European Union campaign gives citizens advice on energy saving

“Turn down”, “Switch off”, “Recycle” and “Walk”. These are the four messages the European Commission is sending out to the people of the EU in an attempt to slow down the progression of climate change. Industry is the great polluter and traffic contributes more than its fair share, but individual citizens also do their bit towards global warming and the environmental decline of the planet.
Our homes are responsible for around 16 per cent of all of the EU’s total greenhouse gas emissions. On Monday, World Environment Day, the European Commission launched the campaign “You control climate change”, which was presented in Spain by the Minister of the Environment, Cristina Narbona. She called for “a great pact” to combat the greenhouse effect and global warming.

At present arid land covers 40 per cent of the Earth’s surface and is home to 2,000 million people, the majority in Africa and certain regions of Asia. In Spain uncontrolled urban growth is the main environmental threat. The figures speak for themselves. In the decade of 1990 to 2000 building land increased by more than 170,000 hectares, 25 per cent of the territory, while the population grew by no more than five per cent.

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Bob lobbies EU to insulate energy leaks

Cartoon character Bob the Builder was supporting EU energy ministers at talks in Luxembourg. Badly-insulated buildings in the EU are wasting energy - 270 billion euros-worth every year, according to industry consultant Ecofys's estimates. Bob said better insulation could cut carbon emissions, create jobs and reduce growing European dependency for energy on outside supply, notably Russia. Commissioner Andris Piebalgs' line was also constructive:

"I think the process is not worth giving up but getting on what we have now because at this stage we are getting gas from Russia, there are agreements in place and we should build on top of it, so as a result I see that the member states will gain and Russia will gain."

The EU is pressing Moscow to ratify an Energy Charter that would oblige it to open its vast gas pipeline network to third-party suppliers. While Bob was rubbing elbows with the ministers, the Russian ambassador to the EU, Vladimir Chizhov, was urging diplomacy at the European Parliament:

"To achieve the goals of promoting mutual and beneficial energy security, we need to prevent or counter attemps of reviving cold-war-era style of addressing relations with Russia." Russian energy muscle flexed across Ukraine this winter whipped up talk of integrating EU policies.

Supply security is on the front burner at a leaders' summit next week. But analysts say differing positions make relinquishing national sovereignty over energy a longer-term goal.


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