US imposes fuel efficiency guidelines
by David Masters
The Bush Administration has proposed new guidelines that accelerate the timeline for improving fuel efficiency in US vehicles. Under the proposals the current average of 25 miles per gallon for cars and small trucks must reach 31.6 mpg by 2015 and 35 mpg by 2020. Manufacturers who flout the guidelines will face heavy fines. Transport Secretary Mary Peters announced the plans last week, calling them 'historically ambitious'. It is first significant change ...
Green home hunters should look south
by David MastersA new survey by Globrix has found that Kent and Devon are the greenest places to live in the UK. The property search group surveyed all of the properties for sale in the UK with at least one eco-feature. In total they found 777 environmental properties, 53 of which were in Kent, and 52 in Devon. The leading counties were closely followed by Hampshire, Surrey, Somerset and Cornwall. Scotland was found to be one ...
Tesco: Green road tax cuts will work
by David Masters
New research by Tescocompare.com has found that 6% of the UK's motorists claim to be driving a 'green' car. The car insurance price comparison site also discovered that two thirds of motorists would consider going green if it meant cheaper motoring costs. The greenest drivers in the UK are found in Wales and the South West, where 12% of car owners deliberate choose the most eco-friendly vehicles. Motorists in these regions ...
Two new power plants for the UK
by Alan Harten
The power supplier E.ON is working on the construction of new nuclear power plants with Siemens and Areva. The agreement covers cooperation on the construction of at least two new power plants in Britain, according to E.ON in Dusseldorf on Wednesday. The Group I plant will be a pressurized water reactor (EPR) produced with Areva, which will have a capacity of 1600Megawatt (MW). The other, conventional, power plant should be ...
Conservatives chastise cynical ‘green’ road tax
by David Masters
Government figures obtained by the Conservatives reveal that the treasury's new 'green levy' on road tax is expected to reduce vehicle emissions by less than 1%. The environmental benefits of the new tax system - introduced by newly appointed chancellor Alistair Darling - are now being called into question. It has also been revealed that the Government is set to profit by an extra £1.9 billion per year from the new tax, ...
Green researchers build 1930s house
by David MastersResearchers from the University of Nottingham have teamed up with energy giant E.ON to build an authentic 1930s semi. Over three million semi-detached houses were built during the 1930s, and they have become a national icon. However, the houses are so energy inefficient that the researchers required special planning permission to build the property. The three bedroomed house, built on Nottingham University's Green Close, will be lived in by students and used to ...
Rich world shuns anti-famine research
by David Masters
The results of an extensive study into the world food crisis were revealed this week, which concluded that significant investment is needed if the world is to be fed with sustainably grown food. The 2,500 page report, titled the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD), took three years to complete and involved consultation from over 400 experts. The report encourages rich world countries to together make an immediate ...
Report predicts climate change apocalypse
by David Masters
A leading UK-based defence thinktank has warned that the consequences of climate change could lead to political conflicts on a similar scale to World Wars I and II. The report from the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) warns that rising sea levels, lack of access to clean water, famines, floods and droughts are likely to become more commonplace as the effects of climate change get stronger. Conflicts over natural resources are ...
Criminal record for overfull bin
by David Masters
Stringent council bosses in Whitehaven, Cumbria, have left a local resident with a criminal record for overfilling his wheelie bin. The lid of the bin was held open with excess rubbish by just ten centimetres (four inches). Gareth Corkhill, 26, was issued with a £110 fixed notice penalty in January this year. After failing to pay the fine, he was summoned to court, but failed to make an appearance. ...
EPA Scientists claim White House interference
by Alan Harten
A Union of Concerned Scientists, UCS, survey of Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, scientists, has discovered that around sixty percent of the scientific workforce felt that they were experiencing interference of a political nature with regard to what they considered to be scientific matters, while working for the EPA since 2003. Several hundred of the EPA’s government employed scientists said that they had been pressurized by management to alter their findings. ...
Wind farm on Lewis overruled
by David Masters
Wildlife campaigners in Scotland are celebrating following Scottish MPs' rejection of plans to build Europe's biggest ever wind farm on the Isle of Lewis. Energy Minister Jim Mather said the decision to decline the planning application for the £500 million project was made to protect the environment, and because of widespread public opposition. In total the public submitted 10,000 objections to the planning application. He added that Scotland is still ...
Decline of Butterflies indicator of climate change
by Alan Harten
Sir David Attenborough, highly respected wildlife TV presenter, also leads British organization, Butterfly Conservation, and is currently appealing for funds to avoid what he states is the possible extinction of once common UK butterfly species. The organization says that it is absolutely essential that butterflies benefit from a long warm summer. In order to replenish numbers drastically cut by last summers devastating rains and floods, which arrived just as the ...
Sea to rise 1.5 metres by 2100
by David Masters
Researchers from the UK-based Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory have predicted that because of climate change, sea levels could rise by as much as 1.5 metres before the end of the century. This is over three times higher than previous predictions made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), who estimated a rise of between 0.28 and 0.43 metres. The results of the research, conducted by a team of British and Finnish scientists, ...
Bush: Technology will prevent climate chaos
by David Masters
In a speech that was billed by White House officials as the turning point for America's response to climate change, George Bush revealed that the US will not be penalising the biggest polluters through taxes or fines, but will be taking a more softly softly approach. Bush said that he believes penalising those who pollute the environment is the wrong way to go about tackling climate change. Instead, the US ...
UK bins £8bn food every year
by David MastersNew research has revealed that the UK throws away £8 billion worth of food every year. The study by WRAP (Waste and Resource Management Programme) also found that UK households end up throwing away around one third of the fruit and vegetables that they buy - totting up a total waste of £3 billion. Every day the UK dumps 4.9 million potatoes, 4.4 million apples, 2.8 million tomatoes, 1.6 million bananas and ...
Ireland to home-grow organic foods
by David Masters
Ireland's Green Party has announced that it is hoping to increase organic food production in the country 500% by 2012. Trevor Sargent, the minister of state responsible for food and horticulture, said in a speech at the Green Party conference that a government announcement detailing a strategy for organic food production is immanent. Europe is the biggest market for organic food in the world, and demand for organic food in Ireland is ...
Tesco to open eco-store
by David Masters
Tesco has announced that it will be opening its first eco-store later this year in Tramore, Ireland. The 30,000 sq ft mega-shop will use 45% less energy than standard supermarkets of a similar size. It will also cut back on around 420 tonnes of CO2 per year, a 30% saving compared to standard stores. Costing €12.5 million, the store will be built with environmentally friendly construction materials, preferring timber over steel, ...
The world’s first eco-friendly search engine
by David MastersEchcho.co.uk is here. The world's first eco-friendly search engine, Ecocho launched this week in the UK and 14 other countries. The Australia-based company will sponsor the planting of up to two trees for every 1,000 searches made. The site's engine is powered by both Google and Yahoo, meaning that internet surfers can help save the planet without sacrificing on quality. The sites founder, Tim MacDonald, coined the word Ecocho from 'eco', short ...
Eco-burials are the only way to go
by Alan Harten
Many people are now striving to live a greener life; people are also being urged to consider the environment when they end their days. Coffins made from banana leaves that retail for £600, burial clothes produced from 100% natural fibers, coffins made of cardboard and graveyards that do not alter the environment are all the eco-friendly way to go. Many of the ‘green’ funeral directors that are starting to spring up ...
Energy ratings ‘deciding factor’ for homebuyers
by David MastersA new survey has revealed that 80% of UK citizens are willing to pay more for houses with energy saving features. The poll, conducted by ICM research, also found that one in ten Brits would walk away from a dream home if it had a low energy saving rating. People selling their homes are now legally required to provide a Home Information Pack (HIP), which includes the property's energy rating. Over half of ...