March 15th, 2010
Founded in 1992 the ELF is a national UK charity which helps people to use the law to protect and improve the local environment. Involved in the big environmental tribunals, ELF’s real work is focused mostly at a grassroots level, supporting cases involving pesticides, bypasses and waterways; it has been described as a ‘village-green preservation society, staffed by quick-thinking lawyers’.
Proud of their record for not taking on causes, their focus is purely and making environmental justice accessible to all. The Environmental Law Foundation’s network of specialist lawyers and consultants provide support, advice and guidance on all law green matters together with education, training, lectures, conferences, environmental publications and support for green policy expansion.
They appear to be doing some incredible work, check out their website at http://www.elflaw.org/site/
Tags: ELF, environmental law, Environmental Law Foundation, local environment, UK charity | Posted in Uncategorized, environment
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March 12th, 2010
March 3rd, US President Barack Obama urged congress to consider his Homestar Program to promote greener homes in the US.
Now being nicknamed “Cash for Caulkers”, the Homestar program outlines plans for a government rebate to US businesses and homeowners who refit their homes to become more energy efficient. This includes replacing windows, doors, insulation and using other resourceful materials from an approved list.
Obama believes this initiative is going to revitalise the US construction industry, creating more jobs and lowering household energy bills. It could cost $6 billion to put into place but will pay back rebates to some 3 million homeowners direct from hardware stores or contractors. The incentives are attracting attention already with promised instant payouts of up to $1500 for an upgrade and up to $3000 for a home refit.
However, this is still being discussed by congress and has not yet been passed as law, but the Homestar Coalition have put in to place some strategies to help senators and congressional representatives to see the light.
Tags: Energy Efficient, government rebate, Homeowners, Homestar, lower energy | Posted in Energy Efficient, News, Politics, Sustainable Energy, carbon emissions, environment
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March 5th, 2010
A 60 mile long iceberg, known as B9B, has smashed into the Mertz Glacier tongue in Antarctica. The Mertz Glacier is a 100-mile long tongue of ice which the B9B iceberg broke away from in 1987.
Over a period of nearly 8 weeks, the B9B iceberg approached the glacier and with tide and current slowly hammered into the tongue of ice.
On the 26th February, the Mertz Glacier tongue broke off creating a new iceberg measuring 50 miles by 25 miles. This iceberg could now disrupt weather patterns for years to come.
Both icebergs are now floating 90 miles off the northern coast in the Antarctic Continental Shelf and combined, they are weighing in at over 1000 billion tons. The Mertz Tongue Iceberg contains a year’s supply of fresh water for 1/5 of the world’s population and could potentially block the ‘bottom water’ which powers the oceans circulation system. ‘Bottom water’ is the lowest layer of ocean, cold-salt water and Antarctica produces bottom water for the South Pacific, Southern Indian Ocean, South Atlantic and portions of the North Atlantic.
Changes in these waters and currents could influence weather patterns around the world and would make Britain colder as we would not have the mild sea temperatures brought in by the Atlantic drift.
With such a mass floating in the ocean it could also reduce the amount of oxygen in the oceans jeopardising marine wildlife. Emperor penguins, bird life and seals could be under threat.
Experts say that ‘iceberg calving’- which occurs when these icebergs break off, does happen from time to time and that this occurrance is by no means a record large iceberg.
The icebergs are expected to head west along the Antarctic coastline.
Tags: Antarctic, Atlantic drift, Icebergs, Weather, weather change, weather patterns | Posted in News, Wildlife, environment, rising sea levels
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February 8th, 2010
Two years after the container ship Naopli grounded off the shores of Lyme Bay, debris continues to cause havoc to wildlife.
Small plastic pellets, known as nurdles are still to be found floating on the water. Birds interpret these as fish eggs, eat them, putting themselves in danger as obviously they are potentially fatal.
If you would like to help prevent this, come along and join the Great Dorset Beach Clean on Sunday, April 18th at 1.30pm at Kimmeridge Bay.
Tags: Great Dorset Beach Clean, Lyme Bay, Naopli wreck, Wildlife | Posted in Events, Wildlife, environment
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February 5th, 2010
If you are local to Poole, Dorset and would like to help the environment, Leisure Services are looking for volunteers to help tidy up the expansive areas of heathland.
A variety of tasks are planned for this winter including; clearing trees and plants that are taking over the nature reserves.
Families are welcome, but most of the activities are suited to those over 16. Tasks can be customised to suit adults of all ages and abilities.
If you are interested, please call Leisure Services on 01202 265265.
Tags: Dorset, Heathland, nature reserves, Poole, volunteers | Posted in Wildlife, environment
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January 31st, 2010
Chew Magna, the beautiful, traditional village in Somerset, has been labelled ‘Britain’s Greenest Village’.
Following a parish council survey, it became clear that the biggest concern of the community was the environment and as a result the Go-Zero project was initiated.
Villagers now strive towards zero-waste and buy local produce including; fruit, vegetables, venison, ice-cream, medicinal herbs and trout from Chew Valley Lake. Action groups are discussing and encouraging the inhabitants to recycle more, change their transport methods and reduce their home energy consumption. Local energy companies have even donated light bulbs which the villagers can pick up for free. Approximately 85 percent of the village now recycles, that is almost 4 times the national average.
Chew Magna have also set up a ‘carbon-offset fund’; when someone books a flight with the local travel agent, the distance travelled determines their donation to the fund, even their journey to the airport will be eco-friendly, as the village has plans to run it’s own bio-fuelled coach shuttle service.
This community have many other plans in the pipe-line including becoming a Fairtrade village, following their support for African charities. What is truly inspirational is that all this came about because the community consolidated and discussed their concerns for the environment and together they were motivated to make changes – perhaps this small idyllic rural village will be responsible for providing a template for other towns and villages in the country.
Tags: Britain’s Greenest Village, carbon off-setting, Chew Magna, environment, go-zero, Recycling | Posted in Life Change, Recycling, Sustainability, Transport, carbon emissions, environment
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January 25th, 2010
The University of Bath is undergoing a project to find environmentally friendly building materials that can be used as an alternative to the current products used within the construction industry.
A straw house came up as a viable option. Straw is not only a renewable resource, but also a farming by-product, which made it a popular choice for the researchers. It can be locally grown and absorbs carbon monoxide, therefore buildings made from straw have zero or even a negative carbon footprint. It can potentially provide such good insulation that normal heating may not be necessary, keeping running costs low and minimising environmental impact.
The construction itself has been built using prefabricated panels, consisting of wooden frames filled with straw or hemp, then rendered with a breathable lime based system.
Research into alternative building materials is important as cement contributes up to 10% of all carbon dioxide emissions. Hopefully this project, which over the year is to be monitored, will prove that straw is a sustainable building material. Let’s just hope it can withstand all the wolves huffing and puffing and trying to blow the house down!
Tags: Balehouse, Carbon Footprint, Construction, farming, renewable resource, Straw | Posted in Climate Change, Recycling, Self sufficiency, Sustainability, environment, renewable energy
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January 19th, 2010
The pretty, little Hazel Dormouse has found a new home in Backwell (Somerset), after the local community pulled together to buy a neglected piece of land called Jubilee Stone Wood and restore it to its former glory.
This small British mammal can be distinguished by its big black eyes and bushy tail. It is almost entirely nocturnal, so spotting one is a real treat.
Due to the decline in woodland habitats throughout the country, the dormouse has been under threat of extinction. But Backwell Environment Trust, a local voluntary group have now provided the Dormouse with a well-deserved and long overdue habitat.
Jubilee Stone Wood, was purchased by the group with the sole intention of turning it into a nature reserve. Once these mammals were spotted, 30 dormice boxes were provided to offer secure shelter and a place to breed and raise their young.
Backwell Environment Trust was set up by the locals when they realised that Jubilee Stone was up for sale, with painstaking commitment they have turned it into a beautiful nature reserve and are now enjoying the return of many different types of wildlife.
Tags: Backwell, Hazel Dormouse, Jubilee Stone Wood, local community, Somerset | Posted in Wildlife, environment
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January 14th, 2010
Irresponsible and unacceptable – this was how environmentalist Rebecca Lush described the building of the Weymouth Relief Road which got underway last year. The views of thousands of environmental protestors and locals were ignored, irrevocably scarring an area of natural beauty and dramatically increasing traffic, congestion and Co2 levels in the area. Even the incredible discovery of an ancient Roman burial site during clearance work, did nothing to slow the destruction process…
For more pictures and information visit the Bypass The Bypass website where you can also register your support and/or make a donation.
Tags: 2012 Olympics, Bypass the Bypass, carbon emissions, Green Olympics, Weymouth Relief Road | Posted in 2012, New Road Protests, carbon emissions, environment
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January 12th, 2010
Hard as it is to imagine, in these freezing temperatures, but the Met Office have forecast that 2010 will be a warmer year globally than 2009. Last year is being anticipated (once statistics are finalised) to be the fifth warmest on record.
Each December and January the Met Office issues a forecast of the global surface temperature for the coming year. It takes into account contributing factors such as increasing gas concentrations, the cooling influences of industrial particles, solar effects, volcanic changes and natural variations of the oceans.
Obviously, this forecast is open to change, but within the last 10 years the Met Office predictions have only had a 0.06c margin of error.
Tags: 2009, Met Office, Rising Temperatures, Weather | Posted in Climate Change, Rising Temperatures, environment
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