Greenland Lake empties in ninety minutes
by Alan Harten
A report in the highly prestigious journal, Science, says that researchers have recorded the drainage from a lake in Greenland that was so rapid that it drained in less than ninety minutes. WHOI glaciologist Sarah Das said that the lake had been approximately 5.6 km2. The water from the lake drained from the base of an ice sheet that that had been holding the fresh water back from the sea. The ...
Scotland’s seas warming up
by David Masters
Scotland's seas are some of the cleanest in the UK, and a new report has revealed that they are getting deeper, saltier and warmer. 'Scotland's Seas: Towards Understanding their State' was commissioned to be ready in time for the drawing up of the Scottish Marine Bill. Researchers found that Scottish seas are getting warmer at a rate of around 0.3% every ten years, following similar patterns to the rest of the North ...
Pressure mounting on EU’s “reckless” biofuel policy
by David Masters
In the week when it has become a legal requirement for all UK vehicles to be powered by at least 2.5% biofuels, pressure is mounting on the European Union to scrap its biofuel policy. Biofuels have been facing increasing levels of criticism after rising food prices have seen unrest across the world. Crops grown for biodiesel and ethanol are being blamed as the main culprits for the rising food prices. The ...
Americans duped by misleading greenwash
by David Masters
A recent survey has found that whilst Americans think about the environment when making purchasing decisions, many of them misunderstand the environmental messages on product packaging. In the survey 39% of US citizens said that they think about the environment when choosing the products that they buy. However, almost half those surveyed had erroneous beliefs about the environmental impact of products that they buy. 48% of respondents to the 2008 Green Gap Survey ...
President Bush lambasted for emissions policy
by Alan Harten
President Bush seems to have altered his position on targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. He now wants the US to halt the increase in emissions by 2025. The International Panel on Climate Change had called for wealthy countries to reduce emissions by up to 40% of 1990 levels by 2020. This new announcement comes on the eve of climate change discussions in Paris. The new announcement was met ...
Beach litter hits record levels
by David Masters
The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) has revealed that the amount of plastic dumped on British beaches is at its highest ever. Litter is an eyesore and is dangerous to wildlife, yet the level of plastic litter on beaches has increased by 126% since records began in 1994. MCS's 2007 Beachwater survey found an average of over 2,000 items of litter for every kilometre of Britain's beaches. Plastic is the most common form of ...
B&Q: Wear jumpers to save the planet
by David MastersB&Q have teamed up with British designer Wayne Hemingway in a bid to get customers to turn down their heating and wear a jumper instead. To launch B&Q's 'Body Warming Not Global Warming' campaign, HemingwayDesign has created a new range of limited edition sweatshirts available only in B&Q stores. With the cold weather of spring 2008 expected to continue, people will be using their heating for longer than usual. However, B&Q wants its ...
EU agrees new pollution limits
by David Masters
Countries in the EU have agreed upon new regulations that aim for a 20% reduction in air pollution between 2010 and 2020.. The legally binding limits specifically focus on the airborne concentration of ultra-fine dust known as PM2.5. Ultra-fine pollution particles are the most dangerous to human health because they can get deeper inside lungs than larger particles, causing asthma, bronchitis and emphysema. They are emitted from a wide range of sources including ...
Pollution linked to pneumonia deaths
by Rachel Thomas
A study was published today, directly linking pollution and death from pneumonia. The report was the result of investigations by Professor George Knox, of the University of Birmingham, looking at atmospheric emissions in England over the period 1996-2004. The report, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, attributed up to 4000 deaths from pneumonia each year to pollution caused by road transport. Data was collected from 352 local authority areas in ...
EPCs will make polluting cheaper
by David MastersBusinesses and individuals selling commercial buildings or new homes are now legally required to provide an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). All commercial properties with a floor area over 10,000 square metres, and all newly built houses will now come with a certificate detailing their energy rating and recommending improvements. EPCs were first introduced last year as part of the Home Information Pack scheme for large houses being put on the housing market. ...
Expert panel to offer eco-town advice
by David MastersThe UK Government has announced the appointment of 12 experts to advise on its eco-town project. The green building experts have been called upon to advise the government on the environmental credentials of both the proposed eco-town sites and the developers plans. The panel includes an eclectic mix of TV presenters, environmental activists, planning experts, architects, and designers. Issues to be examined by the panel include resources efficiency, public transport links, and the ...
Irish business must invest in renewables
by David Masters
Irish businesses have been told that they need to invest at least €6 billion into the wind energy industry if the country is to meet its renewable resources targets. This week, the Irish Wind Energy Association (IWEA) launched guidelines detailing best practice for on-shore wind farms in Ireland. Speaking at the launch, the group's chief executive, Michael Walsh, praised Irish industry for the €1 billion that has already been invested ...
Save the planet, don’t die
by Alan Harten
New "green" funerals are becoming the ‘way to go’ across the US. One reason is the massive wastage involved in conventional funerals. There are 23,000 cemeteries in America that bury nearly a million gallons of toxic embalming fluid every year. The caskets add up to 91,000 tons of steel, 2,800 tons of bronze and copper, and the hardwood in the coffins ad’s up to 33 million board feet. New burial ...
New agreement protects America’s Great Lakes
by David Masters
North America's Great Lakes are to be protected from being exploited as a water resource after an agreement between officials in Canada and the US. The Great Lakes are already at record low levels. The agreement is designed to protect the lakes from climate change, being used as a drinking water source, and other threats. The agreement, called 'Great Lakes Compact', will be signed later this week by US state representatives ...
Severn Trent Water fined £35m
by David Masters
Severn Trent Water have been fined £35.8 million following an investigation by Ofwat. Water watchdog Ofwat found that Severn Trent had deliberately provided false information about its customer service performance record. Severn Trent staff were found to have inflated the performance figures in areas such as response time to customer complaints. This meant that Severn Trent could charge customers higher rates for water provision than they were legally allowed ...
World Bank calls for action over food crisis
by Rachel Thomas
Following the dramatic rise in food prices worldwide, the World Bank stated yesterday that this rise has resulted in severe hunger and malnutrition, putting the fight against poverty in the world’s most underdeveloped countries by seven years. The bank’s president, Robert Zoellick, appealed to wealthy countries to immediately contribute a further £250 ($500m) to the World Food Programme and to sign up to a “New Deal for global food policy”. He stated ...
Ofwat publishes sustainable water strategy
by David Masters
Ofwat, the UK's water watchdog, has published a three-year strategy for the regulation of water and sewage. The strategy aims to keep companies accountable, protect consumers, and ensure the long-term sustainability of water supplies. The last aim is particularly important as the water industry begins to face up to the challenges of climate change. The strategy sets out how Ofwat plan to regulate prices to protect customers where competition is not possible or ...
£50 million grant to collect food waste
by David Masters
Local authorities in Wales are to be given a total of £50 million in grants to help them boost recycling figures. This is £15 million more than last year, and councils are being told to use the extra money to separate out food waste. The Sustainable Waste Management Grants are designed to help Welsh local authorities achieve EU landfill diversion targets of 40% by 2010. Currently 33% of waste in Wales ...
Can alligators kill off MRSA?
by Alan Harten
Louisiana biochemists have announced at the American Chemical Society. Their discovery that alligator blood contains proteins that are a potential source of powerful new antibiotics suitable for fighting all kinds of human disorders including severe burns, diabetic ulcers, and even “superbugs” . The scientists believe that antimicrobial activity within alligator blood may offer many potentially useful by-products found within the animal’s antibiotic proteins. McNeese State University scientist, Mark Merchant, Ph.D. ...
Brown expresses concern over food shortage
by Rachel Thomas
Yesterdat the Prime Minister yesterday put rising food prices on the world agenda as he wrote to his contemporary G8 leaders in order to organise an international package on food shortage. Gordon Brown has expressed concerns over the fact that the speed towards environmentally questionable biofuels are being taken up could lead to a disruption in the production of food. Brown is expected to make this issue a part of the G8 ...