Earth Essentials News

The Green Issue Feb 2011

2011-02-11T15:55:00.005Z

We've been really busy at Earth Essentials over the last few months.

A new brochure is on it's way very soon with some great new products - including our popular Dog Poo Wormery - It's perfect for all breeds of dogs and solves the pesky problem of what to do with dog waste - it even has it's own website: www.dogpoowormery.com - dog owners, vets, kennels, breeders should have a look!

So it's a new year, maybe you've joined a gym? Drinking bottled water at the gym or at home just to keep healthy? Read on for our bottled water article:

When thirst hits you where is your first port of call? Is it your tap, which as we are extremely fortunate supplies us with clean, palatable and fresh water? Or do you reach in your fridge and pull out a bottle of water purchased from a store? If you are someone who does the latter then you are not alone; the bottled water sector in Britain alone is worth a staggering £2bn a year.
So what is it that entices the UK population to spend their hard earned money on bottled water when studies show that the tap water in the United Kingdom is among the safest and purest in the world? The answer not only lies with the tastes of the general public, but also with the advertising moguls who sell bottled water as the key to health and wellbeing.

Buying bottled water is not only about taste, but also about status. As consumers we are sold an image that relates to those people who are buying bottled water and also, due to the elevated cost of this product, it also signifies that those who buy it have a high level of disposable income. When asked people also stated that they purchased bottled water as they believed the health benefits outweigh, and greatly exceed, those of the water available direct in to their homes.
Not only are approximately two billion litres of bottled water sold every year in the UK, this figure is also growing at an alarming rate of nine percent every year; making it one of the fastest growing industries in the United Kingdom with bottled water accounting for sixteen percent of all soft drinks sold. This is ridiculous when, at a pound a litre, this product is nearly as expensive as petrol and the same amount of money could buy thousands of litres of tap water.

People, though, are free to make informed choices about how they spend their money and if bottled water is a luxury they can afford and choose to buy then surely there is no harm in that? Well, this is not the case. Bottled water has a significant negative impact on the environment, and people’s choices on this matter affect the world in which we all live.

The issues that make bottled water so detrimental to the environment are manifold; it is not a case that the bottles in which the water is stored but extra strain on our already overloaded landfill infrastructure. Although this is an issue, there are also issues regarding where the water is sourced, how it is transported as well as the materials and processes involved in packaging the water itself.

In order to meet demand for the vast quantity of bottled water drunk by British consumers billions of plastic bottles are needed; these are plastic bottles that are produced from by-products of crude oil, otherwise known as PET (polyethylene terephthalate) of which during the manufacturing of these products toxic greenhouse gases are released in to the atmosphere significantly contributing to global warming.

The manufacturing of these products is not the only negative aspect from an environmental perspective with regards to the packaging of water. Once the water within the bottles has been drunk there are then billions of empty containers that need to be disposed of. Whilst the vast majority of the vestibules used to carry the water are, in fact, recyclable whether or not people choose to recycle the used bottles is a different issue entirely, as it is estimated only ten percent of these bottles are recycled. If these bottles are not recycled they are yet another unnecessary item that is put in to the ever diminishing landfill sites around the country, where they take approximately four hundred and fifty years to break down.

With devastating consequences for the environment, Britain imports approximately twenty five per cent of its bottled water, the majority of which comes from France. The transportation itself of this vast quantity of bottled water comes with its own environmental penalty; a figure that has recently been attributed to this is 33,200 tons of Carbon Dioxide emissions, which is equivalent to that generated by 6,000 homes. This transportation of bottled water around the globe requires the burning of copious amounts of fossil fuel which releases vast amounts of pollutants and greenhouse gases in to the atmosphere, as well as using up a resource that is becoming increasingly scarce.

All these negative environmental consequences are entirely avoidable if only more people chose to drink the safe, fresh and clean water that is readily available to them within their homes; provided to them through an energy efficient infrastructure for a fraction of the cost of the high carbon footprint bottled water. Yet people still make the choice to buy bottled water at an inflated price for reasons such as supposed health benefits as well as personal preferences when it comes to the taste of the water that they are drinking.

The Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management states on its website that “the branding and bottling of water where there already exists a wholesome and safe supply cannot be seen as a sustainable use of natural resources, and adds to the overall levels of waste and pollution to be managed in modern society”, in other words the bottling of something of which we already have perfectly well on tap is a waste of resources and is completely unnecessary. The website also maintains that the perception that bottled waters are purer and healthier than water from the tap is completely unfounded, and urges people to choose tap over the hyped up, heavily marketed, bottled water that is available.

When trying to persuade people to choose tap water we are fighting huge commercial giants and it is an uphill struggle to get people to realise that there is actually very little difference between water that comes from bottles or the tap. Changing mindsets that have been created through years of clever marketing exercises is an extremely difficult task.

It would seem that all we can do is provide people with the relevant information about the questionable health benefits and the stringent tests that tap water goes through before reaching our homes, as well as the devastating environmental damage that bottle water causes. Once people have all the real facts and information it is up to them to decide if the benefits of drinking bottled water outweigh the damage it does to the world around us. I, for one, would much rather pour my money down the drain than in to the pockets of a giant corporation who is telling me to drink their product despite them knowing the environmental damage it causes.

We will also be exhibiting at Crufts 2011. Don't forget to visit www.earth-essentials.co.uk for some great new products.
Many thanks,
The Earth Essentials Team

The Power of Worms

2010-05-14T16:42:00.006+01:00

Did you know that a Tonne of these worms can eat a tonne of green and kitchen waste in 1 – 4 days!!!! Not a lot of people know that. They basically can eat their own body weight in this time, Imagine a human of 60 kg (10 Stone) doing that!!!!

There are hundreds of thousands of species of worms and about 2,700 are earth worms. Earth worms have been around for 120 million years! That’s quite a long time, they were even around when the dinosaurs were here!

Dendrobaena worms are native to the UK. They live in the top 2-10 cm of the soil and have a good and varied diet, thus why they are favourite for wormeries.

Vermicomposting refers to the process of using earthworms to turn organic waste into vermicompost - also known as vermicast, worm compost, worm castings, worm humus or worm manure - a high quality natural fertiliser and soil conditioner.

Green by Nature’s Black Gold worm castings or worm compost are an organic, vermicast fertiliser produced naturally by earthworms. This high quality plant food will boost all your plants and grass, PLUS, there is no need to use chemical fertilisers on your soil.

Produce stronger plants that live longer!
Vermicast is environmentally safe for all your plants, animals and humans
Excellent for your houseplants, vegetables, shrubs and trees, lawns and landscaping!
SAVE MONEY - Use less fertiliser with your plants

You really should try Black Gold today - As we are currently offering a 100% MONEY BACK GUARANTEE - you can't miss out!

Visit: www.earth-essentials.co.uk and see the difference.

Dog owners - Do you need to dispose of dog poo in a safe and convenient manner?

Well you are in luck! SAVE 30% OFF our Dog Poo Wormeries in May:

Our dog poo wormery enables dog owners to dispose of their dog's waste. It contains a selection of our specially bred worms which will take care of the waste and turn it into a useful compost which should be buried safely within your garden. No smells, no hassle - Don't miss out.

Recycling at it's best! Visit: www.earth-essentials.co.uk

The Green Issue 39

2010-02-16T10:58:00.005Z

A Renewed Enthusiasm?

The Climate Change talks in Copenhagen have undoubtedly created a renewed enthusiasm and passion in climate change enthusiasts. At the same time, however, the climate change sceptics have gathered force and are hot on the heels of climate change campaigners with talk of conspiracies and government cover-ups. Despite calls from the sceptic camp climate change discussions seem to be greeted with an immense enthusiasm by both politicians and the general public alike; not a day goes by without the broadsheets running pages of environmental stories and Copenhagen coverage is at an all time high.

What does all this mean for us as the public though?

World leaders are more committed than ever to reducing emissions and helping developing countries to do the same. This will have an impact on the lives of all residents within the developed world; as any agreements reached will have both a fiscal and physical impact on the way we all lead our lives.

As developed countries pledge to reduce emissions by 2020 we are bound to see an increased amount of renewable energy supplies and alternatives to traditional fossil fuels.

This means many of us may now be faced with the prospect of wind turbines, or nuclear power stations, close to our homes. This means that many of us who consider ourselves to be 'environmentally friendly' will have to address any "not on our doorstep" views we have with regards to alternative energy sources.

Many people see the benefits in an increased amount of our electricity coming from renewable energy sources, but many people also take significant issue, for example, with wind turbines being built near their homes. There is a significant stigma attached to wind turbines and many people feel extremely passionately about them being built in their vicinity. It is an issue where there is very much a "not in our back yard" mentality.

The enthusiasm that has swept through the media and the public with news of Copenhagen is the perfect opportunity for peoples' views to change with regards to their proximity to alternative energy suppliers. And whilst this is, obviously, a prime necessity in our battle to reduce our carbon emissions, it is also necessary for the government to explore avenues of renewable energy generation that do not upset the general public and have no impact on house prices and the British
landscape.

We have explored many possible sources of alternative energy previously in The Green Issue and will do so again in the future. Wind, tidal and wave power are all areas in which significant government finance would enable great forward strides in technology that will enable an increasingly higher percentage of our energy to come from renewable sources; as well as making our country more energy self-sufficient.

But in order to increase the amount of energy coming from renewable sources it is necessary for the general public to change their perceptions and become more receptive to the idea that renewable energy sources will slowly fill our landscape; and perhaps even to see this as a positive step.

Personally I find something extremely therapeutic, and most certainly beautiful, in the movement of wind turbines. A change in mindset of the majority of the British public would make the shift to renewable energy significantly easier; and it is a transition that must happen if we are not only to meet carbon emission aims, but also of we hope to preserve the planet for our children, and our children's children.

A Natural Solution to Our Energy Crisis

Politicians, environmentalist and the general public alike are all looking for ways to reduce carbon emissions with a bid to stopping global warming. One of the biggest problems we face in this quest is the ability to produce, capture and utilise green energy. Now, there are many alternative, green, forms of electricity available; be it wind power, solar power or many of the other sources of green electricity that are being developed. Up until now, however, there has been little said about the possibility for green gas. Until one company, Ecotricity, came up with a big idea to turn our gas supplies from brown, to green.

Whilst many people are aware of environmentally friendly ways of producing electricity, many of which we have previously explored in The Green Issue, gas has always been something for which there appeared to be no 'green' resolution. And with natural gas supplies decreasing at an alarming rate, and the pollutants emitted by the burning of gas contributing to global warming, the need for a suitable, sustainable and renewable alternative is startlingly apparent.

In an incredible stroke of green thinking, Ecotricity have developed (and are rolling out) a way of not only supplying our homes with green gas, but the way in which this gas is produced also helps solves another major environmental issue we face: the amount of food waste that we send to landfill.

Every year, we Britons dispose of approximately 18 million tonnes of food waste each year. Currently, the vast majority of this waste is sent to our ever depleting landfill sites, where it not only fills our valuable countryside but also releases harmful greenhouse gases, such as methane and carbon dioxide, as it decomposes. Being able to stop this food waste from going to landfill will not only decrease the speed at which our landfill sites are being filled as well as reducing the amount of greenhouse gases that are being released in to the atmosphere.

Ecotricity are the world's leading green electricity supplier, but until now their Dual Energy plans were made 'green' by using the money from supplying gas to invest money in green technologies. Until recently Ecotricity have been generating electricity from renewable sources and injecting this in to the National Grid but this has not been possible with gas: until now.

Ecotricity saw potential in the 18 million tonnes of organic waste that Britons send to landfill each year; and instead of seeing this as rubbish they instead saw it as an opportunity to create a renewable source of gas from the products of Anaerobic Digestion when the organic matter is broken down.

This technology allows Ecotricity to provide gas from entirely renewable sources in to the National Grid. And whilst the gas provided by the company will not be from 100% renewable sources immediately, money from customer will go directly in to developing these technologies and building more Green Gas Mills to enable Ecotricity to push forward this exciting new technology.

It is an exciting time with gas turning from brown to green, as well as pushing forward in Britain's drive to become energy independent. It is companies such as Ecotricity that can provide a driving force independent of the government to invest and advance renewable sources of electricity.

What Do You Do With Your Dogs....?

So, you are an environmentally conscious homeowner and place your organic food waste in to a compost bin or wormery but there is one item that inevitably, consistently, ends up in with the household waste, despite the fact that it is 100% biodegradable. So what is this mysterious item? If you are a dog lover then, more than likely, your dog's waste ends up in a poop bag and either put in to a 'red bin' on your walking route or in your household waste.

Many people are not aware that there is a very viable alternative to this traditional method of doggy waste disposal. And that solution is a wormery specifically designed to deal with your dog's waste.

Here at Earth Essentials we want you, our followers, to be able to recycle and compost as much of your household waste as possible- and that is why we have created our first ever Dog Waste Wormery.

However unappealing this may sound, rest assured that all of the excrement is dealt with in a way that means no mess, fuss and perhaps most importantly, smell for you the home and dog owner. As with traditional household waste wormeries the waste material is inside a container which is specially sealed to prevent odour escaping and keeping all the germs held within the excrement trapped inside.

Not only does the Dog Waste Wormery provide an odour free, and contamination free, place in which to dispose of your dog's waste: it also deals with the excrement in a matter of days. Using the same process that occurs within traditional wormeries, our Dog Waste Wormery uses the natural process of worms breaking down organic waste in order to not only break down your pets' excrement but also to create wonderful compost for your garden.

We all know that manure is one of the most effective forms of compost for the garden, and now it is possible to use your dogs' waste as a natural compost with the same, if not better, nutritional qualities than regular manure. Not only that but it has no odour at all so is much more appealing than, for example, traditional horse manure. And it's free!

So, not only does our Dog Waste Wormery prevent methane producing dog waste being sent to landfill, it also provides a free, odourless, and nutritionally rich compost for your garden. Why not give it a try and see what a difference it can make, not only to the planet, but also to your plants!?

EU Summit- Climate Change Special

2009-11-20T14:36:00.003Z

At the EU Summit in Brussels last week, leaders from across the European Union convened to discuss matters of importance for the progression of the European Union, and to the benefit of the world as a whole. One of the main issues on the agenda was Climate Change, and the struggle to reach an agreement about this vital matter will be the main focus for this edition of The Green Issue.

The Swedish Prime Minister, Fredrick Reinfeldt, urged EU leaders to agree to a fixed amount of money that should be spent in order to help poorer countries to combat global warming. It is hoped that, by pledging a fixed sum, the EU can then urge other countries, such as the US and Japan, to also make significant financial pledges in the bid to fight climate change. The decision on the climate change pledge needed to be made ahead of the UN conference in Copenhagen in December; it is here that the EU will make their financial pledge and hope that other nations follow.

The issue of how much money should be pledged towards this fund quickly, however, became a wrangle as nine poorer EU countries battled against inclusion in the policy. This coalition of nine European nations was threatening to block the deal unless the richer EU nations were made to pay more. It does seem somewhat nonsensical that EU countries such as Bulgaria and Latvia are considerably poorer than, for example, Brazil, yet they would still be expected to pledge financial assistance to help Brazil adjust to climate change.

These, mostly Eastern European, countries maintain that each country should be allowed to contribute according to their means and ability to pay, not in direct correlation to how much pollution they create; after all, the deal itself is designed to help poorer countries to adjust to climate change, why should this just be true for non-EU states?

If the money pledged is to help poorer countries to come to terms with the effect climate change has on commerce and their economy surely EU members have no less right to this aid than those countries not in the European Union.

The draft of the proposal appears to recognise the coalitions’ concerns, maintaining that EU contributions for developing countries should take in to account the ability of EU member states to pay using an “internal adjustment mechanism”. It is not clear, however, if ability to pay or CO2 emissions will be more heavily weighted in the equation.

The EU is committed to cutting carbon emissions by 20% by 2020 and says that if other countries join them that this figure could rise to up to 30%. Both EU leaders and the European Commission agree that a realistic figure that should be pledged in order to help poor countries fight climate change is in the region of 100 billion Euros by 2020; made up of EU nations paying 15 billion Euros a year to developing nations, from 2013.

There is no doubt that the EU is more committed than ever to help fight climate change, but it is necessary for the richer nations to not alienate the poorer states within the EU; otherwise any such motions could be blocked and never get off the ground. It is definitely the case that the issue of climate change needs to gain momentum ahead of the UN conference in Copenhagen and by laying such a pledge on the table, the EU could just be the ones to push this issue forward.

Christmas Offer - Beehive Wormery and FREE Worm Pack - £187 - Click Here

2009-08-25T11:41:00.000+01:00

Recycling the Controversial

As a new mum who is dedicated to “saving the planet” the issue of what should go on my baby’s bottom has long been an issue that has filled me with dread. There are the obvious, landfill saving, reusable nappies; but what about the impact of all the washing and detergents needed to keep these clean? Then there are traditional disposable nappies; made from plastics, with chemicals, that ultimately end up in landfill. In fact, approximately 3 billion disposable nappies are sent new and existing landfill sites every year; which, when it is considered that we only have about 7 years of landfill space left is quite terrifying.

I have not one, but three, boys under the age of five- my washing load far exceeds what I would most desire it to be and, realistically, adding nappies in to the load was not an option for our family. But as someone who aspires to use as many natural products and is dedicated to reducing waste and recycling where possible traditional disposables just didn’t sit right with my conscience. I felt there had to be another way to solve this messy issue without having to compromise on my principles.

Whilst researching this issue two options appealed to my ‘Greener Side’. The primary, and most commonly known, solution is “degradable nappies”. These are nappies that, rather than being made of plastics and non-biodegradable materials, are instead made from fully biodegradable materials, meaning that they naturally break down and decay rather than staying in landfill for thousands of years. Add to this the natural components that make up the nappy and this seemed like a very good compromise to me between disposable and reusable nappies. However, it did not sit right with me that these nappies were still, ultimately, ending up in our every decreasing landfill sites.

This aversion to sending my son’s waste to landfill was what prompted me to begin searching to see if such a thing as a ‘nappy recycling initiative’ exists. Using the internet I discovered that there are a company doing just that- they will collect you nappies from your home, in a designated bin, and then take them to be recycled.

So, how are the nappies recycled? Firstly, when you throw away a nappy instead of placing it in to your normal household waste you place it in to a designated ‘nappy bin’ which, on Nappy Collection Day, is placed at the kerbside and taken to the recycling centre. When the nappies reach the recycling depot they are shredded and the plastics and polymers are separated from the actual waste and excess water; this water is filtered and then rejoins the recycling process to help clean the plastic components.

The plastic elements from the nappies are then transferred in to pellet form and are ready to be re-used in a variety of products- from bicycle helmets to plastic decking!

This ability to recycle absorbent hygiene products is a new technology and one that there surely must be more investment in as the amount of available landfill space decreases so dramatically. As outlined above the actual process is extremely effective and, with government backing, could be an extremely efficient and environmentally friendly way to solve what has always been a difficult problem.

Government investment in the recycling potentials of hygiene products would most certainly reduce the amount of waste we send to landfill considerably, and if incentives were in place for companies operating facilities to allow the recycling of hygiene products then more businesses would undoubtedly follow suit and invest time and money in to this, thus far, relatively unchartered territory.

Gold for your Garden

As we as a nation become more involved in gardening, and more people join the ‘grow your own’ craze that is sweeping the country, it is becoming more important than ever to look for sustainable, environmentally friendly products that can bolster crops and allow a garden to flourish. Gardening is becoming increasingly ‘fashionable’ with allotments in higher demand than ever before; with demand exceeding supply in most areas.

This is a fantastic turn of events as far as environmental issues are concerned; the more people that are growing their own food the less food miles are being accumulated on the whole. But, what about the fertilisers many of these gardeners use to help their produce thrive; there’s scarce little point growing your own if your tomato plant only produces 2 tomatoes! So, is there an environmentally friendly alternative to the many chemical ridden fertilisers available on the market?

The answer to this is: yes! Earth Essentials has recently launched a fantastic product called “Black Gold”, a product that could be as precious as gold for your garden.
Black Gold is a completely organic product that is produced naturally by earthworms. It is wholly environmentally safe and an excellent way to help your plants to thrive and reach their optimum potential.

The Black Gold is made up of Worm Castings and these have many benefits for the soil which in turn helps your plants to grow. Primarily the castings allow plants to absorb nutrients and trace elements both quickly and efficiently- this enables the plant to have an increased growth rate than that of a plant not planted with Black Gold. The growth of plants is also helped by the concentration of naturally occurring bacteria and microbes within the worm castings.

The worm castings in Black Gold also improve soil structure and aeration and this allows the plant to thrive within the soil. And as an extra bonus for gardeners Black Gold also means that plants need less frequent watering!

A main concern of gardeners when talking of using worm castings is that there may be some odour from the fertiliser; but I can assure you that Black Gold is naturally odour free!
The damage that can be caused by traditional chemical fertilisers has been discussed in previous editions of The Green Issue and, to name a few, these include soil erosion and the build up of chemicals within the plant- something to be avoided if you are looking to grow your own organic produce for yourself and your family.

So, why not try Black Gold as a new alternative to traditional chemical fertilisers. It can provide amazing results for even the most novice gardener. Right now, Black Gold is available at www.earthessentials.co.uk for the amazing price of just £9.99 for a 10kg price. This amazing price includes an amazing reduction from the normal price of £4.99 per 500g!
You really have nothing to lose by trying our revolutionary new Black Gold, and, perhaps, everything to gain!

Boost Your Plants - Organic Plant Enhancer

2009-08-17T09:24:00.003+01:00

Black Gold Worm Castings are a complete 100% organic, natural fertilizer that is produced by earthworms.

Worm Castings are Mother Nature's purest form of a sustained release plant food. This product can be used on all plants without fear of burning or harming even the most delicate plants including cactus.

The simple fact is that Earthworm Castings were created by nature for the purpose of promoting optimum plant growth and everything required to provide it is found in them. When you concentrate this miracle of nature in greater concentrations than usually found in soil, the results are truly spectacular.

Most of us are keen to reduce our dependence on chemicals, lowering the cost of plant care and increasing yields. Black Gold does this perfectly.

Castings, unlike compost, should only go where the plants are. Black Gold is a more concentrated plant fertiliser and much more valuable. Use castings only around the root zone of plants, and for the most benefit, add more during the plants growing season.

When planting in a hole, use castings as 15-25% of your planting mix. Tender leafy plants like lettuce do not need as much, while heavy fruiting and flowering plants like tomatoes seem to benefit from more. Use the same mix when planting seeds in a row.

· Environmentally safe for all plants, animals and humans
· Naturally Odour Free - No perfumes or scents added. It can be used directly from the container on indoor or outdoor plants
· Less Watering Required - Because of the absorbent organic matter contained in the castings themselves, moisture is held in the root zone while allowing excess moisture to drain away
· Improved Soil Structure and Aeration - Castings allow oxygen to permeate and remain in the root zone where it is vitally needed
· This non-packed environment also improves drainage. Roots can easily grow fast, full and fibrous
· Can be used without risk to organic certification for commercial outlets
· Castings are an all purpose natural fertilizer that comes to you straight from nature with no alterations whatsoever

Try some today, only £4.99 per tube! Visit: www.earth-essentials.co.uk

This all natural, organic fertilizer is excellent for:
· Potting Mixes
· Delicate Houseplants
· Gardening
· Vegetable Production
· Shrubs and Trees
· Lawns and Turf Grass
· Landscaping

Try a 10Kg bag today, only £9.99! Visit: www.earth-essentials.co.uk

Black Gold Plant Enhancer Now In Stores

2009-07-02T09:18:00.008+01:00

Black Gold Plant Enhancer is now on sale at Butterfly World and showing stunning results!
The team at Butterfly World have tested Black Gold with some newly planted lettuces and have been amazed by the growth rates of these vegetables.
After just a couple of weeks, the lettuces with Black Gold added to their soil were bigger than ones planted in plain soil.

Then, a few weeks later, they had grown even more showing just how fantastic Black Gold is for boosting your plants! The images tell their own story!

This 100% organic fertilizer is produced by worms and is perfectly safe for your plants, vegetables, lawns and more. Visit Earth-Essentials.co.uk to read more about this fantastic product and order your first tube today. Black Gold is also available in 10Kg bags.

The Green Issue 36

2009-06-22T16:44:00.004+01:00

The Lohafex Project

All you have to do most days is open the newspaper or turn on the television to hear about how we are damaging our planet, causing global warming, by the excessive amounts of carbon dioxide that our modern lifestyles produce. Making the headlines this week, however, was a controversial scientific experiment that aims to speed up certain eco-systems in order to absorb some of the excess carbon dioxide we create.

The plan of the scheme was to deposit a vast amount of iron particles in to the ocean, in the hope that these particles would speed up the growth of algae which is known to absorb carbon dioxide.

This experiment was not to solve the problem of how much carbon dioxide we produce, instead it aimed to fix the consequence of reliance on fossil fuels; excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which leads to global warming. Previous research has shown that adding iron particles to bodies of water increases the amount of plankton within the water. In turn the algae would absorb carbon dioxide from the air, and when the algae died it sunk to the bottom of the sea floor. This would effectively trap the excess carbon dioxide from the air at the bottom of the ocean; in effect it would be putting the carbon 'back where it came from'.

The Lohafex Project conducted the biggest ever investigation in to the process of adding iron particles to the ocean, or 'ocean fertilisation' as it is known. The company put six tonnes of iron in to the Southern Ocean but, unfortunately, results were, at best, modest. There was a minimal increase in the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed, a result which obviously disappointed scientists.

Two weeks after the iron was added to the ocean there was indeed a significant increase in the growth of plankton, this was then, however, eaten by copepods that were in turn eaten by amphipods (which are a larger type of crustacean). This experiment has therefore shown that the eco-system within the Southern Ocean is not the correct environment for this type of ocean fertilisation.

The failure of this experiment is great news for Greenpeace who, from the beginning, have campaigned against the use of iron being added to oceanic eco-systems, arguing that adding extra iron to the oceans was tantamount to pollution.

Greenpeace are concerned not only with the principles behind the project, but also with the fast increasing expanses of water in which these experiments are taking place. Their concerns range from the immediate environmental impact of these experiments being conducted on an ever increasing scale to what the reliance on projects such as these has to say about our views on Climate Change and the way in which we tackle the problem of our reliance on carbon creating fuels.

Campaigners argue that if we are to rely on climate mitigation strategies such as this then we are looking at a future where we have to manipulate the ocean, and the environment, on a truly magnificent scale in order to compensate for our initial pollution of the planet.

Yet the companies and bodies who support ocean fertilisation maintain that, despite the failings on this experiment, that this science could be the key to removing excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, if the conditions are right within the waters.

I see the main danger in this being the possibility that if this science does work that we will become complacent and no longer see the need to reduce our carbon emissions; and that could be extremely dangerous.

Going Underground

In this edition of The Green Issue our focus has been on resolving the issue of the excess amounts of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere as a means to reduce the huge impact we as a species are having on the rising climate of the planet. With the recent failure of the Lohafex project that was hoping to capture carbon from the atmosphere and trap it within plant life which would then sink to the bottom of the ocean and be safely trapped on the sea bed. But is there another way to employ a similar principle of carbon capture to stop the impact greenhouse gases are having on climate change? And should we be investing in such projects rather than tackling the root cause of the problem?

Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) employs the principle that if carbon dioxide is trapped and buried deep underground then this could offer a real, and viable, solution to the problem of climate change. This process aims to trap the carbon released by power stations which burn fossil fuels, at the source of the pollution. The aim would then be to bury the carbon dioxide deep underground, thus not allowing it to travel in to the atmosphere and contribute to global warming.

There are two principle, and obvious, practicable problems with carbon capture and sequestration. Primarily there is the practical element of how you can actually capture the polluting gases as their source, and the second being the problem of how to ensure all of the captured pollutants remain underground and do not leak in to the atmosphere, which would increase the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and contribute significantly to global warming.

As well as these tangible problems there is also a similar issue with CCS as we looked at in the current affairs article regarding the Lohafex Project. Investing time, money and resources in solving the problem of carbon dioxide created by power stations does little to counter our reliance on fossil fuels as a means of energy. Whilst carbon capture seems a good solution to the vast amount of fossil fuels created by our use of coal, oil and gas in order to create energy it does not solve the actual problem; that we rely too heavily on an ultimately limited resource that is damaging to the environment in many, many ways.

The problem that is most easily solved is the concern about how to ensure all of the carbon dioxide does not leak out of the ground and then contribute to global warming. Scientists have studied natural underground reserves of gas, and have found that carbon dioxide that has been trapped underground has been stable, possibly for millions of years, as it dissolves harmlessly in to subterranean water reserves which do not appear to have leaked any significant amounts of carbon dioxide back in to the atmosphere.

These results have led scientists to believe that it would be possible to inject large amounts of carbon dioxide in to underground reservoirs where it will dissolve in water reserves and be safely held for at least as long as it takes for our planet to solve the reliance on fossil fuels and instead use 100% clean methods to generate energy. This is directly due to the previously mentioned research:

as natural gas has been stored safely for millions of years it should be possible for man-made gases to be stored in a similar vain. The principle behind capturing carbon dioxide underground is the same as that for capturing carbon dioxide in the sea; when the carbon dioxide mixes with the water it becomes heavier than normal water and therefore sinks to the bottom of the water reserve where it remains for millions of years, as natural oil and gas were formed and stored.

Whilst this research suggests that any emissions produced while we are searching for cleaner alternatives could be safely stored underground thus reducing the amount of greenhouse gases and hopefully slowing down the speed of global warming, this technology would require vast amounts of money, time and science in order to develop it to a workable level, and perhaps this money and energy would be better spent, instead, speeding up our journey towards clean energy.

Even if significant amounts of time and energy were spent on the process of keeping carbon dioxide in the ground the problem still remains as to how to get it there in the first place.

Capturing carbon
to then put in to the ground is a tricky problem to which no one has yet found once clear solution.
While there are projects around the world that use carbon capture, there are currently no power stations that use carbon capture and sequestration to diminish the amount of carbon dioxide released in to the atmosphere following the combustion of coal for electricity production.

Capturing the carbon dioxide produced by power stations to then store it underground would be
expensive in the short term and this is perhaps why we are yet to see a power station using this technology. As pure carbon dioxide is not produced by the burning of fossil fuels that waste would have to be 'stripped' so as to be sure that only pure carbon dioxide would be injected in to the ground (a process which in itself would prove expensive and difficult).

Whilst the thinking behind carbon capture and sequestration is admirable it does seem like a way to diminish our responsibility for the amount of carbon dioxide that we produce die to our reliance on fossil fuel. Meddling with the natural earth mass and carbon sink could have long term consequences that we do not yet know about. We could very well be solving one problem only to create another. The time, money and energy that it would take to put carbon capture and sequestration in to practice would, perhaps, be better invested in creating reliable, effective and efficient energy sources not only for ourselves but also for future generations.

The Green Issue 35

2009-05-20T09:24:00.003+01:00

This is the House that Tyres Built

The Channel 4 series, Grand Designs, follows people as they embark on the stressful, sometimes costly, but ultimately rewarding journey of building their own home. For many this dream involves vast spaces, great views and extravagant design specifications being at the centre of the project; for one couple though, creating a carbon neutral home made from ‘rubbish’ was the ultimate, if not slightly unusual, goal.

On a recent episode of Grand Designs Daren and Adi, a couple from Brighton, decided to set about building a house using as many recycled materials as possible in Brittany, France. As an ecological building consultant, Daren was well placed to embark on this journey and this also meant his knowledge of using recycled materials in building work was extensive; enabling him to set about building the external walls of his new home using old car tyres.

Using tyres to build homes originates from houses built in New Mexico in the early 1970’s; as excellent insulators tyres, with their heat-retaining properties, are ideal for withstanding extreme weather conditions such as those seen in the desert. The use of tyre structures in Europe, however, is relatively uncommon, with the first tyre structure being built in Britain in Brighton and Daren was instrumental in its construction.

In 2001 over 50 million tyres were disposed of within the UK, and are listed as a controlled waste under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, which means that there are measures in place in ensure that they are disposed of safely through registered carriers and to local sites. Despite these measures, however, approximately 40% of all tyres that are disposed of are still either sent to landfill, stockpiled or illegally disposed of.

Although there are many options for the recycling of tyres, some of these, such as Energy Recovery (where the tyres are burnt to produce energy) have catastrophic consequences for Climate Change even though they prevent the tyres from going to landfill.

Currently, tyres are routinely used in Britain to construct landfill sites, where they are used to form leachate draining systems. When tyres are used in this way they are except from landfill tax and between 1998 and 1999 there was a 20% increase in tyres used in this way. Tyres are also used to build structures such as boat and dock fenders, sports tracks and children’s play surfaces. Thus far, however, using tyres to construct homes is an unknown territory in this country, with many laws in place restricting the use of ‘waste materials’ in the construction of homes.

Tyres are a waste product that we, as a country, continue to struggle with the disposal of: 10,000 tonnes of tyres are still exported to other countries for use as part-worn tyres or for overseas retread operations, with exportation leading to the production of greenhouse gases and contributing to climate change.

What Daren and Adi have done, through the construction of their home from what many people think of as ‘rubbish’ is shown us a new way to think about the waste that we produce. While not all of us have the desire, money or knowledge to build a home from waste materials, this home has shown that with a little imagination our rubbish can become something not only useful, but beautiful.

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The Green Issue No:34

2009-03-11T10:49:00.011Z

Welcome to this edition of The Green Issue.
Here at The Green Issue we aim to inform and educate our readers on all environmental matters; hopefully meaning you can make more considered and knowledgeable decisions
throughout your every day life.

We hope you enjoy this edition of The Green Issue

The Car Industry under Threat

In another week in which the news has been dominated by economic downturn, job losses and high levels of unemployment, one government scheme that has been created to help save jobs has also been heralded as the beginning of the "reinvention" of the greener motoring industry by Peter Mandelson.

In all of the industries within the UK car manufacturers have been hit particularly hard by the recession we are now all facing. The reason for this is simple: cars are, ultimately, a luxury item. If consumers have a car that works reasonably well and the economic climate is not buoyant, with risks of even more job losses, many people would not choose to spend any extra money they have on a brand new car. People are instead choosing to save the money 'just in case'. Add to this the fact that credit is not as readily available as it once was and the demand for new cars tumbles.

The car industry is often seen as a barometer for the world economy and, as such, is closely regarded by politicians and economists alike. It is startling, then, that during the end of last year and starting in to 2009 manufacturing factories are closing, production is being cut back and jobs are being lost; all of which is causing share prices in car companies to tumble. Add to this the vast amount of people employed by motoring companies and such a turn of events can be devastating.

The 'Credit Crunch' is mainly to blame for the tight squeeze being felt by car manufacturers at present; people often rely on cheap credit to buy cars and, as banks and loan companies are being considerably more stringent about criteria for such loans, cars simply become unobtainable luxuries to many. This decrease in demand means that the supply of cars needs to be reduced accordingly, thus leading to the job cuts and decrease in production we are currently witnessing.

With car manufacturing being such a vital part of the British economy, however, the Government are reluctant to sit back and watch thousands of jobs, and skilled workers, being lost during the recession. These skilled workers being made redundant and finding work elsewhere could, in fact, make it considerably harder for the automotive industry to recover. Therefore Peter Mandelson has announced a controversial rescue package to help the automotive industry through the recession.

The Governments plan for the flailing car industry is this: to guarantee the loans given to help rescue car firms and to make it easier for car buyers to secure credit in order to purchase new vehicles on finance. This tackles the problems faced by the motoring sector from two angles; helping the businesses to stay afloat by guaranteeing loans given to them in order to help
them avoid liquidation, as well as helping to boost profits by giving consumers more spending power in the car forecourts.

Some are calling this latest Government plan a 'bail out', where the Government claim it is simply a means of staving off an ever deepening recession. How successful this strategy will be only time will tell.

Under The Sea

Tidal power is the only form of energy that is reliant explicitly on the earth-moon system as the tidal forces produced by the moon and sun, combined with the rotation of the earth, produced tides and tidal streams to occur within our oceans due to gravitational forces. As tidal power uses the forces of the tides, which are driven by the infinite gravitational forces between the earth, moon and sun, it is therefore limitless and truly renewable.

Marine Current Turbines and Tidal Stream Generators are similar to wind turbines that capture the power of the wind, in that both systems are modular; that is that in order to be most effective both systems operate in groups as is seen in wind farms on shore. However, tidal turbines differ from those that capture energy from the wind as they are significantly smaller than those found on wind farms as water is much denser than air meaning that much less has to pass through the turbine in order to generate electricity.

The technology behind tidal stream generators is, thus far, relatively new and this therefore means that one system has not yet presented itself to be the best possible way to capture the kinetic energy from the marine currents. What has been established, however, is that tidal stream energy is considerably more predictable than other forms of renewable energy on both land and at sea. It is this predictability that is vital when supplying electricity to the grid as it allows more efficient and effective grid management which ultimately means that less power needs to be generated.

So, how can the energy from the tidal stream be captured?
Tidal stream generators work by capturing the maximum amount of energy possible from the fast-flowing tidal currents while at the same time allowing the natural flow of the water to continue.

There are three main types of device that are currently being developed in order to capture energy from tidal currents, although all are based on a similar principle. Generally the machines used to capture the tidal energy feature one of three types of rotor: a horizontal axis, a vertical axis or a reciprocating hydrofoil. These are then either fixed or weighted on to the seabed in order to maintain their position. As they are more often than not positioned in clusters some have referred to these modules as 'underwater wind farms'- which is rather accurate! Electricity is generated from these underwater rotors in the same way as from the giant rotor blades on wind turbines produce electricity; the turning of the blades generates kinetic energy in to mechanical energy which can then be converted in to electricity.

So far, the technology used for capturing the kinetic energy generated by tidal streams is undeveloped. There has, however, been a revolutionary underwater turbine situated at Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland by Bristol cased company Marine Current Turbines (MCT). This company has gained permission to build and operate the SeaGen turbine for five years. This structure is not noisy, will be mostly submerged under the water and will produce zero carbon emissions. Although partly funded for by the UK government this is mainly a private enterprise. Developing and harnessing this technology could, however, prove to not only provide us with up to 10% of the UK's electricity needs but could also attest to be a valuable export.

A longer standing use of the oceans in order to attempt to generate electrical energy is closer to shore; and lies in the waves. Despite humanity having been trying to capture the energy of the waves sine the 1890's event this method of renewable energy is still not widely developed. Wave power is a term used to describe the capturing of the energy generated by ocean surface waves and using this energy in a positive manner; such as for creating electricity.

Waves are generated by wind passing over the sea and the power, height and strength of waves are affected by many different factors including wind speed, duration of winds, the distance of open water that the wind has blown over and water depth. Again there is not one method of capturing this energy that has been proven to be the most effective and efficient; most systems used to capture and convert the kinetic energy caused by the movement of the waves involve buoys and using the rise and fall of the waves and movement of the water to turn a turbine to produce electrical energy in a similar way to that seen in wind turbines.

The use of barrages, or Tidal Range technology, is yet another method that can use the vast amounts of water in our oceans and rivers to generate electricity. There is a significant amount of controversy over this system and the environmental impact it has needs to be balanced against the electricity generation benefits.

Tidal Range Technology aims to create energy by trapping water at high tide behind a structure, such as a barrage or dam. As the tide goes out the barrage gates open and water is channelled through turbines situated within the barrage and this generates power. The main concern with tidal range technologies are the massive structures that would have to be built within our estuaries in order to capture the water at high tide and then pass it through the turbine. It is argued that this would massively affect the natural habitat of the seabed, disrupting aquatic life significantly. These systems also require a great deal of money to set up, and unlike money being spent of tidal range development this is a one-off investment and cannot be used to enhance the technology in other areas.

As has been outlined in this article the sea and oceans that cover much of the Earths' surface do, in fact, hold a great deal of untapped energy. This energy could be harnessed and converted in to electricity in a number of ways, only a few of which have been explored here.

Although the technology for capturing the energy created by the movement in the sea is, as yet, relatively immature, it is definitely an area of renewable energy that, with the correct research and funding, holds a great deal of potential for reducing our carbon emissions by providing an alternative source of energy, moving us away from our reliance on fossil fuels.

Green Issue No: 33

2009-02-10T17:26:00.001Z

Feed the Birds

Britain is currently in the grip of a severe cold snap; with temperatures plummeting to as low as minus 12 degrees. This increases our need for fuel and with energy prices still sky high this means many of us are facing rocketing energy bills over the winter period. For our wildlife, however, these plunging temperatures can have devastating consequences.

Like us humans, as temperatures drop birds use more energy just to keep warm and stay alive. When this is coupled with decreased daylight hours, means that birds have to feed from dawn until dusk throughout the winter months in order to have enough energy to survive.

Gardeners can play a vital role in helping to sustain birds through the bleak winter months. In order to survive birds need high calorie, high energy foods, and these are easier to come across on bird tables than they are in the wild.

It is estimated that 60 per cent of gardeners feed the birds in their gardens, which equates to approximately 60,000 tonnes of bird food being used annually. This is, indeed, an admirable figure, but like many hobbies that are deemed unnecessary as our belts tighten will this number remain as high throughout the credit crunch?

Bird feed, as with many other items, has increased in price as inflation has risen. This, alongside fears of unemployment and a stark rise in the cost of living means that many people may no longer see feeding the birds as a luxury that they can afford. As cold weather bites, though, it is more important than ever to keep encouraging wildlife to visit our gardens.

By choosing your bird feed correctly it is possible to spend little money and to encourage specific types of birds in to your garden. By offering high energy sunflower seeds on a bird table many different types of birds will visit your garden, and the same can be said for a calorie laden ‘fat cake’ that are readily available in garden centres. However, by being more specific about the type of feeder and variety of seed you offer you can attract particular species of bird in to your garden; offering you and your family many hours of bird watching delights!

Aside from the benefits to the bird population and the obvious enjoyment that can be had from watching birds visiting your garden, as a gardener there is also an added bonus of feeding birds throughout the winter. If birds learn that your garden is a good place to come to be sustained and find food then they will forage amongst and foliage in your garden. This means, throughout the winter, that they will eat any pests that can survive the cold snap, and they will continue visiting throughout the summer warding off and pests that could damage your plants and flowers.

For information on how to attract specific bird breeds to your garden through the seeds you leave out please visit the RSPB website. It makes sense not only for your garden but also for the future of many breeds of birds for us to help them through this bitter, harsh winter.

The Green Issue, November 2008

2008-10-03T11:30:00.002+01:00

Bye Bye Meat Pies?

The effect of what we buy in the supermarkets has always been linked with the rate at which our planet is changing, and this is leading to significant changes in our spending habits. There are many actions that we as consumers are taking in order to become ‘greener shoppers’. But, a new report suggests that, although buying local produce does make a difference to the Carbon footprint of our meals, the best thing we can do to reduce the speed at which climate change is occurring is to eat less meat.

This surprising report, commissioned by the Food Climate Research Network states that in order to slow climate change people should be rationed to four modest portions of meat per week, along with a limit of one litre of milk per person per week. The report also maintained that food consumption on a whole should be reduced; particularly foods or drinks with low nutritional value such as sweets, chocolate and alcohol.

The Food Climate Research Network found that, when measure, the UK farming sector produced the equivalent of thirty three million tonnes of carbon. Surprisingly the most amount of CO2 produced within the food chain did not come from the packaging, as much media hype would suggest. Rather, agriculture itself ranked highest, largely due to the methane produced by cattle with wind!

So, if farming and particularly meat and dairy, are contributing so highly to climate change, what can we do to reduce the carbon footprint of the food we eat?

The Food Climate Research Networks report suggests that we should revert to the cooking habits that were held by our predecessors; we should aim to have at least one meat free meal a week, but should ideally reduce our meat consumption to four portions a week.
With various health scares about red meat also rife at present, could finding other sources of protein within your diet be a sound move? It would appear that, environmentally, there is a lot more to gain than there is to lose.

Newsletter No. 28

2008-08-08T09:40:00.002+01:00

Waste Not Want Not?

Last week Gordon Brown called for the general public to stop wasting food in order to stop the dramatic increase we have seen in food bills over the last year. Every year Briton’s waste approximately 4 million tonnes of food; this adds roughly £420 each year to each family’s shopping bill. In the current economic climate this is money many families can ill afford.
Previously in The Green Issue we have discussed the devastating impact that this vast amount of waste has on our decreasing landfill space; now however, Gordon Brown has highlighted the fiscal cost of this careless waste.

A recent food policy study showed that there is a huge discrepancy between the percentage of income families spend on food; varying from 15% for the wealthiest to 7% for the poorest families in society. Those on lower incomes were also shown to spend proportionally more on basics such as milk, bread and eggs. Despite the percentage of income we as families spend on food, however, each household, on average, still throws away approximately £8 of useable food per week, that’s £416 per year! In the current financial climate that is not a figure to be sniffed at.

Gordon Brown, though, has been painting a bigger picture with these figures; looking not at the financial impact this waste is having on individual families, moreover, the affect it is having on the economy as a whole.

Food prices are high because, among other reasons, demand exceeds supply. The food that we all waste is included in the equation- meaning we demand the food that we then waste which causes an increase in price of the food we actually do need!
The wastage of edible food is not restricted to just being within our homes, however. In the production, transportation and sale of food produce, vast amounts of edible food are also wasted. The Cabinet Office report claims that 40% of food harvested in developing countries can become lost before it is consumed; this is due to inadequacies in the processing, storage and transport of these foods.

The problem of wasting perfectly good food is becoming an increasingly heated debate; as the demand for food continues to exceed to available supplies wasting such copious amounts of edible food becomes ludicrous, if not even sickening.

Rather than focusing on homeowners, the government should perhaps consider increasing the pressure on big businesses and organisations to reduce their food waste. Supermarkets not only persuade people to buy more perishable food than they need through buy one get one free offers, they also dispose of an extortionate amount of edible food themselves. If we buy less unnecessary food demand should decrease and therefore prices should not rise at such an alarming rate, as well as reducing the price of your own weekly shop by approximately £8. Not bad, eh? But pressure needs to be put on large corporations to reduce their waste; the impact of this will be significantly greater, Mr. Brown.

Under the Sink…

In the mission against household waste, directly on the frontline facing the vast amount of food waste we dispose of every year, is the humble compost bin. Now, however, it is easier than ever to transform what would be waste in to a useful and nutritious food for your garden.
Kitchen food waste accounts for up to 25% of all our household waste, and if there is no outside space many people struggle to find any alternative to throwing this waste in to the normal household rubbish, which would then end up on landfill.

It is possible, however, to keep any various different waste disposal systems underneath your sink in order to dispose of any unwanted food that is a by-product of food preparation.
Primarily there is the option of an under sink waste disposal unit. These units work by removing waste quickly and effectively. The food waste is ground down in to particles and is then flushed away through the normal waste pipe system; creating a substantial reduction in the amount of waste going to landfill.

This process can also aid recycling, as once the waste is processed it is then turned in to soil conditioner at the plants where all the waste from our homes is treated.
These units are ideal for households who have little or no outdoor space, or those that have no inclination to use their food waste for their own gardens. Just because you do not want to compost your food waste does not necessarily mean that it needs to end up on landfill; where biodegradable materials release vast quantities of greenhouse gases, such as methane and carbon dioxide. Any alternative is better than filling our ever decreasing landfill spaces with material that could otherwise be put to good use.
Under sink waste disposal units can be fitted in most kitchens, for a small initial outlay, and can last a number of years- reducing your families waste by up to 25%.

Studies have discovered that these waste disposal units provide a cost-effective, convenient and hygienic method of disposing of food waste and preventing it from going to landfill with other household waste. It has also been suggested that this method of disposal is more environmentally friendly, as it a smaller global warming potential, than roadside collection of biodegradable materials followed by centralised composting.

You can dispose of much of your kitchen waste via a waste disposal unit; vegetable peelings, food leftovers, tea bags, eggshells, fruit skins and crusts. You can dispose of cooked foods through an under sink disposal unit, and the more powerful the unit you purchase, in general, the more you can put through it. At present, this is the most publicised way of disposing of all household kitchen waste, including cooked food that cannot be put in a traditional compost bin. However, over the coming weeks, we will examine a number of products that Green By Nature are developing that will enable you to dispose of all your kitchen waste, including meat and cooked products, within your own home! Keep your eyes peeled…

Visit www.greenbynature.co.uk for more news and to buy green products!

The Green Issue, July 2008

2008-07-11T10:20:00.002+01:00

Could Dyson Hold the Key to the Future of Transport?

When someone says “Dyson” the immediate image that pops in to my head is a vacuum cleaner; but there is a lot more to Sir James Dyson than just vacuum cleaners.

Sir James Dyson is Britain’s most famous inventor and is responsible for the technology inside his famous vacuum cleaners that many people swear by (and that many companies have tried to mimic).

Now, however, Dyson is working on technological advances that could lead to the development of a fast, green, car. Engineers working for Dyson in his research laboratory in Wiltshire, are developing a lightweight, yet powerful, electric motor that could allow electric cars to travel quickly and for hundreds of miles without causing any pollution.

Dyson’s new technology would use solar panels installed on the roof of cars or garages in order to charge the vehicles with renewable energy. Currently, electric cars have to be charged for approximately eight hours and then can only travel (slowly!) for a maximum of forty miles. This makes models that are available now ideal for city jaunts, but not practical for long distant journeys outside of urban areas.

This is obviously an exciting development in the new generation of vehicles powered by electricity. Cars spend a considerable amount of their time stationary in daylight; this makes the use of solar panels on vehicles ideal. Dyson cemented his reputation as an innovative risk-taker with the creation of the Dyson branded vacuum cleaner and this bold move would further solidify his reputation as one of our best talents in the world of invention.

Electric cars seem to be a perfect replacement for the highly polluting petrol car of today. The main drawbacks, however, are the speed and short battery life of the current models. Sir James Dyson believes that he can overcome these issues with a lightweight electric motor that has been specially developed to run for longer.

An electric car that does not run off the National Grid, but instead is powered by renewable energy from the sun is an even better option from an environmental point of view. Using a fossil fuel to power an electric car is still using up valuable finite resources whilst at the same time contributing to greenhouse gases. Sir James Dyson hopes to use the renewable energy from the sun to power a lightweight electric vehicle.

It is this combination of renewable energy and increased speeds and battery life means that Dyson could have hit upon the future of electric cars and the transport mode of the future. Although the motor itself is still in development the idea has been welcomed by green groups.

With oil and fuel prices rising and an increased awareness of climate change something needs to change and drivers need to wean themselves off the fossil fuels we have all become so dependent upon. Perhaps Sir James has found a way to make the transition not only more bearable, but maybe even enjoyable!

Can Britain Afford to Go Green?

Britain is currently in a time of economic change; no longer are house prices guaranteed to rise, food and oil prices are increasing at a dramatic rate and many of us are having to tighten our financial purse strings. In such a volatile financial climate the question has to be asked: can we, as consumers, afford to make environmental choices? Does money affect our ability to follow through and act upon what we know is the right thing to do? Are our moral choices affected by our income?

Politicians are even beginning to have a marked difference in their political stance on the environment as troubles more prominent and glaringly obvious in society come to the forefront of the news- and to the minds of the voting public of course. Due to the economic stability that has been prevalent in our country for many years, political focus was very much on the environment and ways to increase sustainability, reduce our carbon footprint and decrease the amount of waste we produce. With a downturn in the economy also comes a change in mindset; the environment gets put on the backburner as people tighten their belts and begin to focus on concrete and jobs. Climate change is a lot harder for politicians to sell when the electorate are concerned about their own personal future in terms of employment and housing.

It is easy to see the way companies concerns have shifted from environmental issues to more personal issues; companies that a few months ago were unveiling new eco-friendly policies and strategies are now focused on staff retention and profitable growth. It seems that now the economy has taken a downturn the ‘each to their own’ mentality has come to the forefront of the mass public’s minds.

In politics it is a similar issue; although the environmental rhetoric of the politician’s continues, it is a sad fact that when there is an economic downturn the environment is one of the first things to suffer when it comes to actual policies. When people start to worry about their houses and their jobs, money and safety become their two primary concerns. It is argued by some that this will lead to people choosing to shop and choose their suppliers for services due to low prices rather than the green credentials that may well have attracting them in a more buoyant financial market.

It could, however, be argued that in such a time where oil price hikes are causing financial hardship for so many, that green issues actually become more important rather than something we can merely put on the backburner. Our dependency on fossil fuels is one of the main reasons many people are experiencing financial difficulties at present; as we do not have any easily available alternatives that can be used to heat our homes or run our cars, as world oil prices increases as do most households outgoings.

This logic means that rather than economic hardship meaning that the focus should be taken away from environmental issues, moreover it should make us, and our government, readdress our dependency on fossil fuels and instead increase the amount of effort and energy we spend on developing new means of energy. Rather than looking in the short term, instead the bigger picture should be viewed and it should be realised that, in reality, many environmental issues hold the key to a more secure economic future in the long term.

Despite this long term vision, however, many investors are putting decreasing amounts of their money in to alternative energy products; instead ploughing money in to businesses that need a boost as we approach an apparent economic downturn. Although the market for solar energy remains strong, as technological advances increase the possibilities of this form of energy, investments in wind power have certainly dipped in recent months. Most notably perhaps is the fact that Shell have pulled out of the world’s biggest planned wind farm, the London Array, after the world oil price hike made it a much more worthwhile investment than renewable energy sources.

Despite these major knocks to renewable projects it is not all doom and gloom on the environmental horizon. Consumers, it would appear, are not immediately changing their shopping habits despite the current financial climate.

An example of this comes from the Soil Association, which certifies up to 80% of organic produce. They maintain that there has been no dip in demand for organic products in recent months. Major retailer Sainsbury’s also account much of their continued financial growth to organic sales.

Organic food is a choice that many people make for the claimed health benefits for themselves and their families, as well as the environmental positives it has over conventional farming. People who feel passionately about organic food would probably compromise on many other areas of their life rather than the food they feed themselves and their families.

Even in this current economic climate, however, we could see organic food not rise at the same rate as other food products. As oil prices continue to rise as does the cost of the pesticides and nitrogen based fertilisers as these a produced from oil. Organic products are not farmed using these chemicals which means the inflated price of these items will not need to be passed on to the consumer. As organic food also uses, on average, 26% less energy to produce than standard products, in the current climate this definitely gives organic produce the competitive advantage.

The reason the organic food market is set to increase by 10% this year despite the credit crunch is because people hate to compromise on food. Food is not the first place people look to cut costs when the time comes to tighten the purse strings. This is good news for the environment due to the reduced packaging used and the significantly less energy used in its production.

With energy companies offering ‘greener fuel’ to your home at the same cost as standard non-renewable fuel the effect our choices as a consumer will have on the environment is questionable. We will endeavour to use our cars less as petrol increases in price, we gradually begin to view our cars as a luxury; not jumping in just to pop to the shops or down the road. These fuel conscious choices are also beneficial to the environment.

If energy is at the heart of the credit crunch, and of peoples need to rein in their spending then the old fashioned notion that it is cheaper to not care about the environment that to behave in a ‘green fashion’ no longer holds any water.

In the short term the credit crunch make affect people’s decisions to make green choices, in the longer term however people will look at ways to become more fuel efficient and look at energy efficiency to improve things.
Rather than being environmentally aware being an expensive luxury that few people will be able to afford in the current climate, moreover being green should be seen as a way in which we can reduce our expenditure. Many things that we, as consumers, can do to help the environment: use the car less, insulate our homes effectively and take less foreign holidays, are also actions that will help us to reduce our Carbon footprints.

So, whilst grand gestures (such as installing a wind turbine to your home) may well be out of the question for the time being, small environmentally conscious factors could make all the difference to the environment, as well as a significant saving in your wallet.

What is ‘fuel poverty’ and why is it increasing?

2008-07-01T09:38:00.002+01:00

Prices for household gas and electricity have been steadily rising for a number of years. Over the last year, however, we have seen dramatic increases in our fuels bills; rises that are not necessarily linked to one major energy supplier. Across the board most service providers have increased their prices for gas and electricity, leaving many people in ‘fuel poverty’.

Those whom the rise price most affects are often the people who can least afford to pay it. The elderly are a prime example of this category of people; they need to use more energy than most due to not being at work and spending a lot of time indoors. Warmth is also an issue for the elderly, meaning that heating needs to be used more than in an average home where a couple go out to work. This increased energy usage means that the elderly are hugely affected by the stark price rises we have seen over recent years.

A household is deemed to be in ‘fuel poverty’ if more than 10% of its disposable income is spent on heating the home. The main contributing factors that lead to a household being in fuel poverty are: rising fuel costs, under occupancy, inefficient insulation and low incomes. This means that anyone who spends a lot of time at home, such as the elderly, and who are on a low income are likely to be living in fuel poverty.

The fact that many of the people who are affected by fuel poverty are on a very low income the huge percentage of their disposable income that has to be spent on fuel means that decisions often have to made between basic necessities; such as between keeping warm and eating decent food. With the cost of food also increasing dramatically this decision becomes even more difficult.
Fuel poverty causes people to struggle to pay for healthy food as well as social activities, which are beneficial to both their physical and mental well-being, because their energy bills are so high. High energy bills can also adversely affect people’s mental health due to the isolation and oppressiveness high energy bills can cause, as well as the stress caused by the inability to be able to pay such bills.

Cold, damp homes that can be caused by families living in fuel poverty due to the high cost of energy can also lead to a wide range of physical health problems, such as asthma, emphysema, bronchitis, heart disease and stroke.

Luckily fuel poverty is not something that affects all of us, however it is a growing concern and if energy bills continue to rise then the figure of 4 million people living in fuel poverty is only set to rise further.

Whether or not you are categorised as living in ‘fuel poverty’ it is clear that energy bills are encroaching more and more on every family’s disposable income. The necessity to be able to save energy is becoming ever more important, from a financial viewpoint, with every rise in energy prices. From an environmental stance it is also vital we reduce our use of fossil fuels; our domestic carbon emissions are set to rise by 6 per cent in the next ten years unless we find a way to reduce our reliance upon non-sustainable fuel resources.

The need to reduce our energy consumption is more important than ever; we desperately need to reduce our energy bills as well as reduce our carbon emissions in order to try to slow climate change. Increased energy bills are certainly make people assess and take stock of the amount of energy their household consumes- and environmentally at least this has to be a positive thing.

What can we all do to reduce our energy bills?

Whether or not, when categorised, we are classed as living in ‘fuel poverty’ each and every one of us is experiencing the rising price of fuel to some degree. Increased bills inevitably lead to a reduction in disposable income; something no-one enjoys!

So, what is the best thing we can do to reduce our fuel bills? The answer has to be- use less fuel!

There are many way to use less fuel, most of which have been discussed in previous editions of The Green Issue. Here is a brief list of ten easy changes you can make around your home:

Turn off lights when you are not in the room. Every year in the UK we waste £140 million worth of electricity just by leaving lights on alone. This figure means that not only could we significantly reduce our carbon emissions by turning lights off, but we could also save a huge amount of money; both individually and as a nation as a whole.

Change all your light bulbs to energy saving models. It is possible to save up to nine pounds a year, per bulb, just by changing each to an energy saving model. This is because they can use up to 80% less energy than a tradition light bulb! Surely it’s worth the change!

Unplug your phone charger- believe it or not your mobile telephone charger uses nearly as much electricity when plugged in and not in use as it does when charging your phone. By unplugging it when not in use or once your phone is fully charged you could save yourself money. The same principle applies for ‘ipod’ chargers, laptop battery chargers and even when we use rechargeable batteries.

Say bye-bye to stand-by! Leaving our appliances on stand by £740 million worth of energy per year and causes more than four million tonnes of carbon emissions to be produced! Therefore, if you turn your television, computer and stereo off instead of leaving them on stand by you could save yourself a significant amount of money!

Wash your clothes at lower temperatures- By reducing your washing temperature by just ten degrees, from 40 degrees to 30 degrees, you can reduce the energy consumption of your washing machine by up to forty percent! This will reduce the cost of the energy you are using for washing significantly.

Turn down the heating! Even by just lowering the temperature of your thermostat by only one degree you can cut your heating bill by up to ten percent! Reduce the temperature even more and even bigger savings can be made. Reach for a jumper- not the dial!

Don’t overfill the kettle- If you simply boil the water that is needed each time you boil the kettle it will take less time to boil and therefore save energy. Not only that, but you’ll also get that cuppa quicker!

Keep refrigerators and freezers at the right temperature- If these appliances continuously run at a temperature that is too low they consumer vast amounts of energy- up to twenty percent of your households’ entire energy consumption. Believe it or not keeping them full also reduces the energy they use! So fill the space with jugs of water if necessary!

Use solar lights for the exterior of your home, and set timers or motion sensors on ordinary external light bulbs- Instead of leaving external lights on all night use motion sensors or timers to reduce the amount of energy these devices use unnecessarily.

Buy energy efficient products- When replacing household appliances look out for products carrying the Energy Saving Recommended logo. This logo indicates that the appliance is energy efficient and will ultimately cost less energy to run by saving energy, despite the fact it is not necessarily more expensive to purchase.

As well as the tips mentioned above that save energy and therefore reduce our energy bills there are also direct methods we can use in order to cut the cost we pay for the energy we use within our home.

These do not necessarily reduce our energy consumption, so are not beneficial when looking at reducing our carbon emissions; however they can help you to pay less for the energy it is necessary for you to use.

· Change your method of paying- Change so you pay your energy bills monthly by direct debit and manage your bills online and you could save money in charges incurred by the late payment of quarterly bills.

· Check your own meter readings and regularly update them online- This means you do not receive any nasty surprise in your bill and that you are only being charged for energy that you actually use.

· Check your supplier- Shop around and compare all energy suppliers on the market to make sure that you are paying the cheapest possible price for your gas and electricity usage.
The best way to cut your energy bills, however, is to cut the amount of energy you use. Not only will your pocket benefit from this, but the planet will also.

The Green Issue, June 2008

2008-06-19T14:47:00.002+01:00

The Problem:

When it comes to the cost of fuel there are many issues that cause the price to increase in the manner we have seen over the last year. The main factors that affect the price we pay at pumps are: the price of oil, the profits made by petrol companies, and the fuel duty we pay to the government. Over the last year all three of these elements have contributed to the increased price of petrol.

The price of oil is at an all time high with pricing reaching $135a barrel, which is more than double the trading price just a year ago. There are fears this price could even continue to rise to up to $200 a barrel by the end of the year. This stark increase in oil price does directly correlate to the amount of money we end up paying at the pump; across the country petrol prices have reached staggering highs- with prices averaging 114p per litre, but this figure too continues to rise.

But if this is the only problem then how is it the case that oil companies, such as BP and Royal Dutch Shell are still announcing record profits? Amidst the hiked prices and extortionate price of oil these companies have announced record profits of £7bn quarterly. This inherently means that the oil companies are not being hit by the rise in oil prices as starkly as we, the consumers, are. Therefore the high prices we pay at the pumps cannot solely be due to the increased price of crude oil.

Added to this is the fact that we pay the highest levy of fuel tax in Europe. When it is considered that before fuel duty a litre of diesel would (at present prices) cost 48.8p a litre, yet when the 58 per cent tax is added it cost 116.6p a litre it is possible to see why people protest at the fuel tax that we pay. In fact, in the UK we pay a higher rate of fuel tax than any other European country.
So what impact is the price of oil having across the world?

The impact:

The impact of the oil crisis that has at least in part led to the extortionate price of fuel we are currently seeing is having devastating consequences around the globe; In the United States a four day week has been introduced in some parts to reduce fuel consumption, and in China fuel rationing has been introduced in order to cut demand.
In the UK the price of oil has affected many aspects of people’s day to day lives; it is estimated that 4 million people live in what is called ‘fuel poverty’ where more that 10% of their income is spent on essential fuel bills such as heating and electricity. Hauliers have protested over the proposed 2p increase in fuel tax, maintaining that it will have a significant detrimental affect on their livelihoods.

Transportation is vital in most industries; hauliers being the primary group affected, but many sales based industries are also hit by increased fuel prices, as well as small businesses who need to transport their goods or services to their clients. These small businesses are really suffering because, despite having to pay considerably more in fuel to get their products or services to their customers, due to of the credit crunch and increased price of fuel and food they do not feel they can pass this increase on to their customers. This means that profits are down at a time when it is costing more than ever to even just keep a small business ticking over.
Many people make a necessary commute to work each day and for some this is becoming an extreme financial hardship. A close friend of mine has even rejected a potential job offer due to the price of the commute outweighing the benefits of the promotion. As it is looking increasingly likely that there will not be a dramatic cut in fuel prices people have to make decisions accordingly.

There is little we can do with regards to the price of fuel; the global economy is such that this rise is inevitable; the supply of oil is decreasing as demand for oil increases. This will undoubtedly lead to oil becoming more expensive and this will have a knock on effect to fuel prices. However, decreasing the amount you rely on fossil fuels for your transportation not only means you will save money, but it will also be beneficial for the environment. Some even argue that this price hike is just what we need to reconsider our reliance on our fossil fuelled vehicles. So what can we do?

How to reduce your petrol costs, and save the planet!
The most simple and easy way to reduce the amount of money you are spending at the petrol station is to reduce your reliance on your car. Walking and cycling are both excellent means of travelling short distances that require no expenditure (apart from an initial outlay in the instance of cycling). Not only will walking or cycling to work reduce your fuel bill and your carbon footprint, you will also be exercising, which is fantastic for your health!
Public transport is another method to avoid fuel costs associated with driving; whilst it is sometimes is expensive to use public transport, it is gaining value as we try to reduce our carbon emissions and our own fuel bills.

Car share schemes are also becoming increasingly popular across the country- with many councils even now providing designated ‘car share lanes’ for those drivers who are aiming to cut pollution and congestion by sharing their cars with their co-workers. Car sharing not only reduces the amount you spend on petrol it also cuts your carbon emissions and eases congestions on our roads. Added to this the psychological benefit of not having the stressful drive to work each day, and the social benefit involved in car sharing and it is most definitely a positive plan from all angles!

For some, however, there is very little choice other than to get in the car to travel to work. If this includes you or your family then all is not lost- there are still some ways to reduce the amount of money you spend at the pump each week.
There are websites, such as www.petrolprices.com that will help you locate the cheapest petrol prices in your area, as well as the most expensive! In London the difference between two petrol stations could be as much as 13p a litre- that equates to a £5 difference to fill an average tank. Over the course of a year savings such as that will really add up!
Another method to save money at the pumps, or at least to earn some money back, is by joining a reward or loyalty scheme with a specific brand of petrol, Most major petrol companies, such as Shell, Esso and BP all offer loyalty schemes to their customers; these work on the basis that you are awarded points every time you shop their and that these points can then be redeemed off further purchases.
Another way to earn money from the petrol you buy is to use a credit card that has a cash back facility- these can earn you up to 5 percent cash back on all purchases (in the first six months). You must be sure to clear the balance each month though or you could end up seriously out of pocket!
The surest way to reduce the amount of money you spend on petrol is to use your car less. Environmentally this has to be a positive thing; people using their cars less creates less carbon emissions.

Using the environment, however, as a means to increase fuel tax when people are already being forced out of business and struggle to get by in their day to day lives is arguable, and taxing what is a necessary commodity to many is a highly questionable action on the government’s behalf.With oil prices sky high is now really the time to be increasing fuel tax even further, when we already pay the highest rate in Europe? The need to stop the general public’s reliance on their cars is clear; however I do not feel that forcing people in to ‘fuel poverty’ is the answer.

Newsletter Issue 8

2007-11-27T12:36:00.000Z

Money in the Bin?

In the past week the media has highlighted the colossal problem of food wastage within the UK; something that has been on the environmental agenda for some time.
It has been well documented that the British people throw away between 30% and 40% of the food we buy and grow. This equates to something in the order of seventeen million tonnes of food that is put in to landfill- of which approximately 25% could be safely consumed by people or animals, or be composted.
Add to this that the fact that some statistics place the number of Briton’s who are malnourished as high as 4 million, which is six percent of the population, it seems that there is a major crisis occurring.

Food wastage occurs throughout the farming, production, transportation and cooking of the food we purchase. One of the main reasons for unnecessary waste being created is our search perfection. In countries where much of the produce purchased is bought from local markets, or small outlets, the food often looks considerably different to our ‘perfect’ specimens of fruit and vegetables we see lined up in our supermarkets. We are all guilty of picking the best looking tomatoes or the perfectly green apples. For this reason much produce is discarded before it even hits our shelves for essentially being ‘too ugly’.

By changing our shopping habits and accepting that it is how food tastes, not how it looks, that is important; we can urge suppliers to stop the unnecessary waste of perfectly good food just because it isn’t aesthetically pleasing.

Food Miles Matter

In the previous edition of The Green Issue we examined the environmental impact that the packaging used to contain out food created, and discovered that there were a variety of ways to reduce this. Packaging, however, is just one area in which our shopping habits can have a negative impact on our environment.
Sixty years ago, if asked what a lychee, mango or pineapple was many people would have looked bemused and baffled. These days, however, such extravagant and exotic fruit and vegetables are regularly available and purchased by consumers throughout the country. This increase in demand means that food we regularly eat is having to travel further than ever before; the impact of this, due to what are commonly referred to as ‘food miles’, is an issue that has recently been raised in the media by both chefs and environmentalists alike.

In essence, food miles are the distance that the food you eat has to travel from where it was grown to your plate. Clearly, the further the food has to travel the more Carbon emissions are produced, but how the product is transported is also a fundamental issue as different modes of transport produce widely varying amounts of Carbon Dioxide.
On our roads agriculture and food products account for almost thirty percent of the goods transported on our roads; a figure that has increased considerably in recent years. This has happened for numerous reasons.

Firstly, an increased amount of people shop in centralised locations such as supermarkets which are often situated well away from any farms, yet alone farms where the food they sell is grown. This seems to defy common sense, but in the consumer driven world in which we live there are clear reasons for this trend.

There is a huge amount of competition between supermarkets and when choosing somewhere to shop people not only choose the place where they can buy good food at a good price they also pick the place which is most convenient to them. More often than not this means that supermarkets are situated in urban areas rather than near to the rural locations in which food is produced. What is truly startling is that some food even travels from the field to a factory many miles away to be packaged, only to be transported closer to where it came from again to be sold. This madness is all due to the huge expansion of the supermarket monopoly over the food industry.
When farmers markets and local shops were the main port of call for people to buy their groceries this was less of a problem. Such places sourced food locally and in many cases the food travels straight from farm to shop. This reduces the food miles involved in transportation of the product significantly.

For many people shopping is a necessary inconvenience in their already hectic lives. The pace of our lives dictates that shopping is often done after work or at the weekends. However, the local shop or markets may not be open at these times, particularly not on a Sunday or late in the evening, and this causes people to return to the supermarket again and again, with little thought for how this will impact on the world around them.
Added to this is people’s continued desire for out of season or imported produce. A startling ninety five percent of the fruit and about half of all vegetables in the UK are imported. This means that during the 1990’s alone the amount of food being flown in to the UK has doubled, and this figure is set to increase year on year.
So what can we, as consumers, do to decrease the Carbon emissions created by the distance our food has to travel from field to plate?

The best thing we can do is walk to our local shops and purchase locally sourced, seasonal, food. The average Briton travels 135 miles per year to complete their food shopping, often to out of town superstores. By walking to local shops you not only save money on petrol but also decrease the carbon emissions created by food being packaged and transported all over the country.
This step, however, can be extremely inconvenient if you work long hours, so if it is necessary to use a supermarket to buy your food try shopping on line to reduce your own fuel consumption, and only order British produce that is in season; definitely avoiding any produce that has been air freighted.

Many supermarkets are addressing the issue of food miles and are beginning to highlight seasonal produce that has been sourced locally; keep an eye out for such products and choose them above any alternatives.
Walking to the shops and buying fresh, locally grown, produce with which to cook is by far the most effective way to reduce the carbon emissions caused by food miles. This also reduces the amount of packaging and waste created, which must also be taken in to account in terms of food miles as this waste then has to be transported to landfill.

It is easy to place the blame on supermarkets when discussing food miles; after all it is the shops who import the produce. It is, however, directly up to us as consumers to take responsibility for our shopping habits and begin to take notice of where our food was grown and how it was transported. If we change our shopping habits the larger retailers with have no choice but to change the food they supply. It is even better though to support your local businesses and farmers by buying directly from them. I also find the local farmer’s market a much more pleasurable experience than a supermarket shop.

As well as reducing your carbon emissions there is one huge benefit of buying locally grown produce; it is undoubtedly fresher as it has travelled less, which means that it tastes better. Surely that makes it worth a try!?

Lower Temperatures All Round

As a mother of two small children, partner of a construction worker and, by my own admission, a rather messy person this means that my washing machine is pretty much constantly whirring. It is the noise that is the background hub to our family life; the laundry a necessary chore that allows us to look respectable when we venture out. But what is the environmental impact of the enormous amount of washing that I do? And what can I do to lessen the impact?

Our washing machines us a huge amount of energy as they are powered by electricity, which is not only needed to make the drum spin, but that is also required to heat the water in order to clean our clothes effectively. I have been a rather inquisitive neighbour recently and have taken a look at my friend’s washing machine dials when visiting them. The vast majority were set to at least 40oC. When asked as to why they merely replied that it was mainly habit, and had no idea of the environmental benefit of reducing their washing temperature by just 10o.

Switching your washing machine running temperature to 30oC saves more energy than many people think: in fact it saves enough energy in one year boil enough water to make 2,500 cups of tea and reduces Carbon Dioxide expenditure by the amount of emissions produced driving 150 miles.

So changing to 30oC is another simple, yet effective, way to reduce your Carbon Footprint whilst also saving yourself money.

Carrier Bag Crazy

Every year British shoppers use approximately 20 billion plastic carrier bags, with each of these taking about 100 years to degrade, and only one out of every 200 being recycled. Such extreme reliance and lack of thought about such extensive use of plastic based bags has huge environmental consequences.

Some stores have no introduced degradable plastic carrier bags, although the benefits of such products has been questioned by some environmental groups, perhaps with good reason, as where plastics break down and begin to decompose with no oxygen they produce methane which is a greenhouse gas. So, although they may be completely degradable, they still have their own environmental consequences.

The only certain way to diminish the environmental consequences of carrying our shopping is to begin to use reusable bags- preferably made from natural materials such as cotton. These bags can be used again and again with minimal environmental consequence. Bags for life are another way we can reduce the impact our shopping habits have on the world around

Green By Nature's News 4

2007-10-11T17:13:00.000+01:00

Hello, and welcome to The Green Issue.

We are a newsletter that seeks to raise the understanding of the general public about the devastating impact our actions are having on the future of our planet. But, moreover, we wish to give people practical insights in to how to make positive changes in their own lives.
This week we will be looking at how to make our homes more environmentally friendly by making simple changes in our front gardens.

Also discussed will be the vast amount of energy wasted in our places of work, and the environmental benefits of using a dishwasher (yes, really)!
But first we will be looking at Labours plan to stop the production of incandescent light bulbs by 2012, and whether or not this will really have a major impact on global warming.

For more information about any products mentioned in the newsletter, please contact us at info@greenbynature.co.uk,
Kind Regards,
Susan BryantEditor

Ban the Bulb?

Lighting our homes is a major issue when it comes to the amount of energy we use. Whilst there are alternatives to traditional incandescent light bulbs people are often reluctant to use them and while they are still available many people will not take the step of changing to more energy efficient models.

It is for this reason that at the Labour Party conference, Hillary Benn announced that Labour will provide backing for a voluntary initiative, between manufacturers, retailers and energy suppliers, to phase out the production of high energy light bulbs by 2012.
The objective is that 150 Watt bulbs will be phased out by 2008, 100w bulbs by 2009 40w bulbs the year after that, and all high energy bulbs to be banned by the year 2011.
It is hoped that this will significantly reduce carbon emissions produced from our homes, but some argue that this step is no where near enough.

If our government can’t impose an all out ban, using legislation, on a high polluting product for which there is a suitable alternative, then how likely is it that they will be effective in imposing tighter restrictions on other high energy products, such as plasma televisions and 4x4’s? The risk of banning these products is far greater than that of imposing a voluntary phasing out of traditional light bulbs, so the government need to know we are behind them. It is up to us as the public to make our wishes known; we want such products to be off the market and suitable alternatives made available. It is not too late to make a difference.

Pave the Way to Greener Homes?

What is the first thing that people notice as they approach your house? Is it your front door, your double garage or perhaps your beautiful block paving? When thinking about people’s first impressions of our homes it is hard to believe that something as simple, practical and that adds individuality to our homes could be bad for the environment. Yet, replacing a front garden with a drive can have numerous negative environmental impacts.

The paving over of the greenery that was once abundant in our front gardens has two main environmental impacts: firstly, it damages numerous wildlife habitats and secondly it increases the risk of flooding in residential areas.

People pave over their front gardens for both aesthetic and functional reasons. With more and more families owning at least two cars the necessity for off street parking to be available with homes has increased significantly, especially in built-up residential areas. It is important that people are able to park their cars in front of their own home from both a convenience and security perspective. Therefore it seems the only way to decrease people’s desire to pave over their front lawns for this reason is to create a more stringent and regimented scheme for on-road parking; perhaps with the assignment of parking bays and tickets.

In the built-up residential areas where off-street parking is desired it can even add value to the home owners’ property. However, as plain tarmac drives are not aesthetically pleasing if they whole street follows suit and tarmacs over their front lawns this can actually reduce house values on the street due to the negative aesthetical impact of such frontage.
A block paving front garden is also chosen by many homeowners for its intrinsic minimal need for upkeep. This is driven by the lives of busy, working people and is a true sign of the hectic times we live in.

When examining the reasons why people choose to rid their front gardens of lawn and foliage it can appear to be a rather sensible move; extra space for the family cars and minimum upkeep. Excellent! However, one must consider the wider environmental impact of such actions.
When ridding a garden of lawn and replacing grass with impermeable surfacing you are not only restricting the wildlife that can inhabit your garden but you are also eliminating a vital means of natural drainage.

When decreasing the green space surrounding your home you are destroying a natural haven for birds and other animals that are vital to our eco-system. It is understandable that to many this seems like a small issue as surely there are many more green spaces than our gardens? Well, in London alone front gardens amounting to the size of twenty two Hyde Parks have already been paved over, significantly reducing environmental habitats. So, every one of our actions really does add to this enormous figure. I’m sure there would be uproar if the government suggested paving over Hyde Park, so we need to realise that each one of our gardens contributes to something much bigger.

Adding to the destruction of wildlife habitats there is also a major issue of drainage within our residential areas. By replacing a grass, which naturally allows water to drain through, with an impermeable material such as concrete or paving, this adds increased pressure to our already overloaded drainage system.

As the water cannot penetrate through such surfaces it runs in to the drains adding to the natural rainfall already occurring. This can have devastating consequences for homeowners by increasing the risk of flash flooding.

It is important, therefore, that environmentally sustainable alternatives are promoted and encouraged amongst householders. There is clearly a need for people to increase their parking capacity and it is necessary that people realise the environmental damage that some of the options that enable them to do this create.

So, what are the viable alternatives?
Gravel- Gravel is a permeable surface, allowing natural drainage to occur thus reducing the risk of flash flooding
Pavers with increased vertical drainage, allowing rain water to be channelled in to an underground chamber which fill quickly but drain slowly thus reducing run-off, although this is an expensive option costing up to £60 per square metre.
A product called ‘Netpave’ can also be used; this is a thin net placed over grass in order to prevent erosion from pedestrian or light vehicular traffic.

These alternatives allow natural drainage to occur through them thus relieving stress put on our drainage system through other methods of paving. However, as long as people continue to replace traditional front garden greenery with driveways there is little than can be done to combat the effect this has on wildlife habitats. The only way to address this issue is by people becoming aware of the impact replacing their front gardens is having on the wildlife around us. More needs to be done to raise awareness of this issue, and to encourage people to allow their front gardens to become natural havens for the wildlife of suburban Britain.

Saving Energy
It is not only within our own homes that most of us are guilty of wasting energy; our places of work also create another forum in which energy can be wasted. This is particularly the case where no one person takes responsibility for the energy used within the working environment, meaning that everyone sees it as somebody else’s job. In reality, however, we should all take responsibility for the energy used in our offices and begin to make a stand when energy is being blatantly wasted.

It is common practice for lights to be left on in the office over night and as most offices use high energy powered bulbs this can waste enough energy to heat water for a thousand cups of tea. This means that through just one night, by turning the office lights off, enough energy could be saved to heat water for the average Briton’s yearly tea consumption.

This is just one area within our workplaces where a vast amount of energy can be saved. All that is necessary to make this happen is for people to take responsibility for the energy lost in their places of work. Just because we are not paying the energy bill does not mean there won’t be a price to pay for the energy wasted in our working environments.

Chained to the Kitchen Sink?

In my own home I used to wash up three times a day, at least. This was not only time consuming but also meant that we used a great deal of electricity heating the water used to wash the dishes.

Then we moved house and there was space for a dishwasher. I was overjoyed! Then my conscience awoke and asked “Can I justify the vast amounts of energy used by yet another household appliance”?

So I began researching the energy used by both hand washing and using a dishwasher and I was very (pleasantly) surprised!

It became clear that dishwashers are sometimes more energy efficient than washing dishes by hand, due to the dishwasher using significantly less water than washing by hand. Now, this is only the case if you run the dishwasher on a low heat setting and only use it at its full capacity. It is also not necessary to rinse plates before placing them in the dishwasher; in fact this totally negates the water saving benefits of using a dishwasher.

Electrical appliances sold in the EU carry an ‘energy efficiency’ rating; this is a rating from A+ to G on how energy efficient a product is. When choosing a dishwasher it is imperative to choose one that carries an A grade rating (this means it takes less energy to heat the water it uses than other models).

To help your choice even further the Energy Saving Trust now labels the most energy efficient items in their category with an Energy Saving Recommended logo; if you choose a product carrying this you can be sure your appliance will use the least amount of energy possible. So, saving the planet doesn’t have to be a chore after all!

The Green Issue, 28th September

2007-09-28T09:23:00.000+01:00

This week we examine how it is possible to reduce the energy used in your home by making a few home improvements; not only will these help reduce your carbon footprint they will also reduce your heating and electricity bills. Many of the changes mentioned will return your financial expenditure within a couple of years by making you significant savings on your household bills.

We’ll also be looking at the vast amount of energy wasted by leaving appliances on stand-by, and the significant difference turning electrical appliances off can make. But, firstly, we are looking at the varying eco-policies of the three major political parties; and whether or not any of their policies are going to impact the high levels of carbon emissions produced by the UK.

Current Affairs

As the Annual Party Conference season begins the Liberal Democrats have made a radical claim that Britain needs to be carbon neutral by the year 2050. This is in response to Labour’s pledge to reduce carbon emissions by 60% by 2050; a figure which both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats agree is not acceptable, with the Conservatives holding the figure of an 80% reduction in place as a benchmark.

Whilst all parties agree that a reduction in carbon emissions is necessary their policies to create this change vary dramatically.

One method all parties have discussed is the introduction of so called ‘green taxes’ on high polluting products or services: such as aviation and 4x4’s. However, it is argued that the impact of such taxes will impact those on lower incomes significantly more than the wealthy; they are more likely to stop lower income families taking their once a year trip abroad than stop business people taking corporate flights.

One main area where carbon emissions can be reduced is within our homes- British homes are among the least efficient in Europe. Each party deals with this issue differently. The Liberal Democrats want new homes to be totally Green by 2011, with more stringent building regulations and penalties in place. Labour has spoken about ‘personal carbon rationalising’ and encourages people to offset their carbon emissions through various schemes. Meanwhile, the Conservatives are strongly favouring a financial incentive for greener homes; such as reduced stamp duty and council tax rebates. Whilst all these approaches vary the Liberal Democrats and Conservative policies focus on financial incentives, not on the conscience of the people. And as demoralising as it may sound perhaps this is the only way to make people take notice of the impact they are having on the environment.

Simple Steps to Improve the Energy Efficiency in Your Home

In an ideal world all our homes would have a high rate of energy efficiency as standard and all we would have to worry about would be saving energy with the appliances we use. However, we do not live in an ideal world and all our homes are not as energy efficient as they could be. Whilst there are specific ‘eco homes’ available that do their utmost to have the least impact possible on the environment, often it is not possible for us all to buy or build such a home.
That is why it is vital that we are aware how to make our homes as energy efficient as possible, preferably spending the least amount of money possible!

Even moving to the newest of homes there are still many options that allow us to improve the energy efficiency of our homes; which will not only save you money on you fuel bills but also be a key selling point if you are thinking about marketing your home.

Approximately half of the heat lost from an average home is expended through the walls and loft, so it is vital to check that both of these areas are properly insulated. Without effective roof insulation you could be losing up to 15% of the heat from within your home through the loft.
Loft insulation works by trapping this heat within the home, having the same effect as a blanket, and keeping all the heat you are paying for within your home. The insulation (which usually consists of fibreglass matting) is laid over the floor of the loft, and this type of insulation can be easily completed by a confident householder (although specialist equipment and clothing must be worn).

In houses built after the 1920’s most houses are constructed with two layers of block work on the external walls with a gap of air in between. If this gap is left unfilled then this can cause your home to lose a huge amount of energy. The solution to this problem is ‘cavity wall insulation’ in which this gap is filled with an insulating material, working in a similar vein to the loft insulation and reducing heat escaping through the walls of your property.
Another significant way that heat escapes in your home is from the hot water cylinder. This can easily be resolved by fitting your tank with a British Standard ‘jacket’ that will keep the water within it hotter for longer. The same can be done with hot water pipes, thus reducing the energy needed to heat water within your home.

Energy is also lost through the windows in our homes; a problem that can easily be solved through the installation of double glazing throughout your home. Double glazing works because the window is made of two sheets of glass, in between which air is trapped, thus creating an insulating barrier which reduces heat loss as well as noise levels.

It is also possible to install products that will actually stop energy from the grid being used within your home. Heating water accounts for approximately 20% of a households energy costs, and there is a simple solution to reduce this figure and cut you carbon emissions significantly.
Installing solar panels with the purpose of heating water is a simple process which can be completed by professionals in about a day. Solar water heating uses energy from the sun to supply your home with hot water. Solar energy is collected via solar panels and then transferred through pipes to your hot water cylinder (which needs to be a twin coil hot water cylinder).
A startling way to reduce the amount of energy your home uses is to generate your own electricity. Currently the most effective way to do this is through the installation of a wind turbine specially designed for domestic use.

Wind turbines generate electricity by converting the rotation of the turbine blades in to electricity through an electrical generator. Wind energy is totally renewable, greatly reduces carbon emissions and is plentiful, and is an ideal solution to the needs of householders and businesses alike. Many companies can supply, and install, wind turbines, meaning that you can produce your own energy. This reduces both your carbon footprint and your energy bills!As outlined above there are many ways to reduce the amount of energy used in your home, from simple steps such as increasing the insulation values within your property, through to the option of generating your own electricity. With all the solutions possible it really is time that everyone accepted responsibility for their carbon footprint and began to take measures to reduce it.

Saving Energy

The energy consumed in our homes is one of the single biggest contributions to global warming; almost half of the UK’s carbon emissions come from energy we use every day, both in our homes and because of our travel habits.

In Britain today each of our homes holds an increasing amount of electrical gadgetry: flat screen televisions, laptops and digital radios, for example, and many of these products use considerably more energy than their traditional counterparts. We have a wealth of equipment that makes our lives more comfortable, however the impact that such apparatus has on the environment is startling.

It is estimated that by 2010 electrical appliances will be the single biggest user of domestic electricity, and that this figure is set to rise along with the amount of electrical equipment in our homes.

Apart from the energy consumption of such appliances whilst they are in use, there is also the added issue of the energy used when they are on ‘stand by’.
I recently purchased a flat screen television that does not have an ‘off’ switch. In order to turn the television completely off one has to turn it off at the wall. It makes you wonder why, considering the high awareness of the issues of Global Warming, that such products are still being manufactured. In some televisions the energy used by being on stand by is nearly two-thirds of the electricity it would use if left on. It must be time, therefore, to say “good bye” to stand-by; and save money as well as significantly reducing the carbon emission from your home.

Care for Your Laundry and Care for the Environment

In my own household I use my washing machine at least once a day. Due to the hardness of the water in my area I need to use at least 100ml of washing detergent per load. This means in one week I use at least 700ml of laundry detergent, but what impact does this have on the environment?

It is often hard to find, and even harder to recognise, the ingredients that are present in many brands of detergent. Therefore it is difficult to assess the impact that such products have on the environment. However, it is possible to ascertain that inclusions such as artificial fragrances are slow to biodegrade and are harmful to aquatic wildlife and environment. Synthetic ingredients can also cause allergic reactions in those with sensitive skin; thus it is always best to try to use a detergent that is made using natural ingredients.

Conventional detergents consist mainly of petrochemical surfactants which are not only harmful to aquatic life but are also based on finite oil supplies. It is much better to choose a product that is based on plant surfactants which are both renewable and have a minimal impact on aquatic life.

There are many of these products available, produced by companies such as Ecover that specialise in ‘green’ household products. Ecover produce a biological washing powder (which despite popular belief is not actually proved to increase allergies) and using this biological washing powder could enable you to turn the temperature of your washing machine to 30 degrees; helping the planet further.

The Green Issue, 21st September

2007-09-21T10:46:00.000+01:00

Hello, and welcome to The Green Issue.

Our aim is to raise awareness about the impact we have on the planets future and to spur people in to making everyday changes that really can change the future of our planet.
This week we’re examining closely the dramatic impact that housing development has on the environment; by raising awareness we hope that people will be able to make informed choices about the houses they live in.

We will also be looking at the benefits of energy saving light bulbs, and how changing one of your domestic products can have a positive impact on the environment. Primarily though we’ll be looking at a story that has recently brought the power of nature to the public eye: the devastating Hurricane Dean.

Wild Weather Strikes Again

After months plagued by flooding, soaring temperatures and storms yet more people faced the reality of nature’s power as Hurricane Dean struck parts of the Caribbean. In Jamaica the storm caused devastation as it uprooted trees, destroyed homes and caused wide spread flooding. By the time the hurricane reached the Mexican Coast its intensity had been upgraded to grade five; meaning the hurricane created sustained wind speeds of more than 165mph and gusts of up to 200mph.
Whilst there is no direct connection between any one hurricane and global warming, it is widely believed by climate scientists that there is a direct cause and effect situation occurring between the two phenomena. In fact, of the ten most intense hurricanes on record six have occurred within the last ten years. This is thought to be because sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic, where most American hurricanes stem from, have risen by approximately two degrees in the last twenty years, thus increasing the intensity of the hurricanes that do occur. However, it is argued that the exact relationship between the two occurrences may never be exactly known.

Whether or not a link between global warming and extreme weather is quantifiably certain, there is no doubt that it certainly makes people realise the delicate relationship between themselves and the elements. Every action and decision we make affects the climate of the world we live in; the exact nature of these changes in not yet known. But we need to act now, before the devastation that has occurred across the Atlantic becomes a more common incidence in our every day lives.

New Homes: At What Cost?

Every year approximately 160,000 new homes are built within the UK and as long as demand continues to exceed supply in the housing market this figure is going to rise. The government aims to increase the number of new houses built each year to 240,000 by the year 2016 in order to provide a solution to the lack of affordable housing currently available.
As escalating numbers of our open spaces are being developed to create extra homes we must step back and consider the tremendous affect this has on our environment and what we can do to minimise the damage.

It is clear that as houses are built on what would once have been recreational ground or open pastures that the impact on animal habitats and wildlife will be severe. Not only this, but as houses are built and tarmac drives are laid this also decreases the natural absorption capacity of the land, thus making these new houses more prone to flood damage if the man-made drainage facilities become overwhelmed.

Add to this the carbon emissions created by the construction of new properties and those created by inhabitants once the homes are owned, the environmental impact of such developments quickly becomes startling.
It is impossible to argue, however, that new homes are not needed; the average house price in the UK is £210,000 and with the average wage being approximately £447 a week (translated to £22,000 a year) this means the average house is still costing nearly ten times the average salary.

So is there a happy medium between consumer’s needs and environmental cost? ‘Eco homes’ could provide the solution.

It is true that construction companies and developers must meet certain criteria when building new homes; however, it is widely believed that these requirements are not enough considering the huge impact such development has on the environment. For example, although insulation standards must be high, which is a hugely positive thing for both reducing heating bills and minimising carbon emissions, there are few regulations when it comes to the sustainability of the materials used. And on such matters most companies are self-regulating, which is essentially driven by client demand.

Developers seek to build houses that consumer’s demand; therefore, if we, as a public body, make environmental issues a higher priority when buying a house the developer with have to respond accordingly. This means they will have to instruct builders to use more environmentally friendly products in both the construction, and furnishing, of new homes.
Every new house built in the UK must comply with building regulations, and in January 2006 Part L of the building regulations was created which deals with the conservation of fuels and power. In the creation of this legal requirement the UK housing business was taking an extremely positive step towards other European countries that have considerably higher thermal standards than the UK.

In compliance with Part L of the Building regulations all new or renovated dwellings must achieve a ‘U-Value’; this is a measure of the heat loss and gain within a property. This, in itself, is a definite improvement and decreases energy consumption within new homes significantly. Yet, many buildings, particularly apartment blocks, are being built on a structure mainly comprised of concrete. Concrete is essentially a mixture of sand, aggregate, cement and water and has definite positive thermo-insulation properties as it both keeps heat in and out, thus reducing both heating and air-conditioning costs.

However, the production of cement based building materials accounts for between 5%- 10% of all carbon dioxide emissions. Clearly this is due to the vast amount of uses to which such materials are put: underground stations, runways, tarmac drives and road bridges to name but a few. Although alternatives to cement and concrete are mainly expensive there is a simple, viable route to minimising concrete use in housing construction.
When constructing houses it is possible to use a timber frame construction which, if the timber is acquired from FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) managed forests, is an entirely sustainable resource.

As consumers and home-owners it is up to us to demand an increase in such properties; if developers become aware that increasing numbers of people are looking for homes built in a manner that doesn’t have such a negative impact on the environment then they will have to sit up and listen and build more houses using sustainable materials.

Moreover, we need to question the government as to why there are no guidelines about the sustainability of materials used in the construction of new properties. Whilst there is no doubt new houses are needed in this country it does not have to be at the expense of our environmental interests. There are alternatives but, as ever, the people in charge need to be made accountable for their actions and realise that alternatives are available, even if they are more expensive. Of course, if you are extremely passionate about having an eco-friendly home there are many more ways to achieve this, one of which is to self-build such a property. In the next issue of The Green Issue we will explore further the environmental benefits of the eco friendly home.

Saving Energy

As the effects of global warming become increasingly evident within our day to day lives, and as fossil fuels become depleted most people are acutely aware of the necessity to reduce their Carbon Footprint and that the main way to do this is by saving energy. By saving electricity around the home you are not only helping to save the planet but you will also notice a difference in your own electricity bills. It’s a win-win situation!

It is sometimes easy to underestimate the effect small changes can make, so here we’ll examine one small thing you can change around your own home, and the impact it will have both on the planet and your pocket!

My first tip would be to use energy saving light bulbs. Although they are often dismissed as ‘too bulky’, ‘having a poor quality of light’ or just being ‘too expensive’ I have found them excellent, particularly in areas where lights are often left on for long periods and the light doesn’t need to be especially bright. Even if you are reluctant to try them in your main living areas they are marvellous for hallways, garages and porches, and I find them to be great in the bathroom too!As well as the environmental benefits of energy saving light bulbs (as they use about 20% less energy than a standard bulb) they can also last about four times longer than traditional bulbs. For those savings to your wallet alone they must be worth a try!

Household Products

When shopping for household products a lot of us barely consider the impact that our choice of cleaning product will have on our homes, our health and the environment. Few people realise the damaging potential harm everyday products can cause to the environment. By using chemical cleaning agents sold in non-recyclable packaging we are filling our homes with unnecessary chemicals, which can be triggers to allergic reaction such as eczema, as well as severely affecting aquatic life. Chlorine bleach is especially damaging to aquatic life as it releases dioxins (highly toxic chemicals) in to our water systems. In general it is advisable to avoid ingredients that start with “chloro” in many household items such as disinfectants, kitchen roll and other common products.

There used to be very little choice when it came to ‘green cleaning products’ but in recent years significantly more brands have emerged.When choosing something to clean my kitchen surfaces I always choose a brand that is sympathetic to my own values and reducing my impact on the environment. Shown here is a multi-purpose cleaning agent available from www.greenpeople.co.uk, a website that offers many forms of organic and ‘green’ products. There are various brands available which use natural cleaning agents rather than manufactured chemicals, and I would always opt for such a product for the health of both my family and the planet.