The competition to find the most expensive local UK bus journey launched by Campaign for Better Transport concludes tomorrow.
For last minute entries visit the Campaign for Better Transport website, www.bettertransport.org.uk or email journey details (distance travelled or time taken or destinations served), and cost, along with your name and email address to campaigns@bettertransport.org.uk.
Campaign for Better Transport hopes to shame the Government into bringing down fares by investing more in buses. The person who submits the most expensive journey will win a £50 voucher.
Sarah Matthews, a campaigner in the group, said,
“More people would travel by bus if it were cheaper. Higher bus use would reduce traffic, making it easier for us to get around, and be better for the environment. Affordable buses are also a lifeline for many people, making it possible for them to get to work, the shops, the GP and other services.”
St Osmund’s Middle School in Dorchester is proud to be the first school in the South West region to have a wood fuel boiler fitted.
After the schools two 233KW gas boilers broke down it was time to consider an alternative. With the assistance from the Energy Team at Dorset County Council and the South West Bioheat Programme a renewable energy boiler was installed which is equipped to supply and meet all the energy needs of the school.
A biomass boiler uses wood fuel from sustainably managed woodland, biodegradable crops, wastes and residues. The head teacher is delighted as it will save costs in the long term, reduce carbon emissions and teach the children about alternative fuels.
St Osmund’s regard themselves as trailblazers as they are the first Dorset school to have a woodchip biomass boiler installed. The project has consolidated their position within ‘Eco Schools’, which is an award scheme where schools compete to achieve a high ranking in terms of their sustainability.
The south west currently has 30 MW of biomass heat installed, the highest number of biomass boilers in England and the second largest amount of woodland resources after the south east, which makes it ideally placed to grow this sector of renewable energy. Definitely something to be encouraged!
There is public outrage in Poole, Dorset as cyclists feel they are being victimised.
Many residents cycle along the promenade at Sandbanks, not only because they care about the environment, want to stay fit and healthy, but purely for pleasure and now Bournemouth Council have seen fit to introduce the draconian, patronising and anti-environmental measure of using speed cameras!
In this day and age would it not be far more responsible for our councils to encourage this form of environmentally friendly commuting and find some sort of compromise rather that alienating the cyclists?
A plan to build six giant wind turbines in Silton the picturesque village near Gillingham, Dorset has been rejected.
Most people accept that there is a pressing need to find alternative sources of energy. However, when it’s on their doorstep, potentially blocking their view, it’s a whole different story!
When are we going to recognise the true gravity of both the global warming crisis and the decline in oil production?
Surely we should be striving to find solutions? The widespread opposition to wind farms is fundamentally down to their appearance, though other half-baked, inaccurate arguments are often deployed.
Let’s hope that the next application, wherever it may be, is better received and that we will have the sense and foresight to put necessity before the narrow-minded, self-centred view of a few people!
July 17th saw four firefighters from Poole, Dorset tackle a gruelling 24-hour paddle around Brownsea Island to raise money for brain injury charity Headway.
The challenge is lead by Steve Crooks who got involved with Headway after his son Lee, died from suffering terrible head injuries in a car crash in 2001.
Congratulations to the Bournemouth Oceanarium where they are delighted to have successfully bred in captivity 2 Spiny Tailed Lizards. It is their first success after setting up the breeding programme in 2003, when the lizards were rescued after being illegally imported.
The lizards hatched during Wimbledon week, leading the staff to name them Andy and Murray. Spiny tailed lizards have a unique orange pigmentation, so naturally the parents of Andy and Murray are affectionately known as Peter and Jordan!
It has been one year since the biofuel eco-boat Earthrace won the round-the-world powerboat speed record. The previous record holder was conventionally fuelled Cable and Wireless Adventurer. Incredibly Earthrace took almost two weeks off their time.
The trimaran set off from Sagunto, Spain on 27th April 2008, travelling 23.497 nautical miles. It was fuelled entirely by 100% biofuel and took 60 days and 49 minutes to cross the finishing line back in Spain.
We all know the arguments against using biofuels: devastation of rainforest and wildlife rich wilderness areas, so in the interest of clarity, be assured that the fuel was derived from waste cooking oils or canola oil grown in Europe.
Peter Bethune, skipper and founder of Earthrace showed that it is possible for a marine craft fuelled on biofuels alone, to travel faster and more efficiently across the world’s oceans, than any vessel using conventional fuels.
Surely it time for global governments to start investing in funding further research into alternative and sustainable fuel production together with serious legislation that will limit the damage caused by conventional fuels?
Solar power has become more widespread over the past few years and here are the reasons why:
All our energy comes from the sun. The sun drives the weather systems that turn wind turbines and the water cycle, which power hydroelectric stations. Oil, coal and gas are the remnants of plants that grew thanks to photosynthesis. Generally, people refer to ‘solar energy’ as the technology that allows us to generate power from the sun.
Solar energy basically falls into two categories: solar photovoltaic, for generating electricity and thermal solar, for generating heat.
Solar photovoltaic are the panels that convert sunlight directly into electricity. They are located on the roofs of homes and offices at an installation cost of between £10,000 – £15,000.
Thermal solar panels capture the warmth of the sunlight and use it to heat water. Installation costs around £4,000 and cuts household emissions by around 8%.
Solar technology currently provides only a small proportion of the world’s electricity and heating energy. Hopefully this will change as the panels become cheaper and less energy-intensive to produce therefore becoming affordable as well as more environmentally beneficial.
