marklynas.org - home

Nukes and Lib-Dems: a response

2010-04-12T09:10:00Z

My column on the Liberal Democrats' nuclear policy attracted a furious response from the Party's environment spokesman Simon Hughes. Here's my rejoinder.

Why no party can afford to be anti-nuclear

2010-04-05T06:42:00Z

The Lib Dems must abandon their anti-nuclear stance and develop a realistic energy policy. First published in the New Statesman.

Rogue traders could save Kyoto

2010-03-15T12:30:00Z

Carbon traders do not easily secure sympathy. Yet their role is vital. First published in the New Statesman.

Adrift on denial

2010-03-05T18:12:00Z

There is a danger of a permanent gap opening up between climate scientists and the general public. First published in the New Statesman.

True climate sceptics must stop the war on science

2010-02-25T20:11:00Z

David Davis and fellow honourable sceptics of climate change should distance themselves from the extremists and put forward their own proposals for mitigation. First published in the Guardian.

Yvo de Boer's resignation compounds sense of gathering climate crisis

2010-02-18T15:46:00Z

Despite his steady hands at the helm of climate talks, de Boer was losing his touch and navigated into rancorous territory. Published in the Guardian.

Barbarians at the gate

2010-02-14T21:21:00Z

The scientists at the centre of "Climategate" scandal are the targets of an orchestrated smear campaign. First published in the New Statesman.

Why we greens keep getting it wrong

2010-01-28T11:31:00Z

Environmental politics in an age of reason. First published in the New Statesman.

Don’t let glacier howler cloud bigger picture

2010-01-25T20:35:00Z

Climate change is not a religion: that’s why we can admit error. First published in The Times.

Why it’s wrong to preach “climate justice”

2010-01-14T21:04:00Z

Two wrongs don't make a right -- carbon is not a prerequisite to development. First published in the New Statesman.

How do I know China wrecked the Copenhagen deal? I was in the room

2009-12-23T19:35:00Z

Copenhagen was a disaster. That much is agreed. But the truth about what actually happened is in danger of being lost amid the spin and inevitable mutual recriminations. The truth is this: China wrecked the talks, intentionally humiliated Barack Obama, and insisted on an awful "deal" so western leaders would walk away carrying the blame. How do I know this? Because I was in the room and saw it happen. (Published in the Guardian.)

The Road: A film that every one of us needs to see

2009-12-19T19:33:00Z

What would happen if some catastrophe laid waste to the earth and society broke down? A new film of Cormac McCarthy's novel The Road dares to confront these questions. (First published in the Independent.)

'At this rate, Copenhagen will be a disaster'

2009-12-16T10:38:00Z

(First published in the Independent.) The battle lines are drawn. The armies are lined up. The guns are loaded. But here in Copenhagen, a phony war is underway.

The Copenhagen conference means life or death for the Maldives

2009-12-15T10:45:00Z

Limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5C is still just about possible, but it's a target unlikely to survive the week. (First published in the Guardian.)

Mark Lynas’s Copenhagen Notebook: 12/12/2009

2009-12-13T16:03:00Z

(First published in the Independent.) It's easy to mock the proceedings here. Upwards of 25,000 people, most of whom came by plane, meeting to write convoluted UN legalese that no one understands and doesn't seem to ever change anything.

Stupid Show: Live from Copenhagen 11-18 December

2009-12-10T15:32:00Z

Conspiracy theory? That'll be the deniers

2009-12-10T11:37:00Z

Climate-change denial makes sense only as a conspiracy theory. More on the CRU hack brouhaha. (First published in the New Statesman.)

As Washington and Beijing stall, the Maldives takes the lead

2009-12-07T21:15:00Z

With the poorest countries in the world pledging to do most to combat climate change, richer nations may finally be shamed into taking action (first published in the New Statesman)

Leaked emails mark dangerous shift in climate denial strategy

2009-11-24T10:52:00Z

Instead of targeting high-profile science communicators like Al Gore, climate deniers are now encouraging mistrust of those who collect and interpret global warming data. (First published by the Guardian.)

Swiftboating the climate scientists

2009-11-23T11:00:00Z

The outcry over emails stolen from the Climatic Research Unit's server and then plastered all over the internet by climate change deniers shows a worrying trend. Moving on from targeting Al Gore and environmentalists, the denial conspiracists are now moving on to attacking science itself.

The denial phenomenon

2009-11-20T10:19:00Z

I'm often asked why I think so many people remain in denial about climate change - and why, according to the latest polls, the numbers seem to be rising, despite the overwhelming scientific evidence that global warming is real.

Melting glaciers on the roof of the world

2009-11-20T09:39:00Z

Yet more incontrovertible evidence of the impact of global warming. Glaciers are one of the best indicators, because they respond to long-term average changes more than annual fluctuations in temperature and snowfall. What will the deniers say to this one? Urban heat island effects, perhaps, at the base of Mount Everest? Er...

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We need to go cold turkey to kick our addiction to oil

2009-11-17T09:52:00Z

Peak oil could be good - but only if we see it as an economic opportunity to reduce fossil fuel emissions. (First published in the New Statesman.)

Sacrificed in the name of sushi

2009-11-17T09:49:00Z

The bluefin tuna is an endangered species - yet is still being served in restaurants. We could have less than a year left before the last breeding adult is caught. (First published in the New Statesman.)

Closed because of geoengineering works

2009-10-19T12:21:00Z

Suddenly geoengineering is all the rage. Is it dangerous nonsense or a potentially useful insurance against catastrophe? (First published in the New Statesman.)

How climate change is blowing hot and cold

2009-10-05T19:49:00Z

A rainy day in July does not falsify climate change. But understanding why not requires some scientific knowledge. (First published in the New Statesman.)

Do you care about your children? Then stop flying

2009-09-10T10:08:00Z

The industry is perhaps the most unsustainable on the planet. Let's start discussing the moral issues sensibly. First published in the Independent here.

10:10 - reduce your emissions 10% in a year

2009-09-03T13:14:00Z

If you're in the UK, you can hardly have missed the launch of 10:10, the campaign for individuals, organisations and companies to reduce their emissions.

Rhythms del Mundo - Classics: out now!

2009-08-28T09:32:00Z

I'm an adviser to Artists Project Earth, the charity that funds climate-related campaigns and other activities, using funds generated from the sales of Rhythms del Mundo albums. The new offering is out now, featuring classic songs covered by artists such as the Rolling Stones and Amy Winehouse. I'm also putting up here an interview with Kenny Young, the producer and leading light behind the project.

Nuclear power: challenging the Green Party

2009-08-12T10:40:00Z

The UK Green Party has several canonical beliefs - and one of them is that nuclear power is bad. I asked for space to outline in the party magazine, Green World, why I thought this needed re-examining. The editorial board kindly agreed, even though it is highly unusual for articles running contrary to party policy to be published.

Miliband takes the greener path

2009-07-30T11:09:00Z

The UK government has just announced its new strategy on cutting carbon emissions - the so-called 'Transition Plan'. Writing for the Guardian website, Mark Lynas assesses its merits.

Climate change explained: the impact of temperature rises

2009-05-05T10:10:00Z

Written for the Guardian, 14 April 2009. A slightly updated precis of Six Degrees

A new green era is already unfolding

2009-01-23T16:00:00Z

Obama and the environment

Tom Blees: Rebuttal to Greenpeace on nuclear

2009-01-05T20:07:00Z

Tom Blees, author of Prescription for the Planet and proponent of Fourth Generation nuclear power, takes on Greenpeace.

World saved . . . planet doomed

2008-11-21T09:13:00Z

Green activists are seeing the global economic crisis as an opportunity, but the truth remains: high economic growth cannot be reconciled with limited resources

Nuclear power - Greenpeace responds

2008-11-14T16:11:00Z

Immediately after my article 'Greens must learn to love nuclear power' was published, I was contacted by friends working at Greenpeace who objected to my portrayal of the organisation's stance on nuclear as mainly motivated by ideology rather than rational consideration. I offered them the chance to respond in a line-by-line way to my article, and promised to put their response on this site. Here it is...

Green shoots of recovery

2008-10-09T19:34:00Z

We must ensure that tackling climate change is not forgotten but put at the heart of any rescue plan for the economy.

Why greens must learn to love nuclear power

2008-09-19T08:06:00Z

Global warming and finite resources mean our way of life is more threatened than ever, and it's time for the environmental movement to face up to some hard truths

Podcast on Kyoto2

2008-09-11T19:41:00Z

Those interested in the various different proposals for international frameworks to address climate change may have heard of Oliver Tickell's 'Kyoto2' proposal - essentially an upstream cap and trade plan which would auction fossil fuel production permits to companies at the international level, and use the money for adaptation and to fund the clean energy transition.

Seeing the bigger picture

2008-09-05T10:01:00Z

A soon-to-be published collection of photographs demonstrates that art is vital in helping us understand the impact of human beings on the environment.

Say no to biofuels

2008-08-19T10:48:00Z

Biofuels can never be used sustainably on a large scale to power transport. The only solution is to shift rapidly to electricity.

How nuclear power can save the planet

2008-08-18T19:36:00Z

Increased use of nuclear (an outright competitor to coal as a deliverer of baseload power) is essential to combat climate change

Climate change catastrophe by degrees

2008-08-07T11:38:00Z

Bob Watson rightly warns us to prepare for 4C global warming. To avoid that, we must make drastic CO2 cuts now

The climate change clock is ticking

2008-08-01T11:56:00Z

The exact timescale of global warming is unknown, but the 100 months campaign provides a much-needed sense of urgency

Coming to a screen near you - me!

2008-07-31T19:37:00Z

How things have changed. Today, bookshops have entire shelves devoted to climate change. Television, too, has belatedly begun to catch up

A Green New Deal

2008-07-18T09:58:00Z

A "war economy" social mobilisation harnessed, this time not towards fighting fascism, but towards heading off ecological crisis

The global warming deniers

2008-07-04T11:50:00Z

The arguments of climate sceptics have largely been moulded by a far more sinister force - the US-based conservative think tanks

High oil prices are good news

2008-07-03T10:28:00Z

In a seven-minute 'authored piece' for Radio 4's The World Tonight, I speak to car buyers, a climate scientist and an oil industry expert to explore whether high oil prices are actually a good thing for the climate. Listen again here (3min 50 secs in).

Climate change is no longer just a middle-class issue

2008-07-02T14:59:00Z

Today's poll shows that public concern about climate change has reached a critical mass and now includes the less well-off

GM won't yield a harvest for the world

2008-06-21T10:42:00Z

The government is keen to reassess GM crops in light of the food crisis - but running to profit-seeking companies is not the answer