London Mayor Calls For Urgent Action To Tackle Air Pollution

Airborne pollution may not be at the top of everyone's concerns right now but it is a killer that sits just under our noses. A new report has recently revealed that air pollution in the country's capital is killing over 4,000 annually.

The report released by Boris Johnson's office charted the severity of pollution levels throughout London's wards, detailing that those living in central areas of the capital are most at risk due to their constant exposure to high pollution areas.

Among the poorest of European cities, London's air quality has high trace levels of the matter known as PM2.5 and can be correlated to mortality rates in the capital. This is far from a revelation amongst most Londoners who seem to have grown accustomed to the escalating combustion levels over the past decades. However, twinned with a report by the House of Commons environmental audit committee, Johnson's office have made comment that their target is to take measurable action against airborne pollution with immediate response.

Some of London's worst wards - those with the highest proportion of negative or potentially damaging particulates - are perhaps the most unexpected. Hyde Park, the West End, and even Holborn and Covent Garden all feature in the 10 most polluted areas. This is partly due to their high levels of all-year tourism and surrounding combustion levels generated by twenty-four hour traffic.

Other areas which might be expected to home high levels of pollution include; King's Cross; Marylebone High Street; and Bryanston and Dorset Square. Despite Johnson's efforts, he has come under considerable criticism over his decision to postpone, by approximately two years, the third stage of the low emission zone. This was a strategy devised by the previous Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, which would have introduced further measures to reduce emissions this coming October.

Currently in place is an emissions standards regulation which focuses on combustion pollution generated from high-combustion vehicles such as buses and coaches - which could be charged up to £1,000 of daily fines. The third phase, delayed by Johnson, would target smaller vehicles and expect owners to meet standards and regulations covering the Greater London area.

This is becoming a growing concern for EU officials, whose scrutiny's has been fixed on Britain failure to meet requisites and European standards which put them in breach of international agreements. For instance, Britain's "bad air" monitoring record (Britain is allowed 35 "bad air" days pa) shows that they currently stand on the 36th day of dangerous and potentially harmful pollution levels.

What sees to be done will no doubt be topic for debate amongst MPs and government chambers over the oncoming weeks as the temperature rises and exhaust fumes become ever more apparent.

Heating, Energy and Emission Problems? Ground Source Heat Pumps a Solution Found in your Backgarden

Statistically, throughout the UK, heating and cooling domestic and commercial buildings has become a major drain on our finances. Reports indicate that almost 50% of UK carbon emissions are produced from the energy we use to heat our buildings. That's a considerable impact. And the rise in gas and energy prices is also doing all it can to increase this feeling of a rather disastrous energy climate; and considering the EU 2020 pressures of reducing CO2 emissions, traditional gas and electricity tariffs are only set to get more and more expensive.

So what can we do? Well, what we must do is simple: we must look at the alternatives. Renewable energy is an option; Microgrids are an option; there are even cases to adopt the infrastructure of Nuclear Power. But these decisions beyond voting day are seemingly out of our hands. All we can do follows on from what we must: we must look at the alternatives so we can choose the most viable alternative for us.

Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHPs) have proved considerably successful in international fields - hot climate countries such as Spain and parts of the US are leading advocates for GSHP capabilities - but now in the UK it is the industrial sector that has sought after the inherent benefits of installing this emission and energy cost mitigator. Some of the most effective GSHP models, for instance, can reduce a building's heating and cooling running costs by up to nearly 70% as well as cutting CO2 emissions by nearly 50%. So who can blame them really?

A good example of GSHP installation is the system installed at Mansfield Hospital in Nottinghamshire (named the 'Lake Loopa' system, and the largest of its kind in Europe). This system is predicted to reduce energy consumption generated from just heating and cooling the premises by 9,600MW a year - when compared to a gas or oil fired system - and reduce carbon emissions by 1,700 tonnes. In terms of energy emissions, this is the equivalent of taken 600 cars off the road! And in monetary terms, this equates to an annual saving of £120,000. However, the adoption of GSHP systems in Britain still remains relatively low. This is partly due to high installation costs and partly due to GSHP's friendly competitive cousins, solar power and wind turbines.

But all this is due to change. Thanks to a microgenerational certification scheme, the advancements and improved technology behind GSHP systems are producing more effective models for Britons across the country; which is why organisations such as the Carbon Trust are providing Grant Funding, as well as zero interest loans that will offset the payback period.

The commercial sector has certainly turned its eye towards geothermal systems, and GSHPs taking centre stage. Something of which will be politically apparent when the government releases its Renewable Energy Strategy in view of EU requisites. And to be honest, the UK is a little behind the times in doing so. Countries throughout Europe have already been keen to snap up the benefits of GSHPs: Sweden, for instance, is home to the largest GSHP market in the EU; and architects working in Switzerland consider GSHPs to be somewhat of a mass market - fitting most new-build properties with integrated systems.

There are certainly savings to be had. But, however, it is important to note that until GSHPs receive the commercial backing they deserve they may not be economically viable for most properties. Nevertheless, we suggest that you take a sneaky look just to double-check - you might find a match made in heaven.

Ecological Validity: Looking at Britain through a Definition

"Everybody’s a critic!" It might seem like an indeclinable form these days but criticism certainly comes with its inflections. Indeed, the various shades and application of criticism should be more than apparent to anybody who has a general outlook that they believe to be of particular importance. And since the explosion of a multitude of technologies that can sit quite happily in the palm of your hand (whilst at the same time rather nonchalantly open up doors to the rest of the world) everybody can certainly play the part of a critic at their own will - all be it a self taught one. But, unfortunately, what has grown alongside a general principle of unregulated access to information and its 'brother-in-arms' free speech is its more feral relative – untamed opinion. 

Opinion, today, matters: there’s no doubt in that. Take the recently past election as an example; this, in fact, is a system of recording individual opinions in order to determine the single belief of the nation as a whole. And it shouldn’t take a political correspondent to outline the general sense of bemusement or indecision that still pervades a country that cannot make up its mind.

But isn’t this the status of the country in general? One that can’t make up its mind; a nation wracked with doubt and indecision? It is certainly the case in the ecological field of interest.

Consider any one thing that is proclaimed to be ‘Green’ or ecologically friendly – renewable energy, recycling, fair trade, ethical production, for instance – they’re all shrouded by doubt. Ask your neighbour whether or not they’d like to cut their carbon footprint, reduce their consumption levels or even generate some of their own power; nine times out of ten you’ll be met with "Of course I do!" That is, until it comes around to actually doing it.

And that’s not to say we’re a lazy or apathetic nation – not at all. It seems that a large part of the British sensibility just happens to be construed in the "proof is in the pudding", "see it to believe it" schools of thought. Or in other words, what your average Briton requires is a working model.

Ecological Validity constitutes this very same feeling but instead dresses itself in a rather starchy lab-coat language. Essentially, for any one thing to have Ecological Validity it will need to have achieved results in the approximate "real-life" situation it will operate in. For instance, in order to get your neighbour to use microgenerational technologies such as Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHP) or photovoltaic solar panels (PV cells) he might have to see it working in your very own back garden; then a strong dose of keeping up with the Jones’s may be in order. Or even if it is you yourself that needs the ounce of convincing, there are literally hundreds of ecological products and services which are not only cheaper, more sustainable alternatives to traditional models, but they are more than willing to exhibit themselves doing so. Click on the Ecotricity link to see how something as universal as power is being delivered to homes across the country.

Transparency is the key when there’s nothing to hide. So, could it be that a large portion of why as a nation we seem a little confused is simply an issue of clarity? Every body’s a critic, its true. But let’s try and put a more practical spin on things: the next time you feel doubtful, consider the ecological validity involved. It might just be that a ‘Green’ shade is the perfect colouring for any form of criticism.

Summer Time And The Livin’s Eco-Friendly

It’s that time of year again. Summer’s in full swing, the sunscreen has taken its trophy spot back in the bathroom, light lingers long into the evening, and, it seems – that everyone’s got Festival Fever! That’s right, about this time every year in Britain it’s guaranteed that you’ll know someone who’s packed a kit bag full of weekend essentials and is trudging off in flip-flops or wellington boots. Glastonbury, Reading & Leeds, Isle of Wight, suddenly the UK’s dusty old map has been brushed off and piled together with a weekend-pass and a fresh feeling of excitement that serves as just the ticket. But wait! Just before you go and find new ways of getting yourself lost – take look at this. We’ve compiled the essential solar survival kit and eco-accessories that even though you’ll be cut off from the rest of civilisation, you’ll never feel more connected.

Okay, so our festival team of eco-essentialists have returned after a long voyage into sound, mud up to their knees and the general reek one can accumulate from having a good time living out of a bag. And this is the essential solar countdown suggested for you to pack away for your long weekend:

5) Eco Radio

4) Eco Shaver

3) Solar Docking Charger

2) Solar Torch

1) Organic Sunscreen

The Eco Radio

This might seem like a strange one to take away with you to (nine-times-out-of-ten) a music festival, but there’s method behind the madness. The eco radio – from brands such as Trevor Baylis, Cheetah, Linx Solar – is the perfect pick-me-up for the morning after the night before. Usually charged by a small photovoltaic panel, or enhanced by a dynamo, loads of solar radios were seen clutched under arm, or encircled by festival goers looking a little worse for wear last year, and we can expect much more of the same. A great keepsake to be taken anywhere.

The Eco Shaver

Now, you might’ve been a little mislead by this one if you think that the eco shaver is strictly for the lads. Experience dictates otherwise. There were hundreds of unkempt chins blowing in the beatnik winds, whilst there better halves were walking beside them to quite a different tune. It doesn’t matter who needs to use it, the fact stands that the eco shaver will be needed!

Solar Docking Charger

Quite a recent chart topper on an eco-essentials list, but they’re growing in popularity year by year. So if you really cant afford to leave the mobile phone at home, the iPod in the drawer or the laptop in the office – then this is one for you. The solar docking chargers are all pretty similar in design and format. What usually tends to change all depends on what you’ll need the power to charge. But for portable, reliable and adaptable efficiency, the Solar Monkey by Solar Nut is a sure hit.

The Solar Torch

It’s such a simple alternative to conventional camping tools, but hardly any of us actually own one. This year things have to change! Our festival eco-essentialists swear by them. Solar torches – like the Freeloader – can be left in the sun to charge themselves via small panels of PV Cells or charged by hand using their integrated dynamo. Do away with bulky batteries this year and make room for a solar torch – you’ll definitely see the light!

Organic Sunscreen

When all’s said and done, and the playing’s played hard, it’s important to play safe. Most of the time you’ll be basking in the glorious sunrays, charging that very essential battery of ‘you’; which is why you’ll need plenty of sunscreen to soak to your skin – and what better alternative than an eco-friendly, organic, biodegradable sunscreen by the natural skincare company. There award winning sunscreen range can be worn by all and is naturally sourced – so spread it on and spread it around. But most of all…Enjoy!

Microgrids – a small plan to tackle the big problem

Over the last couple of years, the latest energy policies to face the world’s growing number of ecological problems have all stressed the need to increase the weighting of renewable energy sources in energy generation. However, despite technological and logistical advances, what remains in favour of matured, conventional energy sourcing, and in the way of a more assured adoption of renewable energy generation, is still today simply a question of reliability. Can we risk the blackouts associated with a technological teenage tantrum? Apparently not; so like all good parents, national governments throughout the UN are investing into a strategic compromise. And they call it - the ‘Embedded Generation’.

Embedded generation is one of the possibilities to implement a reliable, economical and all round less harmful power generational structure than the one we have now. Using a combination of renewable and conventional energy sources, you could see its design as a handshake between the past and the present, in view of agreeing on a more sustainable future.

Now, as was mentioned, one of renewable energy’s largest determining constraints is its unreliable nature. This statement can be taken quite literally, as still in its fledgling stages renewable energy generation relies heavily on a direct relationship with its source; for example, solar power with the sun, or wind turbines with the wind. And this is not to outline a negative situation. After all, a principle objective for renewable energy must be that it creates such a relationship in order to achieve the much desired ‘sustainable element’. But, unfortunately for us, modern times and current infrastructure dictates the needs and necessities of our day to day living; which is why for a succession of unpredictable power cuts to hit the UK could result in utter catastrophe. And this, we can be sure, is not at all desirable.

So in order to traverse the pitfalls of zero power, national energy policies are investing in embedded generation to help renewable power get up to speed with current demand. And the most manageable set of training-wheels we’ve got right now is – the microgrid. A microgrid is a community level embedded generation system which incorporates local loads and micro-sources of energy. In other words, it can operate by itself or connect directly to the national grid depending on the source capabilities and power requirements it is providing for. There is also hypothetical work being engineered on connecting one microgrid to another near by microgrid – where one supports the other in times of need or excess generation.

According to current standards, microgrids are technologically capable to meet expected performance rates; but, alas, we wait on the inevitable ‘price tag’ of tradability and ownership before they can make bold steps into the big wide world. But here at EcoSwitch we've got a good feeling about this one. Watch this space, as they say.

Tesla Teams Up with Toyota for Development of Environmentally Friendly Cars

Tesla, whose production of slick and sexy electric cars has earned them a name as an emerging power in the motoring industry, have seen that growing reputation rewarded with news of a partnership with car giants Toyota.

The two companies have made a commitment to work closely in developing further solutions for the design and production of electric vehicles, with the hope that continued research – not to mention the coming together of two reputable innovators – will yield greater opportunities for the advancement of an exciting and important industry.

The news represents an important development indeed, with Toyota pledging $50 million in Tesla’s public stock; it is hoped that such an investment can buoy Tesla’s eye for continued technological development with the security that comes with the support that comes with one of the world’s biggest and most well known car manufacturers.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk welcomed the partnership, stating as follows:

“Toyota is a company founded on innovation, quality, and commitment to sustainable mobility. It is an honor and a powerful endorsement of our technology that Toyota would choose to invest in and partner with Tesla…We look forward to learning and benefiting from Toyota’s legendary engineering, manufacturing, and production expertise”.

For the environmentally minded, the Toyato-Tesla commitment represents an exciting prospect indeed: to date, Tesla’s car manufacture and distribution has entered the thousands, but Toyota’s power of PR reaches far and wide, so that Tesla’s work looks set to reach a much wider audience.

And deservedly so. With Tesla continuing their production and innovation in green cars, and given the extra support of such a heavyweight manufacturer, electric cars could well get the exposure that has long been needed.

Given that cars contribute greatly to annual CO2 emissions worldwide, development of alternative means for transport are of grave importance; the joint work now beginning between Tesla and Toyota will help development of those alternative means now becoming a tangible and practical reality.

Invest Sustainably with Investing Ethically Ltd.

Speak the words 'mortgages’,’ insurance', 'pensions' or 'investments', and most won't readily jump for the anchor of 'ethical'; for many years now, we've generally come to accept that anyone looking to taking a part in your financial dealings is looking at their own gain more than our protection.

Nothing says that has to be the case, of course, and, just as the ethical outlook is becoming fashionable across a number of industries, the financial sector is subject to its own infiltration from those with good at heart.

Investing Can be Ethical Too

Investing Ethically Ltd, a Norwich-based group of independent consultants who have united under one banner in order to provide ethical financial advice, are a perfect case in point.

Believing that investment practices, whilst looking to achieve profits for those who undertake to invest, should also reflect the beliefs of those who invest, Investing Ethically have made it clear that their investment plans will void companies, however profitable, that would leave their clients in a position where they could be indirectly funding the following:

• The production, sale and trade of arms and weapons.
• Animal experimentation and intensive farming.
• Tobacco.
• Alcohol.
• Pornography.
• Companies that trade with countries which abuse human rights.
• Environmental pollution.
• Nuclear power.
• The development and use of genetically modified organisms.

Whilst profit making enterprises are of course an important part of their agenda – an investment company that wasn’t could struggle indeed - Investing Ethically try to ensure that their dealings are not only ethical but open; one of their core principles is that companies with whom they will invest for clients must ‘be open about their activities’.

Sustainable Investment

Underpinning these ethical commitments is a belief in the development of long-term relationships with their client base; whilst sensible investment should always be about getting the maximum from one’s assets, Investing Ethically look to harbour success in investment with projects that can have genuine social and ethical benefits.

In other words, the company turn archetypal investing on its head by making sure that a customer is not only seeing benefits from their investments but are also taking an active and impassioned role in the investment process, supporting projects that would interest or move them.

Sounds Great – What Services Do They Offer?

Amongst others, Investing Ethically offer consultancy on ISAs, buy to let investments, mortgage protection, inheritance tax advice, and equity release.
For a full list of their services, visit them at investing-ethically.co.uk

eco-eclipse: Who they are? And What they do?

First established in 1998 as Energy & Environmental to design, manufacture and install specialised "SMART" energy management systems to control boiler systems providing heat and hot water. Now, nearly twelve years on from their official inception, the modern maintenance company is still going strong, offering eco-eclipse - the latest in leading boiler energy management.

Okay, granted, it's not your typical James Bond affair; but credit given where credit's due, the eco-eclipse model looks like and feels as if it had been comissioned by the Secret Service themselves. It is literally the height (however high that may be) in heating management systems.

Scoff all you like at it, but statistically Britain's inefficient heating model is one of our leading villains in the Hollywood production of Climate Change. And this archenemy's calling card happens to be an extraordinarily large carbon foot. But what's even more perturbing is that one of its minions could be stomping about in a secret underground layer which could in fact be your very own boiler room!

If you are a small to medium sized organisation, and beyond, then the eco-eclipse is the perfect gadget to add to your business suit. This is what Energy & Environmental have to say:

"The design of the eco-eclipse is based on 25 years experience of heating plant and associated control systems. Its software analyses all factors that can affect the operation of a heating system and constantly updates the on-board database. Its self adaptive functionality then utilises this data to identify the best possible plant-performance for specific building/temperature requirements and a more efficient boiler firing pattern than previously experienced."

Sounds exciting, no? But in all seriousness, the self adaptive software, radio transmission, sensor systems, and GSM communication will not only have you as excited as you can be about your boiler but will help to save you money, time and cut your carbon footprint with rapid results - without any loss of performance or comfort levels.

Backed by the Carbon Trust, qualified under the Energy Technology List and a member of ECA, the eco-eclipse customer ranges from national supermarket groups such as Tesco; Care Home Groups like Barchester Healthcare; to homes, hotels, hospitals, schools, and even local authorities. Click on their website to arrange a free consultation and see how they can help you beat the bad guy.

Renewable Energy in the Great British Countryside

It is a typically sunny, long afternoon in the English countryside. Bees are buzzing, hedge rows dip and turn, and the slow curvature of the rolling hillsides drop off towards the horizon line. In fact, we could be plotted anywhere along the steady timeline of British history. It's true; going by appearances alone it's hard to tell, whilst out rambling or picnicking on one of Britain's many soft knolls, not where we are but when we are.

That is until you've seen a peculiar looking specimen of tree - the wind turbine. Their presence is unmistakable; standing straight in regimented lines, rotors turning, or planted by themselves, tall as a flag pole in support of some local farm.

Admittedly it took a while for a character to grow out from this very modern twenty-first century mechanism. Indeed, the national newspapers were all too eager to dwell upon the immediate reactionary defense from our nation as a whole; easily anticipated from a country most often described as 'stoic' and 'proud', let alone one with a heritage like Britain's. And the public's general negative feeling did well to capture the response that most people had at a personal level to what seemed like an invasion of technological progression.

So, have things changed since then? Well, arguably, no - not really. The general consensus on Britain's adoption of wind turbines and other renewable energy seems to follow the line that We're happy to have it, but hate to see it! And this, quite frankly, has to change.

Agreed, the great British countryside is changing. And, no, it doesn't look the same as it did. But this will never be the case. After all, nothing on Earth has a design - be it biological or technological - to remain in stasis. It seems appropriate to recall some old wise words once uttered...All that remains permanent is change. Which is why when change is inevitable it must be understood.

Wind turbines are Britain's primary hope for producing renewable energy, on site. By 'on site' we are talking about domestic sourcing - within Britain - rather than paying for power from across seas. The sites on and around Britain are naturally provided for in order to harbour wind farms and make use of the sustainable and renewable energy source that we have for centuries taken for granted - wind.

Solar energy, for all its merit, would not come to great affect if it were to harness a typical British summer. And being a relatively small cluster of islands, restricted by the amount of land we have available, other renewable sources such as Biomass remain impracticable. And despite great innovation and technological advancement in many areas of renewable energy, Britain's key renewable source is, and will be for the foreseeable future, wind power.

So what's to be done? Well, to surmise with one word, we have to 'change'. Changing our perceptions; our habits; and our methods.

It's the buzzword that environmentalists and politicians have been using for years, and which, quite honestly, has lost all meaning. Change requires action. And to make this sound less dramatic, to put it 'in the kitchen' so to speak, in a day-to-day reality, we'd need only to look at the energy we have supplied directly into our homes.

By doing something as simple as changing your current energy tariff to a 'clean' energy supplier, you will be making that necessary change. If your electricity is sourced from a supplier that uses 'clean' power - or in other words uses renewable sources to produce the power - then they are getting the financial support needed to sustain their good practise; the government will recognise this change in trends; and the renewable market will be boosted by the new income. All this action will, in turn, bring electricity prices down, advance renewable technology (so they can design more integratable models), and help Britain become a more sustainable country.

Think of it this way: by doing something as simple as changing your current energy tariff, you could have more money to treat yourself to a picnic in the great outdoors knowing exactly why you feel so proud that the countryside looks this 'clean'.

Tamsin Omond & The Commons – The Climate “Rushes” for Government

How Tamsin Omond first caught our eco-eye was way back before discovering her book, film, academic success or even, to be honest, her name. It was, instead, The Climate Rush group that initially introduced us to the young eco-warrior: a face within a crowd of ecologically concerned activists looking to achieve much more than promises. 

"Deeds Not Words" was what was seen to be put in action.  

First off it was an artistic echo that rallied support as The Climate Rush group dressed up and back in time, mimicking the Suffragettes who brought about success and reform in their own terms one hundred years before the fresh-faced Omond made her way to Parliament Square, toting banners. Then, it was a rabble of realists, putting in the leg-work and pedalling through London, in peaceful protest. What followed were picnics at Heathrow, tours through the South West and sunsets on Westminster Abbey.  

Seen from under the sinister spotlight of the national press, the concentrated desk-lamps of a huge online following, as well as her band of faithfuls attending candle lit parades, it was clear - whichever way one looked at it - that there was something refreshingly illuminating about Omond.  

And there still is. Now her latest move follows on through a clear trajectory towards achieving those very same goals when she first set out with The Climate Rush group - an impassioned rush for change. Only now Omond has adapted her approach:  

"It has to be time for something new. I'm sick of being told Britain is 'broken'. I want to play a part in fixing it. That is why I am standing for Parliament on behalf of The Commons."  

Running for local elections in her home constituency Hampstead and Kilburn, Omond has committed herself to figure-heading a community approach to modern day politics that has until now left most of us feeling lacklustre and lost. Backed by a campaign directive known as The Commons, Omond's transparency is appealingly enforced by a genuine concern for society.  

Indeed, as was the case in the past for the eco-activist, we can expect to see the same of her future: not preaching from the political soap-box but taking its structures apart, laying the material she has to hand out flat and inviting "Come one, Come all" to have their say. Just take at look at her social network manifesto.  

Already echoing her own history of success, there is a sort of artistic integrity that holds Omond's campaign together. It is not the traditional patena of affairs, that's true. And this might be enough to scare the average voter away. But these are not average times. In fact, they are the opposite. As political deadlines sit in waiting on the monthly calender, so too does an environmental, social and individual calender exist.  

Through the hard work of supporting organisations such as The Commons, the integral drive of Omond herself, and the warm support she receives along the way, the key decisions - as Omond would surely advocate - are ultimately made with action. So without further delay, click here to see how you can use your support.

Business Opportunities from climate change & a low carbon economy – FREE event from betre

That’s right, you heard it “FREE”. The guys at betre have organised an up-and-coming management day event that will help tighten, polish and give your business model the good old Green once over maintenance check.

The agenda has been set for Wednesday 26th May 2010, 9am until 5pm – Newhaven.

This is an intensive day course, looking to cover a lot of Green ground, with the aim of motivating you and your business to prepare for the forecasted changes in our business and environmental climates. Some of the day’s objectives include; helping businesses become more resilient to fluctuations in energy prices; providing a half-day workshop to demonstrate how to calculate your current carbon footprint; and to introduce the wealth of benefits brought about by renewable energy.

Speakers include the Carbon Trust, Business Link, Climate South East, Envirowise, and local Sussex businesses.

Due to considerable backing and East Sussex funding, betre have been able to make this project – worth £500 per business – absolutely FREE of charge. And if you need a little more convincing than a clean price tag, here’s 10 reasons why betre thinks you should attend:

"10 essential reasons to attend:

1. Hear about the business opportunities from a low carbon economy.
2. Network with other forward thinking businesses and organisations.
3. Help your business to prepare and adapt for climate change.
4. Save money through practical tips on energy efficiency, water and waste reduction and eco-design.
5. Calculate your organisation’s carbon footprint – ½ day Carbon Trust workshop.
6. Get paid for your energy – learn how your business could generate income through Feed in tariffs and Renewable Heat Incentives for renewable technologies.
7. Minimise the risks and maximise the opportunities from climate change
8. See renewable technology in action.
9. Access FREE support and grants from BETRE, Business Link and the Carbon Trust.
10. FREE event and locally sourced lunch."

Still not convinced? Here’s what local business owner Kate Mylrea has to say:

‘The BETRE course inspired us to make huge changes to the way we ran our business. Not only did we learn about our carbon footprint, we were able to reduce it with some very easy changes and we saved money each year. We got a lot of support from the team with suggestions and contacts. I would recommend anyone who wants to be more sustainable and save money to go on one of the courses.’ Kate Mylrea, Manor Farm Oast, an award-winning B&B.

For further information on how to book your place on this great event click here. Alternatively email betre direct or Tel: 01273 336777.

betre – helping business in the South East of England help their own Environments

As much as we don't like to admit these things but it's all very well saying that you will commit to a carbon cutting program, but in the light of day actually doing it is another thing entirely. Many of us have seen the benefits, heard all about the potential savings, and understood the real motives for bettering our business for a better environment, but most of us still haven't managed to do anything about it. And why? Nine times out of ten it's simply because we just don't know where to start.

It's true. Hundreds of businesses across the UK are stopping themselves from making monthly savings, cutting out a bundle of unnecessary costs, and even ignoring the government funding that they might well be entitled to, purely because the wide world of environmentalism seems to be too much of a steep mountain to climb.

Now, whether your mission statement has set its sights on Everest or pitched a tent on a more homely hillock, the recent boom in environmental awareness has proven one thing if nothing else: we are an environmentally active nation, and it pays to be so!

This might seem like an obvious statement to make, but in reality a large portion of businesses up and down the country are yet to use their general awareness and apply it to the benefit of their day-to-day business. And that's exactly where organisations such as betre come in:

Funded by South East Economic Development Agency (SEEDA) and other national investors such as the European Union, betre offer free practical and independent advice to East Sussex small and medium sized businesses on how to cut utility costs, reduce their environmental impact and work together towards a low carbon economy.

Run regionally to support businesses throughout East Sussex, betre deliver a gamut of services sure to shrink not only your carbon footprint but also cut costs down to size. Environmental Audits, Training Events, Green Action Grants are just a small selection of betre's environmental tools, not to mention a useful catalogue of Environmental Suppliers and recommended services.

Launched in 2001, betre already has a growing list of 'happy customers' more than pleased with the free, impartial service:

"Trinity Wholefoods in Hastings, East Sussex, sells organic and vegetarian produce. So, in keeping with their ethical business and concern for the environment, they decided to have an eco-friendly makeover.

A key priority, as for many shops, was lighting. With the help of a £500 grant from BETRE Trinity Wholefoods commissioned Sussex-based company Luminair to install stylish low energy lighting. Savings included a 56% cut in electricity costs."

In operation for the past six years, betre has, quite impressively, helped provide continued support for over 900 local businesses - totalling in savings over £1.3 million.

If you are a small to medium sized business in East Sussex click here to find out more about betre and their answers to that common quandary of Where do I start? There's an environmental solution for every businesses, no matter where you're heading.

Ethical Easter Eggs: What To Hunt For This Easter

Now, it seems to be a tradition for most eco-friendly sites to see a national holiday on the horizon and begin deriding it with consumerist attacks and facts about how Christmas will one day end the world. So, for a little less drama, and in view of a touch more seasonal spirit - Here's to Easter! Spring's celebration of new starts and chocolate eggs. And in light of this change of tone - from fire and brimstone, to chocolate and Sunday roast - here's three of the best ways to make your Easter a little more ethical.

The Egg

There are a variety of ethical options available directly from your local supermarket and convenience stores, just follow the blue-ribbon FairTrade seal of approval as a guide. But if you were looking for that bit more to send your little ones (or big ones) off on an Easter Egg Hunt, here are a few option brought to the market by Greenpeace UK.

• The Virtual Easter Egg: this egg might be more suitable for the older Easter Egger who is still looking to get in on the action but doesn't need the excitement of chocolate and foil buzzing through their bodies all day. The Virtual Easter Egg is a donation made to Greenpeace UK to help support their all-year-round hard work. It comes in three varieties, each representing one of their key campaigns: the Forest Egg will help Greenpeace's forest campaign, working to protect forests in areas such as the Amazon, by investigating and exposing companies that destroy forests to make products such as beef and leather; the Ocean Egg will help the Greenpeace campaign for more selective fishing methods to be used and to support emerging marine reserves where no fishing is allowed; and the Climate Egg provides a donation to Greenpeace's campaign against climate change by taking action against airport expansion and championing clean energy solutions, with the aim of safeguarding species under threat from around the world.
  
• Booja Booja Truffle: if the amount of wasted packaging is something that really gets your back up, then this egg is definitely for you. As well as being 100% organic, wheat and gluton free, dairy free, GMO free, vegan and vegetarian friendly, this little number comes in a hand painted box made from renewable poplar wood, providing Kashmiri artisans with a sustainable income.
  
• The Chocolate Alchemist: for some, the sheer fact that this egg looks and tastes unbelievable will not be enough to swing them into surprising a loved one with it. The egg is sold at Planet Organic in London, but stocks are selling fast. Could it be due to the organic chocolate? The offset carbon distribution? Or the whimsical truth that all the employees who helped create The Chocolate Alchemist take it upon themselves to cycle their bikes to work - ever the carbon custodians! Which ever one of these revelations you find pleasurable, it will only add to the total experience.

And if none of the above takes your fancy, then remember that Green and Black's chocolate has recently gone FairTrade with a dedication to reduce their packaging by 60%. Hotel Chocolate also follow a fairtrade policy - be it one that doesn't tote the blue ribbon. Their 'Engaged Ethics policy' follows many of the same routes a fairtrade chocolatier will take you down, but with a further option of luxury along the way. But, whatever your fancy is this Easter, make sure its a happy one.

Happy Easter, From all at EcoSwitch.

Green Energy Tariffs: the Quick Questions

Have you ever heard the phrase At the Flick of a Switch? If you haven't then you'll still be able to grasp a feeling hidden inside the language of a simple, quick, immediate change. And today, in an era categorised by days that aren't quite long enough and the time you have flashing out of and back into night, it seems that what the majority of everyday people look for is a clear, concise Yes/No switch for just about everything: Should I drive to work today - No. Should I buy organic - Yes. Is fairtrade necessary - Yes. Can my carbon contribution really make a difference - Yes.

So why is it when we are faced with the decision and ask ourselves Will I benefit from a Green Energy Tariff, knowing the answer instinctively is yes, the lights still don't come on?

Of course, whether they do or don't is ultimately up to you; but here we have compiled a quick guide to some of the short-circuit questions that might have left you in the dark for quite some time, and, hopefully, have you charged-up enough so when the power does come back on it will be from a Green supplier.

Which Supplier?

Switching to a green energy tariff is something entirely for us to decide. Whether your options include a package from one of the 'Big Six' British energy companies or something specialised from a tailored utility provider that suits your needs a little more, the fact of the matter is there's a large onus on society to engage themselves with climate change - and specifically, combating it. And without any guiding legislation to shepherd the public into a Green future, it seems to be a troublesome trip from doing nothing into taking those first steps. But don't fear; the wide world of sustainability has no direct route save renewable energy.

Thankfully the energy market has been coerced into setting-up-shop along the way. Almost every energy company now offers a 'green' energy alternative. But the word 'green' is interpreted and adapted by each supplier. This is why it is vital to ask yourself What is it I need from an energy supplier, and how do I want it?

Suppliers source electricity in a variety of ways: they may choose to generate their own clean electricity entirely from renewable sources; they may also offer an offsetting policy where for the amount of electricity your needs use up, the supplier will contribute an equivalent amount back into the energy grid; and some follow initiatives that look to support eco-friendly community projects or make donations on your behalf to help further renewable energy research.

These are the basic ways in which a tariff can officially raise up a Green banner. And they are worthwhile, sustainable projects. An active involvement in the renewable energy industry is better than none at all. However, the more specialised utility suppliers will often outgun some of the national household names. After all, a wise man once said that the loudest shout is a whisper.

Green energy tariffs from companies such as Ecotricity and Good Energy will offer a 100% renewable electricity package. So if you are enthusiastic about the environment, they are undeniably top of the leader board.

But what we recommend here at EcoSwitch is taking a look for yourself. Research the green energy market, it won't take long. Soon you'll see quite clearly that there are hundreds of options suitable to you and your need, and signing up will save you time, money, and perhaps your enevironment in the long run. And it's all as easy as the Click of a Button or the Flick of a Switch.

Environmental Impact Assessment – A Tool For The Eco-Friendly

If someone turned around in the middle of the street and proclaimed "I can predict the future!" it wouldn't be too strange to see the majority of people desperately avoiding eye-contact, and moving along. It's also pretty fair to say that even when we watch the weekly weather forecast, there's a growing cloud of doubt at the backs of our minds. But if, say, somebody had designed a format of questions which will help you achieve an evaluation that considers both cause and effect for one given project, and from the findings gives a report which reveals its prediction - do we listen?

Science may be the greatest form of rhetoric our generation has ever known; but are we really listening? It's hard to say. Everyday a broadsheet will print new findings which support the need for renewable energy and the threats posed by climate change. But more often than not, the destruction of the earth is no longer a gripping subject, and the page is turned.

Could we need a more practical solution to slot in the tool-belt of everyday life? It's possible. An environmental impact assessment (EIA) will have most of us switching off as fast as we can switch on the TV. But, ignoring its drab name, there is a certain tangible quality to EIA-thinking.

EIA is an exactly-what-it-says-on-the-tin strategy tool designed for decision makers to see straight to the centre of their current concerns. It considers the possible impact - be it positive or negative - that a project may have on its, or other, environments. Considering natural, social and economic variables, the assessment aids decision makers by helping them decide whether to proceed with a given project, after outlining its total forecasted environmental impact.

Doesn't that sound like something we need as a general public and as individuals: the capability of foresight based on our actions before they happen. It sounds like such a simple request, but imagine if the Government released a leaflet detailing the ways in which we could categorically assess our own individual projects of being a civilian - and the effects that may, or may not, have on the environment.

Despite the thought of it sounding a little too close to a George Orwell novel, the practical side of it is something all of us should consider at some point.

Throughout Europe the E.U. has set out a mixture of guidelines and mandatory procedures to help assess environmental impact. Granted these have been put in place to mitigate damages caused to the environment by European industry; but some of the key sections in an EIA, such as; description of the project; a list of considered alternatives; description of the significant effects on the environment; and mitigation, all exist to help users see clearly the impact their actions will have on the environment.

Now, of course, this example is based only on conjecture, or, at best, a woolly paradigm. But in a modern age confounded by headlines, threats, and pre-packaged solutions, perhaps a EIA-thought is something socially refreshing that we could really do with taking a look at. Just consider some of the actions and services we take for granted right now - food, transport, electricity - an EIA might reveal a way in which we could simply do a little more by wasting a little less.

Population and the Environment: Does Having Kids Really Undermine Our Green Credentials?

In the age of contraception, child birth has a taken on a moral angle that existed far less acutely in the past: the question around having children now represents a real decision to be made, and increasingly it seems that many environmentally conscious parents-to-be are further being pressured into accepting an anti-procreation stance, encouraged by thinkers who argue that further population growth in a carbon-led economy will do untold damage to the planet.

It's a hotly contested issue; literally a matter of life and death, the environmental debate over population control is the clearest symbol of our own acknowledgement or denial of the benefits and detriments of our presence in the natural order, with advocators of population slow-down admitting in essence that the human race, multiplied, equals multiplied destruction.

The moral jury is still out on the subject, though. In the Guardian's green living blog, Lucy Siegle has argued as follows:

To spawn or not to spawn? Naturally the planet has a view. Hitherto its mouthpiece has appeared to be the Optimum Population Trust (patron: David Attenborough)Proc. Its core message: that the projected 70-80 million additions to earth every year represent environmental catastrophe. Every day 10,000 new inhabitants will, according to the OPT, begin using life-sustaining resources and emit carbon when the planet just can't take it. We are no longer able to live on the interest from the earth's natural capital – we are eating into the actual capital. The OPT's "Stop at Two" pledge encourages us to stop procreating after we've replaced ourselves. But eco warriors send mixed messages. For every Norwegian sex activist wanting to "Fuck For Forest" (a non-profit "erotic ecological organisation" which involves more than just treehugging), there's a green campaigner angsting over oestrogen pollution from the pill and condoms killing coral reef.

Where lies the answer? And can pro-environmental rationale really validate potential population controls? The gravity of the issue draws heavy attention to the potential sacrifices one might have to make as an environmentalist, and also the absurd weight of the issue to which we must all throw ourselves - to the point of an unsolvable despair, for some - if as a populace we are to tackle and redress the damage so far done as a result of our carbon culture.

The ultimate problem, though is this: regardless of moral questions, is it ever going to be practical to ask people to stop having sex?

Let's see.

Think The UK’s Getting a Bit Wet These Days? Try Britain in the Middle Ages

Over the last six months weather in Britain has been a little bit freaky. From several bouts of snow - the heaviest and most frequent to have fallen for a good few years - to several periods of doom and gloom and torrential downpours, it's been something of a grey blur, and the spring doesn't look set to kick in either: with April approaching, the usual 'April showers' are giving way to torrents of rain and little sunshine.

Given that sunshine was a little too sparse for some last summer too, the grey haze that has been an eradication of "traditional" seasons could be worrying for some Take a little comfort, then, from recent information which suggests that the Middle ages were even wetter; in fact, one study is linking the strange lack of sunshine to the "black death".

Ominous indeed: what could the adverse effects of our changing seasons be? Though calls for a new weather induced-black-death-pandemic would be a little on the ridiculous side, what this information does show is that climate can have a real effect on a given population. Now, this wouldn't be the place for speculation on what that effect could be in the modern era, but it's certainly food for thought the nonetheless.

And it dispels that view that things in the good ol' days of yore were better, doesn't it?

Faint witticisms aside, it does represent an interesting thought experiment: is our climate just fostering a misery in us or is it going to have biological effects too? Whilst the link between climate and the plague of the Middle Ages certainly represents an exceptional circumstance, it raises certain questions about what we're doing not only to the "environment" around us but also ourselves, in our society of high-carbon output;.

Hmm.

And if you're wondering how people worked out that the Middle Ages had wetter summers, here follows the answer, from Professor Dr Jan Esper of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz:

"Annual growth rings provide us with an accurate indication of summer droughts for each individual year, dating back to late medieval times"

Who knew the insides of trees could be that interesting?

Compare Green Energy Suppliers – Find an Electricity and Gas Company with a Green Philosophy

At the heart of our problem of global warming is CO2 emissions, and the root cause of that issue can be boiled down to the mining and use of fossil fuels as a way of generating electricity for the vast power grids that keep in operation the world's most developed countries; even a nation like the UK alone - which, because of it's size, generates little in comparison to some countries - contributes heavily to annual worldwide CO2 emissions levels, and when you include large industrial nations like India, the US and China, it's easy to see how quickly our current carbon-heavy economies are contributing to a seemingly unsolvable problem.

Plenty of companies, though, are looking to do the little they can to make a dent in that carbon monopoly; in the UK alone companies like Ecotricity, Green Energy UK and Good Energy are showing that when you compare green energy suppliers with more traditional coal-based suppliers, the ethical angle has a lot to offer.

Offering plenty of options - from 100% green energy tariffs to low mix renewable energy solutions -  this new generation of energy suppliers are fighting corner to corner and toe to toe with their older rivals. Growing in popularity at an impressive rate (most of us hadn't heard of Ecotricity, Good Energy or Green Energy UK 5 years ago, but most interested parties now treat them like household names) these companies understand that saving energy is incredibly important, and that - if trends are to be believed - such companies can always compete with more traditional energy companies because green electricity prices follow brown.

And so, the 'Green Three' can continue their good job safe in the knowledge that they won't be too easily priced out of the market for having ethical commitments at the bottom of their business beliefs. It's hoped, too, that with the government's UK Low Carbon Transition Plan, these companies might get more attention from government, and increase their output that way. If they do, then it will mean a better service and more availability for the average customer, and should allow for green energy suppliers to grow and grow.

FOr those who want to compare gas and electricity companies, Ecoswitch takes care of all the hard work. Just visit www.ecoswitch.com/greenenergy, where you can compare green energy tariffs and save a bundle in just a few minutes.

Remember: a little time out now could save a lot!

Greenpeace Take On Nestle In Advertising Battle

In a highly controversial advertising campaign, eco warriors Greenpeace has called-out global chocolate seller Nestle through a provocative satire which aims to stop the international chocolatier from sourcing their palm oil from companies who are accused of destroying Indonesia's rain forests.

The internet advert, or 'viral', launched the campaign last Wednesday, posting their online affront to mixed reviews.

Generating a loaded following from eco-enthusiasts around the world, the viral was first aired via the home of online viral entertainment YouTube but was soon pulled due to copyright infringement.

The mock advert mimics Nestle's leading chocolate bar Kit Kat, turning their slogan 'Have a Break, Have a Kit Kat' into an environmental comment on the state of Indonesian rain forests and the threats posed to its natural habitat.

'Give the orang-utan a break' fronts the one minute video where an office worker innocently pulls out a glossy, wrapped orang-utan paw and begins snapping segments in front of appalled onlookers. The brief but tremendously effective satire finishes with images of rain forests being chainsawed and pulled down into devastation.

At present the site has received over 500,000 hits, and is growing daily. Thousands of Greenpeace supporters followed by emailing Paul Bulcke, Nestle CEO, with questions directed to their current environmental policy and the state of palm oil harvesting in relation to the company as a whole.

It has since been reported that the Nestle CEO has blocked any further online investigation and Andre Kudelski, a member of the board of directors, is due to send a press release in order to address the issues raised.

Palm oil harvesting is one the major contributors to the degeneration of rain forests worldwide. The orang-utan and hundreds of other wild species are being put under threat because of this unethical business venture. Greenpeace's impact has stirred global appeal and will surely bring about an address worthy of public inquest.

The viral video can still be found online, but its topic runs much deeper than the emotions evoked for any sympathetic or ethically concerned spectator. Greenpeace spokesman had this to say about the support produced by the internet sensation:

"Facebook users went to Nestle's fan page to ask what the company was doing about their palm oil suppliers, where they were met with rude and arrogant responses from the company. Word of this spread like wildfire around the internet, and has been the talk of many high-profile blogs and news websites."

Such activism not only threatens the chocolate seller's domestic and friendly product image but sends shock waves through their business policy and to the core of its brand integrity.

The Reichstag: Germany’s Green Environmental Emblem

Ever since the official German reunification ceremony on 3rd October 1990 was held at the Reichstag building (also known as the Bundestag), its changing shape and inspired architectural engineering has entertained wide-eyed tourists and budding environmentalists from all around the globe.

A building steeped in history and a dubious past, the Reichstag came under the creative eye of England's own architectural master mind Norman Foster - nationally renowned for design achievements such as 30 St Mary Axe, or as it is informally known, 'The Gerkhin'. Foster won the rights for the reconstruction of the building and finished his magnificent make-over just before the dawn of a new millennium in 1999.

But it is the crowning piece of architectural mastery Foster insisted on (about half way through the original renovation plan) that take, so to speak, centre stage. The inclusion of a cupola - or dome-like structure - was added to blueprints in order to subtly echo the original 1894 design but place it in an entirely modern setting.

The dome itself is situated at the very peek of the Reichstag, and for all intensive purposes, provides three-hundred-and-sixty-degree panoramic views out onto Berlin's cityscape. The glass work not only emphasises a looking-out to an international city, but it also purports an inward eye to peer down into the dome itself to see what is truly being housed on site.

Elegantly wrapped in glass and steel, what surrounds the central chamber of German democratic government is a number of innovative, eco-friendly designs that work together in order to move the building away from its past and towards a greener future.

Now running completely on renewable energy, the Reichstag combines water, wind and solar power, in order to make a true statement of a national commitment.

Germany is and has been over recent years one of the leading advocates for the renewable energy industry. So why would we expect anything less from a building that houses its nation's voice and key decisions? The building can be seen as an emblem to Germany's dedication to environmentalism in a modern age.

Take the intricate solar panelling system: utilising photovoltaic and microgeneration at each and every tasteful corner, the building also incorporates a mirror design circuit which captures the sun's natural energy, sending it flowing through heating systems towards a porous rock foundation that sits below the building for any excess heat to be stored and used again at a later date.

It is an inspiring building. One that does not want to ignore its relationship with the past, but also one that seeks to recognise its investment in the future. The levels of transformation and conservation are wonderfully balanced to such a degree that any onlooker can take not of, as well as, pride in the sheer beauty of it.

Biodiversity in Britain – Why all the Fuss?

It is a hot subject in the ever-changing topical world of ecology, but why - one may ask - does biodiversity matter to Britain?

Quite simply, because without it we no longer have Great Britain as we know it... Ask a question you get an answer.

But in all seriousness, there is a growing number of wild species being stricken from the environmental list that once made Britain great. Frogs, gulls, it seems even the most common of British conservational nobodies are in danger of becoming celebrities for all the wrong reasons. Take, for instance, the eel; a creature renowned for its capacity to live and breed and prosper in the most hostile of habitats - this creature is now considered critically endangered! And that's not to mention public favourites such as the honey bee, which are slipping in droves by the day.

What's even more frightening is that as we lose key-links in the eco-cycles which gave birth to the British countryside, we may soon lose parts of the British countryside itself.

But the borders of biodiversity are not only shrinking within Britain's small ecological circles; the international debate over the totemic bluefin tuna is still rife, worldwide. And the fact that industrial powerhouse Japan remains resistant to the proposed bans is an absolute absurdity.

A prohibition on bluefin fishing has been put forward to span several years in order to allow breeding to take full effect and save this magnificent species from slipping off the very edge and brink of extinction. Surely it's a simple quandary to solve: the population of the bluefin tuna is a hair's width away from extinction under the current fishing laws, but remains on the cusp. If the fish is allowed to breed for a substantial amount of time it will return to its former glory as a species. This is when the fishing ban could come under reform and modernise to accommodate a more sustainable balance...Simple, yes?

Apparently not. Japanese trade officials are slamming their heavy hands on the proverbial democratic table in protest against the bans. Instead they're insisting on a continued license to fish the Atlantic and hook even the last specimen in order to feed their swollen-stomach seafood industry. But the logic behind these actions is all but obvious.

If the bluefin tuna is fished at current rates it will not survive the turn of the new year: mitigating that side of industry regardless of any demands. Does it not, therefore, seem like a smarter - let's say, more of a 'long-term' - business strategy to keep the species around for years to come?

And it is cross-roads such as these that remain at the very centre of biodiversity as a subject around the world and back home in Britain. Put it this way: if you were a painter would you choose to paint in one colour; if you were a writer would you choose one word to express your story; and if you were a musician, could one note suffice? These questions and more do seem ridiculous; but in the face of it they're not too far from the truth.

In simple terms, we are, as a race, choosing to eliminate choice. We are reducing the bounty of a world which - as a matter of fact - relies on eco-systems and biodiversity to exist as we know it. And we are doing this one species at a time: disrupting the harmony of things (and if you're uncomfortable with the word 'harmony' try thinking of 'cause and effect' - without the honey bee would we have as many flowers each Spring?).

Britain faces a growing decline in a number of ecological areas, sure to provoke only an unbalance throughout the nation's conservation sites and countrysides. But what remains to be done is still a little misty. However, like anything, the first step is awareness. Once a problem is addressed it ceases to be a problem and moves, quite covertly, into the realms of the questionable - Would it really be Summer without the bumble bee? Winter without creeping moss? Britain without a countryside? - and then soon enough, an answer appears.

UK Environmental Policy – How Would a Change of Government Affect Things?

With British local elections taking place on May 6, it’s a fairly open secret that the current Labour government will call the general election for the same day in order to increase voter turnout and have a decent shot at retaining power, with pre-election polls showing that the gap between the Conservatives and New Labour are narrowing.

The potential change of government, of course, remains. With that change would come potentially influential changes in policy, and that will apply to the still forming UK environmental policy and legislation, as much as with more established policy areas.

Given that the growing interest in environmental policy led to Labour’s formation of the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), and that the department is still in its infancy (it was formed in October 2008), an understanding of the effects of a shift in government is vital.

What, then, are the potential repercussions for environmental policy after the general election in May 2010?

If the Conservatives Takes Power

On the subject of a Conservative win in the upcoming election, there is something of a resignation in the UK press. An understanding of the main points on their environmental policy, then, is a must for anyone who takes an interest in the future of sustainability and the environment in Britain.

They have pledged to enact the following:

• Offer every household a Green Deal, the right to have up to £6,500 worth of home insulation improvements, enabling households to reduce their energy bills, with the costs being met from the much greater savings that arise;
• Transform electricity networks with 'smart grid' and 'smart meter' technology that automatically matches supply and demand, allowing a huge increase in renewable power;
• Create a decentralised energy revolution by introducing a system of feed-in tariffs to encourage micro-generation of electricity;
• Expand offshore wind and marine power and provide government backing for a network of large-scale Marine Energy Parks.

Similar to current New Labour plans in that the introduction of smart meters and a smart grid are a top priority, the Conservatives have spoken little of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) – where Miliband as will be seen, has championed it - but equally haven’t made many inroads into green energy, other than a cursory commitment to the growth of offshore wind power. Their plans for a large-scale marine energy network, though, is ambitious: how it could be implemented, though, remains to be seen.

If Labour Remain in Power

Ed Miliband will probably remain in his position as Secretary of State for the DECC, and as such remain the effective orchestrator of British environmental policy in the wake of changes to international obligation after the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit.

Generally speaking Miliband has been a popular appointment to the position of ‘Climate Change Secretary’ and would be one of the chief beneficiaries of a Labour re-election, with his generally good work having sounded him out as a potential candidate for future Labour leadership.

In his two year tenure Miliband has enacted the ‘Low Carbon Transition Plan’, and championed research into Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), which he has earmarked as a practical application of the ‘clean energy’ principle attached to the use of renewable energy, and the relatively limited funds attributed to environmental concerns from the government coffers.

A persistent presence at the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference, Miliband is an active player in the international scene, and despite his relatively low profile in the UK, has carved out a reputation that makes him one of the government’s more established politicians in international negotiations.

For continuing work in environmental policy, then, a Labour re-election – provided Miliband isn’t shifted around cabinet – could be the UK’s best option. Miliband and the DECC haven’t been without their criticisms, though: tentative support for nuclear power drew many in dissenters, and CCS is a little moderate for some. His seeming silence on the large-scale production of renewable energy capabilities, too, could lead to questions about his true environmental commitments.

If There’s a Hung Parliament

Long out of power, the Liberal Democrats could see their first shot at government in decades: speculations are rife on the prospect of a hung parliament, and for the first time the Liberal Democrats have made it clear that they would consider a potential coalition with the Conservatives.

The introduction of the Liberal Democrats into government could prove for interesting changes in relation to environmental policy. That, though, would depend on the party’s decisions regarding loyalties to the UK’s two major parties.

With the Liberal Democrats, renewables seem to enter the equation:

Both Labour and Conservatives support the construction of new nuclear power stations. More nuclear power will soak up subsidy, centralise energy production and hinder development of Britain’s vast renewable resources. Nuclear has a dirty legacy and increases global security risks. We oppose construction of further nuclear power stations.

Liberal Democrats will drive a massive programme of investment in renewable energy sources such as wind, wave and solar. We will also transform the National Grid into a smart decentralised grid which will respond dynamically to the changing patterns of energy demand. Smart metering and guaranteed prices will unlock the potential of local and community energy generation, giving people control over the energy they use.

Interestingly, and alarmingly for many, it could be that only a hung parliament may draw out any potential for renewable energy investment. Given that the chance of an actual Liberal Democrat victory is highly unlikely, it would seem that all renewable energy supporters can hope for is that in a coalition government, the Liberal Democrats could pressure their chosen dominant partner into certain commitments involving the technology.

Eco-Homes Deemed Failure

The credibility of carbon free homes up and down the country has been put under national scrutiny this week as Gordon Brown's government announced that only 24 buyers have taken advantage of a 2007 initiative put in place by the Prime Minister to instigate and attract the construction of environmentally friendly homes across the UK.

Mr Brown, in his final Budget as Chancellor, had announced that stamp duty would be scrapped on all new or developing properties worth up to £500,000 which achieve a zero carbon rating. Three years ago Mr Brown revelled in the press by concluded that the scheme would save an estimated average of £10,000 for each eco-home purchase. Deemed a key weapon in the fight against climate change, the then Chancellor set aside £15m for the tax relief.

It seems as though the now Prime Minister set himself for a great fall. Less than one carbon neutral home a month has sold since October 2007. Only a shocking 24 buyers have taken full advantage of the tax break since its initial introduction.

Grant Shapps, the shadow housing minister, had this to say: "Gordon Brown just can't seem to stop himself from announcing grand schemes designed to do little other than grab that day's headline.

"Rather than Ministers putting all their efforts into announcing glitzy pledges in order to grab a few column inches, it would be better for them to sit down and seriously work out ways to slash the 27 per cent of carbon emissions that emanate from Britain's homes."

With 2020 requisites looming, there is some weight to comments like these. However the tax break initiative found its roots in establishing and accelerating market interest for the national development eco-homes. Before October 2007, carbon neutral homes were scarcely heard of, let alone given column space in national newspapers. Despite the initiative's serious lack of interest from a general buying market in a time of steady recession, the scheme has certainly succeeded in opening up the widening niche area of Green living.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry, the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, said the stamp duty land tax (SDLT) relief scheme was designed to "help kick-start the market for new highly efficient technologies in homes, both for the fabric of the building and in the use of micro-generation."

Over the past three years there certainly has been a boom in micro-generational technologies, supporting grant schemes, development initiatives for connecting trades, as well as a steadily growing market for sales.

If the relief scheme can be perceived as a steamroller for what followed in terms of renewable energy development and carbon neutral design, then perhaps not all is lost.

Ms McCarthy-Fry continued: "We have always made it clear that the SDLT relief for zero carbon homes would evolve and we expect to see more of these homes built in the future."

Despite recent press scrutiny, the Government remain committed to establishing an environmental policy that will see all new properties to be carbon-neutral by the year 2016. This would require a vast amount of new technology, which critics have already brought under financial consideration.

Further to these investigations, the eco-critics stand steadfast to the need for existing home sites to be brought into the carbon neutral generation before flagship developments go ahead.

Fairtrade Chocolate Takes Another Bite At The Global Market

Household favourite, organic chocolate maker Green & Black's revealed earlier this week that it plans to switch its global food and beverage range to Fairtrade by the end of 2011. This move from the world's leading manufacturer of organic Fairtrade chocolate has posed the question for international eco-enthusiasts: Isn't it about time for the entire chocolate market to open wide to a Fairtrade solution?

Green & Black's were the first company to launch an official Fairtrade product for sale in the UK. The chocolate firm's Maya Gold chocolate went on sale to British appetites nearly 15 years ago. And by the end of this year, all Green & Black's products, including food and beverage, will carry the revered blue and green Fairtrade stamp of approval. Plans for a complete conversion are set to make their way through the 30 countries the chocolate makers distribute to by the close of 2011.

Not only will this provide siginificant funding for Fairtrade, through a rapid increase of worldwide sales, it will also expand and consolidate existing Fairtrade relationships with cocoa farmers through capital funding.

Developing business agreements like these are a formidable way of establishing regulations that seek to benefit all parties involved. And the Fairtrade Foundation's growth is another way to acknowledge the emerging prominence of Green markets.

In just over a decade, the Fairtrade market has grown from a net value of £22m in 1999, according to Co-op surveys, to harvesting £635m in product sales, with the Co-operative predicting that this year's sales could see the Fairtrade company exceed the £1bn barrier in 2010. At present, Green & Black's annual retail sales are estimated at £65m, which would add an additional growth-spert to the greener side of the chocolate market.

The Fairtrade funding generated by this move will be invested in Dominican Republic farmers. The funding, which is estimated at approximately £300,000 a year, will support initiatives set to increase sustainability by improving quality, yields and education, which will boost income for local farmers and help protect the cocoa industry by securing the supply of high-quality organic cocoa beans and sustain the brand's international growth.

Market analysts seem encouraged by this bold move by leaders Green & Black's and expect to see similar approaches taken by competitive companies.

Dominic Lowe, managing director of Green & Black's, said: "We buy quality, organic Trinitario cocoa beans from co-operatives in the Dominican Republic, and have done so for 10 years. Up until now we have committed US $500,000 in local initiatives to improve quality and availability, but we wanted to do more to support farmers."

It is by developing trade relationships like these that the Fairtrade organisation set out in its fledgling stages.

The Fairtrade Foundation (UK) executive director, Harriet Lamb, commented: "This newest commitment to Fairtrade will enable producers to benefit themselves, scale up their businesses and invest in their communities, not just now but for the future."

This move represents the latest in a series of recent developments within the food and beverage industry. It seems that the Fairtrade Foundation is set to find new and growing support as a widening market of chocolate lovers finally begin to demand all things Fair.

Bluefish Tuna: the one that got away?

They've been at the forefront of the media industry, international popular cinema and, unfortunately, the international culinary elite. Bluefish tuna have become the worldwide symbol for the state of the over-fished oceans.

Brought into focus by Cannes film festival only a few years ago with the debut of The End of the Line (a film documenting the harsh realities and fishing habits of local and international fisherman) bluefish tuna are on the brink of extinction.

Leading national tuna industries remain polemic in their approach to such a serious topic. Two countries in particular - Malta, who harvest a billion dollar tuna industry, and Greece, another nation with a thriving fishing market - are posed to take up this discussion this March, through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) which is sure to expand on the problems facing the bluefin tuna and its equals this Spring.

Despite international rallying to ban fishing on this particular species, the bluefin remains only three years away from total extinction, scientists say.

The EU Environment Commissioner, Stavros Dimas, has been a key speaker for the ban to take place. On an ethical and economical footing, Dimas has taken a stand against continued harvesting of bluefin. His arguments have followed such logical conclusions that insist by following existing methods the industry is simply creating cause for its own collapse.

In reaction to recent media coverage concerning these affairs, high street retailers such as Pret have since taken positive action to help ensure the survival of the bluefin and the longevity of tuna fishing as a whole. The End of the Line movie-documentary also did its best to bring together the severity of the situation and rise it to the fore of public concern.

But now, with Maltese interests defining the short-term tone of political response to existing concerns, there seems to be waves of ecological pessimism driving through our soon to be empty oceans.

Cites, who was instrumental in saving the African elephant from ivory poachers, rely on European support in banning trade in the bluefin. Hopes rest with commissioners such as Nicolas Sarkozy, who last year publicly supported that a ban should be enforced. However, as was proved since the ebb-and-flow of last year's political declarations, the French industry's interest may not be enough to keep support for the ban buoyant.

One can only wait and watch as issues like that of the bluefin tuna are sprinkled into March's political fish tank, and hope that any growing pessimism is filtered out.

Yes We Can: Barack Obama and Nuclear Power

In a sweeping move to win Republicans and moderate Democrats on energy legislation, US President Barack Obama has recently endorsed nuclear power with revised vigour. In his State of the Union address, Obama outlined the next budget year for the US to include billions more dollars in support of new nuclear reactors.

Despite deep-set concerns over radioactive waste, Obama's administration has refocused its tentative outlook on nuclear power to concentrate on a White House priority - climate and energy legislation. Such reaffirmations have been set in state planning to provide a growing number of 'clean' energy jobs to neighbouring districts.

US spokesmen have addressed Obama's actions as reflecting his long term support of nuclear power. However, there has been considerable pressure on the White House for not exploring the viable role nuclear energy and its existing infrastructure can play in mitigating global warming.

Presently, there are over one hundred nuclear reactors in operation, providing around 20 per cent of US electricity. But the potential of nuclear energy and its operating success in pollution-free power sources outweighs even some of the more esteemed favourites, such as wind power, solar and hydroelectric dams. Nuclear energy contributes 70 per cent of power in this field. And US senators are ever-more aware of these potentials.

Nuclear power generation in the US has proved to be a remarkably safe and reliable form of power generation since its first sites came online. However, in order to ensure that nuclear power can act as a viable source of energy for the US and other global markets, engineers and not scientists have got their work cut out for them. It is less with the technology of nuclear power rather than with the constructability of nuclear units throughout the US that need to be addressed.

Sen. Lamar Alexander, for instance, plans to see 100 plants built over the next 20 years. This is not unrealistic according to the Environmental Protection Agency who, after recent surveys, postulate 180 new reactors would be supporting the US energy grid by 2050.

As with any national plans to fully integrate a modified - and by all means advanced - method of generating power, the changes made to the face of American power industries will be vast and demanding. And this has evidently been acknowledge by White House planners.

Even Obama himself has changed the course of his rhetoric to suit forthcoming advancements. He said last week:

"Up until now, the administration has been pursuing a national windmill policy instead of a national energy policy, which is the military equivalent of going to war in sail boats."

Brook Buchana, a spokeswoman for Sen. John McCain, has stated that the senator was enthused by the President's momentum, but also highlighted some of the potential quandaries facing the current administration.

McCain, who criticised Obama's standing on nuclear power throughout the 2008 campaign, remains, along with a large number of state senators, unclear as to whether or not the President receives full backing at this time in present. Industry talks are set to clarify some of the next steps over the oncoming months.

Are Biofuels Really A Threat To The Rainforest?

Reports from the Renewable Fuels Agency have warned that using bio-fuel in vehicles may be having adverse effects on the environment. A watchdog recently reported that the use of bio-fuels could actually be helping to destroy the rain forest rather than saving it. Enquiries also point to the possible rise in pump prices due to the Government's policy of ensuring fuel companies add bio-fuels to stand along side petrol and diesel.

Over 1 million hectares of land was used in Britain to contribute approximately 2 per cent of the required fuel last year.

This is a relatively new initiative enforced by the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation, one that is in place to shepherd a growing proportion of bio-fuel into the UK fuel market. On average, 3.25 per cent of fuel must be renewably sourced this year. And by 2020, this figure will rise to 13 per cent. Although this is a positive step for the renewable fuel markets, its immediate impact on consumers may increase fuels prices quite considerably.

The Renewable Fuels Agency revealed that leading fuel companies had previously exploited a loophole which excused them from reporting the exact source of almost 50% of the bio-fuel they supplied to filling stations last year. In 2009, Esso identified the source of only 6 per cent of its bio-fuel and BP, with a similarly low figure, reported only 27 per cent. This activity has been subscribed to the somewhat loose practise that fuel companies are able to describe fuel origin as "unknown" if it is from recently cleared land.

Grey areas such as these need to become a clear Green before 2020, where over a tenth of fuel will be required to have come from renewable sources - a reality which requires the significant adoption of large patches of land. The agency's concerns over the "unknown" areas of last year's reports stem from the threat of a net release of carbon. Such carbon release may have been detrimental to last year's bio-fuel savings as a whole if, for instance, even a small percentage of the "unknown" land was carbon-rich grassland or forestland.

Another concern that has been flagged by recent reports is the method that some companies have partaken in to ensure they achieve bio-fuel targets.

A majority of fuel companies have been keeping up their bio-fuel obligation by buying large quantities of palm oil. Although palm oil is a relatively cheap alternative it is also, potentially, one of the most threatening to the environment due to the carbon-release caused by deforestation in order to create plantations. The Renewable Fuels Agency added that industry leaders had failed to invest in more expensive, sustainable palm oil and have thus stimulated rather dubious areas of the renewable field.

This news comes at the same time, under a European directive, that from March 2011 fuel companies will receive another get-out-clause; that being, fuel firms will not be required to declare using rain forest land if the trees were removed before 2008.

Ground Source Heat Pumps: A Renewable Energy Source To Suit Your Needs?

Ground Source Heat Pumps: What Are They?

In essence, a Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) is a renewable energy unit that utilises a network of pipes buried under the surface of your garden to convert heat from these grounds into your home. Traditionally a GSHP system will be used to warm water for your radiators or generate heat for a underfloor heating system. It can, on occasion, be used to contribute to general facilities like heating the water that goes into your boiler. Located beneath the ground surface around your home, the earth will stay at a constant temperature. Therefore GSHP can be used all year round as an effective and efficient renewable energy source.

How Do GSHPs Work?

A GSHP will be installed into your home grounds - conventionally a back garden. The circuit is formed by pipes leading away from and then back into your home. A mixture of water and antifreeze is then pumped around this loop of piping. As the formula travels around the loop (known as a ground loop) it absorbs heat from the ground. The length of the piping will depend on how much heat you will require and other variables like the size of your home. Whether your home is big or small there are reasonable methods to ensure that a GSHP unit will work with optimum efficiency once installed. For instance, in most homes the GSHP will be laid flat, or laid in coils in trenches (approximately 2metres deep), but if your garden is relatively 'tight' for space, then a vertical installation can be deployed. This is where the pipes are installed direct down into the earth in a vertical loop to depths of up to 100 metres.

"The ground loop absorbs heat from the ground. The heat is transferred to a refrigerant by the evaporator, changing it from liquid to gas. The compressor compresses the gas, causing the temperature to rise. The condenser then transfers the heat from the hot gas to the central heating system." - Energy Saving Trust

What Are The Benefits?

The benefits of installing a GSHP system are varied and great, depending on your style of living. But there are three key points that apply to all homes:

• It will reduce your CO2 emissions: in place of a traditional oil boiler, GSHPs will save over 500kg of carbon dioxide every year.
• Rid you of Fuel Bills: these systems run solely on electricity, so gas, oil and solid fuels are made obsolete for your home.
• Reduce your electricity consumption: GSHPs are very efficient, far more efficient than using electric radiators.

Are They Suitable For My Home?

Generally speaking, GSHPs are suitable for most homes. However, there are some crucial areas that need to be considered in order to help determine whether or not they are the most effective route to renewable energy:

• Although your back garden doesn't have to be particularly large, the ground must still be suitable for installing a ground loop. Ask yourself whether it is accessible to digging machinery, or, for instance, how suitable the soil is for digging? If the garden is small and the soil is laden with concrete foundations, will you really be able to accommodate a borehole. Such practicalities are best figured in the early stages of installation in order to avoid any hidden disappointments later on.
• Make sure you'll be able to keep the heat in your home. How well insulated is your house? GSHPs produce, although carbon-friendly and consistent, low temperature heat compared to traditional furnace style boilers. Therefore, to ensure that you get the best out of your GSHP, thorough insulation is a must.
• Costs and Savings. The initial cost of installing one of these systems is quite considerable. However, grants and funding are available for eligible applicants, and will help source around 1/3 of the costs. Savings will vary with depending on the size of the home, amount of heat required etc., but a GSHP system, on average, will start your savings off at around 500kg of CO2 and £160 annually - if you're replacing an oil-fired central heating system.

Whatever your motives are for installing Ground Source Heat Pumps there are a wide range of benefits, grants and savings that, in the long run, will set the perfect temperature for your home. We recommend that you visit the Energy Saving Trust for further information.

Growing Profits: British Farms and Agriculture

Rated above bonds, cash and property investments, farmland in its current standing is being outlined as "the best low-risk investment over the next decade." MoneyWeek magazine have singled-out 'Britain's greener pastures' in the busy and bustling world of investment management as actually being Britain's Green Pastures. And according to a recent report from Savills, there is almost £7.5bn in cash waiting to buy farms and regional estates throughout the UK in response to low cash and gilt yields. This has the potential effects of increasing prices by half in just three years according to MoneyWeek - which is no mean feat.

Now, if you are like most of us then the fast and furious world of investment may just wiz by in a blink of an eye at a jargon-fuelled blur incomprehensible to the strongest grips of concentration. But after sieving through the chunks of nomenclature, kneading some of the more convoluted statements and by bringing the key ingredients forward to stand for themselves, then it soon becomes plain to see that there is definitely something wholesome to be had here.

Put it this way, due to their recent bad-press over the past ten years or so, a general lack of interest from 'new-buyers' and a scare easy standing from potential investors, farms are cheap. Not only have they become financially viable but they are also 'sustainable' investments too: there is income to be had from the crops grown and produced on the land; EU subsidies are set in place for the next five-to-ten years or so; and then finally there are sizeable tax breaks - including breaks on inheritance tax, reclaimable VAT and even initiatives for budding entrepreneurs!

Okay, before we rear off this quite idyllic country road and find ourselves toe-to-toe with gaz-guzzling red sports cars then there is a word of caution that should be added. Although farms are cheap, investment isn't easy. It requires a thick-skin, hard head and lots and lots of craft(y) work. The reality for this scale of investment is not all wellington boots and robins perching spades. Instead what lies ahead is a strict route and keen sense for the 'right of way' privileges that farmers are entitled to. For instance, one of the driving factors for investing in arable land (whether it be deemed 'right') is not the soil-rich country lifestyle that accompanies it, instead it is, quite simply, a much-employed way to protect existing capital from biting taxes.

Inheritance tax, for example, no longer becomes applicable for a person who owns agricultural property and farms it on a day-to-day basis for a minimum of two years. The proprietor of the property is free to pass their plump little cash-cow on to heirs without having the tax man come knocking at the door with his sharp set of carving knifes. The bare bones of it stands like this: the Government wants to encourage national investment, especially in British agriculture. Exactly why may be beyond a simple sensibility like my own. However, it has to be a good thing. Right?

From the ecological perspective, investment into (what has been) a much ignored sector of UK industry, moreover, one that is committed to developing and refining the ways of 'working with the land', has got to have a positive outcome in store. Especially in today's environmentally-aware consumer society, and with E.U. requisites focuses their firm eye, we can live in hope that there will be little room for woodland, agricultural and arable farming to be led astray into the wilder-than-wildlife cages of business investment. Can't we?

Microgenerational Certification Scheme – Why Your Product Needs To Be On Their List

If Your Name's Not on the List
You're Not Coming In
In these days of check-lists, special requirements and quality control, we have come to expect only the very best from the products and services found in the market place. And why not? It seems that the more aware we become as general consumers, the more precise our buying demands also become. When we pick up a packet of this-or-that in the supermarket, more and more of us are running our fingers down the list of ingredients, quickly calculating whether or not it is the "right" thing to buy. But what does "right" really mean? More ticks than crosses, more pro's than con's? It's possible. But when we fall short of reaching the sum of our thoughts, losing track of it or just without the time to qualify a decision, we can often rely on a good old seal-of-approval. These little stamps have become the insignia for hundreds of hard-working, certified bodies who offer their thumbs-up to the worthy few selling quality assured products throughout the UK.

And let's face it, sometimes, no matter how deep we delve into piles and piles of facts and figures available to us at a click of a button, a little peace of mind is always proffered when a see the sign and guarantee that nothing's being hidden and that everything's A-Okay!And, in the same breath, should we expect anything less than the very best from the Greener side of the British consumer market? Of course not. There are a great number of certified bodies upholding the Green standard we've come to expect and want to sustain. That's why - especially in the labyrinths of renewable energy and microgenerational technologies - you can be happy to know that we've got our very own street map.

The Microgenerational Certification Scheme
Launched by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), in 2006, under the BERR's Microgeneration Strategy, the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) was born. The MCS sets and updates requirements on products and installers to sign up to a Code of Practice in keeping with the Office of Fair Trading's Consumer Code of Approval Scheme. Since 2008, the MCS grew quite considerably so that the initiative gained funding from the microgenration industry itself, instead of the government - making it an independent governing body. Led by a panel of stakeholders, the MCS has set out its objective clearly:

"The development of new standards for the Scheme is undertaken by Technical Working Groups, to ensure that the Scheme stays up to date with technology and skill set developments. To date, standards have been developed for:

• Solar Heating Collectors
• Solar PV
• Micro Wind
• Heat Pumps
• Biomass
• Heat-led Micro-CHP

Work is underway to finalise standards for hydro turbines, combined heat and power and fuel cell products.
Any eligible organisation is able to apply to become accredited by UKAS to act as a Certification Body under the MCS. Certification Bodies will certify products and installers against the Scheme standards, enabling those products and installers to carry the MCS ‘mark'. "And there are further benefits, too, for following the MCS guide on products and services. Working in partnership with the DECC's grant scheme and the Low Carbon Buildings Programme, the MCS will be able to offer grants and funding for eligible applicants investing in certified products and installers. So, simply by following the MCS guarantee, we can get a little extra help to start us out on our new installation, and well on the way to greater savings each year!

How To Apply
Whether you're either an installer or producer of microgenerational technology, you can start your application by visiting the Microgenerational Certification Scheme website. There you can find a full list of Certified Bodies and begin to put your next step in the capable hands of the MCS initiative.