‘On the go’ recycling for London’s commuters
by David Masters
London's shameful recycling rate – one of the worst in the UK – should be tackled with a citywide 'on the go' recycling scheme, the London Assembly said this week. The Assembly called on Mayor Boris Johnson to take the 'next logical step' in improving the capital's recycling performance by putting recycle bins in the city's streets, parks, and shopping centres, as well as at underground stations and bus stops. A 37-page ...
Biodiversity vital for human health
by David Masters
Biodiversity not only makes nature more interesting, it plays a vital role in keeping humans healthy. A study of rodent diseases by scientists from the University of New Mexico found that the deadly hantavirus spread three times faster when the number of rodent species drops. Like swine-flu and bird-flu, hantavirus is a zoonotic disease, meaning it can spread from animals to humans, and is often fatal. The scientists who conducted the study believe ...
Six year study of lakes under way
by Alan Harten
A conference held recently in Lake Windermere addressed the problems facing England’s lakes. Climate change, pesticides, and fertilisers are causing the lakes to dry up or flood and are also destroying natural wildlife. The Environment Agency declared that it will assess the 730 most notable lakes across England, study the extent of damage and assess how it can be improved over the next six years. The Director of Environment and Business at the ...
“Tap Top” carafe to adorn London’s café tables
by David Masters
A new carafe launched in London yesterday is designed to encourage the capital's diners to shun bottled water in favour of its free alternative. London On Tap, a campaign promoting the capital's tap water, hopes the carafe will be adopted by bars, hotels and restaurants across the city. The “Tap Top” carafe was chosen last year as the winning entry in London On Tap's carafe design competition. A panel of judges, including chef-restaurateur ...
The world’s first vegetarian city
by David Masters
In an effort to prove that the United Nations is not completely ignored by everybody, city councillors in Belgium have decided to follow UN advice on food habits and impose a vegetarian diet on residents for one day per week. According to the UN, livestock is responsible for a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions, and the world must reduce its meat consumption if it is to have any chance of ...
Big leatherback turtle colony discovered
by Alan Harten
Leatherback sea turtles may not be as endangered as scientists once thought. It was recently discovered that Gabon, West Africa has a previously unknown colony of the turtles nesting on its beaches. University of Exeter Professor Matthew Witt, who supervised the research, stated that Gabon beaches were used for nesting by the leatherback sea turtles. It was not known how many turtles lived there, but it is estimated that between 15,730 ...
Honeybee thieves target UK hives
by David Masters
As the UK honeybee population declines, bees have become a valuable asset, and beekeepers are now being targeted by professional thieves who sell hives on the black market. A sharp drop in Britain's bee population has seen second-hand hives that used to sell for just £30 now fetch over £200 – a statistic that has not gone unnoticed by thieves. Rustlers in the north of England recently stole 12 hives from Whitby, ...
Australians tying to remove Indian myna bird
by Alan Harten
Indian myna birds were brought over to Australia originally in 1862, to help destroy cane beetles which destroyed crops, but now the bird is at the root of east coast farmers’ hatred towards foreign wildlife. To combat the destruction and high costs the myna bird is causing, an estimated AS$300 million per year, 35 community groups and 30 councils will meet to discuss how to best reduce the myna birds presence ...
Obama pledges $50m for organic farming
by David Masters
President Obama is offering US farmers a $50 million incentive to go organic. The US leader, who has already dug up part of the White House lawn to grow organic vegetables, has made the funds available to support organic farmers as well as non-organic farmers who are learning about organic farming methods. Agriculture deputy secretary Kathleen Merrigan announced the funding earlier this month to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organic ...
US, Canadian, consumers most wasteful in the world
by Alan Harten
In an effort to save money on energy costs and as a response to the economic crisis, a study by National Geographic and GlobeScan shows that consumers are more aware of their individual impact on ‘green’ issues and the health of their surrounding environment. The survey took into account 17,000 consumers from 17 countries and looked closely at their consumer behaviour. The results showed that China, Brazil, and India had the ...
Sustainable cities key to US green economy
by David Masters
Sustainable cities are vital for America's long term future as a green economy, according to a report by US thinktank Living Cities. The "Green Cities: How Urban Sustainability Can and Must Drive America's Climate Change Policies" report, released last week, explains how big cities can simultaneously help to fight climate change, create better jobs, and join the effort for economic recovery. Forty of American's largest cities, including New York City, Los Angeles, ...
Endangered bird list continues to grow
by Alan Harten
The latest updated release of the International Union for Conversation of Nature’s Red List shows that even though conservation efforts have been made in many countries, there is an increasing amount of critically endangered birds. Currently the Red List shows that 1,227 birds are on the endangered list, making up about 12% of the entire bird species on earth. The report identified that logging, invasive species, and agriculture are still the main ...
Coral Triangle under serious threat
by Alan Harten
The Coral Triangle, which is located near Indonesia and Asia, is liable to be wiped out towards the close of this century, warns the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), unless action is taken now. Often compared to the Amazon Rainforest due to large biodiversity, the Coral Triangle contains about 75% of the world’s coral species and has already lost over 40% of its reef area due to a failing ecosystem. This report is ...
Bottled water outlawed in New York state agencies
by David Masters
Public sector offices in New York are to be banned from using bottled water, the state's Governor said this week. Governor David A. Paterson said the ban will save taxpayers' money as well as benefitting the environment. Both small bottles and large containers used by water coolers will be covered by the ban. State agencies have been given six months to phase out their use of bottled water and install tap water fountains ...
Solar powered social housing opens in San Diego
by David Masters
A newly opened affordable housing apartment block in San Diego, USA, is 100% powered using renewable solar energy. The $17.6 million project - formerly a dilapidated motel - houses 42 state-of-the-art green apartments, with the first new residents moving in this week. Lights accidentally left on will automatically be turned off, and bathroom fans will run until steam has cleared to prevent mould. Apartments are kept cool through natural ventilation and ceiling fans ...
US concerned about HFC use
by Alan Harten
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are the hot topic under discussion at the United Nations Environment Program, after the US deputy assistant secretary of state sent an email to the group releasing information that shows HFCs are a significant cause of climate change and require a phase-down globally. HFCs are generally found in air conditioners and refrigerators and need phase down efforts because a sudden phase out would be too drastic. However, this does ...
Boris pledges low-carbon zones across capital
by David Masters
The Mayor of London has set aside £3 million to develop ten Low Carbon Zones (LCZs) across the capital. Speaking at Prince Charles's May Day Summit this week, Mayor Boris Johnson said the flagship LCZs will create jobs and cut the city's carbon emissions. Each of the ten zones will receive at least £200,000 funding from the city council, and will be encouraged to apply for extra funds from third party investors. Areas ...
Tiny beetle destroying mighty Californian oaks
by Alan Harten
San Diego, located in the US state of California, has a new problem that is creating the potential for biological disaster, and it's small enough to miss at first glance, as it is the wood boring beetle, Agrilus coxalis. According to a recent US Forest Services study on the destructive beetle, that began when it was first spotted in 2004 in California, the beetle has been able to work its way ...
Scotland’s new marine protection bill
by Alan Harten
Windfarms, oil companies, and salmon farms could have to pass restrictive environmental regulations in Scotland, due to a proposed series of marine protection laws that safeguard about 66% of the inshore British waters. Conservation rules stated in the bill include controlled or banned fishing, limited oil pipelines or their complete evacuation, and less salmon farms along the Scottish inshore areas. The marine bill was created in response to an article in the ...
Northern Natives can’t agree on climate action plan
by Alan Harten
Despite a week long conference among representatives of the world’s indigenous people at the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Centre, two native groups will not finalise the resulting resolution. According to the two groups, who refused to sign the new resolution pertaining to the effect of climate change on indigenous groups, there was not enough support against drilling for new oil sources. Representatives from countries as seasonally different as Kenya and Alaska agreed ...