State of the planet

Winds of climate change: It’s not happening, is it? Is anything of substance being done to fight climate change? Six weeks ago British Treasury adviser Sir Nicholas Stern released his landmark report on the economics of global warming. Stern matters because he turned old thinking on its head. It was not action, but inaction, on climate change that would devastate the world’s economies, he wrote. — The Age

Taxing pollution: Leading authorities on climate and energy policy called Thursday for putting a price on greenhouse-gas emissions to drive new efficiencies and technologies, and one top U.S. utility executive called for an outright tax on carbon. — ContraCosta Times

Prince demands climate change action: The Prince of Wales has described climate change as the “biggest threat to mankind” and warned that we must act before it is too late … “Climate change is now a critical issue for every Commonwealth country,” he wrote in CPQ. “The challenge is to find ways to mobilise the whole of their society in tackling this ultimate threat to mankind.” — Scotsman

Airlines set to profit: Airlines could make up to £2.7 billion (€4bn) in profits if aviation emissions become part of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), according to a report published today from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). The EU is to announce whether aviation is due to be included in the ETS this week. — Irish Examiner

Cultivating energy: From climate change to volatile oil prices, all signs point to a looming global energy crisis. Confronting the growing challenge means that humanity can no longer afford to ignore the inexhaustible resource found in the organic material that the sun provides each day through photosynthesis. Daily Times (Pakistan)  

Europeans despair at resorts without snow: Skiers heading to the European Alps for Christmas will be sorely disappointed, with resort operators staring at bare slopes as a result of the warmest winter temperatures in 1250 years. The lack of snow has led to claims that skiing could soon be restricted to slopes above 1500m, resulting in financial ruin for many businesses, particularly in Italy, where half the resorts are below that altitude. The Australian