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September 8, 2009

Engineer shortage threatens UK’s low-carbon future

by David Masters

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Britain's future prospects as a low carbon economy could be jeopardised by engineering being viewed as a "dirty and menial" subject to study at university. Interviews conducted with 14-19 year olds on behalf of the National Grid found young people view engineering as a subject suited to less academic students. Over 1,300 young people were interviewed for the 'Engineering Our Future' report, which concluded that parents and teachers view engineers as "blue ...





Bumblebee to return to UK

by David Masters

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Plans are afoot to repopulate the British countryside with a native species of bee that died out nearly a decade ago. The short-haired bumblebee officially went extinct in the UK in 2000. However, a small population of the bumblebee survives in New Zealand. Conservation groups plan to bring short-haired bumblebees across to the UK from New Zealand in an effort to repopulate the British Isles with the species. If their plans prove successful, it ...





Bumblebee re-introduction plan

by Alan Harten

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Scientists have discovered that the key to getting captive short-hair bumblebees to thrive in a new habitat is simply feeding them what they want to eat. Project officer of a scheme to reintroduce the bumblebee to the UK, Nikki Gammans, stated that the bumblebee is simply a ‘fussy eater’ due to the fact that it only will eat fresh pollen on a daily basis. Thus, when presented with the fresh pollen ...





September 4, 2009

Wind power “pivotal” for Northern Ireland

by David Masters

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Wind turbines are set to adorn the Ulster countryside if Northern Ireland's environment minister gets his way. Edwin Poots believes wind farms are the key to Northern Ireland meeting its renewable energy targets. Wind power will play a "pivotal role" in ensuring Northern Ireland meets of target of producing 40% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. The minister made the comments during a keynote speech at an Irish Wind Energy Association ...





September 3, 2009

Escaped salmon dampen enthusiasm for fish farms

by David Masters

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Wildlife conservation groups in Scotland have condemned a Scotland-based fish farm after 37,000 juvenile salmon escaped following a suspected predator attack. The Rivers and Fisheries Trusts of Scotland (RAFTS) and the Association of Salmon Fishery Boards (ASFB) said the salmon, which escaped from a unit on Lock Frisa owned by Scottish Sea Farms (SSF), present a "major risk to the genetic integrity and survival of wild salmon populations". The fish escaped through ...





Artic should be cooling not warming

by Alan Harten

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Research that was published in Science magazine points to the 1990’s as the warmest period of time for the Arctic temperatures over the last 2,000 years. The study results allege that if CO2 gases were not controlling the natural climate patterns than the Arctic would now naturally be cooling down. The report also said that this cooling which should happen gradually would still continue to happen on into the future if CO2 ...





Brits demand the right to peaceful protest

by David Masters

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Half of British adults think the police are too heavy handed during peaceful protests, according to the results of a new YouGov poll. The Christian Aid commissioned study found 50% of people think the police are too violent towards peaceful protesters. A third (33%) of the 2,000 people polled believe that police filming protesters is an invasion of privacy and is another example of Britain becoming a "Big Brother" society. One in five ...





Supermarkets are Ireland’s litter bugs

by David Masters

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Supermarkets in Ireland are failing in their legal responsibility to keep their premises free of litter, recent research discovered. A survey by Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) found the entrances, car parks, and surrounding pavements of supermarkets are scattered with litter in many Irish towns. These areas were more than twice as likely to be heavily littered compared to other locations. Tesco was found to be the worst offender, followed by Aldi and ...





Can sci-fi solutions solve CO2 dilemmas

by Alan Harten

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Soon, there may be actual scientific solutions to reverse the effects of climate change that do not include reducing CO2 emissions if an UK science organization can gain support for some outlandish and very Sci-fi like ideas. According to the Royal Society a Plan B may have to be used if CO2 levels are not reduced soon. The plans include large giant mirrors that could be placed ...





September 2, 2009

Solar panels add value to UK homes

by David Masters

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One third of British adults would pay extra for a home kitted out with a renewable energy source, the Energy Saving Trust (EST) revealed today. A poll by the energy advice group found 35% of people in the UK would be willing to pay more for a home where some of their energy supply came from renewable resources such as solar, wind, or hydro-power. Nearly half (49%) of those surveyed said they'd ...





Christian Aid stages virtual climate protest

by David Masters

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With 100 days until world leaders meet in Copenhagen to forge an agreement on tackling climate change, Christian Aid staged a mass virtual trespass at E.ON Ironbridge power station. Instead of taking direct action to close down the power station, the charity beamed images of Christian Aid supporters onto the plant's cooling tower. In the images supporters held up messages to Prime Minister Gordon Brown encouraging him to take the lead in ...





August 30, 2009

UN puts a figure on Global Warming costs

by Alan Harten

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In the past the United Nations has said that in order to pay for sea defences, damage to infrastructure, and deaths from global warming that will occur by 2030 it would cost anywhere from £25b to £105b. The news appears to be more grim however as a study released by the Gratham Institute for Climate Change at Imperial College London and International Institute for Environment and Development now estimates ...





August 27, 2009

Climate Campers swoop on Black Heath

by David Masters

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More than 1,000 climate activists have set up camp in London for a week of education on the environment and direct action protest. The Climate Camp's location was kept a secret until Wednesday, when text messages were sent out to protesters telling them to swoop on Black Heath in south east London. Black Heath has no connection to climate change, but was the site of a peasants' revolt in the fourteenth century. "It ...





First UK eco-village wins planning permission

by David Masters

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A proposed eco-development in south Wales was awarded planning permission Thursday following a two-year battle. The Pembrokeshire eco-village will feature nine eco-smallholdings, a community hub building, and a seasonal campsite. Houses in the village will be built with local, natural materials, including earth, timber, turf, and straw, and will incorporate sustainable technologies such as passive solar heating, rainwater harvesting, and renewable electricity generation. The village will be fully independent of all mains services. ...





Low key climate protests planned

by Alan Harten

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Yesterday Climate Group protestors arrived in London as part of the largest environmental protest that is held annually. About 1,000 activists showed up near the corners of Blackheath at about 1:40pm either on bike, via the bus or train routes, or on foot bringing along with them a healthy supply of tents, food, and guitars. The protestors plan to stay camped in south east London though Tuesday and is decidedly ...





Samsung sees “green” as money grubbing opportunity

by David Masters

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Samsung is looking to take advantage of eco-conscious phone users by charging a premium for green handsets. A survey by the handset maker found 52% of American consumers would pay more for green products. Over one in five (22%) Americans would pay up to 20% more to salve their conscience of environmental guilt. Environmental concerns now make up almost a third of the most important reasons to buy a new product, the research ...





August 26, 2009

Anti-litter campaign collects 50,000 bags of rubbish

by David Masters

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Over 50,000 bags of rubbish have been picked up from Britain's streets in the last 12 months following the launch of the Big Tidy Up campaign. Since the campaign was set up in September last year, nearly 15,000 groups have signed up to carry out a Big Tidy Up. The waste they've collected is enough to fill 714 skips, and would stretch 31 miles if the bags were laid out end-to-end. Natalie Forrester, ...





Europe’s lightbulb phase-out begins

by David Masters

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Energy saving lightbulbs are set to become the norm across Europe as a continent-wide phase-out of traditional bulbs begins next month. From 1 September, 100w and frosted lightbulbs will be phased out from shops across Europe. Shops will be able to sell-off current stock, but it will be illegal for them to place new orders for the banned lightbulbs. The move will save an estimated 1 million tonnes of CO2 emissions ...





Scotland aims to be “zero waste” society

by David Masters

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The Scottish government has outlined proposals to ban recyclable materials such as glass, paper, metals and textiles from being sent to landfill. Other plans for a 'zero waste' Scotland include extending the ban on sending hazardous waste to landfill and providing incentives for businesses to increase recycling rates. An estimated 2,000 new jobs will be created if the legislation is passed. Richard Lochhead, environment secretary, said the proposals are a "positive step" towards ...





Community gardeners evicted from meadow

by David Masters

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Two guerrilla gardeners who transformed a derelict site into a wild meadow and vegetable plot have been taken to court by Glasgow City Council. A community group led by Douglas Peacock and Karen Chung planted allotments and raised flower beds at North Kelvin Meadow, formerly Clousten Street playing fields. Peacock and Chung were summoned to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court for failing to vacate the council-owned waste ground, which had lain derelict ...