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Ulrich Beck characterized the transition from modern to late modern society as a shift from an industrial to a 'risk society.' Contemporary society is challenged by negative side effects ('risks') of modernization, including the increasing and imminent threat of global climate change. This article will test the validity of conceivable prescriptive elements associated with this sociological theory. In doing so, it will focus on the most recent legal developments aimed at tackling climate change within the EU. This paper finds that the precautionary approach is unable to sufficiently shape balanced legal intervention in this day and age. However, the approach adopted by the EU appears to be more successful in this respect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Climate related issues, agro-metheorological ones included, are significant at European Union level due to their borderless nature. Their management is performed within different contexts, nevertheless the post important is the environmental aspect. However, from policy point of view one can differentiate between two major areas: regulation and research. The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of both research policy related aspects as well as achievements in the near past within the Framework Programme 4 and 5 for research. The research policy aspect is outlined by the broad fields incorporated in the base texts for which applications were requested, while the achievements are presented in terms of selected projects and their focused action field, i.e. what the factual response was against the formulated policy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: This systematic map protocol responds to an urgent policy need to evaluate key environmental benefits of new compulsory greening measures in the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), with the aim of building a policy better linked to environmental performance. The systematic map will focus on Ecological Focus Areas (EFAs), in which larger arable farmers must dedicate 5% of their arable land to ecologically beneficial habitats, landscape features and land uses. The European Commission's Joint Research Centre has used a software tool called the 'EFA calculator' to inform the European Commission about environmental benefits of EFA implementation. However, there are gaps in the EFA calculator's coverage of ecosystem services, especially 'global climate regulation', and an opportunity to use systematic mapping methods to enhance its capture of evidence, in advance of forthcoming CAP reforms. We describe a method for assembling a database of relevant, peer-reviewed research conducted in all agricultural landscapes in Europe and neighbouring countries with similar biogeography, addressing the primary question: what are the impacts of selected EFA features in agricultural land on two policy-relevant ecosystem service outcomes—global climate regulation and pollination? The method is streamlined to allow results in good time for the current, time-limited opportunity to influence reforms of the CAP greening measures at European and Member State level. Methods: We will search four bibliographic databases in English, using a predefined and tested search string that focuses on a subset of EFA options and ecosystem service outcomes. The options and outcomes are selected as those with particular policy relevance and traction. Only articles in English will be included. We will screen search results at title, abstract and full text levels, recording the number of studies deemed non-relevant (with reasons at full text). A systematic map database that displays the meta-data (i.e. descriptive summary information about settings and methods) of relevant studies will be produced following full text assessment. The systematic map database will be published as a MS-Excel database. The nature and extent of the evidence base will be discussed, and the applicability of methods to convert the available evidence into EFA calculator scores will be assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high temporal variability of wind power generation represents a major challenge for the realization of a sustainable energy supply. Large backup and storage facilities are necessary to secure the supply in periods of low renewable generation, especially in countries with a high share of renewables. We show that strong climate change is likely to impede the system integration of intermittent wind energy. To this end, we analyze the temporal characteristics of wind power generation based on high-resolution climate projections for Europe and uncover a robust increase of backup energy and storage needs in most of Central, Northern and North-Western Europe. This effect can be traced back to an increase of the likelihood for long periods of low wind generation and an increase in the seasonal wind variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the adoption of a Communication by the European Commission on February 9, 2005, that sets out future policies of climate change. This includes a set of proposals designed to structure the future negotiations of the European Union (EU) with its global partners over climate change policies after 2012, when the first commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol ends. These proposals open the door to bringing on board both major emitters and also rapidly emerging economies. The document stresses that the transition to a climate-friendly society offers economic opportunities for the EU.

Focuses on the improvements in the responses to extreme weather among European countries. Efforts of governments to issue forecasts and heighten the alarmingly poor awareness of citizens both of their vulnerability and of what to do in the event of catastrophes; Initiative on protecting natural systems to mitigate the effects of peaks in rainfall and spells of high temperature; Challenge to convince citizens to do their bit to moderate the unimaginably enormous scale of mankind's carbon dioxide emissions.