Oil supply will outpace demand
by Alan Harten
The world’s oil supply may reach a peak in the next few years, but this will be caused by a decline in demand for gasoline, rather than lack of supply, a BP economist claimed on Wednesday. These comments came in the wake of statements from other oil industry officials, who recently have been questioning mainstream oil supply forecasts, and have suggested a peak in output may be coming sooner ...
Starfish to blame for coral reef erosion
by Alan Harten
Huge numbers of the infamous crown of thorns starfish are now threatening the, so called, “coral triangle” which is the planets, richest centre of coral reef biodiversity. That’s the shocking new findings of scientific surveys by the Wildlife Conservation Society, based at the Bronx Zoo, New York, and, ARC Centre of Excellence, for Coral Reef Studies The starfish, a ravenous predator that feeds on the live corals by spreading its body over ...
‘Severe storms and floods to increase’ reveals marine climate change report
by David Masters
The Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership (MCCIP) published a report on Monday outlining the potentially devastating effects of climate change upon the UK's marine environment. The report detailed how seven of the ten warmest years for UK coastal waters have been in last decade. It also revealed that 2006 was the second warmest year for coastal waters since UK records began in 1870. Warmer winters are strongly linked to ...
Protestors taken hostage by whalers
by Alan Harten
Two activists from the protest vessel, named, Steve Irwin, were allegedly taken hostage by the crew of a Japanese whaler, and apparently tied to the mast of a Japanese whaling ship,Yashin Maru 2, in the Southern Ocean, on Tuesday. The two, Australian national, Benjamin Potts and, British national Giles Lane, boarded the Japanese vessel to give the captain a letter advising him that he was “illegally killing whales”, after delivering the ...
Scottish Water cleans up on Isle of Mull
by David Masters
Scottish Water are planning a £2.1 million investment on water treatment facilities for the Isle of Mull, an Island off the coast of Scotland. Sewage on the island is currently being dumped, untreated, into Loch A'Cumhainn. This contravenes the requirements of the European Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, and presents a hazard to wildlife, residents of the island, and tourists. The planned investment involves building a public ...
European news in brief – January 2008
by Grant Draper
Fixed price rubber meets an adhesive end, while the milk price hike affects supermarket retailers. Moral Elasticity Dow chemical, Dupont and Eni have been fined a total of $358 million, by the European Commission, for fixing the price of transmission belts, shoe soles and condoms. Allegedly, the companies are said to have met regularly, discussing prices and sensitive market information, which in return acted against the interests of customers, to devalue competition ...
Chocolate fueled adventure reaches Timbuktu
by David Masters
A duo of English green campaigners have completed a 4,500 mile expedition from England to Timbuktu. Their vehicle was powered using only biodiesel made from waste chocolate - although they ran out of fuel 30 kilometres before the finishing line. The expedition to an African city was part of a drive by Andy Pag and John Grimshaw to raise public awareness about biofuels. Reaching their destination required 2,000 litres of biodiesel. ...
Antarctica continues to loose ice, and the rate is increasing
by Alan Harten
The Antarctic icecap has lost ‘billions’ of tons of ice over the last 10 years. This ice melted in two main areas of Antarctica, stated climatologist, Eric Rignot in the scientific journal ‘Nature Geoscience”. Satellites, monitoring the West Ataractic coastline, have picked up changes, in the shape of the continent, and scientists have calculated that these changes amount to a loss of 132 billion tons of ice, and that, is for ...
DiCaprio and Besson team up for environmental movie
by Alan Harten
Oscar winning movie star, and former teen heartthrob, Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic, The Aviator) and French movie maker, Luc Besson (Hitman) have announced they are teaming up, to produce a movie about the environment. Tentatively titled ‘Boomerang’ the movie will be based on, ‘Earth from the Air” a series of images from all over the globe, by French photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand. The film is intended to ‘raise awareness of the dire condition ...
People on the move – January 2008
by Grant Draper
New year, new career, plenty of people are looking for change for 2008. Henderson global investors have appointed a new head of socially responsible investment research, Seb Beloe. Beloe, was previously the vice president of research and advocacy at consultants, think-tank sustainability. Vodaphone has appointed a new corporate responsibility director, Chris burgess. Burgess is now the successor to Charlotte Grezzo, who took the opportunity of a senior role at the investment bank, ...
Are Biofuels the real answer?
by Alan Harten
The race is very much on to produce viable alternatives to gasoline. As oil hits the $100 mark, venture capitalists, and corporate executives are clambering to get on the biofuel ladder. But is it the magic pill to solve our energy woes? Prices of all kinds of agricultural products that biofuels are, ‘traditionally’ made from are also soaring, as worldwide demand for both basic foods and biofuels accelerates. The price of corn ...
China bans the use of plastic carrier bags.
by Alan Harten
In a surprise announcement this week, the Chinese government has declared, that it is to place a total ban on the production, distribution, and use, of all plastic bags in supermarkets and other retailers. This is a huge step, in terms of changing normal retail practices, and in foreseen long term environmental benefits. The Chinese currently use a staggering, 21 billion plastic bags, every week, so the saving of raw materials, ...