Suitably Despairing

A Quick Update

noreply@blogger.com (Despairing) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 12:53:00 +0000

This is just a quick update to say that I have not forsaken you!

I still have no internet access in the new flat, and it could possibly be a couple of weeks before I do.

Here's one thing I've discovered in the last week: I could quite happily live without a TV (I don't have TV at the moment either), but not having an always-on internet is driving me to distraction!

I'll be back online as soon as I can.

Green In The Media 29th September - 5th October

noreply@blogger.com (Despairing) — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 11:00:00 +0000

I'm not yet back online, so this was written a week ago. That means that there is probably mistakes in the listings, and I may have missed stuff that was scheduled late. Still, better than nothing.

It's just a pity there's nothing exciting on!

Monday 29th September

Not Waving But Drowning
On: Community Channel
Time: 07:00 to 07:55
Documentary recording how seven Bangladeshi families cope with the effects of climate change on their environment.

Chateau Monty
On: Channel 4
Time: 13:05 to 13:40
Take one Englishman with dreams of making his own red wine, a few sceptical French locals, one girl from Birmingham, and a dog called Harry. Place together in a small organic vineyard in stunning rural France. Then mix with bad weather, financial uncertainty, health scares, wild boar and a sprinkling of cow manure.

Thursday 2nd October

Not Waving But Drowning
On: Community Channel
Time: 07:00 to 07:55
Documentary recording how seven Bangladeshi families cope with the effects of climate change on their environment.

One Planet
On: BBC World Service Radio
Time: 10:30 to 11:00 (Also 1630, 2030, 0130)
Animal Migration in a Climate of Change.
A look at animal migration in a changing world. Part 3: African elephants' migration in South Africa.

Eorpa
On: BBC 2 Scotland
Time: 19:30 to 20:00
Gaelic topical affairs programme reporting on the major political, social and cultural issues across Europe. The team examine the issues surrounding oil across Europe, including a report on the international struggle over mineral and oil rights in the Arctic Circle.

Chateau Monty
On: Channel 4
Time: 20:30 to 21:00
After nine months of back-breaking work, at last it's harvest time. Monty and Linzie need to produce at least 6,000 bottles of quaffable red wine from his bio-dynamic vineyard in the south of France. But the weather's closing in and if they're going to hand-pick all 6,000 vines in time, Monty needs help from the local villagers, but are they willing to help the upstart Brit get it finished in time? Bill Baker, the large and loud wine expert, flies in to check out Monty's vineyard and be the first to taste the wine, but he doesn't seem convinced with Monty's biodynamic methods. Will the all-important wine tasting be a success or will Bill return to London with a bad taste in his mouth?

Saturday 4th October

One Planet
On: BBC World Service Radio
Time: 11:30 to 12:00
Animal Migration in a Climate of Change.
A look at animal migration in a changing world. Part 3: African elephants' migration in South Africa.

Excerpt taken from DigiGuide - the world's best TV guide available from http://www.getdigiguide.com/?p=1&r=20818
Copyright (c) GipsyMedia Limited.

This Is Not Goodbye

noreply@blogger.com (Despairing) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 15:27:00 +0000

This is going to be my last blog post for a couple of weeks.

I mentioned last month that I'm moving home. That happens this week, so it means my internuts will be cut off.

If you follow me on twitter, I may still update there but I won't be able to follow or reply to any messages, sorry!

Being the optimistic guy I am, I'm expecting some major news story involving Scotland, Global Warming and Sandra Bullock to break while I'm offline and unable to comment on it. You'll just have to imagine how despairing I will be!

If my enforced absence goes much past 10 days, I may get this desperate.

Green In The Media 22nd September - 28th September

noreply@blogger.com (Despairing) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 14:33:00 +0000

Wake me up when September ends...

Monday 22nd September

Feeling the Heat
On: Community Channel
Time: 07:30 to 08:00
The Great Climate Challenge.
A collection of films about the different challenges facing the world if we want to help tackle global warming.

Tuesday 23rd September

Nowhere Else to Go
On: Community Channel
Time: 07:00 to 07:30
Exploring the issues facing the Masaai culture as their traditional way of life is under pressure from both the Government and the environment.

Home Planet
On: BBC Radio Four
Time: 15:00 to 15:30
Richard Daniel and the team discuss listeners' questions about the environment and the natural world.

Wednesday 24th September

Alex James in Africa
On: Community Channel
Time: 07:00 to 07:30
Farming for a Future.
Alex James, farmer and former Blur band member, follows Christian Aid's groundbreaking work in Burkina Faso, west Africa, with farmers who are on the very front line of climate change.

Thursday 25th September

Feeling the Heat
On: Community Channel
Time: 07:30 to 08:00
The Great Climate Challenge.
A collection of films about the different challenges facing the world if we want to help tackle global warming.

One Planet
On: BBC World Service Radio
Time: 10:30 to 11:00 (Also 1630, 2030, 0130)
Animal Migration in a Climate of Change.
A look at animal migration in a changing world. This week the cuckoo migration from Africa to Europe.

Costing the Earth
On: BBC Radio Four
Time: 21:00 to 21:30
Hurrah for the Eco Car.
Politicians tell us that the future of motoring is electric, and several of the major car companies are launching a new generation of greener vehicles using hydrogen fuel technology. All are being trumpeted as the salvation of the motor car in a world without oil. But despite being promised green cars as long ago as the 90s, very few have yet to materialise on our roads. Tom Heap investigates.

Chateau Monty
On: Channel 4
Time: 20:30 to 21:00
Take one Englishman with dreams of making his own red wine, a few sceptical French locals, a girl from Birmingham and a dog called Harry. Place together in a small organic vineyard in stunning rural France. Then mix with bad weather, financial uncertainty, health scares, wild boar and a sprinkling of cow manure.

Friday 26th September

Nowhere Else to Go
On: Community Channel
Time: 07:00 to 07:30
Exploring the issues facing the Masaai culture as their traditional way of life is under pressure from both the Government and the environment.

Costing the Earth
On: BBC Radio Four
Time: 15:00 to 15:30
Hurrah for the Eco Car.
Politicians tell us that the future of motoring is electric, and several of the major car companies are launching a new generation of greener vehicles using hydrogen fuel technology. All are being trumpeted as the salvation of the motor car in a world without oil. But despite being promised green cars as long ago as the 90s, very few have yet to materialise on our roads. Tom Heap investigates.

Grand Designs Abroad
On: more4
Time: 17:05 to 18:05
Westport, Ireland.
Kevin travels to Suffolk to visit a former tax inspector who's caught the ecology bug. Rob Roy and Alida Saunders are attempting to build a 100% environmentally-friendly house. Rob has his heart set on solar heating, grey water systems and reclaimed materials - but Alida is keen to make the eco-house a real home for them and their children. How far will she let him go with her green ideals? Will she draw the line at a composting toilet?

Earth: The Climate Wars
On: BBC 1 Scotland
Time: 02:00 to 03:00
The Battle Begins. Episode 1. (Signed)
Dr Iain Stewart traces the history of climate change from its very beginning and examines just how the scientific community managed to get it so very wrong back in the Seventies. Along the way he uncovers some of the great unsung heroes of climate change science, and introduces us to a secret organisation of American government scientists, known as Jason, who wrote the first official report on global warming as far back as 1979.

Saturday 27th September

Wild West Going Green
On: Community Channel
Time: 06:30 to 06:50
Film about Knowle West in Bristol, where the community has been living a green and sustainable life long before it became a council initiative.

Alex James in Africa
On: Community Channel
Time: 07:00 to 07:30
Farming for a Future.
Alex James, farmer and former Blur band member, follows Christian Aid's groundbreaking work in Burkina Faso, west Africa, with farmers who are on the very front line of climate change.

One Planet
On: BBC World Service Radio
Time: 11:30 to 12:00
Animal Migration in a Climate of Change.
A look at animal migration in a changing world. This week the cuckoo migration from Africa to Europe.

Sunday 28th September

Laurence Llewelyn Bowen's History of Home
On: BBC Radio Four
Time: 14:45 to 15:00
9: The Eco House.
Ten part-series in which Laurence Llewelyn Bowen explores the history of our homes from the 1920s to the present day. Laurence visits an eco-community of houses in Nottingham.

Excerpts taken from DigiGuide - the world's best TV guide available from http://www.getdigiguide.com/?p=1&r=20818
Copyright (c) GipsyMedia Limited.

The Style Of A Banker: US v UK

noreply@blogger.com (Despairing) — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 11:14:00 +0000

I mentioned the other day how staggered I was to see the conspicuous consumption of the Lehman Brothers building in New York, with the giant LCD screens covering the outside of the building announcing to passers-by how great the bank was.

One of the other things that struck me was watching the ex-employees loading their belongings into their large cars before driving away. In one case I saw, the car was chauffeur-driven (although admittedly it could have been a friend/spouse who was picking him up).

Contrast that with Thursday in London. As news broke that LloydsTSB was taking over the not-so-troubled-really HBOS, reporters and cameramen scrambled to get face-time with Sir Victor Blank, the chairman of LloydsTSB. Not only does he have a wonderful name for a Bond villain, but he's now in charge of a "superbank".

So what kind of car did this financial behemoth step out of? A Daimler? A Bentley? Maybe he lowered himself to a Jaguar?

No, he turned up in a bright red G-Wiz. Although admittedly it was chauffer-driven!

His other car is a Prius.

New Ferry Operator Announced

noreply@blogger.com (Despairing) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:02:00 +0000

Photo by linz ellinas

You may recall my despair back in May when Superfast Ferries announced that they were going to withdraw their route between Scotland and Belgium, leaving Scotland without a direct link to the continent (other than by air, obviously).

Well last week, they sailed into the distance for the last time.

The good news is, it has been announced that the Scottish Government have found another company to take over the route, Norfolkline, which will begin operations next spring.

Let's hope that they do a better job of it than Superfast, who always seemed half-hearted about it. I was talking to a colleague last week who told me he had looked into using Superfast for him and his car to go to Europe. He was quoted £500! When a low-cost flight can be had for £30 per person, that's a ridiculous amount.

UK To Buy It's Way Out Of CO² Targets

noreply@blogger.com (Despairing) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:00:00 +0000

Shame on the UK government.

And shame on us for letting them get away with it.

For years, we've swallowed the government line that the UK was "leading the way" on the enviroment, that other countries were looking to us to show them how to go about reducing their emissions.

Now, the chickens have come home to roost. The government are desperately trying to persuade the EU to let them buy their way out of their CO² reduction targets.

After all, it's easier than actually reducing emissions yourself. It's also highly selfish.

Devolution 101

noreply@blogger.com (Despairing) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 11:00:00 +0000

I occasionally venture into talking about politics, and every time I do I wonder how much depth I should go in to.

Should I assume that none of my readers know anything about Scottish politics, or they know nothing about UK politics? Or should I blunder on in the hope that everyone knows what I'm talking about?

If you're outside the UK, or even if you're English and haven't before thought about it, Gristmill has a quick primer on what the different countries that make up the UK are doing with regards to the environment, and why it is not making the English happy.

Whaddya mean, you didn't know the UK was more than one country???

Dry, Dry And Dry Again

noreply@blogger.com (Despairing) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 09:00:00 +0000

I saw this sign on the bathroom wall of my favourite restaurant on Saturday:

It does throw up that age-old question of which one is the "greenest", the hand towel or the electric dryer.

Last year, Ask Pablo came down on the side of the hand towel, but then he didn't factor in the carbon from cutting down the tree, transporting it to the paper mill, transporting the towels to the restaurant, what the towels would be wrapped in, or what happens to them afterwards.

On the other hand, he also didn't take into account the emissions from manufacturing and transporting the electric dryer, either.

I've always come down on the side of the dryer, since the waste from the paper towel is staring you in the face. But as one of the commenters on the AskPablo article says, you could just use neither - evaporation is a renewable resource!

Climate Rush

noreply@blogger.com (Despairing) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:16:00 +0000

100 years ago, the Suffragettes held a protest outside Parliament to demand that women have the right to vote. A number of them then rushed into Parliament.

Of course, if they tried that today they would be mown down by the machine gun nests before they got three yards past the anti-car-bomb bollards. Or if they were upper class, given a stern talking-to by the Serjeant-at-Arms.

There are plans to mark this anniversary by holding a 'Climate Rush' in Parliament Square where you can listen to "inspirational women" (Rosie Boycott, Caroline Lucas, Baroness Tonge) talk about climate change, before presenting Gordon Brown with a list of demands. If Gordon Brown is still in power then, of course!

If you fancy going, the organisers would like you to wear period costume, although as far as I'm aware there are no plans for anyone to throw themselves under a horse. Full details can be found on the website.

Arctic Passes Critical Summer Season

noreply@blogger.com (Despairing) — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 23:31:00 +0000

You can breathe again. The Arctic sea ice has passed its lowest point, and the good news is that it didn't melt as much as it did last year.

The bad news? I'll leave that to Walt Meier of the NSIDC to explain:

[Last year] we had clear skies with the Sun blazing down, we had warm temperatures, and winds that pushed the ice edge northwards...We didn't have any of this this year, and yet we still came within 10% of the record

Tap Water Is A Quality Product

noreply@blogger.com (Despairing) — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:46:00 +0000

Even less reason to buy bottled water.

Now if only I could get the girlfriend to drop her "I don't like the taste" mantra!

Britain Shunted Out Of The High Speed Renaissance

noreply@blogger.com (Despairing) — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 10:44:00 +0000

Photo by MHJohnston

Is Britain getting left behind on the issue of high-speed trains?

Ive said before, this government doesn't have the guts to even think seriously about the issue, but when even California is planning a high-speed system then you've got to think that maybe you're missing out on something.

They could always look at the Swedish model, using the existing tracks for new high-speed trains, but then that brings to mind the god-awful planning that the former Railtrack did for the West Coast Main Line upgrade for the Virgin Pendolino trains. Not to mention the lack of line capacity.

It looks like we'll have a new UK government in the not-too-distant future anyway, so perhaps they can go back to the issue like they've promised?

Meltdowns

noreply@blogger.com (Despairing) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 23:44:00 +0000

"If you don't tackle climate change, the global economy will fall apart,"

The director of WWF Scotland has been urging people not to take their eyes off one meltdown just because of another.

Incidentally, I've seen a few news reports today with reporters standing in front of the Lehman Brothers building in New York. Who thought it would be a good idea to cover the outside of the building in giant LCD screens? I know New York doesn't really do "subtle", but the energy needed for that must be huge!

Green In The Media 15th September - 21st September

noreply@blogger.com (Despairing) — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 09:00:00 +0000

There's an intriguing Horizon on Tuesday night, where they ask scientists from various fields to "brief" the new US president. Global warming should be on the agenda.

Monday 15th September

Dispatches
On: Channel 4
Time: 20:00 to 21:00
What's in Your Wine?.
Wine consumption in the UK is hitting record levels. The health benefits of the occasional glass of red wine are widely acknowledged and it is generally assumed to be a straightforward product of grapes. But in this investigation, journalist Jane Moore reveals that a great deal of what we now consume is enhanced, sweetened, flavoured or added to, creating a drink that one critic describes as no better than "an alcoholic cola".

Tuesday 16th September

Home Planet
On: BBC Radio Four
Time: 15:00 to 15:30
Richard Daniel and the team discuss listeners' questions about the environment and the natural world.

Property Ladder
On: more4
Time: 19:00 to 20:00
Sarah Beeny's got her green hard-hat on, trying to help some aspiring property developers balance their eco philosophies with harsh business realities. From a "happy shower" and sunken dining pit to under-bed crystals and a colour-changing bathroom, Claire Harrigan believes a "healthy home" is what we've all been waiting for.

Horizon
On: BBC 2
Time: 21:00 to 21:50
The President's Guide to Science.
Horizon asks some of the biggest names in science to have a quiet word with the new President, be it Obama or McCain. The United States President is quite simply the most powerful man on earth, but past Presidents have often known little about science. That is a problem when the decisions they make will affect every one of us, from nuclear proliferation to climate change. Some of the world's leading scientists, from Dawkins to Watson, share some crucial words of advice.

Thursday 18th September

One Planet
On: BBC World Service Radio
Time: 10:30 to 11:00 (Also 1630, 2030, 0130)
Animal Migration in a Climate of Change.
A look at animal migration in a changing world. In Mexico millions of Monarch butterflies pour into the trees for the winter.

Chateau Monty
On: Channel 4
Time: 20:30 to 21:00
Take one Englishman with dreams of making his own red wine, a few sceptical French locals, one girl from Birmingham, and a dog called Harry. Place together in a small organic vineyard in stunning rural France. Then mix with bad weather, financial uncertainty, health scares, wild boar and a sprinkling of cow manure.

Costing the Earth
On: BBC Radio Four
Time: 21:00 to 21:30
The environmental series looks at the politics of famine. At a time of heightened food insecurity, are the food aid policies of many UK-based aid agencies actually contributing to the problem?

Friday 19th September

Costing the Earth
On: BBC Radio Four
Time: 15:00 to 15:30
The environmental series looks at the politics of famine. At a time of heightened food insecurity, are the food aid policies of many UK-based aid agencies actually contributing to the problem?

Saturday 20th September

One Planet
On: BBC World Service Radio
Time: 11:30 to 12:00
Animal Migration in a Climate of Change.
A look at animal migration in a changing world. In Mexico millions of Monarch butterflies pour into the trees for the winter.

Earth: The Climate Wars
On: BBC 2
Time: 23:10 to 00:10
New Challenges. Episode 3.
Having explained the science behind global warming, and addressed the arguments of the climate change sceptics earlier in the series, in this third and final part Dr Iain Stewart looks at the biggest challenge now facing climate scientists. Just how can they predict exactly what changes global warming will bring? It's a journey that takes him from early attempts to model the climate system with dishpans, to supercomputers, and to the frontline of climate research today: Greenland. Most worryingly he discovers that scientists are becoming increasingly concerned that their models are actually underestimating the speed of changes already underway.

Excerpts taken from DigiGuide - the world's best TV guide available from http://www.getdigiguide.com/?p=1&r=20818
Copyright (c) GipsyMedia Limited.

Eskimos

noreply@blogger.com (Despairing) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 20:16:00 +0000

Frankie Boyle on this week's Mock The Week:

Eskimos now have 600 words for "We're fu**ed"

Preparations For Arctic "Land" Grab

noreply@blogger.com (Despairing) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:07:00 +0000

I caught this BBC News report just as I was going to bed last night. It's a strange mixture of arctic ice melt and preparations for gunboat diplomacy. Go watch.

I'm going to be mostly offline this weekend. Actually, I'm going to be mostly drunk this weekend! Normal service will resume Monday or Tuesday.

Relaunch

noreply@blogger.com (Despairing) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 17:40:00 +0000

I see the Politics Show is getting a relaunch this week.

Hopefully, the Scottish edition will take this opportunity to unplug the phone which rings in the studio every goddamn week!

It's The Economy, Stupid

noreply@blogger.com (Despairing) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:50:00 +0000

I came across this advert in The Times today:

Since it is the start of the political party conference season, the ad is highlighting the release of the Green Standard Review 2008 (pdf). And it doesn't make for good reading if you're a politician.

While the three main parties were happy to paint themselves green in 2006/07, it has been blatantly obvious that they've been backtracking on commitments this year. With the downturn in the economy, they think that the public will be less concerned with climate change and more concerned with their wallets.

While it is true that going green can at times be expensive - particularly food - it can also save you money. Now is the time to start talking about energy efficiency, to "fool" the public into taking greener measures in their homes.

There will always be those out there who do not like being told to do something, and who will deliberately do the opposite either to make a point or just out of spite. I work with someone who refuses to recycle, who says that he pays enough in council tax so why should he sort out his rubbish? "My bin is my bin, and no one will tell me what to put in it", he said to me. However, take away the "green" message and instead tell him that he'll save money by insulating the loft, and he'll probably be first in the queue at B&Q the next day.

The economy and the environment don't need to be the polar opposites that the main political parties seem to think they are, and are painting them to be. They seem to see the credit crunch as an excuse to drop their green promises. We can't let them.

A Global Warming Conspiracy

noreply@blogger.com (Despairing) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 07:00:00 +0000

Since I'm in that kind of a mood, I highly recommend today's User Friendly comic.

Driven To Distraction

noreply@blogger.com (Despairing) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 16:13:00 +0000

There are two young boys who get on one of our trains in Fife every morning. They look about 8 or 9 years old, and are quite possibly brothers. There is no adult with them either on the train or waiting on the platform, and they are always polite and have their money ready to buy a ticket. The train ride from their home town to their school town takes 8 minutes, after which they happily disappear into the throng of commuters.

So if these two lads can get themselves between towns, why can't some of the other precious little darlings walk to school in their own city? Apparently 30% of kids are now being driven to school, which accounts for 1 in 5 of the cars on Edinburgh streets at rush hour.

When did driving your kids to school become the thing to do? When did parents decide that their children couldn't possibly lower themselves to ride on a bus?

I never got driven to school when I was a laddie. But then, I only lived 100 yards from the school.

Cover Up

noreply@blogger.com (Despairing) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:15:00 +0000

From the always wonderful Failblog comes this new conspiracy theory. Personally, I think it has something to do with CERN...

Another PR Announcement Treated As "News"

noreply@blogger.com (Despairing) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 14:43:00 +0000

Maybe it's just because I work in the rail industry, but reading this load of codswallop every year really does piss me off. It's not the story itself, or the aims of the train company - it's the fact that it's the same rehashed 'facts' that are trotted out as if they're new, by a journalist who has swallowed the company line and not done any research.

Here are the main facts from the article:

TransPennine Express has decided to shut its carriage doors after 30
seconds to preserve the air-conditioning in summer and the heat in
winter.

Umm, like all Turbostar doors have been doing for the last six years? Scotrail, amongst others, use this system.

The company has instructed its drivers to switch off one of their three
engines on steep downward gradients between Manchester and Leeds,
rather like motorists who coast in neutral down hills.

Umm, like train drivers have been doing for the last 40 years, ever since diesels were introduced? In fact, last year some train companies announced that they were shutting off engines completely so that they would only have 3 out of 4 or 4 out of 5 working on any one train.

drivers are also being taught how to maintain speed at maximum fuel efficiency - and keep to the timetable.

Oh dear god. Train drivers are being taught how to drive trains? Wow.

drivers are advised how to achieve a “smooth” driving performance

Well, okay, some of our drivers could do with a bit of retraining on this!!

Musings In The Observer

noreply@blogger.com (Despairing) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 16:36:00 +0000

One of my favourite bloggers has been featured in today's Observer. Musings from a Stonehead* is the everyday story of countryfolk in Aberdeenshire. And it makes The Archers look like girly jessies!

If, like me, you've harboured romantic notions about working the land and being at one with nature at any point in your life, Stonehead will quickly persuade you that you'd most probably die of exhaustion within the first fortnight. My hat is tipped to Dennis and everyone else who ~~suffers~~ farms so that I don't have to.

*There is a neolithic stone circle near the farm, hence the name. When I first started reading his blog, I thought Dennis was, well, under the influence all the time!

Green In The Media 8th September - 14th September

noreply@blogger.com (Despairing) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 15:52:00 +0000

Both the BBC and ITV turn their documentary strands over to green issues this week. Panorama looks at saving the Amazon, and Tonight investigates what actually happens to our recycling.

Monday 8th September

Spice of Life

On: Community Channel

Time: 07:00 to 07:30

Your Space or Mine.

This unusual film examines the works of two well-known green architects, Laurie Baker in India and Bob Tomlinson in the UK, through the eyes of a singer and an artist.

Panorama

On: BBC 1

Time: 20:30 to 21:00

Can Money Grow on Trees?.

Current affairs. With soaring prices accelerating the destruction of the Amazon rainforest, Panorama asks whether the money markets can achieve what campaigners and law enforcement have so far failed to do and make trees more valuable alive than dead. That would mean putting a value on their services to mankind; storing carbon and generating rainfall. Ben Anderson reports from Brazil and Guyana.

Tuesday 9th September

Alex James in Africa

On: Community Channel

Time: 08:30 to 09:00

Farming for a Future.

Alex James, farmer and former Blur band member, follows Christian Aid's groundbreaking work in Burkina Faso, west Africa, with farmers who are on the very front line of climate change.

Home Planet

On: BBC Radio Four

Time: 15:00 to 15:30

Richard Daniel and the team discuss listeners' questions about the environment and the natural world.

Wednesday 10th September

Kirstie and Phil's Property Guide

On: more4

Time: 17:35 to 18:05

Kirstie and Phil spill the beans on what really went on behind the scenes in Location Location Location, and we hear just what they thought of home hunters Zena and Lysan and Bo. As house-hunters Lysan and Bo eventually settled for a brand new eco-friendly home, Kirstie and Phil's Property Guide finds out the real cost of 'going green'.

Thursday 11th September

Spice of Life

On: Community Channel

Time: 07:00 to 07:30

Your Space or Mine.

This unusual film examines the works of two well-known green architects, Laurie Baker in India and Bob Tomlinson in the UK, through the eyes of a singer and an artist.

One Planet

On: BBC World Service Radio

Time: 10:30 to 11:00 (Also 1630, 2030, 0130)

The programme that explores the biggest issues in global development and the environment.

Tonight

On: STV/ITV

Time: 19:30 to 20:00

A Rubbish Service.

Mark Jordan reveals the truth behind what happens to the rubbish we recycle, and looks at how despite local authorities cracking down on residents who don't recycle, they don't always practice what they preach.

Chateau Monty

On: Channel 4

Time: 20:00 to 20:30

Take one Englishman with dreams of making his own red wine, a few sceptical French locals, a girl from Birmingham and a dog called Harry. Place together in a small organic vineyard in stunning rural France. Then mix with bad weather, financial uncertainty, health scares, wild boar and a sprinkling of cow manure.

In Business

On: BBC Radio Four

Time: 20:30 to 21:00

Down on the Farm.

What has been the effect of rocketing food prices on British farmers? Peter Day reports.

Costing the Earth

On: BBC Radio Four

Time: 21:00 to 21:30

Old Bricks, New Tricks.

Miriam O'Reilly explores possible solutions to housing problems. According to the government, eco-towns could not only alleviate housing shortages for young families and first-time buyers but also provide the means to cut carbon emissions. But some housing experts suggest that recycling derelict buildings and contaminated land could provide an even better answer.

Panorama

On: BBC 1

Time: 00:45 to 01:15

Can Money Grow on Trees?.

Friday 12th September

Alex James in Africa

On: Community Channel

Time: 08:30 to 09:00

Farming for a Future.

Alex James, farmer and former Blur band member, follows Christian Aid's groundbreaking work in Burkina Faso, west Africa, with farmers who are on the very front line of climate change.

Costing the Earth

On: BBC Radio Four

Time: 15:00 to 15:30

Old Bricks, New Tricks.

Saturday 13th September

One Planet

On: BBC World Service Radio

Time: 11:30 to 12:00

The programme that explores the biggest issues in global development and the environment.

Sunday 14th September

Countryfile

On: BBC 1

Time: 11:00 to 12:00

Miriam O'Reilly reports on the trial of Britain's most controversial potatoes which have been genetically modified to resist blight

Earth: The Climate Wars

On: BBC 2

Time: 22:45 to 23:45

Fightback. Episode 2.

Dr Iain Stewart investigates the counter attack that was launched by the global warming sceptics in the 1990s. At the start of the 1990s it seemed the world was united. At the Rio Earth summit the world signed up to a programme of action to start tackling climate change. Even George Bush was there. But the consensus didn't last. Iain interviews some of the key global warming sceptics, and discovers how their positions have changed over time.

Excerpts taken from DigiGuide - the world's best TV guide available from http://www.getdigiguide.com/?p=1&r=20818