August 5th, 2010
A local Dorset villager has taken increased heavy traffic matters into his own hands, literally.
77 year old local man Tony Fuller from Chideock in Dorset, is single handedly putting a stop to the articulated trucks and lorries that thunder through his village.
Tony and a group of local residents have come together to campaign for a bypass that was rejected back in 1990. The group take stand at a newly placed pedestrian crossing in the village where they take it in turns to press the pedestrian button, halting traffic, so they can walk across the road displaying their banners for “Re-Route large Lorries”.
The protesting button pressing has taken up to 45 minutes causing up to 7 miles of tailbacks. The small inconvenience of delayed traffic is no comparrision to the 24/7 inconvenience that the villagers experience on a daily basis. The huge trucks hammer down the A35 road through Chideock causing noise, pollution and shaking the houses to their foundations.
A major concern of the traffic is for the villagers safety. The pedestrian crossing is a very recent addition to the village and there are no barriers and very little pavement. Tony is calling for the re-instatement of the bypass project and for all lorries over 7.5 tonnes to be re-routed using the A303.
The work Tony and the local residents are doing has come under fire and is met with mixed feelings. The traffic delays and disruption to the flow of traffic has been ongoing and the group have vowed to continue their stand until something is done.
There are many who are against the plans for new roads to be made and further disruption of the countryside but in a case liek this a new road or the re-routing of heavy traffic should be considered to preserve the Dorset villages.
Tags: bypass appeal, protesting | Posted in News, Protest Marches
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June 28th, 2010
Freedom of speech and freewill was the agenda of the 1,000 plus protesters who marched through the streets of Toronto to protest the gathering of the G20 summit.
The 2010 Toronto summit is the fourth meeting of the G20 talks, where heads of government discuss global, environmental, financial and economical issues. The theme of the Toronto summit was Recovery and New Beginnings, which refers to the state the world is in financially, the recession and ways to tackle the economic financial crisis.
Some reports have shown that the protests were mostly peaceful with not one person being seriously injured. However there are several other reports that have the protester numbers exceeding 5,000 with many getting extremely violent and leading to the arrests of over 500 protesters.
Before marches were due to start, protesters met in a near by park, but were disturbed by the police who searched and handed out warnings. It has been said that the police also raided a university building, rounding up more protesters in, it was said, an effort to suppress any further violence.
Tags: financial crisis, G20 summit, peaceful protests, Protest Marches, protesting in Canada, recession | Posted in News, Politics, Protest Marches
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June 21st, 2010
There has been a lot of press recently concerning the UK wind farms and the need for more wind turbines in the aim to tackle global warming and to increase the use of green energy.
Harnessing the winds power can and does ganerate a huge amount of useable energy. However, it has now been reported that there could be an overload of energy onto the National Grid if it gets too windy.
Too windy? Surely, this would be a good condition considering how unstable and infrequent the weather can be. To store up lots of wind-generate electricity cant harm us can it? Apparently, according to those at the National grid, too much wind and too much wind-generated electricity is not a good thing.
Owners of wind farms are now going to be awarded a payment to switch off thier turbines if it does become ‘too windy’. This seems all well and good in the grand scheme of helping the country to use more sustainable energy sources but this payment to the wind farm owners is going to come from the tax payers.
The National Grid is constantly working to match the need for electricity with supply and this can often be determined by weather predictions and TV schedules. Plant failures and erratic weather changes are also a factor when the National Grid juggles electricity use across the nation. They feel that the balance between using the wind famrs and deciding to turn them off in adverse weather conditions will prevent the network from being overloaded.
Tags: Global Warming, green energy, national grid, renewable energy, Sustainable Energy, wind farms, wind power, Wind Turbines | Posted in Energy Efficient, News, Sustainable Energy, renewable energy
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June 17th, 2010
With the disaster that is currently happening in the gulf coast to the waters, fish, sealife and beaches, it is a great move forward in the protection of the world’s seas and oceans with the new initiative Green Blue.
The Green Blue is the joint environment initiative created by the British Marine Federation(BMF) and Royal Yachting Association(RYA) for anyone whose livlihoods depends on the oceans or for anyone who loves to be out, on or in the water. Boat users, boating businesses, sailing clubs and training centres are given information and help to reduce their impact on coastal and inland waters.
The Green Blue projects aims are to raises awareness, conduct scientific research, identify environmentally friendly products and offer the best practice advice to anyone keeen to make boating in the UK as sustainable as possible. The project will cover a wide variety of topics from waste management, fuel efficiency and marine paints to effects on wildlife and efficiency resources on board boats.
Projects withing the Green Blue programme are taking place across the country and are already making a difference to the nations surrounding seas. For full information on the Green Blue project visit http://www.thegreenblue.org.uk/
Tags: BMF, British Marine Federation, environmentally friendly products, fuel efficiency, Green Blue, rescource efficiency, Royal Yachting Association, RYA, waste management | Posted in News, Self sufficiency
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June 10th, 2010
This month is Recycling Week from 21st to 27th June. Recycling and composting are the aims of the week and getting as many people as possible involved in the nation-wide project.
The recycling awareness week is being backed by everyone’s favourite M&S, Innocent Smoothies, ASDA, Royal Mail, Tesco and the British Heart Foundation. We are not just talking about the bog-standard plastic, glass, paper and cardboard, this week is promoting the awareness of recycling and how much of your household items can be used again. Don’t forget those unwanted CD’s, light bulbs, printer cartridges, video tapes, bicycles and even beds that can be recycled. You can find out about many,many other items that can be recycled by going to RECYCLE NOW.
Schools and businessess across the nation are getting invovled and recycling as much as they can through the Recycle Now initiative. The Recycle Now website offers advice, tips, explains some of the jargon and recycling symbols and 4 easy steps to start recycling today!
Tags: composting, recycle, recycle now, recycle week, Recycling, recycling awareness | Posted in News, Recycling, education
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June 7th, 2010
There are several sites and petitions now being put in place to help aid and bring awareness to the magnitude of damage that is affecting the wildlife of the Gulf of Mexico.
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.
Tags: BP Oil Spill, Gulf of mexico, petitions, protest sites, Wildlife | Posted in Life Change, News, Wildlife, environment
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June 3rd, 2010
It has been released in a new report that China have pushed their way to the top of the leader board for renewable energy, replacing the U. S as the number country investing the most towards renewable technology. Moving into the top spot, China is being named as a new clean tech superpower.
For the first time the United States have been replaced at the top spot and have moved down the table below the UK, Germany and France. The new report put together by the non-profit organisation The Pew Charitable Trusts was published recently and is a detailed league table of investments in low-carbon energy among the G-20.
The table, cataloging 2009 clean energy data, shows China investing almost twice as much as the U. S. However, the U. S are still leading the way in energy capacity, and dont rule out the UK! We, as a nation are right up there on podium, showing that we can contribute with the larger countries to really make a difference. The UK are 3rd in the overall results for clean energy investments, 4th in the 5 year clean energy investment growth rate and 5th in the percentage of total power it receives from clean energy sources ahead of France, China and the United States.
This report shows that not only the big guns are really trying to put something back and help towards finding some new and renewable solutions.
Tags: clean energy, energy, low carbon, renewable energy, renewable energy sources, renewable technology | Posted in News, Sustainable Energy, renewable energy
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May 13th, 2010
April 20th saw BP’s Deep water Horizon oil rig explode off the coast of Louisiana loosing 11 workers and spilling thousands of tonnes of oil into the gulf. BP have taken full responsibility for the disaster and have approached the response in military operation fashion. Having said that, this disaster is going to effect so many thousands of people and wildlife who may not recover from this.
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
Tags: BP, Deepwater Horizon Rig, endangered wildlife, Exxon Valdez, GCF, Gulf of mexico, NRDC, Oil Spill Disaster | Posted in News, Wildlife, environment
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April 30th, 2010
This month saw the launch of the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme. Formally known as The Carbon Reduction Commitment Scheme, it is the UK’s mandatory climate change and energy saving initiative.
This scheme has been specifically designed to hit the top senior levels of large organisations to educate and bring awareness to the growing improvements to reduce energy use and therefore cutting back on carbon emissions. These targeted carbon emissions are separate to those already covered by climate change agreements and the EU emissions trading scheme.
For those wanting to participate and join the CRC the scheme is going to be run as a ‘cap and trade’ directive and will provide financial incentives to reduce carbon emissions from energy use. Based on annual emissions, there will be allowances for each organisation which can be purchased, and on reducing the emission there funds get directly recycled back into the organisations.
Already in partnership with the Scottish Government, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Department of Environment Northern Ireland, this newly named scheme is going to influence around 20,000 UK public and private sector organisations who are responsible for around 10% of the UK’s emissions.
As the scheme moves forward the registration for organisations to join is now open. Click HERE to find out what the scheme is going to achieve and how you can be part of it.
Tags: carbon emissions, carbon reduction commitment, Climate Change, CRC energy efficiency scheme, energy, energy efficiency | Posted in Energy Efficient, News, carbon emissions
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April 16th, 2010
Dorset county council recently put in planning permission to have a new £2million recycling centrebuilt in Swanage. It has now been confirmed that the planning has been given the go-ahead and building is due to start this summer.
It is going to be the first of its kind to allow both household and small to medium business recycling waste to be deposited at the same site. An estimated 3,000 tonnes of household and trade waste per year will go through this new centre.
Local households and businesses are going to benefit from the modern, clean, efficient and enhanced recycling facilities at the new centre. The aims for this site will not only encourage more people to recycle but will help Dorset to reach their target to recycle 60% of waste by 2015. It will be money well spent for the local people of Swanage and the local area as they will have a clean and reliable site to go to with their recycling waste and therefore sending less to landfill.
The existing recycling site at Panorama Road, Swanage has been labelled as unsuitable for long-term use and is a very small site making it difficult for trucks to unload. The original site is due to stay open until December 2011, allowing for the purpose built recycling centre (pic above) to be completed at Prospect Business Park, off Victoria Avenue. Expected opening to the public is Autumn 2011.
Tags: Dorset County Council, efficient recycling, Recycling, Recycling Centre, trade recycling | Posted in Local Councils, News, Recycling
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