Climate
After the apocalyptic vision of global catastrophe presented in the Stern report on climate change, by midweek there was broad political agreement that countries need to start committing to dramatic cuts in greenhouse gases. But no one has yet tried to estimate exactly how much it will cost or where the money will come from to get emissions down by the 60% minimum scientists say is needed by 2030. Intriguingly, calculations by economic and environmental researchers as well as the Guardian suggest a striking parallel between the amount needed to cut emissions, and one of the most controversial areas of government spending – the cost of renewing and maintaining Britain’s Trident nuclear deterrent.
Guardian 4th Nov 2006
Something shifted last week. One of the world’s leading economists put a cost on the climate chaos being caused by pollution, and everyone sat up and started to take notice. With the publication of Sir Nicholas Stern’s review of the economics of climate change, the argument suddenly seems to have got serious. It’s no longer just scientists and environmentalists worried about humanity who are demanding urgent action, it’s bankers worried about the bottom line.
Sunday Herald 5th Nov 2006
N. Korea
North Korea said on Saturday that Japan was just a territory of the United States and should not bother to attend six-country talks on ending its nuclear weapons programme, which are expected to resume in the next month.
Reuters 4th Nov 2006
THE Pentagon is speeding up plans for possible military strikes on North Korea’s nuclear programme as concern mounts that Arab states are also looking to acquire nuclear technology.
Sunday Times 5th Nov 2006
NESTLING at the foot of towering Mount Kumgang on North Korea’s east coast is a holiday resort being hailed in the South as a force for the eventual reunification of the peninsula.
Scotland on Sunday 5th Nov 2006
Proliferation
THE Bush administration has closed a government website set up to publicly display pre-war Iraqi documents on weapons of mass destruction after experts said that its content included details for building a nuclear bomb.
Scotland on Sunday 5th Nov 2006
Sellafield
Serco, the UK project services specialist, will tomorrow announce it has formed a nuclear clean-up consortium with US engineering giant Bechtel and the US nuclear specialist BWXT. The consortium’s first priority will be to bid for the five-year contract to clean up the sprawling Sellafield nuclear site in Cumbria. This will be worth around £5bn initially but could include an option to extend the deal. Under plans agreed by the Government last month, companies will be invited to bid for the contract next year. The award will be made in 2008.
Independent on Sunday 5th Nov 2006
