This spring,homes across the country will be opening to the public to showcase their energy efficiency measures and renewable technology installations. These homes have undergone energy makeovers and have all achieved carbon savings in excess of 60%. Continue reading SuperHomes announce spring openings
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This Environment Agency study assesses the life cycle environmental impacts of the production,use and disposal of different carrier bags for the UK. The report considers only the types of carrier available from UK supermarkets and does not examine personal bags nor carriers given out by other high street retailers. Continue reading Life Cycle Assessment of Supermarket Carrier Bags A Plain English guide to the Localism BillSummaryThis guide describes the main measures of the Localism Bill under four headings:
This document is designed to give an overview only. You can read the Bill and its explanatory notes in full,and follow its progress through parliament at http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2010-11/localism.html Link to CLG web page: http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/localismplainenglishguide Thanks to CAN-E for this information. Provisional figures from the Met Office suggest that December 2010 was the coldest December on record for the UK as a whole,with a mean temperature of -1.0 degree C,compared to the long-term average of 4.2 degrees C. December was also unusually sunny and dry. More information is at http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/releases/archive/2011/cold-dec. While 2010 looks likely to be a colder year than average for the UK,this is in marked contrast to the global temperature,which looks set to show 2010 as one of the warmest on record. http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/corporate/pressoffice/2010/pr20101202b.html http://www.wmo.int/pages/mediacentre/press_releases/pr_904_en.html (Planet Ark 30 Jul 10) Melting glaciers,more humid air and eight other key indicators show that global warming is undeniable,scientists said on Wednesday,citing a new comprehensive review of the last decade of climate data. Without addressing why this is happening,the researchers said there was no doubt that every decade on Earth since the 1980s has been hotter than the previous one,and that the planet has been warming for the last half-century. This confirms the findings of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,which reported in 2007 with 90 percent certainty that climate change is occurring. The IPCC also said that human activities contribute to this phenomenon. The new report was released after U.S. Senate Democrats delayed any possible legislation to curb climate change until September at the earliest. Prospects for U.S. climate change legislation this year are considered slim. Released by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as “The 2009 State of the Climate Report,”the new report draws on the work of 303 scientists from 48 countries,including data from last year. External News Link Planet Ark 30 Jul 10:Ten key indicators show global warming “undeniable” On 29th July 2010,Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne set out 32 actions being taken to accelerate the transformation of the energy system and wider economy,in the first Annual Energy Statement to Parliament. Analysis has been published alongside the Statement,including six illustrative ‘pathways’ showing that meeting the target of an 80% cut in emissions by 2050 is ambitious but achievable,and compatible with maintaining security of energy supplies. An online ‘2050 Calculator’ was also launched,that enables the public to explore the trade-offs in building a 2050 energy system. “The Annual Energy Statement:Departmental Memorandum” sets out the policy direction in several key areas:
See the DECC website for further details:www.decc.gov.uk Other publications include Water efficiency NGO Waterwise has published its own White Paper,setting out proposals for the Coalition Government to help meet the challenges of climate change through wasting less water. The White Paper has mainstreaming water efficiency at its core. In it Waterwise sets out strategic proposals for climate change adaptation and mitigation,resource efficiency,the low carbon and green economy and the big society,over the five years from 2010 to 2015.
The White Paper covers the whole of the UK – it calls for measures and clear leadership which can specifically be delivered by the UK government. It will be developed for each of Wales,Scotland and Northern Ireland in the context of 2011 elections. Waterwise’s White Paper is available to download at www.waterwise.org.uk ‘Carbon phrases’reveal patterns in climate change communicationPhrases that combine ‘carbon’with other words,such as ‘carbon finance’or ‘carbon footprint’,can provide insight into how climate change issues are communicated. Continue reading Carbon phrases –research summary Greening-the-Box(GTB) is an initiative introduced by SEArch (Sustainable Ecological Architecture Ltd),adopted by Wherry Housing Association in partnership with Broadland District Council for the environmental responsible adaptation of an existing dwelling to standards fit for the inevitable………low carbon future. The project involves the adaptation of an existing Wherry Housing Association dwelling in in the Norfolk village of Ringland to use fewer resources,reduce running costs and reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by at least 60%. Our vision is a cleaner,quieter,healthier world. A blog site for a retrofit project in Cambridge – the story both technical and with tenants comments. The blog site for this Retrofit for the Future project records the refurbishment of a BISF 3 bed house with £150,000 of Technology Strategy Board money including innovative technologies. It is one of only 87 projects nationally and attempts to carry out all of this work with the tenants in situ. Hopefully the blog will make interesting reading over the next few weeks and there will be an open day on 15th July. |
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