations are inevitable. That is the message from a barrage of headlines in recent weeks. “Secret” plans to announce the building of 10 new nuclear power stations after the election played nicely into the running story of a prime minister […]

Emissions Trading

On May 17, 2005April 12, 2012 By admin

Written for publication in May 2005. Like all good theories, the theory of emissions trading is elegant. Governments establish an overall limit of the amount of a pollutant that can be emitted. Enterprises are then allocated permits to emit the pollutant up to that limit – known as the ‘cap’. […]

Climate change and global security

On May 16, 2005March 13, 2012 By admin

by John Ashton and me. Published on openDemocracy, on 16th May 2005. This formed part of openDemocracy’s online debate on the politics of climate change, which was developed in partnership with the British Council. During the cold war the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moved the hands of a metaphorical clock […]

Strong institutions are vital to make the transition to sustainable development

On May 1, 2005May 8, 2012 By admin

Published in The House Magazine, in May 2005. The first is to communicate better. I do not mean more. We understand the environment better than we do people. We often seem to think that if we tell people more about the issues, give them more facts, better pictures, a deeper […]

Climate Change: a new arena for global governance

On April 1, 2005March 13, 2012 By admin

Published in the Montrose Journal, Spring 2005 Issue. The climate is more sensitive to human interference and climate change a threat that is more imminent, more dangerous, and developing faster than we previously thought. This is the grim message from a recent scientific gathering. It took place in Exeter as […]

Brent Spar – Ten Years After

On March 21, 2005April 12, 2012 By admin

Written for publication in March 2005. As John Major rose to answer questions in the House of Commons one Tuesday afternoon in 1995, Chris Fay, then Chairman of Shell UK was flying back to Britain from the Hague. Questioned on the Brent Spar, the Prime Minister delivered a robust defence […]

Nuclear delusion

On March 2, 2005March 13, 2012 By admin

Published in The Guardian, on 2nd March 2005. The nuclear industry has grasped at climate change like a drowning man clutching a passing log. Its latest piece of flailing around involved persuading some journalists that the prime minister is just waiting for the general election to be over to put out […]

Corporate Social Responsibility debate with Joel Bakan

On March 1, 2005April 10, 2012 By admin

The Ecologist published my debate with Joel Bakan in March 2005, discussing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). My four contributions to the debate can be downloaded (pdf) by following this link, and the whole debate can be accessed by logging into the online archives at The Ecologist.