MPs' Green press releases- energy review edition

It's been a while since the last one of these, so something of a bumper crop. The press releases have been reproduced in full, with most of the spelling and punctuation mistakes left in (I think I deleted one of a pair of full stops). Some of them are out of date as they refer to the Lib-Dem conference last week. None, it appears,mention this week's Labour Party conference here in Manchester.

BETTY WILLIAMS MP PLEDGES NOT TO BUY WILDLIFE SOUVENIRS

Conwy MP Betty Williams is supporting the International Fund for Animal Welfare's campaign to save endangered species from the deadly trinket trade – by pledging not to buy wildlife souvenirs when travelling abroad.

Every year, Customs agents seize thousands of illegal wildlife items, many of them tourist souvenirs made from endangered or threatened species, which are protected by international law.

A YouGov survey carried out for IFAW and published recently reveals that, alarmingly, as many as 600,000 people have returned to the UK from holidays abroad with wildlife souvenirs, including elephant ivory, in the past five years.

In South Africa, IFAW researchers discovered a thriving trade in wildlife souvenirs, including ivory carvings, porcupine quills and sharks' teeth, many of which are being sold illegally to British and other foreign tourists. IFAW warns that the wildlife souvenir trade is having a devastating impact on animal welfare as well as the conservation of endangered species.

IFAW campaigner Nikki Kelly said: "Tourists need to remember that if they don't buy, animals won't die. IFAW is encouraging people travelling abroad to spend their money wisely by buying alternative holiday mementos that benefit local people directly, such as handicrafts, instead of items that harm the wildlife people are coming to see."

Betty Williams MP said: "I am proud to support IFAW's campaign by pledging not to buy wildlife souvenirs when I visit other countries and urge others to do the same. While some souvenirs may appear harmless often they belie a bloody trade. Wild animals belong in the wild, not in our homes. I hope future generations will be lucky enough to experience the thrill of seeing wildlife in its natural habitat and not through history books."

IFAW's 'Think Twice' campaign is also being supported by the influential Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) with celebrities David Jason, Steve Leonard, Chris Tarrant, Twiggy and Shauna Lowry also signing the pledge not to buy wildlife souvenirs.

People wishing to sign IFAW's pledge, and advice for people wishing to have a wildlife-friendly holiday in South Africa or in other parts of the world is available at www.ifaw.org/uk/thinktwice.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE: SPINK OFFERS SCHOOLS DEBATE

TO SECONDARY SCHOOL HEADS CASTLE POINT & College

The question I am offering to be 'discussed' would be:

How to get energy that is secure and affordable, and without destroying the planet.

The importance of climate change is shown in greater focus with every month. This week alone we hear of threats to the Essex coast from the highest tide so far this century, the abandonment of some homes in Suffolk to coastal erosion and the enormously damaging thaw of Russia's permafrost which is accelerating global warming by releasing massive amounts of methane.

Climate change is particularly important for the people of Essex who live in low lying areas.

We need to ask how we can balance energy policy to protect our environment and yet avoid insecurity of supply leading to lights out, and still provide affordable energy to vulnerable people on small fixed incomes.

For instance, should we have a new generation of nuclear power and which alternative forms of sustainable energy should we invest in. And how can we encourage the rest of the world to cut carbon emissions, with China and India sitting on so much available and relatively very cheap coal?

These are key questions that we must address.

OFFER

I am offering to chair a discussion on these key issues and answer questions in each of our local secondary schools and college during the coming months. It is important to ensure our teenagers understand what is happening to their environment and to encourage them to take an interest in science.

I anticipate the discussion could take between 1 and 2 hours, would be on a Friday as I have to be in Westminster other days, and could be a large or small group of older pupils who could prepare statements and/or questions. I really am open to your suggestions on format, which could support students completing both the GCSE Citizenship and A-Level General Studies courses. Please could you consider this offer and if you are able to take it up and feel it might be worthwhile, let me have a contact person and details and I will telephone to arrange a mutually convenient programme, date and time.

Best wishes and thanks

Bob

Some interesting facts on Energy:

The lights went out in areas of Europe and the USA last winter. More than just a nuisance of course!

Each Chinese person 'uses' 2 barrels of oil (equivalent energy) each year, (USA 26 barrels, UK 12 barrels); there are approx 1.4 billion Chinese, 1.1 billion Indian people.

China and India have massive coal supplies which would release CO2 and swamp anything 'we' can do. Therefore, is carbon capture and storage, CCS, one of the answers? Of course, China's demand patterns are quite different to ours.

There is more to energy than power; travel is also a key issue. USA 800 cars per 1000 people, EU 600 and China 15. But the Chinese and Indian people now have the aspiration to get a car at almost any cost! India is now developing a £1200 new car which will not be environmentally friendly.

The world has plenty of oil, more is discovered than extracted each year, but it is a finite resource and are there better uses than burning it! In any case, the world is not at the moment investing sufficient in oil extraction.

What about Calor and Canvey where the plan is to import 5% of the total UK energy needs as LNG. Is the dash for Gas dangerous? Does it expose the UK to insecure sources and possible lights out and uncontrolled prices?

We will be 70% reliant on imported gas very soon unless Government changes its policy.

I am pushing the Government to promote bio ethanol crops and conversion plants, particularly in the eastern region and this makes sense in countryside management, agricultural, environmental and financial terms. There is, of course, much more…

Perhaps these rough notes, and the Leader I wrote for the Science In Parliament journal, attached, could be given to the youngsters (our future scientists and citizens) to provoke responses?

Green Man to visit Bath

Don Foster and Bath Liberal Democrats are pleased to announce that Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, Chris Huhne MP, will be visiting Bath on 28th September.

Whilst in Bath, Chris will raise awareness of local environmental issues and, as part of a national programme, launch the Liberal Democrats' 'Green Tax Switch' campaign. Central to which is the pledge to cut income tax by introducing green taxes.

Environmental issues and the Green Tax Switch will be the key focus of the Lib Dem party conference in Brighton later this month.

Chris will be touring Bath and North East Somerset, visiting a number of Environmental projects including the ECT Recycling plant in Keynsham and the Cleveland Baths in Bath. Chris will also be taking part in a question and answer session with local residents, environmental campaigners and green groups from B&NES.

Commenting, Don said:

"I'm really pleased to welcome the Lib Dem's very own Green Man, Chris Huhne, to Bath and I'm looking forward to his visit.

"The Liberal Democrats are firmly committed to ensuring environmental considerations play a central part in all our policy decisions."

Government must tackle climate change – Foster

Ahead of the annual Liberal Democrat Party Conference, Don Foster has written to the Prime Minister urging him to include a Bill on climate change in the Queens Speech.

Environmental issues and the green tax switch will be the key focus of next week’s conference.

Don has signed EDM 178 which calls for a Bill to be introduced to deal with climate change. This EDM has been supported by Friends of the Earth.

Commenting, Don said:

"Climate change is an issue which must be tackled sooner rather than later. I have written to Tony Blair asking for a Bill on climate change to be included in the Queens Speech as proof that the Government is taking this matter seriously.

"I have received numerous letters about climate change from Bath residents, including many who are members of Bath Friends of the Earth, and I am happy to support them in this matter."

4x4 sales fall as green coalition tightens its grip

The tough stance taken by a green coalition including Emily Thornberry's House of Commons Environment Committee and the Mayor of London Ken Livingstone has been recognised by Greenpeace as the number of 4X4s sold in Britain fell this year for the first time ever.

Sales of 4x4s have doubled in the last 10 years, with last year alone seeing an increase in sales of over 12%. However, figures for 2006 show a fall in the number of 4x4s sold, following aggressive green policies from Emily's Environment Committee and the Mayor of London.

Greenpeace has drawn attention to the Environment Committee's recent recommendation to raise road tax on the worst gas-guzzlers to £1,800, along with the Mayor of London's threat of a £25 congestion charge on 'Chelsea Tractors'. Greenpeace say these actions appear to have slowed the trend for polluting vehicles.

Emily said:

"I am determined to get 4x4s off Islington's roads. I've been using every means possible to send 4x4 drivers the message that they're ruining the environment and killing pedestrians. I am glad we've started to buck the trend, but I'll keep up the pressure to make sure this continues"

Greenpeace campaigner Emily Armistead said:

"Tony Blair should enact proposals from backbench MPs to tax these polluting vehicles more heavily so they are driven off our roads completely".

Figures from the Department for Transport show that the number of polluting cars in Britain is falling across the board, as drivers switch to public transport, bikes, or green-fuel cars. Sales of Hybrid Cars like the Toyota Prius more than doubled last year, whilst sales of 4x4s fell for the first time ever between 2005 and 2006.

How do we stop climate change?

Emily Thornberry is inviting her constituents to come and tell her their views on climate change. She will be asking constituents what they think individuals, the government and business can do to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions that cause climate change.

She will also be setting out what she has been doing, as a member of Parliament's Environment Select Committee, to push for policies to reduce climate change. If not stopped, Climate Change will cause rising sea levels, droughts, heat-waves, flooding and violent storms.

Emily said:

"We have to work together to tackle climate change. I'd like to know what people think."

Emily will be joined at the event by Cllr Catherine West, Leader of Islington Labour Group and Mary Taylor, Climate Campaigner for Friends of the Earth.

The event will be from 7pm on Thursday 21st September at the Italian Trade Union Centre, 124 Canonbury Road. Islington South & Finsbury constituents are welcome to attend.

Spink Calls for local Council to take action on Climate Change

Bob Spink says:

As a member of the Climate Change Group, I support this welcome initiative and urge Castle Point Council to sign up to it.

I suspect that Irene Willis, a consistent doughty campaigner on these issues, will be committing the emerging Canvey Council to back this.

Of all councils, Castle Point should be at the forfront in fighting climate change and I urge the council to give us their support immediately.

I know many good councillors already back this move.

Against the backdrop of Canvey's history and geography, and the expected high tides this autumn, I hope the council leadership will give immediate personal support and put this on the next possible agenda for the council to formally sign up to it.

Click Here for Decleration

Click Here for Declaration Postcard

Technorati tag: MP, Press Release

Driven by oil

I missed the other three episodes, but the last edition of Driven by Oil on Radio 4 covered possible solutions, including Sweden's biofuel drive and the plant that renders turkey guts down to their constituent hydrocarbons. You can use the listen again facility to hear the programme.

Technorati tag: Driven by Oil, Radio 4

Dye-sensitized cells- cheaper photovoltaics

Michael Gratzel has the rare honour of having a type of photovoltaic cell named after him. The Gratzel cell was first developed over 15 years ago but is now ready for manufacture and release onto the market. Technology Review talked to him about bringing the product to market.

Technology Review: Why has it been so difficult to make efficient, yet inexpensive solar cells that could compete with fossil fuels as sources of electricity?

Michael Gratzel: It's perhaps just the way things evolved. Silicon cells were first made for [outer] space, and there was a lot of money available so the technology that was first developed was an expensive technology. The cell we have been developing on the other hand is closer to photosynthesis.

via Hugg

Technorati tag: Solar Power, Photovoltaic, Nanoparticles

MPs' green press releases

Government could drive biodiesel off the road - Williams

Welsh Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Food and Rural Affairs, Roger Williams, Welsh Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon and Radnorshire today criticized Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs for their review on biodiesel – due to end tomorrow.

A point in the terms of reference of the Review implies that the Government is planning to increase the duty on vegetable oils and biodiesels as fuels. This could see the duty on these fuels more than double from 21.1pence/litre to a whopping 47.1pence/litre.

Commenting on this news, Roger Williams said: "With this government making such a big song and dance about green energy, it is shocking that they are considering lumbering those who want to make a difference to their ecological footprint with such a hefty price rise.

"The biodiesel and vegetable oil industries are young, so such a huge hike in the levels of duty runs the risk of stopping these industries in their tracks.

"Such actions undermine investor confidence in the industry and in consumers who may choose not to convert their vehicles to use the more environmentally sound varieties.

"It's ludicrous that while we pay just 9p/litre of duty on most normal fuels, environmentally friendly biodiesel and vegetable oil fuels carry twice as much tax.

"Many farmers in Wales have been encouraged to diversify their activities and invest in biodiesels and vegetable oils. An increase on the duty paid on their products is a betrayal to them and to everyone who is deeply concerned about the threat of climate change.

"I have written to the HMRC to express my concern and ask them for their reasoning behind such proposals."

"AGROTERRORISM COULD THREATEN UK ECONOMY AND FOOD SUPPLY" - WILLIAMS

With attention focused on airplanes and transport infrastructure as the main means of launching a terrorist attack on the UK, a threat to Britain's food supply has been relatively overlooked. Agroterrorism could impact the UK's economy, as well as food supply.

Speaking on the possibility of an agroterrorist attack on the UK, Roger Williams MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Food and Rural Affairs said:

"Contamination of a nation's food supply could be a very easy task for terrorists to achieve, with chemical agents easy to conceal and distribute. Agro-terrorism is furthermore a very cost-effective form of causing major disruption, with a small amount of a high risk chemical potentially producing an epidemic of nationwide proportions."

"There is also the risk of an agroterrorist attack elsewhere in the world which could lead to a halt in imports and increased British agricultural self-sufficiency. DEFRA has quoted that we have between 15 and 25 days' supply of wheat for milling, but I will be writing to Ben Bradshaw to find out how many days' supply we have of other important foodstuffs."

"This is not an issue for public panic, but one that DEFRA and the farming community should be looking into, formulating precautionary actions to be taken in the event of such an attack. We must also look again at what agriculture can do to reduce the better known threat of terrorist bombs containing fertilisers. I believe we need to review the security of fertiliser stores as up to 66% of farmers do not consider it at all."

Technorati tag: MP, Press Release

Ten years to the tipping point

The world only has ten years to make the huge changes needed to combat global warming, according to an energy expert. Peter Smith was addressing the British Association festival of science in Norwich when he made the claims.

"The scientific opinion is that we have a ceiling of 440 parts per million (ppm) of atmospheric carbon before there is a tipping point, a step change in the rate of global warming," Professor Smith said. "The rate at which we are emitting now, around 2ppm a year and rising, we could expect that that tripping point will reach us in 20 years' time. That gives us 10 years to develop technologies that could start to bite into the problem."

Smith believes the recent energy review was incredibly short-sighted, not just in its insistence on flogging the dead horse of nuclear but also because it ignored almost completely the potential of wave and tidal energy around the British coatsline.

Technorati tag: Tipping Point, Global Warming

£2,202 a year to run a car

The cost of keeping a car on the road has risen by 7.2%, up from £2,053 last year, mainly because of rising fuel costs. Of course, that article fails to mention the most obvious way to save on motoring expenses- don't use, or even have, a car in the first place.

Technorati tag: Motoring

Just put my remains in a cheap box and grill me

Yesterday I spent a few hours wandering around the sprawling Southern Cemetery in Chorlton. One thought that formed whilst staring at headstones was that I want (in 60+ years preferably) to be buried in a biodegradable coffin with a tree planted on top of me. I'll work on other ways to create lasting memorials to satisfy my eternal ego. I was going to do some research and post on the subject but, coincidentally, City Hippy did just that today.

(Title from Second to last will and testament - Carter USM)

Technorati tag: Funeral, Green, biodegradable

Antarctic ice tells us about global warming

The latest ice core yet drilled from Antarctica has been analysed and shown that carbon dioxide levels are currently the highest for 800,000 years. No doubt there are a bunch of professional deniers lining up to tell us that just means we have an abundance of "life".

Technorati tag: Carbon Dioxide, Antarctic

The Conservatives' green campaigning

I'm still dubious that David Cameron's blue-green proclamations are anything more than posturing. But it's good to see him keep coming out with them, because perhaps the pressure will get things done.

Most recently he's been calling for a law on climate change to be promised in the next Queen's speech whilst the shadow chancellor has been promising Green taxes if the Tories get elected.

Technorati tag: David Cameron, Green, Blue