Plans scrapped for Scottish biofuel plant
by David Masters
Plans to build a £65 million biofuel refinery plant in Scotland have been indefinitely put on hold because of the credit crunch, much to the relief of eco-campaigners. Ineos Enterprises, the oil refinery company who planned to build the plant, said the current economic climate and doubts about the environmental sustainability of biofuels have made the project unviable. A statement from Ineos said the plans would be on hold until the company ...
Starbucks goes 100% fair trade
by David Masters
Starbucks has announced that every coffee drink it sells in its 700 British and Irish shops will now be fairtrade. In the past, customers at the international coffee shop chain had to request a fairtrade drink - and the choice was only available for filter coffee. The move will see fairtrade coffee beans used for every drink - including espresso, latte, cappuccino and mocha. This will boost Starbucks' fairtrade sales in the UK ...
TV star slams Top Gear eco-bashers
by David Masters
Former Top Gear presenter, Quentin Wilson, has blasted the popular BBC show for its antiquated and outdated approach to environmental issues. The Sunday evening show has an estimated 385 million viewers worldwide, and is notorious for its insults to the eco-conscious. In one episode the presenters announced they would be showcasing a new green car, before revealing a gas-guzzling Lamborghini, painted green. Speaking in Cardiff yesterday, Wilson said that Top Gear's main presenter, ...
Mayor Johnson’s metamorphism into eco-warrior
by David Masters
London Mayor Boris Johnson today pledged to make Britain's largest city the eco-capital of the world. This represents a major turnaround for the conservative politician, who once lambasted 'eco-moralists' for speaking 'mumbo-jumbo' and compared the fear of global warming to 'stone age religion'. Keen to escape his reputation as an eco-sceptic, Johnson said he wants London to become a world leader in reducing carbon emissions and constructing an economy based upon green ...
EA plans 80 new wind turbines
by David Masters
The Environment Agency this week unveiled plans to build up to 80 wind turbines in EA-owned locations across the UK. EA Chairman, Lord Chris Smith, told delegates at the Agency's annual conference that 80 new wind turbines could provide enough electricity for 90,000 homes - equivalent to the number of houses in a city the size of York. The money made selling electricity from the turbines would bring in £2.4 million extra ...
Mercedes-Benz unveils eco-car
by David Masters
German car maker Mercedes-Benz has joined the recent trend of releasing an eco-friendly vehicle. The new environmentally friendly, C-Class 180 Kompressor BlueEfficiency saloon will be available from January. It replaces the existing C-Class model without any increase in purchase price. The C180's fuel-saving engine reduces petrol consumption by 11% and CO2 emissions by 19% to 149 grams per kilometre. This allows the car to run at 45 mpg, and cuts road tax by ...
Portugal Commits To Huge Electric Vehicle Deal
by Alan Harten
Nissan and Renault have signed a historic agreement with Portugal for the sale of electric vehicles, in order to reduce the country's greenhouse gas emission levels by around 20%. This would assist the country in reaching the European Unions emissions regulations by 2020. The deal calls for the two car manufacturers to begin delivery of large numbers of electric vehicles at the beginning of 2011. As part of the agreement, Portugal will ...
Riot In Amazon City Over Seized Timber
by Alan Harten
The city of Paragominas, in the remote Northeastern area of Brazil, was in turmoil last night as a riot broke out when around 3,000 people attacked government offices, in protest against the Brazilian government's recent attempts to curb the spread of illegal logging in the area. The riots are said to have broken out following the authorities seizing 400 m³ of illegally cut-down timber that had been growing in a preservation ...
Recession will dent ethical shopping
by David Masters
Shoppers are set to shun organic food for cheaper alternatives during the economic downturn. Researchers at Mintel predict that around half of organic food shoppers will switch to non-organic alternatives in the oncoming recession, as they seek to stretch every penny spent. Organic food and drink is big business in the UK, worth £1.6 billion per year. The sector has grown at an annual rate of 16% over the past five years. The tightening ...
EU set sights on Arctic energy
by Jan Harris
With the Arctic icecap now shrinking at record rates, countries are rushing to stake their claim on the vast mineral resources that the fragile environment holds, and now Europe has joined the fray. The European Commission has issued a paper stating Europe's interest in the Arctic's resources, in a first step to formulate an EU Arctic policy. Last year Russia caused controversy when it planted a titanium flag on sea ...
Terminator Cannot Hold Back the Sea
by Alan Harten
Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Governor of California, has admitted that even the Terminator can not hold back the sea. On Friday he ordered executives in his state government to begin immediate planning to deal with what he sees as an inevitable and not too distant rise in sea levels. The state's coastal areas are under imminent threat from the sea, which could cause irreparable damage to natural habitats as well as devastating ...
Are Nanomaterials a Threat to the Environment?
by Alan Harten
The British Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (RCEP) has warned, in a study, of possible side-effects of nanomaterials. The organization urges more research into the possible pollution effects in this area as well as stricter regulations for accreditation. Initially the report, "Novel Materials in the Environment: The case of nanotechnology”, gives a positive conclusion. The RCEP found no evidence of damage to health and the environment from nanomaterials. However, the ...
Maldives May be Abandoned by 2100
by Alan Harten
The Maldives is an island state known for its stunning white beaches and crystal clear waters, but now the idyllic islands are under threat as those waters rise and the possibility of the islands disappearing under the sea become a genuine threat. The new president of the islands, Mohamed Nasheed, has told "The Guardian" that the State of the small islands that lies on the equator could be lost under the ...
£5bn lunchbox food goes to landfill
by David Masters
A new study has found that the UK's workforce spends £5.5 billion every year on shop bought lunches, whilst leaving food of almost as much value at home to rot. Lunchbox foods such as ham, cheese, bread, fruit, crisps and yoghurts to the value of £5.06 billion are binned every year, according to results from the survey by Love Food Hate Waste. Almost £1 billion worth of bread, £300 million worth of ...
English councils hit recycling targets
by David Masters
New figures released this week show that 90% of local councils in England are meeting their recycling targets. The statistics released by Defra show that in 2007/8: Ninety percent of local authorities had less black bag waste to collect than in 2006/7; Ninety four percent of local authorities composted and recycled more household waste than during 2006/7; Seventy two percent of local authorities lowered the percentage of waste sent to landfill; The recycling rate jumped ...
10 Thoughtful Gifts for Women
by Brian TurnerIt can be really hard to find something fun, intelligent, romantic and outright thoughtful for a woman. I know I struggle with it sometimes, so I've been doing my shopping early this year to get a few things in. Here are a few sample ideas you may find useful as well - I know I did. :)
Green-fingered Londoners redefine capital growth
by David Masters
London's Mayor, Boris Johnson, has urged capital dwellers to go back to basics and start growing their own fruit and veg. The 'Capital Growth' project, brainchild of recently appointed chair of London Food, Rosie Boycott, is advocating that residents and community groups in the capital should identify any derelict space - including roof tops - that could be used to grow food. Hospitals, schools, councils, housing estates and utility companies are all ...
Colourful recycling bins brighten up NYC
by David Masters
Starting this week New Yorkers gloomy from the credit crunch will be able to recycle their waste in colourful street-side bins. Over 100 recycling bins have been placed at locations around New York, giving the city's citizens even fewer excuses for failing to recycle their waste. Blue bins are for bottles and cans, whilst green bins are for newspapers and magazines. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that aside from installation, the new ...
Tree fungus makes ready-to-use biodiesel
by David Masters
Researchers in the Patagonian rainforest have discovered a biofuel producing tree fungus that could radically transform worldwide energy production practices. Gliocladium roseum is a fungus that grows inside the ulmo tree in northern Patagonia. The fungus naturally produces a mixture of chemicals almost exactly the same as vehicle quality diesel derived from fossil fuels. G. roseum produces the biodiesel chemical - termed 'myco diesel' - as a vapour, making it much easier to ...
Florida Trains Run on Pure Biodiesel
by Alan Harten
South Florida transport company Tri-Rail will start operating 8 of its 10 locomotives with a 99 percent blend of biodiesel, according to the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority. For the U.S. company's trains the switch to biodiesel has been a long process. The company hopes to eventually use biodiesel in all 10 of its locomotives, but for now it has been prevented from doing so by technical restrictions within two ...