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Friends of the Earth President Brent Blackwelder argues that President Bush's plan to promote coal, oil, and nuclear power as energy solutions will cement his legacy as the worst president in history regarding the environment, while the planet approaches a global warming tipping point.

Friends of the Earth argues that President Bush's energy plan is a 'non-solution' that would increase oil imports by 85 percent over 20 years. The organization criticizes the plan for omitting fuel efficiency standards and renewable energy requirements while instead promoting nuclear power and the expansion of liquefied natural gas terminals.

The document lists 22 provisions of a U.S. energy bill that the authors claim fail to address global warming or oil dependence. Key criticisms include the provision of billions in subsidies to the nuclear and coal industries, the weakening of the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act, and the reduction of state authority over liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities and transmission lines.

The author contends that nuclear power is an unsuitable solution for global warming due to the catastrophic precedent of Chernobyl and ongoing risks. Key concerns include the lack of permanent repositories for high-level nuclear waste, the vulnerability of spent-fuel storage to terrorism, and the risk that civilian nuclear programs serve as covers for weapons proliferation. The document suggests that investing in end-use energy efficiency is seven times more cost-effective at reducing demand than nuclear power.

Friends of the Earth argues that President Bush's claims regarding a debate over man-made global warming contradict IPCC findings and that his reliance on oil, coal, and nuclear power as solutions is ineffective and dangerous.

The document presents a collection of data points from multiple research organizations arguing that renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency (EE) sectors generate more employment per unit of energy or investment than fossil fuels. It highlights national and state-level projections in the US, such as the potential for 4.2 million new green jobs by 2038, and international examples from Germany, Spain, Brazil, and India. Specific technology sectors—including wind, solar, biofuels, and geothermal—are detailed alongside the impact of policy mechanisms like Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) and investment tax credits.

The document analyzes the foreign policy platforms of candidates John McCain and Barack Obama ahead of the 2008 US election, arguing that while Africa will likely remain a low priority for any new administration, South Africa can leverage its role as a 'pivotal state' to secure military resources, trade benefits, and health funding. It highlights diverging candidate views on energy—with Obama favoring a 'cap-and-trade' system and McCain supporting increased nuclear power and Alaskan drilling—and suggests South Africa could engage the US on carbon-trading opportunities.

The report examines the domestic contexts of Ukraine and Kazakhstan regarding clean energy investment. It identifies a shared legacy of high energy intensity and a common struggle with corruption, bureaucracy, and insufficient legal frameworks. While both countries possess significant renewable potential, they remain heavily reliant on conventional sources—Ukraine on nuclear and imported gas, and Kazakhstan on domestic coal and oil. The study highlights that the lack of market-based incentives, such as feed-in tariffs, and low electricity prices are primary obstacles to private investment. It also analyzes the role of the Kyoto Protocol's Joint Implementation (JI) mechanism as a potential financial driver, noting Ukraine's relative success in this area compared to Kazakhstan's delayed ratification process.

The document analyzes the transition of EU-South Africa relations from a development-focused framework to a Strategic Partnership. It highlights the EU's goal of engaging emerging powers and South Africa's role as a regional leader. While the partnership expands cooperation into areas like climate change, energy, and security, the author notes that tensions remain regarding trade agreements and agricultural policies.

The document presents a vision of "applied hope," which Lovins defines as a deliberate choice to act on the conviction that practical, scalable solutions can improve the world. He argues against passive optimism and pervasive dread, advocating instead for "integrative design" and "advanced resource efficiency" to phase out fossil fuels and nuclear energy. Lovins envisions a future where carbon emissions decline profitably, biodiversity recovers, and global stability is achieved by treating the world's problems as interconnected systems rather than isolated issues.

The document analyzes the transition of French foreign policy in Africa from 'la Francafrique'—characterized by personal ties to corrupt elites in former colonies—to a strategy of 'partnership' between equal nations. This shift involves a move toward multilateralism through the European Union and a strategic pivot toward new markets and power-brokers, specifically South Africa. Key drivers for this change include the 'Abidjan doctrine' on economic governance, the devaluation of the CFA franc, and a desire to move beyond a relationship driven by colonial guilt. The text highlights South Africa's role as France's leading economic partner in Africa, noting cooperation in military training in the Central African Republic and nuclear energy projects involving the company Areva.

The report reviews multiple global and regional studies to determine the necessity of carbon capture and storage (CCS) for climate mitigation. It concludes that most experts view CCS as a key technology for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to stabilization levels by 2030-2050, often serving as a cost-effective alternative to massive nuclear expansion or extremely ambitious energy efficiency and renewable targets.

The 'Choose the Future' conference report details a three-day event in Winnipeg focused on integrating sustainable development into education, business, and government. It highlights keynote addresses on global sustainability, corporate strategies for 'triple bottom line' success, and various concurrent sessions on Arctic climate change, Indigenous perspectives, and K-12 curriculum integration in Manitoba and other Canadian provinces.

Between 1997 and 2006, fossil fuel consumption in the Southeast grew by approximately 14 percent, significantly exceeding both the national average growth rate of 5 percent and the regional growth of non-fossil energy sources, which was less than 1 percent.

The report argues that while nuclear power produces few global warming emissions, its expansion poses significant risks of radioactive releases from accidents or terrorism and increases the likelihood of nuclear proliferation. It finds that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) suffers from a poor safety culture and inadequate enforcement of standards. The authors recommend reinstating a ban on reprocessing, internationalizing uranium enrichment, and requiring new reactors to be significantly safer than current designs. Specifically, it identifies the Evolutionary Power Reactor (EPR) as the only new design with potential for significant safety and security improvements, while criticizing the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) for increasing proliferation risks without providing waste disposal benefits.

The document provides a comprehensive overview of employment trends in the clean energy sector, contrasting the job-creation potential of renewables and energy efficiency with traditional fossil fuel industries. It highlights specific national and state-level projections in the U.S., international trends in the EU and Brazil, and sector-specific data for wind, solar, biofuels, and geothermal energy, while also noting the decline of coal mining employment.

The document examines the risks of federal loan guarantees for nuclear power, highlighting how proposed legislation in 2007 could remove Congressional oversight and shift significant financial burdens to taxpayers. It notes that the nuclear industry's request for at least $50 billion in guarantees over two years far exceeds previous R&D spending. The briefing argues that the Department of Energy (DOE) lacks the necessary infrastructure, staffing, and procedures to manage these risks, which are compounded by the nuclear industry's history of massive cost overruns and high default probabilities.

Jonathan Lash, representing the US Climate Action Partnership (US CAP), advocates for a federal cap-and-trade program and a long-term emissions roadmap to transition the United States to a low-carbon economy. He emphasizes that clear federal rules are necessary to avoid a regulatory patchwork of state laws and to provide the market certainty required for large-scale private investment in clean energy technologies.

The document explains how nuclear power plants use water to absorb waste heat and cool equipment, detailing once-through and closed-cycle cooling systems. It highlights the significant volumes of water required, the environmental impact on aquatic life, and the critical role of the Ultimate Heat Sink (UHS) during accidents. The author argues that the primary safety hazard is not radioactive leakage, but rather the failure of water to reach the plant or leaking into the plant.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) asserts that carbon dioxide capture and sequestration (CCS) is the only viable near-term solution to curb emissions from the expanding use of coal, particularly in the U.S. and China. While energy efficiency, renewables, and nuclear power are important, they cannot currently offset coal use at the necessary scale. WRI argues that a carbon cap and trade regime is a critical first step to incentivize low-carbon investment, though current legislative proposals likely offer carbon prices too low to offset high capture costs. Consequently, the document calls for increased public funding for research, development and demonstration (RD&D) and additional policy tools to address regulatory and public acceptance barriers.