Want to pick up something you need for free? Then this is an event you really need to check out.

We at EcoSwitch spent last Saturday helping charity Healthy Planet sort out thousands of books into category order and unbagging numerous unwanted books and other items left by householders. This month, across the whole of London Healthy Planet has been collecting unwanted Christmas gifts and items that people no longer need or want.

Healthy Planet have named the giant community reuse event ‘Stuff for Free’. It’s an opportunity to redistribute good quality stuff to a new home where is will be valued and really wanted. As as BBC spokesperson said ‘one person’s trash is another person’s treasure’. Founder of Healthy Planet Shaylesh Patel indicates that giving another life to a book or item is even better than recycling. We agree!

Stuff for Free encourages reuse and reduces landfill, so this has been a chance for donators to help the environment and recycle unwanted or unused items for other people to enjoy.

There is loads of stuff to choose from – toys, electrical items (small and large), furniture, books, TV’s, high quality chairs – and above all, it’s free, fun and you never know what you might find. A small number of items will be on sale at a massive discount and all electrical items are in good working order and have been safety checked. Today, one happy teenager walked away with a drum kit and another person got a set of golf clubs.

And Healthy Planet have made it possible so that you don’t need to give anything to pick up Stuff for Free!

When?

Hurry along and take your pick of what we have in stock between 9.00am and 3.00pm, Friday 27th January 2012 and Sunday 29th January 2012.

Where?

The Vision Warehouse 15, Kendal Avenue, Acton W3 0AF

Nearest Tube: Park Royal (Piccadilly Line) and West Acton (Central Line) are both just a 10minute walk from the Warehouse.

Click here to go straight to Transport for London to map at your simple route.

If you decide to drive there is plenty of parking available.

Up and coming – Give and take!

Healthy Planet will be holding a further special half-term weekend of give AND take events on Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th February.

The ‘giving’ will be from 9am to 12pm, our volunteers will then sort and organise in time for the ‘taking’ to commence at 1pm and last until 3pm.  Check out their website for more information.

So take this opportunity to come along, donate what you don’t want or need any more then join in and check out what’s on offer!

You may just find something for you or your family and there are all sorts of activities for the kids!

Free stuff for children and fun activities are available for all and the event will be opened by local CBBC star, Priyanka Patel, from TV show “Sadie J”.

Visit the following links to learn more about the Stuff for Free program on the BBC or at the Healthy Planet website.

Posted under Environmental News

We have teamed up with the charity Healthy Planet to continue our work in making people more aware of our impacts on the environment and what we can do to make it a greener and healthier place to live.

What is the Healthy Planet Organisation?

A registered charity set-up in 2008, their innovative projects inform children and adults alike about the issues that concern both the health and wealth of the planet and the individual.  Founded by Shaylesh Patel, who, as a father of two, was concerned about the following:

1.         The health of the planet and the environment was in question and

2.         For the first time in history our children were predicted to have a shorter life-span than their parents.

This motivated him to set-up a charity to address these two pressing issues, and Healthy Planet was born.   Its vision is a world where every person and organization can make a difference locally and globally to the health and welfare of the planet and its people.  Even the smallest of actions , if put together can make a big difference.

Healthy Planet has three main projects:

1. Healthy Planet Empty Spaces

The Empty Spaces initiative acts as a link between commercial landlords and under-represented charities which need a base.  Working in partnership with commercial landlords that have empty units, Healthy Planet invites like-minded organisations to collaborate with them and occupy one of the spaces, rent free, thus making a difference to their local communities.

Since all of the organisations that use these spaces share the same ethos this network makes a real difference by informing, inspiring and enabling people to make the planet healthier.  By bringing these empty spaces back into use it improves the local area and the quality of life – the high street is enhanced and can stop further environmental and economic decay.

2. Healthy Planet Books for Free

This initiative rescues unwanted and unsellable books that would otherwise be pulped or go to landfill.  These books are given away for free throughout communities via ‘Books for Free’ stores nationwide. This is a valuable community service,  giving people access to books who might not otherwise have the means to obtain them, as well as giving local people a unique volunteering opportunity.  All of the stores are run by volunteers.  Any donations for books in-store are used to help towards the running costs of funding volunteers who work for free.  Any excess is used by Healthy Planet to fund other initiatives such as giving grants to green charities and supporting conservation projects.  Healthy Planet receives no government funding.

By doing this, the amount of waste that would otherwise go to landfill each year is reduced, and a valuable resource is recycled.  People are also encouraged to donate their own unwanted books.  As of July 2011 55 tonnes of books had been saved.  Pulping one tonne of books equates to nearly 7000 kwh, enough to power a TV for 24 years!

3. Healthy Planet Adopt a Plot

Using the latest web technology, through Healthy Planet, people can adopt a plot of land in a protected area and engage in its conservation from their own homes.  By visiting the Healthy Planet website  people can chose a local or global conservation project to support and donate online.  At least 90% of the donation is spent on the project.

So, if you would like further information on any of these amazing projects you can contact Healthy Planet direct by through their website, or by contacting their Head Office on 0203 405 2485.

Posted under Articles, Environmental News

A report published this week by the International Energy Agency (IEA) – World Energy Outlook 2011 – made it clear that urgent action is needed now to address what appears to be a forgone conclusion,  that world temperatures are set to rise by 2C (4F) if we don’t stop our reliance on fossil fuels and begin to reduce the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This is currently 390 parts per million (ppm), with 450ppm being the point of no return.  As domestic energy consumption accounts for 33% of carbon emissions it seems that switching to a green energy tariff is now the single most important contribution you can make!

Those of us not lucky enough to have a suitable south facing roof for solar pv – and even this is being made less cost effective with the Department for Climate Change (DECC) recently announcing the amount paid for electricity generated by home owners is to be reduced – a green energy tariff is the easiest way for people to ditch fossil fuels and make a difference.

With world reliance on oil, coal and gas showing no signs of decreasing any time soon and Government’s making all the right noises and simply going through the motions, it looks like it’s up to the consumer to take up the challenge and address the problem.

The more people who choose a green energy tariff, the more the ‘Big 6’ energy suppliers will have to sit up and take notice and actually meet the Government’s UK’s target for 15% of energy supplied coming from renewable sources by 2020.  At the moment only three companies meet the current Government UK target of 10% renewable energy by 2010.

There are plenty of people ‘doing their bit’ using energy saving light bulbs, not leaving stuff on standby and switching off lights – but in reality although in the grand scheme of things every action counts – nothing counts more than getting hooked-up to renewable energy to reduce your carbon emissions.

So what’s stopping you?  At the end of the day you could get a tariff that price matches your current supplier’s standard tariff (or could even cost you less), and with all the ‘Big 6’ suppliers hiking their prices again just in time for Winter why not check out a comparison of the suppliers green energy tariffs and see what’s out there.

Make reducing your carbon emissions a New Year’s resolution you can keep!

Posted under Articles, Environmental News, News

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

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

The worst British wildfires in 30 years follow a record-breaking warm and dry 2011 April

Top Record Temperatures

Last month was the warmest April in the UK since records began in 1910. Provisional figures recently released by the Met Office indicate that many parts of the UK saw temperatures 3 to 5 degrees centigrade higher than it is normal for April. 2007 had already seen the warmest April since records began, so this sets a new and higher milestone only four years after the previous top record. In England, where official figures date back to 1659, April 2011 became the warmest April in 350 years.

The same month saw unusually low amounts of rainfall, with the average national rainfall at 36.7mm –approximately half of the normal amount of rainfall for the month. This has prompted various water suppliers companies throughout the country, such as Wales Water, to issue precautionary warnings asking customers to use water sparingly. During Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons on 4 May, the PM was informed that farmers in the South of England were ‘genuinely concerned’ about shortages of water and possible drought.

The heat wave has been caused by the persistence of a series of high pressure systems over the east of the British Isles. These weather systems have brought warm, dry air from the continent as well as from North African and the Saharan regions. The high pressure has kept away cooler winds that normally come at this time of the year from the Atlantic, bringing moisture and bands of rain over the UK. Whilst it is impossible to attribute any particular weather event directly and unequivocally to Global Warming, an increase in extreme weather patterns and weather events are regarded as a possible sign of Climate Change.

Wildfire Havoc

The unusually warm and dry weather has seen some of the worst wildfires seen in the UK in the last 30 years. Blazes have burned continuously for several days in areas of Wales, the Scottish Highlands, Berkshire, Lancashire and Yorkshire. David Cameron has praised the efforts of fire crews up and down the country battling the blazes and has promised funds towards the countrywide fire fighting operation. In Ireland fire crews have had to deal with more than 1,000 gorse and forest fires over the last 5 days.

Whilst the police are investigating a number of individuals on suspicion of possible arson, many of the blazes are likely to have been initiated unpremeditatedly by the increasing use of Chinese lanterns at wedding ceremonies, country pick nicks and other celebratory events. Fire fighters have asked the public to be aware that Chinese lanterns must be used carefully as their embers can continue glowing for extended periods even after the flame has gone out. Abandoned pieces glass lying on the ground are also known to be the causes of fires when exposed to long spells of warm, dry and sunny weather, as dry leaves are highly flammable.

Whilst dozens of fire fighter crews continue to battle the flames through beatings and dropping water from helicopters, only rainfall is likely to completely quench the advancing blazes. However, showers are of limited help. Only sustained rain will have a lasting effect, as the longevity of the fires means that hot spots buried one meter deep in the undergrowth threaten to reignite the fires that have been put out. Whilst temperatures are expected to hit 26°C over the weekend, it is hoped that forecast thunderstorms offer the fire crews much needed help over the next few days.

Posted under Environmental 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

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.

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