The 2010 Winter Olympics kick off today, in Vancouver, Canada and unfortunately during the mildest Canadian January on record since 1937.
Whilst organisers resort to desperate measures, trucking in tonnes of snow and straw to pack-out the slopes, there are already whispers as to whether the freak change in the weather is pointing to something more serious that a disruption to the ski season.
The very real jeopardy of a favoured recreational activity it seems is enough to bring Climate Change to the forefront of people’s minds. It is frustrating, that after all the dire warnings and devastating climatic events already taking place around the world; raising sea levels, tidal waves, flooding etc… it takes a treat to our right to strap flat objects to our feet and slide downhill in cold weather, to really put the frighteners on us. But if it works and prompts any kind of positive action, then who are we to question to motives behind it?
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.
The conference provided a program on the first global agreement to limit and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, support adaptation for the most vulnerable and help establish environmentally sustainable growth.
Countries have agreed to limit global temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius. Developed countries are implementing targets for greenhouse gas emissions and financially supporting the developing countries.
Also, the most vulnerable will be identified and protected – taught to adapt to the changes brought on by global warming. In addition, discussions regarding the subject of reducing carbon emissions due to deforestation were initiated.
After 2 years of negotiations leading up to this UN Copenhagen conference, the above all appears rather vague and in fact a spokesperson from Greenpeace has been quoted as saying, ‘It’s so weak as to be meaningless’. Not quite the positive, inspirational outcome we were hoping for.
The UN Climate Change Conference was always going to be controversial and yesterdays disturbances have certainly come as no surprise. With news of demonstrators arrested and cars set on fire we can be forgiven for thinking things of already gotten out of hand. However, when reports confirm that one man was hurt by a stone and another injured by a firework you can’t help feeling that there’s more damage done on an average Friday night out. Therefore, nearly 1,000 arrests under contentious anti-hooligan laws seem somewhat excessive.
With tens of thousands of peaceful demonstrators flooding into Copenhagen, it can clearly only be a highly impassioned, more violent minority who are causing the trouble. Obviously this can’t be helping, but then people do feel incredibly strongly on this issue and with so much riding on Copenhagen it’s understandable that frustration levels are risings.
There seems to be mixed reactions to yesterday’s events with many people feeling that all the fuss in the news is purely a distraction from the real issues. There is also a school of thought that far more harmful to the climate struggle than the demonstrators, are secret closed door negotiations and the false hope the conference is giving, especially given the high profile delegates, without any actual definitive action agreed upon as yet. The conference continues until next Friday 18th December.
The major supplier of EV’s is a Danish company called Better Place, it is strategically located and now joined in partnership with the Danish government, just in time for the Worldwide Summit for Climate Change, which is to be held in Copenhagen, this December.
As EV’s are expected to be at the forefront of personal transportation within the next ten years, it’s not surprising that nearly every major car manufacturer has a program to develop these cars. Better Place is currently working with the Renault-Nissan Alliance and in talks with other car makers worldwide. They are en route to be a front runner in the introduction of EV’s as the future of global personal road transportation.
Electric Vehicles have instant torque and provide a smooth quiet drive. As they have half the moving parts of traditional cars there is less to go wrong, so cheaper maintenance costs are anticipated. Typically, the battery lasts for up to 100 miles and takes between 4 to 8 hours to recharge – so ideal for around town driving and to and from work (if you are not a travelling salesman, or the like, obviously), the car can then be recharged in the garage overnight. However, there will be charging posts at car parks and workplaces for those who tend to drive a little further afield, allowing them to top-up while the driver goes about their daily business. For journeys over 100 miles there will be easily accessible ‘switching stations’, which will enable the battery to be changed in less time and with less fuss than refuelling a normal car.
As these vehicles evolve, within a decade the majority of us could be driving EV’s! It really is an inspirational concept.
Following the diary posting on Greenmomentum for 24th October – International Day of Climate Action, I urge you to check out the 350.org website. The photographs are truly awesome and inspiring
Halloween is fast approaching, so why not keep it green and keep it cheap? Give the ghouls and ghosts an energy saving, healthy treat by:
Making your own sweets
Grape lollies – take a bunch of loose grapes, rinse them (dip them in sugar, if you must) and put them in the freezer for an hour or so.
Choc fruits – dip strawberries, raspberries and satsuma segments in melted chocolate and set in the fridge.
Ensuring you have no-waste pumpkins
Separate the flesh and seeds as you go and use the flesh to make a warming winter soup or pumpkin pie.
The pumpkin seeds can either be roasted or eaten raw as a light snack. -After Halloween, put your hollowed out pumpkin lanterns on the compost heap so they can be later used to fertilize your garden.
Creating your own costumes
Collect old rags, rip them up into strips, dye them black if desired and pin onto conventional clothes.
Make witches/wizards dresses and capes out of black bin liners
Make monster masks from papier-mâché.
Make scary ‘hands’ by padding out latex gloves.
Use old pillowcases to collect ‘treats’ – dye it with the rags or decorate with felt-tips.
Creating a Gloomy Glow
Switch off the lights and fill the house with candles.
Torches – when out and about use ones with rechargeable batteries or the wind-up versions.
Car Sharing
Share the fuel, hassle and expense by all bundling into one car on way to your trick or treat venue.
Recycling Take a bin liner with you to collect up all the ‘treat’ wrappers. Recycle what you can on your return.
Closing Doors
When Trick or Treaters appear, close the front door behind you to conserve energy
Spurred on by the recent success of the Great Climate swoopers? Then next stop Copenhagen…
From 7th to 18th December, a climate summit will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark. This event is billed as the ‘largest ever to be held’ and ‘our last best hope’. Frustrated by the lack of progress Plane Stupid and their cohorts intend to make an appearance and their feelings known!
The intention is to take over the summit on December 16th and have their say, transforming the conference into a ‘Peoples Summit for Climate Justice’.
Since talks began 15 years ago there has been no evidence of a reduction in greenhouse gasses and emissions continue to steadily rise. So more of the same type of promises regurgitating out of Copenhagen simply aren’t going to have any credence – seen and heard it all before and more to the point, they just don’t work!
Environmentalists believe alternative changes should be made, such as:
• No fossil fuels
• Community control of resources
• relocalising food production
• reducing over consumption
• recognising and dealing with ecological and climate debt
• respecting indigenous and forest peoples’ rights
Why are these alternatives so impossible for the summit to consider, when they appear so potentially achievable? It’s time to change the system not the climate!
Further to the posting on 24th September 2009, we can report that the Great Climate Swoop protest at Ratcliffe went ahead on 19th October as planned and has been hailed as a ‘massive success’!
The Ratcliffe coal-fired power station in Nottinghamshire was the target for the environmental activists. The protesters gathered at various points on Saturday morning, broke through a perimeter fence within 5 minutes and swooped into the power plant in separate groups, thus achieving their aim.
About 300 protesters were present and police have confirmed reports that there were 3 people injured and that 50 arrests were made.
Demonstrators who were involved in the The Great Climate Swoop included supporters from; Climate Rush, Plane Stupid and Camp for Action. Their overall mission is to show that coal has no future and to take action, when and where possible, on issues climate change.
Team Green Britain is an online organisation which encourages people to join and participate in making Britain greener.
Currently their focus is on the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. They intend to show the world that Britain is winning the war against climate change.
Team Green Britain is supported by EDF Energy, The Eden Project, London 2012 and Global Action Plan.
The general idea is for everyone to get involved, even if it is only in a very small way, for example; being more aware of carbon footprints, switching off lights, appliances etc… and understanding that with a very small, but continual effort, a difference can be made. Then and very importantly, passing this message on to friends, relatives, neighbours and colleagues. Small steps maybe, but slowly spreading this message will hopefully educate people and social groups, bringing with it a sense of ‘community’ and the joint desire to improve the environment.
This approach may initially appear naïve, but imagine the impact if thousands upon thousands joined in, purely by word of mouth! Click Here to find out more
