Coal power makes UK a ‘climate criminal’
by David Masters
The UK is set to become a 'climate criminal' if plans to build a coal-fired power station in Kent are not averted, environmental campaigners have warned. Writing to climate change minister Ed Miliband, the World Development Movement (WDM) demanded plans for Kingsnorth power station to be scrapped. Installing new coal-fired power plants will increase the burden of climate change on poor countries, WDM warned in its letter, signed by 27 organisations from ...
Global Warming Hospitalising More People
by Alan Harten
The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine reports in its March 1st issue a rise in older people hospitalised with respiratory difficulties in Europe because of higher spring and summer temperatures. This problem may increase because of a growing older population and higher temperatures from a changing climate. Researchers examined at least three years of hospital admission information in 12 cities. They discovered that for each degree increase ...
London Fashion Week Launches SCAP Recycling
by Alan Harten
A runway at the Royal Geographical Society was used by models wearing clothes containing some recycled supplies, at the opening of London Fashion Week. The Department for Environment (DEFRA), decided to use the show to get its Sustainable Clothing Action Plan (SCAP) underway. It cannot have been easy to assemble a potpourri of varying units including major retailers such as Tesco and Marks and Spencer, as well as the Salvation Army ...
Portugal’s Floating Wind Farms?
by Alan Harten
Principle Power of the US and Energias de Portugal (EDP) have signed an agreement to build wind turbines on offshore, floating platforms near Portugal’s coastline. The company from Seattle says that it is in discussion with various investors to raise the initial $20m required for construction. EDP is already a stakeholder in the project. The initial phase will be the construction of a single wind turbine on Principle Power’s offshore platform. ...
World Politicians See Antarctic Problems For Themselves
by Alan Harten
Ministers for the Environment from over 12 countries, including the UK’s Hilary Benn and ministers from Russia, China, and the U.S, travelled to an Antarctic Norwegian base to meet scientists who had spent two months slogging across 1,400 miles from the South Pole. Ministers from Finland, Algeria, Sweden, Norway, and the Czech Republic also participated, along with negotiators and policymakers from other countries. They will experience the immense scale of the ...
Water bills keep rising
by David Masters
Households across the UK face above inflation increases in their water bills, with the average home paying £342 for water and sewage in the coming year. The 4.1% increase - effective from April 1 - has been permitted by water watchdog Ofwat to enable utility companies to continue improvements on their networks and services. Ofwat acknowledged that rising water bills will do little to help credit crunched families, but said the increase ...
Lampposts controlled by mobile phone
by David Masters
Small towns in Germany are cutting back on their energy bills by switching off street lights at 9pm. Local residents can turn on the lights later, if needed, using their mobile phone. Dial4Light enables residents to light up any street for 15 minutes by making a simple phone call and entering an access code. Codes are listed online, and displayed on street lamps Residents pay for the phone call, whilst the town ...
Wind power more dangerous than nuclear?
by David Masters
Wind power is far more dangerous for energy company employees than nuclear, a recent report has revealed. Wind turbine related incidents have caused a total of 41 worker fatalities, reports Caithness Windfarm Information forum. Causes include falling from turbine towers and accidents whilst transporting turbines on the motorway. In addition, sixteen members of the public have also been killed by wind turbine related incidents. Nuclear power, by comparison, has never caused a single worker ...
Brits want free plastic bags banned
by David Masters
Nine out of ten Brits are concerned about the environmental impact of single use carrier bags, a new survey has revealed. A Reusabags survey of 2,000 UK adults found that 91% of people worry that plastic bags are bad for the environment, whilst 82% said a 10-15p charge for plastic bags would encourage them to switch to reusable carriers. Nearly 70% of those polled said retailers' voluntary 50% reduction in carrier bag ...
140 Countries Reduce Mercury Levels
by Alan Harten
In Nairobi, ministers from over 140 countries agreed to reduce levels and exposure to mercury. An obligatory worldwide treaty should be the result. The willingness of President Obama to take the lead and comply with such treaties was an important part of the successful agreement. The US government will actively work for the treaty to be signed, Nancy Sutley of the White House environment council said. The Bush administration had ...
Biotech Company’s Hampering Research Into Crop Destruction
by Alan HartenIn Thursday's New York Times, Andrew Pollack reported that research into the environmental effect, and the potential success of genetically modified crops, is being hampered by the companies involved in biotechnology, causing scientists from several universities to joint together to complain. In a submission to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the scientists say that totally autonomous research cannot study many important questions. The problem has long existed but dissatisfaction has forced ...
BP Given Huge Pollution Fine
by Alan Harten
British Petroleum (BP) through its US subsidiary, BP Products North America, will pay around $180 million after a fatal explosion and subsequent fire at its refinery in Texas led to the deaths of 15 and injuries to over 170 people. A spokesman said that BP is relieved to have finally settled with the US Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) after a number of years BP will pay a ...
Global Warming Will Worsen In Next Century
by Alan Harten
Global warming will become worse over the next century than previously calculated, said Professor Chris Field of the Intergovernmental panel on Climate Change (IPCC), at a meeting in Chicago of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Field, author of a major report in 2007, said that temperatures in the future will be significantly higher than levels previously forecasted by the IPCC, resulting in greater harm to the environment. Field ...
Big Womble encourages furniture re-use
by David Masters
An armchair owned by Joanna Lumley, a pedal bin belonging to Alastair McGowan, and a T-shirt worn and signed by singer Debbie Harry will be raffled off today in The Big Womble - a charity event at Wimbledon College to promote furniture re-use. Organisers the Furniture Reuse Network (FRN) say the event has been organised to encourage people to become Wombles for a day by making good use of old furniture. The ...
Green news reading: online or in print?
by David MastersAccording to a little known 2007 study, reading news online has about the same environmental impact as reading a print newspaper. The Sweden-based research team measured the environmental impact of online and print news. For print, they measured the carbon emissions from editorial work, producing the newsprint, transporting paper to printer, recycling the paper, and disposing of papers that don't get recycled. For online, they measured emissions from editorial work, online ...
Rainforests absorb one fifth of CO2 emissions
by David Masters
Trees in undisturbed tropical forests absorb almost a fifth of the world's carbon emissions released by burning fossil fuels, a new study of African rainforests has revealed. The world's remaining rainforests remove 4.8 billion tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere every year, the study's authors said. The research, released yesterday, found that Africa's tropical forests are a critical sponge for greenhouse gases - absorbing 1.2 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases every year. Total ...
Fujitsu unveils world’s first zero watt PC
by David MastersFujitsu Siemens has unveiled a new PC that reduces energy use by consuming zero power when in standby mode. The PC follows Fujitsu Siemens zero watt monitor, launched last year, that consumes no power when on standby. Other displays consume up to five watts even when in standby mode. The Esprimo Green PC range works by switching off completely when in power saving mode, and when the computer is shut down. Most PCs never ...
Batteries with built-in solar charger
by David Masters
Inventor Knut Karlsen this week unveiled his idea for solar powered batteries on his blog.
The prototype C-cell batteries are wrapped in flexible photovoltaic solar panels, and slowly recharge when left in the sun - completely removing any need for battery chargers.
"At home I always have some batteries lying around, either rechargeable or normal ones," writes Karlson.
"Usually they are empty, but I'd like them to be ...
Magnox Huge Fine Over Nuclear Leak
by Alan Harten
Nuclear power operator, Magnox, received the UK’s largest environmental offence fine in nearly ten years, after being found guilty of allowing leaks of radioactive water, over a period of 14 years, from its Essex-based Bradwell nuclear station. Chelmsford Court judge Peter Fenn, after hearing the case over 5 weeks, handed down a fine totaling £400,000 which included £150,000 in costs, the same fine Thames Water had to pay in 2000 for ...
World food crisis set to climax
by David Masters
Over 50% of the world's food is lost, discarded or wasted due to inefficiency in the human-managed food chain, according to a new United Nations report. This huge wastage, together with climate change, will stop a 100 year trend of falling food prices, revealed the UN Environmental Programme Governing Council. Food costs will rise by up to 50% within decades, forcing those in extreme poverty to spend 90% of their income on ...