tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77760507816187785972024-02-20T21:44:25.163-08:00green24green24http://www.blogger.com/profile/15213874852847306464noreply@blogger.comBlogger86125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776050781618778597.post-50526259116166365242014-08-05T07:46:00.000-07:002014-08-05T07:46:11.320-07:00Clearing outRecently, we’ve had to clear out my father’s
house. The process was emotional, but also brought the catharsis of getting rid
of unwanted things. We gave piles of furniture to local charity shops, filled a
skip, and finally relayed several carloads to the tip. Chelmsford recycling
centre in Essex is a far cry from council landfills of the past. Tipping in
your mixed waste has been replaced by a discipline of sorting into steel
containers your metal, plastics, monitors, garden refuse, timber and glass, for
example. It’s now is the place to be!
Busy even on a Monday at lunchtime; one man even turned up with a taxi full of
plasterboard. The popularity is symptomatic of the way the District Council
promotes recycling through <a href="http://www.anglia.ac.uk/ruskin/en/home/news/archive/e-waste.html">local events</a>,
<a href="http://www.chelmsford.gov.uk/sites/chelmsford.gov.uk/files/files/files/documents/files/Education%20Flyer.pdf">education
programmes</a> and its comprehensive <a href="http://www.chelmsford.gov.uk/recycling">website</a>, but also via stringent
policies on recycling and (<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9798780/Eric-Pickles-Bin-fines-will-be-scrapped.html">formerly</a>)
sanctions for rule-breakers.<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB">Even back home in rural Cumbria, local
collections of recyclable are regular and convenient. Indeed, data on UK
recycling from 2002–2011 shows a dramatic increase in the proportion of
household waste recycled instead of sent to landfills, <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2011/nov/04/recycling-rates-england-data">up
from around 15% to 40%</a>. This is impressive in isolation, though it should
be remembered that the UK was formerly one of the countries in the EU that
recycled least. The success is perhaps based on a <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/reducing-and-managing-waste">clear
central policy</a> which has no direct cost to consumers. In essence, promoting
consumer recycling through local legislation appears to be a genuinely win-win proposal,
where consumer costs are minimal and the costs of transport and processing
waste can be offset by its resale to scrap dealers, paper companies and the
like. It is possible that the recession is responsible and has reduced the amount
of consumer waste <a href="http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171766_256980.pdf">produced</a>,
though recycling itself has been <a href="http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/83861/De_Young_(1986)_Some_psychological_aspects_of_recycling,_E&B,_18,_4,_435-449.pdf?sequence=1">shown
to lower consumption</a> with all data being geographically varied. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">As recycling has become more routine, basic
assumptions about waste have been subtly challenged—“reduce, reuse, recycle” is
normal. As with all sustainable approaches, sustainable waste disposal involves
taking responsibility for our behaviour, and in the case of waste and
recycling, reconnecting with and re-evaluating our “stuff”. While recycling
could add to a <a href="http://www.iswa.org/uploads/tx_iswaknowledgebase/12-297_FP.pdf">dangerous
idea</a> that limitless consumption can be responsibly managed,
relying on consumers to sort waste for recycling, to select items for charity
shops, and to hand on items to others (via online fora such as <a href="http://www.freecycle.org/">www.freecycle.org</a>) allows them to engage with material
things even as they become waste. As you clear out an old home, the irony that
you learn about things as you lose them becomes sadly relevant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">David
and Alex Jackman</span></div>
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776050781618778597.post-16889798407063254892014-07-08T08:12:00.003-07:002014-07-08T08:12:48.373-07:00Tour de France<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rqGv_MHn0vM/U7wJ8ERYr2I/AAAAAAAACws/Oq5Sx4mwbHM/s1600/chris_froome_2710701_460.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rqGv_MHn0vM/U7wJ8ERYr2I/AAAAAAAACws/Oq5Sx4mwbHM/s1600/chris_froome_2710701_460.jpg" height="199" width="320" /></a></div>
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Last weekend, thousands of people lined the roads in
Yorkshire and Cambridgeshire to watch the peloton roar through. For only the
second time, the Tour de France, cycling’s leading event and perhaps the
biggest sporting event in the world, commenced in the UK. Hundreds of cyclists are
competing for the famous yellow jersey, travelling across cobbled streets and
wind-swept moors.<span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Barend%20Lutz" datetime="2014-07-08T17:05"><o:p></o:p></ins></span></div>
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I know a bit about wind-swept moors, as I was in the
Yorkshire Dales recently. The small towns and villages, including Masham, Leyburn and Hawes, were
uncharacteristically colourful, adorned with strings of small woollen yellow
jerseys from house to house and lamppost to lamppost. They looked cheerfully quaint
and somewhat incongruous. This is evidence of the local enthusiasm for cycling
that has developed in northern parts due to the emergence of local heroes, such
as Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins. Local knitters have been hard at work
decorating the route from the Grand Depart in Leeds, to York and Sheffield. In
addition, bright yellow model bicycles adorn shops and public buildings; similar
model bicycles have also been seen around Cambridge, where the route continues
to London.<span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Barend%20Lutz" datetime="2014-07-08T17:05"><o:p></o:p></ins></span></div>
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Cycling is a very sustainable form of transport. In the UK,
CO2 emissions from transport will rise by 35% from 1990-2030, yet much can be
done by individuals and communities to reduce that figure. Cycling to school
reduces the strain of the school run rush hour. Bicycles can be left at rail
stations or carried on trains, and some cities, such as London, have the famous
‘Boris Bikes’. <span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Barend%20Lutz" datetime="2014-07-08T17:05"><o:p></o:p></ins></span></div>
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There is, however, another side. In the UK, 19,000 cyclists
are injured or even killed every year. A detailed Welsh survey has just been
published, detailing the causes of these injuries and deaths. There are to be 2
billion British pounds of new local growth funds, some of which may go towards
cycleways; however, the planning of roads is often prioritised.<span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Barend%20Lutz" datetime="2014-07-08T17:05"><o:p></o:p></ins></span></div>
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In my area a new cycleway will be opened around our local
lake; this has involved years of consultation and cost several million pounds.
It will be built using local materials and will allow tourists and locals to
avoid a busy road, which I would not encourage my children to cycle on right
now! The charity, Sustrans, does much to open new routes like this and to
promote more sustainable forms of transport. Please visit the website below for
useful maps and ways to get involved: <a href="http://www.sustrans.org.uk/">www.sustrans.org.uk</a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span class="msoIns"><ins cite="mailto:Barend%20Lutz" datetime="2014-07-08T17:05"><o:p></o:p></ins></span></span></div>
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Thus, regardless of who rides up to the finish line in the
Mall, we should all think about sustainable transport and get pedalling!</div>
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Article by David Jackman<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Barend Lutzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05181901707614233349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776050781618778597.post-18032064174077987362014-06-02T05:55:00.003-07:002014-06-02T05:55:37.761-07:00New frontiers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-GB">Last week I found myself in Toronto, a city
that is rapidly growing and attracting new investment and yet is very
environmentally aware. There are new initiatives in waste recycling, replacing
coal burning with hydro power stations, integrated, low-carbon transport
infrastructure and city greening schemes (although the new trees I could see had
been bit back by the heavy snowfall of the recent icy cold winter).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">I was in Toronto to represent the UK in the
latest round of international discussions to produce a template for
sustainable, smart and resilient cities. All cities should want to be ‘smart’. Indeed,
London and Birmingham are working towards this direction, with the Mayor of London
having sent a message of support to the conference. Toronto styles itself as a
‘Smart City’ but we are only now beginning to understand what a huge task that
is.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Sustainable development is an unavoidable necessity
for most cities (in which 80% of the world’s population will soon live) and yet,
as an aim it asks so many questions. We need structures for delineating what
sustainability looks like and we need measures to evaluate progress. If we can
do this for cities we can most certainly affect the corporate level and assess
the contribution of businesses and public organisations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">So in a rather smart and gleaming Toronto office
tower, we put the finishing touches on an international framework, with
considerable input from the UK, France and China. We also published the first
attempt at a list of measures and indicators in a document called ISO 37120.
Toronto hosts the Global Cities Indicators Facility (GCIF) which enables cities
to compare themselves and benchmark their relative success. The emerging
international framework will give this process more rigour and comprehensive
coverage. We hope that more cities will then take up the challenge.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">It’s tempting to think that as countries
search for growth, green initiatives slip down the agenda; however, cities like
Toronto, Yokohama, Copenhagen, Toledo and Rio, not to mention London, show that
both can go hand in hand. The diligent behind-the-scenes work of numerous
groups, committees, individuals and companies is building a cumulative stock of
creative ways forward, from which we can learn. green24 is, of course, one way
of increasing that awareness and sharing experiences and information.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Article by David Jackman<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Barend Lutzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05181901707614233349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776050781618778597.post-36494024580156173802014-05-02T07:25:00.000-07:002014-05-02T07:25:45.681-07:00Sentimental, Yet Sustainable - Taking “Reusing” to A Whole New Level with Upcycling<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgigIvFIEIudjOfqEciA2l9PK4dE2NqXicHfvDt7OqnaQ62W08QHmC3EvsfDr5YAZFVpdOnhepU1ett5ixxGgx5ozB7SA244TikoHOeQsj965CB5YKZ1iEBjBVdFQMTguEU_DjKq589ArO/s1600/green+hand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgigIvFIEIudjOfqEciA2l9PK4dE2NqXicHfvDt7OqnaQ62W08QHmC3EvsfDr5YAZFVpdOnhepU1ett5ixxGgx5ozB7SA244TikoHOeQsj965CB5YKZ1iEBjBVdFQMTguEU_DjKq589ArO/s1600/green+hand.jpg" height="226" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Some
rights reserved</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00000a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"> by </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/gemmabou/"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Gemma Bou</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00000a; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"> via Flickr</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00000a; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #00000a; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 106%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Droid Sans Fallback"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Every year, consumers in North America generate </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://eartheasy.com/blog/2010/05/lets-keep-clothing-out-of-our-landfills/">12
million tonnes of textile waste</a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">, with households averaging approximately 30kg of waste each
year. The U.K. sees similar issues, with 1.2 tonnes of clothing ending up in
British landfills alone. These figures are set to increase, with studies now
showing that consumers have begun buying more clothes, up to </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.ethicalfashionforum.com/the-issues/fast-fashion-cheap-fashion">four
times as many</a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> as they did
in the 1980s. As trends become more short-lived and more people become
fashion-conscious, more clothes end up in dumpsters.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Recognizing this, various organizations have developed
ways to utilise the millions of tonnes of textiles wasted across the globe. One
such organisation is Oxfam, whose joint efforts with British retailer Marks
& Spencer have resulted in the conservation of </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://plana.marksandspencer.com/about/partnerships/oxfam/shwopping">11
million items</a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> that would
have otherwise been sent to landfills around the country. Clothes donated to
Oxfam are resold, with all proceeds going towards providing livelihood programs
to mothers in third-world countries.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">For the sentimental that can’t bear to part with old
clothes, donating them might not be the most ideal course of action. But these
clothes, whether they’re your children’s baby clothes or your prom dress from
high school, can still be given a new lease on life by upcycling.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Upcycling has taken off across the world, and now
thousands of web pages have popped up, all dedicated to the art of creating new
items out of old clothes. If you’re not sure how to start, here are some of the
simpler projects you may want to look into.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">Project I: Old Clothes into New Clothes </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">People who like to work with their hands can certainly let their
creativity shine with various upcycling projects. Old T-shirts can be sewn with
loose fabric to create dresses, and daddy’s old shirts can be altered a bit to
create nightshirts for the kids. Harder materials such as denim and leather can
be used to create everything from flip-flops to handbags.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Project II: Old Clothes into Household Items</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Repurposing old clothes to create potholders and quilts is
a no-brainer, but how about creating a </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.ohmy-creative.com/home/decor-accents/necktie-craft-projects/attachment/12/">lampshade
from old ties</a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">? A tent or a
bed for the family pet with old shirts? You could use old sweaters to create
instant gift-wrapping for your wine bottles so you never have to waste fancy
paper again. You could even use old jeans to create tables and flower pots!</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Project III: New Clothes from Old Materials</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">A more common theme of upcycling involves creating
clothing from various household materials. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/civic-duty-shoes">Civic Duty shoes</a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> made out of old FedEx envelopes are on the rise, but
clothes made out of various wrappers have always been popular. Nowadays,
everything from paper to aluminium cans and even garbage bags have been used to
create haute couture. After all, it’s only the right thing to do.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Top 5 Tips:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 106%;">Manage your resources and reduce the number of clothing
items you purchase per year. Get as much use out of your clothes as possible.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 106%;">Go through your closet and fish out the clothes you
never wear; separate them into the things you’d like to keep and the things you
don’t mind parting with.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 106%;">Donate what you can to foundations that specialise in
recycling old fabrics. Remember, even though 100% of textiles are recyclable,
over 85% still end up in landfills as scraps. Research a foundation before
donating to them to see how they treat donations and where proceeds go.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 106%; text-align: center;">Look at everything with a fresh eye. Instead of immediately using old shirts as
rags, look into using them to create everything from cat tents to curtains.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 106%;">Separate your items according to fabric. Tougher fabrics
such as denim and leather can be used to create items such as tables and
flip-flops; softer fabrics like cotton and silk may be better off being used to
create new items of clothing.</span></li>
</ul>
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<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Article by Sookie Lioncourt - Follow her <a href="https://twitter.com/sookielioncourt">@SookieLioncourt</a></span></h3>
</span></div>
</div>
Barend Lutzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05181901707614233349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776050781618778597.post-20196350673799220552014-04-12T02:18:00.000-07:002014-04-12T02:18:34.553-07:00We can adapt to the effects of climate change<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">In the last few days, one of
the most important statements in years was made about global environmental
health. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the key body
providing and commenting on climate change data, supported by nearly all
countries in the world, and it has just issued a report which was finalised in
Yokohama, Japan. This is the second report in a series of four; the next two
are due later this year.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The main message of the
report is that we can adapt to the effects of climate change. This marks a
significant change in focus which, until now, has been on methods of slowing or
preventing climate change. This is not a message of defeatism but rather one of
realism within a much broader strategy that still includes mitigation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">In the same week, the ‘grandfather
of green’ and author of The Gaia Hypothesis, Dr James Lovelock, suggested that,
as nearly 80 percent of the world’s population lives in cities, this is perhaps
the best thing we can do to adapt. Living together and in close proximity to
others allows us to be more efficient in sharing our energy use, cutting our
travel to work, facing natural hazards and alleviating stress on natural
environments. In explaining this, he draws a likeness to termite mounds that
recycle air and energy and allow huge insect populations to survive harsh
conditions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Lovelock cites Singapore as
an example of a human termite mound. This is believable because it is where I
am writing this blog, in a hotel that has the largest atrium in Asia and
operates very much in the same way. In fact, it looks and is shaped like a
hollow termite mound! Indeed, here is a city state that captures and recycles
almost all the water that lands on it, controls pollution, recycles, and
conserves land. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">The IPCC report is designed
to identify upcoming risks, such as the increase in vector-borne diseases,
rural poverty and species disruption. It also catalogues excellent advances in
Africa and Australasia; this includes planning for change. Finally, this report
also shows us the immense amount of work that is being done to manage the
environment and give us a reasonable chance of holding Gaia together!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">David Jackman<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Barend Lutzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05181901707614233349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776050781618778597.post-65575465095259051392014-03-17T07:45:00.003-07:002014-03-17T07:48:19.705-07:00Green news roundup<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidujnaI3Hz1Ozy4W2sFwxjLdToN0mWF-w41GSawH5HBjnBwelOswwQD3kN5RS6diWeoT0cIhvntx3BSMomQ_RsLeXqHAamP-zKJRVGtqXKpUWwPMk5OrNj-J-q-xP2bwURrXaTMV1m8wp2/s1600/green-news.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidujnaI3Hz1Ozy4W2sFwxjLdToN0mWF-w41GSawH5HBjnBwelOswwQD3kN5RS6diWeoT0cIhvntx3BSMomQ_RsLeXqHAamP-zKJRVGtqXKpUWwPMk5OrNj-J-q-xP2bwURrXaTMV1m8wp2/s1600/green-news.jpg" height="218" width="320" /></a></div>
<h4 style="text-align: justify;">
There is a lot going on in the ‘green’ space right now. Here
are some insights:</h4>
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A recently published report by the European Wind Energy
Association (EWEA) highlights the vast amount <b>of water used by traditional power stations</b> to generate power, i.e.,
three Olympic-sized swimming pools being consumed every minute. Energy
production accounts for 44 percent of the EU’s total water use. For more
information please see the following website:
<a href="http://www.ewea.org/">http://www.ewea.org</a></div>
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The UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has
produced a specification, known technically as PAS 2030, to set out
requirements that installers have to follow in installing new energy efficiency
measures within the ‘<b>Green Deal
scheme’</b>. To check that your installer complies with these
requirements, consult the the following website: <a href="http://www.gov.uk/green-deal-energy-saving-measures/overview">www.gov.uk/green-deal-energy-saving-measures/overview</a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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The offshore <b>wind
energy industry</b> could provide £6.7 billion per year to the UK economy as
well as providing 150,000 jobs by 2020, according to a new report published recently.
The following webside provides further information: <a href="http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/analysis/2334094/report-offshore-wind-industry-promises-150-000-jobs-boost">http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/analysis/2334094/report-offshore-wind-industry-promises-150-000-jobs-boost</a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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I recently came across the ‘<b>eco congregation’</b> scheme, which started in Portugal and encourages
churches to turn ‘green’. This can be achieved by changing some of the
following things; how ancient church buildings are heated and insulated, how
congregations travel to church, and how they recycle and come together to support
the community schemes more widely. My own local church held a recycling day
this week, which enabled members to drop off old clothes, mobile phones etc. To
find out more about eco congregations, please view the following website: <a href="http://www.ecocongregation.org/">http://www.ecocongregation.org</a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Volkswagen is aiming to triple <b>battery life</b> in the 2015 Golf, using Lithium-air batteries. Check
out the following website to find out more: <a href="http://www.greencarreports.com/news">http://www.greencarreports.com/news</a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Negotiators are meeting in Bonn, Germany, this week to make
progress on establishing a <b>global
climate agreement</b> by 2015. Follow the Agreement on Climate Transformation
2015 (ACT 2015) on the following site: <a href="http://www.wri.org/our-work/project/act-2015">http://www.wri.org/our-work/project/act-2015</a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
I am continuing work on international standards (ISO series)
for sustainable and resilient communities and <b>Smart Cities</b>, which will help planners and local authorities to
engage with entire communities in order to address what really matters in the
local areas. This will come on stream in 2015; however, consultation documents
should be available this summer.</div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Finally, the British Standards Institution (BSI) has just
released a </span><b style="text-align: justify;">free leaflet</b><span style="text-align: justify;"> for any
community wanting to be more sustainable. It comes in the form of a guide that
contains a user-friendly plan for any group thinking about developing basic
sustainable living. As one of the main authors, I am hoping this short leaflet
will be distributed widely in the UK in order to spark new schemes as well as shift
views. Sustainability is not just a company responsibility or an individual
lifestyle choice; it is, however, often best addressed as a village, town or
neighbourhood. Please visit the following website to find out more: </span><a href="http://shop.bsigroup.com/" style="text-align: justify;">http://shop.bsigroup.com</a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Article by David Jackman </b></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Barend Lutzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05181901707614233349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776050781618778597.post-74576201237345347532014-03-11T21:51:00.001-07:002014-03-11T21:51:08.235-07:00Ten tips for saving water<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.green24.com/images/water_cup.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.green24.com/images/water_cup.gif" width="185" /></a></div>
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The kitchen is the area in the home where we use around 10% of the total household water for cooking, cleaning, washing, and drinking. Of all water used in the home, about 15-20% is used on the laundry, and worst of all, our bathroom habits use nearly 40%!</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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It is, however, easy to conserve water in the home by making a few simple changes to your daily routines. Just follow the tips below and make changes in your home today.</div>
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<ol>
<li><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Take short showers, instead of bathing</b></span></li>
<li><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Use your water meter to check for hidden water leaks</b></span></li>
<li><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Install water-saving shower heads and aerators</b></span></li>
<li><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Reduce the amount of water flushed down the toilet</b></span></li>
<li><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Ensure your washing machine and dishwasher are washing full
loads only</b></span></li>
<li><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Wash your car with a bucket and water instead of a hosepipe</b></span></li>
<li><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Rinse your razor in the sink</b></span></li>
<li><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Don't leave the water running for washing and rinsing when
doing dishes by hand</b></span></li>
<li><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Turn off the water after you wet your toothbrush</b></span></li>
<li><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Insulate your geyser and water pipes </b></span></li>
</ol>
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<h3 style="text-align: center;">
For more green facts, visit <a href="http://green24.com/">green24.com</a></h3>
</div>
Barend Lutzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05181901707614233349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776050781618778597.post-79872516212131935542014-02-18T06:15:00.004-08:002014-02-18T06:16:45.871-08:00Yokohama, the Smart City<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-w2WrLI2nsEMXbDhygKzrIrwCsPuNbfIzopsXnSl-bDxOYDlMcVDlD0Khr2kR6x4eskZdm7KJci0bycvRFaMG3frzVF0Oo6eA3yYoJPBQz2RvSoE0mRDg4IGmkjcWNH2MEWwOaN66S9aM/s1600/smartcities.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-w2WrLI2nsEMXbDhygKzrIrwCsPuNbfIzopsXnSl-bDxOYDlMcVDlD0Khr2kR6x4eskZdm7KJci0bycvRFaMG3frzVF0Oo6eA3yYoJPBQz2RvSoE0mRDg4IGmkjcWNH2MEWwOaN66S9aM/s1600/smartcities.jpg" height="340" width="400" /></a></div>
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I am sitting in Yokohama in the middle of the heaviest
snowfall in living memory. ‘It never snows here’ says a resident, yet there
have been two snow dumps in a week. As events of this sort don’t usually happen
in the Tokyo Bay area, the city simply isn't prepared to deal with all the
effects of nearly a foot of snow. Roads are closed, trains are not running and
pavements are impassable. This is a city of over 3.7 million people, in one of
the richest countries in the world, with an advanced Tsunami response system
(there are maps and posters to warn you about this danger everywhere); however,
it has been paralysed. I am writing this not far from the central fire station and
can hear the sirens going again; sadly, there have been a number of fatalities
reported.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I am attending an international conference on ISO (the International
Organization for Standardization) to write a set of international standards and
guidelines for sustainable and resilient communities and cities. We are here
because Yokohama leads the way internationally in sustainable infrastructure
and policies; it is the current chair. There are, for example, bike racks at
every turn (like the ‘Boris bikes’ in London) and the city uses many advanced
techniques to reduce its carbon footprint, control its traffic flow and reduce
its energy consumption. Yokohama is one of a new breed of ‘Smart Cities’, using
technology to integrate and expedite all of its interdependent utilities and
control its energy and resource flow. There is a useful website one can visit
to find out more: Click <a href="http://jscp.nepc.or.jp/en/yokohama/">here</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Despite all this focus on sustainability and advanced
technology, Yokohama is brought to a standstill by a bout of snowfall. This
illustrates why we have placed ‘resilience’ in the title of the new ISO 37101
standard. Sustainability is about having the capability to respond to whatever challenges
might emerge. It is about having the capacity to be robust, adaptable and
secure. This encompasses both expected threats like Tsunamis and the
unexpected, like snow. East coast Japan is not alone; Canada is experiencing
unusually cold and stormy conditions right now and Southern England resembles a
swamp!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I am here representing the UK because we have pioneered
thinking in this area. I have led a British Standard’s initiative, producing
frameworks for sustainability in communities, the Olympics, film, construction
materials and supply chains. Our interactive and principle-led approach has
gained wider attention and is now being translated in an international context.
Hopefully our flexible and people-centred style will help build the resilience
that is obviously so desperately needed!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
David Jackman </div>
Barend Lutzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05181901707614233349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776050781618778597.post-42521329358615729892014-01-31T01:27:00.002-08:002014-01-31T01:27:55.168-08:00Education and the future<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Green24 is for everyone's future. We should
never lose sight of the fact that sustainability is for future generations, for
our children and our childrens’ children. This is a long-term project and part
of everything we do.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We have explained in this column how
businesses can and should benefit from being actively involved in sustainable
development, both in terms of innovation and implementation. Whether or not we
have made the case successfully, it is undeniable that sustainability must be
forwarded through the involvement and engagement of young people and education
providers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Schools, both in this country and in many
others, have built sustainability into the national curriculum. Although the
curriculum is being slimmed down, just now the Sustainability and Environmental
Education charity - SEEd - (<a href="http://se-ed.co.uk/edu/sustainable-schools/sustainability-curriculum/">http://se-ed.co.uk/edu/sustainable-schools/sustainability-curriculum/</a>)
is piloting new forms of curricula, working sustainability learning into a wide
range of subjects. This includes a scheme to make your school more sustainable!
An excellent resource is the ‘world mapper’ that shows countries by size of
carbon use. There is also the eco-schools campaign (<a href="http://www2.keepbritaintidy.org/ecoschools/">http://www2.keepbritaintidy.org/ecoschools/</a>),
'Teach Share' for teacher’s materials (<a href="http://www.teachshare.org.uk/">http://www.teachshare.org.uk/</a>)
and the 'Sustainable Schools Alliance' (<a href="http://sustainable-schools-alliance.org.uk/">http://sustainable-schools-alliance.org.uk/</a>)
supporting learning programmes.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Scotland, the ‘One Planet Schools’
initiative, backed by government, published the One Planet Schools Report in
December 2012, providing a whole-school approach to learning about
sustainability. It is a model that many countries would do well to follow.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At a higher tier of education, many
universities offer degrees up to Masters level in sustainable development and
related subjects. The universities of East Anglia, Exeter, Leeds, Dundee and
Aston are prominent in offering a range of courses that attract international
students. Some, like Kingston, focus on environmental change, while others like
Lancaster make links with business and management. Even my own university,
Oxford, has expanded the oldest Geography department in the world to include
environmental change in its title. To brag a little, we were, I recall, at the
forefront of climate change research in the 1980s!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The international scene is very diverse and
rich with opportunities. PhD work is widespread and many universities have
research centres. I am connected to Royal Holloway, London, but there are other
centres, from Aberdeen and Glasgow to Cambridge and Hertfordshire. There is a
wealth of activity, interest and application among the younger generations; perhaps
the rest of us need to catch up! Certainly, I have one son studying a
sustainability degree and another to follow. It is encouraging that they can
see this as a key part of their futures. It is up to us to provide the support
we can. This is where Green 24 starts.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">David Jackman</span></span>green24http://www.blogger.com/profile/15213874852847306464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776050781618778597.post-76351466312912093282014-01-27T01:56:00.002-08:002014-01-27T01:57:38.620-08:00Roots<div class="MsoNormal">
It is hard to ignore the severe weather
events in both the US and UK right now. There have been successions of storms
piling across the Atlantic, bringing extensive flooding and loss of life. The
coastlines of Wales and the West have been worst affected, with the beach
becoming almost entirely deposited on the seafront promenade at Aberystwyth. In
Canada, a region used to difficult weather, the conditions are described as a
‘polar vortex’.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">This reminds us of our deep connection with
the environment, a chord we cannot cut. Many of those interviewed on daily TV
news reports freely make the connection between the increased frequency of
extreme weather events and global warming. As a long-time resident of a village
(now an island) in the Somerset Levels remarked, ‘flooding is more common,
reaches a higher level and lasts for longer’. That pretty much sums it up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Perhaps now, as in so many things,
commitment to sustainability becomes a matter of belief. There are those who
will never have enough evidence to accept that the climate is changing, or that
if it is, human agency has any significant role in the change. Others readily
see the signs everywhere and are perhaps over-zealous! <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">So perhaps the argument should move on to
different ground? Perhaps it is a sense of inter-connectivity in economic,
social and environmental terms that we should be focusing on. We should say,
‘be sustainable because sustainability is mutually beneficial’ rather than rely
on the climate change threat. There is a well-founded impact on economic and social
cases. I have personally carried out a good deal of international research on
this, with Edinburgh Business School and King’s College London, which demonstrates
that good sustainability in corporate practices connects to long-term financial
performance and improving return on assets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Perhaps it is easier to talk about the
responsibilities we have to each other as part of being reasonable citizens.
The strength and resilience of our communities depends on our commitment to
each other and indeed, on our faith that communities are worthwhile. Being
aware of what we measure as signs of success needs careful examination. That
also forms part of the work I am currently engaged in for the International
Standards Organisation (ISO).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">We owe it to each other to examine the
facts and the options more closely. Departing from the climate change debate,
there is still much to chew over and many other reasons to accept the
sustainability challenge. green24 is here to help.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">David Jackman</span></div>
green24http://www.blogger.com/profile/15213874852847306464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776050781618778597.post-79407626289799573642014-01-06T23:39:00.005-08:002014-01-06T23:39:57.355-08:00It’s a Wonderful (Integrated) World<div class="MsoNormal">
All eyes have been on South Africa recently. We have been
sharing in the country’s loss while, it seems to me, wishing the country well
for a future, post-Mandela age. I wrote to him once and he was kind enough to
send a response. I remain impressed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The sight of nearly 100 world leaders, together in the pouring
rain in the cavernous FNB stadium outside Soweto in Johannesburg, tends to
inspire a ‘bigger picture’. It could be
argued that we do too little ‘world thinking’, and yet this week reminded us
that the people of the world share similar problems, emotions and aspirations. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Similarly, there is a movement catching on in sustainability
which is global in perspective; broadening horizons, and moving away from
national concerns and financial obsessions. It is called Integrated Reporting (<a href="http://www.theiirc.org/">www.theiirc.org</a>), and it brings together the
long term value of creation of all kinds. Unilever, HSBC, Deutsche Bank,
Hyundai, Microsoft, PepsiCo, National Australia Bank and Tata Steel are among
over 100 businesses in the IR Pilot Programme. I note that Singapore has a
board member and a local bank, DBS, which started using the system in 2012. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
IR is being pioneered in 25 countries. This includes South
Africa, which is taking the lead in writing IR into statutory requirements.
Once again, South Africa draws us together.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Supported and launched by Prince Charles in 2009, details of
the IR Framework were only released on 9<sup>th</sup> December 2013. The
benefits for business include:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->A rise in all forms of capital.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->More connected departments within corporations,
breaking down silos.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Improved internal reporting and governance
processes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->A lower financial capital cost.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Currently, many companies view sustainability and Corporate
Social Responsibility (CSR) as separate from the main business. Such companies may
publish partnership reports some months after the main report, or accounts which
leave a feeling that they perhaps don’t care. The way sustainability measures
are reported is not standardised, and this leads to many comparison problems,
particularly for prospective investors. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is undoubtedly a long way to go in sustainability efforts,
but this seems to be the goal; it is of particular interest to those with
governance roles in businesses, as well as their accountants and fund managers.
For details, download a copy of the easy-to-follow framework from the IIRC website. <o:p></o:p></div>
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green24http://www.blogger.com/profile/15213874852847306464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776050781618778597.post-65469993433746740392013-12-04T23:20:00.003-08:002013-12-04T23:20:44.313-08:00Game of two halves?<div class="MsoNormal">
The green energy debate is really heating
up (please excuse the pun), with both politicians and corporations backing away
from earlier commitments to renewable energy schemes. On 26 November, the
German energy giant, RWE, announced its plans to stall its 240-turbine Atlantic
Array wind farm in the Bristol Channel in the UK. The scheme could have
provided hundreds of jobs in the tourism-dependent area, but objectors were
concerned about the appearance of the 750 foot high turbines, as well as their
possible effects on the delicate marine ecosystems that surround Lundy Island.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">This was announced as a commercial
decision, and is likely a result of the growing difficulty in getting long-term
financing for such large-scale green projects. RWE reportedly said that it was ‘no
longer viable’ to continue with the scheme, which would have provided power to around
1 million homes. There is also a change in background political ideology and
support, both in the UK and more widely. This follows reports that the UK Prime
Minister, David Cameron, is now less keen on his previously much-vaunted green
image, especially if it means increases to the cost of living.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Meanwhile, I have just come back from a series
of meetings in Geneva. At the meetings, many countries were co-operating on schemes
to help sustainable communities, with considerable enthusiasm among participants.
For example, the Chinese delegation was talking about building eco-cities from
scratch, and to the highest standards. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">The meetings were held at the United
Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP). Here I found a treasure trove of
resources about green energy schemes ...and much more. I discovered, among other
things, excellent resources from FIDIC (International Federation of Consulting
Engineers), Project Sustainability, the TEEB (The Economics of Ecosystems and
Biodiversity) Global Community, Green Cross International, a Geneva ‘Sustainable
Living’ pack for families, and ‘Our Planet’, the UNEP magazine. All were useful
for different parties in the sustainable future.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Whether you need to make an argument, build
a business case, find case studies, or devise a tool kit, the materials are all
here. There is no shortage of good information. Perhaps the inability to decide
on how to proceed with the green energy debate is because there are two groups
in the ‘room’, talking amongst themselves and not to each other. Surely, if we
are to take such large decisions, we should do so on the basis of the best
information available. In this, G24 can make a contribution.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">David Jackman</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
green24http://www.blogger.com/profile/15213874852847306464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776050781618778597.post-39526459571160759462013-12-04T23:19:00.001-08:002013-12-04T23:19:13.043-08:00What climate change actually means<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Most of us have heard politicians,
environmentalists and lobby groups drum on about how bad climate change is,
sharing their doomsday prophecies with whoever will listen. But what does
climate change mean to the person on the street and how will it affect our
lives?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">At the beginning of October this year, the <span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change’s (IPCC) 5th Assessment report was published, in which it stated that in
all likelihood, the rate at which the atmosphere is warming up is due to human
influence. So we are doing things that increase the rate of atmospheric warming
– a global greenhouse effect.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Many of us
will shrug our shoulders and say “so what, I could do with a bit of warmer
weather anyway”. Experts have speculated that on average, the world’s
temperature will increase by about 2ºC. Now this may not seem like much, but
the impact this seemingly insignificant increase will have on global weather
patterns and ecosystems will be potentially catastrophic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">With global
weather patterns changing, we can expect a lot more severe weather. From
hurricanes and cyclones through to forest and bush fires; this means a lot more
damage to your homes and offices. Most of us will have insurance to pay for the
cleaning and fixing up but the insurance companies won’t want to foot this bill
for too long, so it will no doubt increase premiums quite substantially. They
may even put levies up on storm damage, or add clauses which exclude severe
weather from your policy. This is already happening in some parts of the world!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">With bad
weather comes terrible traffic. From short-term delays through to entire
bridges and roads being washed away due to flooding or mudslides, our daily
commute may take a lot longer than it does now. There are cases from around the
world where people were stuck in days-long traffic jams due to extreme weather.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Our
agriculture will also be affected beyond our current comprehension. Although
there are some places benefitting from climate change, the majority of the
planet is bracing itself for increased droughts and flooding, longer winters
and drier summers. This means that we, as a species, are going to have to
reconsider the way we farm and manage our land. In the not-too-distant future
you may struggle to get the simplest of fruit and vegetables at your local
greengrocer or supermarket due to poor growth in these varietals around the
world. Can you imagine your salad without a couple of key ingredients?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">The point here
is not to make you have sleepless nights but merely to inform you that climate
change will affect each and every one of us, even if we see a seemingly
insignificant global increase of just 2ºC. It may result in an increased
commute to work once or twice a year which some of us can handle, but for
others, especially those living in poorer nations, the effects of climate
change on their land, food and income streams will be devastating.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">So play your
part in reducing your impact on the planet. This may be a small change, such as
taking public transport or cycling to and from the shops or work, or a larger
one, such as limiting the number of flights you take annually. We all need to
take responsibility for our actions and start paying more attention to how
these actions negatively affect the planet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
green24http://www.blogger.com/profile/15213874852847306464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776050781618778597.post-59591083641988201782013-12-04T23:17:00.001-08:002013-12-04T23:17:56.307-08:00Energy<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Energy is back in the spotlight; it's right
at the centre of political debate in the UK. Firstly, the Labour party
announced that if it was elected in 2015, it would apply a price freeze to
energy companies until a more effective regulatory and price- fixing system
could be established. Unsurprisingly, energy companies pointed out that such a
move would leave them vulnerable to raw material hikes with no prospect of
recovering their margins; such risk would blight potential investment.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Now, following concern expressed about
recent energy bill increases, former Prime Minister John Major has ‘bounced’ the
Government to announce energy price reductions. Interestingly this has included
cutting the so-called ‘green tariffs’ built into energy bills. This is an
indication that green concerns are slipping down the order and is perhaps a
clearer reflection of the political mood, namely one of scepticism over climate
change and carbon taxes in a time of economic downturn. Obviously, it is neither
comfortable nor desirable to find pensioners having to choose between heating and
eating over the winter season; nonetheless, there is apparently a latent
reluctance to invest in green energy or a low-carbon economy until it seems
absolutely necessary. Nuclear power is back on the agenda as a way forward,
even if some new power stations seem to be financed by China and France.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Part of the political reluctance must come
from conflicting engineering ‘stories’. Most prominent is that early
technologies such as on-shore wind farms are inefficient, even
counter-productive, as they contain high amounts of embedded carbon. It is
often the case that early –adopters are disadvantaged as technology advances,
but that is the way. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">There have been a lot of press stories recently;
the Financial Times ran a full pull-out section with contributions arguing both
ways. But public opinion still seems interested in sustainable options. As
always, the devil is in the detail; some quick-fix solutions are dubious in the
longer view. But the fundamental course we are on does need to be fairly
settled. At the moment we are hesitating, with neither the alternative energy
sector nor more traditional energy companies having a clear plan on what to do.
This does cause difficulties for investment and planning. We have seen how the
Australian government who was ‘brave’ and ‘out there’ in carbon reduction terms
has now backtracked. The US is feeling energy secure, buoyed by new reserves
and using fracking, OPEC has tightened its grip on prices and production and
Russia is similarly increasing output and exploring (openly controversially)
the deep arctic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">It seems apparent that energy needs and
security are driving ever greater carbon production. What no government can
afford is for the ‘lights to go out’. To see a shift in this route will require
some real determination, international resolve and perhaps some new science.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">David Jackman</span></div>
green24http://www.blogger.com/profile/15213874852847306464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776050781618778597.post-57719423229086793582013-10-15T05:46:00.002-07:002013-10-15T05:46:38.358-07:00IPCC<div class="MsoNormal">
I found the most inspiring statement from the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)'s 5th Assessment report, published on 1 October
2013 following its recent meeting in Copenhagen. The document came to the
conclusion that ‘it is extremely likely that human influence has been the
dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century’.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There you have it, as good as you will ever get from
scientists (who have to wrap findings up in the language of statistical
significance); a conclusion from 209 lead authors and 50 review editors from 39
countries and more than 600 contributing authors from 32 countries: climate
change <i>is</i> a result of human activity.
That leaves climate change doubters little room to manoeuvre.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And if there was any doubt left, the report concludes that:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
‘Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, and since the
1950s, many of the observed changes are unprecedented over decades to
millennia. The atmosphere and ocean have warmed, the amounts of snow and ice
have diminished, sea level has risen, and the concentrations of greenhouse
gases have increased’. It does not matter that in the last 10 years temperature
increases have stabilised; this is probably due to the redistribution of energy
within the oceans and biosystems. In the Northern Hemisphere, 1983–2012 was the
warmest 30-year period of the last 1400 years. The long-term trend is clear.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Almost the entire globe has experienced surface warming.
Some of the evidence is startlingly clear. For example: ‘Over the last two
decades, the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have been losing mass, glaciers
have continued to shrink almost worldwide, and Arctic sea ice and Northern
Hemisphere spring snow cover has continued to decrease in extent.’ Over the
period 1901–2010, global mean sea levels rose by 0.19 [0.17 to 0.21] m.
Scientists allege that ‘CO2 concentrations have increased by 40% since
pre-industrial times’.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What of the future? The headlines are not happy reading.
Global surface temperatures are likely to rise by 1.5 – 2 °C by 2100. Heat will
penetrate from the surface to the deep ocean and affect ocean circulation and
many other aspects of the climate’s climatic patterns. Perhaps most significant
is the prediction that temperatures will continue to rise for centuries to come,
even if we stop carbon emissions right now. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One aspect also worth mentioning is that the effects of
climate change will not affect everyone in the same way or to the same extent.
For example, the contrast in precipitation between wet and dry regions and
between wet and dry seasons will increase. This is likely to have a relatively
harsher impact on fragile environments and render uninhabitable those areas
where some of the least wealthy and least resilient communities live such as
sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia. How will the world's communities react?
The IPCC’s report is not designed to answer these sorts of questions, but in
light of the evidence, the answers seem pretty self-explanatory.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
David Jackman <o:p></o:p></div>
green24http://www.blogger.com/profile/15213874852847306464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776050781618778597.post-58164654199933142552013-10-14T23:36:00.003-07:002013-10-14T23:36:55.063-07:00Cycling<div class="MsoNormal">
The cycling ‘Tour of Britain’ hit town on
the 186km Cumbria stage; it was the second day of the 8-day event that has been
run since 2004. As the cyclists passed by our village, they grouped around a
breakaway and large chasing pack. They were cheered on by a huge fanfare and
hundreds of onlookers straining to catch a glimpse of Sir Bradley Wiggins or
Mark Cavendish. By the time they reached us they looked pretty bedraggled,
having already taken on several steep climbs, including the 250 metres straight
up at the challenging Honister Pass, in pouring rain no less.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">The enthusiasm surrounding this year’s tour
reflects how cycling has become very popular since the 2012 Olympics. I don’t
recall such coverage on TV or locally before, but following Team GB’s success
on the track and road, everyone is much more aware of the sport.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">But it’s not just competitive cycling that
has responded to the ‘Olympic effect’ as I like to term it. In a report
commissioned by British Cycling and Team Sky, 28% of those surveyed had been
inspired to acquire bikes or other equipment by the games; moreover, levels of
participation have risen amongst both regular and occasional cyclists.
Commuting by bike has also risen. As British Cycling states: "10 mph will
get you to your workplace 2.5 miles away in 15 minutes. There are no traffic
jams. No CO2 emissions”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">As well as the environmental benefits,
there are also health benefits. “When you're cruising along steadily at 10mph
you're burning fuel at an equivalent rate of 879 miles per gallon.Or to put it
another way, for your five mile round trip, you’ll burn around 250 calories per
day. That's 1250 calories per week, without going to the gym. Win, win.” The
British Cycling website is full of top tips on how to start cycling.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">In the London cycle hire scheme (often
known as ‘Boris Bikes’), there were 998,755 cycle hires just in July 2013, with
22.6 million hires since the scheme got rolling in December 2010! Roughly half
of these are casual users choosing a better way to get around, and the rest are
probably commuters. Waterloo station has emerged as the busiest docking
station.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">This trend shows how attitudes have
changed. Being more sustainable has many pay-offs. Widening participation is
one thing, maintaining the Olympic legacy is another. As the cyclists found
yesterday as they powered up the final stretch of the well-named ‘Beast Banks’
in Kendal, the last lap can be the hardest! The race statistics themselves
seemed to confirm this, as leader Thomas Lovkvist was overtaken on the Bank by
German rider Gerald Ciolek in the last 20 seconds.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">David Jackman<o:p></o:p></span></div>
green24http://www.blogger.com/profile/15213874852847306464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776050781618778597.post-80988727152587953102013-08-16T02:47:00.000-07:002013-08-16T02:47:11.013-07:00Fracking and Politics – Like Moths to a Gas Flare<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve
mentioned before how the idea of “green-ness” has fallen out of vogue, in part
because as a buzzword it was never going to last, in part because of other
distractions in political and media agendas. Global warming has been a footnote
in the news, I feel, for at least the last four years, a period dominated by
the financial crisis and punctuated in the popular imagination only with the
obtuse and inconclusive Copenhagen and Johannesburg talks. The focus of
reporting on such individual events cements the idea that environmental
degradation is an issue for campaigns rather than system changes. For another
example of short-termism in policy-making, consider the Tohoku earthquake and
tsunami in 2011. As shocking and tragic this disaster was, panic over the
potential for nuclear power to go wrong prompted Germany (and more
understandably, Japan) to mothball their nuclear energy programs. Sustainable
energy is unlikely to quickly make up the shortfall, so to placate a worried
public and keep their power on requires regression to gas, oil or coal – all
‘dirtier’ forms of energy than nuclear. In short, climate change isn’t sexy any
more, and renewable energy isn’t a vote winner.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
The reason, then, that the current government has fallen so keenly upon the
prospect of fracking – the process of fracturing rocks with highly-pressurised
water and chemicals to release the gas entombed within - is that it is a
political panacea. Fracking produces natural gas, which is touted as the cleanest
fossil fuel and so limits the damage to the UK’s green credentials. Anecdotes
about flaming tap water and polluted groundwater in fracked areas have failed
to fundamentally derail the idea.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><span lang="EN-GB"> Fracking also reduces, to an extent, the
UK’s dependence on Middle Eastern oil and Russian gas (a reduction which could
be especially substantial if the tentative explorations in the Falklands bear
oily fruit). Energy independence, abundant, cheap power and the prospect of
eager private investment in developing the fracking industry (subsidies
notwithstanding) seem healthy for the Treasury, and so the taxpayer. The idea
of home-made British energy also has the happy side effect of feeding the
current enthusiasm for ill-defined “Britishness”, which the state naturally
encourages and co-opts as a tool for winning the votes of patriots.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><span lang="EN-GB">
Being less cynical, fracking does sound like a good deal for the UK. It may
well offer cheaper power , ideally with well-regulated production, as well as
many jobs in, for one, Lancashire, where according to the BGS and energy
company Cuadrilla, “</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">1,300 trillion cubic feet of gas lie, which would be
enough to supply the country for at least 43 years, even if only 10% of reserves
can be extracted” (via The Guardian).</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="background-color: white;"><o:p></o:p></span><br /><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;">
But the problem that this article is trying to point out is that falling back
on fossil fuels, while useful in the short-term, reinforces the idea that
climate change is a problem to be dealt with in the future, or by someone else.
Fracking is an enormously useful tool to side-line the environment in public
discourse, and to set back the environmentalist agenda in the time lag in which
new legislation and regulation is developed. The only other opponents are the
nimbyists – and perhaps the fundamental question is that in a time when
everything is infused with economics, can anything prevent a return to fossil
fuels?</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alex Jackman</span></span>green24http://www.blogger.com/profile/15213874852847306464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776050781618778597.post-39870168491878368982013-07-09T01:42:00.001-07:002013-07-09T01:42:44.659-07:00Why bother with green? - A young person’s perspective<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I confess: I’m at best cynical, at worst
apathetic when it comes to green issues. This might not be the expected
position of a geography student, less one who is supposed to be a green officer
in the Geography Society. My teenage years came at the height of the green
craze; the ink was still drying on the Kyoto agreements, “global warming” was
always a valid answer, and the cool kids pored over atlases to work out which
major cities would end up underwater. My teaching was saturated with green
issues, especially global warming. I was disappointed to learn that drawing
diagrams of the greenhouse effect is not a recognised skill on LinkedIn, as
this renders useless ten years of sitting through geography and double science.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
But after years of indoctrination, I still don’t feel particularly engaged and
energised by these problems, important though they are. Why? To make this
article work, we’ll have to both assume that I convey the true feelings of my
age group, and ignore the point that my disengagement is merely the natural
apathy of the privileged polluter – this is itself a symptom of other problems.
With that out the way, I’ll get on with my excuses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
Firstly, the hype surrounding “greenness”, the shorthand for environmental
responsibility and awareness, has died down. The media machine has ground
onwards to other topics, and now we discuss the economy rather than the
environment. Why, as a student, do I care about the long-term environment when
they’re raising my tuition fees and I’ll need a job? This is in response to,
and supports, a changed political agenda and public discourse. Both have
lurched from environmental crisis to security crisis to financial crisis. I’ll try to resist being a typical student
and referring to “a book that I read at uni”, but in each case the discourse of
crisis has enabled governments to pass drastic legislation, and has normalised
a state of crisis in the public imagination. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
Secondly, the flaws in the entire project of limiting environmental degradation
have become increasingly apparent. Carbon trading lets major polluters continue
polluting, while geopolitical manoeuvring (the US at Kyoto, China at
Copenhagen) makes global agreement on global issues seem impossible. I feel
unable to influence policy at any scale, yet my personal contributions seem so
small as to be meaningless. Who cares if I recycle that pizza box? The Chinese
just opened another coal-fired power station!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br />
The total effect is that green issues become less relevant, fading into the hum
of the newsroom or buried in the cabinets of Whitehall. Despite more and more
evidence of climate change (not the only, but the most dramatic, green issue),
fatalism, cynicism and short-term outlooks prevail. Immediately, financial
viability (read: cost-cutting) and marketisation are more relevant than
sustainability. There is no easy cure. There needs to be a mature restatement
of the absolute and crucial relevance of our environment, and the fact of our
relationship with it. But even if this is already on-going, mature statements
do not get attention – increasingly, larger debates about the environment take
place only after crises. Public and politicians addressed nuclear fuel after
Fukushima, industrial pollution and regulation after the Deepwater Horizon,
climate change after Hurricane Katrina.<br />
Meanwhile I, young person, am disengaged from the political power needed to
make substantial changes, see green issues become irrelevant and ignored, and I
am distracted by problems which are closer to home and easier to grasp. And,
(to predict another crisis) it is my cynicism that could be the killing blow
for attempts to sustain environmental debate and protection in the years to
come.<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
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green24http://www.blogger.com/profile/15213874852847306464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776050781618778597.post-78173547766567825872013-07-09T01:39:00.000-07:002013-07-09T01:39:10.276-07:00World Environment Day, and what followed!<div class="MsoNormal">
World Environment Day (WED) passed a few
days ago, on the 5<sup>th </sup>of June; did you notice? Not even the often-meaningful
Google icon for that day recognised this global event; instead we were reminded
of the 295<sup>th</sup> birthday of the (undoubtedly highly skillful) furniture
maker, Thomas Chippendale.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Nevertheless, things did happen. A glance
at the WED website shows that events took place as far afield as Mongolia (the
‘host’ country celebrating its first wind farm) and Somalia (one of the world’s
poorest countries). The slogan for the awareness-raising campaign this year, organised
by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) was: THINK-EAT-SAVE; REDUCING
YOUR FOOTPRINT; this made reference to the fact that a third of the world’s
food production, 1.3 billion tons, is wasted and thrown away each year. This is
a tragedy of monumental proportions when you consider that 1 in 7 of us go
hungry.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">The spotlight was on the unnecessary
pressure this creates on the areas of land under cultivation and the demand on
fresh water supplies. Did you know that it takes 1,000 litres of water to
produce 1 litre of milk? I didn't.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">How effective campaigns like this are is hard
to say. I suspect that it is their cumulative effect that has an impact, not
just one event. This shows in so many different ways. In Singapore, where
regular readers will know I spend part of my year, they have been celebrating
25 years of ‘going green’. In particular, the growing of trees and opening of
public spaces is important in an island crammed with people and a growing
industry. The aim is for 85% of the population to be less than 400 metres from
a public park by 2030. Lee Kuan Yew, the country’s founding prime minister, has
planted a tree symbolically every year since 1963 and did so again this year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary General, has
also launched an initiative this month to implement a seamless transition from
the Millennium Development Goals that expire in 2015 to new Sustainable
Development Goals for 2015 to 2030. These goals will be partly informed by a
recently published Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) agenda
which aims to tackle poverty alongside promoting environmental protection.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">There is environmental action taking place
everywhere, both co-ordinated toward a common global goal and informal or
commercially driven. For example, I happened upon an interview yesterday featuring
the Head of Sustainability of Procter and Gamble. Therein he explained how the
improving technologies in cleaning products, allowing for 30 degrees Celsius
washes and using less packaging, lessened resource usage for families and the
environment. This is one of countless steps improving the situation; check
company sustainability reports if you are interested.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">But then the real world bites back. Despite
all the good news, who would have thought that just a few days later in Singapore
we would be heading for the greatest environmental crisis the city-state has
faced so far? I usually submit this blog from under a palm tree in the sun. I
am now sitting inside my hotel room with no sun visible because I am advised it
is unsafe to go outdoors. The smog is so dense that I can barely see across the
road. It is like a vision of the apocalypse. Unless you can remember the London
smog of the 1930s and 1950s, you would have to see pictures on the news or web
to believe it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Most people in the street (and some inside)
are now wearing masks if they can get one; I have failed so far, as the shops
here are sold out! There is a possibility that all outside workers will be told
to stay at home. The psi index of pollution is currently 400, near the highest
point ever reached. To give you some perspective, anything above 300 is
considered hazardous!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">The choking haze comes from the very
problem WED was trying to highlight. Clearing forest areas on the Indonesian
island of Sumatra for agricultural plantations and grazing. Both large corporations
and small holders start fires in the dry season and let them run riot across
the indigenous forest only a few miles away across The Straits. There has been
no rain for days. The authorities are considering cloud seeding but the problem
could last for weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">This is having a real economic impact.
Tourists are staying away, businesses cannot function properly, people are
falling ill and hospitals are filling. It is expected to cost the economy
millions, not to mention the cost in terms of health provision and the impact
on individuals' health. Long-term, it will have an effect on business
reputation, as well as place a strain on diplomatic relations between Indonesia
and its neighbours.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">This is a huge and harsh reminder of the
reality of sustainability. It is far more pressing on the imagination and
conscience than any number of special events and global agreements. One aspect
of food pressure and deforestation is being brought sharply into focus in a
developed economic hub: No one is immune; we are all on the same planet. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Is this a view of things to come? If so, I
suggest we work together to do all we can. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">David Jackman<o:p></o:p></span></div>
green24http://www.blogger.com/profile/15213874852847306464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776050781618778597.post-19164758151455032102013-07-09T01:37:00.001-07:002013-07-09T01:37:37.347-07:00Sustainability?<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span lang="EN-GB">Undeniably
sustainability is a word used to mean long lasting. However, it dawns on me
that at the age of 17, long lasting reaches as far as applying for a job.
Sustainability is a choice more than a necessity; one doesn’t have to think long-term
because, simply, there is no immediate benefit from doing something that
doesn’t aid the present. Why is it that, currently, recycling seems like a
superfluous undertaking when it should be recognised as a responsibility to
society? Why is it that energy saving weeks (in school) act as novelty token
gestures to satisfy our green awareness? Essentially there is no tangible
perceptible reward for being sustainable. There is no instantaneous change
because the effects are for the long-term. Yes, the occasional recycled pencil
case or recycling bin might cross my path, yet it provides no real motivation
to endlessly sort rubbish, prohibit 4x4’s and deter me from my nearest goal.
Absolutely, sustainability doesn’t appeal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span lang="EN-GB">I use
sustainability as a word to assuage my guilt or promote an argument and I fail
to put sustainability in the present. Sustainability is the capacity to endure,
yet to endure we must begin (being sustainable). All too often the assumption
is that all sustainability is positive, and to an extent there can be no flaw
in thinking about future generations, but, when this detracts from the richness
of life that each of us desires than surely this is cause to presuppose that
sustainability is time wasting and thinning our limited time on earth.
Obviously sustainability means different things in different mediums, but the
question remains the same (whether it is business sustainability or ones carbon
footprint): why is sustainability worth fighting for? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span lang="EN-GB">I too ‘endorse the idea of starting small’<a href="file:///C:/Users/greggbrill/Desktop/g24%20to%20upload/blogs/Sustainability-%20By%20Matthew%20Jackman%20EB.docx#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
but where is the impetus. Essentially, when thinking of sustainability
in ‘green’ terms, it is fighting a losing battle. The polluting world we have
constructed is far too developed to deconstruct and reverse its corrosive
effects. We can slow effects admittedly, but inevitably one must accept that
with growing population, whatever we do the quell pollution in, for instance,
Britain or our own homes; energy consumption elsewhere is increasing quicker,
so there is no improvement. Why should I recycle two cans of beans when GlaxoSmithKline is building a new factory in
Ulverston? It seems to be like disarmament in the 1920’s; unless
everyone universally disarms then no one will do it. Yes we agree it’s a fine
idea, nonetheless we don’t want to move first, and thus we keep arming (or
negating sustainability). If I don’t feel that everyone is making the same
efforts as me and giving as much time as I am, why bother? To assuage guilt by
means of ‘five minutes a day’ <span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/greggbrill/Desktop/g24%20to%20upload/blogs/Sustainability-%20By%20Matthew%20Jackman%20EB.docx#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title="">[2]</a> </span></span><a href="file:///C:/Users/greggbrill/Desktop/g24%20to%20upload/blogs/Sustainability-%20By%20Matthew%20Jackman%20EB.docx#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title=""><!--[endif]--></a></span></span>doing
‘something green’? Well not if GlaxoSmithKline
feels no culpability. Yes, this
case isn't immediately transferable to business, but arguably, why would a
business reduce short-term profits to maintain smaller profits over 100 years,
when bluntly the people working there won’t receive the award. This raises
moral questions about how much we value the future over our own personal gain
but essentially it brings me back to my first point: why doesn't sustainability
appeal, and now ,more importantly, how can we make it appeal? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span lang="EN-GB">There is no easy way
to make people aid something they will never experience and will never know
about, but inherently there is a desire to leave a legacy. What should be
promoted is the power of legacy and the prospect of people in 2120 admiring the
’17-year-old boy who recycled his whole life, so that we could live in a better
world’. Thus, sustainability should be passed down, recycled through
generations, so that despite it not being universal, it becomes tradition or
your inheritance. Legacy appeals!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Matthew David Llewellyn
Jackman </span></span>
<br />
<div>
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<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<!--[endif]-->
<div id="ftn1">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/greggbrill/Desktop/g24%20to%20upload/blogs/Sustainability-%20By%20Matthew%20Jackman%20EB.docx#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span lang="EN-GB"> http://green24.com/aboutus.php<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div id="ftn2">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Users/greggbrill/Desktop/g24%20to%20upload/blogs/Sustainability-%20By%20Matthew%20Jackman%20EB.docx#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a><span lang="EN-GB"> Ibid<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
</div>
green24http://www.blogger.com/profile/15213874852847306464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776050781618778597.post-69129221754503193402013-05-28T05:15:00.001-07:002013-05-28T05:15:17.108-07:00BS8904<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">I am currently in the process of writing an
introduction, or guide, to help everyone understand why sustainability is
important and how to go about implementing more sustainability plans in their
neighbourhood or community. It is a challenge, not only to avoid jargon and use
language that makes the subject interesting, but also to explain in some detail
how to go about starting your own sustainability scheme.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">It is to be published by the British
Standards Institution (BSI), the official body in the UK which sets standards
for everything from plugs and kettles to quality management and professional
services. The idea is to encourage grass-roots action across neighbourhoods in
towns and cities as well as in more rural areas, with the action not being
driven by ‘top-down’ government measures or initiatives; a refreshing change, I
hope you agree!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">The planned guide supports a more detailed
standard called <i>Guidance for community Sustainable development</i>,<b> </b>first<b> </b>written in 2011. This latter
document can be obtained by anyone for a small fee; however, the new guide I am
working on will be free and available to all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">All
standards have numbers for ease of reference, with this one being BS8904; it
follows as part of a wider family of standards on sustainability in the BS8900
series. I have chaired, authored and championed these key standards over the
last 8 or 9 years; as such, I hope that some, or even many, people will go on
to use them!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">We have
already had some big successes with various versions of these standards. One was
used for the Olympics in London in 2012 and another for boosting sustainable UK
film production, while a further standard is relevant to companies in managing
their supply chains, and so on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">While these are called ‘British Standards’,
they are used all over the world; I have seen BS8900 used in Hong Kong and
India! This trend is going to increase as we move to make the sustainability
scheme a certifiable standard rather than just a guidance framework. Also, many
such schemes go on to become international standards, like the much-used
ISO9001 standard for quality management, which started as a British standard. <a href="">I am
travelling to Denmark soon, to draft an ISO for the sustainable community
scheme i.e. an international version of BS8904.</a></span><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 8.0pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">I hope green24 readers and users will want
to use the introductory guide; I am hoping we can upload a .pdf version later
this year. Then, once the outline is up, you can also obtain the more detailed
standards from the BSI online shop: <a href="http://shop.bsigroup.com/en/">http://shop.bsigroup.com/en/</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">David Jackman</span></div>
green24http://www.blogger.com/profile/15213874852847306464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776050781618778597.post-67019995122242634182013-05-13T23:35:00.000-07:002013-05-13T23:35:06.551-07:00Making waves<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB">Now for something completely different!
Just when you thought it was safe to go into the water, we learn that there are
many ways that your lakeside trip can be greener, if that’s not a contradiction
in terms!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">As many of us start to plan our holidays or
weekends away, we may spare a thought for our environmental impact. For one
group of activities, namely motor water sports, we can be even more careful now,
thanks to new guidance from the greener-boating project (www.greener-boating.org)
and the environment agency. It's just one more example of independent
organisations trying to make the world a better place and look after our
environment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Did you know that you should not anchor in
protected areas where there are special wildlife habitats? You should avoid
causing pollution by checking your bilges and engines for leaks, putting down
drip trays and especially being careful when refuelling. Five litres of oil
will leave a skin of oil over a lake covering 2 football pitches!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Of course you can help by using
biodegradable oils and recycling oil when you can. Oil is responsible for 16%
of all lake pollution in the UK, with most spills happening near jetties,
thanks to overfilling or carelessness. Always carry a spill kit; they can stop
a lot of damage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">It's also important to not allow toilet
products (some are extremely toxic to water life), waste or grey water to get
into the lake water; fortunately, many marinas have facilities for pumping out
waste. Put cooking waste in a bin, not over the side. Also be sure to use
phosphate-free detergents; ever seen the unsightly foam at weirs and around
lake edges? By the way, an EU ban on phosphates in detergents comes into force
on 30 June 2013.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Small things always make a difference. Washing
your gear and clothes before going away can avoid unnecessary contamination by
diseases or unwanted pests, such as the killer freshwater shrimp which can
survive in damp sheeting or clothing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">We all want to see clean lakes and
waterways well stocked with fish such as perch, roach and trout, or our own
local Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus); it's cold here! This goes double for especially
rare species which are very sensitive to chemical levels.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">As with many green initiatives, it’s about
education, allowing one to both protect biodiversity and have an enjoyable
time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">David Jackman<o:p></o:p></span></div>
green24http://www.blogger.com/profile/15213874852847306464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776050781618778597.post-58100353661498973062013-03-11T05:33:00.000-07:002013-03-11T05:33:33.632-07:00Plan C blog<br />
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We hear a lot about Plan ‘A’ and Plan ‘B’ at the moment, as
the downturn drags on. Plan A describes continuing austerity and Plan B (not to
be confused with the successful band!) trumpets stimulus with, of course, the
attendant increases in debt. Just now, with the UK, following France and the
US, in losing its AAA credit rating the debate is intensifying in the run up to
the budget next month. The official line is ‘stick to Plan A at all costs’. In
fact, the debate in the UK has shifted to a more pessimistic note of whether or
not to deepen and hasten the cuts.</div>
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But you could argue that Plan A and Plan B are two sides of
the same coin, offering the same kind of progress, or lack thereof, through
different means – if based on divergent economic philosophies. What people may
prefer is a Plan ‘C’, with more fundamental re-thinking of what progress really
means and how we achieve it, some clever alternatives based on pressing
economic, social and environmental issues? Sustainable development provides us
with underpinnings for such questioning. It focuses on intergenerational and
intragenerational equity. It sets the stewardship of limit resources at the
heart of the debate and seeks ways of co-operation ahead of exploitation and
disproportional consumption. </div>
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May be sustainability offers a value as a source of
important questions as much as it provides technocratic answers? It is easy to
get sucked into detailed issues of low-carbon energy production or recycling –
albeit important subjects (see the advice on this website) – without
considering the bigger picture. As well as mastering the mass of information
available, it is simply being involved in this debate that this site also tries
to foster. This helps you to feel, and genuinely be, part of something
important that affects us all. </div>
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We encourage you to get in contact with and preferably join
or support local sustainability groups. There are many green business networks,
sustainable/transition town initiatives, recycling schemes and school or college
based projects. Let us know what you are doing, and what interests you. Tell us
what’s going on out there (regardless of where you are) and how we either have
helped or can help. Send us stories we can pass on. It is so encouraging for
everyone else and provides a richness of practical detail too!</div>
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David Jackman</div>
green24http://www.blogger.com/profile/15213874852847306464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776050781618778597.post-3907635989098434312013-03-08T02:00:00.001-08:002013-03-08T02:00:16.493-08:00Cities lead the way<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">I read recently of the notion of <st1:city w:st="on">London</st1:city>
becoming separate from the rest of the <st1:country-region w:st="on">UK</st1:country-region>,
which tends to be rather jealous of its wealth and supposed privilege anyway,
and govern itself as a city state – the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Singapore</st1:place></st1:country-region> of the West. In many ways
this makes sense as <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">London</st1:city></st1:place>
surely could hold its own as a global city, perhaps <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The</i> global city.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">When it comes to support for sustainability and
international treaties, the cities of the world seem more nimble footed and, I
understand, were far more pro-Kyoto than nation states. Since 2002, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">London</st1:city></st1:place> has had its own
Sustainable Development Commission (the LSDC) and on 30 January it launched its
forth report on Quality of Life. This includes indicators on every aspect of
sustainability from ecological footprint, bird populations and water
consumption to volunteering, fuel poverty and housing affordability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In terms of key environmental measurable,
like air quality and carbon emissions, <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">London</st1:place></st1:city>
has improved since 2009. But some economic indicators are unsurprisingly slightly
down.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Other cities, Birmingham and Edinburgh, spring to mind in
the UK, but there are many European and global examples, which have been able
to unilaterally set sustainability measures and start up supporting schemes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Perhaps the most interesting measure in the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">London</st1:place></st1:city> survey is the falling level of
democratic engagement expressed in voting. This significant fall could have
many reasons but it highlights one of the main concerns with the overall notion
that cities might be the more useful unit of global government than states.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Cities may have more coherent interests than the regions and
are more easily organised. This shows up in their ability to ‘get up and go’ to
support sustainability. But the concept of sustainability is based on equity
and engagement. Larger states have to engage many more groups and balance a
wide range of competing interests. They have to face the difficulties of
spatial inequities and find ways of binding people together. This may make them
(states) a bit sluggish at times but surely in sustainability mass co-operation
is the key, bringing along the slowest if we can, rather than a few racing
ahead?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">David Jackman </span></div>
green24http://www.blogger.com/profile/15213874852847306464noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7776050781618778597.post-27227759009468825282013-03-06T23:44:00.000-08:002013-03-06T23:44:23.212-08:00Flood warnings<br />
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The stream running through our garden flooded for the first
time in 10 years. With over 250 flood warnings out in the <st1:country-region w:st="on">UK</st1:country-region> I suspect
we’re not alone in worrying about the rising waters. Fortunately our house is
situated, sensibly, as old houses tend to be, above the flood plain on the
higher ground of the river terrace. Many modern developments are much nearer
major rivers, with or without levees, on land that was once supposed to flood.
This cheaper flat land seemed a good place to build until recently. The folly
of this disregard for nature is clear to see all over the country in TV
pictures of homes now under water.</div>
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This recent downpour comes after the wettest summer I can
remember; following a pretty wet summer last year and the year before. The
problem is that the atmosphere has so much more energy to hold moisture meaning
that more rain is inevitable. Sometimes the sun breaks through – remember the
fear of a drought earlier in the year and the hosepipe bans of spring 2012?</div>
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The climate system’s need to disperse more energy also
changes wind and pressure patterns so that these can become exaggerated and
create more violent events – high winds, blizzards and hurricanes. We have seen
some of these in the <st1:country-region w:st="on">US</st1:country-region>
recently and forecasters promise cold weather in a few weeks over here. That
will bring a new round of meteorological headlines.</div>
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I can understand why some have a vested interest in denying
climate change or those who want to maintain an air of scientific impartiality
until the cause and effect links are proven, or not, beyond doubt. But it does
seem likely that something is going on in our skies. Whether man’s activities
are the major drivers of instability or this is a cyclical set of events
doesn’t matter in principle (although it does limit the actions we take), the
facts suggest that we need to be prepared to deal with more extreme climatic
conditions. The repeated surprise of the media and the unpreparedness of local
authorities will not wash. </div>
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It would be ‘nice’ to get away from the ‘climate change
doubt’ and get on with joined up, long term strategies rather than piecemeal
responses and knee-jerk technologies as we may well have seen in the craze for
unsightly onshore wind farms. When I sit and watch the rain stream down the
windows, as now, I wonder, may be the climate will be our most eloquent
advocate for wholesale change?</div>
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David Jackman</div>
green24http://www.blogger.com/profile/15213874852847306464noreply@blogger.com0