The carbon tax debate and irrational howls

No sooner was the announcement that a carbon tax was on the cards made than the hecklers from special interest groups and their lobbyists started coming out of the woodwork. 

Our expectations of electric cars must be tempered with reality

Electric cars are often spoken of as if they will turn the tide against the current fleet of petroleum junkies. But we may be far from that nirvana.  

Reflections on the Integrated Resource Plan

The Integrated Resource Plan 2010 (IRP2010) consultation process has begun. It should provide the ideal vehicle for the convergence of low-carbon energy policy with climate issues and the... 

How realistic is the green economy?

The idea of a green economy has gained great popularity of late but the proof will be in implementation. During the last year, particularly, green economy issues have gained ascendancy, receiving... 

Climateproofing the second Integrated Resource Plan

The second Integrated Resource Plan (IRP2) should be due anytime soon. It will be a crucial document that will pretty much define South Africa’s energy mix for the next 20 years. Getting it to... 

Should we have a carbon tax to promote a low-carbon economy?

The question of the merits of a universal carbon tax compared with those of a cap-and-trade system is a source of considerable debate among policymakers. Some time soon, the National Treasury... 

Why transformation of the energy-industrial complex is crucial for a low-carbon economy

Everything new has to start somewhere – so the saying goes. If truth be told, there are more than just climate change reasons why we need to shift our energy-industrial complex to a low-carbon... 

The Paradox of peak oil

The paradox is simply: the lesser of a thing, the more there will be of it. An oil peak implies that the production peak will occur when about half of the total oil in the reservoir has been... 

The two stages to a low-carbon future

The transition to a low-carbon future is inevitable and will involve two stages.