Not always high on the list of questions when it comes to the ins and outs of a new government budget, the impact of shifts in public spending on potential environmental targets is nonetheless an important issue. With the new budget announced, it's imperative that discussions over its potential for environmental reform are brought to light.

What then, were the environmental concessions?The Guardian reported as follows:

"It looked like the palest of green budgets but Treasury calculations suggested that the series of small but significant transport, tax and investment measures announced could cumulatively lead to the reduction of nearly 80m tonnes of CO2 - nearly 15% of all UK climate change emissions - by 2020. The biggest benefits, said the Treasury, should come from the new green investment bank which the government hopes will encourage a £2bn kick-start for the low carbon economy. Together with initiatives - that the chancellor did not specify in his speech - to encourage biomass burning as opposed to fossil fuels, help for electric and other ultra-low carbon vehicles, this could lead to a saving of 51m tonnes of CO2 by 2020, it says. The new bank, it said, will have an exclusive low carbon focus, and will concentrate on green transport infrastructure and offshore wind."

When combined with plans from the Department of Energy and Climate Change - which, through the Low Carbon Transition Plan, is looking to change the way that the UK produces and consumes - the new budget could have some favourable environmental impacts. Indeed, a 15% drop in the UK's total carbon emissions is no bad thing, and whilst many might argue that a larger cut would be needed, the percentage represents something of a commitment when it's considered that the current government could have been replaced, come May.

What it does show is that, whilst many would favour strong environmental commitments, the practical implications of such commitments aren't so well supported; the green benefits of the new budget have slipped many by, as people (quite understandably) focus on those shifts which will more greatly affect their day to day lives.

Nonetheless, the new 2010 budget has made some useful steps toward a progressive environmental policy, and given the circumstance, should get some fair praise indeed.

Posted under Environmental News

Urbanisation and its inherent consequences have taken precedence in a recent UN report. The UN's agency for human settlements, UN-Habitat, has outlined the prevalence of the "endless city" as being one of the most significant and problematic phenomenons to face modern civilisation over the next fifty years.

The report, which was launched earlier this week at the World Urban Forum, highlights a global shift towards urbanisation and the emergence of 'mega-regions', such as the Hong Kong-Shenhzen-Guangzhou region in China which houses approximately 120 million residents.

Findings revealed that now over half the world's population resides in its cities. Anna Tibaijuka, UN-Habitat official, released forecasts that in the oncoming quarter of a century over 70% of the world will have moved to a city; with only a marginal percentage remaining outside these sprawling borders.

The impacts of urbanisation typify both a direct and indirect threat to surrounding ecosystems. Such environmental degradation has in the past lead to a decline in biodiversity and to a reduction in the 'life-condition' or natural services that ecosystems provide. Fresh air, clean water, aesthetics, recreation - all come under threat as urbanisation rapidly increases.

Furthermore, the related dysfunctional attributes that urban dwellings breed in and around their surroundings will surely see an increase in slums, ghettos, economical divides, cultural disparity, as well as unbalance and inequality.

Increased energy consumption, transport costs and poor housing stand central in the UN report, and will remain a clear concern for ecologists, politicians and the general public alike.

Some of the world's largest mega-regions - those brought under scrutiny by UN investigation - include; Nagoya-Osaka-Kyoto-Kobe, Japan, estimated to reach 60m in the next five years; as well as Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brazil, housing 43m people.

A conclusion drawn by the report comments on the increasing social trend to live in affluent and 'world-class' surroundings. However ecologists warn that despite urbanisation making economic sense to capable industries, the mass migration towards cities will, on the whole, exhibit a negative move towards modernisation.

And with a political climate hot for sustainability and ecological commitment, there is a throbbing questions which remains: Is our planet capable of housing such designs?

The fact of the matter is we are yet to know. Nevertheless, statistics show that we are already at tipping point in terms of environmental balance. But whether or not this consideration remains chief to political activity will not be seen for some time. What stands as paramount to society is as much a mystery today as it will be tomorrow. However, what needs to be addressed are the figures - and they speak for themselves.

Posted under Articles, Environmental News

Recorded as one of the largest earthquakes in history, an earthquake which erupted in central Chile has torn apart bridges, highways and homes, sending a tsunami pulsing half way around the globe, leaving a nation in tatters.

The head of the emergency agency in Chile commented that residents were tossed about during the earthquake as if shaken by a giant.

The total devastation has not yet been fully calculated as death tolls continue to rise. Nearly 1.5 million Chileans are estimated to have been effected by the quake, with approximately 500,000 homes left severely damaged.

The magnitude-8.8 quake was recorded as trepidations reached as far as Sao Paulo in Brazil - over 1,800 miles east of the original site.

Aftershocks have continued to rattle the disaster area since Saturday, with one of the shocks nearly as powerful as Haiti's tragic earthquake in January.

President Michelle Bachelet declared a "state of catastrophe" as droves of aid workers flocked in to help quell the aftermath left in rubble inside the city centre.

Meanwhile, sent in pulses from the quake's shock point, a tsunami has rolled across oceans and is set to strike a number of national coastlines.

Already responsible for killing several people on a Chilean island, the tsunami was on course to hit the Hawaiian coastline yesterday. Waves were expected to reach 4m in height, and Hawaiian residents received warnings to travel 15 miles away from the shores in order to avoid any unexpected circumstances.

The tsunami warning has subsequently been lifted in a number of countries underthreat. But the true effects of the Chilean earthquake are still today being felt around the world.

U.S. President Barack Obama pledged that America "will be there" - a sentiment echoed by many other national leaders.

Chilean police have estimated more than 100 fatalities over the weekend. And this figure is expected to rise.

Reports confirm that when the quake hit, in among the buildings that caught fire throughout the city was the new-build university - a major blow to the Concepcion people. The city's prison was also struck by the quake, with a number of inmates reported as missing and thought to have escaped the high-security building.

Looting has also become rife since the quake hit on Saturday.

Aid workers are now active in the city and have pulled survivors out from the rubble. However the damage to the city is severe as ninety aftershocks of magnitude-5 or more shuddered across the Andean nation within 24 hours of the first strike.

Posted under Environmental News

Mitsubishi, the Japanese engineering firm, has been reported in confirming that it is considering several sites in the UK to build 'a giant factory to test the largest wind turbines in the world.'

According to Sky News, the international manufacturers is looking to build an offshore wind test site off the coast near Blyth in north east England, which will test rotar blades up to 100m long. The Government will fund the development and follow Mitsubishi's plans to build a prototype turbine in the next three years and begin full-scale production within a four year period.

The project is set to create at least 200 skilled jobs for the UK. Government grants of up to £30m have been pledged by Business Secretary Lord Mandelson.

The Secretary commented that the deal is a "real opportunity" for the UK to become global figures in the renewable energy fields.

With 2020 E.U. requisites looming, the energy available to Britain via wind turbine generation is proving to be a valuable asset. According to the British Wind and Energy Association (BWEA), the estimated contribution from both on and offshore wind is set to produce a combined figure that will satisfy almost half of the UK's domestic electricity requirement by 2020.

Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband, said: "We have the wind resource and we now have an industry that is really starting to grow.

"This is possible because of our domestic market and our commitment to supporting companies that locate here. It is another step to turning Britain into a leading green manufacturing centre."

The announcement has received praise from national green energy custodians the Carbon Trust. Many eco-commentators are also drawing lines between recent developments involving the Government's new electric car incentives. What remains as a clear fallback for many of the UK's plans to meet 2020 requisites, is the absence of a genuinely 'clean' electricity supplier.

Without the presence of not just a 'green' alternative but a power network rooted in renewable energy, many of Britain's carbon solutions have fallen short of the longevity forecasted at their inception. One of the leading criticisms for the UK's adoption of electric cars has been the fact that they will be as bad as petrol engines, as both rely on a fuel-based power supply.

But as Mitsubishi's chief executive Akio Fukui signed a memorandum of understanding with Lord Mandelson earlier this month, it seems that a truely green alternative is on the way for Britain's rather grey power problem.

Source: Sky News

For further information on renewable energy suppliers available today, then click on the link below and see what a difference you can make today.

Posted under Environmental News

Whether it is an insightful move to warmly welcome a carbon saving solution that will, no doubt, make good use of all the 'clean' electricity that the Government plans to be generating by 2020, or whether it is a sure reaction to the rapid developments that have taken place for the electric car market over recent years - it is hard to tell. But one thing is for certain: it's about time!

The evolution of the electric car has been a bit of a lightening bolt, in a number of ways. From its early inception, motorists have never exactly taken the reality of owning and using an electric car instead of their petrol motor as something that will happen. There have been flashes of excitement illuminating patches of motoring for the future, but that has always occured with a dream-like quality. "The car of the future" found it very difficult to exist today for the here-and-now user.

This has much to do with the poor efficiency of past electric cars, with engineers being lightyears off of lining up nose-to-nose with a petrol engine.

The model itself has had to endure decades of broken promises and long nights spent by the drawing board. But today, "the car of the future" can proudly rev its engine in glee and take its starting position in the climate race as, possibly, a key to unlock one solution to help tackle global warming.

The Department for Travel has launched an initiative to help support and float the electric car market as a whole. Now that the technology and available infrastructure is attainable for Britons, the Government is clear and proactive in its support for 'switchers'.

Drivers who switch to an electric car will receive a government grant of up to £5,000. The Department for Transport will provide grants worth a maximum of 25 per cent of the price of fully electric cars and plug-in hybrids.

Plans to develop a supporting electric-engine infrastructure for motorists have also got underway. Around £8 million of investments will charge areas such as London, Milton Keynes and the North East with the installation of 11,000 charging points - estimated to reach completion by the end of 2013.

The Government begin their development next year with the installation of 2,000 points nationwide. Fast-charging points will also be fitted in selected car parks, railway stations and supermarkets, which allow electric car drivers to re-charge their batteries to 80 per cent of capacity in just 20 minutes.

Other benefits for electric-car drivers include free electricity and parking until 2013 in Milton Keynes, and exemption from the London congestion charge.

There are currently also rumours of international car manufacturer Nissan building a factory in Sunderland that will specialise in lithium-ion car batteries.

Despite such advances, critics remain conscious of the ways in which the cars will receive their electricity. At present the national grid will supply the electric charging points from the current pool format - which turns these green incentives a paler shade of grey.

Posted under Environmental News

"I think that in society there must have been crisis points, moments when a generation realises that something was wrong and that something needed to change. Otherwise that wrong would keep getting worse and, actually, humanity would be meaningless and the world would be a difficult place. This government is useless at thinking long term, and soon we are going to have a climate crisis which is going to far eclipse the economic crisis, and again we're going to have to say its because we didn't have long term vision - we're sorry. And that won't do for me."

These are the opening remarks spoken by founder and creator of Climate Rush, Tamsin Omond, for the activist group's premier short-film, entitled Climate Rush: Deeds Not Words. And for the next twenty-five minutes you'll surely see that not a footpound of political energy is lost in this delightful screening.

As what would be expected from a low-budget, 'underground', environmental activist group, the theme and subject for this title film are all to apparent. Tamsin Omond, Cambridge graduate, publisher, eco warrior, and now, filmmaker, has been incredibly busy over the last two years.

Ever since her launch into the public eye (Omond was banned form the Palace of Westminster for unruly protesting in Oct 2008) the face of Climate Rush has been doing her utmost to make headline after headline in an attempt to stamp her party slogan across the spreadsheets of Britain - toting Deeds Not Words. And her film, produced by Tubby Brother and available to watch on the Climate Rush website, is a documentary dedicated to announce and enhance their cause.

Echoing the 100 year anniversary of the rush on parliament by the women's Suffragette movement, the Climate Rush group decided to take the causes of climate change into their own hands. Unimpressed with the government's response to the protest marches held against the Iraq war, Omond and her merry band decided to get creative with the ways in which to grab a headline.

Some of their stunts include a protest picnic at Heathrow, a tour of South West England's carbon hot spots, and awarding the commemorative statues of some of Britain's most inspirational figures with Climate Rush red sashes in order to highlight a syntax of past leaders who were not afraid to make radical decisions in view of what was right.

The film is an easy going political update with regards to climate change as a whole. It flows charmingly for twenty-five minutes accompanied by a looping piano sequence in which there is just enough time to fit right in and really start to feel some of these contemporary issues at hand.

Visit the Climate Rush website and see why you should rush for climate change.

Posted under Environmental News

The Pan American Health Organization has published findings which indicate that DDT – the controversial pesticide famously used for the repression of Malaria and Typhus during World War 2 – is present in the bloodstream of several central and southern Americans, and particularly in children.

Found in rural communities where agricultural pesticides are in high use, the study reported that eleven communities in the Mesoamerican area (an area including Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama – though the communities in Guatemala were without the DDT trace), have seen inhabitants’ bloodstreams polluted by the potentially harmful substance.

Sparking a debate about the use of organic and inorganic substances in food stuffs – though the debate rises further than that – the news that such dangerous substances are entering the new generations bloom streams will act as a warning for those who would claim that chemical treatment of crops and foods is not only safe, but necessary.

The report – as translated by the Environmental News Network - argued as follows:

In Mesoamerican countries scattered around 85,000 tons of DDT between 1946 and 1999 for malaria control programs. Children who live in places that were sprayed have residual exposure to DDT that occurs cumulatively by ingestion or inhalation of soil and dust, and food intake, including breast milk, says the study. While the pesticide in Mesoamerica was eradicated in 2000, "Our research showed that there are some rural communities that still use DDT…the question is no longer with DDT, the issue is with DDT residual", since the half-life spans decades. Diaz considers important to continue monitoring it "because we're going to have DDT for the next 50 years".

It is a worrying development indeed; let’s hope that the news can forefront the potential hazards that the use of pesticide and chemical conditioning can involve. After all, the issue was given a great deal of coverage in the UK, with Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for the Department of Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), to and fro-ing on his opinion regarding the ethical issues, plus the practicality of using, pesticides, and the trade of genetically modified crops.

Posted under Environmental News

Once upon a time most of London's high-end boutiques would take their seasonal seats along the flanks of the capital's cat walks and wait for the latest and wonderfully creative cuts of clothing that year had dreamt up - what ever the cost! Nowadays - at long last - fashion seems to have found its peace of mind and got its conscience back.

Fresh from the design board, strutting its stuff down the cat walk, and in amongst the dazzling spotlights of London's Fashion Week, this year, were all things Green. Ever since Stella Mccartney brought new life to the slouchy, hemp-heavy costume box of eco-friendly clothing, more and more designers have put their ever-in-vogue Thinking Caps on and done (what was once believed to be) the un-doable: an innovative ecologically engineered piece of couture.

Dozens of budding designers brought their Green roots into blossom for this year's Spring/Summer collections; reeling out hit after hit of stunning outfits. Some of the most eco-impressive names this season include Izzy Lane, Minna, Elvis and Kresse, Goodone, Joanne Cave, and many more.

Joanne Cave, who's name might have gone undetected through the average fashionista's radar, creates remarkable jewellery to challenge the most high-end items, made from recycled silver. Her pieces also incorporate their own 'stories' as directional themes branch into contemporary ecological topics. Some of her iconic designs for Spring/Summer include fish, flowers and leaves. The handmade, ornate necklaces use at least 90% recycled silver, as well as ethically sourced pearls and precious pebbles and stones picked straight off the Greek coastlines where she lives and works.

Other, less traditionally styled eco-fashion has boosted fair trade tailoring by Minna into this year's lime light. Minna Hepburn, a Finnish designer who has been circulating the fashion capitals of the world for a few seasons, uses reclaimed lace in her Scottish lace designs, in order to create all black tunics and dresses that are organic, fair trade and put together using recycled materials to make truly unique garments.

This leap into a more sexy, stylised silhouette for the modern environmentalist, has also taken shape in Yorkshire-based clothing company Izzy Lane. The award-winning company, who are set to release a more 'affordable' line for next season's rails, look proud in their ethical stance and muted colours. Izzy Lane's centre piece is their wool attire. This is, unfortunately, at the higher end of their price bracket, but the money spent is without a doubt put to good use. Isobel Lane, founder and CEO of Izzy Lane, uses select wool from rare breeds of sheep that have been saved from slaughter. And despite the price being rather costly, a large proportion of the money is invested back into caring for the sheep's welfare. A simple, but ingenious turn.

Another do-gooder for the fashion industry is Goodone, who use recycled fabric for their cuts; the same recycled materials that would otherwise be sent to landfill.

So as the nation turns into a long, straight spot-lighted runway of ten years before E.U. 2020 requisites set in, let's just hope these ethical trends find their way out the shops and are really take off!

Posted under Environmental News

This year's Economist Sustainability Summit 2010 is big news: taking place today, it has already been announced that over 30 CEOs and VP's will attend the conference.

A real coup for the organisers, the excitement is further heightened by the reputation of the organisations for which the CEOs and VPs in question work: the Economist has already announced that high-level delegates from EMI Records Group, Eden Project, Alliance Boots, Sustainable Development Commission, WWF-UK, The Carbon Trust,  Hitachi, Unilever, RPS Group, Whitbread, Carbon Capture and Storage, Umeco, Anglian Water Group, DS Smith, Inbev, Forum for the Future, TIMA International and Axa Investment Managers, will all be attending.

That list alone makes for stimulating reading, with all eyes on representatives from environmental stalwarts like WWF-UK, the Eden Project, the Sustainability Development Commission and the Carbon Trust, plus involvement from such well established companies as EMI Records Group.

What's on the Agenda?

The Economist Sustainability Summit 2010 will focus on the role that businesses can play in the development of environmental policy and reform in coming years, and will meditate on the impact that environmental legislature could have on business practice.

Pitching itself as a point for reflection - it comes after the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit, which will act as the new global framework for environmental legislation, and before the introduction of the Carbon Reduction Commitment, which kicks in at the start of April of this year - the Economist Sustainability Summit 2010 will look to discuss the role of business in the changing socio-political climate and its relation to environmental change.

Offering case studies delivered by industry experts, plus conceptual debate on the most pressing of issues - from carbon neutrality to changing environmental legislature and commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility - the Economist Sustainability Summit 2010 will certainly provide lively debate, if not some interesting answer to some of business' most pressing issues.

Given the guest list, too, it would seem that anyone looking for industry leading advice won't leave disappointed.

Who's Speaking?

The Economist have announced that the following delegates will lead the discussion:

• Stefano Pessina, Executive Chairman, Alliance Boots
• Gareth Llewellyn, Global Head of Safety and Sustainable Development, Anglo-American
• Roger Harrabin, Environment Analyst, BBC
• Tim Smit, Chief Executive and Co-founder, Eden Project
• Jonathon Porritt, Founder Director, Forum for the Future
• Anthony Giddens, Member of the House of Lords
• Jeremy Hobbs, Executive Director, Oxfam International
• Will Day, Chair, Sustainable Development Commission
• Paul Polman, Chief Executive Officer, Unilever
• Mark Wright, Chief Scientist, WWF-UK

They have also announced that all attendees will have the chance to question, understand and review the reports and findings of more than 500 business executives, included in the summit's flagship report 'After Copenhagen - Assessing the Impact on Business'.

Why the Economist Sustainability Summit 2010 is Big News

Given the stature of the delegates, plus the keynote speakers, the Economist Sustainability Summit 2010 is set for real success. With the day relevantly themed - an event centering on the importance of changes to environmental practice as a result of the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit is a much needed event indeed - it seems that there's going to be something for everyone to take away with them.

So get ready! And we'll hopefully see you there.

For more information, take a look at the Economists website.

Posted under Environmental News

Drax power station, Britain's strongest, biggest and most famous carbon power station, has scrapped plans to move substantial portions of its output for power generation to green energy and renewable power sources.

Whilst the plant will move much of its capabilities towards renewable and green energy, as has always been the plan, it is now being reported that it will retain large portions of its output for coal-fired power, as renewable sources and green energy- according to the plant's spokesman - continue to represent bigger costs and higher maintenance.

The news has come as a big blow to the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC), whose chief Ed Miliband (secretary of state for Energy and Climate Change) developed the Low Carbon Transition Plan last year, and was hoping to meet ambitious targets for lowering the usage of coal-fired power plants in coming years.

With Drax opting for the traditional coal-fired methods, it is unlikely that the DECC will feel confident in claiming to be making the necessary headway for these targets.

The announcement, further will be a more obvious blow for those hoping that the efforts made by Miliband and the DECC - which, refreshingly, have seemed genuine, with Miliband taking an active role at the largely failed Copenhagen talks - will go unrewarded, as large and powerful plants continue along the coal-fired route.

It is unfortunate that, however much some people might argue for it, and some politicians might try to pressure companies into using it, coal-fired power plants - given that they are effectively in control of electricity supply - are in a position of incredible power.

True, they are subject to the legislature of government, but have a lot more to play with at the bargaining table when it comes to negotiating government control over such details, and with that in mind, it is hard to see just where the necessary reforms might come from.

Given that international level negotiations failed to set the benchmark, indications would imply that it might be a while in coming.

Posted under Environmental News