Scottish business pledges to reduce number of flights taken
by Alan Harten
Four major companies that operate out of Scotland and one public body from Scotland committed to cutting the amount of flights they take in the next five years by a fifth earlier in the week in an effort to reduce their carbon footprints. Included in the companies who will participate in what is designated as the WWF’s ‘One in Five Challenge’ are Premiere Global, Marks & Spencer, Vodafone UK, CapGemini, and ...
Ancient trees under threat
by Alan Harten
The National Trust is taking a look at ‘ancient’ trees left in the world to assess their condition and address the threats that they may face in the future and how to best address the threats to preserve the trees. The UK in particular has cause for concern in that over 60-70% of all trees classified as ancient in Europe are located within the UK borders. Brian Muelaner, the newly appointed direct ...
Smart eco driving hits the road
by Alan Harten
Smart have released a new initiative towards environmentally friendly driving called ‘smart eco driving’ that is aimed alongside the release of the Forctwo CDI which is currently the most eco friendly car on any production line due to its very low CO2 emissions. The new ‘smart eco driving’ initiative is designed to educate drivers on smarter driving techniques to help cut back on CO2 emissions while saving drivers fuel costs at ...
Alert Me.com and British Gas seek to lower CO2 output
by Alan Harten
Alert Me.com and British Gas New Energy announced that they reached an agreement yesterday that will result in the companies completing a joint trial of home energy management technologies to help Gas customers reduce CO2 emissions in their households and to save money on gad bills. The news comes in the wake of a June announcement that AlertMe was able to secure £8million in funding by investors so that it could ...
UK has to grow its own food to help the world
by Alan Harten
A committee of MPs released a report this week that stated Britain will need to start growing more of its own food supply including vegetables, fruit, and cereal if it wants to be able to feed the extra 2.7 billion people that are anticipated to populate the globe by 2050. The report details that there will be about 9 billion people in the world in just forty years which will mean ...
Ozzie town bans bottled water
by David Masters
A rural town in Australia has banned the sale of bottled water. Campaigners believe that Bundanoon, a New South Wales town with a population of 2,500, is the first community in the world to implement a full ban. Retailers in Bundanoon, known as 'Bundy' to locals, will now be breaking the law if they sell bottled water - although no penalty will be imposed on those who flout the ban. Instead of buying ...
Poots moots plastic bag tax in NI
by David Masters
Shoppers in Northern Ireland could soon be charged for plastic bags if supermarkets in the country don't get their act together to reduce disposable bag use. Environment Minister Edwin Poots warned that if voluntary measures fail to make a significant impact on plastic bag use then a mandatory tax might be needed, similar to that in the Republic of Ireland The Irish republic started charging a 15 cent levy on carrier bags ...
Carbon focused eco-businesses risk wasted opportunities
by David Masters
The government's narrow focus on reducing carbon emissions could cause Britain to miss out on becoming a world leader in environmental commerce, an industry body has warned. A report published this week by the Environmental Industries Commission outlines how UK industry can best take advantage of the £3 trillion global market for low-carbon goods and services. EIC policy director Danny Stevens said the government's narrow vision for eco-friendly business "risks putting the ...
Accountants back sustainability audits
by David Masters
Accountancy firms around the world have backed Prince Charles's proposals to audit the social and environmental impacts of businesses alongside their finances. Sixteen professional bodies signed up to the five principles outlined in the Prince of Wales's Accounting for Sustainability (A4S) Forum. It is the first time that an international group of accountancy firms have publicly affirmed sustainability guidelines. By signing up to the principles, the participating bodies aim to bring sustainability to ...
Greenpeace activists occupy Italian power stations
by David Masters
Greenpeace activists occupied four coal-fired power stations in Italy this week to coincide with the G8 meeting in the country, at which world leaders met to discuss climate change and the global economy. Over 100 Greenpeace activists from 18 countries joined the protests, calling on world leaders to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Protesters scaled the plants at Brindisi, Marghera, Porto Tolle, and Vado Ligure, occupying conveyor belts, cranes, and chimneys. All four power ...
Dell, HP, and Lenovo still use toxic plastics
by David Masters
Three of the world's biggest PC makers have failed to meet their own targets for removing toxic plastics from their products by the end of 2009. Hewlett Packard (HP), Dell, and Lenovo have all backtracked on their commitment to remove polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) from their computer systems. Their failure was exposed by Greenpeace in its latest 'Guide to Greener Electronics'. “Greenpeace takes voluntary commitments very seriously and ...
São Paulo premieres hydrogen-powered eco-bus
by David Masters
Commuters in São Paulo could soon find themselves riding to work on a hydrogen powered eco-bus. The region's first hydrogen-powered bus - which runs silently and does not produce a single gram of pollution - was launched on the streets of São Paulo this week as part of a two month pilot scheme. With nearly half of the city's 18 million inhabitants riding the bus every day, the initiative has huge potential ...
Bishop cites Noah as climate change role model
by David Masters
The Bishop of London this week joined 200 children dressed in animal masks on a Noah's Ark boat trip down the river Thames. Organised by Operation Noah, a multi-denominational climate change campaign, the Ark trip aimed to highlight Christian concern for the global warming, and called on world government's to take bold and ambitious action at the UN climate summit in Copenhagen later this year. The protesters recalled the story of Noah ...
“Breakthrough ideas” to make Britain sustainable
by David Masters
The Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) has unveiled a list of 'breakthrough ideas' to transform Britain into a sustainable society. The 19 "breakthrough ideas for the 21st century" include free bikes to encourage cycling for journeys under five miles, growing vegetables in public flowerbeds, and giving children 'personal well-being lessons' and more outdoor education. The shortlist was put together from nearly 300 ideas submitted by businesses, academics, sustainability professionals, and the general public. Other ...
Tesco ‘disappointed’ by Greenpeace deforestation report
by David Masters
Supermarket giant Tesco has hit out at Greenpeace allegations that it stocks beef products sourced from cattle illegally raised on ranches in the deforested Amazon rainforest. In a letter to the Guardian newspaper, Tesco's executive director of corporate and legal affairs said she was "disappointed" at Greenpeace's accusation. "We have made it clear to our suppliers that the use of beef from illegally deforested regions is unacceptable," wrote Lucy Neville-Rolfe. However, online eco-magazine ...
Scotland spends £3m on flood protection
by David Masters
A controversial flood prevention scheme in the West of Scotland has been given the green light by a public inquiry. The £3 million flood storage pond will protect around 70 homes from flooding in Dumbarton, West Dunbartonshire. The 15,000 cubic metre pond with inlet and outlet controls was granted planning permission in January, but building work was delayed after objections from the public led to an inquiry. Roseanna Cunningham, Scotland's environment minister, confirmed ...
Eco-campaigners sue government over RBS investment
by David Masters
A coalition of eco-campaigners are suing the government for giving billions of pounds to "dirty and destructive projects" through its investment in the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). Platform, People & Planet, and the World Development Movement claim that through its recapitalisation of RBS the government is allowing taxpayer funds to be invested in human rights violations and heavily polluting energy companies. "RBS has the worst record by far of any UK ...
Scottish sheep are shrinking, and not a UFO in sight
by Alan Harten
Scientists made their 25th visit to the Scottish Island of Hirta in the Outer Hebrides to complete a study and made a stunning discovery; the sheep on the island were shrinking, literally. Each year of the study the sheep shrank by 81g, about 5% of their body mass, and scientist think that this is because of climate change rather than natural adaptation. Natural changes would have led to larger body ...
Environmentalists uncover Shell’s dirty flaring secret
by David Masters
Oil giant Shell continues to practice gas flaring in Nigeria despite having known of its environmental and health dangers for the past 15 years, according to a new report published this week. Since 1996 Shell has promised to stop gas flaring in Nigeria - the biggest source of heat trapping gas in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the World Bank - yet the practice continues to this day. 'Shell's Big Dirty Secret', written ...
Campaigners want ‘Green New Deal’ for Northern Ireland
by David Masters
A new campaign in Northern Ireland is urging a joined up approach to tackle the effects of the recession and climate change. The Green New Deal, a coalition of businesses, farmers, trade unions, charities, and environmental campaigners, wants the government to invest in renewable energy to secure Northern Ireland's energy supply, combat global warming, and create thousands of jobs. Plans put forward by the group include refurbishing tens of thousands of homes ...