Unplugged Living: eco-friendly and good for the soul
by David Masters
A small but growing number of young professionals in the US are choosing to live 'unplugged' - without a TV or Internet connection. These young adults are unplugging for the sake of their own happiness, carving time out of the virtual world of soap operas and facebook, giving that time to real world things they love to do. With the average American spending three hours per day watching TV or browsing ...
Habitat Heroes website launches for eco-kids
by David MastersA new website for children to meet up and discuss the environment launched earlier this month. Habitat Heroes was set up by Australian mum Sharon Lowe after she struggled to find a child-friendly eco-education website for her seven year old daughter. "The core of Habitat Heroes was formed around values my husband and I wish to instill in our children," Lowe said. "The idea came about from trying to find websites for ...
Vesta axes 1,900 wind turbine jobs
by David Masters
Denmark-based Vestas, the world's biggest maker of wind turbines, this week announced plans to axe 1,900 jobs despite a 70% increase in profit. Net profits for the first three months of 2009 were €56 million, up from €33 million in the first quarter of 2008. However, Vestas said it needs to cut jobs in northern Europe because demand for wind turbines is slacking off in the recession. Around 600 of the job cuts ...
South Africa demands 75% UK emissions cut by 2020
by David Masters
South Africa this week told the UN that it expects the UK to cut carbon emissions 75% by 2020. This is more than double the UK's current target of a 34% reduction by 2020. Together with China and India, South Africa also demanded $200 billion a year from rich world countries to combat global warming. The three countries - some of the world's biggest greenhouse gas emitters - told the UN they need ...
Solar refuelling stations for electric cars
by David Masters
A solar powered recharge point for electric cars has been set up in Chicago to power the city council's fleet of electric vehicles. The Solar Plug-in Station was installed by Carbon Day Automotive, and will form part of the city's bid for the 2016 Olympic Games. Plans are now afoot to place solar recharge points around the city in an effort to power all the city's electric cars with zero-emission energy. Each solar ...
Ocean acid growing at fastest rate for 65m years
by David Masters
Oceans are becoming more acidic at the fastest rate for 65 million years due to increased levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. A report by the Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership said increased acidity, caused by the oceans absorbing CO2, could contribute to climate change and effect marine life. Over the past 200 years, ocean acidity has risen by 30%, MCCIP said. The "ecosystem linkages" report also noted that large areas ...
EU sticks with deadline to change air conditioner gas
by Alan Harten
By 2011 all cars manufactured by the motor industry for the EU must be outfitted with environmentally friendly air conditioning systems or face the consequences. The news comes at a bad time for an auto industry that is struggling with the poor economy, and it is fighting for the Mobile Air Conditioning (MAC) directive to be delayed until 2017 in exchange for a focus on more environmentally friendly engines. Environmentalists are pleased ...
World heading for more rapid climate change
by Alan Harten
If the rate that CO2 gases are emitted continues at the current pace the earth will bypass its permanent goal on gas emissions that affect climate change within two years. Currently CO2 emitted around the world increases three percent per year, which means that in twenty years the world will have contributed 1,000 billion tons of CO2 gases, which is equivalent to the usage goal for forty years. At this point countries ...
Badger cull to control TB in Wales
by Alan Harten
In an attempt to reduce the amount of cattle infected with TB and gain control over the spread of the disease, the Welsh Assembly has begun work on legislation to manage a badger cull. It is expected that badgers may be spreading the highly infectious TB virus that led to the slaughter of over 12,000 cattle in Wales last year. It is estimated that if action is not taken to eradicate the ...
Eco-centre opens in California
by David Masters
The Brower Center, a $28 million eco-building in San Francisco, is set to open this week. The state-of-the-art four storey office building will be home to at least 10 environmental charities. According to the building's designers, it is 'a powerful model of sustainable mixed-use development'. Over half the materials used in construction were recycled, and the building has been awarded the highest rating for green construction. Eco-technology at the centre includes photovoltaic panels, rainwater ...
Kevin McCloud backs green homes campaign
by David Masters
Kevin McCloud, the architect and designer who found fame presenting Channel 4's 'Grand Designs' show, has pledged his support for a campaign to make British homes more energy efficient. The Great British Refurb campaign, launched this week at the Grand Designs LIVE show in London, is backed by the WWF, the UK Green Building Council, and the Energy Saving Trust. The idea behind the campaign is simple: encouraging householders to make their ...
Hilary Benn opens flood warning centre
by David Masters
A new centre that will provide early warnings of extreme rainfall and potential floods across England and Wales was opened last week in London by Hilary Benn, minister for environment, food, and rural affairs. The £10m Flood Forecasting Centre, a joint venture between the Environment Agency and the Met Office, has been set up to provide earlier warnings of floods to local authorities and emergency services, giving them extra time to ...
MoD does not answer to public on nuke leaks
by Alan Harten
The UK Faslane Trident submarine nuclear base is under fire by public and environmental groups after Channel 4 news discovered radioactive leaks and other potentially hazardous procedures were happening there. Poor maintenance produced speculation that the Trident base should be closed down, but local authorities do not have the power do so because the Ministry of Defence has immunity. This has caused a public outcry and demands that when it comes to ...
US move to tax plastic bags out of existence
by Alan Harten
Plastic bags at the supermarket may soon be a thing of the past in the United States, if the initiative known as the Plastic Bag Reduction Act passes in the United States Congress. Introduced on April 22nd by US Rep Jim Moran, the act imposes a five cent tax on all single use carrier and other plastic bags from supermarkets, convenience stores, takeout bags, and all other retail bags. The tax is ...
Nissan brings back electric cars
by Alan Harten
Nissan is the first of several companies which hope to make owning an electric car a more viable option. The electric car was first introduced approximately a decade ago, but due to limited mileage and a high cost the cars never caught on. Nissan expects to release its new model in 2010, with a plan to market it as a second car for families that run multiple short errands throughout the ...
Cash for acid ocean research
by Alan Harten
Among the many environmental concerns facing the earth today, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Natural Environment Research Council, is ocean acidification. As results of research that shows oceans are becoming more acidic due to increased CO2 emissions from humans, the UK Government has initiated an £11 million program to study how to decrease emissions and what the direct effect of CO2 on the oceans ...
Obama overturns another Bush environmental rule
by Alan Harten
On Tuesday the new Obama administration overturned a piece of legislature put in place by Bush just before leaving office, that may have left endangered species threatened by commercial activities. This move has been applauded by environmentalists. Before leaving office Bush eradicated a double check procedure in which the government’s top scientists and biologists had to analyse any federal move that could potentially harm an endangered species of animal or plant ...
Wind farm makes way for nuke power plant
by Alan Harten
Despite the fact that the government has pledged that wind and nuclear power can work hand in hand, there is a great chance that one of Britain’s most efficient wind farms will be destroyed to make room for nuclear power. Among potential sites for RWE’s new nuclear power station in Kirksanton is a popular wind farm known as the Haverigg project that currently produces wind power for about 3,700 homes. ...
Wales wants to control its own environment
by Alan Harten
UK Parliament members were met with a legislation draft from the Welsh Assembly yesterday that would give the Welsh Assembly the authority to make its own environmental rules regarding Welsh concerns. The environmental powers provided under the LCO (Legislature competence order) would include any action that is related to Welsh pollution, waster, and/or nuisances. These are also referred to as purely Welsh measures in regards to the environment. Minister of environment, Jane ...
Wind turbine profits up, factory still closes
by Alan Harten
Despite the push for green energy in the UK, Britain’s Vestas plant will close on the Isle of Wight today, cutting approximately 1,999 jobs for workers at the wind turbine manufacturing facility. According to Vestas, despite the push for green energy such as wind powered turbines, the demand in Europe and particularly the UK was not as high as expected and money cannot be placed into a factory whose goods will ...