http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/service/getFeed.kickAction?mediaType=BLOG&quantity=25&as=51250 New blogs from adeymoore on Click4Carbon Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:08:17 GMT Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:08:17 GMT bobcarbon@click4carbon.com (BobCarbon) bobcarbon@click4carbon.com (BobCarbon) KickApps Feed Builder 2009-07-01T12:08:17Z 24 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/service/searchEverything.kickAction?as=51250&sortType=recent 0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Bamboo-Bicycles/BLOG/415757/51250.html On the outskirts of Lusaka, Zambia, next year's crop of bicycles is being watered by Benjamin Banda. "We planted this bamboo last year," he says, "and now the stems are taller than me. When it's ready we'll cut it, cure it and then turn it into frames." Mr Banda, is the caretaker for Zambikes, a company set up by two Californians and two Zambians which aimed to build bikes tough enough to handle the local terrain. Co-founder Vaughn Spethmann, 24, recalls how it all started with a game of football. Bamboo is the fastest growing woody plant in the world "We were here on a university field trip and we organized a match against some locals. Afterwards we asked them what they did, and they said: 'Nothing'. They didn't have jobs. "So we decided to come up with a business which would be a source of employment and provide a useful product." That product was the rugged, bright yellow Zambike, assembled at the firm's smart red-brick workshop set in sun-browned farmland. Other projects followed as the mechanics' skills improved: a sturdy cargo bike, a bike trailer and a bike-drawn "zambulance", now in use at 10 clinics around Lusaka. Good vibrations Meanwhile Santa Cruz-based bike designer Craig Calfee was experimenting with bamboo as a material for bike frames. His prototypes proved that the strength and lightness of the plant made it a great substitute for metal. As a bonus it had excellent vibration-dampening properties, making it comfortable for riding over long distances. It was eye-catching too - Mr Calfee's stand was besieged when he unveiled his first bamboo frame at a bike show. Mr Calfee hatched a plan to manufacture the frames in developing countries, distribute them in the US and share the profits. He had already set up a workshop in Accra, Ghana, and started looking for more bike producers, nicknamed "bambooseros". The industry telegraph started humming and soon he was talking to Zambikes. "We were so excited," says Mr Spethmann. "The thought of Zambian-made products being sold in the USA. That just doesn't happen." There are many reasons why it's so unusual: capital is difficult to raise in Zambia; tools and raw materials - if available - are expensive; skilled labour is in short supply; and bureaucracy isn't. In this context having a low-cost raw material on the doorstep is a godsend. "And of course there's very little impact on the environment," says Dustin McBride, the other American on the Zambikes management team. Growth market Inside the workshop, bike mechanic Elastus Lemba is setting up treated bamboo pieces on a jig made from plumber's pipes and bicycle parts. It looks low-tech, but that's intentional. Mr Calfee wanted a production process that did not require sophisticated machinery. With wood glue holding the frame in place, Mr Lemba binds the joints using sisal - tough cord made from plant fibre soaked in epoxy. Hand-making the frames in this way takes at least a week. After a final sanding and coat of varnish, each batch of bamboosero bikes will be shipped to the USA, tested, fitted with wheels, pedals, handlebars and brakes, and put on sale. So will the bike be a success? Mr Calfee thinks so, based on all the enquiries and advance orders he has received. "Hundreds of people have asked when they can buy one. From a bike messenger who wants an affordable fixie to a wealthy collector who wants one from each bamboosero location." He is convinced the price tag - $475 (£290) for road or mountain bike frames, and more than $900 (£550) for a finished bike - won't put people off. "The only criticism I've had is that they might be too cheap. "After all, buyers are helping to get self-sustaining businesses off the ground in developing economies, and they're getting a unique bike into the bargain." The mood is optimistic at Zambikes too. Operations co-ordinator Divilance Machilika, watches company cook Fabian Mumba taking a finished bamboo bike for a spin around the yard. "I can see these selling well in America. They'll like them because they're natural," he says. Mr Machilika lived in a tent on the site for a year while the workshop was being built. A quick learner, he soon mastered construction skills and bike mechanics. Now he oversees day-to-day running of the workshop. Benefit to the community One of the founders, Mwewa Chikamba, says Mr Machilika is an example of what Zambikes wanted to achieve. "It was never just about bikes. We wanted to give our workers practical skills and reward their dedication. We want to change lives," he says. Assistance is also offered in the form of business coaching or discretionary loans - Mr Machilika used one such loan to buy a plot of land. "I want to build three houses there. I'll use the rent money to start other businesses and employ people myself." Instead of charging interest, Zambikes asks staff to demonstrate that the investment made in them is benefiting their community. Perseverance and an innovative approach to product design and working practices have helped Zambikes put down strong roots. But in a business environment that leaves much to be desired, it is no surprise that they have not yet seen a profit. If the bamboo bike shoots out of the shops as fast as Mr Calfee predicts, that may be about to change too. Thanks to the BBC On the outskirts of Lusaka, Zambia, next year's crop of bicycles is being watered by Benjamin Banda. "We planted this bamboo last year," he says, "and now the stems are taller than me. When it's ready we'll cut it, cure it and then turn it into frames." Mr Banda, is the caretaker for Zambikes, a company set up by two Californians and two Zambians which aimed to build bikes tough enough to handle the local terrain. Co-founder Vaughn Spethmann, 24, recalls how it all started with a game of football. Bamboo is the fastest growing woody plant in the world "We were here on a university field trip and we organized a match against some locals. Afterwards we asked them what they did, and they said: 'Nothing'. They didn't have jobs. "So we decided to come up with a business which would be a source of employment and provide a useful product." That product was the rugged, bright yellow Zambike, assembled at the firm's smart red-brick workshop set in sun-browned farmland. Other projects followed as the mechanics' skills improved: a sturdy cargo bike, a bike trailer and a bike-drawn "zambulance", now in use at 10 clinics around Lusaka. Good vibrations Meanwhile Santa Cruz-based bike designer Craig Calfee was experimenting with bamboo as a material for bike frames. His prototypes proved that the strength and lightness of the plant made it a great substitute for metal. As a bonus it had excellent vibration-dampening properties, making it comfortable for riding over long distances. It was eye-catching too - Mr Calfee's stand was besieged when he unveiled his first bamboo frame at a bike show. Mr Calfee hatched a plan to manufacture the frames in developing countries, distribute them in the US and share the profits. He had already set up a workshop in Accra, Ghana, and started looking for more bike producers, nicknamed "bambooseros". The industry telegraph started humming and soon he was talking to Zambikes. "We were so excited," says Mr Spethmann. "The thought of Zambian-made products being sold in the USA. That just doesn't happen." There are many reasons why it's so unusual: capital is difficult to raise in Zambia; tools and raw materials - if available - are expensive; skilled labour is in short supply; and bureaucracy isn't. In this context having a low-cost raw material on the doorstep is a godsend. "And of course there's very little impact on the environment," says Dustin McBride, the other American on the Zambikes management team. Growth market Inside the workshop, bike mechanic Elastus Lemba is setting up treated bamboo pieces on a jig made from plumber's pipes and bicycle parts. It looks low-tech, but that's intentional. Mr Calfee wanted a production process that did not require sophisticated machinery. With wood glue holding the frame in place, Mr Lemba binds the joints using sisal - tough cord made from plant fibre soaked in epoxy. Hand-making the frames in this way takes at least a week. After a final sanding and coat of varnish, each batch of bamboosero bikes will be shipped to the USA, tested, fitted with wheels, pedals, handlebars and brakes, and put on sale. So will the bike be a success? Mr Calfee thinks so, based on all the enquiries and advance orders he has received. "Hundreds of people have asked when they can buy one. From a bike messenger who wants an affordable fixie to a wealthy collector who wants one from each bamboosero location." He is convinced the price tag - $475 (£290) for road or mountain bike frames, and more than $900 (£550) for a finished bike - won't put people off. "The only criticism I've had is that they might be too cheap. "After all, buyers are helping to get self-sustaining businesses off the ground in developing economies, and they're getting a unique bike into the bargain." The mood is optimistic at Zambikes too. Operations co-ordinator Divilance Machilika, watches company cook Fabian Mumba taking a finished bamboo bike for a spin around the yard. "I can see these selling well in America. They'll like them because they're natural," he says. Mr Machilika lived in a tent on the site for a year while the workshop was being built. A quick learner, he soon mastered construction skills and bike mechanics. Now he oversees day-to-day running of the workshop. Benefit to the community One of the founders, Mwewa Chikamba, says Mr Machilika is an example of what Zambikes wanted to achieve. "It was never just about bikes. We wanted to give our workers practical skills and reward their dedication. We want to change lives," he says. Assistance is also offered in the form of business coaching or discretionary loans - Mr Machilika used one such loan to buy a plot of land. "I want to build three houses there. I'll use the rent money to start other businesses and employ people myself." Instead of charging interest, Zambikes asks staff to demonstrate that the investment made in them is benefiting their community. Perseverance and an innovative approach to product design and working practices have helped Zambikes put down strong roots. But in a business environment that leaves much to be desired, it is no surprise that they have not yet seen a profit. If the bamboo bike shoots out of the shops as fast as Mr Calfee predicts, that may be about to change too. Thanks to the BBC Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:08:17 GMT http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Bamboo-Bicycles/BLOG/415757/51250.html adeymoore 2009-07-01T12:08:17Z Environmental Click4Carbon On the outskirts of Lusaka, Zambia, next year's crop of bicycles is being watered by Benjamin Banda. "We planted this bamboo last year," he says, "and now the stems are taller than me. When it's ready we'll cut it, cure it and then turn it into frames." Mr Banda, is the caretaker for Zambikes, a company set up by two Californians and two Zambians which aimed to build bikes tough enough to handle the local terrain. Co-founder Vaughn Spethmann, 24, recalls how it all started with a game of football. Bamboo is the fastest growing woody plant in the world "We were here on a university field trip and we organized a match against some locals. Afterwards we asked them what they did, and they said: 'Nothing'. They didn't have jobs. "So we decided to come up with a business which would be a source of employment and provide a useful product." That product was the rugged, bright yellow Zambike, assembled at the firm's smart red-brick workshop set in sun-browned farmland. Other projects followed as the mechanics' skills improved: a sturdy cargo bike, a bike trailer and a bike-drawn "zambulance", now in use at 10 clinics around Lusaka. Good vibrations Meanwhile Santa Cruz-based bike designer Craig Calfee was experimenting with bamboo as a material for bike frames. His prototypes proved that the strength and lightness of the plant made it a great substitute for metal. As a bonus it had excellent vibration-dampening properties, making it comfortable for riding over long distances. It was eye-catching too - Mr Calfee's stand was besieged when he unveiled his first bamboo frame at a bike show. Mr Calfee hatched a plan to manufacture the frames in developing countries, distribute them in the US and share the profits. He had already set up a workshop in Accra, Ghana, and started looking for more bike producers, nicknamed "bambooseros". The industry telegraph started humming and soon he was talking to Zambikes. "We were so excited," says Mr Spethmann. "The thought of Zambian-made products being sold in the USA. That just doesn't happen." There are many reasons why it's so unusual: capital is difficult to raise in Zambia; tools and raw materials - if available - are expensive; skilled labour is in short supply; and bureaucracy isn't. In this context having a low-cost raw material on the doorstep is a godsend. "And of course there's very little impact on the environment," says Dustin McBride, the other American on the Zambikes management team. Growth market Inside the workshop, bike mechanic Elastus Lemba is setting up treated bamboo pieces on a jig made from plumber's pipes and bicycle parts. It looks low-tech, but that's intentional. Mr Calfee wanted a production process that did not require sophisticated machinery. With wood glue holding the frame in place, Mr Lemba binds the joints using sisal - tough cord made from plant fibre soaked in epoxy. Hand-making the frames in this way takes at least a week. After a final sanding and coat of varnish, each batch of bamboosero bikes will be shipped to the USA, tested, fitted with wheels, pedals, handlebars and brakes, and put on sale. So will the bike be a success? Mr Calfee thinks so, based on all the enquiries and advance orders he has received. "Hundreds of people have asked when they can buy one. From a bike messenger who wants an affordable fixie to a wealthy collector who wants one from each bamboosero location." He is convinced the price tag - $475 (£290) for road or mountain bike frames, and more than $900 (£550) for a finished bike - won't put people off. "The only criticism I've had is that they might be too cheap. "After all, buyers are helping to get self-sustaining businesses off the ground in developing economies, and they're getting a unique bike into the bargain." The mood is optimistic at Zambikes too. Operations co-ordinator Divilance Machilika, watches company cook Fabian Mumba taking a finished bamboo bike for a spin around the yard. "I can see these selling well in America. They'll like them because they're natural," he says. Mr Machilika lived in a tent on the site for a year while the workshop was being built. A quick learner, he soon mastered construction skills and bike mechanics. Now he oversees day-to-day running of the workshop. Benefit to the community One of the founders, Mwewa Chikamba, says Mr Machilika is an example of what Zambikes wanted to achieve. "It was never just about bikes. We wanted to give our workers practical skills and reward their dedication. We want to change lives," he says. Assistance is also offered in the form of business coaching or discretionary loans - Mr Machilika used one such loan to buy a plot of land. "I want to build three houses there. I'll use the rent money to start other businesses and employ people myself." Instead of charging interest, Zambikes asks staff to demonstrate that the investment made in them is benefiting their community. Perseverance and an innovative approach to product design and working practices have helped Zambikes put down strong roots. But in a business environment that leaves much to be desired, it is no surprise that they have not yet seen a profit. If the bamboo bike shoots out of the shops as fast as Mr Calfee predicts, that may be about to change too. Thanks to the BBC environmental nonadult false Bamboo Bicycles. text blog environmental 414 20 5.0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=3463173&as=51250 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/51250/photos/PHOTO_1693501_51250_3463173_ap_160X120.jpg false United Kingdom Leicester 0 Environmental 0 415757 3463173 Member 0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Eco-Cars/BLOG/337604/51250.html Being half of Click4Carbon, we knew we had to get rid of the polluting Land Rover Discovery we had.  Yesterday we got a Volvo C30 drivE.  The most environmentally friendly diesel production car in the world.  In UK, cars are taxed on the amount of CO2 emissions, the Land Rover made us pay £400 per year and got an average of 32 mpg. The Volvo cost us just £35 per year to tax and we can get upto 76.3 mpg !!!!!  Massive saving both environmentally AND financially. Being half of Click4Carbon, we knew we had to get rid of the polluting Land Rover Discovery we had.  Yesterday we got a Volvo C30 drivE.  The most environmentally friendly diesel production car in the world.  In UK, cars are taxed on the amount of CO2 emissions, the Land Rover made us pay £400 per year and got an average of 32 mpg. The Volvo cost us just £35 per year to tax and we can get upto 76.3 mpg !!!!!  Massive saving both environmentally AND financially. Sat, 06 Jun 2009 15:44:47 GMT http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Eco-Cars/BLOG/337604/51250.html adeymoore 2009-06-06T15:44:47Z Environmental Click4Carbon Being half of Click4Carbon, we knew we had to get rid of the polluting Land Rover Discovery we had.  Yesterday we got a Volvo C30 drivE.  The most environmentally friendly diesel production car in the world.  In UK, cars are taxed on the amount of CO2 emissions, the Land Rover made us pay £400 per year and got an average of 32 mpg. The Volvo cost us just £35 per year to tax and we can get upto 76.3 mpg !!!!!  Massive saving both environmentally AND financially. environmental nonadult false Eco Cars text blog environmental 324 20 4.5 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=3463173&as=51250 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/51250/photos/PHOTO_1693501_51250_3463173_ap_160X120.jpg false United Kingdom Leicester 2 Environmental 0 337604 3463173 Member 0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Landfill-and-Easter/BLOG/238654/51250.html What's the most egregious offender in the matter of excess packaging? There are some who think it's the Easter egg, spewing waste plastic and foil into our landfill. What is an Easter egg? Is it a chocolate egg, perhaps accompanied by some mini chocolate bars or truffles? Or is it a combination of the items above with gaudily coloured, glossy card, a plastic box and shiny foil, all jumbled into one seductive whole. That's the issue that the giants of the confectionery industry have been wrestling with for the last few years. On the one hand there are voices from the environmental lobby that single out the Easter egg as quite the most outrageous piece of overpackaging in the realm of retail. On the other there are consumers whose eye needs to be drawn to products that make them feel like they want to give them as a gift. Jo Swinson, Lib Dem MP for Dunbartonshire East, has been campaigning against excess packaging for several years. "Easter eggs are obviously one of the worst examples of excessive packaging you can find. It is going to taste the same whatever box it comes in. It doesn't make any sense to pay for excess packaging." Boxing cleverer Last year she named and shamed various overpackaged eggs including one from Nestle. This year the confectionery giants have seen which way the wind is blowing. Nestle has eliminated many of the plastic inserts - used to hold the egg in place and protect it - from its boxes and reduced the amount of cardboard used. BIG REDUCTIONS Cadbury's: Treasure eggs which have no box, other eggs' carton sizes cut by 25% Nestle: Many plastic inserts removed, packaging reduced 30% Mars: Carton weight reduced 42%, plastic insert weight reduced 35% M&S: Packaging reduced 30% Mars is using print ads to trumpet its reduced packaging, and Cadbury's is shrinking boxes, having also introduced its Treasure Eggs range that don't come in a box. But Ms Swinson says the confectionery giants still have some way to go and that further reductions in box size are required. Andy Dawe, from waste and recycling action group WRAP, says it is important to remember that there is a functional element to egg packaging. If packaging prolongs the shelf life of an egg, then waste is avoided. If packaging stops eggs being damaged in transit, then again waste is avoided. "But one of the biggest concerns for consumers is when they can't recycle the packaging that is presented to them." Bulky boxes What you can and can't recycle varies from borough to borough, but there will be many people unable to recycle plastic inserts and even the foil on the egg can probably only be recycled by about 50% of households. Then there is the environmental cost of transporting bulky egg boxes containing, well, very little egg.  "You are paying to transport air," says Ms Swinson. "There is still a lot of empty space in them." But it hasn't always been this way. Robert Opie, curator of the Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising in London, and author of Sweet Memories has been in a position to chart the history of Easter egg packaging. "In the 1920s smaller eggs might be wrapped in foil and then brought to the shop in a sturdy wooden box that would then act as a display, but there would be other larger, fancier eggs [in their own boxes]." By the 1950s the use of light bulb style card boxes became widespread for eggs, Mr Opie says, before in the 1960s and 1970s eggs started on their journey to today's flamboyant boxes. "Cartons became increasingly more complicated, more gifty, more wonderful, more voluminous." But of course, Easter egg packaging cannot be stripped down totally. The logical conclusion from an environmental perspective would be an egg in a brown paper bag, or perhaps no egg at all. "You have to bear in mind what you are giving somebody is not just a hollow egg, it is a gift," says Mr Opie. "The packaging is as much a part of the gift as the egg itself. "Why not just give somebody a bar of chocolate of the same weight? We like the difference in texture. It has a different kind of crunch moment." So assuming that Easter egg packaging is a compromise between attractive design and minimal environmental impact, how green can it be? St Asaph-based product design consultancy Design Reality, which recently completely Easter egg packaging design work for Duc d'O, a Belgian chocolatier, tackled the idea. "There are several factors that should be considered when designing such a product," Mr Evans says. "These include consumer expectations and needs, durability and strength in order to avoid damage to the fragile egg, its practicality in terms of palletisation and shelf stacking, an attractive graphical appearance and structural design, and an increasing desire of the consumer to purchase a product that is either ecologically sourced, or able to be recycled." Design Reality's hypothetical Eco Egg would attempt to minimise the amount of material wasted. "This involved creating a simple-sided pyramid that would fold up around the egg, with built in tabs to secure the egg inside," says Mr Evans. "The pyramid would be tied together at the top with a ribbon, thereby negating the requirement for gluing or tabs that would complicate the assembly process. The design would not require an inner plastic shell either. "This design would inherently present a novel element to its 'unwrapping', intended to delight and surprise the consumer. "Its four-sided pyramidal shape would also tessellate, fitting together into a pallet or shelf either by slotting together 'side by side', or using a simple punched cardboard sheet that would separate the different layers of pyramids on the shelf." Hence, fewer lorry journeys and less fuel used.  [image] What's the most egregious offender in the matter of excess packaging? There are some who think it's the Easter egg, spewing waste plastic and foil into our landfill. What is an Easter egg? Is it a chocolate egg, perhaps accompanied by some mini chocolate bars or truffles? Or is it a combination of the items above with gaudily coloured, glossy card, a plastic box and shiny foil, all jumbled into one seductive whole. That's the issue that the giants of the confectionery industry have been wrestling with for the last few years. On the one hand there are voices from the environmental lobby that single out the Easter egg as quite the most outrageous piece of overpackaging in the realm of retail. On the other there are consumers whose eye needs to be drawn to products that make them feel like they want to give them as a gift. Jo Swinson, Lib Dem MP for Dunbartonshire East, has been campaigning against excess packaging for several years. "Easter eggs are obviously one of the worst examples of excessive packaging you can find. It is going to taste the same whatever box it comes in. It doesn't make any sense to pay for excess packaging." Boxing cleverer Last year she named and shamed various overpackaged eggs including one from Nestle. This year the confectionery giants have seen which way the wind is blowing. Nestle has eliminated many of the plastic inserts - used to hold the egg in place and protect it - from its boxes and reduced the amount of cardboard used. BIG REDUCTIONS Cadbury's: Treasure eggs which have no box, other eggs' carton sizes cut by 25% Nestle: Many plastic inserts removed, packaging reduced 30% Mars: Carton weight reduced 42%, plastic insert weight reduced 35% M&S: Packaging reduced 30% Mars is using print ads to trumpet its reduced packaging, and Cadbury's is shrinking boxes, having also introduced its Treasure Eggs range that don't come in a box. But Ms Swinson says the confectionery giants still have some way to go and that further reductions in box size are required. Andy Dawe, from waste and recycling action group WRAP, says it is important to remember that there is a functional element to egg packaging. If packaging prolongs the shelf life of an egg, then waste is avoided. If packaging stops eggs being damaged in transit, then again waste is avoided. "But one of the biggest concerns for consumers is when they can't recycle the packaging that is presented to them." Bulky boxes What you can and can't recycle varies from borough to borough, but there will be many people unable to recycle plastic inserts and even the foil on the egg can probably only be recycled by about 50% of households. Then there is the environmental cost of transporting bulky egg boxes containing, well, very little egg.  "You are paying to transport air," says Ms Swinson. "There is still a lot of empty space in them." But it hasn't always been this way. Robert Opie, curator of the Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising in London, and author of Sweet Memories has been in a position to chart the history of Easter egg packaging. "In the 1920s smaller eggs might be wrapped in foil and then brought to the shop in a sturdy wooden box that would then act as a display, but there would be other larger, fancier eggs [in their own boxes]." By the 1950s the use of light bulb style card boxes became widespread for eggs, Mr Opie says, before in the 1960s and 1970s eggs started on their journey to today's flamboyant boxes. "Cartons became increasingly more complicated, more gifty, more wonderful, more voluminous." But of course, Easter egg packaging cannot be stripped down totally. The logical conclusion from an environmental perspective would be an egg in a brown paper bag, or perhaps no egg at all. "You have to bear in mind what you are giving somebody is not just a hollow egg, it is a gift," says Mr Opie. "The packaging is as much a part of the gift as the egg itself. "Why not just give somebody a bar of chocolate of the same weight? We like the difference in texture. It has a different kind of crunch moment." So assuming that Easter egg packaging is a compromise between attractive design and minimal environmental impact, how green can it be? St Asaph-based product design consultancy Design Reality, which recently completely Easter egg packaging design work for Duc d'O, a Belgian chocolatier, tackled the idea. "There are several factors that should be considered when designing such a product," Mr Evans says. "These include consumer expectations and needs, durability and strength in order to avoid damage to the fragile egg, its practicality in terms of palletisation and shelf stacking, an attractive graphical appearance and structural design, and an increasing desire of the consumer to purchase a product that is either ecologically sourced, or able to be recycled." Design Reality's hypothetical Eco Egg would attempt to minimise the amount of material wasted. "This involved creating a simple-sided pyramid that would fold up around the egg, with built in tabs to secure the egg inside," says Mr Evans. "The pyramid would be tied together at the top with a ribbon, thereby negating the requirement for gluing or tabs that would complicate the assembly process. The design would not require an inner plastic shell either. "This design would inherently present a novel element to its 'unwrapping', intended to delight and surprise the consumer. "Its four-sided pyramidal shape would also tessellate, fitting together into a pallet or shelf either by slotting together 'side by side', or using a simple punched cardboard sheet that would separate the different layers of pyramids on the shelf." Hence, fewer lorry journeys and less fuel used.  [image] Fri, 10 Apr 2009 12:05:19 GMT http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Landfill-and-Easter/BLOG/238654/51250.html adeymoore 2009-04-10T12:05:19Z Environmental Click4Carbon What's the most egregious offender in the matter of excess packaging? There are some who think it's the Easter egg, spewing waste plastic and foil into our landfill. What is an Easter egg? Is it a chocolate egg, perhaps accompanied by some mini chocolate bars or truffles? Or is it a combination of the items above with gaudily coloured, glossy card, a plastic box and shiny foil, all jumbled into one seductive whole. That's the issue that the giants of the confectionery industry have been wrestling with for the last few years. On the one hand there are voices from the environmental lobby that single out the Easter egg as quite the most outrageous piece of overpackaging in the realm of retail. On the other there are consumers whose eye needs to be drawn to products that make them feel like they want to give them as a gift. Jo Swinson, Lib Dem MP for Dunbartonshire East, has been campaigning against excess packaging for several years. "Easter eggs are obviously one of the worst examples of excessive packaging you can find. It is going to taste the same whatever box it comes in. It doesn't make any sense to pay for excess packaging." Boxing cleverer Last year she named and shamed various overpackaged eggs including one from Nestle. This year the confectionery giants have seen which way the wind is blowing. Nestle has eliminated many of the plastic inserts - used to hold the egg in place and protect it - from its boxes and reduced the amount of cardboard used. BIG REDUCTIONS Cadbury's: Treasure eggs which have no box, other eggs' carton sizes cut by 25% Nestle: Many plastic inserts removed, packaging reduced 30% Mars: Carton weight reduced 42%, plastic insert weight reduced 35% M&S: Packaging reduced 30% Mars is using print ads to trumpet its reduced packaging, and Cadbury's is shrinking boxes, having also introduced its Treasure Eggs range that don't come in a box. But Ms Swinson says the confectionery giants still have some way to go and that further reductions in box size are required. Andy Dawe, from waste and recycling action group WRAP, says it is important to remember that there is a functional element to egg packaging. If packaging prolongs the shelf life of an egg, then waste is avoided. If packaging stops eggs being damaged in transit, then again waste is avoided. "But one of the biggest concerns for consumers is when they can't recycle the packaging that is presented to them." Bulky boxes What you can and can't recycle varies from borough to borough, but there will be many people unable to recycle plastic inserts and even the foil on the egg can probably only be recycled by about 50% of households. Then there is the environmental cost of transporting bulky egg boxes containing, well, very little egg.  "You are paying to transport air," says Ms Swinson. "There is still a lot of empty space in them." But it hasn't always been this way. Robert Opie, curator of the Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising in London, and author of Sweet Memories has been in a position to chart the history of Easter egg packaging. "In the 1920s smaller eggs might be wrapped in foil and then brought to the shop in a sturdy wooden box that would then act as a display, but there would be other larger, fancier eggs [in their own boxes]." By the 1950s the use of light bulb style card boxes became widespread for eggs, Mr Opie says, before in the 1960s and 1970s eggs started on their journey to today's flamboyant boxes. "Cartons became increasingly more complicated, more gifty, more wonderful, more voluminous." But of course, Easter egg packaging cannot be stripped down totally. The logical conclusion from an environmental perspective would be an egg in a brown paper bag, or perhaps no egg at all. "You have to bear in mind what you are giving somebody is not just a hollow egg, it is a gift," says Mr Opie. "The packaging is as much a part of the gift as the egg itself. "Why not just give somebody a bar of chocolate of the same weight? We like the difference in texture. It has a different kind of crunch moment." So assuming that Easter egg packaging is a compromise between attractive design and minimal environmental impact, how green can it be? St Asaph-based product design consultancy Design Reality, which recently completely Easter egg packaging design work for Duc d'O, a Belgian chocolatier, tackled the idea. "There are several factors that should be considered when designing such a product," Mr Evans says. "These include consumer expectations and needs, durability and strength in order to avoid damage to the fragile egg, its practicality in terms of palletisation and shelf stacking, an attractive graphical appearance and structural design, and an increasing desire of the consumer to purchase a product that is either ecologically sourced, or able to be recycled." Design Reality's hypothetical Eco Egg would attempt to minimise the amount of material wasted. "This involved creating a simple-sided pyramid that would fold up around the egg, with built in tabs to secure the egg inside," says Mr Evans. "The pyramid would be tied together at the top with a ribbon, thereby negating the requirement for gluing or tabs that would complicate the assembly process. The design would not require an inner plastic shell either. "This design would inherently present a novel element to its 'unwrapping', intended to delight and surprise the consumer. "Its four-sided pyramidal shape would also tessellate, fitting together into a pallet or shelf either by slotting together 'side by side', or using a simple punched cardboard sheet that would separate the different layers of pyramids on the shelf." Hence, fewer lorry journeys and less fuel used.  [image] environmental nonadult false Landfill and Easter! text blog environmental 315 0 0.0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=3463173&as=51250 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/51250/photos/PHOTO_1693501_51250_3463173_ap_160X120.jpg false United Kingdom Leicester 0 Environmental 0 238654 3463173 Member 0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Gordon-Brown-Herlads-Green-Economy-Budget/BLOG/237216/51250.html PM heralds 'green economy' Budget   Mr Brown pledged to aid economic recovery by 'building a greener Britain' Prime Minister Gordon Brown is promising this month's Budget will plot a "green" route to economic recovery. Trials of electric cars, a roadside network of vehicle-charging points and incentives for environmentally friendly carmakers are among planned measures. Mr Brown told the Independent there was scant room for further fiscal stimulus. Instead, he said, the Budget on 22 April would be "a job creator, a quality of life improver, and an environment-enhancing measure". Mr Brown told the newspaper: "It is not just what we do to give real help to people and business now, but about setting a path for the future as well. "We always take into account both what we need to do now and what is the best future for the fiscal position," he said. 'Token gestures' The Conservatives accused Mr Brown of copying their proposals for a low-carbon economy. Shadow energy and climate change secretary, Greg Clark said: "Now that the governor of the Bank of England has aborted Gordon Brown's plans for a ruinous new debt-funded fiscal stimulus, the prime minister is desperate for something to say in the forthcoming budget. "There needs to be a greater sense of urgency that will bring much needed jobs and help reduce emissions causing climate change": John Sauven, Greenpeace "He has clearly alighted on Conservative polices announced by David Cameron in January to turn Britain into a low-carbon economy. These include a national network of charging points for electric vehicles, and a smart meter for every home. "We hope Gordon Brown will implement our programme for a low-carbon economy in full, but in the past his environmental promises have proved to be hollow." Last month, Bank of England governor Mervyn King warned against further public borrowing to fund measures to boost the economy while being questioned by MPs from the Treasury Committee. Simon Hughes, for the Liberal Democrats, said the Budget needed to contain "more than just token gestures towards acknowledging the environmental crisis". He said: "This government's record on the environment has been a disaster, with the approval of the third runway at Heathrow and a massive road-building programme." 'Green cities' The Independent said trials of electric cars were likely to begin next year in two or three cities, while ministers would open talks with electricity suppliers on developing the roadside power points. Councils would also be invited to submit bids to become Britain's first "green cities", it said. Mr Brown has previously called for an international "green new deal" to stimulate growth. He said that moving the UK to a low-carbon economy would create 400,000 new jobs over the next eight years. However, he was recently criticised by the New Economics Foundation think-tank for failing to harness Labour's economic stimulus for the benefit of the environment. 'Greater urgency' In a report, it said new green spending was "astonishingly small" compared to other spending commitments, several of which were in conflict with environmental goals. And Greenpeace executive director John Sauven said Mr Brown's promises that economic recovery was going to be green needed to be backed up by actual delivery. He said: "There are great targets for the delivery of renewable energy by 2020, but missed targets for 2010. And this sector of the economy is receiving nothing like the boost it needs." New funding for greening the economy accounted for just 0.6% of the total UK stimulus package and that European competitors were rolling out national plans for electric cars while Britain was just discussing pilot schemes, he argued. "There needs to be a greater sense of urgency that will bring much needed jobs and help reduce emissions causing climate change. "The economy and the environment won't be saved by promises alone," he said.   PM heralds 'green economy' Budget   Mr Brown pledged to aid economic recovery by 'building a greener Britain' Prime Minister Gordon Brown is promising this month's Budget will plot a "green" route to economic recovery. Trials of electric cars, a roadside network of vehicle-charging points and incentives for environmentally friendly carmakers are among planned measures. Mr Brown told the Independent there was scant room for further fiscal stimulus. Instead, he said, the Budget on 22 April would be "a job creator, a quality of life improver, and an environment-enhancing measure". Mr Brown told the newspaper: "It is not just what we do to give real help to people and business now, but about setting a path for the future as well. "We always take into account both what we need to do now and what is the best future for the fiscal position," he said. 'Token gestures' The Conservatives accused Mr Brown of copying their proposals for a low-carbon economy. Shadow energy and climate change secretary, Greg Clark said: "Now that the governor of the Bank of England has aborted Gordon Brown's plans for a ruinous new debt-funded fiscal stimulus, the prime minister is desperate for something to say in the forthcoming budget. "There needs to be a greater sense of urgency that will bring much needed jobs and help reduce emissions causing climate change": John Sauven, Greenpeace "He has clearly alighted on Conservative polices announced by David Cameron in January to turn Britain into a low-carbon economy. These include a national network of charging points for electric vehicles, and a smart meter for every home. "We hope Gordon Brown will implement our programme for a low-carbon economy in full, but in the past his environmental promises have proved to be hollow." Last month, Bank of England governor Mervyn King warned against further public borrowing to fund measures to boost the economy while being questioned by MPs from the Treasury Committee. Simon Hughes, for the Liberal Democrats, said the Budget needed to contain "more than just token gestures towards acknowledging the environmental crisis". He said: "This government's record on the environment has been a disaster, with the approval of the third runway at Heathrow and a massive road-building programme." 'Green cities' The Independent said trials of electric cars were likely to begin next year in two or three cities, while ministers would open talks with electricity suppliers on developing the roadside power points. Councils would also be invited to submit bids to become Britain's first "green cities", it said. Mr Brown has previously called for an international "green new deal" to stimulate growth. He said that moving the UK to a low-carbon economy would create 400,000 new jobs over the next eight years. However, he was recently criticised by the New Economics Foundation think-tank for failing to harness Labour's economic stimulus for the benefit of the environment. 'Greater urgency' In a report, it said new green spending was "astonishingly small" compared to other spending commitments, several of which were in conflict with environmental goals. And Greenpeace executive director John Sauven said Mr Brown's promises that economic recovery was going to be green needed to be backed up by actual delivery. He said: "There are great targets for the delivery of renewable energy by 2020, but missed targets for 2010. And this sector of the economy is receiving nothing like the boost it needs." New funding for greening the economy accounted for just 0.6% of the total UK stimulus package and that European competitors were rolling out national plans for electric cars while Britain was just discussing pilot schemes, he argued. "There needs to be a greater sense of urgency that will bring much needed jobs and help reduce emissions causing climate change. "The economy and the environment won't be saved by promises alone," he said.   Thu, 09 Apr 2009 11:07:21 GMT http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Gordon-Brown-Herlads-Green-Economy-Budget/BLOG/237216/51250.html adeymoore 2009-04-09T11:07:21Z Environmental Click4Carbon PM heralds 'green economy' Budget   Mr Brown pledged to aid economic recovery by 'building a greener Britain' Prime Minister Gordon Brown is promising this month's Budget will plot a "green" route to economic recovery. Trials of electric cars, a roadside network of vehicle-charging points and incentives for environmentally friendly carmakers are among planned measures. Mr Brown told the Independent there was scant room for further fiscal stimulus. Instead, he said, the Budget on 22 April would be "a job creator, a quality of life improver, and an environment-enhancing measure". Mr Brown told the newspaper: "It is not just what we do to give real help to people and business now, but about setting a path for the future as well. "We always take into account both what we need to do now and what is the best future for the fiscal position," he said. 'Token gestures' The Conservatives accused Mr Brown of copying their proposals for a low-carbon economy. Shadow energy and climate change secretary, Greg Clark said: "Now that the governor of the Bank of England has aborted Gordon Brown's plans for a ruinous new debt-funded fiscal stimulus, the prime minister is desperate for something to say in the forthcoming budget. "There needs to be a greater sense of urgency that will bring much needed jobs and help reduce emissions causing climate change": John Sauven, Greenpeace "He has clearly alighted on Conservative polices announced by David Cameron in January to turn Britain into a low-carbon economy. These include a national network of charging points for electric vehicles, and a smart meter for every home. "We hope Gordon Brown will implement our programme for a low-carbon economy in full, but in the past his environmental promises have proved to be hollow." Last month, Bank of England governor Mervyn King warned against further public borrowing to fund measures to boost the economy while being questioned by MPs from the Treasury Committee. Simon Hughes, for the Liberal Democrats, said the Budget needed to contain "more than just token gestures towards acknowledging the environmental crisis". He said: "This government's record on the environment has been a disaster, with the approval of the third runway at Heathrow and a massive road-building programme." 'Green cities' The Independent said trials of electric cars were likely to begin next year in two or three cities, while ministers would open talks with electricity suppliers on developing the roadside power points. Councils would also be invited to submit bids to become Britain's first "green cities", it said. Mr Brown has previously called for an international "green new deal" to stimulate growth. He said that moving the UK to a low-carbon economy would create 400,000 new jobs over the next eight years. However, he was recently criticised by the New Economics Foundation think-tank for failing to harness Labour's economic stimulus for the benefit of the environment. 'Greater urgency' In a report, it said new green spending was "astonishingly small" compared to other spending commitments, several of which were in conflict with environmental goals. And Greenpeace executive director John Sauven said Mr Brown's promises that economic recovery was going to be green needed to be backed up by actual delivery. He said: "There are great targets for the delivery of renewable energy by 2020, but missed targets for 2010. And this sector of the economy is receiving nothing like the boost it needs." New funding for greening the economy accounted for just 0.6% of the total UK stimulus package and that European competitors were rolling out national plans for electric cars while Britain was just discussing pilot schemes, he argued. "There needs to be a greater sense of urgency that will bring much needed jobs and help reduce emissions causing climate change. "The economy and the environment won't be saved by promises alone," he said.   environmental, green, green budget, green cities, green city, green economic, green economy, green towns nonadult false Gordon Brown Herlads Green Economy Budget text blog environmental,green,green budget,green cities,green city,green economic,green economy,green towns 299 0 0.0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=3463173&as=51250 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/51250/photos/PHOTO_1693501_51250_3463173_ap_160X120.jpg false United Kingdom Leicester 0 Environmental 0 237216 3463173 Member 0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Maldives-Carbon-Neutral/BLOG/214303/51250.html The Maldives will become carbon-neutral within a decade by switching completely to renewable energy sources like wind and solar power, its leader has said. President Mohamed Nasheed said the Maldives understood better than most what would happen if the world failed to tackle climate change. His tiny country is one of the lowest-lying on Earth and so is extremely vulnerable to rises in sea level. He said he hoped his plan would serve as a blueprint for other nations. "We start almost from scratch... and it is quite pointless for us to go to yesterday's technologies"  President Mohamed Nasheed Mr Nasheed was due to announce the plan formally after the screening of a new film on climate change, The Age of Stupid, on Sunday. The Maldives is made up of a chain of nearly 1,200 islands, most of them uninhabited, which lie off the Indian sub-continent. None of the coral islands measures more than 1.8 metres (six feet) above sea level, making the country vulnerable to a rise in sea levels associated with global warming. 'Start from Square ONE!' "We understand more than perhaps anyone what would happen to us if we didn't do anything about it or if the rest of the world doesn't find the imagination to confront this problem." Mr Nasheed. "So basically, we don't want to sit around and blame others, but we want to do whatever we can, and hopefully, if we can become carbon-neutral, and when we come up with the plan, we hope that these plans also will serve as a blueprint for other nations to follow." "We think we can do it, we feel that everyone should be engaged in it, and we don't think that this is an issue that should be taken lightly." The Maldives, having a high level of poverty, will need to spend about $110m a year to make the transition to renewable energy sources. Asked how it could afford this, the president said the country was already spending similar sums on existing energy sources, and he expected to recover the extra cost within the decade. "We start almost from scratch, we are having to go for new investments in almost all areas and it is quite pointless for us to go to yesterday's technologies," he said. An international climate change conference is due to be held in Copenhagen in December to debate initiatives for when the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012. UN chief Ban Ki-moon recently urged the world to strike a "conclusive carbon emissions reduction" deal at the conference. The Maldives will become carbon-neutral within a decade by switching completely to renewable energy sources like wind and solar power, its leader has said. President Mohamed Nasheed said the Maldives understood better than most what would happen if the world failed to tackle climate change. His tiny country is one of the lowest-lying on Earth and so is extremely vulnerable to rises in sea level. He said he hoped his plan would serve as a blueprint for other nations. "We start almost from scratch... and it is quite pointless for us to go to yesterday's technologies"  President Mohamed Nasheed Mr Nasheed was due to announce the plan formally after the screening of a new film on climate change, The Age of Stupid, on Sunday. The Maldives is made up of a chain of nearly 1,200 islands, most of them uninhabited, which lie off the Indian sub-continent. None of the coral islands measures more than 1.8 metres (six feet) above sea level, making the country vulnerable to a rise in sea levels associated with global warming. 'Start from Square ONE!' "We understand more than perhaps anyone what would happen to us if we didn't do anything about it or if the rest of the world doesn't find the imagination to confront this problem." Mr Nasheed. "So basically, we don't want to sit around and blame others, but we want to do whatever we can, and hopefully, if we can become carbon-neutral, and when we come up with the plan, we hope that these plans also will serve as a blueprint for other nations to follow." "We think we can do it, we feel that everyone should be engaged in it, and we don't think that this is an issue that should be taken lightly." The Maldives, having a high level of poverty, will need to spend about $110m a year to make the transition to renewable energy sources. Asked how it could afford this, the president said the country was already spending similar sums on existing energy sources, and he expected to recover the extra cost within the decade. "We start almost from scratch, we are having to go for new investments in almost all areas and it is quite pointless for us to go to yesterday's technologies," he said. An international climate change conference is due to be held in Copenhagen in December to debate initiatives for when the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012. UN chief Ban Ki-moon recently urged the world to strike a "conclusive carbon emissions reduction" deal at the conference. Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:39:05 GMT http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Maldives-Carbon-Neutral/BLOG/214303/51250.html adeymoore 2009-03-18T14:39:05Z Environmental Click4Carbon The Maldives will become carbon-neutral within a decade by switching completely to renewable energy sources like wind and solar power, its leader has said. President Mohamed Nasheed said the Maldives understood better than most what would happen if the world failed to tackle climate change. His tiny country is one of the lowest-lying on Earth and so is extremely vulnerable to rises in sea level. He said he hoped his plan would serve as a blueprint for other nations. "We start almost from scratch... and it is quite pointless for us to go to yesterday's technologies"  President Mohamed Nasheed Mr Nasheed was due to announce the plan formally after the screening of a new film on climate change, The Age of Stupid, on Sunday. The Maldives is made up of a chain of nearly 1,200 islands, most of them uninhabited, which lie off the Indian sub-continent. None of the coral islands measures more than 1.8 metres (six feet) above sea level, making the country vulnerable to a rise in sea levels associated with global warming. 'Start from Square ONE!' "We understand more than perhaps anyone what would happen to us if we didn't do anything about it or if the rest of the world doesn't find the imagination to confront this problem." Mr Nasheed. "So basically, we don't want to sit around and blame others, but we want to do whatever we can, and hopefully, if we can become carbon-neutral, and when we come up with the plan, we hope that these plans also will serve as a blueprint for other nations to follow." "We think we can do it, we feel that everyone should be engaged in it, and we don't think that this is an issue that should be taken lightly." The Maldives, having a high level of poverty, will need to spend about $110m a year to make the transition to renewable energy sources. Asked how it could afford this, the president said the country was already spending similar sums on existing energy sources, and he expected to recover the extra cost within the decade. "We start almost from scratch, we are having to go for new investments in almost all areas and it is quite pointless for us to go to yesterday's technologies," he said. An international climate change conference is due to be held in Copenhagen in December to debate initiatives for when the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012. UN chief Ban Ki-moon recently urged the world to strike a "conclusive carbon emissions reduction" deal at the conference. 2012, change, climate, climate change, copenhagen, environmental, kyoto, maldives, president mohamed nasheed nonadult false Maldives: Carbon Neutral text blog 2012,change,climate,climate change,copenhagen,environmental,kyoto,maldives,president mohamed nasheed 317 10 3.0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=3463173&as=51250 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/51250/photos/PHOTO_1693501_51250_3463173_ap_160X120.jpg false United Kingdom England Leicester 0 Environmental 0 214303 3463173 Member 0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Rescue-law-for-Vultures/BLOG/213168/51250.html Madrid's regional government is drafting legislation that aims to save Spain's starving vultures. The new law will allow the bodies of certain dead animals to be left in the countryside to rot, to ensure the birds of prey have enough food. Spain's vultures are starving because of regulations that aim to stop the spread of mad-cow disease. Under a European Union law introduced in 2002, the countryside must be kept clear of dead livestock. Environmentalists say this lack of rotting animal corpses has left vultures without an important source of food. The birds are so famished that farmers say they have seen vultures attack and kill cows and pigs to satisfy their hunger. To help the birds, the head of Madrid's regional government, Esperanza Aguirre, says she is modifying the rules to allow some animals that die of natural causes to be left in the countryside to rot. The change in the legislation will restore a traditional source of vulture food. Before 2002, farmers could legally dump the carcasses of cows and sheep in designated areas. Spain's vultures could soon be feasting on plentiful numbers of rotting animals once more. Madrid's regional government is drafting legislation that aims to save Spain's starving vultures. The new law will allow the bodies of certain dead animals to be left in the countryside to rot, to ensure the birds of prey have enough food. Spain's vultures are starving because of regulations that aim to stop the spread of mad-cow disease. Under a European Union law introduced in 2002, the countryside must be kept clear of dead livestock. Environmentalists say this lack of rotting animal corpses has left vultures without an important source of food. The birds are so famished that farmers say they have seen vultures attack and kill cows and pigs to satisfy their hunger. To help the birds, the head of Madrid's regional government, Esperanza Aguirre, says she is modifying the rules to allow some animals that die of natural causes to be left in the countryside to rot. The change in the legislation will restore a traditional source of vulture food. Before 2002, farmers could legally dump the carcasses of cows and sheep in designated areas. Spain's vultures could soon be feasting on plentiful numbers of rotting animals once more. Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:53:35 GMT http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Rescue-law-for-Vultures/BLOG/213168/51250.html adeymoore 2009-03-17T13:53:35Z Environmental Click4Carbon Madrid's regional government is drafting legislation that aims to save Spain's starving vultures. The new law will allow the bodies of certain dead animals to be left in the countryside to rot, to ensure the birds of prey have enough food. Spain's vultures are starving because of regulations that aim to stop the spread of mad-cow disease. Under a European Union law introduced in 2002, the countryside must be kept clear of dead livestock. Environmentalists say this lack of rotting animal corpses has left vultures without an important source of food. The birds are so famished that farmers say they have seen vultures attack and kill cows and pigs to satisfy their hunger. To help the birds, the head of Madrid's regional government, Esperanza Aguirre, says she is modifying the rules to allow some animals that die of natural causes to be left in the countryside to rot. The change in the legislation will restore a traditional source of vulture food. Before 2002, farmers could legally dump the carcasses of cows and sheep in designated areas. Spain's vultures could soon be feasting on plentiful numbers of rotting animals once more. environmental, hunger, spain, vultures nonadult false 'Rescue law' for Vultures text blog environmental,hunger,spain,vultures 349 10 5.0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=3463173&as=51250 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/51250/photos/PHOTO_1693501_51250_3463173_ap_160X120.jpg false United Kingdom Leicester 0 Environmental 0 213168 3463173 Member 0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Even-more-bad-news-on-the-way-/BLOG/206340/51250.html More bad news on climate change is expected as more than 2,000 climate scientists gather in Copenhagen. They will be trying to pull together the latest research on global warming ahead of political negotiations later in the year. The scientists are concerned that the 2007 reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are already out of date. Their data suggests greater rises in sea levels this century. For the scientists gathering in the Danish capital, this meeting is about removing as much wriggle room as possible from the political negotiations on a new global climate treaty taking place in December. While the IPCC reports of 2007 were praised for their recognition of the causes of global warming, the slow, consensus-based nature of the process, meant more recent data was not included. Greater clarity But with this meeting taking place outside the IPCC, it means it will have the very latest estimates, and the scientists will have no need to agree every word with the political masters. This unfettered atmosphere is likely to produce greater clarity about the scale of some very worrying trends, especially sea level rise. The IPCC was widely criticised for stating that sea level rise this century would only amount to 59cm (23in). The most recent data, to be presented here, will suggest a far higher figure with dramatic implications for many island nations and coastal regions. The meeting is being organised by the University of Copenhagen. Its prorector Lykke Friis said the scientists would be presenting the latest and the clearest information, meaning political leaders would not have the excuse that they needed more research before agreeing on a deal. As well as hearing from scientists, the meeting will also look at the social and economic impacts of the global rise in temperatures. More bad news on climate change is expected as more than 2,000 climate scientists gather in Copenhagen. They will be trying to pull together the latest research on global warming ahead of political negotiations later in the year. The scientists are concerned that the 2007 reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are already out of date. Their data suggests greater rises in sea levels this century. For the scientists gathering in the Danish capital, this meeting is about removing as much wriggle room as possible from the political negotiations on a new global climate treaty taking place in December. While the IPCC reports of 2007 were praised for their recognition of the causes of global warming, the slow, consensus-based nature of the process, meant more recent data was not included. Greater clarity But with this meeting taking place outside the IPCC, it means it will have the very latest estimates, and the scientists will have no need to agree every word with the political masters. This unfettered atmosphere is likely to produce greater clarity about the scale of some very worrying trends, especially sea level rise. The IPCC was widely criticised for stating that sea level rise this century would only amount to 59cm (23in). The most recent data, to be presented here, will suggest a far higher figure with dramatic implications for many island nations and coastal regions. The meeting is being organised by the University of Copenhagen. Its prorector Lykke Friis said the scientists would be presenting the latest and the clearest information, meaning political leaders would not have the excuse that they needed more research before agreeing on a deal. As well as hearing from scientists, the meeting will also look at the social and economic impacts of the global rise in temperatures. Tue, 10 Mar 2009 08:14:30 GMT http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Even-more-bad-news-on-the-way-/BLOG/206340/51250.html adeymoore 2009-03-10T08:14:30Z Environmental Click4Carbon More bad news on climate change is expected as more than 2,000 climate scientists gather in Copenhagen. They will be trying to pull together the latest research on global warming ahead of political negotiations later in the year. The scientists are concerned that the 2007 reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are already out of date. Their data suggests greater rises in sea levels this century. For the scientists gathering in the Danish capital, this meeting is about removing as much wriggle room as possible from the political negotiations on a new global climate treaty taking place in December. While the IPCC reports of 2007 were praised for their recognition of the causes of global warming, the slow, consensus-based nature of the process, meant more recent data was not included. Greater clarity But with this meeting taking place outside the IPCC, it means it will have the very latest estimates, and the scientists will have no need to agree every word with the political masters. This unfettered atmosphere is likely to produce greater clarity about the scale of some very worrying trends, especially sea level rise. The IPCC was widely criticised for stating that sea level rise this century would only amount to 59cm (23in). The most recent data, to be presented here, will suggest a far higher figure with dramatic implications for many island nations and coastal regions. The meeting is being organised by the University of Copenhagen. Its prorector Lykke Friis said the scientists would be presenting the latest and the clearest information, meaning political leaders would not have the excuse that they needed more research before agreeing on a deal. As well as hearing from scientists, the meeting will also look at the social and economic impacts of the global rise in temperatures. climate, climate change, environmental, ipcc nonadult false Even more bad news on the way .. text blog climate,climate change,environmental,ipcc 246 10 3.0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=3463173&as=51250 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/51250/photos/PHOTO_1693501_51250_3463173_ap_160X120.jpg false United Kingdom Leicester 0 Environmental 0 206340 3463173 Member 0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Dot-Eco-Domain-Name/BLOG/205630/51250.html Al Gore won a Nobel Prize in 2007 for his environmental work The former US vice president, Al Gore, is backing the creation of a new green .eco domain name. Dot Eco applied to create the domain which would then be used to host sites supporting environmental causes. "This is a truly exciting opportunity for the environmental movement and for the internet as a whole," said Mr Gore. Dot Eco plans to apply to ICANN - the regulatory body that oversees domain names - for the creation of .eco later in 2009. Al Gore, who won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for his campaign on climate change and an Oscar for his film An Inconvenient Truth - a documentary about global warming - is the co-founder and chair of the Alliance for Climate Protection. Dot Eco said it had entered into an "integrated partnership" with Gore's group to secure the .eco domain. "We fully support Dot Eco in its efforts to secure the .eco top level domain through the ICANN application and look forward to working with them to promote .eco," said Mr Gore. The firm said proceeds from the registration would be used to fund research on climate change and other environmental issues. Al Gore won a Nobel Prize in 2007 for his environmental work The former US vice president, Al Gore, is backing the creation of a new green .eco domain name. Dot Eco applied to create the domain which would then be used to host sites supporting environmental causes. "This is a truly exciting opportunity for the environmental movement and for the internet as a whole," said Mr Gore. Dot Eco plans to apply to ICANN - the regulatory body that oversees domain names - for the creation of .eco later in 2009. Al Gore, who won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for his campaign on climate change and an Oscar for his film An Inconvenient Truth - a documentary about global warming - is the co-founder and chair of the Alliance for Climate Protection. Dot Eco said it had entered into an "integrated partnership" with Gore's group to secure the .eco domain. "We fully support Dot Eco in its efforts to secure the .eco top level domain through the ICANN application and look forward to working with them to promote .eco," said Mr Gore. The firm said proceeds from the registration would be used to fund research on climate change and other environmental issues. Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:45:26 GMT http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Dot-Eco-Domain-Name/BLOG/205630/51250.html adeymoore 2009-03-09T16:45:26Z Environmental Click4Carbon Al Gore won a Nobel Prize in 2007 for his environmental work The former US vice president, Al Gore, is backing the creation of a new green .eco domain name. Dot Eco applied to create the domain which would then be used to host sites supporting environmental causes. "This is a truly exciting opportunity for the environmental movement and for the internet as a whole," said Mr Gore. Dot Eco plans to apply to ICANN - the regulatory body that oversees domain names - for the creation of .eco later in 2009. Al Gore, who won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for his campaign on climate change and an Oscar for his film An Inconvenient Truth - a documentary about global warming - is the co-founder and chair of the Alliance for Climate Protection. Dot Eco said it had entered into an "integrated partnership" with Gore's group to secure the .eco domain. "We fully support Dot Eco in its efforts to secure the .eco top level domain through the ICANN application and look forward to working with them to promote .eco," said Mr Gore. The firm said proceeds from the registration would be used to fund research on climate change and other environmental issues. domain, domain name eco, eco, environmental nonadult false Dot Eco Domain Name text blog domain,domain name eco,eco,environmental 208 10 4.0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=3463173&as=51250 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/51250/photos/PHOTO_1693501_51250_3463173_ap_160X120.jpg false United Kingdom Leicester 0 Environmental 0 205630 3463173 Member 0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Jet-fuelled-on-Algae/BLOG/160862/51250.html A US airline has completed the first test flight of a plane partly powered by biofuel derived from algae. The 90-minute flight by a Continental Boeing 737-800 went better than expected, a spokesperson said. One of its engines was powered by a 50-50 blend of biofuel and normal aircraft fuel. Wednesday's test is the latest in a series of demonstration flights by the aviation industry, which hopes to be using biofuels within five years. The flight was the first by a US carrier to use an alternative fuel source, and the first in the world to use a twin-engine commercial aircraft (rather than a four-engine plane) to test a biofuel blend. The flight from Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport completed a circuit over the Gulf of Mexico, and pilots carried out a series of tests at 38,000ft (11.6km), including a mid-flight engine shutdown. "The airplane performed perfectly," test pilot Rich Jankowski told the Houston Chronicle newspaper. "There were no problems. It was textbook." Drop-in fuel Continental Airlines chief executive Larry Kellner described the biofuel as a "drop-in fuel", which meant that no modification to the aircraft or its engines was required. The fuel is also understood to meet and exceed specifications necessary for jet fuel, including a flash point and a freezing point appropriate for use in aircraft. "The challenge will be to produce it in an efficient way in the quantities we need," Mr Kellner said. The biofuel used in the demonstration flight was a blend of two different types of alternative oils - algae and jatropha. Jatropha is a plant that can grow successfully in poor soils and marginal land, yet it yields four times more fuel per hectare than soybean. But despite advances in the technology, biofuels derived from algae have yet to be proven as commercially competitive. Clear sky thinking Despite airlines continually improving the fuel efficiency of their aircraft over the past three decades, a growing number of aircraft making more flights has seen the sector's global emissions rise sharply. As a result, the aviation industry is keen to embrace the environmental benefits that biofuels can offer. In February 2008, a Virgin 747 flew from London to Amsterdam partly using a fuel derived from a blend of Brazilian babassu nuts and coconuts. And at the end of December, one engine of a Air New Zealand 747 was powered by a 50/50 blend of jatropha plant oil and standard A1 jet fuel.   A US airline has completed the first test flight of a plane partly powered by biofuel derived from algae. The 90-minute flight by a Continental Boeing 737-800 went better than expected, a spokesperson said. One of its engines was powered by a 50-50 blend of biofuel and normal aircraft fuel. Wednesday's test is the latest in a series of demonstration flights by the aviation industry, which hopes to be using biofuels within five years. The flight was the first by a US carrier to use an alternative fuel source, and the first in the world to use a twin-engine commercial aircraft (rather than a four-engine plane) to test a biofuel blend. The flight from Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport completed a circuit over the Gulf of Mexico, and pilots carried out a series of tests at 38,000ft (11.6km), including a mid-flight engine shutdown. "The airplane performed perfectly," test pilot Rich Jankowski told the Houston Chronicle newspaper. "There were no problems. It was textbook." Drop-in fuel Continental Airlines chief executive Larry Kellner described the biofuel as a "drop-in fuel", which meant that no modification to the aircraft or its engines was required. The fuel is also understood to meet and exceed specifications necessary for jet fuel, including a flash point and a freezing point appropriate for use in aircraft. "The challenge will be to produce it in an efficient way in the quantities we need," Mr Kellner said. The biofuel used in the demonstration flight was a blend of two different types of alternative oils - algae and jatropha. Jatropha is a plant that can grow successfully in poor soils and marginal land, yet it yields four times more fuel per hectare than soybean. But despite advances in the technology, biofuels derived from algae have yet to be proven as commercially competitive. Clear sky thinking Despite airlines continually improving the fuel efficiency of their aircraft over the past three decades, a growing number of aircraft making more flights has seen the sector's global emissions rise sharply. As a result, the aviation industry is keen to embrace the environmental benefits that biofuels can offer. In February 2008, a Virgin 747 flew from London to Amsterdam partly using a fuel derived from a blend of Brazilian babassu nuts and coconuts. And at the end of December, one engine of a Air New Zealand 747 was powered by a 50/50 blend of jatropha plant oil and standard A1 jet fuel.   Fri, 09 Jan 2009 09:29:52 GMT http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Jet-fuelled-on-Algae/BLOG/160862/51250.html adeymoore 2009-01-09T09:29:52Z Environmental Click4Carbon A US airline has completed the first test flight of a plane partly powered by biofuel derived from algae. The 90-minute flight by a Continental Boeing 737-800 went better than expected, a spokesperson said. One of its engines was powered by a 50-50 blend of biofuel and normal aircraft fuel. Wednesday's test is the latest in a series of demonstration flights by the aviation industry, which hopes to be using biofuels within five years. The flight was the first by a US carrier to use an alternative fuel source, and the first in the world to use a twin-engine commercial aircraft (rather than a four-engine plane) to test a biofuel blend. The flight from Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport completed a circuit over the Gulf of Mexico, and pilots carried out a series of tests at 38,000ft (11.6km), including a mid-flight engine shutdown. "The airplane performed perfectly," test pilot Rich Jankowski told the Houston Chronicle newspaper. "There were no problems. It was textbook." Drop-in fuel Continental Airlines chief executive Larry Kellner described the biofuel as a "drop-in fuel", which meant that no modification to the aircraft or its engines was required. The fuel is also understood to meet and exceed specifications necessary for jet fuel, including a flash point and a freezing point appropriate for use in aircraft. "The challenge will be to produce it in an efficient way in the quantities we need," Mr Kellner said. The biofuel used in the demonstration flight was a blend of two different types of alternative oils - algae and jatropha. Jatropha is a plant that can grow successfully in poor soils and marginal land, yet it yields four times more fuel per hectare than soybean. But despite advances in the technology, biofuels derived from algae have yet to be proven as commercially competitive. Clear sky thinking Despite airlines continually improving the fuel efficiency of their aircraft over the past three decades, a growing number of aircraft making more flights has seen the sector's global emissions rise sharply. As a result, the aviation industry is keen to embrace the environmental benefits that biofuels can offer. In February 2008, a Virgin 747 flew from London to Amsterdam partly using a fuel derived from a blend of Brazilian babassu nuts and coconuts. And at the end of December, one engine of a Air New Zealand 747 was powered by a 50/50 blend of jatropha plant oil and standard A1 jet fuel.   algae, environmental, fuel, green, green jet, jet, jet fuel nonadult false Jet fuelled on Algae text blog algae,environmental,fuel,green,green jet,jet,jet fuel 271 10 4.0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=3463173&as=51250 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/51250/photos/PHOTO_1693501_51250_3463173_ap_160X120.jpg false United Kingdom Leicester 0 Environmental 0 160862 3463173 Member 0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Rethink-On-Food/BLOG/155776/51250.html A sustainable global food system in the 21st Century needs to be built on a series of "new fundamentals", according to a leading food expert. Tim Lang warned that the current system, designed in the 1940s, was showing "structural failures", such as "astronomic" environmental costs. The new approach needed to address key fundamentals like biodiversity, energy, water and urbanisation, he added. Professor Lang is a member of the UK government's newly formed Food Council. "Essentially, what we are dealing with at the moment is a food system that was laid down in the 1940s," he told BBC News. "It followed on from the dust bowl in the US, the collapse of food production in Europe and starvation in Asia. "At the time, there was clear evidence showing that there was a mismatch between producers and the need of consumers." Professor Lang, from City University, London, added that during the post-war period, food scientists and policymakers also thought increasing production would reduce the cost of food, while improving people's diets and public health. "But by the 1970s, evidence was beginning to emerge that the public health outcomes were not quite as expected," he explained. "Secondly, there were a whole new set of problems associated with the environment." Thirty years on and the world was now facing an even more complex situation, he added. "The level of growth in food production per capita is dropping off, even dropping, and we have got huge problems ahead with an explosion in human population." Fussy eaters Professor Lang lists a series of "new fundamentals", which he outlined during a speech he made as the president-elect of charity Garden Organic, which will shape future food production, including: Oil and energy: "We have an entirely oil-based food economy, and yet oil is running out. The impact of that on agriculture is one of the drivers of the volatility in the world food commodity markets." Water scarcity: "One of the key things that I have been pushing is to get the UK government to start auditing food by water," Professor Lang said, adding that 50% of the UK's vegetables are imported, many from water-stressed nations. Biodiversity: "Biodiversity must not just be protected, it must be replaced and enhanced; but that is going to require a very different way growing food and using the land." Urbanisation: "Probably the most important thing within the social sphere. More people now live in towns than in the countryside. In which case, where do they get their food?" Professor Lang said that in order to feed a projected nine billion people by 2050, policymakers and scientists face a fundamental challenge: how can food systems work with the planet and biodiversity, rather than raiding and pillaging it? The UK's Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn, recently set up a Council of Food Policy Advisers in order to address the growing concern of food security and rising prices.   Mr Benn, speaking at the council's launch, warned: "Global food production will need to double just to meet demand. "We have the knowledge and the technology to do this, as things stand, but the perfect storm of climate change, environmental degradation and water and oil scarcity, threatens our ability to succeed." Professor Lang, who is a member of the council, offered a suggestion: "We are going to have to get biodiversity into gardens and fields, and then eat it. "We have to do this rather than saying that biodiversity is what is on the edge of the field or just outside my garden." Michelin-starred chef and long-time food campaigner Raymond Blanc agrees with Professor Lang, adding that there is a need for people, especially in the UK, to reconnect with their food. He is heading a campaign called Dig for Your Dinner, which he hopes will help people reconnect with their food and how, where and when it is grown. "Food culture is a whole series of steps," he told BBC News. "Whatever amount of space you have in your backyard, it is possible to create a fantastic little garden that will allow you to reconnect with the real value of gardening, which is knowing how to grow food. "And once you know how to grow food, it would be very nice to be able to cook it. If you are growing food, then it only makes sense that you know how to cook it as well. "And cooking food will introduce you to the basic knowledge of nutrition. So you can see how this can slowly reintroduce food back into our culture." Waste not... Mr Blanc warned that food prices were likely to continue to rise in the future, which was likely to prompt more people to start growing their own food.   He was also hopeful that the food sector would become less wasteful. "We all know that waste is everywhere; it is immoral what is happening in the world of food. "In Europe, 30% of the food grown did not appear on the shelves of the retailers because it was a funny shape or odd colour. "At least the amendment to European rules means that we can now have some odd-shaped carrots on our shelves. This is fantastic news, but why was it not done before?" He suggested that the problem was down to people choosing food based on sight alone, not smell and touch. "The way that seeds are selected is about immunity to any known disease; they have also got to grow big and fast, and have a fantastic shelf life. "Never mind taste, texture or nutrition, it is all about how it looks. "The British consumer today has got to understand that when they make a choice, let's say an apple - either Chinese, French or English one - they are making a political choice, a socio-economic choice, as well as an environmental one. "They are making a statement about what sort of society and farming they are supporting." Growing appetite The latest estimates from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) show that another 40 million people have been pushed into hunger in 2008 as a result of higher food prices. This brings the overall number of undernourished people in the world to 963 million, compared to 923 million in 2007. The FAO warned that the ongoing financial and economic crisis could tip even more people into hunger and poverty. "World food prices have dropped since early 2008, but lower prices have not ended the food crisis in many poor countries," said FAO assistant director-general Hafez Ghanem at the launch of the agency's State of Food Insecurity in the World 2008 report. "The structural problems of hunger, like the lack of access to land, credit and employment, combined with high food prices remain a dire reality," he added. Professor Lang outlined the challenges facing the global food supply system: "The 21st Century is going to have to produce a new diet for people, more sustainably, and in a way that feeds more people more equitably using less land."  By Mark Kinver BBC News  A sustainable global food system in the 21st Century needs to be built on a series of "new fundamentals", according to a leading food expert. Tim Lang warned that the current system, designed in the 1940s, was showing "structural failures", such as "astronomic" environmental costs. The new approach needed to address key fundamentals like biodiversity, energy, water and urbanisation, he added. Professor Lang is a member of the UK government's newly formed Food Council. "Essentially, what we are dealing with at the moment is a food system that was laid down in the 1940s," he told BBC News. "It followed on from the dust bowl in the US, the collapse of food production in Europe and starvation in Asia. "At the time, there was clear evidence showing that there was a mismatch between producers and the need of consumers." Professor Lang, from City University, London, added that during the post-war period, food scientists and policymakers also thought increasing production would reduce the cost of food, while improving people's diets and public health. "But by the 1970s, evidence was beginning to emerge that the public health outcomes were not quite as expected," he explained. "Secondly, there were a whole new set of problems associated with the environment." Thirty years on and the world was now facing an even more complex situation, he added. "The level of growth in food production per capita is dropping off, even dropping, and we have got huge problems ahead with an explosion in human population." Fussy eaters Professor Lang lists a series of "new fundamentals", which he outlined during a speech he made as the president-elect of charity Garden Organic, which will shape future food production, including: Oil and energy: "We have an entirely oil-based food economy, and yet oil is running out. The impact of that on agriculture is one of the drivers of the volatility in the world food commodity markets." Water scarcity: "One of the key things that I have been pushing is to get the UK government to start auditing food by water," Professor Lang said, adding that 50% of the UK's vegetables are imported, many from water-stressed nations. Biodiversity: "Biodiversity must not just be protected, it must be replaced and enhanced; but that is going to require a very different way growing food and using the land." Urbanisation: "Probably the most important thing within the social sphere. More people now live in towns than in the countryside. In which case, where do they get their food?" Professor Lang said that in order to feed a projected nine billion people by 2050, policymakers and scientists face a fundamental challenge: how can food systems work with the planet and biodiversity, rather than raiding and pillaging it? The UK's Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn, recently set up a Council of Food Policy Advisers in order to address the growing concern of food security and rising prices.   Mr Benn, speaking at the council's launch, warned: "Global food production will need to double just to meet demand. "We have the knowledge and the technology to do this, as things stand, but the perfect storm of climate change, environmental degradation and water and oil scarcity, threatens our ability to succeed." Professor Lang, who is a member of the council, offered a suggestion: "We are going to have to get biodiversity into gardens and fields, and then eat it. "We have to do this rather than saying that biodiversity is what is on the edge of the field or just outside my garden." Michelin-starred chef and long-time food campaigner Raymond Blanc agrees with Professor Lang, adding that there is a need for people, especially in the UK, to reconnect with their food. He is heading a campaign called Dig for Your Dinner, which he hopes will help people reconnect with their food and how, where and when it is grown. "Food culture is a whole series of steps," he told BBC News. "Whatever amount of space you have in your backyard, it is possible to create a fantastic little garden that will allow you to reconnect with the real value of gardening, which is knowing how to grow food. "And once you know how to grow food, it would be very nice to be able to cook it. If you are growing food, then it only makes sense that you know how to cook it as well. "And cooking food will introduce you to the basic knowledge of nutrition. So you can see how this can slowly reintroduce food back into our culture." Waste not... Mr Blanc warned that food prices were likely to continue to rise in the future, which was likely to prompt more people to start growing their own food.   He was also hopeful that the food sector would become less wasteful. "We all know that waste is everywhere; it is immoral what is happening in the world of food. "In Europe, 30% of the food grown did not appear on the shelves of the retailers because it was a funny shape or odd colour. "At least the amendment to European rules means that we can now have some odd-shaped carrots on our shelves. This is fantastic news, but why was it not done before?" He suggested that the problem was down to people choosing food based on sight alone, not smell and touch. "The way that seeds are selected is about immunity to any known disease; they have also got to grow big and fast, and have a fantastic shelf life. "Never mind taste, texture or nutrition, it is all about how it looks. "The British consumer today has got to understand that when they make a choice, let's say an apple - either Chinese, French or English one - they are making a political choice, a socio-economic choice, as well as an environmental one. "They are making a statement about what sort of society and farming they are supporting." Growing appetite The latest estimates from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) show that another 40 million people have been pushed into hunger in 2008 as a result of higher food prices. This brings the overall number of undernourished people in the world to 963 million, compared to 923 million in 2007. The FAO warned that the ongoing financial and economic crisis could tip even more people into hunger and poverty. "World food prices have dropped since early 2008, but lower prices have not ended the food crisis in many poor countries," said FAO assistant director-general Hafez Ghanem at the launch of the agency's State of Food Insecurity in the World 2008 report. "The structural problems of hunger, like the lack of access to land, credit and employment, combined with high food prices remain a dire reality," he added. Professor Lang outlined the challenges facing the global food supply system: "The 21st Century is going to have to produce a new diet for people, more sustainably, and in a way that feeds more people more equitably using less land."  By Mark Kinver BBC News  Mon, 29 Dec 2008 14:21:55 GMT http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Rethink-On-Food/BLOG/155776/51250.html adeymoore 2008-12-29T14:21:55Z Environmental Click4Carbon A sustainable global food system in the 21st Century needs to be built on a series of "new fundamentals", according to a leading food expert. Tim Lang warned that the current system, designed in the 1940s, was showing "structural failures", such as "astronomic" environmental costs. The new approach needed to address key fundamentals like biodiversity, energy, water and urbanisation, he added. Professor Lang is a member of the UK government's newly formed Food Council. "Essentially, what we are dealing with at the moment is a food system that was laid down in the 1940s," he told BBC News. "It followed on from the dust bowl in the US, the collapse of food production in Europe and starvation in Asia. "At the time, there was clear evidence showing that there was a mismatch between producers and the need of consumers." Professor Lang, from City University, London, added that during the post-war period, food scientists and policymakers also thought increasing production would reduce the cost of food, while improving people's diets and public health. "But by the 1970s, evidence was beginning to emerge that the public health outcomes were not quite as expected," he explained. "Secondly, there were a whole new set of problems associated with the environment." Thirty years on and the world was now facing an even more complex situation, he added. "The level of growth in food production per capita is dropping off, even dropping, and we have got huge problems ahead with an explosion in human population." Fussy eaters Professor Lang lists a series of "new fundamentals", which he outlined during a speech he made as the president-elect of charity Garden Organic, which will shape future food production, including: Oil and energy: "We have an entirely oil-based food economy, and yet oil is running out. The impact of that on agriculture is one of the drivers of the volatility in the world food commodity markets." Water scarcity: "One of the key things that I have been pushing is to get the UK government to start auditing food by water," Professor Lang said, adding that 50% of the UK's vegetables are imported, many from water-stressed nations. Biodiversity: "Biodiversity must not just be protected, it must be replaced and enhanced; but that is going to require a very different way growing food and using the land." Urbanisation: "Probably the most important thing within the social sphere. More people now live in towns than in the countryside. In which case, where do they get their food?" Professor Lang said that in order to feed a projected nine billion people by 2050, policymakers and scientists face a fundamental challenge: how can food systems work with the planet and biodiversity, rather than raiding and pillaging it? The UK's Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn, recently set up a Council of Food Policy Advisers in order to address the growing concern of food security and rising prices.   Mr Benn, speaking at the council's launch, warned: "Global food production will need to double just to meet demand. "We have the knowledge and the technology to do this, as things stand, but the perfect storm of climate change, environmental degradation and water and oil scarcity, threatens our ability to succeed." Professor Lang, who is a member of the council, offered a suggestion: "We are going to have to get biodiversity into gardens and fields, and then eat it. "We have to do this rather than saying that biodiversity is what is on the edge of the field or just outside my garden." Michelin-starred chef and long-time food campaigner Raymond Blanc agrees with Professor Lang, adding that there is a need for people, especially in the UK, to reconnect with their food. He is heading a campaign called Dig for Your Dinner, which he hopes will help people reconnect with their food and how, where and when it is grown. "Food culture is a whole series of steps," he told BBC News. "Whatever amount of space you have in your backyard, it is possible to create a fantastic little garden that will allow you to reconnect with the real value of gardening, which is knowing how to grow food. "And once you know how to grow food, it would be very nice to be able to cook it. If you are growing food, then it only makes sense that you know how to cook it as well. "And cooking food will introduce you to the basic knowledge of nutrition. So you can see how this can slowly reintroduce food back into our culture." Waste not... Mr Blanc warned that food prices were likely to continue to rise in the future, which was likely to prompt more people to start growing their own food.   He was also hopeful that the food sector would become less wasteful. "We all know that waste is everywhere; it is immoral what is happening in the world of food. "In Europe, 30% of the food grown did not appear on the shelves of the retailers because it was a funny shape or odd colour. "At least the amendment to European rules means that we can now have some odd-shaped carrots on our shelves. This is fantastic news, but why was it not done before?" He suggested that the problem was down to people choosing food based on sight alone, not smell and touch. "The way that seeds are selected is about immunity to any known disease; they have also got to grow big and fast, and have a fantastic shelf life. "Never mind taste, texture or nutrition, it is all about how it looks. "The British consumer today has got to understand that when they make a choice, let's say an apple - either Chinese, French or English one - they are making a political choice, a socio-economic choice, as well as an environmental one. "They are making a statement about what sort of society and farming they are supporting." Growing appetite The latest estimates from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) show that another 40 million people have been pushed into hunger in 2008 as a result of higher food prices. This brings the overall number of undernourished people in the world to 963 million, compared to 923 million in 2007. The FAO warned that the ongoing financial and economic crisis could tip even more people into hunger and poverty. "World food prices have dropped since early 2008, but lower prices have not ended the food crisis in many poor countries," said FAO assistant director-general Hafez Ghanem at the launch of the agency's State of Food Insecurity in the World 2008 report. "The structural problems of hunger, like the lack of access to land, credit and employment, combined with high food prices remain a dire reality," he added. Professor Lang outlined the challenges facing the global food supply system: "The 21st Century is going to have to produce a new diet for people, more sustainably, and in a way that feeds more people more equitably using less land."  By Mark Kinver BBC News  blanc, environmental, food, food production, green, raymond nonadult false Rethink On Food text blog blanc,environmental,food,food production,green,raymond 318 0 0.0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=3463173&as=51250 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/51250/photos/PHOTO_1693501_51250_3463173_ap_160X120.jpg false United Kingdom Leicester 0 Environmental 0 155776 3463173 Member 0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Tidal-Power-Switched-On/BLOG/153247/51250.html A tidal turbine near the mouth of Strangford Lough has begun producing electricity at full capacity for the first time. The SeaGen system now generates 1.2MW, the highest level of power produced by a tidal stream system anywhere in the world. The system works like an "underwater windmill" but with rotors driven by tidal currents rather than the wind. It has been undergoing commissioning trials since May. SeaGen will now move towards full-operating mode for periods of up to 22 hours a day, with regular inspections and performance testing carried out. The power generated by the system is being purchased by Irish energy company, ESB Independent, for its customers in Northern Ireland and the Republic. The turbine has the capacity to generate power to meet the average electricity needs of around 1000 homes. Martin Wright, managing director of SeaGen developers, Marine Current Turbines, said that having the system generating at full power was an important milestone. "It demonstrates, for the first time, the commercial potential of tidal energy as a viable alternative source of renewable energy," he said. "As the first mover in tidal stream turbine development, we have a significant technical lead over all rival tidal technologies that are under development. "There are no other tidal turbines of truly commercial scale; all the competitive systems so far tested at sea are quite small, most being less than 10% the rotor area of SeaGen."   A tidal turbine near the mouth of Strangford Lough has begun producing electricity at full capacity for the first time. The SeaGen system now generates 1.2MW, the highest level of power produced by a tidal stream system anywhere in the world. The system works like an "underwater windmill" but with rotors driven by tidal currents rather than the wind. It has been undergoing commissioning trials since May. SeaGen will now move towards full-operating mode for periods of up to 22 hours a day, with regular inspections and performance testing carried out. The power generated by the system is being purchased by Irish energy company, ESB Independent, for its customers in Northern Ireland and the Republic. The turbine has the capacity to generate power to meet the average electricity needs of around 1000 homes. Martin Wright, managing director of SeaGen developers, Marine Current Turbines, said that having the system generating at full power was an important milestone. "It demonstrates, for the first time, the commercial potential of tidal energy as a viable alternative source of renewable energy," he said. "As the first mover in tidal stream turbine development, we have a significant technical lead over all rival tidal technologies that are under development. "There are no other tidal turbines of truly commercial scale; all the competitive systems so far tested at sea are quite small, most being less than 10% the rotor area of SeaGen."   Fri, 19 Dec 2008 13:14:46 GMT http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Tidal-Power-Switched-On/BLOG/153247/51250.html adeymoore 2008-12-19T13:14:46Z Environmental Click4Carbon A tidal turbine near the mouth of Strangford Lough has begun producing electricity at full capacity for the first time. The SeaGen system now generates 1.2MW, the highest level of power produced by a tidal stream system anywhere in the world. The system works like an "underwater windmill" but with rotors driven by tidal currents rather than the wind. It has been undergoing commissioning trials since May. SeaGen will now move towards full-operating mode for periods of up to 22 hours a day, with regular inspections and performance testing carried out. The power generated by the system is being purchased by Irish energy company, ESB Independent, for its customers in Northern Ireland and the Republic. The turbine has the capacity to generate power to meet the average electricity needs of around 1000 homes. Martin Wright, managing director of SeaGen developers, Marine Current Turbines, said that having the system generating at full power was an important milestone. "It demonstrates, for the first time, the commercial potential of tidal energy as a viable alternative source of renewable energy," he said. "As the first mover in tidal stream turbine development, we have a significant technical lead over all rival tidal technologies that are under development. "There are no other tidal turbines of truly commercial scale; all the competitive systems so far tested at sea are quite small, most being less than 10% the rotor area of SeaGen."   electricity needs, environmental, natural power, tidal power nonadult false Tidal Power Switched On. text blog electricity needs,environmental,natural power,tidal power 297 0 0.0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=3463173&as=51250 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/51250/photos/PHOTO_1693501_51250_3463173_ap_160X120.jpg false United Kingdom Leicester 0 Environmental 0 153247 3463173 Member 0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Deforestation-accelerates-in-Brazil/BLOG/145381/51250.html Amazon deforestation acceleratesHigh soy and cattle prices may have contributed to the rise in illegal logging The destruction of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil has accelerated for the first time in four years, Brazilian officials say.Satellite images show 11,968 sq km of land was cleared in the year to July, nearly 4% higher than the year before.The government said the figure was unsatisfactory but could have been a lot worse if it had not taken action against illegal logging.High commodity prices had allegedly tempted farmers to clear more land.In recent years the Brazilian government has been able to celebrate three successive falls in deforestation.But the latest estimate from the National Institute for Space Research, known as INPE, shows that this trend has come to a halt.'Could be worse'Gilberto Camara of the Space Research Institute, said they would have liked better news."We believe it is a setback, but we believe it is also positive in the sense that the expected levels were much higher," Mr Camara said."There was a lot of burning on the ground in the second half of 2007, which could have led to a much greater increase in deforestation."In late 2007 and early 2008 there were signs that deforestation was on the rise again - with land said to be in demand for cattle and soya at a time when commodity prices were high, says the BBC's Garry Duffy in Sao Paulo.In response the government announced a series of measures to clamp down on illegal logging, including a major operation involving police and environmental inspectors known as the "Arc of Fire".Brazil's Environment Minister, Carlos Minc, said that without actions like this, the figures could have been much higher."Many had expected an increase of 30-40% and we managed to stabilise it," Mr Minc told a news conference.But he said that the government was still not satisfied."We want to lower numbers even more. We want zero deforestation."Environmental groups will be watching the situation carefully to see if the resolve and the resources they say are needed to protect the Amazon region are in place, our correspondent says.  Amazon deforestation acceleratesHigh soy and cattle prices may have contributed to the rise in illegal logging The destruction of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil has accelerated for the first time in four years, Brazilian officials say.Satellite images show 11,968 sq km of land was cleared in the year to July, nearly 4% higher than the year before.The government said the figure was unsatisfactory but could have been a lot worse if it had not taken action against illegal logging.High commodity prices had allegedly tempted farmers to clear more land.In recent years the Brazilian government has been able to celebrate three successive falls in deforestation.But the latest estimate from the National Institute for Space Research, known as INPE, shows that this trend has come to a halt.'Could be worse'Gilberto Camara of the Space Research Institute, said they would have liked better news."We believe it is a setback, but we believe it is also positive in the sense that the expected levels were much higher," Mr Camara said."There was a lot of burning on the ground in the second half of 2007, which could have led to a much greater increase in deforestation."In late 2007 and early 2008 there were signs that deforestation was on the rise again - with land said to be in demand for cattle and soya at a time when commodity prices were high, says the BBC's Garry Duffy in Sao Paulo.In response the government announced a series of measures to clamp down on illegal logging, including a major operation involving police and environmental inspectors known as the "Arc of Fire".Brazil's Environment Minister, Carlos Minc, said that without actions like this, the figures could have been much higher."Many had expected an increase of 30-40% and we managed to stabilise it," Mr Minc told a news conference.But he said that the government was still not satisfied."We want to lower numbers even more. We want zero deforestation."Environmental groups will be watching the situation carefully to see if the resolve and the resources they say are needed to protect the Amazon region are in place, our correspondent says.  Sat, 29 Nov 2008 16:05:31 GMT http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Deforestation-accelerates-in-Brazil/BLOG/145381/51250.html adeymoore 2008-11-29T16:05:31Z Environmental Click4Carbon Amazon deforestation acceleratesHigh soy and cattle prices may have contributed to the rise in illegal logging The destruction of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil has accelerated for the first time in four years, Brazilian officials say.Satellite images show 11,968 sq km of land was cleared in the year to July, nearly 4% higher than the year before.The government said the figure was unsatisfactory but could have been a lot worse if it had not taken action against illegal logging.High commodity prices had allegedly tempted farmers to clear more land.In recent years the Brazilian government has been able to celebrate three successive falls in deforestation.But the latest estimate from the National Institute for Space Research, known as INPE, shows that this trend has come to a halt.'Could be worse'Gilberto Camara of the Space Research Institute, said they would have liked better news."We believe it is a setback, but we believe it is also positive in the sense that the expected levels were much higher," Mr Camara said."There was a lot of burning on the ground in the second half of 2007, which could have led to a much greater increase in deforestation."In late 2007 and early 2008 there were signs that deforestation was on the rise again - with land said to be in demand for cattle and soya at a time when commodity prices were high, says the BBC's Garry Duffy in Sao Paulo.In response the government announced a series of measures to clamp down on illegal logging, including a major operation involving police and environmental inspectors known as the "Arc of Fire".Brazil's Environment Minister, Carlos Minc, said that without actions like this, the figures could have been much higher."Many had expected an increase of 30-40% and we managed to stabilise it," Mr Minc told a news conference.But he said that the government was still not satisfied."We want to lower numbers even more. We want zero deforestation."Environmental groups will be watching the situation carefully to see if the resolve and the resources they say are needed to protect the Amazon region are in place, our correspondent says.  brazil, deforestation, dying, environmental, rainforest nonadult false Deforestation accelerates in Brazil text blog brazil,deforestation,dying,environmental,rainforest 254 10 3.0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=3463173&as=51250 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/51250/photos/PHOTO_1693501_51250_3463173_ap_160X120.jpg false United Kingdom Leicester 0 Environmental 0 145381 3463173 Member 0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Pay-as-You-Throw/BLOG/145090/51250.html Controversial pay-as-you-throw schemes could be an acceptable answer to Britain's 15 million tonne mountain of household waste according to a survey for The BBC.From January English councils will be able to bid for pilot schemes to incentivise people for recycling more and deter them from throwing stuff away.Previous pay-as-you-throw pilots were abandoned, but the survey showed 79% of women and 70% of men saying they should be rewarded financially if they create less waste and recycle more.A much narrower majority - 55% of women and 50% of men - said it was only fair they should pay more if they throw away more.The poll of 1,000 people by NOP offers some encouragement to the British government, which is encouraging councillors to try pay-as-you-throw pilots. Europe is running out of landfill sites and all nations face targets to increase the amount they recycle into new materials.Just over 70% of both women and men said they would be more careful about creating waste if they had to pay for it to be collected.But councils may be alarmed by another finding - 46% of men and 41% of women said they did not trust their local authority to administer any new waste charges fairly.And the narrowness of the margin of people in favour of extra charges may also cause councils to pause.To recycle or not to recycle?Ministers are hoping to attract English local authorities to bid for the pay-as-you-throw schemes permitted in the Climate Change Bill, which passes its final hurdle this week.But previous pilot charging schemes have been hugely controversial, with a computerised chip-and-bin system in South Norfolk being abandoned after repeated technical failures and delays to bin rounds.Eric Pickles, Conservative local government spokesman, has regularly criticised the "hated bin taxes"; and under pressure, the government has previously sent out mixed messages about whether or not variable charging would go ahead.This is now resolved, but it looks as though most councils in the UK have been warned off variable charging because of the controversy attached.Paul Bettison, a Conservative councillor responsible for waste on the Local Government Association said: "I wish Eric Pickles would stop calling them bin taxes. It is very galling."They are bin charges. They are not taxes at all. You pay for the service you get. The current system of invisible waste charges is much more like a tax."I know what it is like to be in opposition, but many of us Conservatives are in power in local authorities, trying to run waste services, and he is not helping us."Councillor Bettison said the official Conservative policy of promising a return to weekly bin collection would cost up to £2bn a year if it prompted people to turn away from recycling because councils would have to pay more landfill tax.This figure had not been costed by the party, he said.A Conservative party spokesman said: "Paul Bettison is arguing that the only way to increase recycling and avoid landfill penalties is by cutting weekly collections. We utterly reject that underlying assumption."He said the loss of weekly collections had led to £213 million rise in fly-tipping. And he said pay-as-you-go schemes would cost so much more to administer that savings on collection could be wiped out.Mr Bettison told BBC news he would be been banned by Conservative Central Office from debating the issue with Mr Pickles, but the Tories later said Mr Pickles had been prepared to debate with him, and would be prepared to debate with him in futureWe asked Mr Bettison what he would say to Mr Pickles. He said that would be removed by a spam filter.The Environment Minister Jane Kennedy responded to the BBC survey, saying: "It is encouraging that such a high proportion of people recognise the responsibility we all share to dispose of our waste in a way that reduces our impact on the environment."It is for local authorities to decide on the solutions that work best in their areas and we have provided them with all of the measures that they requested in order to do so."There are no plans for pay-as-you-throw in Scotland and Northern Ireland but variable charging is being considered in Wales. Controversial pay-as-you-throw schemes could be an acceptable answer to Britain's 15 million tonne mountain of household waste according to a survey for The BBC.From January English councils will be able to bid for pilot schemes to incentivise people for recycling more and deter them from throwing stuff away.Previous pay-as-you-throw pilots were abandoned, but the survey showed 79% of women and 70% of men saying they should be rewarded financially if they create less waste and recycle more.A much narrower majority - 55% of women and 50% of men - said it was only fair they should pay more if they throw away more.The poll of 1,000 people by NOP offers some encouragement to the British government, which is encouraging councillors to try pay-as-you-throw pilots. Europe is running out of landfill sites and all nations face targets to increase the amount they recycle into new materials.Just over 70% of both women and men said they would be more careful about creating waste if they had to pay for it to be collected.But councils may be alarmed by another finding - 46% of men and 41% of women said they did not trust their local authority to administer any new waste charges fairly.And the narrowness of the margin of people in favour of extra charges may also cause councils to pause.To recycle or not to recycle?Ministers are hoping to attract English local authorities to bid for the pay-as-you-throw schemes permitted in the Climate Change Bill, which passes its final hurdle this week.But previous pilot charging schemes have been hugely controversial, with a computerised chip-and-bin system in South Norfolk being abandoned after repeated technical failures and delays to bin rounds.Eric Pickles, Conservative local government spokesman, has regularly criticised the "hated bin taxes"; and under pressure, the government has previously sent out mixed messages about whether or not variable charging would go ahead.This is now resolved, but it looks as though most councils in the UK have been warned off variable charging because of the controversy attached.Paul Bettison, a Conservative councillor responsible for waste on the Local Government Association said: "I wish Eric Pickles would stop calling them bin taxes. It is very galling."They are bin charges. They are not taxes at all. You pay for the service you get. The current system of invisible waste charges is much more like a tax."I know what it is like to be in opposition, but many of us Conservatives are in power in local authorities, trying to run waste services, and he is not helping us."Councillor Bettison said the official Conservative policy of promising a return to weekly bin collection would cost up to £2bn a year if it prompted people to turn away from recycling because councils would have to pay more landfill tax.This figure had not been costed by the party, he said.A Conservative party spokesman said: "Paul Bettison is arguing that the only way to increase recycling and avoid landfill penalties is by cutting weekly collections. We utterly reject that underlying assumption."He said the loss of weekly collections had led to £213 million rise in fly-tipping. And he said pay-as-you-go schemes would cost so much more to administer that savings on collection could be wiped out.Mr Bettison told BBC news he would be been banned by Conservative Central Office from debating the issue with Mr Pickles, but the Tories later said Mr Pickles had been prepared to debate with him, and would be prepared to debate with him in futureWe asked Mr Bettison what he would say to Mr Pickles. He said that would be removed by a spam filter.The Environment Minister Jane Kennedy responded to the BBC survey, saying: "It is encouraging that such a high proportion of people recognise the responsibility we all share to dispose of our waste in a way that reduces our impact on the environment."It is for local authorities to decide on the solutions that work best in their areas and we have provided them with all of the measures that they requested in order to do so."There are no plans for pay-as-you-throw in Scotland and Northern Ireland but variable charging is being considered in Wales. Fri, 28 Nov 2008 12:29:31 GMT http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Pay-as-You-Throw/BLOG/145090/51250.html adeymoore 2008-11-28T12:29:31Z Environmental Click4Carbon Controversial pay-as-you-throw schemes could be an acceptable answer to Britain's 15 million tonne mountain of household waste according to a survey for The BBC.From January English councils will be able to bid for pilot schemes to incentivise people for recycling more and deter them from throwing stuff away.Previous pay-as-you-throw pilots were abandoned, but the survey showed 79% of women and 70% of men saying they should be rewarded financially if they create less waste and recycle more.A much narrower majority - 55% of women and 50% of men - said it was only fair they should pay more if they throw away more.The poll of 1,000 people by NOP offers some encouragement to the British government, which is encouraging councillors to try pay-as-you-throw pilots. Europe is running out of landfill sites and all nations face targets to increase the amount they recycle into new materials.Just over 70% of both women and men said they would be more careful about creating waste if they had to pay for it to be collected.But councils may be alarmed by another finding - 46% of men and 41% of women said they did not trust their local authority to administer any new waste charges fairly.And the narrowness of the margin of people in favour of extra charges may also cause councils to pause.To recycle or not to recycle?Ministers are hoping to attract English local authorities to bid for the pay-as-you-throw schemes permitted in the Climate Change Bill, which passes its final hurdle this week.But previous pilot charging schemes have been hugely controversial, with a computerised chip-and-bin system in South Norfolk being abandoned after repeated technical failures and delays to bin rounds.Eric Pickles, Conservative local government spokesman, has regularly criticised the "hated bin taxes"; and under pressure, the government has previously sent out mixed messages about whether or not variable charging would go ahead.This is now resolved, but it looks as though most councils in the UK have been warned off variable charging because of the controversy attached.Paul Bettison, a Conservative councillor responsible for waste on the Local Government Association said: "I wish Eric Pickles would stop calling them bin taxes. It is very galling."They are bin charges. They are not taxes at all. You pay for the service you get. The current system of invisible waste charges is much more like a tax."I know what it is like to be in opposition, but many of us Conservatives are in power in local authorities, trying to run waste services, and he is not helping us."Councillor Bettison said the official Conservative policy of promising a return to weekly bin collection would cost up to £2bn a year if it prompted people to turn away from recycling because councils would have to pay more landfill tax.This figure had not been costed by the party, he said.A Conservative party spokesman said: "Paul Bettison is arguing that the only way to increase recycling and avoid landfill penalties is by cutting weekly collections. We utterly reject that underlying assumption."He said the loss of weekly collections had led to £213 million rise in fly-tipping. And he said pay-as-you-go schemes would cost so much more to administer that savings on collection could be wiped out.Mr Bettison told BBC news he would be been banned by Conservative Central Office from debating the issue with Mr Pickles, but the Tories later said Mr Pickles had been prepared to debate with him, and would be prepared to debate with him in futureWe asked Mr Bettison what he would say to Mr Pickles. He said that would be removed by a spam filter.The Environment Minister Jane Kennedy responded to the BBC survey, saying: "It is encouraging that such a high proportion of people recognise the responsibility we all share to dispose of our waste in a way that reduces our impact on the environment."It is for local authorities to decide on the solutions that work best in their areas and we have provided them with all of the measures that they requested in order to do so."There are no plans for pay-as-you-throw in Scotland and Northern Ireland but variable charging is being considered in Wales. british council, compost, environmental, green, recycle, rubbish nonadult false Pay as You Throw! text blog british council,compost,environmental,green,recycle,rubbish 375 10 5.0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=3463173&as=51250 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/51250/photos/PHOTO_1693501_51250_3463173_ap_160X120.jpg false United Kingdom Leicester 0 Environmental 0 145090 3463173 Member 0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Planet-on-course-for-Eco-Crunch/BLOG/130621/51250.html The planet is headed for an ecological "credit crunch", according to a report issued by conservation groups.The document contends that our demands on natural resources overreach what the Earth can sustain by almost a third.The Living Planet Report is the work of WWF, the Zoological Society of London and the Global Footprint Network.It says that more than three quarters of the world's population lives in countries where consumption levels are outstripping environmental renewal.This makes them "ecological debtors", meaning that they are drawing - and often overdrawing - on the agricultural land, forests, seas and resources of other countries to sustain them.The report concludes that the reckless consumption of "natural capital" is endangering the world's future prosperity, with clear economic impacts including high costs for food, water and energy.Dr Dan Barlow, head of policy at the conservation group's Scotland arm, added: "While the media headlines continue to be dominated by the economic turmoil, the world is hurtling further into an ecological credit crunch."The countries with the biggest impact on the planet are the US and China, together accounting for some 40% of the global footprint.The report shows the US and United Arab Emirates have the largest ecological footprint per person, while Malawi and Afghanistan have the smallest."If our demands on the planet continue to increase at the same rate, by the mid-2030s we would need the equivalent of two planets to maintain our lifestyles," said WWF International director-general James Leape.In the UK, the "ecological footprint" - the amount of the Earth's land and sea needed to provide the resources we use and absorb our waste - is 5.3 hectares per person.  This is more than twice the 2.1 hectares per person actually available for the global population.The UK's national ecological footprint is the 15th biggest in the world, and is the same size as that of 33 African countries put together, WWF said."The events in the last few months have served to show us how it's foolish in the extreme to live beyond our means," said WWF's international president, Chief Emeka Anyaoku."Devastating though the financial credit crunch has been, it's nothing as compared to the ecological recession that we are facing."He said the more than $2 trillion (£1.2 trillion) lost on stocks and shares was dwarfed by the up to $4.5 trillion worth of resources destroyed forever each year.An index for the tropics shows an average 51% decline over the same period in 1,333 populations of 585 species.A new index for water consumption showed that for countries such as the UK, the average "water footprint" was far greater than people realised, with thousands of litres used to produce goods such as beef, sugar and cotton shirts."In Britain, almost two thirds [62%] of the average water footprint comes from use abroad to produce goods we consume," said Mr Leape.  The planet is headed for an ecological "credit crunch", according to a report issued by conservation groups.The document contends that our demands on natural resources overreach what the Earth can sustain by almost a third.The Living Planet Report is the work of WWF, the Zoological Society of London and the Global Footprint Network.It says that more than three quarters of the world's population lives in countries where consumption levels are outstripping environmental renewal.This makes them "ecological debtors", meaning that they are drawing - and often overdrawing - on the agricultural land, forests, seas and resources of other countries to sustain them.The report concludes that the reckless consumption of "natural capital" is endangering the world's future prosperity, with clear economic impacts including high costs for food, water and energy.Dr Dan Barlow, head of policy at the conservation group's Scotland arm, added: "While the media headlines continue to be dominated by the economic turmoil, the world is hurtling further into an ecological credit crunch."The countries with the biggest impact on the planet are the US and China, together accounting for some 40% of the global footprint.The report shows the US and United Arab Emirates have the largest ecological footprint per person, while Malawi and Afghanistan have the smallest."If our demands on the planet continue to increase at the same rate, by the mid-2030s we would need the equivalent of two planets to maintain our lifestyles," said WWF International director-general James Leape.In the UK, the "ecological footprint" - the amount of the Earth's land and sea needed to provide the resources we use and absorb our waste - is 5.3 hectares per person.  This is more than twice the 2.1 hectares per person actually available for the global population.The UK's national ecological footprint is the 15th biggest in the world, and is the same size as that of 33 African countries put together, WWF said."The events in the last few months have served to show us how it's foolish in the extreme to live beyond our means," said WWF's international president, Chief Emeka Anyaoku."Devastating though the financial credit crunch has been, it's nothing as compared to the ecological recession that we are facing."He said the more than $2 trillion (£1.2 trillion) lost on stocks and shares was dwarfed by the up to $4.5 trillion worth of resources destroyed forever each year.An index for the tropics shows an average 51% decline over the same period in 1,333 populations of 585 species.A new index for water consumption showed that for countries such as the UK, the average "water footprint" was far greater than people realised, with thousands of litres used to produce goods such as beef, sugar and cotton shirts."In Britain, almost two thirds [62%] of the average water footprint comes from use abroad to produce goods we consume," said Mr Leape.  Thu, 30 Oct 2008 09:22:15 GMT http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Planet-on-course-for-Eco-Crunch/BLOG/130621/51250.html adeymoore 2008-10-30T09:22:15Z Environmental Click4Carbon The planet is headed for an ecological "credit crunch", according to a report issued by conservation groups.The document contends that our demands on natural resources overreach what the Earth can sustain by almost a third.The Living Planet Report is the work of WWF, the Zoological Society of London and the Global Footprint Network.It says that more than three quarters of the world's population lives in countries where consumption levels are outstripping environmental renewal.This makes them "ecological debtors", meaning that they are drawing - and often overdrawing - on the agricultural land, forests, seas and resources of other countries to sustain them.The report concludes that the reckless consumption of "natural capital" is endangering the world's future prosperity, with clear economic impacts including high costs for food, water and energy.Dr Dan Barlow, head of policy at the conservation group's Scotland arm, added: "While the media headlines continue to be dominated by the economic turmoil, the world is hurtling further into an ecological credit crunch."The countries with the biggest impact on the planet are the US and China, together accounting for some 40% of the global footprint.The report shows the US and United Arab Emirates have the largest ecological footprint per person, while Malawi and Afghanistan have the smallest."If our demands on the planet continue to increase at the same rate, by the mid-2030s we would need the equivalent of two planets to maintain our lifestyles," said WWF International director-general James Leape.In the UK, the "ecological footprint" - the amount of the Earth's land and sea needed to provide the resources we use and absorb our waste - is 5.3 hectares per person.  This is more than twice the 2.1 hectares per person actually available for the global population.The UK's national ecological footprint is the 15th biggest in the world, and is the same size as that of 33 African countries put together, WWF said."The events in the last few months have served to show us how it's foolish in the extreme to live beyond our means," said WWF's international president, Chief Emeka Anyaoku."Devastating though the financial credit crunch has been, it's nothing as compared to the ecological recession that we are facing."He said the more than $2 trillion (£1.2 trillion) lost on stocks and shares was dwarfed by the up to $4.5 trillion worth of resources destroyed forever each year.An index for the tropics shows an average 51% decline over the same period in 1,333 populations of 585 species.A new index for water consumption showed that for countries such as the UK, the average "water footprint" was far greater than people realised, with thousands of litres used to produce goods such as beef, sugar and cotton shirts."In Britain, almost two thirds [62%] of the average water footprint comes from use abroad to produce goods we consume," said Mr Leape.  2030, crunch, eco, environmental, planet, planets nonadult false Planet on course for Eco Crunch text blog 2030,crunch,eco,environmental,planet,planets 264 20 4.5 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=3463173&as=51250 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/51250/photos/PHOTO_1693501_51250_3463173_ap_160X120.jpg false United Kingdom Leicester 0 Environmental 0 130621 3463173 Member 0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Virgin-Atlantic-turns-old-seats-into-Handbags/BLOG/128249/51250.html Is airline fabric the next denim? Well, jet-setter, you decide. In one of the oddest recycling gestures in recent memory, Virgin Atlantic Airways is converting old seats into handbags. That’s right, you could carry about 14E forever.The airline is teaming up with Worn Again, a British design company that specializes in recycled materials. It all plays into the airline’s goal of becoming “the world’s most sustainable airline,” including plans to reduce materials sent to landfills by 50% by the year 2012.“By rescuing these onboard products and reusing them for other purposes, we’re aligning ourselves with ideals that are synonymous with the Virgin brand,” the airline’s promotional material says.Wonder what they do with all that nice Sprite-stained carpet. Oh, well, if this sort of memorabilia appeals to you, move fast. Worn Again will produce 2,000 limited-edition pieces made from about 1,000 seats.Cost: Toiletry bags sell for $40. Handbags for around $100. Is airline fabric the next denim? Well, jet-setter, you decide. In one of the oddest recycling gestures in recent memory, Virgin Atlantic Airways is converting old seats into handbags. That’s right, you could carry about 14E forever.The airline is teaming up with Worn Again, a British design company that specializes in recycled materials. It all plays into the airline’s goal of becoming “the world’s most sustainable airline,” including plans to reduce materials sent to landfills by 50% by the year 2012.“By rescuing these onboard products and reusing them for other purposes, we’re aligning ourselves with ideals that are synonymous with the Virgin brand,” the airline’s promotional material says.Wonder what they do with all that nice Sprite-stained carpet. Oh, well, if this sort of memorabilia appeals to you, move fast. Worn Again will produce 2,000 limited-edition pieces made from about 1,000 seats.Cost: Toiletry bags sell for $40. Handbags for around $100. Sun, 26 Oct 2008 12:39:03 GMT http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Virgin-Atlantic-turns-old-seats-into-Handbags/BLOG/128249/51250.html adeymoore 2008-10-26T12:39:03Z Environmental Click4Carbon Is airline fabric the next denim? Well, jet-setter, you decide. In one of the oddest recycling gestures in recent memory, Virgin Atlantic Airways is converting old seats into handbags. That’s right, you could carry about 14E forever.The airline is teaming up with Worn Again, a British design company that specializes in recycled materials. It all plays into the airline’s goal of becoming “the world’s most sustainable airline,” including plans to reduce materials sent to landfills by 50% by the year 2012.“By rescuing these onboard products and reusing them for other purposes, we’re aligning ourselves with ideals that are synonymous with the Virgin brand,” the airline’s promotional material says.Wonder what they do with all that nice Sprite-stained carpet. Oh, well, if this sort of memorabilia appeals to you, move fast. Worn Again will produce 2,000 limited-edition pieces made from about 1,000 seats.Cost: Toiletry bags sell for $40. Handbags for around $100. airline, demin, environmental, fabric, flight, handbags, seats, tickets, virgin atlantic nonadult false Virgin Atlantic turns old seats into Handbags. text blog airline,demin,environmental,fabric,flight,handbags,seats,tickets,virgin atlantic 335 10 4.0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=3463173&as=51250 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/51250/photos/PHOTO_1693501_51250_3463173_ap_160X120.jpg false United Kingdom Leicester 0 Environmental 0 128249 3463173 Member 0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Is-a-Low-Carbon-Economy-a-Luxury/BLOG/125175/51250.html Elliot Morley"The world's focus is rightly on the turmoil in the financial markets and the global economic slowdown.Some commentators, indeed some politicians, have used the deteriorating economic circumstances to argue that tackling climate change through the transition to a low-carbon economy is a luxury item; saying it is too expensive, could damage competitiveness, and should be a secondary political objective.This is an understandable view but, in my opinion, it is short-sighted.The global economy and the climate system are linked and the current slowdown represents a unique opportunity to use public sector investment to kick-start the economy and build the low-carbon infrastructure we need for our long-term prosperity.The low-carbon economy is an integral part of economic recovery, not an optional bolt on.'Unique opportunity'Some economists are arguing that in order to kick-start the economy, governments will need to invest in major infrastructure projects to help stimulate demand in the economy, increase investment and create jobs.  This presents us with a unique opportunity to create the low-carbon infrastructure we need for our future prosperity, such as more renewable energy generation, better public transport networks, smarter and more flexible electricity grids, "retrofitting" buildings to increase energy efficiency, and a network of pipelines to carry captured CO2 from fossil fuel power plants to storage sites under the North Sea.This investment in infrastructure, together with policies to structure financial and industrial markets to deliver social and environmental goods, would help reignite the economy, reduce our dependence on imported fossil fuels and improve energy and climate security.The political will has been found to stabilise the banking crisis. Now we need that same political will to tackle the economic slowdown to tackle the twin challenges of climate and energy security.So, what are the building blocks required to generate the political support to drive economic investment into a low-carbon future?Firstly, we need a global political agreement on how to tackle climate change beyond 2012. Most eyes are focusing on the UN meeting in Copenhagen in 2009 for a settlement.However, if negotiations are to be successful, the political conditions must be created beforehand. The Italian G8 Summit next July is a key milestone.Prime Minister Berlusconi has a chance to demonstrate real leadership by urging world leaders to agree the shape of a post-2012 deal and to do so against a backdrop of challenging economic conditions.And it is crucial that the major emerging economies of Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa are given an equal seat at the negotiating table.  Emerging economies will only be persuaded to take part in the transition to a low-carbon economy if we begin the discussion by recognising their new position in the world.EU leadership is critical and it was heartening last week to see the EU Council reaffirm its determination to meet its self-imposed ambitious emissions reduction targets, and the UK's new Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change commit the UK to 80% emissions cuts from 1990 levels by 2050.When I was in Beijing earlier this year, the members of the National People's Congress I met told me that the EU's targets had significant influence on Chinese decision-makers. This ambition must not be allowed to slip if we are to be successful in Copenhagen.Secondly, we need a global carbon market. Having a significant price on carbon is the single most efficient way of driving CO2 out of the economy.The EU's Emission Trading Scheme is the foundation for this. We now need to link this to markets emerging in the US, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.And, as recommended by GLOBE's working group on market mechanisms, in the context of the financial turmoil and the focus on market regulation, we must ensure that the global carbon market is regulated by an independent body with the authority and transparency to build confidence and ensure integrity.Thirdly, the price on carbon must be backed with regulation and innovative financing to drive global investment into clean technology.By setting ambitious efficiency standards on new appliances, buildings and technology, we can use the clout of the world's biggest markets to drive innovation around the world.These actions do not just reduce emissions. They have huge economic benefits. By driving investment into clean technology and diversifying our energy resources we can help reduce the inflationary pressures and price volatility of oil, while creating jobs in all sectors from design and manufacturing, to engineering, IT and consultancy.The benefits would not simply be felt in the developed world. Developing countries have a lot to gain too. As host nations for emissions reduction projects in the carbon market they can attract inward investment into clean energy, along with technology and skills transfer from developed countries.Fresh thinkingAs manufacturing centres for the clean technologies needed around the world, developing countries can create the jobs and wealth needed to develop their economies along a low-carbon path. China is an obvious example. It is already the global manufacturing centre for wind turbines, a vast number of which are deployed in wind farms on its own soil. It is here we can begin to see some links between the environmental and financial crises.It is the world's biggest carbon emitter, it holds vast reserves of wealth but, although so far it has been shielded from the financial turmoil, orders for its various manufacturing centres are set to fall as a result of the slowing demand from the industrialised nations.This means that China too is likely to feel the downturn, but herein lies the opportunity.China, and other countries with reserves of sovereign wealth, could invest in low-carbon as a way of reinvigorating the global economy which, in turn, will reinvigorate their own.We have recently seen a smaller scale example with Abu Dhabi investing in a 20% share in the Thames Array wind farm. This is a sensible move from oil producing countries, diversifying their investments into the future global energy infrastructure and contributing to lower emissions.It is an example other oil producers should follow and demonstrates that a post-2012 treaty is an opportunity for oil producers, not a threat as some currently perceive.To help create the right political conditions for success in Copenhagen, GLOBE is launching an International Commission on Climate and Energy Security.The Commission will comprise of senior legislators from G8 countries and the major emerging economies of Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa to identify the most difficult domestic obstacles, and to explore in-depth, as well as politically test, the specific outcomes required from the G8 summit.The work of these legislators gives me great hope that G8 leaders will rise to the challenge in Italy next year and help prepare the ground for an ambitious and effective post-2012 agreement to tackle climate change.Such an agreement is not just necessary to protect our climate but also to provide a framework within which we can kick-start our economies, create jobs and secure our future prosperity. "Elliot Morley is president of GLOBE International and was the UK prime minister's special representative to the G8's Gleneagles Dialogue Elliot Morley"The world's focus is rightly on the turmoil in the financial markets and the global economic slowdown.Some commentators, indeed some politicians, have used the deteriorating economic circumstances to argue that tackling climate change through the transition to a low-carbon economy is a luxury item; saying it is too expensive, could damage competitiveness, and should be a secondary political objective.This is an understandable view but, in my opinion, it is short-sighted.The global economy and the climate system are linked and the current slowdown represents a unique opportunity to use public sector investment to kick-start the economy and build the low-carbon infrastructure we need for our long-term prosperity.The low-carbon economy is an integral part of economic recovery, not an optional bolt on.'Unique opportunity'Some economists are arguing that in order to kick-start the economy, governments will need to invest in major infrastructure projects to help stimulate demand in the economy, increase investment and create jobs.  This presents us with a unique opportunity to create the low-carbon infrastructure we need for our future prosperity, such as more renewable energy generation, better public transport networks, smarter and more flexible electricity grids, "retrofitting" buildings to increase energy efficiency, and a network of pipelines to carry captured CO2 from fossil fuel power plants to storage sites under the North Sea.This investment in infrastructure, together with policies to structure financial and industrial markets to deliver social and environmental goods, would help reignite the economy, reduce our dependence on imported fossil fuels and improve energy and climate security.The political will has been found to stabilise the banking crisis. Now we need that same political will to tackle the economic slowdown to tackle the twin challenges of climate and energy security.So, what are the building blocks required to generate the political support to drive economic investment into a low-carbon future?Firstly, we need a global political agreement on how to tackle climate change beyond 2012. Most eyes are focusing on the UN meeting in Copenhagen in 2009 for a settlement.However, if negotiations are to be successful, the political conditions must be created beforehand. The Italian G8 Summit next July is a key milestone.Prime Minister Berlusconi has a chance to demonstrate real leadership by urging world leaders to agree the shape of a post-2012 deal and to do so against a backdrop of challenging economic conditions.And it is crucial that the major emerging economies of Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa are given an equal seat at the negotiating table.  Emerging economies will only be persuaded to take part in the transition to a low-carbon economy if we begin the discussion by recognising their new position in the world.EU leadership is critical and it was heartening last week to see the EU Council reaffirm its determination to meet its self-imposed ambitious emissions reduction targets, and the UK's new Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change commit the UK to 80% emissions cuts from 1990 levels by 2050.When I was in Beijing earlier this year, the members of the National People's Congress I met told me that the EU's targets had significant influence on Chinese decision-makers. This ambition must not be allowed to slip if we are to be successful in Copenhagen.Secondly, we need a global carbon market. Having a significant price on carbon is the single most efficient way of driving CO2 out of the economy.The EU's Emission Trading Scheme is the foundation for this. We now need to link this to markets emerging in the US, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.And, as recommended by GLOBE's working group on market mechanisms, in the context of the financial turmoil and the focus on market regulation, we must ensure that the global carbon market is regulated by an independent body with the authority and transparency to build confidence and ensure integrity.Thirdly, the price on carbon must be backed with regulation and innovative financing to drive global investment into clean technology.By setting ambitious efficiency standards on new appliances, buildings and technology, we can use the clout of the world's biggest markets to drive innovation around the world.These actions do not just reduce emissions. They have huge economic benefits. By driving investment into clean technology and diversifying our energy resources we can help reduce the inflationary pressures and price volatility of oil, while creating jobs in all sectors from design and manufacturing, to engineering, IT and consultancy.The benefits would not simply be felt in the developed world. Developing countries have a lot to gain too. As host nations for emissions reduction projects in the carbon market they can attract inward investment into clean energy, along with technology and skills transfer from developed countries.Fresh thinkingAs manufacturing centres for the clean technologies needed around the world, developing countries can create the jobs and wealth needed to develop their economies along a low-carbon path. China is an obvious example. It is already the global manufacturing centre for wind turbines, a vast number of which are deployed in wind farms on its own soil. It is here we can begin to see some links between the environmental and financial crises.It is the world's biggest carbon emitter, it holds vast reserves of wealth but, although so far it has been shielded from the financial turmoil, orders for its various manufacturing centres are set to fall as a result of the slowing demand from the industrialised nations.This means that China too is likely to feel the downturn, but herein lies the opportunity.China, and other countries with reserves of sovereign wealth, could invest in low-carbon as a way of reinvigorating the global economy which, in turn, will reinvigorate their own.We have recently seen a smaller scale example with Abu Dhabi investing in a 20% share in the Thames Array wind farm. This is a sensible move from oil producing countries, diversifying their investments into the future global energy infrastructure and contributing to lower emissions.It is an example other oil producers should follow and demonstrates that a post-2012 treaty is an opportunity for oil producers, not a threat as some currently perceive.To help create the right political conditions for success in Copenhagen, GLOBE is launching an International Commission on Climate and Energy Security.The Commission will comprise of senior legislators from G8 countries and the major emerging economies of Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa to identify the most difficult domestic obstacles, and to explore in-depth, as well as politically test, the specific outcomes required from the G8 summit.The work of these legislators gives me great hope that G8 leaders will rise to the challenge in Italy next year and help prepare the ground for an ambitious and effective post-2012 agreement to tackle climate change.Such an agreement is not just necessary to protect our climate but also to provide a framework within which we can kick-start our economies, create jobs and secure our future prosperity. "Elliot Morley is president of GLOBE International and was the UK prime minister's special representative to the G8's Gleneagles Dialogue Wed, 22 Oct 2008 08:21:18 GMT http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Is-a-Low-Carbon-Economy-a-Luxury/BLOG/125175/51250.html adeymoore 2008-10-22T08:21:18Z Environmental Click4Carbon Elliot Morley"The world's focus is rightly on the turmoil in the financial markets and the global economic slowdown.Some commentators, indeed some politicians, have used the deteriorating economic circumstances to argue that tackling climate change through the transition to a low-carbon economy is a luxury item; saying it is too expensive, could damage competitiveness, and should be a secondary political objective.This is an understandable view but, in my opinion, it is short-sighted.The global economy and the climate system are linked and the current slowdown represents a unique opportunity to use public sector investment to kick-start the economy and build the low-carbon infrastructure we need for our long-term prosperity.The low-carbon economy is an integral part of economic recovery, not an optional bolt on.'Unique opportunity'Some economists are arguing that in order to kick-start the economy, governments will need to invest in major infrastructure projects to help stimulate demand in the economy, increase investment and create jobs.  This presents us with a unique opportunity to create the low-carbon infrastructure we need for our future prosperity, such as more renewable energy generation, better public transport networks, smarter and more flexible electricity grids, "retrofitting" buildings to increase energy efficiency, and a network of pipelines to carry captured CO2 from fossil fuel power plants to storage sites under the North Sea.This investment in infrastructure, together with policies to structure financial and industrial markets to deliver social and environmental goods, would help reignite the economy, reduce our dependence on imported fossil fuels and improve energy and climate security.The political will has been found to stabilise the banking crisis. Now we need that same political will to tackle the economic slowdown to tackle the twin challenges of climate and energy security.So, what are the building blocks required to generate the political support to drive economic investment into a low-carbon future?Firstly, we need a global political agreement on how to tackle climate change beyond 2012. Most eyes are focusing on the UN meeting in Copenhagen in 2009 for a settlement.However, if negotiations are to be successful, the political conditions must be created beforehand. The Italian G8 Summit next July is a key milestone.Prime Minister Berlusconi has a chance to demonstrate real leadership by urging world leaders to agree the shape of a post-2012 deal and to do so against a backdrop of challenging economic conditions.And it is crucial that the major emerging economies of Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa are given an equal seat at the negotiating table.  Emerging economies will only be persuaded to take part in the transition to a low-carbon economy if we begin the discussion by recognising their new position in the world.EU leadership is critical and it was heartening last week to see the EU Council reaffirm its determination to meet its self-imposed ambitious emissions reduction targets, and the UK's new Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change commit the UK to 80% emissions cuts from 1990 levels by 2050.When I was in Beijing earlier this year, the members of the National People's Congress I met told me that the EU's targets had significant influence on Chinese decision-makers. This ambition must not be allowed to slip if we are to be successful in Copenhagen.Secondly, we need a global carbon market. Having a significant price on carbon is the single most efficient way of driving CO2 out of the economy.The EU's Emission Trading Scheme is the foundation for this. We now need to link this to markets emerging in the US, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.And, as recommended by GLOBE's working group on market mechanisms, in the context of the financial turmoil and the focus on market regulation, we must ensure that the global carbon market is regulated by an independent body with the authority and transparency to build confidence and ensure integrity.Thirdly, the price on carbon must be backed with regulation and innovative financing to drive global investment into clean technology.By setting ambitious efficiency standards on new appliances, buildings and technology, we can use the clout of the world's biggest markets to drive innovation around the world.These actions do not just reduce emissions. They have huge economic benefits. By driving investment into clean technology and diversifying our energy resources we can help reduce the inflationary pressures and price volatility of oil, while creating jobs in all sectors from design and manufacturing, to engineering, IT and consultancy.The benefits would not simply be felt in the developed world. Developing countries have a lot to gain too. As host nations for emissions reduction projects in the carbon market they can attract inward investment into clean energy, along with technology and skills transfer from developed countries.Fresh thinkingAs manufacturing centres for the clean technologies needed around the world, developing countries can create the jobs and wealth needed to develop their economies along a low-carbon path. China is an obvious example. It is already the global manufacturing centre for wind turbines, a vast number of which are deployed in wind farms on its own soil. It is here we can begin to see some links between the environmental and financial crises.It is the world's biggest carbon emitter, it holds vast reserves of wealth but, although so far it has been shielded from the financial turmoil, orders for its various manufacturing centres are set to fall as a result of the slowing demand from the industrialised nations.This means that China too is likely to feel the downturn, but herein lies the opportunity.China, and other countries with reserves of sovereign wealth, could invest in low-carbon as a way of reinvigorating the global economy which, in turn, will reinvigorate their own.We have recently seen a smaller scale example with Abu Dhabi investing in a 20% share in the Thames Array wind farm. This is a sensible move from oil producing countries, diversifying their investments into the future global energy infrastructure and contributing to lower emissions.It is an example other oil producers should follow and demonstrates that a post-2012 treaty is an opportunity for oil producers, not a threat as some currently perceive.To help create the right political conditions for success in Copenhagen, GLOBE is launching an International Commission on Climate and Energy Security.The Commission will comprise of senior legislators from G8 countries and the major emerging economies of Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa to identify the most difficult domestic obstacles, and to explore in-depth, as well as politically test, the specific outcomes required from the G8 summit.The work of these legislators gives me great hope that G8 leaders will rise to the challenge in Italy next year and help prepare the ground for an ambitious and effective post-2012 agreement to tackle climate change.Such an agreement is not just necessary to protect our climate but also to provide a framework within which we can kick-start our economies, create jobs and secure our future prosperity. "Elliot Morley is president of GLOBE International and was the UK prime minister's special representative to the G8's Gleneagles Dialogue climate, climate economy, economy, elliot morley, environmental, global economy, luxury, luxury climate, public sector investment nonadult false Is a Low Carbon Economy a Luxury? text blog climate,climate economy,economy,elliot morley,environmental,global economy,luxury,luxury climate,public sector investment 239 10 4.0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=3463173&as=51250 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/51250/photos/PHOTO_1693501_51250_3463173_ap_160X120.jpg false United Kingdom Leicester 0 Environmental 0 125175 3463173 Member 0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Eco-Farm/BLOG/122710/51250.html An attempt to create a pioneering carbon-neutral farm is starting in Italy.A range of new technologies is being installed at the farm in the central region of Umbria as part of an experiment to cut its CO2 emissions to zero over the course of the next year.They include everything from electric farm vehicles to sun-reflecting paint on storage buildings.It is all taking place at the Castello Monte Vibiano Vecchio olive oil farm, north of Rome.With its vineyards and olive trees, this beautiful corner of Italy might look like it has escaped the intrusions of climate change, but the farm's owners say they, too, have to play their part in making the world greener."We want to go further than anyone else," says Lorenzo Fasola Bologna, Monte Vibiano's chief executive.Storing solar energyOne of the key investments is in a unique solar powered battery re-charging centre.Built by the Austrian company Cellstrom, the centre is a shed-sized box with 24 solar panels on it that houses a revolutionary liquid-based battery.The battery can, for the first time, store solar energy.Until now, electricity generated by the sun has generally had to be used immediately. It is one reason why opponents say solar power is limited.No longer.Depending on the amount of usage, the battery centre can store solar-sourced electricity for up to three days. They are working to extend that to 10 days and more, enabling the farm to continue operating through foggy days when the sun does not shine.It means that golf carts and electric bikes will become the key means of transport for farm workers and that they can all charge up at the battery centre.'360º solution'Cellstrom estimates the farm can save 4,500 litres of petrol every year and reduce CO2 emissions by 10 tons."Yes, it is an expensive initial investment," says Lorenzo, without revealing the actual cost. "But we think that we will start getting our investment back after five years or so. From then on, our fossil fuel bills will disappear."Solar power is just one of the ground-breaking technologies being applied to this farm. They call it a multiple layered 360º solution to global pollution.They have bought a fleet of special miniature tractors that use a new generation of bio fuels. The farm says the new fuels will not be coming from food chain products like corn and therefore will not diminish world food supplies.Then there are the farm's boilers which are used to create heat in the olive oil production process.They will use wood chips instead of methane gas, as in the past. The wood is a renewable source of energy found from supplies already on the farm.Even storage tanks on the farm are being painted white to reflect sunlight away from earth, in an effort to cut the effects of global warming.And, just to make sure they have not left anything else out, they have also planted 10,000 trees to soak up and offset any unforeseen CO2 emissions.'No choice'By the end of next year they hope to be the first farm, anywhere, to reduce their inherent net carbon footprint to zero - ie without using off-site offsetting projects."It will be great," says Lorenzo, "to pass on this great, green enterprise to my children and their children."And when asked if it makes economic sense for a business to attempt all this, he replies: "Absolutely. We are not a charity."This whole region is responding to new climate pressures.At the nearby Lungarotti winery in Torgiano, recycled grape vines now power the process, not oil.Mini-weather stations provide data for planting and watering and organic fertilisers enrich the soil.Chiara Lungarotti, whose family owns the company, is just as committed as her neighbour Lorenzo."We have no choice but to get agriculture to adapt to climate change," she says. "It is our interest for the sake of our crops to be friendly to the planet."So, agriculture is now doing its bit on climate change.Whether small olive oil producers or wine makers have lessons for bigger operations will be known when these experiments are over.But they will be toasting Umbria if they have.  An attempt to create a pioneering carbon-neutral farm is starting in Italy.A range of new technologies is being installed at the farm in the central region of Umbria as part of an experiment to cut its CO2 emissions to zero over the course of the next year.They include everything from electric farm vehicles to sun-reflecting paint on storage buildings.It is all taking place at the Castello Monte Vibiano Vecchio olive oil farm, north of Rome.With its vineyards and olive trees, this beautiful corner of Italy might look like it has escaped the intrusions of climate change, but the farm's owners say they, too, have to play their part in making the world greener."We want to go further than anyone else," says Lorenzo Fasola Bologna, Monte Vibiano's chief executive.Storing solar energyOne of the key investments is in a unique solar powered battery re-charging centre.Built by the Austrian company Cellstrom, the centre is a shed-sized box with 24 solar panels on it that houses a revolutionary liquid-based battery.The battery can, for the first time, store solar energy.Until now, electricity generated by the sun has generally had to be used immediately. It is one reason why opponents say solar power is limited.No longer.Depending on the amount of usage, the battery centre can store solar-sourced electricity for up to three days. They are working to extend that to 10 days and more, enabling the farm to continue operating through foggy days when the sun does not shine.It means that golf carts and electric bikes will become the key means of transport for farm workers and that they can all charge up at the battery centre.'360º solution'Cellstrom estimates the farm can save 4,500 litres of petrol every year and reduce CO2 emissions by 10 tons."Yes, it is an expensive initial investment," says Lorenzo, without revealing the actual cost. "But we think that we will start getting our investment back after five years or so. From then on, our fossil fuel bills will disappear."Solar power is just one of the ground-breaking technologies being applied to this farm. They call it a multiple layered 360º solution to global pollution.They have bought a fleet of special miniature tractors that use a new generation of bio fuels. The farm says the new fuels will not be coming from food chain products like corn and therefore will not diminish world food supplies.Then there are the farm's boilers which are used to create heat in the olive oil production process.They will use wood chips instead of methane gas, as in the past. The wood is a renewable source of energy found from supplies already on the farm.Even storage tanks on the farm are being painted white to reflect sunlight away from earth, in an effort to cut the effects of global warming.And, just to make sure they have not left anything else out, they have also planted 10,000 trees to soak up and offset any unforeseen CO2 emissions.'No choice'By the end of next year they hope to be the first farm, anywhere, to reduce their inherent net carbon footprint to zero - ie without using off-site offsetting projects."It will be great," says Lorenzo, "to pass on this great, green enterprise to my children and their children."And when asked if it makes economic sense for a business to attempt all this, he replies: "Absolutely. We are not a charity."This whole region is responding to new climate pressures.At the nearby Lungarotti winery in Torgiano, recycled grape vines now power the process, not oil.Mini-weather stations provide data for planting and watering and organic fertilisers enrich the soil.Chiara Lungarotti, whose family owns the company, is just as committed as her neighbour Lorenzo."We have no choice but to get agriculture to adapt to climate change," she says. "It is our interest for the sake of our crops to be friendly to the planet."So, agriculture is now doing its bit on climate change.Whether small olive oil producers or wine makers have lessons for bigger operations will be known when these experiments are over.But they will be toasting Umbria if they have.  Sat, 18 Oct 2008 10:22:49 GMT http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Eco-Farm/BLOG/122710/51250.html adeymoore 2008-10-18T10:22:49Z Click4Carbon An attempt to create a pioneering carbon-neutral farm is starting in Italy.A range of new technologies is being installed at the farm in the central region of Umbria as part of an experiment to cut its CO2 emissions to zero over the course of the next year.They include everything from electric farm vehicles to sun-reflecting paint on storage buildings.It is all taking place at the Castello Monte Vibiano Vecchio olive oil farm, north of Rome.With its vineyards and olive trees, this beautiful corner of Italy might look like it has escaped the intrusions of climate change, but the farm's owners say they, too, have to play their part in making the world greener."We want to go further than anyone else," says Lorenzo Fasola Bologna, Monte Vibiano's chief executive.Storing solar energyOne of the key investments is in a unique solar powered battery re-charging centre.Built by the Austrian company Cellstrom, the centre is a shed-sized box with 24 solar panels on it that houses a revolutionary liquid-based battery.The battery can, for the first time, store solar energy.Until now, electricity generated by the sun has generally had to be used immediately. It is one reason why opponents say solar power is limited.No longer.Depending on the amount of usage, the battery centre can store solar-sourced electricity for up to three days. They are working to extend that to 10 days and more, enabling the farm to continue operating through foggy days when the sun does not shine.It means that golf carts and electric bikes will become the key means of transport for farm workers and that they can all charge up at the battery centre.'360º solution'Cellstrom estimates the farm can save 4,500 litres of petrol every year and reduce CO2 emissions by 10 tons."Yes, it is an expensive initial investment," says Lorenzo, without revealing the actual cost. "But we think that we will start getting our investment back after five years or so. From then on, our fossil fuel bills will disappear."Solar power is just one of the ground-breaking technologies being applied to this farm. They call it a multiple layered 360º solution to global pollution.They have bought a fleet of special miniature tractors that use a new generation of bio fuels. The farm says the new fuels will not be coming from food chain products like corn and therefore will not diminish world food supplies.Then there are the farm's boilers which are used to create heat in the olive oil production process.They will use wood chips instead of methane gas, as in the past. The wood is a renewable source of energy found from supplies already on the farm.Even storage tanks on the farm are being painted white to reflect sunlight away from earth, in an effort to cut the effects of global warming.And, just to make sure they have not left anything else out, they have also planted 10,000 trees to soak up and offset any unforeseen CO2 emissions.'No choice'By the end of next year they hope to be the first farm, anywhere, to reduce their inherent net carbon footprint to zero - ie without using off-site offsetting projects."It will be great," says Lorenzo, "to pass on this great, green enterprise to my children and their children."And when asked if it makes economic sense for a business to attempt all this, he replies: "Absolutely. We are not a charity."This whole region is responding to new climate pressures.At the nearby Lungarotti winery in Torgiano, recycled grape vines now power the process, not oil.Mini-weather stations provide data for planting and watering and organic fertilisers enrich the soil.Chiara Lungarotti, whose family owns the company, is just as committed as her neighbour Lorenzo."We have no choice but to get agriculture to adapt to climate change," she says. "It is our interest for the sake of our crops to be friendly to the planet."So, agriculture is now doing its bit on climate change.Whether small olive oil producers or wine makers have lessons for bigger operations will be known when these experiments are over.But they will be toasting Umbria if they have.  nonadult false Eco Farm text blog 266 10 4.0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=3463173&as=51250 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/51250/photos/PHOTO_1693501_51250_3463173_ap_160X120.jpg false United Kingdom Leicester 0 0 122710 3463173 Member 0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Searching-good-for-the-brain-aswell-as-planet/BLOG/119569/51250.html Internet use 'good for the brain'   For middle aged and older people at least, using the internet helps boost brain power, research suggests.A University of California Los Angeles team found searching the web stimulates centres in the brain that control decision-making and complex reasoning.The researchers say this might even help to counter-act the age-related physiological changes than cause the brain to slow down.The study features in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.As the brain ages, a number of changes occur, including shrinkage and reductions in cell activity, which can impact on performance.It has long been thought that activities which keep the brain active, such as crossword puzzles, may help minimise the impact - and the latest study suggests that surfing the web can be added to the list. Lead researcher Professor Gary Small said: "The study results are encouraging, that emerging computerized technologies may have physiological effects and potential benefits for middle-aged and older adults."Internet searching engages complicated brain activity, which may help exercise and improve brain function."The latest study was based on 24 volunteers aged between 55 and 76. Half were experienced internet users, the rest were not.Compared with readingEach volunteer underwent a brain scan while performing web searches and book-reading tasks.Both types of task produced evidence of significant activity in regions of the brain controlling language, reading, memory and visual abilities.However, the web search task produced significant additional activity in separate areas of the brain which control decision-making and complex reasoning - but only in those who were experienced web users.The researchers said that compared with simple reading, the internet's wealth of choices requires that people make decisions about what to click on in order to get the relevant information.However, they suggested that newcomers to the web had not quite grasped the strategies needed to successfully carry out a web search.Professor Smith said: "A simple, everyday task like searching the web appears to enhance brain circuitry in older adults, demonstrating that our brains are sensitive and can continue to learn as we grow older."Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, said: "These fascinating findings add to previous research suggesting that middle-aged and older people can reduce their risk of dementia by taking part in regular mentally stimulating activities."Older web users - 'silver surfers' - are doing precisely this."Frequent social interactions, regular exercise and maintaining a balanced diet can also reduce dementia risk."Dr Susanne Sorensen, head of research at the Alzheimer's Society, said: "Use it or lose it may well be a positive message to keep people active but there is very little real evidence that keeping the brain exercised with puzzles, games or other activities can promote cognitive health and reduce the risk of dementia." So come on, lets spread the Click4Carbon.com word and get the world active.  Internet use 'good for the brain'   For middle aged and older people at least, using the internet helps boost brain power, research suggests.A University of California Los Angeles team found searching the web stimulates centres in the brain that control decision-making and complex reasoning.The researchers say this might even help to counter-act the age-related physiological changes than cause the brain to slow down.The study features in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.As the brain ages, a number of changes occur, including shrinkage and reductions in cell activity, which can impact on performance.It has long been thought that activities which keep the brain active, such as crossword puzzles, may help minimise the impact - and the latest study suggests that surfing the web can be added to the list. Lead researcher Professor Gary Small said: "The study results are encouraging, that emerging computerized technologies may have physiological effects and potential benefits for middle-aged and older adults."Internet searching engages complicated brain activity, which may help exercise and improve brain function."The latest study was based on 24 volunteers aged between 55 and 76. Half were experienced internet users, the rest were not.Compared with readingEach volunteer underwent a brain scan while performing web searches and book-reading tasks.Both types of task produced evidence of significant activity in regions of the brain controlling language, reading, memory and visual abilities.However, the web search task produced significant additional activity in separate areas of the brain which control decision-making and complex reasoning - but only in those who were experienced web users.The researchers said that compared with simple reading, the internet's wealth of choices requires that people make decisions about what to click on in order to get the relevant information.However, they suggested that newcomers to the web had not quite grasped the strategies needed to successfully carry out a web search.Professor Smith said: "A simple, everyday task like searching the web appears to enhance brain circuitry in older adults, demonstrating that our brains are sensitive and can continue to learn as we grow older."Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, said: "These fascinating findings add to previous research suggesting that middle-aged and older people can reduce their risk of dementia by taking part in regular mentally stimulating activities."Older web users - 'silver surfers' - are doing precisely this."Frequent social interactions, regular exercise and maintaining a balanced diet can also reduce dementia risk."Dr Susanne Sorensen, head of research at the Alzheimer's Society, said: "Use it or lose it may well be a positive message to keep people active but there is very little real evidence that keeping the brain exercised with puzzles, games or other activities can promote cognitive health and reduce the risk of dementia." So come on, lets spread the Click4Carbon.com word and get the world active.  Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:30:59 GMT http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Searching-good-for-the-brain-aswell-as-planet/BLOG/119569/51250.html adeymoore 2008-10-14T14:30:59Z Environmental Click4Carbon Internet use 'good for the brain'   For middle aged and older people at least, using the internet helps boost brain power, research suggests.A University of California Los Angeles team found searching the web stimulates centres in the brain that control decision-making and complex reasoning.The researchers say this might even help to counter-act the age-related physiological changes than cause the brain to slow down.The study features in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.As the brain ages, a number of changes occur, including shrinkage and reductions in cell activity, which can impact on performance.It has long been thought that activities which keep the brain active, such as crossword puzzles, may help minimise the impact - and the latest study suggests that surfing the web can be added to the list. Lead researcher Professor Gary Small said: "The study results are encouraging, that emerging computerized technologies may have physiological effects and potential benefits for middle-aged and older adults."Internet searching engages complicated brain activity, which may help exercise and improve brain function."The latest study was based on 24 volunteers aged between 55 and 76. Half were experienced internet users, the rest were not.Compared with readingEach volunteer underwent a brain scan while performing web searches and book-reading tasks.Both types of task produced evidence of significant activity in regions of the brain controlling language, reading, memory and visual abilities.However, the web search task produced significant additional activity in separate areas of the brain which control decision-making and complex reasoning - but only in those who were experienced web users.The researchers said that compared with simple reading, the internet's wealth of choices requires that people make decisions about what to click on in order to get the relevant information.However, they suggested that newcomers to the web had not quite grasped the strategies needed to successfully carry out a web search.Professor Smith said: "A simple, everyday task like searching the web appears to enhance brain circuitry in older adults, demonstrating that our brains are sensitive and can continue to learn as we grow older."Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, said: "These fascinating findings add to previous research suggesting that middle-aged and older people can reduce their risk of dementia by taking part in regular mentally stimulating activities."Older web users - 'silver surfers' - are doing precisely this."Frequent social interactions, regular exercise and maintaining a balanced diet can also reduce dementia risk."Dr Susanne Sorensen, head of research at the Alzheimer's Society, said: "Use it or lose it may well be a positive message to keep people active but there is very little real evidence that keeping the brain exercised with puzzles, games or other activities can promote cognitive health and reduce the risk of dementia." So come on, lets spread the Click4Carbon.com word and get the world active.  environmental nonadult false Searching good for the brain aswell as planet! text blog environmental 362 21 4.04762 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=3463173&as=51250 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/51250/photos/PHOTO_1693501_51250_3463173_ap_160X120.jpg false United Kingdom Leicester 1 Environmental 0 119569 3463173 Member 0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Global-Economic-Crisis/BLOG/119552/51250.html If you had purchased £1000 of Northern Rock (UK Bank) shares one year ago they would now be worth £4.95With HBOS (Another UK Bank), earlier this week your £1000 would have been worth £16.50£1000 invested in XL Leisure would now be worth less than £5If you bought £1000 worth of canned lager one year ago, drank it all, then took the empty cans to an aluminium re-cycling plant, you would get £214.So based on the above statistics the best current investment advice is to drink heavily and re-cycle! If you had purchased £1000 of Northern Rock (UK Bank) shares one year ago they would now be worth £4.95With HBOS (Another UK Bank), earlier this week your £1000 would have been worth £16.50£1000 invested in XL Leisure would now be worth less than £5If you bought £1000 worth of canned lager one year ago, drank it all, then took the empty cans to an aluminium re-cycling plant, you would get £214.So based on the above statistics the best current investment advice is to drink heavily and re-cycle! Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:57:16 GMT http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Global-Economic-Crisis/BLOG/119552/51250.html adeymoore 2008-10-14T13:57:16Z Just for Fun Click4Carbon If you had purchased £1000 of Northern Rock (UK Bank) shares one year ago they would now be worth £4.95With HBOS (Another UK Bank), earlier this week your £1000 would have been worth £16.50£1000 invested in XL Leisure would now be worth less than £5If you bought £1000 worth of canned lager one year ago, drank it all, then took the empty cans to an aluminium re-cycling plant, you would get £214.So based on the above statistics the best current investment advice is to drink heavily and re-cycle! just for fun nonadult false Global Economic Crisis text blog just for fun 328 10 3.0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=3463173&as=51250 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/51250/photos/PHOTO_1693501_51250_3463173_ap_160X120.jpg false United Kingdom Leicester 1 Just for Fun 0 119552 3463173 Member 0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Disappearing-Forests-cost-MORE-than-the-Global-Credit-Crisis/BLOG/118687/51250.html The global economy is losing more money from the disappearance of forests than through the current banking crisis, according to an EU-commissioned study.It puts the annual cost of forest loss at between $2 trillion and $5 trillion.The figure comes from adding the value of the various services that forests perform, such as providing clean water and absorbing carbon dioxide.The study, headed by a Deutsche Bank economist, parallels the Stern Review into the economics of climate change.It has been discussed during many sessions here at the World Conservation Congress.Some conservationists see it as a new way of persuading policymakers to fund nature protection rather than allowing the decline in ecosystems and species, highlighted in the release on Monday of the Red List of Threatened Species, to continue.Capital lossesSpeaking on the fringes of the congress, study leader Pavan Sukhdev emphasised that the cost of natural decline dwarfs losses on the financial markets."It's not only greater but it's also continuous, it's been happening every year, year after year," he said."So whereas Wall Street by various calculations has to date lost, within the financial sector, $1-$1.5 trillion, the reality is that at today's rate we are losing natural capital at least between $2-$5 trillion every year."The review that Mr Sukhdev leads, The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (Teeb), was initiated by Germany under its recent EU presidency, with the European Commission providing funding.The first phase concluded in May when the team released its finding that forest decline could be costing about 7% of global GDP. The second phase will expand the scope to other natural systems.Stern messageKey to understanding his conclusions is that as forests decline, nature stops providing services which it used to provide essentially for free.So the human economy either has to provide them instead, perhaps through building reservoirs, building facilities to sequester carbon dioxide, or farming foods that were once naturally available.Or we have to do without them; either way, there is a financial cost.The Teeb calculations show that the cost falls disproportionately on the poor, because a greater part of their livelihood depends directly on the forest, especially in tropical regions.The greatest cost to western nations would initially come through losing a natural absorber of the most important greenhouse gas.Just as the Stern Review brought the economics of climate change into the political arena and helped politicians see the consequences of their policy choices, many in the conservation community believe the Teeb review will lay open the economic consequences of halting or not halting the slide in biodiversity."The numbers in the Stern Review enabled politicians to wake up to reality," said Andrew Mitchell, director of the Global Canopy Programme, an organisation concerned with directing financial resources into forest preservation."Teeb will do the same for the value of nature, and show the risks we run by not valuing it adequately."A number of nations, businesses and global organisations are beginning to direct funds into forest conservation, and there are signs of a trade in natural ecosystems developing, analogous to the carbon trade, although it is clearly very early days.Some have ethical concerns over the valuing of nature purely in terms of the services it provides humanity; but the counter-argument is that decades of trying to halt biodiversity decline by arguing for the intrinsic worth of nature have not worked, so something different must be tried.Whether Mr Sukhdev's arguments will find political traction in an era of financial constraint is an open question, even though many of the governments that would presumably be called on to fund forest protection are the ones directly or indirectly paying for the review.But, he said, governments and businesses are getting the point."Times have changed. Almost three years ago, even two years ago, their eyes would glaze over."Today, when I say this, they listen. In fact I get questions asked - so how do you calculate this, how can we monetize it, what can we do about it, why don't you speak with so and so politician or such and such business."The aim is to complete the Teeb review by the middle of 2010, the date by which governments are committed under the Convention of Biological Diversity to have begun slowing the rate of biodiversity loss.Thanks to BBC for this item The global economy is losing more money from the disappearance of forests than through the current banking crisis, according to an EU-commissioned study.It puts the annual cost of forest loss at between $2 trillion and $5 trillion.The figure comes from adding the value of the various services that forests perform, such as providing clean water and absorbing carbon dioxide.The study, headed by a Deutsche Bank economist, parallels the Stern Review into the economics of climate change.It has been discussed during many sessions here at the World Conservation Congress.Some conservationists see it as a new way of persuading policymakers to fund nature protection rather than allowing the decline in ecosystems and species, highlighted in the release on Monday of the Red List of Threatened Species, to continue.Capital lossesSpeaking on the fringes of the congress, study leader Pavan Sukhdev emphasised that the cost of natural decline dwarfs losses on the financial markets."It's not only greater but it's also continuous, it's been happening every year, year after year," he said."So whereas Wall Street by various calculations has to date lost, within the financial sector, $1-$1.5 trillion, the reality is that at today's rate we are losing natural capital at least between $2-$5 trillion every year."The review that Mr Sukhdev leads, The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (Teeb), was initiated by Germany under its recent EU presidency, with the European Commission providing funding.The first phase concluded in May when the team released its finding that forest decline could be costing about 7% of global GDP. The second phase will expand the scope to other natural systems.Stern messageKey to understanding his conclusions is that as forests decline, nature stops providing services which it used to provide essentially for free.So the human economy either has to provide them instead, perhaps through building reservoirs, building facilities to sequester carbon dioxide, or farming foods that were once naturally available.Or we have to do without them; either way, there is a financial cost.The Teeb calculations show that the cost falls disproportionately on the poor, because a greater part of their livelihood depends directly on the forest, especially in tropical regions.The greatest cost to western nations would initially come through losing a natural absorber of the most important greenhouse gas.Just as the Stern Review brought the economics of climate change into the political arena and helped politicians see the consequences of their policy choices, many in the conservation community believe the Teeb review will lay open the economic consequences of halting or not halting the slide in biodiversity."The numbers in the Stern Review enabled politicians to wake up to reality," said Andrew Mitchell, director of the Global Canopy Programme, an organisation concerned with directing financial resources into forest preservation."Teeb will do the same for the value of nature, and show the risks we run by not valuing it adequately."A number of nations, businesses and global organisations are beginning to direct funds into forest conservation, and there are signs of a trade in natural ecosystems developing, analogous to the carbon trade, although it is clearly very early days.Some have ethical concerns over the valuing of nature purely in terms of the services it provides humanity; but the counter-argument is that decades of trying to halt biodiversity decline by arguing for the intrinsic worth of nature have not worked, so something different must be tried.Whether Mr Sukhdev's arguments will find political traction in an era of financial constraint is an open question, even though many of the governments that would presumably be called on to fund forest protection are the ones directly or indirectly paying for the review.But, he said, governments and businesses are getting the point."Times have changed. Almost three years ago, even two years ago, their eyes would glaze over."Today, when I say this, they listen. In fact I get questions asked - so how do you calculate this, how can we monetize it, what can we do about it, why don't you speak with so and so politician or such and such business."The aim is to complete the Teeb review by the middle of 2010, the date by which governments are committed under the Convention of Biological Diversity to have begun slowing the rate of biodiversity loss.Thanks to BBC for this item Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:05:11 GMT http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Disappearing-Forests-cost-MORE-than-the-Global-Credit-Crisis/BLOG/118687/51250.html adeymoore 2008-10-13T11:05:11Z Environmental Click4Carbon The global economy is losing more money from the disappearance of forests than through the current banking crisis, according to an EU-commissioned study.It puts the annual cost of forest loss at between $2 trillion and $5 trillion.The figure comes from adding the value of the various services that forests perform, such as providing clean water and absorbing carbon dioxide.The study, headed by a Deutsche Bank economist, parallels the Stern Review into the economics of climate change.It has been discussed during many sessions here at the World Conservation Congress.Some conservationists see it as a new way of persuading policymakers to fund nature protection rather than allowing the decline in ecosystems and species, highlighted in the release on Monday of the Red List of Threatened Species, to continue.Capital lossesSpeaking on the fringes of the congress, study leader Pavan Sukhdev emphasised that the cost of natural decline dwarfs losses on the financial markets."It's not only greater but it's also continuous, it's been happening every year, year after year," he said."So whereas Wall Street by various calculations has to date lost, within the financial sector, $1-$1.5 trillion, the reality is that at today's rate we are losing natural capital at least between $2-$5 trillion every year."The review that Mr Sukhdev leads, The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (Teeb), was initiated by Germany under its recent EU presidency, with the European Commission providing funding.The first phase concluded in May when the team released its finding that forest decline could be costing about 7% of global GDP. The second phase will expand the scope to other natural systems.Stern messageKey to understanding his conclusions is that as forests decline, nature stops providing services which it used to provide essentially for free.So the human economy either has to provide them instead, perhaps through building reservoirs, building facilities to sequester carbon dioxide, or farming foods that were once naturally available.Or we have to do without them; either way, there is a financial cost.The Teeb calculations show that the cost falls disproportionately on the poor, because a greater part of their livelihood depends directly on the forest, especially in tropical regions.The greatest cost to western nations would initially come through losing a natural absorber of the most important greenhouse gas.Just as the Stern Review brought the economics of climate change into the political arena and helped politicians see the consequences of their policy choices, many in the conservation community believe the Teeb review will lay open the economic consequences of halting or not halting the slide in biodiversity."The numbers in the Stern Review enabled politicians to wake up to reality," said Andrew Mitchell, director of the Global Canopy Programme, an organisation concerned with directing financial resources into forest preservation."Teeb will do the same for the value of nature, and show the risks we run by not valuing it adequately."A number of nations, businesses and global organisations are beginning to direct funds into forest conservation, and there are signs of a trade in natural ecosystems developing, analogous to the carbon trade, although it is clearly very early days.Some have ethical concerns over the valuing of nature purely in terms of the services it provides humanity; but the counter-argument is that decades of trying to halt biodiversity decline by arguing for the intrinsic worth of nature have not worked, so something different must be tried.Whether Mr Sukhdev's arguments will find political traction in an era of financial constraint is an open question, even though many of the governments that would presumably be called on to fund forest protection are the ones directly or indirectly paying for the review.But, he said, governments and businesses are getting the point."Times have changed. Almost three years ago, even two years ago, their eyes would glaze over."Today, when I say this, they listen. In fact I get questions asked - so how do you calculate this, how can we monetize it, what can we do about it, why don't you speak with so and so politician or such and such business."The aim is to complete the Teeb review by the middle of 2010, the date by which governments are committed under the Convention of Biological Diversity to have begun slowing the rate of biodiversity loss.Thanks to BBC for this item environmental nonadult false Disappearing Forests cost MORE than the Global Credit Crisis text blog environmental 248 20 4.0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=3463173&as=51250 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/51250/photos/PHOTO_1693501_51250_3463173_ap_160X120.jpg false United Kingdom Leicester 1 Environmental 0 118687 3463173 Member 0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Canal-Power/BLOG/116264/51250.html Canal Power.Plans have been unveiled to power 45,000 homes with wind and hydro-electric turbines along Britain's historic canals and rivers.British Waterways want to house 50 wind turbines and additional small-scale hydro schemes on land it owns over the next five years.They say the scheme will raise more than £1m a year, which will be used for waterway upkeep.The exact locations of the turbines have yet to be decided. E SF British Waterways, which is a public body in charge of the waterside land, was praised by its partner in the project for using its resources in an innovative and environmental way.Partnerships for Renewables said the navigation authority was a "torchbearer for others to follow".Yorkshire optionThe £1m that will be raised will be used to help maintain and repair some of the 2,200 miles of canals, historic locks, bridges and rivers that the organisation looks after throughout the UK.British Waterways' chief executive Robin Evans was delighted that the project will generate income and help with the government's renewable energy targets. S IBOX [image] E IBOX Mr Evans said that, whilst the authority is always protecting the canals and rivers' heritage, they are "proactively looking at how we can use this resource to make a contribution towards the fight against climate change."If we successfully develop this resource it would mean that the nation's canal network would generate more than 10 times more electricity than it consumes," he added.The public corporation is now looking at potential locations for the turbines and generators.One suitable site could be on the banks of the Aire and Calder navigation in Yorkshire.A British Waterways spokesman told the BBC: "We are looking at radar and environmental issues first and then will engage with the local communities at suitable sites."Environmentalists 'delighted'Partnerships for Renewables, a privately-funded group that works with public bodies on renewable energy projects, will develop, construct and manage all the equipment at an estimated cost of £150m.The private company hopes to create the capacity to power 230,000 homes from electricity on public land within five to eight years and this project would contribute to a fifth of that target.Stephen Ainger, chief executive of Partnerships for Renewables, said, "It is great to see that British Waterways has demonstrated the vision to become a torch bearer for others to follow."Friends of the Earth energy campaigner Nick Rau was delighted by British Waterways' plans.Mr Rau said that "Community-scale renewable energy projects such as hydro-power schemes and wind turbines have a huge role to play in reducing our dependency on fossil fuels and helping Britain to develop a low-carbon economy."The government had pledged to generate 15% of the UK's electricity from renewable sources by 2015, although some studies have shown this target may not be reached by then.Thanks to the BBC for this item. E BO Canal Power.Plans have been unveiled to power 45,000 homes with wind and hydro-electric turbines along Britain's historic canals and rivers.British Waterways want to house 50 wind turbines and additional small-scale hydro schemes on land it owns over the next five years.They say the scheme will raise more than £1m a year, which will be used for waterway upkeep.The exact locations of the turbines have yet to be decided. E SF British Waterways, which is a public body in charge of the waterside land, was praised by its partner in the project for using its resources in an innovative and environmental way.Partnerships for Renewables said the navigation authority was a "torchbearer for others to follow".Yorkshire optionThe £1m that will be raised will be used to help maintain and repair some of the 2,200 miles of canals, historic locks, bridges and rivers that the organisation looks after throughout the UK.British Waterways' chief executive Robin Evans was delighted that the project will generate income and help with the government's renewable energy targets. S IBOX [image] E IBOX Mr Evans said that, whilst the authority is always protecting the canals and rivers' heritage, they are "proactively looking at how we can use this resource to make a contribution towards the fight against climate change."If we successfully develop this resource it would mean that the nation's canal network would generate more than 10 times more electricity than it consumes," he added.The public corporation is now looking at potential locations for the turbines and generators.One suitable site could be on the banks of the Aire and Calder navigation in Yorkshire.A British Waterways spokesman told the BBC: "We are looking at radar and environmental issues first and then will engage with the local communities at suitable sites."Environmentalists 'delighted'Partnerships for Renewables, a privately-funded group that works with public bodies on renewable energy projects, will develop, construct and manage all the equipment at an estimated cost of £150m.The private company hopes to create the capacity to power 230,000 homes from electricity on public land within five to eight years and this project would contribute to a fifth of that target.Stephen Ainger, chief executive of Partnerships for Renewables, said, "It is great to see that British Waterways has demonstrated the vision to become a torch bearer for others to follow."Friends of the Earth energy campaigner Nick Rau was delighted by British Waterways' plans.Mr Rau said that "Community-scale renewable energy projects such as hydro-power schemes and wind turbines have a huge role to play in reducing our dependency on fossil fuels and helping Britain to develop a low-carbon economy."The government had pledged to generate 15% of the UK's electricity from renewable sources by 2015, although some studies have shown this target may not be reached by then.Thanks to the BBC for this item. E BO Thu, 09 Oct 2008 09:13:27 GMT http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Canal-Power/BLOG/116264/51250.html adeymoore 2008-10-09T09:13:27Z Click4Carbon Canal Power.Plans have been unveiled to power 45,000 homes with wind and hydro-electric turbines along Britain's historic canals and rivers.British Waterways want to house 50 wind turbines and additional small-scale hydro schemes on land it owns over the next five years.They say the scheme will raise more than £1m a year, which will be used for waterway upkeep.The exact locations of the turbines have yet to be decided. E SF British Waterways, which is a public body in charge of the waterside land, was praised by its partner in the project for using its resources in an innovative and environmental way.Partnerships for Renewables said the navigation authority was a "torchbearer for others to follow".Yorkshire optionThe £1m that will be raised will be used to help maintain and repair some of the 2,200 miles of canals, historic locks, bridges and rivers that the organisation looks after throughout the UK.British Waterways' chief executive Robin Evans was delighted that the project will generate income and help with the government's renewable energy targets. S IBOX [image] E IBOX Mr Evans said that, whilst the authority is always protecting the canals and rivers' heritage, they are "proactively looking at how we can use this resource to make a contribution towards the fight against climate change."If we successfully develop this resource it would mean that the nation's canal network would generate more than 10 times more electricity than it consumes," he added.The public corporation is now looking at potential locations for the turbines and generators.One suitable site could be on the banks of the Aire and Calder navigation in Yorkshire.A British Waterways spokesman told the BBC: "We are looking at radar and environmental issues first and then will engage with the local communities at suitable sites."Environmentalists 'delighted'Partnerships for Renewables, a privately-funded group that works with public bodies on renewable energy projects, will develop, construct and manage all the equipment at an estimated cost of £150m.The private company hopes to create the capacity to power 230,000 homes from electricity on public land within five to eight years and this project would contribute to a fifth of that target.Stephen Ainger, chief executive of Partnerships for Renewables, said, "It is great to see that British Waterways has demonstrated the vision to become a torch bearer for others to follow."Friends of the Earth energy campaigner Nick Rau was delighted by British Waterways' plans.Mr Rau said that "Community-scale renewable energy projects such as hydro-power schemes and wind turbines have a huge role to play in reducing our dependency on fossil fuels and helping Britain to develop a low-carbon economy."The government had pledged to generate 15% of the UK's electricity from renewable sources by 2015, although some studies have shown this target may not be reached by then.Thanks to the BBC for this item. E BO nonadult false Canal Power text blog 260 30 3.0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=3463173&as=51250 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/51250/photos/PHOTO_1693501_51250_3463173_ap_160X120.jpg false United Kingdom Leicester 0 0 116264 3463173 Member 0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Recycling-services-provided-by-Local-Authorities/BLOG/113578/51250.html This was sent to http://www.leicester.gov.uk in antisipation of a response.  Quote: I just want to clarify exactly what can go in these BIFFA recycle boxes.  I constantly have paper, shredded letters in a plastic bag (so as not to cause a litter), plastic containers always either left in the green box, or put in the bin before the rubbish is collected. In a world of shrinking resources do you not think it is prudent and fair and reasonable to educate people of leicester as to exactly what you can recycle. Can i recycle:Tetra Pak,Plastic bags,Plastic packaging from ready made supermarket foods,Envelopes with the window and gum removed, (can the plastic window be classed as plastic if removed from the paper?), These are but a few questions, and believe me, the list is not endless. I am the owner of an environmental website www.click4carbon.com,  this message will be posted on the forum of the web site and so will all responses from Leicester City Council and/or Biffa Waste. We are paying £98 (US$188, 127 euros) per MONTH towards this service. Also, can you please explain why the range of things we were able to place into the original SITA plastic bags has dropped dramatically? Was the decision to move to Biffa a financial or environmental choice? Here's the reply from Leicester Council: Thank you for your recent enquiry received by the Customer Service Line. You can present in your green recycling box the following items: - Newspapers, Junk mail and paperCatalogues and magazines (but not the yellow pages) Clean glass bottle and jars (not broken and with lids removed) Clean Plastic Bottles (with the lids removed) Shredded paper must be presented wrapped in a piece of paper or newspaper they will not collect if it is a plastic bag. The rest of the items mentioned in your email are all recycled from the bin via the extraction method mentioned below. All other waste is to be presented in you wheeled bin, where the recyclable materials are extracted before your waste goes to the landfill. All recyclable waste such as cardboard is extracted before the waste in your wheeled bin goes to landfill. All metals are extracted, recycled and turned into new products, all organic waste (i.e. kitchen scraps) is extracted and sent to the Leicester Anaerobic Digester, where it is made into soil conditioner used on reclaimed land.  The lighter materials such as paper, card and plastics, are extracted and baled.  These are then used as FLOC, which is an alternative to fossil fuel in the cement making industry. This procedure takes place at the ball mill, before the waste is taken to the landfill sites. Should you require any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us at customer.serviceline@leicester.gov.uk. This was sent to http://www.leicester.gov.uk in antisipation of a response.  Quote: I just want to clarify exactly what can go in these BIFFA recycle boxes.  I constantly have paper, shredded letters in a plastic bag (so as not to cause a litter), plastic containers always either left in the green box, or put in the bin before the rubbish is collected. In a world of shrinking resources do you not think it is prudent and fair and reasonable to educate people of leicester as to exactly what you can recycle. Can i recycle:Tetra Pak,Plastic bags,Plastic packaging from ready made supermarket foods,Envelopes with the window and gum removed, (can the plastic window be classed as plastic if removed from the paper?), These are but a few questions, and believe me, the list is not endless. I am the owner of an environmental website www.click4carbon.com,  this message will be posted on the forum of the web site and so will all responses from Leicester City Council and/or Biffa Waste. We are paying £98 (US$188, 127 euros) per MONTH towards this service. Also, can you please explain why the range of things we were able to place into the original SITA plastic bags has dropped dramatically? Was the decision to move to Biffa a financial or environmental choice? Here's the reply from Leicester Council: Thank you for your recent enquiry received by the Customer Service Line. You can present in your green recycling box the following items: - Newspapers, Junk mail and paperCatalogues and magazines (but not the yellow pages) Clean glass bottle and jars (not broken and with lids removed) Clean Plastic Bottles (with the lids removed) Shredded paper must be presented wrapped in a piece of paper or newspaper they will not collect if it is a plastic bag. The rest of the items mentioned in your email are all recycled from the bin via the extraction method mentioned below. All other waste is to be presented in you wheeled bin, where the recyclable materials are extracted before your waste goes to the landfill. All recyclable waste such as cardboard is extracted before the waste in your wheeled bin goes to landfill. All metals are extracted, recycled and turned into new products, all organic waste (i.e. kitchen scraps) is extracted and sent to the Leicester Anaerobic Digester, where it is made into soil conditioner used on reclaimed land.  The lighter materials such as paper, card and plastics, are extracted and baled.  These are then used as FLOC, which is an alternative to fossil fuel in the cement making industry. This procedure takes place at the ball mill, before the waste is taken to the landfill sites. Should you require any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us at customer.serviceline@leicester.gov.uk. Sun, 05 Oct 2008 15:01:23 GMT http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Recycling-services-provided-by-Local-Authorities/BLOG/113578/51250.html adeymoore 2008-10-05T15:01:23Z Click4Carbon This was sent to http://www.leicester.gov.uk in antisipation of a response.  Quote: I just want to clarify exactly what can go in these BIFFA recycle boxes.  I constantly have paper, shredded letters in a plastic bag (so as not to cause a litter), plastic containers always either left in the green box, or put in the bin before the rubbish is collected. In a world of shrinking resources do you not think it is prudent and fair and reasonable to educate people of leicester as to exactly what you can recycle. Can i recycle:Tetra Pak,Plastic bags,Plastic packaging from ready made supermarket foods,Envelopes with the window and gum removed, (can the plastic window be classed as plastic if removed from the paper?), These are but a few questions, and believe me, the list is not endless. I am the owner of an environmental website www.click4carbon.com,  this message will be posted on the forum of the web site and so will all responses from Leicester City Council and/or Biffa Waste. We are paying £98 (US$188, 127 euros) per MONTH towards this service. Also, can you please explain why the range of things we were able to place into the original SITA plastic bags has dropped dramatically? Was the decision to move to Biffa a financial or environmental choice? Here's the reply from Leicester Council: Thank you for your recent enquiry received by the Customer Service Line. You can present in your green recycling box the following items: - Newspapers, Junk mail and paperCatalogues and magazines (but not the yellow pages) Clean glass bottle and jars (not broken and with lids removed) Clean Plastic Bottles (with the lids removed) Shredded paper must be presented wrapped in a piece of paper or newspaper they will not collect if it is a plastic bag. The rest of the items mentioned in your email are all recycled from the bin via the extraction method mentioned below. All other waste is to be presented in you wheeled bin, where the recyclable materials are extracted before your waste goes to the landfill. All recyclable waste such as cardboard is extracted before the waste in your wheeled bin goes to landfill. All metals are extracted, recycled and turned into new products, all organic waste (i.e. kitchen scraps) is extracted and sent to the Leicester Anaerobic Digester, where it is made into soil conditioner used on reclaimed land.  The lighter materials such as paper, card and plastics, are extracted and baled.  These are then used as FLOC, which is an alternative to fossil fuel in the cement making industry. This procedure takes place at the ball mill, before the waste is taken to the landfill sites. Should you require any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us at customer.serviceline@leicester.gov.uk. ge32580e, leicester city council, recycle nonadult false Recycling services provided by Local Authorities! text blog ge32580e,leicester city council,recycle 360 21 2.80952 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=3463173&as=51250 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/51250/photos/PHOTO_1693501_51250_3463173_ap_160X120.jpg false United Kingdom Leicester le2 3dr 1 0 113578 3463173 Member 0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Ditch-Beef-and-Lamb-for-Kangaroo/BLOG/111967/51250.html An Australian government adviser on climate change has urged Australians to ditch beef and lamb for kangaroo steaks to help save the planet.Sheep and cows produce a high amount of environmentally unfriendly methane gas through belching and flatulence.But economist Ross Garnaut noted in a report on global warming that kangaroos produce virtually no methane.He predicts a change in farming and eating habits with the introduction of a national carbon trading scheme. E SF In a 600-page study commissioned by the Australian government, Professor Garnaut calls for the agricultural industry to be included in the emissions trading scheme to be set up by 2010.This would mean landowners would have to buy permits for their greenhouse gas emissions if they go beyond the recommended limits.Pet foodThe higher costs of farming sheep and cattle and their vulnerability to the effects of climate change, including water scarcity, could hasten a transition toward greater production of lower-emitting forms of meat, Prof Garnaut believes.And he thinks kangaroos, which have a different digestive system to cows and sheep, could hold the key."For most of Australia's human history - around 60,000 years - kangaroo was the main source of meat. It could again become important," he said.Citing a study for the potential of kangaroos to replace other livestock for meat production, he notes that by 2020 beef cattle could be reduced by 7 million and sheep by 36 million.This would create the opportunity for an increase in kangaroo numbers from 34 million to 240 million in 12 years time.That amount would be more than enough to replace the lost beef and lamb production, while also being more profitable for farmers as emissions permit prices rise.While popular in a number of countries, in Australia eating kangaroo - the country's national symbol - is still controversial and the meat is largely used in pet food.But many health-conscious Australians have been won over by its lean red meat. E BO Thanks to BBC for this.[image] An Australian government adviser on climate change has urged Australians to ditch beef and lamb for kangaroo steaks to help save the planet.Sheep and cows produce a high amount of environmentally unfriendly methane gas through belching and flatulence.But economist Ross Garnaut noted in a report on global warming that kangaroos produce virtually no methane.He predicts a change in farming and eating habits with the introduction of a national carbon trading scheme. E SF In a 600-page study commissioned by the Australian government, Professor Garnaut calls for the agricultural industry to be included in the emissions trading scheme to be set up by 2010.This would mean landowners would have to buy permits for their greenhouse gas emissions if they go beyond the recommended limits.Pet foodThe higher costs of farming sheep and cattle and their vulnerability to the effects of climate change, including water scarcity, could hasten a transition toward greater production of lower-emitting forms of meat, Prof Garnaut believes.And he thinks kangaroos, which have a different digestive system to cows and sheep, could hold the key."For most of Australia's human history - around 60,000 years - kangaroo was the main source of meat. It could again become important," he said.Citing a study for the potential of kangaroos to replace other livestock for meat production, he notes that by 2020 beef cattle could be reduced by 7 million and sheep by 36 million.This would create the opportunity for an increase in kangaroo numbers from 34 million to 240 million in 12 years time.That amount would be more than enough to replace the lost beef and lamb production, while also being more profitable for farmers as emissions permit prices rise.While popular in a number of countries, in Australia eating kangaroo - the country's national symbol - is still controversial and the meat is largely used in pet food.But many health-conscious Australians have been won over by its lean red meat. E BO Thanks to BBC for this.[image] Thu, 02 Oct 2008 09:50:39 GMT http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Ditch-Beef-and-Lamb-for-Kangaroo/BLOG/111967/51250.html adeymoore 2008-10-02T09:50:39Z Click4Carbon An Australian government adviser on climate change has urged Australians to ditch beef and lamb for kangaroo steaks to help save the planet.Sheep and cows produce a high amount of environmentally unfriendly methane gas through belching and flatulence.But economist Ross Garnaut noted in a report on global warming that kangaroos produce virtually no methane.He predicts a change in farming and eating habits with the introduction of a national carbon trading scheme. E SF In a 600-page study commissioned by the Australian government, Professor Garnaut calls for the agricultural industry to be included in the emissions trading scheme to be set up by 2010.This would mean landowners would have to buy permits for their greenhouse gas emissions if they go beyond the recommended limits.Pet foodThe higher costs of farming sheep and cattle and their vulnerability to the effects of climate change, including water scarcity, could hasten a transition toward greater production of lower-emitting forms of meat, Prof Garnaut believes.And he thinks kangaroos, which have a different digestive system to cows and sheep, could hold the key."For most of Australia's human history - around 60,000 years - kangaroo was the main source of meat. It could again become important," he said.Citing a study for the potential of kangaroos to replace other livestock for meat production, he notes that by 2020 beef cattle could be reduced by 7 million and sheep by 36 million.This would create the opportunity for an increase in kangaroo numbers from 34 million to 240 million in 12 years time.That amount would be more than enough to replace the lost beef and lamb production, while also being more profitable for farmers as emissions permit prices rise.While popular in a number of countries, in Australia eating kangaroo - the country's national symbol - is still controversial and the meat is largely used in pet food.But many health-conscious Australians have been won over by its lean red meat. E BO Thanks to BBC for this.[image] nonadult false Ditch Beef and Lamb for Kangaroo text blog 281 10 3.0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=3463173&as=51250 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/51250/photos/PHOTO_1693501_51250_3463173_ap_160X120.jpg false United Kingdom Leicester 1 0 111967 3463173 Member 0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Halt-to-deforestation/BLOG/109094/51250.html The Brazilian government has pledged to end net deforestation by 2015.It is one of the key commitments in a draft climate change plan, which stops short of setting specific targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.The plan - setting out how Brazil will help prevent climate change, and how it will adapt to it - was promised nearly a year ago by President Lula.But the environmental group Greenpeace criticised it for simply highlighting existing proposals. E SF It said the draft did not explain how they would be brought into action.Aggressive planIn the provisional version which will go for public consultation before being finalised, no specific targets are set for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions amongst Brazil's industrial sectors.But with deforestation accounting for 75% of the country's emission, it sets out a timetable to reduce forest loss to a point where by 2015, more Brazilian trees are being planted than are cut down.According to the Environment Minister Carlos Minc, this will be possible through an aggressive programme of restoring native forests, as well as further crackdowns on illegal logging.Other measures outlined in the document are incentives to improve energy efficiency and to encourage renewable energy sources such as wind power. E BO <Thanks to bbc.co.uk for this> The Brazilian government has pledged to end net deforestation by 2015.It is one of the key commitments in a draft climate change plan, which stops short of setting specific targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.The plan - setting out how Brazil will help prevent climate change, and how it will adapt to it - was promised nearly a year ago by President Lula.But the environmental group Greenpeace criticised it for simply highlighting existing proposals. E SF It said the draft did not explain how they would be brought into action.Aggressive planIn the provisional version which will go for public consultation before being finalised, no specific targets are set for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions amongst Brazil's industrial sectors.But with deforestation accounting for 75% of the country's emission, it sets out a timetable to reduce forest loss to a point where by 2015, more Brazilian trees are being planted than are cut down.According to the Environment Minister Carlos Minc, this will be possible through an aggressive programme of restoring native forests, as well as further crackdowns on illegal logging.Other measures outlined in the document are incentives to improve energy efficiency and to encourage renewable energy sources such as wind power. E BO <Thanks to bbc.co.uk for this> Sun, 28 Sep 2008 08:35:21 GMT http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/_Halt-to-deforestation/BLOG/109094/51250.html adeymoore 2008-09-28T08:35:21Z Click4Carbon The Brazilian government has pledged to end net deforestation by 2015.It is one of the key commitments in a draft climate change plan, which stops short of setting specific targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.The plan - setting out how Brazil will help prevent climate change, and how it will adapt to it - was promised nearly a year ago by President Lula.But the environmental group Greenpeace criticised it for simply highlighting existing proposals. E SF It said the draft did not explain how they would be brought into action.Aggressive planIn the provisional version which will go for public consultation before being finalised, no specific targets are set for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions amongst Brazil's industrial sectors.But with deforestation accounting for 75% of the country's emission, it sets out a timetable to reduce forest loss to a point where by 2015, more Brazilian trees are being planted than are cut down.According to the Environment Minister Carlos Minc, this will be possible through an aggressive programme of restoring native forests, as well as further crackdowns on illegal logging.Other measures outlined in the document are incentives to improve energy efficiency and to encourage renewable energy sources such as wind power. E BO <Thanks to bbc.co.uk for this> nonadult false Halt to deforestation! text blog 268 10 5.0 http://ecommunity.click4carbon.com/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=3463173&as=51250 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/51250/photos/PHOTO_1693501_51250_3463173_ap_160X120.jpg false United Kingdom Leicester 0 0 109094 3463173 Member 0