The Independent - Tom Burke

Pester power: The new weapon in the fight against global warming - The Independent

On June 3, 2015June 3, 2015 By admin

I was quoted by The Independent in a piece about how influential young people are in the fight against climate change. “Young girls have enormous influence on their fathers. In the work I have done I would say that the most influential group of people of all are 12-year-old […]

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Q&A session on the politics of cutting carbon before Cancun

On September 11, 2010April 3, 2012 By admin

Q&A session, which appeared in The Independent, published in September 2010. Can we cut carbon in time? Yes. If we really want to. If all our current carbon intensive vehicles, power stations, factories and other sources of carbon dioxide were replaced by zero carbon technologies at the end of their […]

A climate for European action

On September 3, 2010February 24, 2012 By admin

by Tom Burke. Published in The Independent, on 3rd September 2010. The global effort to reach a legally binding agreement on tackling climate change has stalled. There is little prospect of a quick breakthrough when the negotiators reconvene at Cancun in Mexico in December. Nor is it likely that there […]

The debate must focus on the human cost

On September 16, 2009March 13, 2012 By admin

Published in The Independent, on 16th September 2009.

Tom Burke: War passes: the climate is for ever

On January 4, 2009February 24, 2012 By admin

We humans are better at dealing with crises than long-term problems. The future could judge us harshly by Tom Burke. Standing in for John Rentoul’s usual commentary in The Independent, published on 4th January 2009. This is arguably the first week of the most important year in human history. The grandiose invites […]

Massive surge in disappearance of Arctic sea ice sparks global warning

On September 15, 2006March 13, 2012 By admin

I’m quoted in the article Massive surge in disappearance of Arctic sea ice sparks global warning, by Michael McCarthy and David Usborne, published in The Independent on 15th September 2006. The article reflects on the recent studies observing the accelerated retreat of perennial ice in the Arctic. These findings alarm […]

With enemies like this, who needs friends?

On March 18, 2001April 3, 2012 By admin

Published in The Independent, in March 2001. Exactly a year and a day after Tony Blair stated emphatically that the world had invested too much in the Kyoto Protocol to see it fail, George Bush, equally emphatically re-stated his opposition to the Protocol. This locks two of the world’s closest […]

Can the oil crisis pave the way for low-carbon alternatives?

On September 3, 2000April 3, 2012 By admin

Published in The Independent, in September 2000. The current oil crisis has caught Mr. Blair and his government embarrassingly by surprise and has already done permanent damage to his reputation as a control freak. It may also have been equally damaging to two other, but in the longer term rather […]

South-east Asia’s smog: the environmental crisis that points to political liberation

On September 28, 1997March 13, 2012 By admin

Published in The Independent, on 28th September 1997. The smog affecting south-east Asia may be the most politically significant environmental event yet. In the past few weeks confidence in the region’s economies has begun to crumble. This collapse is only related to the smog by an accident of timing, but […]