Saving Water

It feels strange to be reading about water shortages whilst staring out at heavy rain that feels like it hasn't stopped for the last three weeks. The Independent has a Q&A on cause and effect, but what can the water customers do about it?

Obviously, we should stop using so much water. Sticking a bottle full of water or a Hippo water saver in the toilet's cistern is a start. Finding a more efficient way to wash the dishes (one of my major sins) may involve shelling out for a dishwasher, and then you'll have the worry of the detergents involved. Products such as Eco-Balls mean you can use lower volume washes for your clothes.

Outside you have the benefit of all that water coming out of the sky at the moment. If you want to carry on watering your garden after a hosepipe ban, invest in a water butt to catch all the rain coming down the spout from your roof. In the longer term, how about replacing concrete and brick with grass, herbs and vegetables. This will cut the amount of run off, provide cool pockets in the Summer and save you money on salads.

That's not going to solve the major problems, of course. Water companies still need to cut the leakage in their pipes (Thames Water loses a third of all its supplied water through leaks, and has missed its leakage improvement target in each of the last two years) and lower water solutions need to be incorporated into new builds as a matter of course. We can do nothing about that directly, but a bit of lobbying and consumer pressure will help.

Technorati tag: Water, Water Consumption

Manchester is my planet

I'm sure I signed up for Manchester is my planet last Summer, and the first mail out only arrived this week. I guess they've been spending the time collecting many more pledges, 13,749 at last count.

The site is clean and well designed. You can read a booklet detailing what Greater Manchester councils are doing to go Green, check your eco-knowledge or enter competitions to win A-rated household appliances. I just wish I hadn't been faced with a gurning Fred Talbot on every page of the quiz.

Cross-posted from City Hippy

Technorati tags:
cityhippy
green
environment
Manchester

Co-ops green tower officially opens tomorrow

The CIS will be celebrating the completion of their solar tower tomorrow. All 7000 photovoltaic panels are now feeding power to the miller street building.
Links later if I can find any.

Tony Blair does nothing for the environment

I'm not surprised that Tony Blair has come out and basically said he'll be ordering new nuclear power stations without waiting for his own energy review or listening to any of the arguments against. I am very angry, though, particularly as it's mostly posturing.

BBC political correspondent Carole Walker said she believed Mr Blair had been happy to stir up a "whole storm of controversies" this week, on issues such as animal experimentation.

She said the prime minister wanted to show he was ready to take on controversial decisions.

She said: "He cannot afford to be seen as somebody who is simply languishing in Number 10 while people are waiting for his days to be over.

"He is trying to distract from all the speculation there is about when he is going to go."

I'm with CND chairwoman Kate Hudson-

"Nuclear power does not make economic or environmental sense. The amount of money invested in producing nuclear power could produce far more sustainable energy, much more rapidly."

It's been pointed out that many ministers who were for a more sensible energy policy were dumped in the post-local election reshuffle. The former environmental minister has made his feelings on the matter known.

[Elliot Morley] told The Guardian newspaper the energy review, which is headed by Department of Trade and Industry Minister Malcolm Wicks, might well point to renewable sources of energy if it was "open, transparent and fair".

He complained that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs had not had the involvement it should in the technical aspects of the review.

He had seen no official government figures on the real cost of nuclear power.

Mr Morley said: "To have new nuclear power is going to involve very large sums of money.

"If nuclear power was so great then you would have the private sector willing to invest in it.

"The reality is that economically the risks are great and the returns are low.

"No private sector company is going to take on the long-term risks, the cost of decommissioning, the storage, reprocessing and the responsibility for the waste."

I despair, I really do. Time for Tony Blair, and the rest of his government for good measure, to go.

Technorati tag: Nuclear Power, Energy Review, Tony Blair, Tony Blair is a Liar

Council Tax rebates for energy saving

Did you know you can get Council Tax rebates for doing energy saving renovations to your house? I'm not a homeowner, so I hadn't looked into it (and if I was and had it still hasn't been extended to Manchester yet). 21 councils across England and Wales are offering one-off council tax rebates to any householder who spends more than £250 on cavity wall insulation. British Gas pays for £50 of the rebate and councils can top the amount up to £100. Scottish Gas is calling for a change to Scottish law so they can run a similar scheme.

To find out about other grants for energy saving go to the Energy Saving Trust site.

Technorati tag: Energy Saving, British Gas, Council Tax

Green Roof for Edinburgh's Penguins

The penguins at Edinburgh zoo have a green roof in their new enclosure.

The roof provides a viewing area for visitors and lets them get close enough to watch the zoo's 130 king penguins, gentoos and macaronis breed and nest.

Richard Millar, technical manager at parent company Icopal, said: "Garden roofs not only look much more pleasant but they take in the rain and spread out the water or use it to grow. The lawns are drought tolerant and don't need much watering."

Technorati tag: Green roof, Edinburgh Zoo

Green Schools

The education secretary, Alan Johnson, has outlined plans to make all schools "models of sustainable development in their communities" by 2020.

"Young people are keenly aware of, and highly motivated by, environmental issues. In many ways they are ahead of adults in their attitudes to recycling and conservation. Channelling this enthusiasm helps raise achievement and improve behaviour and could save money as well as addressing big issues such as climate change - it really is a win-win solution."

Technorati tag: Sustainable Development, School

MPs' green press releases

Brighton MP backs Bill to combat Ghost Town Britain

David Lepper, Labour and Co-operative MP for Brighton Pavilion, will speak on combating Ghost Town Britain and the need for local sustainability and community involvement at a meeting in the Brighton Centre on Thursday 18 May.

The meeting is organised by Local Works – the campaign for a Sustainable Communities Bill to encourage thriving local economies based on environmental protection, community involvement and democratic participation.

David Lepper said

"I am concerned about the various signs of community decline which could threaten neighbourhoods in Brighton and Hove and are already doing so in some parts of Sussex through, for example, the closures of Post Offices, community pharmacies and local independent newsagents. Businesses which should be at the centre of local community life.

"I am also concerned at the increasing threat to independent shops by the big
supermarkets extending the range of products they offer and moving into locations where they had previously not been represented."

Crausby calls for action on climate change

Bolton North East MP David Crausby is calling on the Government to speed up the introduction of measures to tackle climate change.

He is co-sponsoring a House of Commons Early Day Motion commenting on the Government's March 2006 publication Climate Change - the UK programme 2006 which sets out the UK's current and proposed initiatives to cut UK emissions of greenhouse gases.

Mr. Crausby said:

"The UK accounts for about two per cent of the world's annual greenhouse gas emissions, with most other countries' emissions still increasing. Too few people in the UK or abroad are much inclined to abandon, for example, their cars or their cheap flights and the danger is that climate change will increase greatly in the next few decades.

I’m disappointed to note that less than 10 per cent of the publication is devoted to dealing with the UK's adaptation to the effects of climate change. It talks too much about yet more studies and a quite insufficient amount relates to concrete actions to adapt to the actual effects of climate change on the UK."

Technorati tag: MP, Climate Change

No congestion charge for Manchester

Despite the presence of members of Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority at a conference on congestion charging in Stockholm and new Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander's comments about satellite tracking, Manchester isn't getting congestion charging any time soon. I don't see why this is considered good news, and it's a bit sad to see the worn old line about improving public transport first being trotted out again.

Technorati tag: Manchester, Congestion Charge

Government failing on microgeneration

For all the talk from Tony Blair that "right throughout government, we put the question of sustainability at the heart of what we try to do" most ministries are dedicating none of their budget to local generation at their sites. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has dedicated £1.5million of this year's budget to it, and the Department of Transport (DoT) has allocated cash to water recycling, but that's it.

Stephen Tindale, the executive director of Greenpeace, compared this performance to the Surrey town of Woking which is working to cut carbon emissions by 77 per cent.

He added: "This is just another example of the yawning gap between New Labour's rhetoric and reality. One of the first things Alistair Darling [the Transport Secretary] could do is to bash heads together around the cabinet table so ministers start setting an example. If Woking can do this, why can't Whitehall?"

Technorati tag: Local generation, microgeneration, Whitehall, Tony Blair is a Liar

Five go Mad in Earl's Court

The Make A Difference show will be held at Earls Court on June 2nd, 3rd & 4th, highlighting consumer goods that support Fairtrade, Organic production and a Sustainable lifestyle.

As well as all the good stuff on display, you'll be able to see some of the UK's top Green bloggers in the flesh (and me too ;P). The Mad Show organisers have been in touch with Al of City Hippy to organise a UK Green Bloggers panel. So far he has Bonnie from Treehugger and me and is lining up another three panellists. So, if you want to find out what we all look like, book your tickets now and come on down at the start of June. As Al says in his piece, if we can't answer your questions on the day we'll all try to go away and find out for you.

Technorati tag: Mad Show, Green Lifestyle, Earls Court

Now appearing at City Hippy

Al at City Hippy has been recruiting city editors and I volunteered to become the Manchester editor. The introductory Q & A is here and I'll be crossposting Manchester related news from here, 2 Wheels Good, Digest and Dig.

Technorati tag: City Hippy, Manchester

Water saving Hippo

I recently filled a half litre water bottle and put it in the cistern of casa Spinneyhead's toilet- the good old, practical way of cutting the volume we flush. However, I should really have been contemplating a Hippo, which can save up to three litres every flush. A Hippo three pack costs £6.99, and the unit price goes down drastically for bulk orders.

via Hippyshopper

Technorati tag: Water, Toilet

Trade Winds Weaken with Global Warming

The Trade Winds serve many purposes beyond the one that got them their name. They bring rains to the west and churn up the oceans, turning surface waters into rich feeding grounds, and drive weather conditions around the world. A study of air pressure records dating back to 1860 has shown the changes over time of the Walker circulation. It had weakened by 3.5% and was expected to fall by 10% by the year 2100.

"Nearly all of this is down to increases in greenhouse gas emissions," said Dr Vecchi.

"We know this air current has an influence on weather in many regions, so we can expect there to be changes locally. Ecosystems are complex, but our concern would be that this could also affect biological productivity over a large part of the Pacific," he added.

Technorati tag: Global Warming, Trade Wind, Pacific

All batteries to be recycled by 2008

An EU directive puts the onus on battery manufacturers to cover the cost of recycling their products. Groups representing the industry say this will lead to a rise in the cost of batteries. Which won't be a bad thing, really, it might drive more people to invest in rechargeables, another way to cut the waste and pollution of one-shots.

Technorati tag: Batteries, Recycling

I'll have an apple with my curry, please

The Manchester Evening News reports on Tashek Shorkar Abu, manager of Kyae's Pizza and Curry takeaway in Bury, who plants fruit trees in the gardens of his customers. It's a habit he got into in Bangladesh, where he planted trees as part of charity plantation schemes that helped provide food, income and timber, as well as protecting the environment.

Technorati tag: Tree, Fruit, Curry

I Will If You Will

The Sustainable Consumption Roundtable says that people want to adopt greener habits, but believe individual action is futile and the Government should take more radical action promote green lifestyles.

"Going green can be smart and stylish," commented SCR co-chair Ed Mayo, "but it is not yet simple.

"We want to call the bluff of politicians, to take action to make the sustainable choice the easier choice."

Technorati tag: Green

Holographic Solar

A new technology replaces unsightly mirrored solar concentrators with flat panels laminated with holograms and could cut the cost of solar modules by as much as 75%.

via Treehugger

Technorati tag: Solar Power, Hologram

Germany has the world's largest solar park

16.5 km (10 miles) of solar panels have been mounted on former military grounds at Pocking, near Passau in Bavaria. The installation saves 10,000 tons of CO2 yearly--the equivalent of 1,000 hectares of woodlands. Construction cost 40 million euro (£27.8 million) and started in August 2005.

Technorati tag: Solar Power, Germany

MPs' Green press releases- who gives a damn about the profits of Tesco

Something of a slow week overall. Tesco's profits do merit investigation and curbing in some manner, I think.

Shadow Trade and Industry Secretary Praises Weston Recycling Initiative

Alan Duncan MP Shadow Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has praised the recycling work of local waste management and recycling company, Towens of Weston, following a visit with local MP John Penrose.

Speaking after the visit, Mr Duncan said; "The company has an impressive set of recycling kit and an 83% recycling rate. It shows what can be done to protect the environment and reduce the enormous demand on landfill space.

"We're currently conducting an energy review so I listened with particular interest to their proposals for sustainable energy production. The idea of converting local waste into energy for nearby homes and businesses is an exciting option which deserves detailed consideration."

Sassy Nappy Fashions on show in 10th anniversary – Real Nappy Week

Mike Hall, MP for Weaver Vale joins more than 147 other MPs, MEPs, Welsh AMs and MSPs to celebrate the 10th anniversary Real Nappy Week from 24-30 April.

Fashion shows, "nappuccino" coffee mornings and hundreds of other events across the UK and abroad will reveal how far real nappies have come in the last decade. No longer just an eco and economic option, real nappies are now a fashionable lifestyle choice.

Biba Hartigan of Women's Environmental network, which is co-ordinating the week, says, "There are nappies to suit all tastes: bright and funky Day-Glo, leopardskin and tie-dye prints, classic whites and pastels in fluffy fleece, silky-soft bamboo or organic hemp fabrics, and a choice of snug-fitted styles".

(www.realnappycampaign.com/nappyfinder/)

TESCO PROFITS PER DAY : £5.5m WELSH FARMER'S WAGE PER YEAR: £14,000 – WILLIAMS

Following today's announcement of record Tesco profits of £2.25 billion for the past year, Roger Williams, Liberal Democrat MP for Brecon and Radnorshire has warned that the extreme power of supermarkets is destroying Welsh farming.

Commenting on these latest figures, Roger said:

"These figures show the huge imbalance in the UK Groceries market. Tesco's profits are a staggering 17% higher than last year. Meanwhile, the once-thriving Welsh farming industry is now over a barrel. Producers, farmers and convenience stores are in decline, whilst the 'big four' supermarkets have gone from strength to strength.

"These companies are making billions whilst farmers are struggling to make ends meet. On average, three Welsh dairy farmers go out of work every week, while the average income from farming in Wales is just £14,000. Tesco makes profits of £228,000 an hour.

"Supermarkets are raking it in by keeping prices static and passing costs on to the farmers. For every £1 consumers spend on food in supermarkets, just 8p goes to the farmer.

"The Supermarket Code of Practice has proved useless, a toothless tiger since its inception four years ago. If this government is serious about helping our farmers and consumers, and curbing the power of retailers, the Office of Fair Trading needs to extend its review of the groceries market and work toward truly fair trade between farmers, suppliers and supermarkets."

Technorati tag: Recycling, Nappies, Tesco