eco - Caring for our World

The investigation into why 26 dolphins died in Cornwall is focusing on the role of the Royal Navy. Initially the Navy denied involvement in any activity that might have frightened the dolphins, however Eco has uncovered evidence that sonar was being used as part of an exercise involving the nuclear-powered submarine Torbay and a number of surface warships.

Officials at the Ministry of Defence have now admitted that the controversial sonar "dipper" device, designed to hunt submarines, had been used by a Merlin helicopter on training exercise. Conservation groups want a full investigation. Marine wildlife and underwater acoustics experts said loud pulses from the sonar may have scared or confused the common dolphins into Falmouth Bay, where they became disorientated.

An MoD spokesman initially said: "A survey vessel was conducting trials using a high definition, short-range side scan sonar for sea bed mapping trials approximately 12 nautical miles off the coast of Falmouth at the time of the incident. It is considered extremely unlikely that this operation could have affected the mammals in any way."

Officials also denied reports that the Navy was carrying out gunnery practice at the time of Monday's mass beaching in the Falmouth Bay area. Several residents reported hearing loud explosions

What is know for certain is that the dolphins beached in the shallow Fal and Percuil rivers 60 miles away near Falmouth, in the mass stranding which was the biggest in Britain for 30 years. There are no signs that the dolphins were ill. British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) said many of the dolphins had no fish in their stomach, which adds weight to the theory that they were panicked by an underwater disturbance.

Of the various theories about what caused the stranding, sonar use is emerging as the most likely culprit. US Navy research has blamed sonar use for whale strandings. Professor Rodney Coates, an expert on underwater acoustics who has investigated the effect of sonar on whales and dolphins, said middle-range sonars were powerful enough to damage an animal's hearing if it was close enough:

"They can also have a behavioural impact that can lead them to swim into the shallower water."

Sarah Dolman, science officer at the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, comments:

"The Royal Navy activity in the days leading up to the strandings involved intense noise sources and this makes it a credible suspect."

However another scientist has compared the deaths of 26 dolphins in Cornwall to a "mass suicide" - a natural phenomenon found in the species. Veterinary wildlife pathologist Vic Simpson, who has examined the bodies, says the animals died after they inhaled debris and mud that clogged their insides. He said the scenes looked like "some sort of mass suicide".

The largest known cases of dolphin suicide was in September and October last year when 152 striped dolphins washed up on the coast of southern Iran. Locals who battled to save them by taking them back out to sea were distraught when the dolphins refused and persistently re-beached themselves to die.

Greens Back Truckers

Green Party principal speaker Caroline Lucas MEP has pledged the party's support for the pay claim of the Shell contract drivers, who have voted to strike from 0600 Friday until 0600 Tuesday. She also reiterated the Greens' policy to levy a windfall tax on oil profits to pay for investment to lower fuel bills.

"The drivers have our unreserved support in their pay claim. As the demand for oil outstrips supply, Shell profits have soared to £14billion a year - they can afford to pay fair wages. Instead, they choose to squeeze workers for everything they can get.

"It's about time oil corporations were held to account. They are the winners from the fuel crisis. As pensioners struggle to keep warm, workers have their wages driven down and people worldwide fall victim to deadly floods, storms and droughts, the oil bosses pat each other on the back and award themselves another bonus.

"Shell should stump up, pay their hauliers properly right now, and end this strike. Then they should expect a windfall tax on their enormous profits, gained at the expense of ordinary people. We need warm homes, proper public transport and efficient freight transfer, and the oil profiteers should be paying for it."

Brazil Acts on Amazon

New protected areas in the Brazilian Amazon

The Brazilian government has announced the creation of three new protected areas in the Amazon. The move was welcomed by environmental groups, comeing just a month after the creation of four other protected areas in the Brazilian Amazon. Together, these seven protected areas will protect 5.8 million hectares of Amazonian forests.
Two of the three newest protected areas are supported by the Amazon Region Protected Areas Programme (ARPA) in Brazil. ARPA, the world's largest tropical forest conservation programme, was launched in 2003. Brazil's new Environment Minister, Carlos Minc announced the second stage of ARPA at the ninth Conference of the Parties (COP9) of the Convention on Biological Diversity, in Bonn on 29 May.
During ARPA's first phase (2003 to 2008), 22.5 million hectares of the Amazon were put under protection, with the support of the programme. Stage two includes raising the total goal for areas protected and supported by ARPA from 50 million to 60 million hectares - equivalent to the size of Spain and Portugal - by 2013.
"ARPA has been a major conservation success story and remains core to WWF's overall strategy and vision for the Amazon," said WWF International's director general, James Leape.
Protected areas have an important role to play in both reducing greenhouse gas emissions and conserving biodiversity. It is estimated that deforestation and degradation are responsible for up to 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions. This has led to increasing recognition that measures to reward countries who reduce emissions created by deforestation could play an important part in tackling climate change.
A recent study by the WWF-Brazil found that the 31 million hectares of the Amazon currently protected under ARPA has the potential to reduce total carbon emissions from deforestation and forest degradation by 1.1 billion tons by 2050.
The report by WWF-Brazil, Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM) and Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and supported by Woods Hole Research Centre in Massachusetts, US, quantified the amount of carbon stored in all the ARPA protected areas and compared the estimated deforestation in the region if the areas were not in the programme. The result shows ARPA is responsible for storing 4.6 billion tons of carbon, which represents one-tenth of the carbon stored in the remaining forests of the Brazilian Amazon. This is nearly 20 times the annual CO2 emissions of Germany.
"The Amazon plays a key role in regulating global climate and ARPA is a strong instrument for reducing carbon emissions from deforestation," said Denise Hamu, WWF-Brazil's chief executive officer.
"The report shows it is possible to clearly quantify the benefits of protected areas in reducing deforestation in Brazil, and how important it is to continue and fully implement ARPA," she added.
ARPA is coordinated by Brazil's Ministry of the Environment and implemented by ICMBio (Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation) in partnership with seven state governments from the Amazon region. It is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the World Bank, the German Development Bank (KfW) and WWF, and is administered by the Fundo Brasileiro para Biodiversidade (FUNBIO) (Brazilian Fund for Biodiversity). The German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), one of the German Government's aid agencies, and WWF-Brazil provide technical support to ARPA.

Nuclear Shambles

"Nuclear waste is a financial and geological nightmare. These proposals do not provide a plausible solution for our existing legacy waste, let alone the waste from new reactors, which will be at least three times more radioactive.

"This White Paper is not about finding a solution for nuclear waste. It's about bribing a community with £1bn of taxpayers' money to bury waste in their back garden. But there's no guarantee a willing community will come forward or that they'll be able to find a geologically suitable site anywhere in this country.

"The government cannot press on with its plans for new nuclear power when its strategy for dealing with radioactive waste is such a shambles."

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, the body in charge of dealing with the UK's radioactive waste, admitted recently that the costs of cleaning up existing nuclear waste, estimated to already be £73bn, were likely to spiral by billions. When pressed on how much it might increase an NDA spokesman claimed "I'm sure it'll be some billions, I really don't know." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7421879.stm

In May, the UK's "world class" reactor at Sizewell B shut down unexpectedly, causing massive black outs across the UK. (http://uk.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/...)

At the same time, British Energy, the UK's biggest nuclear operator, announced that its annual profits had slumped by a third. BE blamed falling electricity prices and unplanned reactor shutdowns. (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?...)

This week British Energy turned down a £10bn takeover bid from EdF, saying that its bid "does not represent value for shareholders." BE added that talks were ongoing, but that "there can be no certainty that any of the discussions will lead to an offer being made for the company". (http://www.british-energy.com/article.php?article=243)

The French Nuclear Safety Authority has now ordered all construction work to stop on the site of the supposedly state-of-the-art European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) in Flamanville, Normandy, because of on-going safety problems. The EPR is the reactor design that the Government is keen to see built here in the UK. (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c2873968-2c4f-11dd-9861...l)

A new report in the USA suggests that construction costs for new nuclear reactors have more than doubled since 2000, meaning that nuclear is becoming more expensive more quickly than any other form of energy (http://online.wsj.com/article/...). Elsewhere, Florida Light and Power have estimated the cost of building 1 new reactor would be a staggering $12bn. (http://a4nr.org/library/economics/may.june-energybiz)

In a bold move, Germany has pledged 500 million euros ($786.2 million) by 2012 to help protect the world's forests, a move activists said could give impetus to U.N. talks on preserving the earth's biodiversity.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel told delegates Europe's biggest economy would spend an additional 500 million euros on a network of protected forest areas until 2012. After that, Germany would boost spending to 500 million euros per year from an annual 200 million now.

It is estimated that 20 percent of the world's greenhouse gases come from the destruction of forests, and paying farmers in developing countries to keep them, is seen as a way of slowing down climate change.

Merkel, who won praise from environmentalists last year for her part in pushing through EU and G8 deals to fight climate change, made the commitment at a U.N. conference as it entered its decisive phase.

"We need a turning point on the issue of biodiversity," Merkel told delegates from 191 states participating in the 12-day conference which ends on Friday.

"We're ready to take responsibility," said Merkel. "We're ready to do everything we can to safeguard the riches of our earth and the foundation of life for mankind," she said, adding some 150 animal and plant varieties die out every day.

Human activity, including greenhouse gas emissions, are largely to blame, say the experts, who also warn of the economic costs of the loss of biodiversity.

Politicians have started to take biodiversity more seriously because of a surge in food prices which has been linked to booming demand in fast-growing economies, including China, and the growing use of crops to provide fuel.

U.N. studies say the planet is facing the most serious spate of extinctions since dinosaurs died out 65 million years ago, and experts meeting in Bonn are trying to agree on ways to slow down the rate at which plants and animals are dying out. Experts say crops will suffer if wild stocks die out. The German pledge of substantial new funds shows what can be done if the world's richest nations find the will to act.

Is Brown Yellow?

The current turmoil over the price of oil is threatening to undermine the Government's already tarnished environmental credentials. At a time when scientists are warning of dangerously high levels of greenhouse gases, Gordon Brown today called for increased oil production to bring down the price of fuel.

The PM and Chancellor Alistair Darling are in Scotland meeting oil bosses. As the talks began, Business Secretary John Hutton announced the go-ahead for oil production to start in two new fields, West Don and Don South West - although oil experts said this would have no impact on prices. After the meeting in Banchory, near Aberdeen, Mr Brown said: "We want to do more to increase production in the North Sea and we have made proposals today that I believe will incentivise, not only existing fields, but new fields, to come on stream."

There are signs that the Government is planning to scrap the proposed 2 pence per litre fuel duty increase already delayed until October, and rethink its plans to tax the most polluting vehicles.

Charlie Kronick, senior climate adviser at Greenpeace, said: "When they are willing to spend millions of pounds shoring up their vote in a by-election they can do this as well. How serious can they be about using the tax system to try to affect environmental outcomes when, if they are under political pressure, it is the first thing that goes?"

Meanwhile the Government was accused of hypocrisy today after a Cabinet minister called for heavy investment in renewable power and energy efficiency while existing government policies on renewable energy, fuel poverty and energy efficiency are either insufficient or are aimed at derailing progress in this area.

"John Hutton is right - we must end our addiction to oil. A huge programme of action is needed to stop energy waste and dramatically boost our use of green power.

"But Government action to date has been woeful. Ministers have rejected calls to help households and businesses generate their own renewable power, cut energy efficiency grants for the poorest households and even tried to undermine the EU renewable energy target.

"If we can become a genuine world leader in developing a low-carbon economy, the economic and employment benefits could be huge. This mustn't be just another green speech. We need less hot air and more action."

Friends of the Earth has criticised a number of Government policies on climate change, including:

The Government's resolve to pursue a green agenda is being put to the test today, as hundreds of truck drivers have assembled on the M4 motorway and in central London, protesting about the cost of fuel. Protesters are demanding an "essential user" duty rebate for HGV drivers, now that diesel costs in excess of 120p per litre.

The road protest comes as Chancellor Alistair Darling prepares to meet Labour MPs concerned about plans to increase road tax on older, more polluting vehicles. Forty-two MPs have signed a Commons motion asking the government to reconsider.

Environment minister Joan Ruddock is trying to hold the line, telling Eco that the government "could not lose sight of the environment agenda".

However Business Secretary John Hutton has said that the chancellor was "listening to what people are saying about vehicle excise duty. We are trying to get this balance right between encouraging choices to go green but not hammering people," he said.

His comments came ahead of his speech about alternative power sources at the British Atlantic Survey meeting in Cambridge later on Tuesday.

It is looking increasingly likely that the government will abandon plans for the 2p a litre increase in fuel duty, already delayed until October, and also modify its plans to backdate the increase in road tax for the most polluting vehicles. Owners of large cars are protesting that they had no way of knowing of the increase when they bought their vehicles, and that the increase should only apply to newly purchased cars.

Elsewhere in Europe, the French president today suggested that the EU should consider capping value added tax on fuel to help countries deal with surging oil prices. Nicolas Sarkozy warned there was no sign the oil price would dip and urged EU member states to consider his idea. Fishermen across France are continuing to blockade ports and fuel depots in protest at rising diesel costs. Depleted fish stocks mean trawlers have to use more fuel to sail further out to sea, and strict EU fishing quotas mean the fishermen are limited in the amount they can catch and sell for profit.

Fishermen in Portugal and Belgium are also reported to be planning protests and Italy's Federation of Fishing Co-operatives is due to meet on Wednesday to discuss possible strike action.

Responding to concerns about recent hikes in oil prices, Mike Childs, Friends of the Earth's Head of Campaigns, said:

"Rising oil prices and the impending threat from global climate change mean the Government must take urgent action to ensure our addiction to oil doesn't set us on the road to ruin. Despite fuel price rises, the overall cost of motoring has actually fallen in real terms while the cost of public transport has risen - this trend must be reversed. Government must fast track investment in public transport and backing for smarter cars that use less petrol so our society is not held to ransom by our reliance on a dwindling and insecure natural resource."

Green Party Principal Speaker Caroline Lucas MEP today urged the Government to reward responsible motorists by abolishing the Road Tax, and shift the responsibility onto gas-guzzlers through the fuel duty:

"Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling clearly don't understand the uses and mechanisms of green taxation. Charging the most polluting vehicles with a flat tax will do nothing but enrage motorists and discredit the aim of green taxes, which is to change behaviour by actively rewarding more environmentally friendly behaviour. The flat road tax on vehicle ownership takes no account of road usage, and provides no incentive or reward for making less polluting travel choices.

"A far fairer alternative would be to scrap it altogether and move the responsibility solely onto fuel tax, so that those who choose to drive cars with large engines and are heavy road users will pay considerably more than those who choose to drive smaller, more energy efficient cars and use public transport more often.

"The total cost of motoring fell by 4 per cent since 2005, yet the road lobby has consistently argued for more road building, more traffic, more pollution. They have attempted to block every effort to reduce our dependency on petrol. Now the price has inevitably risen, and they want the rest of us to pay for it through our taxes, or in cuts to services. The answer would be to remove the argument about road tax increases in one swipe, and introduce a scheme that rewards those who use less fuel.

"Most car owners would like to take more public transport, but some lobbyists seem determined to make it as hard for them as possible. Does Alasdair Darling have the foresight to scrap the road tax altogether and introduce the fairer and more equitable fuel duty?"

Recreational boat owners urged to protect wildlife

A new WWF-backed DVD will help recreational boat owners to reduce the number of injuries and deaths of animals from boat collision.. "The vast majority of boat owners take to the water to enjoy the natural world, and would never wish to cause harm to its wildlife. Yet by being too eager to get a good view, this can be the end result," said Colin Speedie, director of Wildlife Safe (WiSe), the training and accreditation scheme for UK tour boat owners that organise trips to see marine wildlife.
"This film demonstrates simple and practical ways to avoid causing disturbance, while ensuring that boat owners can continue to enjoy their encounters with marine wildlife," he added.
The WiSe Way to Watch Wildlife informs leisure boat owners on the best ways to view creatures such as whales, dolphins, basking sharks, seals, and seabirds in their natural habitat.

Many of these species are now protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, so it is even more important that the basic standards promoted by the WiSe scheme are adhered to.
The 12-minute DVD, which has received support from WWF-UK and the Save Our Seas Foundation, is presented by WWF-UK ambassador, Ben Fogle. The DVD will be distributed around the UK by government agencies such as Natural England, and can also be bought from WiSe.
Increased eco-tourism could be adding to the pressures our marine species are already facing from fishing, pollution and climate change.
WWF-UK welcomed the publication in April this year of the Draft Marine Bill which, if enacted, should provide increased protection for the UK's marine environment. However, if the government is serious about safeguarding our seas, WWF-UK believes that a full Marine Bill must be introduced in November's Queen's Speech followed by legislation that covers the whole of the UK.
"I know from my travels around Britain, just what a fantastic array of wildlife we have around our shores. These species need our protection, and a Marine Act is vital to ensuring their continued presence in our seas," said Ben Fogle.
Copies of the DVD can be obtained by contacting the WiSe scheme at info@wisescheme.org

Sustainable homes:

not just DIY

1st April2008

The UK's poorly insulated, energy inefficient housing stock could be easily transformed into cheaper to run, low carbon homes by the end of the next decade.
But a new report by the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF-UK) shows that without a radical shift in Government policy the UK is set to miss out on the biggest opportunity to cut household energy bills, and reduce CO2 emissions.
The first ever modelling of the country's entire housing stock shows that solid wall insulation and low and zero carbon technologies such as ground source heat pumps and solar water heating are key to greening our homes and getting the UK on track to meet its emission reduction targets for 2020.
Simon McWhirter, One Planet Future Campaign Manager at WWF-UK, said: "Our homes are the low hanging fruit in terms of achieving the deep cuts we need in carbon emissions but the Government is currently investing inadequate resources in inappropriate places. Its short term vision as to what energy efficiency measures should be applied to our existing stock is leading to significant missed opportunities."
Current Government policy is heavily reliant upon homeowners installing measures it defines as 'cost-effective'. These include cavity wall, loft, and hot water cylinder insulation, draught proofing, efficient boilers, and heating controls. Uptake of these measures has been historically poor in the UK and Alistair Darling's 2008 Budget notably omitted to include any financial incentives which could encourage their wider take up by homeowners. WWF's How Low? report shows that even if all homes did install these measures, household CO2 emissions would be reduced by just 22%, failing to meet the Government's own 2020 climate change targets.

Installer insulating home © www.nationalinsulationassociation.org.uk
Colin Butfield, Head of Campaigns at WWF-UK said: "Given the urgency of the issue the Government needs to look beyond the short payback energy efficiency measures that feature in current policy and focus on a broader package of measures that will provide greater long term savings for homeowners. Channelling support and resources into low and zero carbon technology to facilitate their roll-out nationwide will not only enable the UK to surpass its 2020 emission reduction targets but will further set us on track to reduce CO2 emissions by the necessary 80 per cent by 2050."
Nationwide installation of low and zero carbon technologies will require a significant programme of training, investment, and policy support by the Government but this will more than pay back, both in terms of increased efficiency of the housing stock, and a greater skilled workforce. In tandem with these support policies, it is vital that homeowners are provided financial support to help them afford the installation of technologies such as solar heating and ground source heat pumps.
WWF-UK urges the Government to introduce a range of financial incentives that will motivate more homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. These could include low interest loans, council tax rebates or stamp duty relief tied to home energy efficiency refurbishments, and robust feed-in tariffs which reward homeowners who generate their own electricity from micro-renewables. Some of these schemes have already been successfully introduced elsewhere in Europe.
There should also be a revision of the obligations on energy suppliers to ensure they support the roll out of solid wall insulation and low and zero carbon technologies.
The How Low? report concludes that it is feasible for the UK to meet CO2 emission reduction targets of 80% in the domestic housing sector by 2050. To achieve this would require a rapid and extensive roll out of micro-renewables, the decarbonisation of electricity supply by roll-out of large-scale renewable energy projects and, potentially, application of carbon capture and storage technology. It would also require an improvement in the energy efficiency of appliances, and more carbon-conscious behaviour in the home. While this does mean considerable extra investment now, it is minimal compared to the cost of doing nothing.

Norfolk Broads:

could be gone in a year

Lady Young, chief executive of the Environment Agency, said that salt water could overwhelm the defences around the Norfolk Broads in a century or as little as one year's time.

"I think the Norfolk Broads will go. They will definitely salinate," she told Eco at a conference on climate change organised by the Agency. She continued:

"I don't want to be chief executive of the Agency when we have an East coast flood that kills 300 people," she said, adding that this was why the Agency spent so much on flood warnings such as the one that accompanied a tidal surge in the North Sea last November.

Lady Young warned that the one metre of sea level rise predicted by climate change scientists this century would put £130 billion worth of coastal property at risk.

This warning comes after research commissioned by Natural England showed that 25 square miles of Norfolk, including six villages, will be lost to the sea within a century.

At the same conference, Stephen Haddrill, director general of the Association of British Insurers warned that a million of the three million homes the Government wants to see built over the next 20 years were in flood plains.

"There needs to be a clear standard about how houses are built in the flood plain. If not, the insurance industry will have no obligation and no responsibility to insure them" .

Food Prices Soaring

Along with the cost of fuel, food is the latest commodity to suffer runaway price inflation. In recent days both India and Vietnam have imposed limits on the export of rice.

Vietnam, the world's second-biggest rice exporter, said it would cut exports by 22% this year, and is just following similar moves by India and Egypt.

Global rice prices have soared by 50% in the past two months raising supply concerns across Asia. While rice prices have risen primarily because of increasing demand from population growth, they have also been lifted by poor recent crops in Vietnam.

China is the world's biggest rice producer, but almost all of its crop is kept for the domestic market. With the world's largest population to feed, Beijing keeps rice prices subsidised. It said on Friday that it would now pay farmers more for both rice and wheat in an attempt to boost crop production and cool surging inflation.

The world’s first climate change festival

31st March 2008

The world’s first climate change festival will take place this summer, from 31st May to 8th June, in Birmingham. It will make a direct link between climate change and the design of buildings and streets around us. Because you can’t create sustainable cities without getting the design right.

The global environment crisis is, in large part, a planning and design crisis. That is why the 'Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment' (CABE) is organising the festival with Birmingham City Council. And this festival will explore how we plan, design and use our cities.

The festival will show how a successful response to climate change will transform the quality of life for people working and living in the city. Most commentators suggest that tackling global warming must involve a huge amount of self-denial: an end to all the things that we enjoy.

CABE takes a different view. Climate action is about reinvention - not self-denial. Reinvention and redesign of the way our cities work. Of course this will involve some trade-offs. But they are worth making because the rewards are so great – healthier, fairer, and more prosperous places.

So the climate change festival will help people to see their city through new eyes. It will prompt us to think about a low carbon city and dare to dream what it might be like. Your city could be transformed over the next ten years into a beautiful, competitive, world class environment.

The festival organisers promise something very different to other campaigns about sustainability. No guilt and no finger wagging. This will be collective, dramatic, sociable and fun. (A festival about climate change). Events throughout the week will range from community-based projects to a hothouse event for professionals working in the built environment sector, and a green day for schools. The festival will also include the launch on World Environment Day of Birmingham’s first ever climate change strategy and action plan.

And what does a sustainable city really feel like? Well, it’s got beautiful public spaces which make walking and cycling safe and obvious choices. Well designed homes, offices and libraries. More trees. Cleaner air. Suburbs well integrated with the city centre. And more independence - local networks, local services, local markets. A less stressful, more efficient place to live and work.

By contrast, the costs if we fail to tackle climate change are high – for any city. It means a noisier and more polluted environment. It means growing social inequity, with people on low incomes least able to afford flood insurance and the rising costs of energy. High carbon cities in the future will be less competitive in an age of personal carbon allowances. They will fail to capitalise on new sustainable business opportunities, and most firms will be reluctant to relocate there.

This is a fate which Birmingham will avoid. The city pioneered the carbon-based industrial revolution, and the city now intends to apply the same spirit and skill to becoming sustainable. During the festival, it will launch an ambitious plan to drastically reduce carbon emissions over the next 18 years. Good urban design is crucial to meeting that reduction - 60% by 2026.

The aim is to make the festival an annual event, involving at least eight cities in 2009, and going international in 2010.

Related links

New centre of expertise for cutting carbon emissions across Whitehall

A new centre of excellence is to be set up to help Whitehall departments achieve their targets for reducing carbon emissions and waste across the government estate.

Details of the Centre of Expertise for Sustainable Procurement (CESP) were unveiled as the Government published its response to the Sustainable Development Commission’s latest report on how the Government is meeting its own sustainable objectives for tackling climate change.

Today’s 6th annual Sustainable Development in Government (SDiG) report for 2006/07 by the independent watchdog and adviser on sustainability shows a small improvement in the Government’s overall performance against its key ‘eco’ commitments – including a four per cent fall in carbon emissions across the estate by the end of 2006/7. However, the Commission called on departments to urgently build on initiatives already taken to ensure targets can be met and to demonstrate that the Government is leading by example on sustainability.

The CESP will be set up within the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) alongside the Government’s Chief Sustainability Officer – a new post to be appointed to take forward a culture of change across all departments in sustainable operations and procurement.

Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O’Donnell, who took personal charge of work in this area last March, has made sustainability of the government estate one of his four priorities for the civil service. Sir Gus said:

“The Civil Service must be fully committed to sustainable working, reflecting the increasing priority placed on environmental responsibility by the public we serve. We must find new and innovative ways of raising the bar for sustainable working, planning and procurement.

“There is still a long way to go but the establishment of the Centre of Expertise for Sustainable Procurement marks the culmination of significant progress over the last twelve months. This central co-ordination and guidance will help all government departments work to deliver sustainable working practices for the future.”

"In the year that has elapsed since the period covered by this report, departments have been working to cut emissions, waste and water use and to increase recycling levels.

"The measures we're announcing today will help us to do better in the year ahead."

Nigel Smith, Chief Executive of OGC, also spoke about the way forward to ensure sustainable practice and procurement. He said:

“Government is taking the issue of sustainability very seriously, but we recognise that we need to do a lot more in order to meet the targets we have set ourselves. We can only do this if we build on the best practice that exists across Government, and if we have good and robust information, so that we know what’s happening, what impact our actions are having and where the gaps are. I’m therefore delighted that the new Centre for Expertise is to be established in OGC, and that all Departments are committed to supporting its work.

“OGC has a strong track record in achieving quantifiable results across Government, based on robust data, clear standard-setting, and close and collaborative working with Departments to achieve delivery. We believe we are now well-placed to lead real change.”

The Government accepts in principle all the recommendations made by the SDC, and among the steps that will now be taken are the following:

In its response to the report, the Government accepts the need for better and more accurate data against which the progress of departments can be measured. A major validation exercise to upgrade the quality of data provided to the SDC and the baselines used to assess performance has been undertaken in the past two months.

Green Light for Renewables

New rules to allow homeowners to install solar panels, ground source heat pumps and other microgeneration technologies to help cut carbon emissions have been given the green light by Planning Minister Caroline Flint.

From 6th April, all homeowners will be able to install microgeneration equipment, like solar panels, without needing to get planning permission, as long as there is clearly no impact on others.

Currently, the energy used to heat, light and run our homes accounts for 27 per cent of all of the UK's carbon emissions - around 40 million tonnes. Many householders want to install microgeneration technology, but are often put off by the time and cost involved in getting planning permission first.

The new regulations being laid in Parliament will help to add to 100,000 households that have cut both their fuel bills and carbon footprint by installing microgeneration equipment in their homes, without them having in future to go through the planning application process.

"We want to make it easier to help people reduce their carbon footprint. Technology like solar panels can make a real difference, but homeowners can be put off by the time and expense of getting planning permission. We think it is right that people have more freedom to make these changes providing it has no impact on others.

"These new rules, together with our world-leading timetable for all new homes to be zero carbon from 2016, are a key part of our commitment to tackle climate change by reducing emissions from housing."

The Government has made it clear that it will legislate further to allow free-standing and building-mounted wind turbines on detached properties, and air source heat pumps to be installed without needing planning permission, but has to await clearance from the European Commission. We expect to be able to do so later this year.

The Government has worked closely with industry to agree a micro-generation certification scheme that will ensure these technologies in particular are sufficiently quiet in their operation so as not to cause a nuisance for neighbours.

"The fight against climate change is not just about multi million pound renewable energy projects. Solar panels, biomass and heat pumps also have a vital role to play. Installing small-scale devices has just become a lot easier for homeowners. Microgeneration enables the concerned individual to become an active citizen in tackling global warming.

"Now planning permission has been relaxed, I believe this will encourage more people to install these devices. The Government's Low Carbon Buildings Programme even provides grants for homeowners towards the costs."

We are also exploring how we can extend to business the use of microgeneration in commercial and agricultural business. It is estimated 30-40 per cent of the UK's electricity could be met by installing microgeneration equipment to all types of building by 2050.

A recent report by UKGBC said that businesses should be set a long term timetable for achieving zero carbon. Commercial buildings currently account for 18 per cent of carbon emissions.

The Government is also reforming the planning system so more small scale household improvements no longer require planning permission. Almost 90,000 householders a year will be taken out of a system, which can cost them up to £1000, for minor home improvements like loft conversions.

Hunger Stalks the Earth

There are alarming signs that a combination of the growth in biofuels aimed at making America independent of OPEC oil, and a newly acquired meat-rich diet among the Chinese and Indian middle-class, is contributing to soaring grain prices. It takes 3.5kg of cereals to produce 450g of beef.

Wheat prices have doubled in the last year. The rapidly rising price of food is hitting the poor hardest, especially in areas that have moved away from subsistence farming, leading to food riots and rationing. "This is the new face of hunger," Josette Sheeran, executive director of the UN's World Food Programme told Eco. "There is food on the shelves, but people are priced out of the market."

As a result of the higher food prices, the United Nations is being forced to cut back on food aid to the poorest nations, and in some areas people are cutting back from two meals a day to one: it is claimed that this applies to 25 million people in India alone.

The remarkable thing is that this is happening at a time when global yields of crops have never been higher. Previous famines have been caused by crop failures, this time the food crisis is caused not by failing supply but demand. Just as oil prices are being driven higher by demand outstripping supply due to Peak Oil, the same is happening with food. This begs the question: if this is happening at a time of peak food production, what will happen when climate changes causes more crops to fail? Have we reached "Peak Food"?

The situation is worsened by the fact that a third of US corn is now used to produce biofuel, so that the cars of the wealthy are stealing food from the mouths of the poor. In other parts of the world like Indonesia, virgin rainforest is being cleared for biofuel crops, which far from being "green", are now part of the problem. Biofuels which briefly seemed like the magic bullet to counter climate change are now a major ethical issue.

Climate Camp 2008

Activists have announced that the Camp for Climate Action 2008 will be held from 4th-11th August at the site of Kingsnorth in Kent, where German energy company E.On is proposing to build the country's first new coal-fired power station in 30 years. The protest will begin with a one-day event at Heathrow, followed by a march across London to Kingsnorth, and a day of direct action there on 9th August.

Natasha Edleman, a spokeswoman for the camp said that the aim would be to highlight:

"government and corporate collusion to expand the fossil fuel economy when the scientific consensus demands the opposite". She continues:

"Building a new coal-fired power station in the middle of a climate crisis is madness. The science shows that we only have a few years left to avert catastrophic climate change. That is why this year's camp will be at Kingsnorth. If this gets built there are seven more power stations coming. This must be stopped."

Greenpeace spokesman Ben Stewart adds: "Kingsnorth is one of the international climate change frontlines, so if the camp can bring the same public and pressure to bear as they did at Heathrow last year, that will pose a significant problem to Gordon Brown and his plans to build a new generation of coal-fired power stations."

A decision on the Kingsnorth power station is expected to be reached by the business secretary, John Hutton, within six weeks.

Cracking Idea

4th March 2008

ECO Invention drive to make UK world beaters

Youngest inventors targeted to keep Britain in top league of green inventors

The UK is among the world's leading nations for eco-friendly inventions, it is revealed today.

The news comes as the UK Intellectual Property Office (UK-IPO) launches a competition to encourage Britain's youngest inventors to think green when coming up with new ideas.

Research by the UK Intellectual Property Office (UK-IPO), shows that Britain is in the top six for the number of energy saving inventions. The table is headed by Japan followed by China, America, Germany and Korea.

The UK-IPO is committed to encouraging green innovation and is using this as a focus for the launch of its flagship education project for primary school aged children.

The UK-IPO's Cracking Ideas 2008 is launched today at the Education Show being held at Birmingham's NEC.

Cracking Ideas

offers teachers resources and activities for the classroom through their website, the resources link to a nationwide competition to find the inventors of tomorrow. Children aged 9-11 will be encouraged to come up with a new invention - with the emphasis on something eco friendly.

The campaign is backed by Oscar® winners Wallace & Gromit and uses inspiration from their new film A Matter of Loaf and Death and features their own green inventions. Prizes for the winning schools include a special screening of the new film.

Minister for Intellectual Property Baroness Delyth Morgan said it was an important initiative to get children thinking about innovation at an early age.

"Cracking Ideas is fantastic for encouraging primary school aged children to innovate. It's great that this year we are getting children to think about green innovations.

The UK is proud of its innovating tradition and our work on energy saving devices. Cracking Ideas keeps us at the forefront of this vital field.

We are very fortunate that Wallace and Gromit

and Aardman Animations

have played a part in bringing this exciting project to life in our schools, and I would like to thank them for their support," she said.

Trevor Baylis, one of Britain's most famous inventors, has also recently launched the innovative Eco Media Player. The inventor of the Wind-up Radio has brought the idea to a modern media player which stores 500 songs and comes with a radio and torch. It plays music for 20 hours before it needs to be charged - and this is done by cranking a fold-up handle at the rear rather than plugging it in.

Whaling Battle Resumes

Anti-whaling activists from the hardline environmental group Sea Shepherd have again clashed with the Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean on Monday, leading to a diplomatic protest from Japan and a rebuke from the Australian government which is monitoring the hunt. In the last incident, members of the Sea Shepherd crew threw containers of foul-smelling substances at the Japanese factory ship the Nisshin Maru, and in return were hosed by the whalers.

Sea Shepherd's leader Paul Watson told Eco that the protest was "non-violent chemical warfare," saying the substances thrown at the Japanese ship were harmless, foul-smelling and slippery substances, designed to make it difficult to process whales.

"I guess we can call this non-violent chemical warfare," Watson said in a statement from the Sea Shepherd. "We only use organic, non-toxic materials designed to harass and obstruct illegal whaling operations."

Japan plans to kill nearly 1,000 whales during the year's Antarctic summer. It considers whaling to be a cultural tradition, abandoned commercial whaling after agreeing to an international moratorium in 1986, but began what it calls a scientific research whaling program the following year.

"Whaling tends to be an emotional issue, but we need to discuss it calmly, from a scientific standpoint," commented Japan's senior vice foreign minister, Itsunori Onodera.

Greens Attack Poverty Pay

Siân Berry has launched the new Fair Pay Network coalition, of which she is a Patron, at the House of Commons. The Green Mayor of London candidate addressed the coalition of organisations including the NUS, Unite, UNISON, the Fawcett Society, and Oxfam on the subject of low pay and gender.

"We are a wealthy country, and yet hundreds of thousands of people still work for poverty wages. This is not good enough: an economy can't call itself successful until it provides a fair day's pay for a fair day's work. Everyone deserves a decent standard of living in return for their labour.

"Bit by bit, the fair pay movement is making progress, particularly here in London, and now with the Fair Pay Network we can spread this work across the country and join up our campaigns, giving us a real chance of abolishing poverty pay throughout Britain.

"Green London Assembly members have set up the Living Wage Unit, and won a pay rise for cleaners in the Fire Brigade. I've campaigned alongside London Citizens to force Citigroup into pay rises for cleaners at Canary Wharf, and we continue to put pressure on the Tate Modern gallery to pay a living wage to all its employees.

"As Green Mayor of London candidate, I've pledged to pay the London Living Wage to all employees under the Mayor, from telephonists at City Hall to cleaners in police stations. I'll name and shame other employers - government or private sector - who won't follow suit, and recognise those that will. And I'll carry out gender pay audits to eliminate pay discrimination in London's public services.

"I've joined this campaign to demand decent wages for all workers, but we have to recognise that it is women workers who are furthest from that modest goal. Low pay is most endemic amongst part-time, agency and temporary workers - the workforces that are majority female. As a result, women in Britain are 14% more likely to be in poverty than men. Close this gender gap, and we're well on the way to a fair deal for all workers."

Ms. Berry explained the Greens' role in winning a pay rise for cleaners in the London Fire Brigade, to the London Living Wage of £7.20 per hour, in a piece that was controversially cut by Channel 4 from her Political Slot film, shown last week. To see the full, uncut version of the film, click here

She will be joined at the launch of the Fair Pay network by fellow Patrons John Cruddas MP and Polly Toynbee; FPN chair Karen Buck MP, FPN treasurer Kate Green of the Child Poverty Action Group, and Karen Pleva of Barclays, which has become a Living Wage Employer.

Nut Power

The first commercial airline flight powered by biofuel took place on Sunday. A Virgin Atlantic jumbo jet flew from London to Amsterdam with one of its fuel tanks filled with a bio-jet blend including babassu oil and coconut oil. A Virgin Atlantic statement said the biofuel mix provided 25 percent of the fuel for the test flight and that nuts picked from Amazon rainforests were included in the biofuel mixture: babassu oil and coconut oil .

Virgin founder Richard Branson said tests had shown it was possible to fly with a 40 percent blend.

"Today marks a vital breakthrough for the whole airline industry," Branson told reporters in a hangar at Heathrow airport prior to the flight's departure.

He said it was unlikely the nut of the wild growing babassu palm would play a key role as airlines turn to renewable fuel sources to cut the industry's greenhouse gas emissions.

"We did not want to use biofuels such as corn oil which were competing with staple food sources," he said, adding he believed algae produced in places like sewage treatment farms were the most likely future source of renewable fuel for the airline industry.

Branson, whose Virgin Group business spans an airline, a rail service, drinks, hotels and leisure, has committed to spending all the profits from his airline and rail business to combat global warming by cutting carbon emissions.

Last year, Virgin started to power some of its trains using a fuel containing 20 percent biodiesel produced mainly using British rapeseed oil blended with U.S. soybean oil and palm oil from the Far East.

Environmental lobby group Friends of the Earth said biofuels were a distraction in the fight to cut carbon dioxide emissions, and that related carbon savings would be negated by increased airline travel:

"There is mounting evidence the carbon savings from these crop-based fuels will be small at best."

"Even if every plane leaving the UK was able to run on biofuels from tomorrow, any carbon savings would be wiped out in less than 10 years by the rapid growth of the aviation industry."

There is some scepticism that Branson's motivation in using biofuel is in part to maintain profits at a time when the price of oil has soared to around $100 a barrel. It is also doubtful that there is any environmental benefit in using biofuels derived from crops that have been flown around the world.

Labour Hypocrits

An investigation by "The Daily Mail" has found that in spite of the Government's claims to be going green, Ministers are still secretly travelling in gas-guzzling limousines.

Among the prominent politicians using the secret luxury car service is the Speaker Michael Martin and his wife Mary, who travel regularly in top-of-the-range Mercedes and Jaguars. Mr. Martin is currently under investigation over using Air Miles accumulated during Government business for his own family's use, in clear breach of the rules. Mr. Martin's wife has recently been caught claiming expenses for taxis used for private shopping trips.

While the Government's official fleet of cars now includes some low emission vehicles, officials have been secretly using private hire firms that use high emission vehicles that do not appear on the Government's records.

Heathrow Consultation a Sham

Green Euro-MP denounces 'sham' Heathrow consultation & Government's 'grossly irresponsible' commitment to aviation expansion

21st February 2008

The Government's continuing support for an expansion of Heathrow airport demonstrates a complete contempt for the environment, the health of UK citizens and for our democratic processes, Green MEP Caroline Lucas said today.

Her comments came as national air traffic control company Nats announced that a shake up of Britain's airspace would lead to thousands more flights taking off from London's busiest airports each year - and a significant increase in CO2 emissions.

"This Government's continued commitment to a massive programme of expansion within the aviation sector is grossly irresponsible. And this latest admission from Nats just proves that the public is expected to passively accept more planes in our skies and surging pollution levels for years to come.

On Heathrow, she said: "The process of consultation on the proposed third runway at Heathrow has been a sham, with no genuine opportunity for people to voice their opposition. The Government is clearly committed to its agenda of expansion at all costs."

Dr Lucas will address a large-scale rally at Westminster on Monday 25 February, and is set to slam the Transport Secretary's proposals for Heathrow for condemning the UK to an unsustainable future of significantly higher noise and air pollution - and to accelerating climate change.

She said: "Any government which, on the one hand pledges to make a significant reduction in greenhouse gases by 2020, and in the next breath gives the green light to the greatest expansion of aviation in a generation is guilty of either the most shameless hypocrisy, or the most unforgivable ignorance and stupidity.

"A third runway at Heathrow would have disastrous consequences for residents in my South East constituency - leading to serious environmental damage and social upheaval through increased pollution, and the destruction of local communities.

Dr Lucas continued: "Despite the promises which were made to limit further expansion, this Government has persisted in a deceptive campaign for a third runway which its own figures estimate will almost double the number of flights using Heathrow each year.

"Whichever way you look at the Government's proposals on aviation, they are a social and environmental nightmare. What we need is a sustainable transport policy which incentivises train travel and restricts airport capacity.

"It is crucial for the campaign against expansion that those concerned about the Government's irresponsible actions respond vocally to the consultation as it comes to an end, and attend the public rally next week to send a clear message to the Government that we will not tolerate a third runway."

Caroline Lucas will join fellow campaigner and chair of Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise (HACAN) John Stewart, as well as a number of other high profile speakers at the large rally in Central Hall, Westminster on Monday 25 February.

2050 Target Announced

A review of the target to reduce the UK’s CO2 emissions by at least 60 per cent by 2050 will become a statutory duty under the Climate Change Bill, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said on Monday.

Mr Benn announced the decision alongside other amendments to strengthen the Bill as it moves towards completing its passage through the House of Lords.

The Government has committed to ask the independent Committee on Climate Change, headed by Adair Turner, to consider whether the 2050 target should be tightened up to 80 per cent, as the Committee considers its advice on the first three five-year carbon budgets.

“The Climate Change Bill is groundbreaking legislation, and will provide the foundations for building a low carbon Britain. We need it to be as strong as possible.

“The scientific evidence has moved rapidly, and as part of a new global climate deal, developed countries may have to cut their emissions by as much as 80 per cent by 2050. That’s why we announced a review of the UK target last year.

“This review will now be a statutory duty, and I’ve asked the Committee to provide their advice on both the 2050 target and on the first three carbon budgets by 1 December this year.

“The Committee will have the independence and the expertise that we need to provide us with the best possible advice, and its review will give us a firm, credible basis for making a decision on whether the target should be changed.”

Other amendments tabled today include measures to strengthen compliance with the target, increase accountability and transparency and expand the remit of the Committee on Climate Change.

The Government proposes to strengthen compliance with the 2050 target by requiring the Secretary of State to bring forward proposals and policies that will enable the carbon budgets to be met, and to consider the duty to meet the 2050 target in developing those policies and measures.

To provide greater transparency, when publishing the report on policies and proposals to meet budgets, a new requirement will see the Government setting out an annual indicative range for the carbon account over the five-year budget. The indicative annual range, combined with greater clarity about the timescales for policies to take effect, will ensure that the Government can be held to account for progress during each year of the budget period.

The role of the Committee on Climate Change will be strengthened to ensure that the Government has access to the best possible information in making decisions under the Bill. In particular, the Government will be required to seek and take account of advice from the Committee in an expanded number of situations, including before deciding whether to incorporate international aviation or international shipping emissions in the UK’s targets and budgets.

The Case Against

Heathrow Expansion

As the consultation period draws to a close, London Mayor Ken Livingstone is keeping up the pressure on the government to abandon plans to build a third runway at Heathrow airport. During a visit to Sipson, one of three villages threatened by the bulldozers if the plans go ahead, he said:

"It is vital that all airport expansion in London and the South East, including Heathrow, is halted now as it is completely contrary to the growing evidence on the role of aviation in contributing towards catastrophic climate change.

"Rather than more runways and plane journeys, we must cut carbon emissions by using energy more efficiently. The government's own figures show air travel produces two to three times more carbon emissions than making the same trip by rail.

"Expansion would also have a huge impact on road congestion and pollution with more plane journeys leading to more traffic congestion and pollution from cars. Furthermore many communities in London will suffer with more noise and air pollution, affecting the health, well-being and quality of life for millions of Londoners.

"The expansion of Heathrow will take much needed green space and mean the complete destruction of Sipson village, home to over 1,000 people.

"So on every test; environment, economic and quality of life, the argument for expanding Heathrow has not been made and I don't believe it ever can. We have a duty to protect our environment not just for us, but the generations who will come after us."

Two Wheels Good

Not content to wait for action by the government that never seems to materialise, Mayor of London Ken Livingstone is pressing ahead with plans that will make the capital a much better place for cyclists, while at the same time cracking down on the drivers of 4x4 cars. In a £500 million programme to transform London into a cycle-friendly city, 6,000 bikes will be be located in special stalls every 300 metres, in a 10-year plan that will also see special cycling corridor routes, and 20 mph zones in the suburbs.

The Mayor says that he wants to see at least one in ten journeys made by bike, a move that would save 1.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. The bike hire scheme will be modelled on the Parisian "velib" programme, where thousands of bikes are made available on automated stands.

Meanwhile gas-guzzling vehicles such as 4x4 "Chelsea tractors" will have to pay a daily charge of £25 to enter London's congestion charge zone from October this year, as well as some high-powered sports cars and luxury vehicles, which will see the charge rising from the current £8 a day as part of the London Mayor's plan to reduce the capital's greenhouse gas emissions. Residents of central London will also lose their discount on the charge if they drive a 4x4.

Part of the new congestion charging regime will also see, from 27 October, cars with the lowest carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions receiving a 100 per cent discount from the daily charge.

Mr Livingstone said today: "Nobody needs to damage the environment by driving a gas-guzzling Chelsea tractor in central London. The CO2 emissions from the most high-powered 4x4s and sports cars can be up to four times as great as the least polluting cars."

Mr Livingstone went on: "The CO2 charge will encourage people to switch to cleaner vehicles or public transport and ensure that those who choose to carry on driving the most polluting vehicles help pay for the environmental damage they cause.

"This is the 'polluter pays' principle. At the same time, the 100 per cent discount for the lowest CO2 emitting vehicles will give drivers an incentive to use the least polluting cars available."

Dr Doug Parr, chief scientist at environmental group Greenpeace, said: "Gas guzzlers have no place in a modern city like London so it's great news that the congestion charge will give people a big incentive to pollute less.

"Buying one of these vehicles is becoming a bad idea for the planet and the wallet.

"If we really want to tackle climate change properly we need to encourage people on to public transport and out of their cars where possible."

Friends of the Earth director Tony Juniper said: "Road traffic is one of the biggest contributors to climate change. Measures that get people to choose greener cars as well as to drive less are urgently needed.

"Charging gas-guzzling vehicles more to drive in central London is extremely welcome and supported by most Londoners. We are delighted that Mr Livingstone is taking a lead on this issue."

Nuclear power won't meet climate targets

Business Secretary John Hutton has announced plans to open up British seas to allow enough new wind turbines to power all UK homes by the year 2020. As many as 7,000 will be built. Ministers want 20% of Britain's energy needs to come from renewable energy sources by 2020, and see wind power as a major element of it. He also said the UK needed to become more self sufficient in energy terms, and less at the mercy of other nations:

"I do not want in 20 years' time to find that whether the lights go on in the morning is down to some foreign government or someone else." Offshore wind is a major untapped resource for us....It is going to change our coastline, yes for sure. There is no way of making that shift to a low carbon technology without there being change and without that change being visible and evident to people.....We've got a choice as a country whether we rise to the challenge... or stick our head in the sand and hope it (climate change) goes away. It is not going to go away."

In his first major speech on the environment since becoming Prime Minister, Gordon Brown committed to extend the Government's target of a 60% cut in Britain's greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, revealing that he has asked an independent committee of experts to look at the possibility of an 80% goal. He pledged to make Britain a world leader in the battle against global warming, with a green "technological revolution" which he said could create hundreds of thousands of jobs in the UK. He launched a new Green Homes initiative, with a website and phone hotline to advise householders how they can reduce the carbon footprint of their properties.

Environmentalists welcomed the confirmation that Britain is "absolutely committed" to meeting its share of an EU target to generate 20% of Europe's power from renewable sources by 2020.

The commitment could see a surge in energy from wind, waves, solar panels, waste and biomass, starting with an announcement expected soon from Business Secretary John Hutton for a "significant" expansion in offshore windfarms.

Speaking ahead of December's climate change summit in Bali, Brown published a statement setting out Britain's vision of a new global low-carbon economy to hold the rise in average temperatures to two degrees Celsius or less. He said that any agreement stemming from the Bali talks should include "binding emissions caps" for all developed countries after 2012 to ensure greenhouse gases peak within 10-15 years and are reduced by at least half by 2050.

The international community faces a "historic and world-changing" challenge to build a low-carbon economy over the coming 50 years, Mr Brown told the conservation charity WWF in a speech in central London.But he said the task was both "technologically feasible and economically rational" and held out the promise of new environmental industries generating £1.5 trillion annually and employing 25 million people worldwide - one million of them in the UK. The Prime Minister also announced talks with supermarkets and other retailers over the elimination of throw-away plastic carrier bags from British shops.

Did Navy kill the Dolphins?