date: Wed, 01 Mar 2000 13:08:38 +0000
from: Professor Nigel Arnell <N.W.Arnell@soton.ac.uk>
subject: Re: Tyndall publicity
to: Mike Hulme <m.hulme@uea.ac.uk>

Mike,

I happen to know that Tony Blair chaired a meeting on Monday with business
leaders to discuss the climate change levy. I don't know the details, but
it was essentially about encouraging "clean" technology - what counts as
clean, and what levy rebates might be available.

My source (!) tells me that Tony Blair is taking climate change
increasingly seriously (Prescott, Meacher and Bob May were at the meeting),
and wants Britain to lead the world - first bringing the Europeans, then
the Americans.

I haven't seen anything in the press about it, but it may crop up over the
next few days. The Tyndall "clean energy" initiatives are increasingly
important.

Regards

Nigel



At 12:20 01/03/00 +0000, you wrote:
>Dear Tyndall Colleague,
>
>In the run-up to the Panel meeting on the 22nd March, we think it would be
>good to keep members of our Consortium in the public eye through print or
>other media (we suspect Imperial have already 'planted' a couple of stories
>and other independent evidence suggests that Imperial are being 'aggresive'
>about their bid).  Of course the benefits of this will be intangible, but
>there may be some subliminal effect on the Panel members or their friends
>of having UEA, UMIST, Southampton, et al., mentioned in relation to climate
>stories.
>
>We have a couple of press releases planned from UEA in the next 3 weeks and
>we have also asked our press Office to scan the broadsheets daily for
>climate-related stories to which letters can be written (for example, The
>Times today had a piece by Nigel Hawkes about global warming skeptics that
>we intend to send a letter on).
>
>If any such stories that relate to expertise not found at UEA, or better
>represented elsewhere, I will alert the relevant people to see whether a
>short, well-worded letter could be drafted.
>
>Also, if you know of any 'pre-emptive strikes' that could be made about
>up-coming topical news items (e.g. is the Chancellor going to say anything
>about the Climate Change Levy, or the DTI about renewables, etc.), then
>again we should be prepared to draft a response to the papers, or prepare a
>press release for the radio/TV media to pick up on.  Maybe any forthcoming
>scientific papers that have a media-friendly climate angle?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Mike
>
>
>
>
>


Nigel Arnell

----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
N.W.Arnell                            	Department of Geography
Professor of Geography                 	University of Southampton
					Highfield
					Southampton SO17 1BJ
					UK
                                       Tel:   01703 594648/592215
                                       Fax:   01703 593295
                                       Email: nwa1@soton.ac.uk


