Most newspapers and magazines are, at least in some part, filled with panic-inducing, alarming news. Inspired Times is different. Now with a circulation of around 6,000, Inspired Times was launched in June 2009 from Bristol. Printed on 100% recycled paper and using vegetable inks, the magazine is distributed in biodegradable plastic – altogether the very epitome of sustainable living.

Widely known as a ‘holistic’ and a sustainable living magazine, Inspired Times is dedicated to exploring the latest in environmental issues and initiatives. The magazine covers all aspects of a more sustainable and, perhaps, ‘greener’ lifestyle, from yoga to holidays to thought-provoking articles on the world around us. It is uplifting as well – it is a comfort to read something about how to improve your way of life or your environment easily and cheaply when other publications are concentrating on the more negative side of life.

The magazine is designed to attract readers of all ages and from all backgrounds – the brightly coloured and abstract designs are intended to grab attention, and they do; the circulation numbers of Inspired Times have the proof in the numbers! The magazine’s contents are, however, mainly aimed at 25-to-55-year-olds. As a publication dedicated to green and sustainable products, companies and services, Inspired Times is an ideal advertising opportunity for the relevant interested parties as it is a guarantee that the target audience will be reached. With an enthusiastic and growing subscription list and reasonable rates, it could be considered to be a win/win situation for businesses.

Many readers have favourably commented on the mix of articles dealing with environmental, spiritual and alternative health topics as well as the overall design of the magazine. With so many varied subjects addressed in each issue, there is much to learn right alongside new information about previously debated ideas.

The magazine is produced quarterly (in January, April, July and October) and is available direct from the website or from local stockists around the country. There is an annual subscription cost of £12.00 for the four issues, or £3.40 each, a deal unlikely to break the bank. In addition to the discounted annual subscription offer, there is a ‘buy one, get one half price’ incentive – buy a year’s subscription for a friend or relative and get your own for £6.00.

As well as reading the magazine, you can also contribute! If you do have any inspiring projects or you know of any products that might be of interest to the Inspired Times team, or have any comments, questions or general thoughts, please contact the magazine by emailing sharon@inspiredtimesmagazine.com or ads@inspiredtimesmagazine.com for business or advertising queries.

Posted under Environmental News, News

Looking for a wireless solution to your electricity and energy consumption? Look no further that the OWL® Wireless Electricity Monitor, a cunning device designed to show just how much energy you’re using at any given moment, how much you’re spending.

While it might seem a little confusing at first glance, the instructions are simple and easy to follow and, if used correctly, can actually make a difference to your electricity bill by helping you to make an informed decision about what to switch off in order to bring the costs down. By using the OWL® Wireless Electricity Monitor, the whole family can learn about changing the little things in their lives that bring about the big changes that we all should be making in this ever-increasingly expensive world.

Measuring at 12cm x 14cm (5″ x 5.5″), the OWL® Wireless Electricity Monitor uses AA batteries and comes supplied with the six needed – which will last over 12 months in both the display and transmitter.

While some household items use a very small amount of energy, even if they’re switched on and in use, items like fridges, halogen lights and gas central heating make the numbers shoot up – scary but very useful to know. We know you can’t turn off your fridge, but maybe there are other actions you can take to make those numbers fall once more. The OWL® Wireless Electricity Monitor can also cut down on the sometimes near heart-attack inducing shock that hits you when the electric bill hits your doormat as there is a section on the screen that shows reasonably accurately how much you have spent on electricity to date.

To show you just how useful the device can be, we have included a quote direct from the company – after all, who knows the product better than they do?

“OWL wireless electricity monitors show users how much electricity they are using within their home on a 24/7 basis, how much it costs and how much carbon is being generated. This means users can see in real time the benefits of turning off electrical devices. Whether it’s turning off at the plug rather than just using standby, or simply turning off lights, OWL shows users the cash impact of changing their habits and behaviour which could amount to savings of hundreds of pounds per year. It is easy to install, easy to read and easy to use.”

In addition, the October ’09′s Which? Report stated that the monitor was “…the most accurate monitor. It’s simple to use […] the monitor can be used with up to four tariffs.” The monitor scored 80% in the test.

The OWL® Wireless Electricity Monitor costs around £35.99 from the official website, but £29.99 on Amazon – so shop around as there might be an even better deal out there.

Posted under Product reviews

People have started mentioning solar chargers for mobile phones and iPods almost everywhere you go, or so it seems like. And, of course, everyone has had it happen to them. There you are, stuck on a train in the middle of nowhere, or up a mountain, and suddenly your iPod or phone loses what little battery it had left, even if you’re sure you charged it just last night. And suddenly you’re left with the prospect of facing the rest of your journey with no music or without a phone to keep people updated with regards to your progress. Never fear, though, for it seems like there could be a cheap, durable and travel-sized (for your convenience) Solar Charger.

Nowadays, we keep ourselves amused during long journeys (or even just travelling to and from work) with the technology that we surround ourselves with. The last thing anyone wants to do is actually interact with their fellow travellers on the 06:30 from Birmingham New Street to London Euston because, really, it’s just too early in the day (and God forbid you try to read on any train operated by South Eastern! Travel sickness will be imminent in your life if you do that.)

But what if there was a neatly-sized charger pack that you could just slip into your bag – or your pocket, even; measuring 144 x 84 x 30mm, the Globetrotter Solar Charger in its specially designed and extra-tough carry pouch weighs only 457g. The Globetrotter (also called the Freeloader) can charge any class of iPod, all current Nokia and N series phones as well as, but not limited to, the Tom Tom sat nav, the Nintendo DS and the Blackberry smartphone. The kit comes complete with two cables – one to connect your gadget to the computer for charging and one to link between the Globetrotter and one of the eleven adaptors included.

The solar panels on the Globetrotter can charge the internal battery within 5 hours (cut down to 3 hours if using the supplied USB cable to charge from the computer. The Globetrotter is impact resistant and features a rust free aluminium body and can simultaneously charge your phone or iPod while being charge itself. The Globetrotter kit also comes with a Supercharger – a super-fast, super-durable way to charge your Freeloader. The Supercharger can fully charge a Freeloader in only 4 hours of sunshine – meaning that you can charge your Freeloader twice in one day.

Described as the “ultimate travellers’ power pack”, the Freeloader Globetrotter kit comes complete with a Freeloader Portable Solar Energy System (including eleven connectors and corresponding connection cables), the Freeloader Supercharger (making you less reliant on the weather to charge your helpful friend) and a tough carry pouch, designed to protect your Freeloader even in the hands of the most accident-prone users. We’re not suggesting you chuck it off of a cliff, but almost anything short of being launched from a height like that, and it will probably survive.

It comes in two colours – green and pink – and while we’ve heard that some people have been disappointed, thorough testing assures us that as long as you charge the Freeloader up fully and then just top it up as needed, you should be okay.

The Freeloader Globetrotter kit costs £54.85 (inc. VAT) with an additional £3.95 for standard UK delivery. Buy direct from Nigel’s Eco Store or shop around, but it seemed like a good deal to us.

Posted under Product reviews, Uncategorized

Top: Flood gates opened to quell the rise of the Mississippi River. Bottom: the drought that hit the River Greta in Co. Durham in 2010

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FLOOD AND DROUGHT AND THE EFFECTS:

Despite US citizens in along the Mississippi having to flee the rising floodwaters due to small towns and farmlands being sacrificed to save larger cities, in the UK we are currently being plagued by a drought that is affecting farmers in Suffolk, Oxfordshire and Herefordshire. Not only that, but the drought means that fauna species are being affected – nesting statistics among house martins are down, a fact that can be directly correlated to the drought in the country due to the way they build their nests using mud from wet areas of ground. If there is no rain, then there is no mud for the birds to utilise.

Why, though, is the weather differing so drastically throughout the world? Why, when people are fleeing their own government’s decision to sacrifice them, are others suffering through the warmest spring season in years, if not decades?

The River Wye has hit levels that are reportedly lower than they were in the drought periods during the years of 1976 and 1984, according to the Wye and Usk Foundation, causing the deaths of species like the salmon which inhabit the river due to getting caught in too-shallow water as the river recedes. In states bordering the Mississippi, meanwhile, rising floodwaters and the state senates have forced people out of their homes in order to save more densely populated regions like Baton Rouge and New Orleans in Louisiana. The still-rising levels of water in Tennessee have surpassed the levels reached in 1937, meaning that some areas are practically emptied already as water spills over the banks of the river and across the Atchafalaya River basin. To save the larger towns and cities from the rising waters, the Morganza Spillway floodgates were opened. Up to 3,000 square miles (7,770 square kilometres) will be flooded due to this action – an action that has already meant the displacement of thousands (currently estimated to surpass 25,000) in order to save hundreds of thousands.

Just west of the state of Arkansas, however, is Oklahoma, where they are currently being hit by a drought (they had gone 222 days without rain by the 5th May this year) that has lasted nearly five years with conditions said to be worse than those faced during the ‘Dustbowl Days’ of the Great Depression in the 1930s.

GOOD FOR THE STRAWBERRIES…NOT SO GOOD FOR THE POTATO:

In England, conditions appear to be heading the same way. While the situation seems to be manageable at the moment, with falling river levels and crops affected by the duel-effect of too much heat and too little rain, it appears that the current status quo cannot be held for long, especially as the weather forecast for the next few weeks and months only predicts more of the same. In Oxfordshire, the BBC reports, vineyards and soft fruit orchards are heading into the harvest season unusually early which, while appearing to be a good occurrence for our industry, could paradoxically mean a lack of potato and wheat crops due to a possible oncoming drought.

Following an unusually hot and dry April, the south of England is now suffering from near-drought conditions that bring to mind the hose-pipe bans of years not too long gone by. According to the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, the headquarters of which are based in Wallingford, said March and April had the lowest recorded rainfall since 1938. If there is a shortage in potato and grain products due to early harvesting periods and drought, there will – of course – be a knock-on effect for the consumer as prices will have to rise in order for suppliers and farmers to recoup their losses. Rivers in England, for example, have been steadily decreasing over the last five years and more due to declining levels of rain and warmer weather than previous decades have known in a steady phase.

Butterfly enthusiasts, meanwhile, are delighted with the current warm weather – rain and a decline in temperature results in falling numbers of caterpillars surviving the changes that occur when they are in the pupal (or, chrysalis) stage. Perversely, the on-going unseasonably warm weather means that the butterfly populations could be just as affected if the rains keep failing to fall – too much heat and the butterfly could be crippled when it emerges from the chrysalis shell or even dying mid-pupal stage.

ONGOING NATURAL DISASTERS ACROSS THE GLOBE:

Of course, in Australia in November and December last year (like the USA at the moment) the country was hit by both floods and drought, devastating the country’s farming industries and having a severe effect on the economy due to livestock being drowned and crop fields inundated with floodwater. The coal industry in Australia was also affected – companies announced at the time that deliveries of coal would be reduced or delayed due to difficulties in mining and transporting the product. All of these problems await the industries in the states affected by the rising waters of the Mississippi River in the USA.

At the moment the situation hitting the world is less than ideal…and something of a Catch 22 – regions in countries around the world are either facing drought or floods, with little middle ground available.

Posted under Environmental News

In March, UK Aware held their London show at Kensington Olympia. It was great and fun and everyone involved had a fantastic time, but what could make it that little bit better?

Well, how about holding a second show in Bristol in conjunction with the Festival of Nature weekend? Running on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th June and a member of DEFRA (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and supported by the Environment Agency, the Festival is a weekend of fun, designed to hook even the most cynical amongst us and it is being held in Bristol – a city short-listed for the EU Green Capital award in 2008; in fact, it was the only UK city short-listed.

This, of course, just goes to show how green the city is and what a great idea it is to hold the Festival and the second UK Aware show of the year in Bristol. Free of charge to visitors, the Festival gives wildlife aficionados the opportunity to get up close and personal with the natural world by exploring the wide variety of exhibits and events that are on offer over the weekend.

WHAT’S GOING ON, WHO’S GOING AND WHAT IS THERE TO SEE?

• UK Aware – straight from London’s Kensington Olympia, UK Aware is a dedicated and contemporary sustainable living show and will be the first large-scale show of its kind in the Southwest. While stand space at the Festival is already all booked up, UK Aware may still be able to help by hosting businesses and organisations within their area – do not delay in contacting them as we have been told that space is going fast. If you are interested, please contact UK Aware on 020 7221 4934 or email them at carlos@ukaware.com

• The Green Forum tent in Anchor Square – a place where top professors and amateur enthusiasts can come together to discuss new ideas and old philosophies. Over forty environmental and wildlife organisations will be hosted in the tent, bringing a not-to-be-missed collective together for the weekend.

• Talks at the Amphitheatre – to be scheduled, but will include BBC presenters and wildlife experts amongst others.

• The IMAX cinema at the Bristol Aquarium – space is limited but tickets are sold on a ‘first-come, first-served’ basis. Seating at the IMAX is limited to 350 seats and the show is “Sea Rex: Journey to a Prehistoric World” in IMAX 3D. Unmissable!

• As well as all of this, the Festival will be enlivened and will practically spark with the entertainment on offer. From puppet shows to musicians (including ‘human jukeboxes’ and an acapella group) to Pete ‘the Bug Man’ and his exotic creepy-crawlies.

• The Market and Bar area – including stalls offering food sourced from sustainable and jewellery stands and plant stands where you can find that special little gift for that special someone – or for yourself! There is a full list of the Market and Bar exhibitors and stall holders on the Festival’s official page, but see below for the ones that really jumped out at us;

- Absolutely Cakes – Freshly created, free of additives and absolutely scrummy from the individual cupcakes to the giant, custom-made wedding and speciality cakes
- Wessex Pantry – Your gateway to high-quality and handmade meat, fish and game pies
- Dream Blue – Quality products from Turkey, ranging from throws to ceramics to stunning turquoise and silver jewellery
- Woodfruit Exotic and Gourmet Mushrooms – Grow your own or buy from the company, sourced from the area along the banks of the River Dart in Devon
- Munnion Art – Individual and detailed works of art, on sale at the show

SCHOOLS’ DAY – THE BEST FIELD TRIP IDEA ON THE BOOKS:

Before the Festival opens on the 18th June, the organisations involved will be holding their annual free Schools’ Day on Friday 17th June. Sponsored this year by Clifton College, the Schools’ Day is the ultimate in school field trips – it is both educational and fun, as all field trips should be. If you are interested in taking your school along, please get in contact with Sara Chapple to book your place (visits to Schools’ Day are free). On the day, over fifteen organisations will be running hands-on activities to amuse and distract children of all ages. Sara Chapple can be contacted on 01179 304926 or by emailing sara@bnhc.org.uk

Posted under Environmental News

If the sign says 'Do not drink this water'...would you?

While this website has covered the debate about shale gas and the methods of extracting it before now (namely, fracking. See: “Fracking – Not Just a Sci-Fi Swear Word“) there are yet more opinions and views to be examined, given that the water pollution in Pennsylvania in the US has reached desperate levels.

WHAT’S HAPPENING AND WHY?

Ten years ago, people did not know about this gas, let alone how ‘easy’ it would be to extract from the ground. Easy, maybe, but with such an impact on the environment and on human and animal life, is it really the way to go?

Speaking to the BBC, Professor Rob Jackson of Duke University in North Carolina, said; “We found some extremely high concentrations of methane: 64 milligrams of methane per litre of drinking water, compared with a normal level of one milligram or lower[…]” Given that the difference is so low – over sixty-four times what it would normally be – what then can we assume is going to be the impact of the rising concentrations of methane? Certainly worry about the levels reaching explosive hazard levels is one such impact, according to Professor Jackson. As the Nicholas Professor of Global Change for Duke University, Professor Jackson recently co-authored a paper entitled “Methane contamination of drinking water accompanying gas-well drilling and hydraulic fracturing” in which he, along with Stephen G Osbourn, Avner Vengosh and Nathaniel R Warner, published their findings from a series of experiments on drinking water in the north-eastern states of Pennsylvania and New York. The scientists took sixty-eight samples from private water wells; the majority came back contaminated by methane and similar toxic substances above the norm.

Indeed, samples taken from ground water supplies near shale gas drilling sites indicate that methane concentrations are increasing to seventeen times above normal. Given that methane is poisonous, it is easy to see why people are starting to panic.

WHY ARE WE STILL MINING SHALE GAS?

If shale gas mining increases the contamination of the atmosphere and the water supplies with methane, why then is it still being used as a way to obtain cheap fuel? And there is the answer. Comparatively, shale gas is cheaper and quicker to obtain from the ground than its counterparts. As well there is, as of yet, no indications that methane can directly poison people through the water we drink. The greatest risks from shale gas mining seem to be in the explosive factor of the operation. Professor Jackson has stated that he cannot find any “[…]peer reviewed literature on the health effects of low level methane on people[…]” but that he and his colleagues are calling for a medical review of chronic and/or low-level exposure to methane.

The rising methane concentrations in the ground water supply can probably be attributed to ‘leaky gas well casings’ – it is certainly the simplest explanation, but it does lack any semblance of reassurance to the public; if it is simply an issue with faulty equipment, why has the equipment not been replaced and why are the concentrations of methane in the water supply still rising? There is another possibility, but one that strikes Professor Jackson as being less likely – that the gas escapes into the water through fissures in the bedrock that could possibly be caused by the process of fracking; that is, the method of extracting shale gas by funnelling five million gallons of liquid through fissures to, essentially, push the gas out from each hidden well underground. After all, as Professor Jackson has pointed out, there is no evidence yet of contamination in the drinking water supplies from liquids used in the fracking process.

Clearly, this debate is far from over. Professor Jackson and his team have published a paper outlining their recommendations and highlighting what must absolutely be addressed in examining whether the industry of shale gas mining needs to be readdressed. However, when there are videos appearing on the web that show people setting fire to water coming from their kitchen taps, it is difficult to imagine how there could ever be an advantage to such a product.

Posted under Environmental News, News

Grand Designs - Products of the Future, Avaliable Today

It is only halfway through the nine days of Grand Designs London 2011 and we at EcoSwitch are already regretting that this year’s exhibition in London is almost over! It has been so much fun and there are so many things to see and do – how could we not love it there? With four main sections, over seven hundred exhibitors, real live chickens and the biggest playhouse ever, this year’s Grand Designs is truly something special.

WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT TO SEE AT THIS YEAR’S GRAND DESIGNS?

In the Grand Restaurant section you can investigate new innovations for the kitchen as well as trying out soups, smoothies and sausages. Yakult have a stand there as well where you can pick up a red-top or a blue-top (the light version, but just as tasty) to try for free. The fudge and ice-cream stands are especially attractive for some of us – we had to be torn away to go back to work! There is also a burger and hot-dog stand where you can try a buffalo, wild boar or venison tasty snack – 100% organic and doubly delicious.

The Garden section is full of shiny things – literally. There are garden rooms that look like a high-class cabana from a Caribbean resort together with saunas and swimming pools. There is also an incredibly fun two-storey playhouse with a slide leading from an upstairs lounge area to the ground-level play area. The good news to covetous adults is that adults are allowed to entertain their inner child and explore the playhouse to their heart’s content, as long as they are careful!

Grand Technology is the section to be in for all those with a serious lust for the new and high-tech. Have a look around the House of the Future presented by Virgin Media with hourly presentations throughout the day and get the latest and most up-to-date advice on all the products about to hit the market. Grand Interiors (sponsored by Dulux), on the other hand, is jam-packed full of everything you need to make your life a little more luxurious. With entertainment options, furniture and lighting, it would really be a shame to miss this section out.

ECOSWITCH’S STAND AT GRAND DESIGNS 2011

While we are not an energy company, as many of you know, we believe passionately in the role of renewable energy in helping curve our impact on the environment. For this reason, at this year’s Grand Designs Ecoswitch is working in conjunction with Ecotricity and Good Energy to promote green energy, that is, energy that comes from renewable sources: water, sunlight and wind. Fossil fuels have played an important part in meeting our energy needs in the past, but now the public have a choice to get their energy from the ‘good stuff’ rather than carbon-fired stations at no extra cost. As well as just being greener and better for the environment and you, there is the fact that, at some point, those deposits of coal and oil from ‘dead dinosaurs’ are going to run out. In Britain, it will always be windy…whether we like it or not!

So for every customer that goes green at Grand Designs, we are planting two trees – one in Malawi and one here in Britain with the Woodland Trust AND handing out a FREE No More Stand-By device. Right there, right then, and you get to walk away with it on the day! We are also instituting a very special raffle in honour of Grand Designs where you can win an EcoKettle (RRP £29.95 for the white version, £39.95 for the chrome one.) All you have to do is put your name and number down on one of our fliers and hand it in at our stand (B41, in the Grand Build section). Simple, easy and entry to the raffle is free. Green, renewable energy is not the only thing on our minds – our staff on the stand can help you with queries about everything to do with a more sustainable lifestyle.

So what are you waiting for? Visit Grand Designs Live 2011 and be mesmerised. And while you are there, do not forget to pop in at the EcoSwitch stand (B41, in the Grand Build section) to know more about renewable energy, sustainable living and to enter a free raffle for an EcoKettle!

The show runs from 30th April to 8th May at London’s ExCeL Centre. Ring 0844 209 7349 or visit Grand Designs for further details.

We hope to see you there.

Posted under Environmental News

When thinking about the SMJ Energy Saving Transmitter and Remote Control, the first thing that comes to mind it “everyone wants to save money” – anyone who says they don’t is clearly bluffing or deceiving themselves. After all, the richest amongst us didn’t get rich through not cutting costs, did they? How about saving money and the environment? The eponymous ‘they’ say that one person can’t make a difference so, clearly, there’s no point in trying, right?

Wrong. If everyone made the effort to turn off their appliances at the plug every night, it would make a huge difference. After all, why do your kettle, toaster and TV need to be on while you’re asleep? They don’t, really, but who can actually be bothered to go around turning them all off at night-time? That’s just a waste of sleep-time right there.

Besides, if you have your TV, DVD player, radio, Blu-ray player and games system all hooked up to one multi-plug, then it’s always tucked out of sight…and out of reach. Awkward and usually resulting in some hilariously painful contortionist-like movements if you are dedicated enough to switch it all off at the mains every night. It’s the same with your office equipment – computer, printer, scanner…how many people have easy-to-access plug sockets for all of that? Usually turning your entire computer system off at plug-point means crawling around on the floor in a sea of wires and, wow, isn’t it dusty down there?

However, what if you could turn everything off with the simple press of a button on a to-hand remote? With a 25-metre range, the SMJ Energy-Saving Transmitter & Remote Control can be used from across the room or even upstairs! Turning a TV off from standby when not in use can save up to £30 a year. Add everything together, and that’s a lot of money off of your electric bill.

Unfortunately, the device can’t be attached to a kettle – trust me, we’ve tried. It blows up.

…Okay, it blows the fuse (with a bit of a bang) but it’s really the same thing in the end. Even limiting the usage to within proper wattage (up to 1000w maximum load per receiver), that’s still a lot of potential saving to be recouped.

It’s been made easy-to-use; all you have to do is set a matching frequency on the back of the plug and the remote and then it’s just plug and play. You can plug the transmitter in to the mains, plug a multi-plug into the transmitter and then, when it’s cold and late and you just can’t seem to pull yourself out of bed, one quick press of the button will turn off your computer, entertainment or whichever system without requiring you to set a foot outside of your warm, cosy cocoon of a duvet.

The remote takes an A23 battery – a pain to find, but you won’t have to track one down too often; like all remotes, this one uses minimal energy. Just don’t drop the remote – we’ve heard that they’re a little fragile. The battery cover on the remote is a bit of a poor fit, but it’s nothing that will impact on the performance of the product.

If you would like a free SMJ Energy Saving Transmitter and Remote Control (and a renewable energy supplier!), visit the Gas & Electric section of our website.

Posted under Product reviews

Barack Obama surveys damage along the Louisiana coastline from the oil spill. Photograph: Larry Downing/Reuters.

One year on from the devastating oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and it is time to examine whether the situation is getting better or whether it has just stagnated like the oil slick itself on the surface of the water.

WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED? AND WHAT HAS BEEN DONE SINCE?

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the biggest off-shore oil spill in US history, has been the subject of much controversy. Eleven people, hailing from Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, died when the explosion occurred – and that was only the start of the problems for the region. The Governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal, ordered the giant valves which partially hold back the power and water-flow of the Mississippi River to be opened. It was hoped that the massive rush of fresh water would push the oil away from the fertile and endangered land at the mouth of the river. Partially successful, but it was an action that angered oyster fishermen in Louisiana as oysters need salt water to survive and Jindal wiped out vast tracts of oyster beds in one pen stroke when he signed the order. The fishermen have had to live with the desolation of their livelihoods for the last year, now, and they are still looking for answers and the compensation owed to them. Byron Encalade, of the Louisiana Oystermen’s Association, told BBC reporter Emma Simpson that BP’s compensation scheme for the Gulf communities affected by the spill “…is not working…We’d like to know where the money’s gone.”

The oyster fishermen are angered by how their own government has treated them. While the leak started on April 20th last year, was plugged successfully – after a few misfires – on 15th July, it wasn’t until September that the well was permanently sealed. In that time and the following months, the workers of the region have not seen results good enough to pass muster, even though President Obama appointed someone to oversee and run BP’s compensation fund for the Gulf. This man is Ken Feinburg and, despite multiple trips to Louisiana and the neighbouring states where the fishermen and women’s trade has been so severely disrupted, people are questioning as to why they have not seen any of the promised money. Feinburg disputes this and claims “…the program is working…we’re trying to do the right thing.” He told the gathering at a town hall meeting in Louisiana that, of the $4 billion already paid out as compensation, $1.7 billion – £1 billion – has been allotted to Louisiana.

WHO ELSE IS INFURIATED BY THE DISASTER?

The oyster fishermen are not the only people infuriated by the handling of the spill. A number of BP’s shareholders have called for the company to sell more of its assets in order that they might meet the target for compensation – $30 billion (or, £18.4 billion) by the end of 2011. The current amount gathered by the on-going sale of BP’s assets is $24 billion – £14.7 million. Diana Wilson, a shrimp farmer from Texas, came over to London to protest at the BP shareholders’ AGM this weekend. Ms Wilson daubed her clothes and face with crude oil to make a point – arriving in a smart outfit, the deliberate mess was a calculated hit at the handling of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. She was ejected from the AGM and, later, arrested for disturbing the peace.

Tom Feilden, science correspondent for the BBC, has said that it could be decades before the full impact of the spill is known while supporters and artists at the Tate in London feel, quite vehemently, that the Tate should cut ties with BP. While BP has been a main sponsor of the Tate, the continued jeopardisation of ecosystems through incidents like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (which could have been avoided, “…had existing progressive guidelines and practises been followed…”, according to the final Deepwater Horizon report). This protest of BP’s sponsorship of the Tate is, of course, partially due to several other factors seen as overly controversial, including the company being revealed as a backer of the Murabak regime in Egypt and their investment in the controversial tar sands extraction in Canada.

BUT IS IT ALL REALLY THAT BAD?

Many people are of the opinion that perhaps the oil spill is not as bad as the media and others have made out. Devastating, yes, but not as horrific as first thought. Doctor Jane Lubchenco, for example, is optimistic about the clean-up operation that is being master-minded by several US federal agencies. Dr Lubchenco is administrator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and believes that the health of the Gulf is “…much better than people feared…”. Together with other agencies, NOAA is dedicating its efforts to cleaning up the Gulf post-spill.

However, how much they have been able to accomplish is up for debate. Claude Gascon, chief science officer for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in the US, says that the information they have received has been “…very sketchy…it is almost impossible to get any idea what that group of agencies and researchers are actually finding” and that “…it is very difficult to know, at the moment, what the scale of the impact has been and will be in the future.” Still, with responsibility for the spill still being argued over, the chances are that this is going to be an issue that will remain in people’s minds for a very long time.

Posted under Environmental News

More than just a blot on the landscape?

WHAT IS IT?

What is ‘fracking’? It sounds like a word made up by scriptwriters to get around TV censors for a sci-fi show like Red Dwarf, Firefly or Battlestar Galactica. It is, though, much more complicated than that and involves many more environmental issues than perhaps the word might invoke on first hearing. Fracking (or, hydraulic fracturing) is the process of creating fractures in rocks and through rock bed layers to increase the recovery of oil and natural gas by way of forcing fluid into fractures and including a proppant into the fracture to keep it open. In simple terms, it is a way of getting more oil and natural gas from underground.

Those in the know have probably already heard about the new announcement from the outgoing chairman of Shell – that ‘fracking’ is the new way to go.

At what cost, though? The process of fracking has already been proved to be environmentally unsound – it is a process that contaminates water to highly toxic degrees. Funnelling water mixed with dirt or small rocks into a fissure in the ground is a risky venture due to the fact that rushing water is one of the most unpredictable occurrences on Earth. For proof of the devastating power of water, we need look no further than the recent tsunami that decimated Japan and others like it. As with anything that unpredictable, accidents happen. Just last year, the state of Pennsylvania banned Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. from further drilling in the state after the drinking water of fourteen households in Dimock Township, PA, were contaminated and linked to combustible gas that had been leaked in the process of hydraulic fracturing to the water supply.

Also in 2010, a well blowout in Pennsylvania sent at least 35,000 gallons of fracking liquids up into the air, not unlike a whale expelling water on its return to the surface of the ocean. This contaminated liquid came down on the surrounding forest area and caused the evacuation of all campers and the ‘cease and desist’ order slapped on the companies involved – EOG Resources and C. C. Forbes (the latter being the well-completion company). It is, as yet, unknown what the on-going effects of that incident will be, but spraying the landscape with chemicals has never been a win-win situation, especially given that contaminating water with oil or gas can make it flammable – a dangerous concept indeed.

In addition to these accidents which send chemical and contaminated water into the eco-system, the process of fracking also weakens the geophysical landscape. By wearing away at a solid rock bed, it is only natural that the ground above and around the area will become unstable, causing landslides and subsidence under buildings, to name but two of the problems resulting from this. Chemicals in the water used in fracking are numerous and it is documented that medical personnel have been restricted in their abilities to help workers after accidents because they simply do not know what chemicals are involved.

Taking all of this together, how can one man – and the chairman of Shell Oil, no less – claim that fracking is ‘safe’ and ‘the way to the future’? On-going scientific research seems to point out that fracking is unstable and unreliable. Yet it is still being used as a method of extraction by many big fuel companies. When so many people are protesting the dangers to their health and their environment, why is fracking still being used?

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