“I’m not a plastic bag” designer gets MBE
by David Masters
Eco-conscious fashion designer, Anya Hindmarch, has been award an MBE in the Queen's New Year honours list for her environmentally friendly bag design. The "I'm not a plastic bag" re-usable carrier bag became an overnight global fashion icon, with over 80,000 sold on the day it was released. As well as reducing plastic carrier bag usage, the "I'm not a plastic bag" message emblazoned across the bag was designed to raise environmental ...
2009 Set To Be One Of Warmest On Record
by Alan Harten
Experts think that 2009 could be one of the top 5 warmest years on record in Britain, as much as half a degree warmer than the average 14 degrees that the UK currently gets. And looking to the future scientists say that records are likely to start being broken more consistently when El Nino returns to warming the Pacific. The current warmest year on record was back in 1998 when ...
California’s Coast Bracing Itself For Drilling
by Alan Harten
America's Federal Government may well be opening the way for oil companies to start drilling just off California's famous beaches and coastline, it has emerged. Previously banned from even surveying the area, oil companies are now likely to be researching the Californian coastline with renewed vigour. The 1981 legislation, banning oil companies from using California as an area to drill for oil, was allowed to lapse this year. Conservative estimates put ...
Fresh Water At A Premium In England And Wales
by Alan Harten
The Environment Agency has warned Britain that its water usage is causing a tremendous strain on the country's resources of fresh water. Research has shown that 50% of houses in England and Wales are in areas where there will be more demand for fresh water than there is supply. This is worst in the warmer South East of England, where over 10 million people have less water available per person ...
Crayfish Numbers Slowly Rising
by Alan Harten
A conservation project, which started in the Yorkshire Dales in 2003, is bringing some great news to British Conservationists. The project was designed to help save the native 'white-clawed crayfish’, which is officially an endangered species. The crayfish had been dying out in large numbers thanks to competition from a very aggressive American breed and a disease known as the 'Crayfish Plague', almost certainly brought over by fungus on the ...
Have We Already Lost War To Save Environment?
by Alan Harten
Across the globe governments are making lots of political noise about being “green” and how their policies will help their country and the world win the fight against global climate change. Unfortunately all this political hot air may well just be adding to the effects of global warming. It may well be time to admit that the “fight against climate change” is about as effective as the “war on drugs” or ...
Versace Wants Cooler Beaches
by Alan Harten
Dubai is already world renowned for glamour, eccentricity and its luxurious lifestyle. It has world firsts in many different aspects, including the worlds first, and only, 7 star hotel. Now, in the battle for tourist dollars, Versace wants to create the world’s first refrigerated beach. Versace is already known for its 'cool', stylish and expensive fashions, and this extravagance fits the brand perfectly. With temperatures in Dubai capable ...
Nuclear Powered Planes To Become A Reality?
by Alan Harten
Researchers at a Government funded project believe that nuclear powered planes may well be on their way to becoming a reality sooner rather than later. With the ever rising cost and decreasing availability of the petroleum needed to power conventional aircraft, as well concerns as the ecological damage they cause, governments and aerospace companies are searching for other sources of fuel for aircraft, and in nuclear fuel they seem ...
UK government more polluting than whole of Kenya
by David Masters
Government-owned buildings in England and Wales are polluting the world with more carbon dioxide than the entire nation-state of Kenya, according to statistics released by the Guardian newspaper. Eighteen thousand government buildings are currently undergoing an energy audit, including art galleries, police stations, and ministerial departments. The 9,000 buildings audited so far produce 5.6 million tonnes of CO2 per year - equivalent to the entire CO2 savings created by wind powered energy ...
Dell slams Apple MacBook greenwash
by David Masters
The corporate greenwash wars are hotting up, with PC maker Dell slamming Apple for exaggerating the eco-credentials of its Mac computers. Bob Pearson, vice president of Communities and Conversations at Dell, said Apple's adverts which portray the MacBook as green are misleading. Pearson gives three main reasons for his accusation. First, Apple employees don't blog about their products, and haven't joined in online conversations about making technology more green. Second, Pearson said Apple's claims ...
Glass Company Put Emphasis On Recycling
by Alan Harten
Solaglas Windowcare, a company based in Rotherham, Yorkshire, is intent on persuading its employees to take charge of recycling at the glass replacement company by making it a priority in the workers' minds. The company intends to make recycling a major part of their business strategy by making use of renewable ideas wherever practical in their day-to-day working lives. To this end a dozen employees including shop floor, management and admin ...
Thames given Christmas re-stocking
by David Masters
The River Thames - and anglers who fish in the river - got an early Christmas present this year. Over 1,000 new fish were placed into the river earlier this month in a bid to boost falling numbers. The Environment Agency released 1,250 chub and barbel into a 30km stretch along the Upper Thames. The 25-cm long fish were released at Buscot, Newbridge and Rushey Lock. All fish released were marked with an orange ...
Britain’s recycling waste is being wasted
by Alan Harten
Individuals' efforts to do the world good by recycling are being undermined by councils, who are either dumping as much as 200,000 tonnes of waste set aside for recycling in landfills, or incinerating it. 75% of councils have been found to be throwing away their recycling waste, and it has been warned that global economic conditions are set to make this situation worse. Usually the local councils would sell on ...
Hen Harriers could be lost from English countryside
by Alan Harten
Hen harriers are on the verge of extinction in England, a damning report by Natural England has warned. Illegal hunting and killing of the bird of prey, along with destruction of their nests, has caused numbers to dwindle at an alarming rate in most areas of the UK. Natural England and RSPB both lay the blame on private landowners and game keepers, who see the bird as a pest as they ...
Green IT is recession proof
by David Masters
Market research firm Forrester Research says sales of green IT equipment will stay strong during the global economic downturn. And this won't be despite the recession, but because of it. The fact is, green IT is growing in popularity because it helps companies to cut costs. Forrester surveyed over 1,000 global companies for the research, 10% of which said they will be accelerating green projects, 38% will be maintaining the current pace, and ...
NASA: Climate change tipping point close
by David Masters
The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) reports that more than 2 trillion tonnes of land ice in Greenland, the Arctic, Antarctica and Alaska has melted since 2003. Scientists made the alarming discovery using data from new satellite technology. According to NASA, the melting ice has already raised global sea levels by around half a centimetre. In addition to melting ice, warming sea temperatures are contributing to the rise in sea level, ...
Extra cash for flood aid
by Alan Harten
Coastal areas of Wales will be helped to cope with the risks of flooding, according to a statement made by Jane Davidson, the Environment Minister yesterday, with £38 million being used from the assembly government and European funding over the next five years. The money is being used to fight against the effects of climate change and rising sea levels, after a report commissioned by the UK Government acknowledged the ...
Credit crunch hits Norway’s electric car maker
by David Masters
Norway-based electric car maker, Think Global, has declared itself in a funding crisis, and has temporarily laid off half of its workforce until the end of January. The news comes just two months after the launch of Think's flagship model, the Think City. Extra-cautious suppliers have started demanding up front payment from Think, whilst the company is finding it increasingly difficult to secure financing following the global credit crunch. In a last ditch ...
5 Eco-Friendly Ways to Save Money This Christmas
by David Masters1. Make Your Own Decorations Making Christmas decorations is great fun for kids and adults alike, and is a brilliant exercise in family bonding during the holiday season. Home-made decorations are extra special because there's more meaning to them than shop bought tinsel and stars. For maximum eco-friendliness, keep the decorations for future Christmases. That way, there will always be a story to tell each year when you get them ...
Carbon busting is easy: Make public transport cheaper
by David Masters
Cutting the price of public transport would reduce the UK's carbon emissions. This is the conclusion of research released this month by Campaign for Better Transport (CfBT). According to the research, if public transport fares were reduced by 20% - bringing them in line with what our European brothers and sisters pay - bus travel would increase 13% and rail travel 17% by 2015. Combine this price decrease with increases in tax on ...