17th May 2008

Bags dilemma

Dear Eco,

Can you come up with a solution to my problem with the household waste? We don't like using plasticbags from the supermarket so we have reusable bags but then we like to use the biodegradeable supermarket bags to use for our rubbish. We find that if we don't use them our alternative is to use a black refuse sack which is definately not good. How can I overcome this whilst still being able to dispose of my rubbish in a container? 

Many Thanks   Paul Turner,

Eco's response: Hi Paul,   Thank you for your enquiry. There is not an easy answer to this one. We have found one of the best ways to avoid plastic bags generally, is the "bagless delivery" option offered by some supermarkets on their home delivery service, in which they just put the goods in plastic crates, which you can then just tip out when they get delivered to your door. There are green objections to using supermarkets however, so you can't win!   With regards to the black bags issue you raise, we don't think there is an easy answer, but we will put your dilemma on our letters page and see if we get a response!

13th May 2008

Carbon crisis

Dear Eco,

I was alarmed to read your front page story that the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing at an accelerating rate, as it indicates that runaway global warming is a distinct possibility. Your story rightly points out the danger from positive feedback mechanisms. What is remarkable that the danger from these feedbacks is not headline news. If the methane hydrates in the oceans and locked up in permafrost are released they will warm the atmosphere much faster than carbon dioxide, and of course this warming leads to more methane being released, a nightmare scenario the politicians don't seem willing to tell the public about. You are also right to highlight the dangers of a green backlash, as the public start to demand cuts in fuel duty as recession and inflation hit them in the pocket, just at the time when we need to be drastically cutting emissions.

regards, Rachel

10th May 2008

Burma cyclone disaster

Dear Eco,

The heavy loss of life in Burma demonstrates the fragility of our hold on this planet when the forces of nature are unleashed, and is a taste of what is to come if global warming continues unchecked. While the cyclone may not have been caused by climate change, scientists are predicting that extreme weather events will become more frequent, even that positive feedbacks may cause runaway warming that wipies out most life on the planet. The cyclone should serve as a wake-up call to anyone who thinks we can carry on business as usual.

regards, Steve P, Hackney

6th May 2008

Looking for Salvation

Dear Eco,

Like your comment column, "Looking for Salvation" I despair at the future, as so little action is being taken to tackle the environmental crises we face. The message is simply not getting through on any appreciable scale. People are either too worried about their next mortgage payment or rising fuel bills, or so busy in the present orgy of consumption we have engaged in throughout much of the Western world, to change their lifestyles. You are right in saying tha change is needed on a scale comparable to a revolution. It is not going to be led by politicians who are waiting for a message from the public which is not being sent. It is not going to be led by celebrities who preach one thing but do another, like Swarzenegger with his fleet of Hummers. It is down to those of us who have seen the "green light" to get the message across to our friends and relatives. It has to happen fast.

best wishes, Dave Stirling, Brighton

6th May 2008

Burmese cyclone disaster

Dear Eco,

Well done for covering the tragic loss of life in the cyclone that has hit Burma. Many of the national newspapers have hardly covered this event, but if it had happened in America or Europe we would be hearing nothing else for weeks. One of the many things I have never understood is how little value is placed on lives in the developing world compared to Western lives. We really must move towards a world where every life is of equal value. I only hope that the world will now rally round to help the Burmese recover from this disaster. While I have have no sympathy for the military junta that controls Burma, the ordinary people are suffering.

regards, Jeremy

4th May 2008

More on Norwich

Dear Eco,

While I agree with much of what Sue from Maida Vale has to say, it is wrong to dismiss The Green Party as an irrelevance. They are our best hope for the future, and while their progress may be painfully slow, none of the other parties comes close to having any solution to climate change, or possessing The Green Party's vision. What is most disappointing is that the public could not bring them to make the right choice. Putting a cross in the right place on a ballot paper does not involve any sacrifice, but millions of people carried on voting for the tired old three parties. We have to ask ourselves why people are not changing their voting patterns significantly in the face of catastrophic climate change. There is a range of reasons. Some people simply have not grasped the science, some are in denial, others prefer to blame someone else, some understand the issues and are too selfish to care, and a large proportion of society is more concerned about how it is going to pay the bills and focused on day to day survival to think about wider issues in any depth. Somehow we have to communicate with all these people the urgency of changing our lives, drastically cutting our carbon footprints, and the need for sacrifice. It is not going to be easy, but The Green Party is one of several vehicles for getting the message across.

Yours, Colin, Knowle

3rd May 2008

Norwich goes Green

Dear Eco,

While the success of the Green Party in Norwich is to be applauded, sadly the Party's progress as a national force is so slow as to make it an irrelevance. The environment has been in the news continuously for over a year on a daily basis, amounting to amazing free publicity for the Party's cause, but it has completely failed to capitialise on this. The vote to elect a Party leader was a step in the right direction, but instead of moving to immediately act on this decision the Party is wasting a year before putting it into effect, by which time the public will have lost interest in green issues and be more worried about recession and rising fuel and utility bills. Indeed the public may even turn on the Greens as responsible for some of their woes. So again, many congratulations to Norwich Green Party, and the few other areas where success was achieved, but the pace of climate change is such that it is not the Green Party that is going to save us at its present rate of progress.

best wishes, Sue, Maida Vale

29th April 2008

Good Work

Dear Eco,

I have just discovered your site and wanted to let you know how refreshing it is to discover a green newspaper that tells the real news in a way that none of the mainstream papers do. Hope you go from strength to strength and help spread the green message.

very best wishes, Colin, Dumfries

PS. Your "no free newspapers" stickers are a brilliant idea. Please could you send me some?

25th April 2008

Pole position

Dear Eco,

News on the environment just seems to get worse, as your story on the melting Arctic icecap reveals, just as scientists report that the concentration of carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere is accelerating. When are people going to wake up and stop flying and driving their cars so much? How bad does it have to get?

regards, Susan, Norwich

20th April 2008

Heritage coast threatened

Dear Eco,

The news from your front page story about proposals for quarrying the Portland Coast came as a profound shock as I know this stretch of coastline well. What is unbelievable is that areas of outstanding beauty like this do not have adequate protection from commerical quarrying. It is just yet another example of commercial gain being put ahead of the natural world. I would urge all your readers to back the campaign.

best wishes, Felicity Morgan

18th April 2008

Defend the animals

Dear Eco,

I am with Patrick and Sea Shepherd on this one. The actions of the volunteers are nothing compared to the barbaric actions of the sealers. The only way to stop the harm being done to our earth and its creatures is peaceful confrontation, and groups like Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd are doing a fantastic job in protecting wildlife and publicising the issues.

yours, Emma

15th April 2008

Defend the animals controversy continues

Dear Eco,  

I was hoping that perhaps there would be at least "1" site where you could leave some news of about the "Actions"  of Sea Shepherd and it wouldn't ATTRACT the likes of Mr Poole (or any other Mr Angry from Chipping Norton)??   Sea Shepherd Crew are out there on the Frontline of animal conservation/preservation!!  The Crew are all UNPAID volunteers from many countries (ALL of which DO NOT condone Terrorism in ANY form). The "actions" of the Sea Shepherd Fleet are within the laws of the UN Charter For Nature( Part III, section 21 & 24. Read it before accusing anyone of Terrorism Mr Poole). The real "terrorists" are the Canadian Coastguard who HAVE broken the LAW!!!    Unlike Greenpeace (everyone's favourite "middle Of The Road" Greenie), Sea Shepherd (have NEVER been found guilty of ANY charges laid against them (IN ANY COURT).  They have NEVER killed nor injured ANY person!! Their CRIME in the last few days, was to DOCUMENT  the slaughter of 245,000 baby Harp Seals.  Does that sound like the actions of a Terrorist Group? . If it does, they need a new manager!!!   It's been said that you can measure the success of your actions, by the  winging voices of those you are opposing? If that's true?..welcome aboard Mr Poole (you've just been added to that very long list, accumulated by Sea Shepherd over the last 30yrs).   I would like to also Applaud Eco for reporting BOTH sides of the "War On Nature". In the real world, it takes a Pirate to catch a Plunderer!   Great site guys. Keep up the great work.  

Patrick O' Brien, Sea Shepherd

14th April 2008

Food or fuel?

Dear Eco,

You are right to highlight the issue of land use and food at a time when a number of factors are pushing the price of food out of reach of the world's poorest people. There are many reasons involved, including the changing diet of Asia's middle-classes, climate change, and the world's growing population. However the most worrying trend is the use of land for biofuels. These crops were promoted as being green, but are turning out to be an unmitigated disaster, as they use agricultural land to fuel the cars of the rich at the expense of the world's poor people. There should be an immediate moratorium on growing any more biofuel crops until the price of food comes down again.

best regards, Cathy Doughty

12th April 2008

Defend the animals controversy

Dear Eco,

I am writing in response to the letter from Elizabeth Trainer "Defend the Animals", and your feature "A day in the life of a Sea Shepherd volunteer". While I would applaud most activities to defend wildlife, some of the activities undertaken by Sea Shepherd activists border on terrorism, and the organisation should not be supported or given publicity for this reason.

Regards, Steve, Poole

9th April 2008

Defend the animals

Hello to you All.. 

Just wanted to let you know that this Site is "FANTASTIC" .......No Fictional reads in here??.

The "TRUTH" is what we want to read about and this is the PLACE to Be for that!! 

I have put you on my Page which is on MYSPACE as I want a LOT more people out there to VISIT this Site and read for themselves?...

I am part of a Brilliant bunch of friends all doing there utmost to defend the Slaughter of ALL Animals.

At the moment it is the SEALS who need all the Help they can get,as they are killed in the most Horrific and Barbaric of ways and as a part of " Sea Shepherd" who are Fighting this Fight, I Stand proud in all they DO!! 

Thanking you for the GREAT WORK you also do.

Yours Sincerley
Elizabeth Trainer

7th April 2008

Tesco town,

Dear Eco,

You couldn't make it up. On the day when Gordon Brown received the Olympic torch carrier from China in Downing Street, (that nation of well-known upholders of human rights in Tibet), comes news that one of the front- running eco towns, Hanley Grange in Cambridgeshire, is to be built by none other than our favourite retailer Tesco. If Tesco is so proud of its environmental record why did it try to hide its involvement behind the front company "Jarrow Investments". Tesco's involvement risks undermining what little credibility the eco towns programme has. The retailer has put countless small family traders out of business, decimated High Streets throughout Britain, and resisted environmental measures like charging for plastic bags. If the Government wishes to be taken seriously about the eco towns it should remove Hanley Grange off the shortlist forthwith.

Sue Wright, Lostwithiel

6th April 2008

Biofuels concern

Dear Eco,

Your report on the food riots in Haiti which led to the death of four people and many others wounded exposes the real cost of bofuels. The use of agricultural land for fuel crops designed to make America less dependant on OPEC oil is indefensible, as it is pushing up the price of food, and meaning that the world's poor are being unable to afford the soaring cost of feeding their families. Europe is no better, with the proposals for an increasing amount of biofuel to be added to diesel in the next few years. It is time there was a moratorium on the use of any biofuels until we can be sure that we can feed the world's population. There are also doubts about whether they offer any environmental benefits when you take into account the oil-based fertiliser to grow them, and their emissions of nitrous oxides, a greenhouse gas. Eco should take a lead in opposing biofuel crops.

best wishes, Emily Coulter

4th April 2008

Eco Town doubts

Dear Eco,

I have to express my dismay at the whole idea of eco towns, includng the one proposed near my home. They are just another excuse to turn the countryside into suburbia, and will offer minimal green benefits. People living in them will still drive cars and commute. It would be far better to use brownfield sites in cities rather than pave over productive farmland.

Becca, Leeds

2nd April 2008

Sea Shepherd Support

Hi guys,

GREAT website!!  I remember a few years back that there was a paper on Sunday called "Planet"(??) which was very much like this site, FULL of relevant things about the REAL world..........but it disappeared after a few months. People cant stand to READ about the things that make them feel bad about themselves, so they HIde?    I know Eco will be a great success. Do you think you could add a link to Sea Shepherd Conservation Society? As I write this they are defending the harp seals being sluaghtered in Canada. The Crew are ALL veggies and give up their time (and money) to try and get the world to "notice" what's going on in the Oceans.   Hope you can add us. Keep up the great work. I'll certainly pass you on to everyone on Myspace.   Best wishes Patrick O' Brien Sea Shepherd (UK)

Open letter to Nick Clegg MP

31st March 2008

London Greens urge Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg to back Green candidate for London Mayor, Sian Berry, as Brian Paddick rips up Lib Dem policy.

Green London Assembly Members Jenny Jones and Darren Johnson have delivered this letter to Liberal Democrat headquarters in Westminster.

Dear Nick,

We are writing this open letter because we are concerned that your voters are about to go into a London election with no Liberal Democrat candidate.

Although we do not always agree with the Liberal Democrats, we believe that very many people vote Lib Dem because they are concerned about the environment, and Lib Dems have clearly applied greater effort than the two larger parties to this issue in recent years. That is absolutely to your credit.

But in an entirely understandable effort to break into the top two in London, your party has chosen to nominate a celebrity candidate from outside the party, Brian Paddick. It is becoming increasingly apparent that Mr Paddick does not share the environmental concerns of your voters, and the party appears powerless to stop him tearing up years of Lib Dem policy in London in pursuit of Conservative votes.

Mr Paddick has pledged to scrap the Low Emissions Zone, a policy that was supported by Lib Dem AMs and is vital to cut the 1,000 premature deaths caused annually in London by air pollution.

He would cancel the higher-rate Congestion Charge for gas-guzzling Band G vehicles, a policy championed both by our Mayoral candidate Siân Berry and your MP Lynne Featherstone, then a London Assembly Member.

And he plans to privatise the Tube network to place management entirely in the hands of a single firm. You will remember that Lib Dem candidates appeared on the 2000 ballot paper as "Liberal Democrats: Against Tube Sell-off."

While Siân Berry is by no means a Liberal Democrat, it is clear that she represents the concerns and aspirations of Liberal Democrats far better than your increasingly estranged official candidate.

The Liberal Democrats' hard-won reputation as a party with concern for London's environment is at grave risk though the promotion of this high-profile and clearly anti-environment Mayoral candidate.

Liberal Democrat voters are practical, not tribal. In our view, the Lib Dem thing to do in this situation is to ignore the colour of the rosette, and vote for the progressive polices for London transport and the environment, many of which you have fought for over the last eight years. We therefore urge you, your party and your supporters to back instead the only candidate that now represents your hopes for our capital: Siân Berry.

Yours faithfully,

Jenny Jones AM Darren Johnson AM

www.sianformayor.org.uk

26th March 2008

How to go green

Dear Eco,

I read the letter from Mark Phillips with interest, and have to agree with the advice that the important thing is look at insulation and energy conservation before splashing out on solar panels or a wind turbine. It is worth having a fuel efficient gas boiler or being on a green tariff for electricity, but arguably, rather than spending thousands on new solar panels, buying some rainforest through a charity like Cook Earth would do more good.

Carol Lewis, Solihull

24th March 2008

How to go green
Dear Eco,
I have recently relocated from south London to Lincoln City. My new home is a 3-bed detached bungalow on a steep sided hill. I have always been an enthusiastic and pro-active environmental and sustainable user/supporter using energy light bulbs, recycled, natural wall paint, organic foods, cyclist, motorbiker (Do not own car), voluntary Cycle Ranger, Green and Lib Dem voter etc for last 15 years. This new home is my first "house" after living in flats for 15 years. As well as having a large garden which I have already started mt first 4 composters, and to grow vegetables all on organic/sustainable methods. I have also installed rain-water catchers for the garden, and recycled loft insulation. My place does have energy light bulbs throughout so far, but I now wish to convert the house electricity and maybe heating to solar/wind. I have read extensively on the above, and feel I have grasped a basic understanding, but there is so much info, material, orgs, grants etc that I have become completly lost and would be most apreciateive of some useful info on the most economcal, cost-effective, practical and easy to install solar/wind devices to install. After doing so much work and cost on my own so far, I would be so glad of any "easy-read and accessible info" you can provide, and "easy to apply for" grants avaliable to me for these projects.
I am just finding they sheer volumne and weight of the info too much for me. Do I pay more for an expensive
installed solar system for my electricity, or can I purchase and install the solar panels from Maplins? For example, do I install an expensive underground water/rain havester to supply water for sink, garden
and washing machine or can I purchase new basic drums and use in conjunction with energy/water saving
devices etc.
As well as all work and sustainble living I have done so far, I work all over the UK, modernising my new home,
look after my elderley parents, and have just now found myself lost and bewildered on whats out there,
whats cheapest and where I should go to from here. My budget is £3,000 maybe £5,000 max. Although now living in Lincoln, I am still on electoral registerin London Southwark for 08 as I bought my new place in Jan 08, hence my inclusion of London based politicians. I do look forward to hearing from you at your
convinience. Thank you again
Kind regards Mr. Phillips, Lincoln

Eco replied -

Hi Mark,
Thank you for your email. It is great to see you are such a commited environmentalist, especially if you manage without a car, which so few of us do. In our view by far the most cost-effective measure is to improve insulation before even considering things like solar panels and wind-turbines. Make sure you have as a minimum the recommended amount of loft insulation, more if possible, and cavity walls filled, plus double glazing. If your heating is gas, then you may be best sticking with what you have, if electric heating, then go for a green tariff.
If you are still keen to change your heating type, heat pumps cost a lot more than a new boiler and are a bit more than your budget at around £5,000, but are worth considering as they have a minimal carbon footprint and are low maintenance. Have a search for "Altherma" and "Space Air" and you should be able to find more information on this specialist field. They are catching on and the price should fall as more people buy them over the next few years. So it is probably better to wait a few years and then take the plunge.
The payback time on solar panels is very considerable and they have a limited life, but if you decide to go ahead, one of the biggest companies is Solar Century, which is run by former Greenpeace director Jeremy Leggett, and a good company to support. Wind turbines may be of limited benefit unless you are in an exceptionally windy location.
One of the best sites for advice, including grants, is the Energy Saving Trust, who are independent - http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/
With regards water, as you are not in the South-East, which has real water shortage problems, just making sensible use of water, including having a shower sometimes instead of a bath is probably all you need to consider.
It would be great to hear from you again as you make progress with your green measures.

23rd March 2008

Monkey Business

Dear Eco,

When I was recently in The Gambia I found that Bijilo Forest Park has turned into a zoo with guards and management telling tourists to feed the monkeys. I see that the Daily Telegraph has published an article on this and I think you should mention it.

J Sheidle

23rd March 2008

Time for a Green MP?

Dear Eco,

When a Green Party MP is finally elected it will be long overdue, but the question has to be asked, will it be too late to make any difference? All the signs are that we are now committed to catastrophic climate change, so the election of a Green MP will do nothing to improve the situation. What is needed is not a Green MP, but a complete shift in awareness among the general population, who need to realise that if we carry on driving and flying everywhere there is no hope.

best regards, Julia

22nd March 2008

Kansas coal veto

Dear Eco,

I agree with Steve that the veto of the coal power station in Kansas is good news, but we need to consider also the future employment prospects of miners here and in the US if coal is to be phased out. We need to ensure that they are helped in the transition towards clean power, and not left on the scrapheap.

best wishes, July

22nd March 2008

Kansas coal veto

Dear Eco,

Fantastic news about the veto of a coal-fired power station in Kansas. We can only hope that the UK government has the same enlightened approach when deciding on the future of the proposed coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth. This new station will not have any carbon capture technology fitted and has no role in the generation of our future energy requirements. The future has to be renewables.

Steve West, Harlow

19th March 2008

Business as usual?

Dear Eco,

In a week in which we have seen turmoil in the financial markets, it amazes me how people are continuing to go about their daily routine of flying and driving as if there was no environmental crisis. Why is it that people are not waking up to the fact that we are going to have to make sacrifices, particularly in how we travel, if there is to be any hope of stabilising the climate? People seem to be in denial, and just get angry if anyone tries to shake them out of the comfy view that we can carry on as we are.

best wishes, Susan Leigh

11th March 2008

Government must stand firm

Dear Eco,

With this week's Budget taking place at a time of rapidly rising oil prices the Government must stand firm and keep to its planned 2p a litre fuel duty increase, and impose penalty taxes on gas guzzlers. This is the only way to get people to think more about their choice of transport. At the same time there needs to be more investment in cycling, bus and train travel, so there are real alternatives to going by car. The Budget is a chance for the Brown Government to salvage some of its green credentials which have taken a battering over its support for nuclear power, and rumoured approval of the expansion of Heathrow, and the new coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth in Kent, which has no carbon capture technology for the simple reason that the science does not yet exist to fit it.

regards, Bob, Teignmouth

9th March 2008

Biofuels - humility needed

Dear Eco,

I agree with your correspondent, Mark, that there is a case for those of us who saw biofuels as a green solution to the problems of carbon emissions from fossil fuels to hold up our hands and admit, with some humility, that we got it wrong. With food prices soaring due to competition from biofuels for land, millions of people are being pushed towards the brink of starvation to keep the cars of the developed on the road. It takes a year's worth of food for one person to fill the petrol tank of the average 4x4.

This is a consequence of the biofuel revolution that we never forsaw or desired, and it is time to stop the rush towards the brink of a real food crisis. It is entirely unjust that American independence from Middle East and Venezualen oil should come at the price of food poverty for much of the developed world. We got it wrong and it is time to admit it.

regards Hugh Townsend, Epping

7th March 2008

Could you help me?
Hiyer Eco,
I was hoping you could help me. I have to take a trip to Holland soon and said I wouldn't fly because of the ecological impact.It was put to me that going on a coach wasn't much better than flying because more coaches would have to go for the same amount of people that would go on an aircraft, and when those coaches added up their total fuel it may be more than a flight. I don't know how true this is and i wondered if you could shed a bit more light on the subject?

Rachael

--------------

Eco replied -

Hi Rachael,
It's great that you are thinking about this issue since aviation is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions in the UK. In our view the best way to travel to Holland would be by rail, failing that by coach. Air travel would be the worst possible option. Carbon dioxide and water vapour emitted at high altitude is more serious, and the emissions per mile much higher by air. Interestingly in his book "Heat", George Monbiot
sees coach travel as the way forward. An even more radical approach is to question why we are travelling in the first place. We all need to ask "Is our journey really necessary?" especially for business miles, when video conferencing is now possible. The really difficult issue is that many families are now scattered round the
world, which means that we may suffer the cost of what George refers to as"love miles".
The long term solution is the re-localising of our societies. "The Transition Handbook" published this week is an excellent resource. Anyway, enjoy Holland, and again, well done for thinking about the issue!
Most people don't seem bothered!

4th March 2008

Hunger Stalks the Earth

Dear Eco,

With regards your lead story "Hunger stalks the Earth", I have to agree with your analysis about biofuels, and those of us who put them forward as a "green" fuel, like myself, have to hold up our hands and admit we got it wrong. The way that biofuels are being promoted is stealing food from the poor in order to feed the cars of the rich. This is quite wrong, and is not what was intended when we first saw some benefit in crops as fuel.

regards, Mark, Ross-on Wye

3rd March 2008

End of the World? Let's party!

Dear Eco,

While I have no time for James Lovelock's views on nuclear power, the fact remains that he helped us discover the hole in the ozone layer in time to do something about it, and gave us the Gaia hypothesis which is one of the best ways of understanding the complex inter-relationships of life on earth. I am inclined to agree that a lot of the ethical living trend is greenwash, if people think that buying a "bag for life", off-setting their flight to Tuscany, or getting the latest green gadget is going to save us from catastrophic climate change. Only major individual sacrifice is going to achieve that, and it is such an unpopular message that it is not getting across, either because people haven't grasped the seriousness of the situation we are in, don't care, or are politicians too scared to admit the truth. So let those of us with the courage to do so call for sacrifices, but like James Lovelock says, we may as well enjoy ourselves in the process!

best wishes, Harriet, Barrow

2nd March 2008

Praying for a green budget

Dear Eco,

Alistair Darling's Budget may be the most important yet, as it will set the tone for whether the Government has grasped the urgency of climate change and will take immediate action, or whether it will continue its "business as usual" approach that is allowing us to sleepwalk towards disaster. Will the Chancellor cave in to the motor and roads lobby, attempt to curb the public's insatiable appetite for air travel, and look at measures to retro-fit insulation to the existing housing stock, (which is far more important than zero-carbon in 2016 for new build)? We will soon find out, but I suspect given past form, your comment page article "Too little, too late" will sadly prove to be true. All that is then left is peaceful direct action by those of us who have grasped the seriousness of the situation to try and set the agenda.

regards, Phil Archer, Selby

29th February  2008

E-Day

Dear Eco,

Like many of our friends, our household made a real effort to cut our electricity use during E-day, but it seems that the message did not get taken up by the mainstream media, nor was it backed by the government. The BBC was too cowardly to run its originally planned programme which was to have pushed the idea, and one feels sorry for the organisers who put so much effort into a great idea. Hopefully E-day will repeated, and next time everyone will get behind it. We all share one planet after all.

best wishes, Sue Glanville, Lacock

26th February 2008

Full of Hot Air

Dear Eco,

The government enquiry into the third runway at Heathrow is a forgone conclusion, as just as with nuclear power, the "consultation" process has been a sham from the start. The government will announce that it is essesntial for Britain to remain competitive in a global marketplace, and as part of that process, the expansion of Heathrow is vital to the British economy. The problem is that every other nation can make the same excuse, and the net result is worldwide expansion of the air industry which is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions. Not until new measures of growth are adopted will we learn that bigger is not always better. Richard Douthwaite is the author of an excellent book on this theme "The Growth Illusion". We may be wealthier in terms of having more money, but if we destroy the environment on which we all depend, ultimately no-one wins.

Your sincerely, Dr. Howard Watson, Acton

25th February 2008

Labour hypocrits

Dear Eco,

Well done for covering the story of Labour politicians using limousines secretly while telling the rest of us to go green. What is the point of us making sacrifices, recycling and turning off unwanted lights etc., if Government officials are burning fuel like there is no tomorrow?

best wishes, Clive, Wolverhampton

23rd February 2008

Time for peaceful confrontation

Dear Eco,

I have just caught up with your correspondence about your reader's "African dilemma" about whether to let her daughter go on a school-organised trip to Africa. However this is not just an issue in our schools. All around us, people are making irresponsible holiday choices like long weekends in New York, or fortnight breaks in Australia. The Earth simply cannot afford this kind of lifestyle, and it is up to those who have the insight into the damage being done to the atmosphere to peacefully confront our friends and neighbours, and in a constructive way put this message across. It is a very difficult thing to do, because one does not want to be labelled as a killjoy or extremist, but someone has got to act. Congratulations by the way on an excellent site, which is just what the green movement has needed for a long time.

best regards, Phil, Hebden Bridge

21st February 2008

New Green Energy Website

Dear Eco,

I'd like to let you know about the new GreenEnergy360 (www.greenenergy360.org) website, providing impartial advice to homeowners about the renewable energy choices available to them.

In particular, it has an online calculator that helps people to choose the most appropriate renewable energy based on their specific postcode, taking into consideration the characteristics and location of their home, lifestyle preferences and the like. This free service was developed in conjunction with Loughborough University's Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology (CREST.) Try the calculator out:

http://www.greenenergy360.org/site_survey/registration.php

Best wishes, Susan Hallam

21st February 2008

Cuba - a transition nation

Dear Eco,

Your feature on Cuba was a welcome relief from some of the coverage in the right-wing press, and shows what an inspiration the nation can be to towns and cities wanting to go down the transition route. Yes, Cuba's economy has struggled, but that has been largely due to the counter-productive US trade embargo. We can only hope that a change of administration in America will produce a new approach to Cuba.

regards, Phil Downs, Saundersfoot

20th February 2008

Cuba - a transition nation

Dear Eco,

Well done for your coverage of Cuba, and the example it gives of how a nation can reduce its dependence on oil without sacrificing essential services. Castro's regime can be criticised for its lack of democracy and some human rights abuses, but it has achieved what no Western nation has even begun to manage: a massive reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

best wishes, Penny Lewis, Bracknell

19th February 2008

Brain wanted

Dear Eco,

With reference to the Eco "Brain Wanted" feature in "Comment3", I have to agree that the western visitors to the Fijian island of Vorovoro display an astonishing lack of real environmental awareness if they think they are taking part in an "eco" community. There is nothing green about flying half the way round the world to get to the island, and as you point out, they are contributing to the island's destruction from rising sea levels in a few generations. It is just an excuse for some spoilt western youngsters to have a holiday.

best wishes, Dave Walsh , Dulwich

19th February 2008

African Dilemma/Just say no!

Dear Eco,

I am with your correspondents who say that school pupils should not be taking flights to Africa. In these days of increased awareness about the damage done to the atmosphere by flying, schools should not be offering these kinds of trips, but be encouraging pupils to do worthwhile work closer to home. The role of schools is to educate and lead by example. Rather than encouraging flying they should be showing films like Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" to get pupils and their parents to wake up to the crisis.

regards, Steve Jones, Ipswich

17th February 2008

African Dilemma/Just say no!

Dear Eco,

I think Colin and Jenny raise a very important question - how far should we greens go in imposing our views on other people? In my opinion the environmental crisis is so serious that we have the right to push our view on other people. If we just carry on as usual, the world is heading for catastrophe. Yes, there will be disagreements and confrontation, but it is no use just being mild and meek. It is all very well the meek inheriting the earth, but what kind of planet will we be left with if we carry on polluting the world the way we are?

best wishes, Ben Harris, Huddersfield

16th February 2008

Just say no!

Dear Eco,

In reply to Jenny from Norwich and her plea for helpful advice over her "African Dilemma", I would recommend she does not let her daughter go, and lets the school know why. Someone needs to take a stand and get the green message across. There are plenty of adventurous holidays to enjoy in the UK and charities crying out for voluntary work here. If no-one brings the issue to the school's attention they will just keep running the trip each year and contributing to climate change.

yours etc., Colin, Firth

15th February 2008

African Dilemma

Dear Eco,

I was wondering whether any readers of Eco can offer advice on a real dilemma I am in. My daughter's school is offering a trip for a week to Africa for Year 10 students, who are being invited to do some voluntary work decorating a school building (in my day we just went to Lyme Regis for a field trip!) My problem is I am terribly aware of the damage being done by aircraft pouring carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere. Several of my daughter's friends are going, so she really wants to go as well; I don't want to just impose my views on her, but there is a real issue. Help!

Jenny, Norwich, by email

15th February 2008

Wishing Eco Success

Dear Eco,

Just come across your website and wish you every success - we need your
messages now more than ever.
Philip Booth, Stroud District councillor (Green)
Read Philip's Blog at:
http://ruscombegreen.blogspot.com/
More about Stroud District Green party at:
http://www.glosgreenparty.org.uk

14th February 2008

Valentine for cars

Dear Eco,

OK, I am being a bit of a killjoy, but I cannot see the point of Valentine cards for cars. Whether is is a G-wiz electric car, a Toyota Prius, or a 4x4, there are emissions. There is no such thing as a green car. It is just a question of degree. How much do we want to kill our planet? That said, I love Eco, so keep up the good work.

best wishes, Fiona, Dudley

Note: Eco received a number of other emails along the lines of "there is no such thing as a green car"

14th February 2008

Thought for the day

Dear Eco,

Regarding your thought for the day on 14th Feb. "The message from the scientists is clear: we have to stop flying, we have to stop driving, and we have to consume less, and only what is produced locally. The question is: do we collectively have the will to meet this challenge?" Surely since scientists got us into this mess, it is up to them to get us out of it, rather than start cutting our living standards. I will need a lot of persuading to give up my car. And I have not flown for 5 years. Buying only local goods sounds fine, but what if you can't get what you want locally?

regards, Ben, Bluntisham

12th February 2008

Low Carbon Man

Dear Eco,

While Ben Clowney's stand by spending a week in a tent and managing without a car is a brave statement, it is not what one individual does, but what the mass of the population do that matters. His efforts will be irrelevant unless people can be persuaded to give up flying or to use their cars a lot less. It is also unsustainable in the long term, since we can't all start living in tents. Far better to try and persuade people to insulate their homes better and start walking for short journeys rather than driving. If three people could be persauded to walk their children to school rather than drive, it would have more impact than if Ben lived in his tent for a year.

best wishes, Jessica, Fulham

11th February 2008

The ipod generation

Dear Eco,

There is much talk about whether the "ipod generation" has the stomach for the sacrifices needed to tackle global warming. Judging by the behaviour of our 15 year-old daugher, the answer has to be a resounding "no". Lights are left on around the house, with no thought of the cost to our household, let alone the environment. She can't be bothered with recycling, and can't wait to go on foreign holidays. When challenged about her disregard for environmental issues, her response is that global warming is a problem for the next generation! This from a 15-year old, who has already decided it is not her problem. I despair. It is not as though she can claim ignorance of the issues as our bookshelves are lined with books about environmental issues. Does anyone else have teenagers with the same attitude, or we just unlucky?!

best wishes, Sue, Ross-on-Wye, by email

9th February 2008

Donkey Power

Dear Eco,

Well done Chalford for backing donkey power. If only more villages realised the potential for bringing back horse-power as a way of cutting carbon emissions. In parts of France they are using horses to do the recycling collections. Especially now that fuel is so expensive, horses are a real alternative.

best wishes, Jenny, Nuneaton

6th February 2008

Prepare for E-Day

Dear Eco,

E-Day is a fantastic idea, and shame on the BBC for not having the nerve to televise it. Everyone should back E-Day by planning what their family will do, and getting their employer and local council to join in. It would be good to hear what other readers of Eco think of E-Day and what they will be doing.

regards, Chris, Pershore by email

6th February 2008

Light wars!

Dear Eco,

I am probably not the only one, but I am the "waste-watcher" at home and at work, constantly turning off un-needed lights. But what drives me absolutely spare, is that as fast as I turn them off, other people turn them on again, even in broad daylight when there is absolutely no need to have them on. I cannot believe how wasteful some people are, and the lack of any sense of urgency about climate change. Is it just me, or have a lot of people just not woken up to the seriousness of global warming?

best wishes, Penny, Truro by email

3rd February 2008

Eco town protests

Dear Eco,

With regards your story about the protests at the sites of some of the proposed new eco towns, I have to confess I have some sympathy for the protestors. These new towns may incorporate many environmentally-friendly building techniques, but they are still new suburbs that will swallow up large amounts of the countryside. There are still many undeveloped brownfield sites withing our larger cities. Surely it would be better to build on these, rather than create new towns, on our over-crowded island?

best regards, Hilary, Wolverhampton, by email

1st February 2008

Patio heaters

Dear Eco,

Great news about the proposed European ban on patio heaters. The European politicians have finally got something right, as these heaters are unecessary and hopelessly inefficient. Also good to hear that the standby mode on some appliances is to be phased out. The sooner the better.

best wishes, Clive, Wapping

29th January 2008

Wi-fi worries

Dear Eco
I was pleased to see your article on WiFi. If you require further information then would you consider linking to our
site at Www.mastsanity.org We are the primary national organisation opposing the insensitive siting of
mobile phone and Tetra masts in the UK. We are also opposed to any microwave emitting technologies such as WiFi (particularly in schools) as none of them have been pre market tested for safety and all work in the same way as
mobile phone masts. There are several other UK organisations such as http://www.hese-project.org/hese-uk/en/niemr/ecologsum.php With whom I also work. We are a group of concerned scientists working to
bring the research evidence into the public domain. Other closely associated UK groups are

Www.powerwatch.org.uk
Www.es-uk.org.uk
Www.radiationresearch.org
As well as adverse effects on humans, there is evidence of damage to all life including trees, animals, birds, insects, including bees, etc German scientists have researched the effects on bees and predicted their
disappearance 10 years ago. Its not good news but we have to get the message out that business as usual
is not sustainable.

Thanks for your consideration, Sarah Wright

29th January 2008

Juniper resigns

Dear Eco,

I was sad to see your story about the resignation of Tony Juniper as Director of Friends of the Earth. He has done a great job, and he is right to speak out about the hypocrisy of politicians and pop-stars.

Best regards, Alena, Islington

29th January 2008

Feel the Pain

Dear Eco,I was interested in your feature "Feel the Pain" on Talk page 8. Where do you get the figure that we have to cut our life-styles by 80%?  We can all do our bit by recycling and changing light-bulbs but to make an 80% cut would take us back to living in caves. That said, I have really enjoyed reading Eco. Carry on the good work.

your faithfully, Colin, Nuneaton

Eco comment: The figure comes from the work of Aubrey Meyer, and his Global Commons Institute. Please see our fact sheet for further information - Contraction and Convergence

25th January 2008

Landfill Prize

Dear Eco, 

I’ve created a prize, the Landfill Prize, to name and shame the most wasteful, pointless and over-complex consumer items produced in the past 12 months. The actual prize is simply a piece of junk that I’ll try to deliver in person to the corporate winner – and publicise it in the national press next month. 

It’s at www.enoughism.co.uk (or just Google Landfill Prize). So far, it has had more than 500 individuals visiting, but I would love to get much more interest and many more suggestions.  

If you could help me by posting a story about the site, I’d be very grateful. 

With thanks in anticipation, John Naish

22nd January 2008

Well done Australia

Dear Eco,

Well done Australia for intervening to rescue the two Sea Shepherd activists from the Japanese whaler. The activists are incredibly brave, risking their lives to save whales, which are beautiful creatures. No-one seriously believes that the Japanese whaling is for scientific purposes.

best wishes, Ben, Cambridge, by email

19th January 2008

Sun Sees the Light

Dear Eco,

Your story about The Sun newspaper giving away free low-energy light bulbs is a sign of how green issues are of concern to everyone now. However until they are brave enough to call on people to give up cheap flights to foreign holidays a few light bulbs are not going to make much difference. Also, The Sun employs Jeremy Clarkson as a columnist, and he hates environmentalists.

yours, Hilary, Newbury

18th January 2008

Breeding Beavers

Dear Eco,

Great news to hear that beavers are back in Britain. Among all the doom and gloom, it is heartening to think that we may have helped rescue a species from extinction.

Best wishes, Peter, Cirencester, by email

18th January 2008

Don't be a Squanderbug

Dear Eco,

I enjoyed your "Don't be a Squanderbug" feature in the Comment section. We have a lot to learn from the older generation who lived through the Second World War, and made sacrifices. Young people today take much for granted, and it remains to be seen whether they will show the same community spirit in the face of climate change that their parents showed when Britain was under threat of invasion.

regards, Hugh, Manchester, by email

18th January 2008

Breaking out of the green ghetto

Dear Eco,

I agree with Julie. Greens do need to break out of the middle class white ghetto where most of them are to be found, and get their message across to ordinary people. If we want people to give up their cheap flights we must lead by example.

best wishes, Emma Hayes, Brighton

17th January 2008

Breaking out of the green ghetto

Dear Eco,

I have really enjoyed reading Eco, so I am sorry to have to weigh in with some criticism. It seems to me that greens are some sort of small exclusive club, willing to undertake sacrifices, and be "right-on". The problem is that we are a tiny minority, and the vast bulk of the population are carrying on as normal. Unless we carry the mass of the population with us, any little sacrifices we make are at best irrelevant. We need to reach out to the ordinary Joe in the street, to get our message across, to educate, and lead by example. We also need to reach out to minority groups and to all classes, as the environment movement seems to be almost all white, middle class people. Am I alone in thinking like this? Anyway, carry on the great work with Eco.

kind regards, Julie, Barnet

15th January 2008

Save the whales

Dear Eco,

Great to see that Greenpeace have tracked down the Japanese whalers. I cannot understand why anyone in the 21st Century could want to hunt these beautiful and rare creatures.

best wishes, Phil, Nailsworth

12th Januarry 2008

Green Councillor Arrested

Dear Eco,

Well done for covering the story of the arrest of Oxford Green Party Councillor Deborah Glass-Woodin. I think it is terrible that the Council is cutting down the trees before the outcome of a Judicial Review. What they are doing amounts to contempt of court. Hopefully even more people in Oxford will vote Green when they next get the chance.

yours faithfully, Jenny, Oxford

11th January 2008

Can't pay, won't pay

Dear Eco,

I agree with Jeremy, it is outrageous that we should have to pay for this nuclear madness. Someone should organise it so that people on a green tarrif all refuse to pay the nuclear surcharge.

Best wishes, Emma, Birmingham by email

10th January 2008

Nuked

Dear Eco,

If it is correct, as you report in your feature "Nuked", that the public will be expected to pay for the cost of nuclear decommissioning through higher electricity bills, it is surely grossly unfair that those of us who have opted to pay a green tariff for electricity produced from renewable sources, should have to pay the extra cost. The nuclear industry should pay the cost, not those of use trying to be green. I was always taught as a child that you clear up one mess before you start another game. The same rule should apply to nuclear power. Keep up the great work at "Eco".

Best regards, Jeremy, Wandsworth, by email

9th January 2008

Lead by example

Dear Eco,

I agree with Dawn, that it is sad to see the Indians go down the same route of a car-dependant society as we have, but it is cultural imperialism to suggest that they should not enjoy the luxuries we have. If we want people to go without cars we need to lead by example.

Best wishes, Wendy, Tenby

8th January 2008

Car crazy

Dear Eco,

I read with sadness and some horror your story that an Indian car manufacturer is about to unveil a £1,200 car. The Indians, with their beautiful country and proud history, seem to have learnt nothing from the mistakes of the West, and will end up with the same problems of pollution and congestion that we have, just when we are trying to persuade people to walk and cycle more.

regards, Dawn, Romsey by email

8th January 2008

Bears before oil

Dear Eco,

With regards your story "Polar bears or oil?", there isn't really a decision to make is there? Surely it is obvious that the polar bears are an endangered species with the melting of their habitat. Do we really want to get to the stage where we can only see them in zoos? Mankind has a lot to answer for.

yours faithfully, Michael, Edinburgh by email

7th January 2008

Fuel help needed

Dear Eco,

Happy New Year to everyone at Eco. This letter is a plea for help, in a week in which we have seen our electric and gas prices with Npower go up 15%, on top of oil at $100 a barrel/ over £1 a litre. Some of us are really struggling with these increases, as wages are not keeping pace with this sort of price hike. Food prices are up as well. It is time that the government started offering a lot more grants to help people wanting to instal solar panels to keep their fuel bills down, and supported better bus services so that we do not have to use our car so much.

best wishes, Alison, Stroud

5th January 2008

Computer Wars!

Dear Eco,

My family is suffering computer wars over access to our our internet connected computer! Everyone wants to get on it at the same time, for homework, shopping and general surfing. I am very reluctant to go down the route of getting a second PC connected by wireless as I have read that there are concerns about links with cancer due to the radiation. It would be good if Eco could do a feature on the health hazards posed by wireless computer links, and electromagnetic fields generally.

Louise, Doncaster

2nd January 2008

Green New Year comes to grief

Dear Eco,

Happy New Year to you and all your readers. Like many people I made a New Year Resolution to try and be more environmentally friendly. However my resolve was put to an early test this evening when I tripped over our (black) recycling bin in the dark and went headlong. I am starting a campaign for lumimous bins.

regards, Pete from Tonbridge

28th December 2007

Automobile Anonymous

Dear Eco,

Congratulations on your support for the launch of Automobile Anonymous, a great idea. Let's hope there is a lot of interest. Could the Jeremy whose heart-rending story is told, be none other than Jeremy Clarkson?! Wishful thinking perhaps!

best wishes, Debbie, Farnham

19th December 2007

A Progressive Alliance?

A progressive alliance sounds good in theory, but the Conservatives are not a progressive party. (Lib Dems reject Cameron offer for 'progressive alliance', December 17). A decentralised and fairer society is incompatible with their core belief in big-business politics and unrestrained economic growth.

David Cameron has name-checked the Green party because he knows that we are the only party with genuinely progressive credentials, and he hopes some of that might rub off on him.

If Cameron wants us to believe that the party which waged war on local autonomy throughout the 1980s and opposed devolution in the 1990s is the 21st-century party of decentralisation, it will take a lot more than a bit of flattery in a blog post. And if he thinks Thatcherite economics, cold war defence policy and Victorian prison regimes are "progressive", then his definition of the word is very different from ours.

The Tories have little credibility on the many progressive ideas and issues core to the Green creed - and Cameron's varying attempts to curry favour on these fronts inevitably fails to convince.

The Green party's experience of working alongside the Tories at any level of government - in Europe, in Scotland, on councils throughout the county - on many social and environmental issues has been one of diluted targets and delayed timetables at every turn.
Caroline Lucas MEP
Green party principal speaker
Derek Wall
Green party principal speaker

10th December 2007

Dear Eco,

In response to Perplexed of Ecoville, and his dilemma over energy efficient bulbs, I am no expert, but I have always understood that providing the bulb is used for more than 2 minutes there is a saving in energy use compared to the old incandescant bulbs, even allowing for the extra electricity that the low energy bulbs use when starting up. Perhaps there is an expert among Eco's readers that can answer this one?

Yours truly, Jane Darbyshire

8th December 2007

Let there be light - Dear Eco, 

This open letter results from the confusion that currently exists in the troubled mind of this inhabitant of Planet Earth over environmental issues. 

Matters finally come to a head in the local lighting shop.  I have been slowly replacing my light bulbs with the energy-efficient type.  Over a month or so I have added an Eco-friendly bulb to my weekly purchases at Tesco.  They are rather more expensive than the pear-shaped jobs, so when I note that the supermarket ‘value’ variety does not include what I call ‘dumpy eco-bulbs’ I decide to think again. 

My conscience starts to nag: ‘You can’t just ignore the problem. You’ve got to spend what it takes if you are to help save the planet!’ 

INSIDE THE LIGHTING SHOP

‘I hope you can help me. I’m looking for a couple of those energy-efficient bulbs, but they must be the dumpy sort, you know, not the long thin ones.’

‘OK, where do you want to use them?’

‘Well, I want ones that give the light output of the old 40W type.’

‘Are they for bedside lamps?’

‘Exactly!’

‘Do you leave them switched on for a long time?’

‘Not normally, I always switch lights off when they are not needed.’

‘Not really for reading in bed, then?’

‘No, just for allowing me to switch on and off once I’m in bed. Why?’

‘Well, you do realise that these new bulbs are essentially fluorescent!’

‘So?’

‘The energy use getting them to start is greater than the savings unless you leave them on for a long time.’ 

To save energy, I will cut the rest if the conversation.  To say that I am gobsmacked is to put it mildly.  The good lady in the shop convinces me that it is counter-productive to buy energy-saving bulbs unless you leave them on all the time.  I leave the shop with a ‘Thank you’ but without any bulbs. Why would she do that if it weren’t true?

I proceed to my next appointment. 

IN THE BARBER’S CHAIR

I raise the issue with the perfect captive audience after the usual questions about tonsorial preferences.

‘You are speaking to a serious eco-geek here.’

‘So what do you think?’  (His use of ‘geek’ puts him firmly in a generation

more in touch with current wisdom — or lack if it!)

‘You are of a generation that switches thing off when not in use.’ 

‘Well’ I do come in here in the mornings for the ‘oldies’ discount.’

‘Problem is the message is too complicated.  Fluorescent bulbs do use extra power to get them going.’

‘Do you mean, then, that we SHOULD leave lights on?’

‘Most people do.’

‘I don’t think that doing what most people do is the same as what we SHOULD do.’

‘True enough, but messages for the general public have to be simple. You can’t tell people to use ordinary bulbs if they are just going to the loo!’

‘Well, it’s either a good thing to go for the eco-friendly type or it’s not.’

‘Perhaps it depends on how long you spend in the loo. What would YOU do?

‘I would mount a campaign telling people always to switch of unwanted lights and plug the slogan: SPAGHETTI SHAPE GOOD, PEAR-SHAPE BAD!’ 

IN THE SURGERY WAITING ROOM

As luck would have it, two more oldies are waiting to see the doctor or nurse.  I hope for a common view on the subject as I open with:

‘Just look at that!  Bright sunlight streaming in and the light is left on — and an old fashioned pear-shaped job at that!’

One ignores my remark: the other looks up from his newspaper and effectively ends a conversation that has hardly begun.

‘Health and Safety I expect!’

Not exactly a burning issue with these two, then.  Is that just sarcasm or has everybody given up on common sense?  Luckily, I am called for my appointment at that moment.  Anyway, I suppose I am a bit of a freak talking to people in waiting rooms. 

Got to clear this up!  I am on the phone to the Environment Agency as soon as I get home.  Yes, I am right to switch off any appliance when not needed — and that includes light bulbs of whatever shape.  Did I also know that they many people believe that it is best to leave hot water and central-heating systems on constant rather than on a programmed timer?   They will send me some information in the post. 

If the advice is so clear cut yet ‘most people’ appear to be Leavers on rather than Switchers off, it is surely high time the Government applied its Education, Education, Education doctrine to this vital issue. 

I am off now to investigate the claim of bus and coach drivers that leaving their engines chugging away when parked is anything more than ‘what most drivers do’.  Sure, but is it a responsible practice in a world where energy conservation is so important?

Yours faithfully, Perplexed of Ecoville

25th November 2007

Climate change solution?

Dear Eco,

I found this comment whilst looking at green isues, it is from Mr Dickie Strawbridge TV's favourite moustache.

http://www.biggreenchallenge.org.uk/authors/dick-strawbridge/

quote;

The best idea I’ve seen to tackle climate change is…
I’m working with a company that has found a way of capturing CO2 emissions from internal combustion engines, which could mean that soon cars, power stations and any form of motor powered by fossil fuels won’t contribute to climate change.

If this company has achieved this as Mr Strawbridge is saying then we are looking at the next Industrial revolution as discribed by Mr Gordon Brown earlier in the week.

The comments were of this being worth Trillions to the British Economy and a million new jobs for UK workers.

Does anybody know who they are as every company in the country, nether mind the world will need their services. If Al Gore got a Nobel peace prize for a film on Climte Change, what will these guys get for actually halting it?

I look forward to reading the next issue, maybe finding out who they are?

Yours truly

Clare.

17th November 2007

Dear Eco,

 I came across your site today and immediately made it my home page. Of course reading it gave me a bit of a guilt trip despite attempting to live more sustainably than most for decades!!!  I have not flown since 1976 and environmental issues influence almost everything I do. 

Your ‘paper’ is very readable and I only wish my memory was better to retain the information.  Most of all I’m encouraged that there are many others who think like myself and glad that you are articulating our concerns.

 Best wishes,  Rob

20th October

Eco just gets better and better. It is great that the Green movement has its own newspaper.

Elaine Anselm

13th September

Well done Eco!

I have just come across your site while surfing the net, and found it brilliant, just what the green movement has needed for years. I am telling all my friends. Keep up the good work!

Jenny Taber

19th June 2007

Dear Eco -

Please could you send me 10 stickers!  I am sure others in our road and anyone I know would like to reduce the amount of rubbish we have to re-cycle!!

Keep up the good work!

Emma Woodhouse

15th June 2007

Dear Eco-Finally! I had seen stickers like these in Germany in 1991 and wished they had also been printed in English so I could have bought a few. I attempt to be very eco-friendly and am teaching my children to do the same. I would like 100 of your stickers please as I have many like-minded friends, family and neighbours. I am so glad you have taken up this gauntlet. Many thanks and good luck with this campaign.

Dawn-Marie Forrester

31st May 2007

Dear Eco - You published an idea of increasing taxes and then refunding the money to people.

Business Week, published the refund of petrol tax idea in their letters page about an article about US car/SUVs, in their 'autos' section about big cars. The suggestion is 10th response on page:

http://app.businessweek.com/UserComments/combo_review?action=all&style=wide&productId=18329&pageIndex=2

This magazine has some writers on energy matters and the environment as well.

All the best with your work.

Best regards,

Hugo van Randwyck

30th May 2007

Dear Eco -Update your carbon Offsetting article, to include www.CO2Debt.com A non profit offsetter.
Many of the websites you listed were NOT non-profit. I personaly
believe that contributing money to a business in the market of
profiting of Carbon offsets is morally wrong. CO2Debt.com is a
Non-profit group, and updating your article to include this link would
provide a good resource to your readers. Thank you for your time.
Remo

3rd April 2007

Dear Eco,   Love the web site! Well done.   can I suggest a link please. Have a look at www.passionfortheplanet.com - they are a fab green and healthy radio station. Really interesting stuff with some top tunes!   Thanks,   Susan

28th March 2007

Dear Eco,

Attached is an idea for alleviating climate change, are you interested in this sort of id