Great efforts are going into helping prevent further wildlife deaths with some U.S petitions. Fishermens and their families are now facing further hardships as the fish they rely on are dying in their hundreds of thousands and soon they will be told they cannot fish at all.

Join Care2 in helping gain numbers to bring about increased awareness of the growing environmental hazards from the oil spill. You too can help by signing this and using your voice to speak out for those wounded and diasbled animals and birds that cant.

Something must be done about this. Use this link to see more images: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/06/caught_in_the_oil.html

Does anyone know of any good links, charities, petitions, Anything that we can join here in the UK to make a difference to the horror that’s STILL taking place off the coast of Mexico?

Please get in touch if you do.

A huge development has been made in the preservation and saving of huge areas of forest in Canadas northern wilderness.

Greenpeace Canada and 9 environmental groups that have been protesting 21 forestry companies for decades, have agreed to stand down and call a truce for a commitment to suspend logging.
This unique truce has been named the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement (CBFA) and was reached on 18th May, in Toronto by the environmental groups and forestry companies in a bid to halt logging and road building right away on over 71 million acres of forest.

This is the very first time that the forestry industry has agreed to put any form of limit on future logging and this is an immense stop in the right direction to prevent more roads from being made and trees being destroyed.

Scientists and Greenpeace Canada spokes people believe that the soil and trees in the Canadian coniferous forest can store up to 20 billion tonnes of carbon and are critical to the survival of the endangered woodland caribou. Protection of the inhabitant woodland Caribou is essential as the population has reduced to 36,000 and defending this important resource is a vital part of fighting climate change.

The three year agreement is due to begin imminently and under the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement, FPAC members commit to the highest environmental standards of forest management and conservation, while environmental organizations commit to global recognition and support for FPAC members efforts.

Oil was pouring into the Gulf of Mexico at a rate of 5,000 barrels a day causing great concern for the coast of Louisiana and the inhabitant wildlife. Turtles, sea birds and fish are all at risk of being endangered due to the oil spill, along with the suffering of the local fishermen, oystermenand shrimpers. As well as threatening everyone and everything in Louisiana the spill could spread as far as Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

It has been called a disaster of herculean proportions and the coastguard estimates have the leak reaching 11 million gallons spilled in two months, matching that of the Exxon Valdez tanker oil spill in 1999. And the worrying numbers continue with only 1/4 of  local wildlife surviving the Exxon Valdez disaster. Increased efforts are going into developments and operations to contain the oil spill and over 4,000 volunteers are working the beaches to clean up and save the wildlife effected by this disaster.

After the disastrous effects of hurricane Katrina, the local fishermen and oystermen were just recovering from the loss of their boats, homes, oyster beds and livelihoods to now face the prospect that it is going to happen again.

Help is at hand for those greatly effected by this disaster as the NRDC (Natural Resources Defence Council) who provide legal, policy, and technical assistance to these communities in the present and in the long term have brought about the GCF (Gulf Coast Fund).  The GCF is taking direct action to address the BP oil spill and will be working with community leaders and helping to raise funds for the communities. For all information on the GCF go to www.gulfcoastfund.org

Suffering from sneezing, congestion, runny noses, headaches being caused by allergic rhinitis otherwise known as hay fever could be lasting longer due to prolonged pollen seasons on account of climate change. Doctors in Italy from the European Pollen Information Service (EPIS) have done extended research for the last six years concentrating specifically on the environmental effects of climate change on the pollen season and the amount of pollen in the air. The studies have conclusively proved that the pollen season and pollen count have progressively increased year on year.

The conclusion of the increased pollen season is said to be due to the average temperature  increasing. Warmer winters and springs due to climate change has resulted in the tree pollen season beginning earlier and has effected plant distribution over Europe allowing some non inhabitant species of allergic plants to spread.

The start of the birch tree pollen season in the UK has turned out to be earlier by five days per decade for the last 30 years. The UK has a very large percentage of its population suffering from hay fever and the European results in lengthened pollen seasons have been seen also in the UK. 25% of the UK’s population suffer from allergic rhinitis and this could now increase numbers of those allergic or heighten symptoms, increasing the burden of health, cost and working life for these sufferers.

The overall winner went to Team Kamikaze, who dressed as workmen, took on the giant Cathay Pacific billboard opposite Algate East station. They stuck up their addition of Huge Emmissions  In front of the traffic at the A11 traffic lights in the early hours of the morning before cycling away with a ladder under their arms – brilliant!

Plane Stupid have been very active and interesting campaigners recently and I have to applaud their imagination, humour and impressive dedication. However, the seriousness behind their campaigning cannot be ignored, this is very serious stuff and their new YouTube clip is a powerful reminder of this.

I would have loved to have posted it here, but it’s a very hard hitting message and I wouldn’t want to upset users. If you’re interested, visit the Polar Bear film page on the Plane Stupid website. I highly recommend it; it’s surprisingly powerful.

We have a problem. We’re flying too much, and it’s changing the earth’s climate. – Plane Stupid

However, having taken a cursory look at the impact of the grounding of all European flights, I am now beginning to think that action is needed now more than ever and perhaps striking while the iron is hot is exactly the right thing to do – any press is good press, right?

Reasons for this include:
The grounding of 63,000 flights over four days saved 1.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. That’s more than the annual emissions of many developing countries.

The carbon dioxide released by the volcanic eruption itself is dwarfed by the carbon savings generated by the grounding of all European flights.

The Environmental Transport Association estimated that by April 20th the flight ban had prevented the emission of some 2.8m tonnes of carbon dioxide since the first flights were grounded.

The aviation industry is already asking for a bail out to compensate for lost revenue (around £100 million so far). Given that the industry that has never paid fuel tax, most environmental campaigners understandably think this is a bit rich!

There is the hope that good lessons have been learnt from Mother Nature’s outburst. Firstly and most obviously, that she cannot and will not be messed with. Secondly, the world did not stop revolving because we couldn’t fly and people can and did find alternatives to air travel.

And so, the Plane Stupid Subvertising Blitz continues as planned – kicking the aviation industry whilst it’s down, but not without good reason. I shall leave you with some words of Subvertising encouragement and strong sentiments from the artist Banksy;
 
“F**k that. Any advert in a public space that gives you no choice whether you see it or not is yours. It’s yours to take, re-arrange and re-use. You can do whatever you like with it. Asking for permission is like asking to keep a rock someone just threw at your head.” Banksy

Green algae, the type found floating on the surface of ponds, rivers etc is what is know as a microalgae and it is this that has researchers and scientists excited about producing a biofuel. Getting down to the scientific facts of algae, and green algae in particular, it has a very high percentage of lipids and oils and is made up of many tiny organisms. These organisms are capable of photosynthesis making the process and green algae an exciting move towards a future of sustainable resources.

The microalgae, not to be confused with macroalgae which is seaweed, can double their overall mass over several times in a day and can produce 15 times more oil per acre than any other alternative.  The green algae is producing results off the charts making the current fuels rapeseed, palm and soybean seem dated. Another bonus of the algae production is that there can be a daily collection of the mature algae (this is the top layer that is separated away and accumulated), compared to the crops of soy or corn that can only be harvested yearly.

A following task of adding ethanol to the algae will make a suitable bio diesel and any remaining waste can be developed into a high-protein animal feed. From pond to engine there is no wastage and is very time and energy efficient. This process has already been tried, tested and approved in Florida and there is now plans for a 100,000 gallon pilot plant due to open this year in Okeechobee.

The housing project application is said to be for 450 student flats and 378 homes and is to sit alongside the heathlands in Poole. A protest has been lodged to the Poole Borough Council and they along with other Dorset councils have committed to safeguard the heaths from any residential development within 400 metres, under a planning framework.

The RSPB have fears that this huge development will do a lot of damage to the unique wildlife that live on the heath. It is going to cause a huge disturbance and put immense pressure on the heathlands and the inhabitants it supports like the Dartford Warblers and the rare sand lizards. Not only is it going to have an enormous effect on the heathlands and wildlife, this development is only going to add to the already traffic congested Wallisdown Road. 

Talbot heath is not only a protected site, has countless statutory designations being named a UK site of special scientific interest, European special protection area and special area of conservation it is also a wetland site of international importance under the RAMSAR convention.

The RSPB are standing alongside the local residents, Natural England and Dorset Wildlife Trust who are all against these housing plans.

Tidal Turbine