African mobile masts go solar-powered
by David Masters
Telecoms company Ericsson has announced plans to install over 100 solar powered mobile phone masts in rural Africa. The solar base stations will be used by the Orange mobile network in Guinea, and will replace base stations that currently run on diesel fuel. No moving parts such as cooling fans will be contained in the base stations, reducing energy consumption by 50%. In the daytime, the masts will be completely fuelled using solar ...
Jamie Oliver opens unique food and cookery shop
by David MastersJamie Oliver's first local food and kitchen supply shop opened yesterday in London, the first in a UK-wide chain of Recipease http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipease/index.html stores. The shops are part of Jamie's latest drive to promote healthy, eco-conscious cooking and eating. Both novice cooks and experienced chefs will be able to use Recipease as a one stop shop to create healthy meals. Gourmet groceries, prepped ingredients and cookery lessons are all on offer in the store. The ...
Captain Planet returns to save the earth
by David Masters
Children's eco-cartoon Captain Planet is making a comeback - not on TV, but on the Mother Nature Network (MNN) website. Cult classic Captain Planet was first released in 1990 by cartoon creator Ted Turner, who decided that children around the world needed an eco-hero to look up to. Six series were produced, and the show ran until 1992, but re-runs have been rare since it was taken off air in ...
Fairtrade Fortnight celebrations underway
by David Masters
Fairtrade Fortnight 2009 started this week with events around the country set to highlight the importance of buying fairtrade. Bolton Wanderers football club has organised a banana eating event with 1,500 local schools. Children from the schools will visit Bolton's football stadium on 2 March and simultaneously eat Fairtrade bananas - raising Fairtrade awareness and aiming to break the world record for the largest number of people in one location ...
Huge Drop In Carrier Bag Useage
by Alan Harten
Figures from WRAP, the waste reduction agency, show that since 2006 the leading supermarkets and stores have reduced the number of carrier bags given to customers to 9.9bn from 13.4bn. In addition, the quantity of plastic consumed has been cut by 40 per cent through the use of materials that have been recycled and by using a smaller amount of plastic per bag. The leading retail outlets agreed a target ...
Minister Says Global Warming Just A Tax Scam
by Alan Harten
Sammy Wilson, Northern Ireland's Minister for the Environment, believes that the Labour Government is increasing taxes and introducing stringent requirements, while using global warming to justify the measures. Mr. Wilson said he is against the view that global warming is caused by the actions of mankind. He also rebutted critics during his appearance at the Stormont Environment Committee yesterday. Mr. Wilson denied blocking government adverts, which encourage people to work ...
China US Need To Work Together On Climate Change
by Alan Harten
Kenneth Lieberthal, a China expert and previously an Asia National Security Council officer under Clinton, said that during the Obama Presidency the US and China should work together to combat changes to the climate. The comment was made at the release of a report by Lieberthal and David Sandalow, also a former Clinton advisor, on behalf of the Brookings Institution in Washington, which advocates co-operation on climate change by the US ...
Going green could save retailers millions
by David Masters
The UK retail sector could save over £350 million every year by being environmentally friendly. Sustainable business experts Envirowise said the money could be saved by putting in place simple procedures so that businesses use resources more efficiently. Businesses should start by monitoring their environmental impact, and working out how much they could save if environmental procedures were introduced, Envirowise said. Envirowise spokesperson Elaine Sharp said: "For a business to be truly competitive, ...
Wales spends £5.75m on flood defences
by David Masters
A flood defence scheme for the Conwy Valley in Wales was announced today with a total cost of £5.75 million. The flood defences will reduce the risk of flooding for more than 90 homes and businesses in the area. Announcing the scheme, Welsh Assembly environment minister Jane Davidson said: "It is likely that the impact of climate change will mean Wales will see increased flooding and we have to come to terms ...
Bristol is runner-up at European Green Capital awards
by David Masters
Bristol has failed in its bid to become the first Green Capital of Europe. It was shortlisted as one of eight cities, two of which were chosen for the 2010 and 2011 award. Sweden's capital, Stockholm, has been granted the accolade for 2010, whilst the German city of Hamburg will hold the title in 2011. European environment commissioner Stavros Dimas said: "With their measures to tackle air pollution, traffic and congestion levels, greenhouse ...
Bioplastic Toyota Camry Concept Car
by Alan Harten
Toyota is studying the materials used in its hybrid vehicles, including bioplastics. These are now in use for biodegradable items, but can be made so that they will not break down, which is obviously necessary in cars. Of major importance is that they incorporate fewer derivatives from oil and are more environmentally friendly. However, these materials may not be available for some years, maybe 15 or more. A concept model has ...
EPA To Regulate Ships’ Ballast Dumping
by Alan Harten
Lisa Jackson, the new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) head appointed by President Obama, said regulations that detractors claim are ineffective in stopping freighters from tipping harmful species into the country's waterways, will be reviewed. She will reappraise the EPA’s policy, made in December, ordering oceangoing ships to flush their ballast reservoirs at sea to eliminate any potentially harmful organisms. Ballast, used for ship stability in high seas, is a major source ...
Poles Warming And Melting Faster
by Alan Harten
The icecaps at both poles are melting faster than previously believed, an important survey reports. It found that Arctic sea ice is shrinking and the thaw in Greenland’s ice is speeding up. The Antarctic warming is over a greater area than previously believed according to the State of Polar Research report, written by scientists for the International Polar Year (IPY) analysis. This adds to changes in climate and sea levels ...
NYPD deploys hybrid patrol cars
by David Masters
New York City Police Department (NYPD) plans to deploy 40 hybrid patrol cars within the next week. Vehicle of choice, the Nissan Altima hybrid, runs at 35 miles per gallon - twice as efficient as the NYPD's current fleet of Crown Victorias and Chevy Impalas. NYPD has spent $1.1 million on the new cars. Eighteen will be used as standard patrol vehicles, whilst the rest will be unmarked. Top speed of the ...
Ecolabel expansion backed by MEPs
by David Masters
Eco-labelling should be simplified and expanded to cover more products, according to a group of MEPs. The European Parliament's Environment Committee has backed proposals by the European Commission to give ecolabels to all products with an impact on energy use, including windows, insulation materials, and water-using devices. In addition, they said that the Ecolabel should be made simpler and less costly to use. Small and medium sized businesses should have better access to ...
Make any bicycle electric with GreenWheel
by David Masters
Scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are testing a new electric wheel hub that can be attached to almost any bicycle. The GreenWheel is a self-contained electric wheel that turns a standard bike into a fully functional electric bicycle, complete with motor and battery. All motor parts other than the throttle are encased in the wheel. According to MIT researchers, the GreenWheel gives up to 25 miles of pedal free riding, or ...
Now Even “Greens” Are Turning To Nuclear Power
by Alan Harten
Nuclear power has new converts, according to top UK environmentalists, as they made public their belief that this energy source is still required. Many have long opposed nuclear power because of the risk of weapons proliferation, as well as the difficulty of waste disposal. In spite of worries about nuclear power, global warming is seen as a more serious hazard. Nuclear is seen as an improvement over new coal-fired power ...
Eco-holidays: Stay in a straw-bale cabin
by David Masters
With many holiday makers planning to save money this year by taking their vacation in the UK, one eco-friendly option is the Straw Bale Cabin in East Yorkshire. Built by former accountant turned eco-architect Carol Atkinson, the Straw Bale Cabin is the UK's first straw-bale holiday home. The walls of the cabin were built using locally grown straw, whilst the roof and other building components were made with renewable materials. Power ...
Recycle Those Cans! Every Can Counts!
by Alan Harten
Jane Kennedy, Minister for Waste and Recycling, has given her encouragement to a programme by the name of 'Every Can Counts', to persuade the public and business sectors to save drinks cans, aluminium and steel, for recycling. She said we are generally good at domestic recycling so we should broaden the programme to working areas so companies can contribute to greater recycling. She went to see i-level in London, an online marketing ...
Solar powered car at Florida University
by David Masters
The University of Florida has purchased a solar powered car to be used by its Department of Sustainability and Energy Management. The Zenn car is a standard plug-in electric vehicle with three solar panels attached to the roof. It runs entirely on solar power, and can travel around 20 miles per day - not a huge distance, but enough for getting around campus. Because it runs entirely on the sun's power, the day ...