The lovely folk at the Co-op have come up with an ingenious way to dispose of all the unwanted faxes and letters generated in their head office, by recycling them into their new range of sustainable household papers. Including loo and kitchen roll
You are stalking tag 'Green News'
May 22nd, 2007
Co-op launch new sustainable paper range
May 22nd, 2007
CO2 advert premieres on British TV
Don’t worry! If you missed the Government’s CO2 advert last night you’ll get another chance. The advertising campaign run by the Department for Transport urges motorists to change their car habits in order to cut CO2 emissions. Screened during Coronation Street last night, it stars ‘Engine’, a character designed to show that it’s not only the car we drive but how we treat the engine that can count. Simple tips such as keeping our tyres pumped up and not revving our engines can make radical savings on fuel consumption. The DfT claim that if all drivers in the UK followed their Smarter Driving tips CO2 emissions from cars could be reduced by 8% – or over 5.5 million tonnes of CO2 a year, saving motorists over £2 billion a year in fuel costs.
May 21st, 2007
RSPB fear proposed Planning reforms will damage wildlife
A new Planning White Paper will be presented to parliament today which could spell disaster for wildlife in England. It proposes limiting objections to major developments, which effectively means that anyone opposing schemes like the enlargement of Lydd Airport, which is threatening the RSPB reserve in Dungeness, Kent, may not receive a fair hearing before a final decision is made
May 21st, 2007
Wi-Fi threat to health?
The Government insists that phone masts and Wi-fi transmitters are perfectly safe. The Government uses data from the International Commission on NonIonizing Radiation Protection to set the safe limits of radiation exposure. The commission uses the thermal effect of the radiation as a benchmark for safety, i.e. if the radiation is strong enough to cause a rise in temperature then it will be deemed necessary to restrict exposure. Unfortunately the radiation has other effects on human cells beyond the heat effect.
May 21st, 2007
FA Cup final leaves a massive carbon footprint
The FA cup final at the new Wembley stadium is estimated to have left an environmental footprint 3,000 times the size of the pitch! Each fan travelling to the game and enjoying the culinary delights on offer would have a carbon footprint 10 times as large as the one they would have if they watched the game at home. Based on an analysis of the 2004 cup final by Dr Andrea Collins of Cardiff University, the environmental impact of such an event is massive. The major factors are the fans’ transport requirements and the huge amounts of processed foods they consume.
The environmental problem with processed food is the fact that it is processed. The industrial process of making and distributing the food is causing the damage to the environment.
May 21st, 2007
Mars bars will be veggie after all, says Masterfoods
Despite announcing moves to include an animal derivative within their chocolate and ice-cream products, Masterfoods have just made an about-face and reversed the decision. Consumer power seems to have made a big impression on the big bosses with over…
May 18th, 2007
Global warming set to accelerate
It seems that everyday I read the newspaper there is more bad news for the environment. Today unfortunately, is no exception. It appears now that the earth’s ability to naturally absorb carbon dioxide is diminishing as a result of global warming. Which is accelerating the rise in global temperatures, which is in turn reducing the earth’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide…and so on. This is something that has been predicted in computer models of climate change, but this is the first time it has been detected.
Historically, the earth has been able to absorb carbon dioxide through the oceans and rainforests, which have absorbed roughly half of all carbon emissions. Now there is far less rainforest cover and changing weather patterns are causing the Southern Ocean to become CO2 saturated, so it can no longer absorb CO2 from the atmosphere.
May 17th, 2007
Ryanair gives away 1 million free flights
Sounds like a great offer, one not to be missed. Ryanair is giving 1 million customers free flights. The offer includes taxes, fees and charges, so the customer pays nothing. The offer went live yesterday at 10am and within 4 hours 4 million attempts were made to get tickets. Great publicity for Ryanair, and great news for people wanting to get away for free.
Unfortunately nothing in life is ‘for free’ and there is a price for these free flights. The carbon footprint of airlines is damaging our planet. We know this, the airlines know this and their passengers know this. So why are so many people logging on to Ryanair’s website to get the free tickets? Why are Ryanair giving away 1 million free tickets?
May 16th, 2007
An ethical glossy: Lifescape magazine
Tired of the usual glossy magazines trying to sell you a superficial way of life? Want to read something ethical that fits more closely to your lifestyle? Have you read Lifescape magazine? It’s a women’s glossy with an ethical slant. Lifescape is the only British magazine exclusively vegetarian/vegan, fair-trade, organic and cruelty free. It’s the natural lifestyle magazine for the modern woman who cares about herself, and cares about the planet too, full of cutting edge news, features and ethical products.
May 16th, 2007
Modbury’s plastic bag decision: where it all started
The small town of Modbury has hit the headlines for all the right reasons. All 43 of its local shopkeepers have agreed to stop giving away or selling plastic carrier bags. It all started with Rebecca Hoskins. Rebecca contacted local traders, starting with ones she knew personally and gave them plenty of information about the damaging effects of plastic carrier bags, and more importantly, gave them information about more environmentally-friendly alternatives. She then moved onto the other traders, enlisting the help of some of the converts when necessary.
