My Environmental Wish List

Here's a list of things I'd like to see happen over the next few years: 

1) A new, legally binding climate change treaty to be agreed by all nations. Not some useless, vaguely worded, cosey little agreement like the Copenhagen Accord, but something with targets, deadlines, and teeth if countries start back-sliding.

The next chance to do just this will be in Mexico later this year. The U.S. could make or break it. Sadly it's unlikely they'll get a bill through in time for the President to make the promises he wants.

2) Solar technology to advance to the point where solar panels and heaters are so cheap that almost any home or third world village can afford one.

3) All forms of renewable energy to advance to a point where they can out-compete fossil fuels economically.

4) Batteries for electric cars to become a lot cheaper, more compact, and more efficient (Currently, when the batteries die after several years, you face a bill of thousands to replace them; They also limit the range of electric cars between charges).

5) Governments across the world to work with car manufacturers to establish the infrastructure required on a national basis to encourage the rapid take up of fuel cell and electric cars (i.e. Make refuelling stations available everywhere, not just in cities like London).

6) The U.N. to set-up a research lab with the specific aim of advancing all forms of renewable energy to the point where 2) to 4) above are possible. The lab would employ all the best minds available in the required fields.


7) Someone to come up with 'killer' climate change evidence. Something so undeniable, yet straightforward, that everyone will say "Oh yeah. Of course". So we can finally put all the climate denier nonsense behind us and get on with sorting out the planet.


To be honest, there's a mountain of solid evidence for climate change, the trouble is most of it's in the form of statistics, graphs, and solid scientific argument, not nearly as immediate and attention grabbing as a blog headline saying "Climate Change Lies".

8) A new, legally binding agreement to halt the decline in biodiversity to be agreed by all nations. Biodiversity is not a nice-to-have, it's a necessity: Nature provides us with huge economic benefits (from bees pollinating crops to mangroves protecting coastlines) and it will cost us all dearly if we ignore that fact.

9) A new international law to be passed that means that any proposed geoengineering project can only go ahead if scrutinised and approved at a world level (A new U.N. body?). Geoengineering should only be attempted as part of an overall CO2 reduction plan (See item 1 above).