Plane Crazy
22nd February 2010
The Liberal Democrats have criticised government departments for spending more than £20m in a year on UK flights.
The party said the Ministry of Defence (MoD) spent the most - nearly £16m on 175,000 domestic flights last year.
Overall government departments spent more than £21.8m on more than 210,000 flights in 2008-09, it said.
Party spokesman Simon Hughes told Eco:
Government staff should "use trains and video-conferencing more so they fly around the country less".
"Civil servants are spending staggering amounts of taxpayers' cash flying around the UK," he added.
"The Civil Service Code needs to change so that environmental factors are considered when travel bookings are made."
The Lib Dem figures, based on answers to Parliamentary questions, suggest officials at the Department for Work and Pensions were the second highest spenders on domestic flights - with 25,860 flights costing £2.97m.
They also show the Department for Energy and Climate Change - which is leading the fight to reduce carbon emissions - paid out for more than 1,000 domestic flights.
A spokesman for the department told the Telegraph they had to "balance the use of teleconferences and lowest carbon travel methods with the occasional business need to be somewhere quickly".
He added: "On the rare occasions where air travel is unfortunately the only option, all of the carbon emissions are offset."
An MoD spokesperson said it was constantly seeking to cut costs by using alternatives like video and telephone conferencing, but added it was not always possible.
"All trips were absolutely necessary, with the vast majority being duty travel journeys made by military personnel," the spokesperson said.
"Reasons for these include post and mid-operational tour leave, compassionate leave, resettlement leave, individual postings and home visits when based in Northern Ireland."
Source: BBC
Soil from Slag
18th February 2010
Welsh Steelworks Produces ‘Soil’ from Slag to Create New Landscape
The redevelopment of a former steelworks site in Europe is setting a benchmark for sustainable regeneration by producing its ‘own soil’ from post-industrial slag or colliery spill.
After 200 years of industrial activity, The Works at Ebbw Vale, South Wales, has completed a dramatic stage in its £350million regeneration project by coming up with a formula to produce two different types of soil suitable for either grassland or woodland by mixing the existing industrial spoil on site with green compost.
To achieve this, The Works became the first scheme in Wales to take part in a trailblazing project promoted by Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) to use high quality compost to regenerate brownfield land with much of the compost coming from recycled green waste collected from households in the local region of Blaenau Gwent. The compost was mixed with the basic steel slag and colliery spill, which had been screened to remove large objects, to create the two different types of soil.
A total of 65,000 cubic metres which equates to nearly 100,000 tonnes of soils have been manufactured at Ebbw Vale and used to create 11 hectares of urban greenspace. With much of the compost coming from green waste collected from local households, it has provided a significantly cheaper and sustainable alternative to importing topsoil to The Works site.
Richard Crook, Project Director of The Works, told Eco:
"After 200 years of industrial activity on the former Ebbw Vale steelworks natural soil cover had been lost, the entire site was a wasteland, devoid of vegetation and covered in ones of slag and colliery spoil where little could grow. “Experimental work was undertaken in a 12 month lead up to the scheme to identify suitable organic and mineral materials that could impart the necessary physical and chemical properties on the industrial spoil to produce a range of manufactured soils which could be regarded as ‘fit for purpose’. Investigations confirmed that green waste compost was useful in improving the cohesion of the basic steel slag and colliery spoil. This proved essential in ensuring the stability of the manufactured soils and preventing their mass movement on steep slopes together with reducing the threat of erosion. “Key to the success of the soil strategy on Ebbw Vale has been the recognition that the manufactured soils needed to first and foremost fulfil an engineering or ‘structural’ function, and secondly, that this must be achieved without compromising their ability to support the proposed vegetation communities contained within the scheme. We’re delighted that we’ve achieved both.”
The Works has been described as an exemplar of sustainable regeneration. Virtually everything on the site has been recycled – ranging from the steel in the reinforced concrete to the concrete itself which has been crushed to be reused on site. Green methods were also used to bio remediate contaminated material on site which has been impacted with oil or hydrocarbon. Approximately 100,000 cubic metres of material was remediated which was reused on site structural fill. Jocelyn Davies AM, Deputy Minister for Housing and Regeneration said:
“The Works is one of the most ambitious regeneration projects ever seen in Wales and a leading example of sustainable development in practice. Virtually everything on the site has been recycled – from the steel in the reinforced concrete to the concrete itself which was crushed to be reused on site. We want to make The Works at Ebbw Vale a future carbon neutral site, so to find out we are well on our way to this by recycling everything on site is great news."
Another innovative way that parts of the site is being landscaped is through the transformation of the former steelworks basements. One of the basements originally used for cleaning the steel roll is being redeveloped into a garden. The Vertical Garden was the winning entry of a UK wide competition to design a garden feature within the basement. The basement, which is 4m deep and up to 18.5m wide, is one of nine, and the intention is to find novel and sustainable new uses for the other eight basements which will form an area at The Works known as Basement Park. The vertical garden will be unveiled at the National Eisteddfod 2010 which is being held on The Works site later this summer.
The Works is set to play a key role in the regeneration of Ebbw Vale and the wider region, bringing a range of benefits, new facilities and job opportunities for local communities. The developments on site will include a Hospital, Learning Zone (post 16 education facility), Leisure Centre, Theatre and up to 720 new Homes. Several developments have begun on site and are ongoing. The Works Ebbw Vale is a partnership between the Welsh Assembly Government and Blaenau Gwent Council.
A Drop in the Ocean
Gordon Brown to co-chair climate change funding panel
16th February 2010
A new initiative has been announced to advise on Climate Change, amid the ongoing controversy over the scientific rigour of some global warming data. Commenting on the formation of a United Nations High Level Advisory Group on
Climate Change Financing, which British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will co-
chair with Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, Asad Rehman, Senior
International Climate Campaigner at Friends of the Earth, told Eco:
"$10 billion a year might sound like a wave of new money for poor countries to
tackle climate change, but in reality it's a drop in the ocean compared to what
is required."What's worse is that most of this money from rich countries will be plundered
from existing aid budgets - what is really needed is new public money to ensure
developing countries can grow cleanly and adapt to the impacts of climate change
which are already putting the livelihoods, homes and families of their people at
risk.
"Gordon Brown has a chance for genuine leadership this year in pushing the
international community to adopt a tax on financial transactions, which would
provide billions of dollars of new money to governments to tackle climate change
head on - now is the time for him to grasp it."
Friends of the Earth is calling for rich countries to increase their level of
ambition to cut their emissions by at least 40 per cent by 2020, without carbon
offsetting. This is the minimum the science says is required.
The green campaigning charity is also calling on rich countries to reaffirm
their commitment to the Kyoto Protocol, under which rich countries accept their
responsibility for causing climate change and agree to cut their emissions first
and fastest.
Friends of the Earth is also calling on the world's rich countries to recommit
to the UN negotiating process, enshrining the principles of democracy and
inclusion, rather than pursuing action through alternative forums such as the
G20 or the Major Economies Forum.
Power Crazy
13th February 2010
New research by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has found that while the love affair between men in the UK and their gadgets remains strong their recycling habits are certainly lacking the same passion. Despite the average UK male owning 12 battery operated gadgets, almost two thirds (63%) of male gadget users throw their used batteries away with 97% of these destined for landfill.
A significant 43% of men replace batteries in their gadgets (including MP3-players, mobile phones, electric razors and remote controls) more than once a month, with most of these old batteries being tossed in the bin. Since February 2010, shops selling more than 32kg of batteries a year (the equivalent of one four-pack of AAs per day) will be offering free battery recycling facilities - making it easier for gadget users, and consumers generally, to recycle old batteries.
This new government scheme aims to significantly increase the number of batteries recycled in the UK, up from the current rate of only 3-5%, to 25% by 2012, and at least 45% by 2016.
Members of the younger generation are currently the UK’s best battery recyclers with 30% of 16-18 year olds already recycling their old batteries. Their older counterparts, the 36-40 year old age group, fail to set any sort of good example – with the most gadgets (an average of 14) 78% of them are throwing their old batteries away instead of recycling them.
Gadget lovers in London are revealed as the worst recyclers with 74% of them throwing used batteries away whilst the Welsh, despite owning the least number of gadgets (9), are the best recyclers in the UK with 43% of males recycling their old batteries.
Environment Minister, Huw Irranca-Davies told Eco:
“We all use gadgets each and every day, this new legislation will make it very easy for us all to do the right thing and recycle our batteries. The next time you are on your way to the shops, take your used batteries with you and put them in the recycling unit. If not recycled they can cause harm to the environment.”
Today's TV Listings
CONTENTS - INSIDE ECO
The Green Network
Comment Section Features: Good to be back - Comment - Page 1
Measure your ecological footprint - Comment - Page 1
The failure of democracy Comment - page 2
When less means more - Comment -page 3
Copenhagen Climate Change Conference editorial- Comment - page 4
Things they said - words of wisdom - Comment page 5
Time for a low Carb diet - Comment - page 6
Chew Magna - Britain's Greenest Village?- Comment - page 7
Time Management for Downshifters - Sally Lever- Comment - page 7
A Fresh Start for The Green Party -Comment page 8
Science Section Features
12 ways to reduce your carbon footprint -
A car that runs on air- Science - page 1
What is the Gaia Hypothesis? - Science page 2
What is a meme, and how can it save the world? - Science - page 3
The science of global warming and the greenhouse effect - Science - page 4
Beavers back in Britain - Science page 5
Record heat raises climate fears/Web 2.0 - Science section 6
Smart direction for green ideas - Science page 7
Renewable energy - Science page 8
Business Section Features
The New Man - Business page 1
Cut your fuel bill and save the planet - Business page 2
Ethical matters - A Guide to Green Investment - Business page 3
Oil and trouble - Business page 4
Green mobile phone company launched; Body Shop news - Business page 5
M&S leads the way; The Bankruptcy Boom- Business page 6
Do your food shopping and bank online- Business page 6
New Year, New Job - Business page 7
Job Vacancies - Business page 7
Green turns gold - Business - page 8
Society Section Features
Health - Society page 1
Transport - Society page 2
Education - Society page 3
Sustainable development - Society page 4
Housing and regeneration - Society page 5
Parents - Society page 6
Young people - Society page 7
Campaign news & Life Coaching- Society page 8
Recreation Features
Places to Visit - Recreation page 1
Events - Recreation page 2
Gardening - Recreation page 3
"How green are you?" quiz. Recreation page 3
Food, Gardening, and Hot Websites -Recreation page 3
Green Shopping Guide - Recreation page 4
Book Reviews - Recreation page 5
Film Reviews - Recreation page 6
Music - Recreation page 7
General Entertainment - Recreation page 8
Talk Features
Your feedback about Eco - Talk page 1
Talking point: Nuclear Power - Talk page 2
Letters archive- Talk page 3
Current Letters Talk page 4
Get it right! - More feedback - Talk page 5
A Day in the Life of a Sea Shepherd Volunteer - Talk page 6
News from the Blogosphere - Talk page 7
In the papers -Talk page 8