Transport and Energy
Roundup
FoE Campaigns For a Sustainable
Future
Green Electricity in Finland
In Finland, tens of electricity
companies offer "green" electricity to
consumers. This alternative electricity is
produced using renewable energy sources
such as wood, wind, hydro and solar power.
FoE Finland has created a label for green
electricity that certifies that it adheres
to environmental criteria for green
electricity production.
In some cases, it may be cheaper to
switch to green electricity rather than to
continue using non-sustainable energy.
Nonetheless, green electricity does not yet
have a great deal of support from the
public, and some energy companies with
green investments are considering whether
to continue providing sustainable energy.
FoE Finland plans to campaign hard for this
sustainable option, with the knowledge that
as demand for green energy increases,
fossil fuel consumption will gradually drop
off.
Contact: FoE Finland,
toimisto@maanystavat.fi.
Chimney Sweeps
Global 2000/FoE Austria launched an
innovative new climate project in November
2000. In partnership with chimney sweeps
(half of the country’s companies are now
taking part), this education project aims
to reduce CO2 emissions in households by
five percent. Chimney sweeps, by virtue of
their direct access to families, provide
their clients with reliable information
about energy savings possibilities.
Currently, some 400 municipalities are
taking part in the project, and FoE Austria
expects that the several thousands of
households involved will allow the five
percent target to be reached.
Contact: FoE Austria,
markus.piringer@global2000.at.
International Energy Brigades
Hnuti DUHA/FoE Czech Republic’s Clean
Energy Brigades, which was launched in
1994, has branched into a multi-national
coordinated effort involving nine
countries. Brigade members install simple,
inexpensive energy-saving technologies in
private residences and public buildings. In
six years, the International Energy
Brigades has insulated approximately 200
public buildings and 2000 private houses.
Their efforts reduce energy consumption,
air pollution and nuclear proliferation,
while at the same time permitting
economically disadvantaged people to meet
their basic costs and stay warm.
Contact: FoE Czech Republic,
mary.skjelset@ecn.cz.
Fighting Airport Expansion
The German government is pushing ahead
with a major airport expansion programme
aimed at catering for twice the current
amount of air travel over the next 15
years. The programme ignores the
relentlessly rising CO2 emissions from air
transport and fails to address noise
problems for local residents. BUND/FoE
Germany has rejected this expansion in no
uncertain terms, and has proposed
alternative scenarios including replacing
short haul flights with train travel and
defining the maximum "environmental
capacity" of individual airports. So far,
FoE´s work has been mainly in the policy
arena, but actions on the ground are being
planned.
Contact: FoE Germany,
daniel.mittler@bund.net
.
Solar Villages
FoE Middle East runs a project to install
photovoltaic solar energy systems in
communities throughout the region. Several
of these communities are currently without
any kind of permanent and/or reliable
source of electricity. Solar energy is a
clean method of energy production that
reduces pollution and greenhouse gas
emissions. Photovoltaic cells, which
convert the sun's energy into useable
electricity, do not produce noise, acid
rain, smog, carbon dioxide, water
pollutants, or nuclear waste during power
generation.
Promoting the use of renewable energy
will reduce the region's dependence on
imported and non-renewable energy
resources. Alternative and renewable energy
sources will also provide economic benefits
such as averting the threat of future fuel
price increases, and will ensure a reliable
supply. Finally, the necessities for solar
energy - sun and the wind - are plentifully
available in the region.
Contact: FoE Middle East,
info@foeme.org.
Gold medal to Shell?!?
In response to increasing criticism, Shell
recently launched a campaign entitled
"Profits and Principles: Is There a
Choice?" in which it attempts to portray
itself as environmentally sustainable and a
defender of human rights. The campaign
seems to have borne fruit: in March, Shell
will receive the 2001 Gold Medal for
International Corporate Environmental
Achievement awarded by the World
Environment Center (WEC).
If one looks at Shell's sad
environmental and social record in Nigeria
and other parts of the world, such a
decision seems incomprehensible. But when
the WEC’s membership (including British
Petroleum, Occidental Petroleum, Exxon,
Texaco, International Paper, Weyerhaeuser,
Novartis, Monsanto, BASF, Dow Chemical,
and, of course, the Royal Dutch Shell
Group) is revealed, everything becomes
clearer.
An action alert with letters of protest
to be sent to the WEC is available on the
World Rainforest Movement’s website:
http://www.wrm.org.uy/alerts/february01.html
