http://www.fairhome.co.uk Fair Home: Fairtrade, environment and green issues Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:05:59 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en With the Arctic icecap now shrinking at record rates, countries are rushing to stake their claim on the vast mineral resources that the fragile environment holds, and now Europe has joined the fray. The European Commission has issued a paper stating Europe's interest in the Arctic's resources, in a first ... http://www.fairhome.co.uk/2008/11/21/eu-set-sights-on-arctic-energy/ Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Governor of California, has admitted that even the Terminator can not hold back the sea. On Friday he ordered executives in his state government to begin immediate planning to deal with what he sees as an inevitable and not too distant rise in sea levels. The state's coastal ... http://www.fairhome.co.uk/2008/11/17/terminator-can-not-hold-back-the-sea/ The British Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (RCEP) has warned, in a study, of possible side-effects of nanomaterials. The organization urges more research into the possible pollution effects in this area as well as stricter regulations for accreditation. Initially the report, "Novel Materials in the Environment: The case of nanotechnology”, ... http://www.fairhome.co.uk/2008/11/13/are-nanomaterials-a-threat-to-the-environment/ The Maldives is an island state known for its stunning white beaches and crystal clear waters, but now the idyllic islands are under threat as those waters rise and the possibility of the islands disappearing under the sea become a genuine threat. The new president of the islands, Mohamed Nasheed, has ... http://www.fairhome.co.uk/2008/11/11/maldives-may-be-abandoned-by-2100/ A new study has found that the UK's workforce spends £5.5 billion every year on shop bought lunches, whilst leaving food of almost as much value at home to rot. Lunchbox foods such as ham, cheese, bread, fruit, crisps and yoghurts to the value of £5.06 billion are binned every year, ... http://www.fairhome.co.uk/2008/11/07/5bn-lunchbox-food-goes-to-landfill/ New figures released this week show that 90% of local councils in England are meeting their recycling targets. The statistics released by Defra show that in 2007/8: Ninety percent of local authorities had less black bag waste to collect than in 2006/7; Ninety four percent of local authorities composted and recycled more household ... http://www.fairhome.co.uk/2008/11/07/english-councils-hit-recycling-targets/ It can be really hard to find something fun, intelligent, romantic and outright thoughtful for a woman. I know I struggle with it sometimes, so I've been doing my shopping early this year to get a few things in. Here are a few sample ideas you may find useful as well ... http://www.fairhome.co.uk/2008/11/07/10-thoughtful-gifts-for-women/ London's Mayor, Boris Johnson, has urged capital dwellers to go back to basics and start growing their own fruit and veg. The 'Capital Growth' project, brainchild of recently appointed chair of London Food, Rosie Boycott, is advocating that residents and community groups in the capital should identify any derelict space - ... http://www.fairhome.co.uk/2008/11/06/green-fingered-londoners-redefine-capital-growth/ Starting this week New Yorkers gloomy from the credit crunch will be able to recycle their waste in colourful street-side bins. Over 100 recycling bins have been placed at locations around New York, giving the city's citizens even fewer excuses for failing to recycle their waste. Blue bins are for bottles and ... http://www.fairhome.co.uk/2008/11/05/colourful-recycling-bins-brighten-up-nyc/ Researchers in the Patagonian rainforest have discovered a biofuel producing tree fungus that could radically transform worldwide energy production practices. Gliocladium roseum is a fungus that grows inside the ulmo tree in northern Patagonia. The fungus naturally produces a mixture of chemicals almost exactly the same as vehicle quality diesel derived from ... http://www.fairhome.co.uk/2008/11/04/tree-fungus-makes-ready-to-use-biodiesel/