Environment
Council is oil fired up over recycling
- Tuesday, 15 May 2012
Haringey Council has started a new venture to reduce waste and recycle cooking oil from its social care facilities in partnership with recycling firm, Renewergy.
Used cooking oil from care homes will be recycled into environmentally friendly bio-fuel as part of the council’s commitment to reducing waste and cutting carbon by 40 per cent by 2015. The council is considering rolling out the service to other community buildings if the pilot is successful.
Nineteen areas move out of drought
- Monday, 14 May 2012
Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman has today welcomed the Environment Agency’s decision to move 19 counties out of official drought status. It follows an analysis by the Environment Agency of all areas designated as being in drought to see whether the recent record-breaking rainfall had altered the situation. This analysis was undertaken following a request by Mrs Spelman last week.
Navy Hero on street patrol
- Monday, 20 February 2012
A navy veteran who became sick of louts fouling up his neighbourhood has launched a one-man litter patrol to keep the streets clean. Pensioner Mike Gibson, 86, has resorted to arming himself with a litter-picker after getting fed up with the daily mess on his doorstep.
The retired Lieutenant Commander said regular council clean-ups are scuppered by litter louts with no respect for their surroundings. He has now taken matters into his own hands, bracing the cold to clear up himself.
Mr Gibson said: “It’s like an assault course some days. I have great sympathy for the council – their waste collection people come up and do the job, then they leave and people throw litter around again. It’s an impossible situation.”
Over 40,000 consumers sign up to The Big Switch as the campaign receives cross-party political support
- Thursday, 09 February 2012
The Big Switch campaign has already proved a hit with consumers, with over 40,000 people signing up within the first 24 hours. It is the first time in the UK that such a large number of people have come together as a group to negotiate a deal with energy companies.
Consumers can participate in the campaign by registering their interest at www.whichbigswitch.co.uk
£15m boost for sustainable travel
- Tuesday, 07 February 2012
Transport Minister Norman Baker today announced £15m of new funding for sustainable travel projects across the country that will promote economic growth and cut carbon.
The investment is in addition to the £560m Local Sustainable Transport Fund announced in January 2011. This additional funding, heavily geared towards cycling, will support jobs, enhance access to employment and encourage greater use of more environmentally friendly transport.
What’s your view on environmental issues?
- Monday, 06 February 2012
An international survey of the attitudes of the over 55s to the environment has been launched by an international consortium of academic institutions and older people’s organizations.
The EnviroSurvey55 will provide a snap shot of current attitudes of older people to environmental issues, such as climate change, in an age of austerity and rising environmental scepticism. It also aims to identify difficulties that people over age 55 face in personally taking action to reduce their environmental footprint.
Free green event to bring together community organisations involved in local green space
- Monday, 30 January 2012
The event, Green Connect, is an opportunity for community groups, friends of parks groups and also parish councils to come together to share learning and experiences surrounding parks and green spaces.
With an aim of empowering and inspiring community organisations a selection of talks and workshops will look at how groups can become more successful, find fruitful funding opportunities and understand the opportunities for the future particularly surrounding the Big Society and Localism agendas.
Hundreds begin task of replanting Swinley Forest after fire
- Monday, 16 January 2012
Just nine months since wildfires took hold across the country, hundreds of people from Berkshire are joining the Forestry Commission to begin the task of replanting 60,000 trees which where destroyed in Swinley Forest fire.
Wildfires ripped through Swinley Forest travelling at 40 miles per hour through 170 hectares of forest and jumped major roads. The fires raged for three weeks and local residents in the nearby houses were evacuated from their homes.
Three measures could help cash - strapped Brits cut home energy bills
- Thursday, 15 December 2011
Latest research from the Energy Saving Trust reveals that UK householders could save just over £2 billion every year by taking three energy saving steps.
If every UK householder that could, insulated their cavity walls and lofts up to 270mm, replaced old fashioned bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and turned their appliances off standby, owners would not only save hundreds of pounds a year on their fuel bills but also cut nearly 10 million tonnes of CO2, equivalent to taking almost 3.5 million cars off UK roads.
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