How Many Trees Died For Our Telephone Directories?

We just received our chunky new Yellow Pages, and it certainly is thick, weighing in at 2.3kg it could easily replace the candlestick as a weapon in the popular game Cluedo. This prompted my hoarding mother to ask which of the 8 directories on the bookshelf she had received in the last few years she could alleviate herself of. On carrying this task, and I'm sure many people at home are the same about four were not even removed from their polythene cover, and the ones that were, probably didn't even get used. So we decided to recycle them in our green recycling bin provided by the council.

It made me think, what is the purpose of an annual paper directory, the numbers and addresses could easily change over the year, making them constantly outdated. Each of the companies who send out the phone books offer a free online version and a charged phone service, so why on earth in this day and age, forty years after they launched does Yell UK need to send out 28.4m directories a year. Especially when their website receives 33m queries a month and their phone service attracts 16.9m calls a year. Is their motive financial you may ask, well it could be, here's the figures;

In the year ending 31 March 2007, the yellow pages had 450 000 unique advertisers, 254 000 of which only advertise in the printed version. The other 196 000 advertise online or a mixture of both. On average each unique advertiser spent £1 335 in that financial year, leading to the Yellow Pages generating a minimum £339.1m in revenue from printed advertisements, with a potential maximum of £600.1m (or £12 to £21 per directory distributed).

So it would appear that Yell make the majority of their revenue from print advertising, forcing them to distribute directories, and by distributing to every business or household nationwide they can command a credible fee for providing this service, yet from the figures on their website it would appear that if you want to be found, it would be more advantageous to advertise only on their website, because who really wants to break their back lifting the directory to spend 4 hours searching through the thing, finding the right section to find the company that you really want, to realise that you could have done it in 2 seconds online.

But this still does not give the answer to the question in the title of the post, How Many Trees Died For Our Telephone Directories?

The Reduce CO2 blog tried to answer this question on their blog, and came up with 384 000 trees per year. However using the more detailed figure of 28.4m directories distributed, taking the average of 1.6kg (RCO2) and 2.3kg (mine) for each directory, giving 1.95kg (Yell publish over 114 different directories in the UK of varying weights, this is a very rough calculation to get a precise figure you would need the weight and number of copies issued for each). This results in 55 380t of paper.


Taking UK government figures I used in a previous blog post about how to stop junk mail, it would be reasonable to assume that the Yellow Pages phone directory in the UK requires in its production ...

• 941 460 trees,
• 1.72 billion litres of water,
• 221 520 mega watts of electricity (producing over 100 000 tonnes of CO2),
• 144 000t of air pollutants, and;
• 127 374 cubic metres in our landfills (assuming we don't recycle any, but we pretty much do recycle them)

As my article was a little one sided, I contacted Yell.com to give them the right of reply against my criticisms, and I thank Jon Salmon from External Relations for his response;

"The reason that the directories are produced and delivered is that there is a clear and strong demand for them, reflected in the fact that they are used almost a billion times a year with 86 per cent of users agreeing that they are very useful.

Similarly, for advertisers the Yellow Pages directory represents a very significant source of sales leads for their business and supports the growth of these businesses in their local economy.

You suggested also that the directory was an "environmental faux pas". This is most definitely not the case.

Our Yellow Pages directories are produced with full consideration of the potential environmental impact. They contain 51 per cent recycled fibre content, with the remaining virgin fibre used in their production coming from forestry waste, e.g. sawmill chips and offcuts from logs obtained from sustainably managed forests and used predominantly by the wood and timber industry.

Old Yellow Pages directories can be recycled when the new updated edition is delivered annually, into cardboard, packaging, insulation, animal bedding and paper.

In a wider context, we have also been regularly acknowledged for our work on environmental issues. For example, we have been registered to the ISO 14001 standard for six years, and have been awarded two Queen's Awards for Enterprise for our approach to sustainable development in 2002 and 2007 and have been included in several global and international Socially Responsible Investment(SRI) indices.

I hope this clarifies some of the background to our Yellow Pages directories, as well as our operation in relation to the environment."

I certainly don't disagree with the majority of the response, Yell does give alot back to the environment. And I do admit I used the Yellow Pages book for the first time in about 3 years yesterday, when a friend asked me where a town was whilst at work, although I could have connected to Google maps on my phone I opted to use the Yellow Pages as it was convenient at the time.

Energy use is also a factor in the production of the big Yellow Book which I also hope if not already considered will be in the future. If you have to make use of their services use their online phone directory which is exceptionally fast and efficient at finding the companies with up to date information and request that you do not wish to receive a printed version.

So how can we stop this environmental faux pas?

• Contact Yell to request that you do not wish to have a directory delivered to your home or work, and instead use their online service
  
• If you are an advertiser, you could refrain from advertising in print, and alternatively advertise online

Quote of the Day

"A handful of great tracks surrounded by stuff that's so obviously filler you could inject it into cavity walls and save up to 33% on your energy bills."
Alexis Petridis, Guardian, Friday 23rd November 2007

Alexis Petridis of the Guardian reviewing Kylie Minogues latest offering X, promotion for the cause comes in many shapes and forms.

Night Time Christmas Lights

After reading Ruth from Lush's blog today, I had to agree with her latest post. Why do we need to leave street decorative lights on at night when no one can see their twinkling beauty. Why do we use inefficient lights all hours of the morning for no one to enjoy. So it was no surprise as I walked home from a restaurant this morning (slightly tipsy, hence the poor quality pic from my iphone) to the sight of the Christmas decorations glaring at me and only me as I was the only one there to appreciate them. Think of the energy that could be saved should the council just install a timer to knock off earlier, really do we need them on any longer than an hour after the late night shopping has finished?

Oh that almost turned into a rant, am I becoming a grumpy old man already?

Train Fare Woes

Today came the announcement from the Association of Train Operating Companies (Atoc), that Season ticket and standard day return fares across the UK would be rising from January 2008 on average 4.8%. Cheap day returns, open and advance fares would rise by an average of 5.4%.

"We need the revenue from fares to pay for investment in the railway for the benefit of passengers We are providing a higher-performing railway with new, refurbished and more punctual trains and better stations."
George Muir, Director General, Atoc

With passenger numbers on the railways at their highest levels ever, passenger groups and the shadow transport secretary have hit back at these rises.

"Passengers will be dismayed that fares are going up again, especially as on most routes they have no choice about which train company to use. Many commuters will have to fork out hundreds of extra pounds for their next annual season ticket."
Anthony Smith, Chief Executive, Passenger Focus

"Labour's fingerprints are all over these fare rises. We have now had years of escalating above-inflation increases which are hitting many family budgets hard."
Theresa Villiers, Shadow Transport Secretary

I have to oppose any price rises in train fares, in reality we should be looking to reduce train fares in the UK. In the last ten years passenger numbers have increased 42%, but fares have risen year on year. With this there have been increased costs to run the services, and the increase in fuel prices needs to be recouped. However, the increasing fuel prices may price people from their cars on to public transport, further increasing the numbers using the trains, and putting more pressure on the existing rolling stock which is currently already over burdened. Train operators could implement strategies, or information systems to better adapt to the demands of their service ensuring trains are used more efficiently rather than invest in rolling stock which may not be required.

Government are looking to reduce the funding to public transport, yet the revenues from taxation on cars far dwarfs that of the funding given to for-profit companies which are making huge profits at the expense of the passengers.

Reducing the costs of public transport (eventually to a free service) is the way forward to ensure the UK meets targets on CO2 reductions, and as the price gap further expands between public transport and private car ownership, people would be more attracted to public transport.

Proposed changes from 2 Jan 2008 (Regulated / Unregulated Fares)

• Arriva Trains Wales, 4.8%, 4.8%
• c2c, 4.8%, 4.8%
• Chiltern Railways, 4.8%, 5.1%
• CrossCountry, 4.8%, 7.0%
• East Midlands Trains, 4.8%, 7.0%
• First Capital Connect, 4.8%, 4.8%
• First Great Western, 4.8%, 6.1%
• First ScotRail, 4.8%, 4.8%
• First TransPennine Express, 5.0%, 6.4%
• Gatwick Express, 3.8%, 5.0%
• GNER (Nat Express E Coast), 4.8%, 6.6%
• Heathrow Express, n/a, 0.0%
• Hull Trains, n/a, 0.0%
• London Midland, 4.8%, 4.8%
• Merseyrail, 3.8%, 5.0%
• Northern Rail, 4.8%, 5.7%
• one, 4.8%, 6.8%
• Southeastern, 6.8%, 4.8%
• Southern, 4.8%, 4.8%
• South West Trains, 4.8%, 4.3%
• Virgin Trains, 4.8%, 4.8%
• Average, 4.8%, 5.4%

Skateboarding

Warehouse Skateboarding is an online retailer offering a vast range of skateboarding equipment from decks, trucks and wheels, to DVD's and clothing from all the premium brands. Based in Wilmington, North Carolina, their online store is easy to navigate, and should you be searching for something specific, a store search function makes that a simple task. A clever feature of the site is the ability to build your own skateboard chosing which bits you want from each section to build your own custom board.

Free shipping is available on all orders over $150, and with items in stock, orders are despatched in 24 hours. If your looking for skateboarding equipment this Christmas Warehouse Skateboarding should be first on your list.

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Cheaper Than Coal

Search engine giant Google announced today plans to invest heavily in renewable energy in a bid to reduce the installation costs of solar thermal power, wind power and enhanced geothermal systems to below the price of coal.

Since June the price of coal to wholesale markets have risen 100%, Google hopes to use their talented staff and expansive resources to assist in their initiative known as RE < C.

"With talented technologists, great partners and significant investments, we hope to rapidly push forward. Our goal is to produce one gigawatt of renewable energy capacity that is cheaper than coal. We are optimistic this can be done in years, not decades."
Larry Page, Google Co-founder

Google is using its corporate might as a way to influence change around the globe for the better and we can only hope that with the talented staff, I know they have they can ensure they meet their goal, I am pretty confident that they can succeed, even if they might not hit the time scale.

Green Barometer III Report Out Now

The Energy Saving Trust launched the third Green Barometer report yesterday, Monday 26 November 2007.

Download the Report

The report details all UK council areas emissions, outlined in a league table format, showing the UK's biggest and lowest carbon wasters. Top emitters in the report are council areas in Northern Ireland, taking 18 of the bottom 20 positions. Mainly due to the reliance of personal transportation methods over public transport, with in most cases CO2 emissions from vehicles equaling almost 50% of CO2 emissions from households.

Top Emitters

• Down (14.53t)
• Omagh (14.20t)
• Magherafelt (14.15t)
• Ballymena (14.08t)
• Antrim (13.95t)

Lowest Emitters

• City of London (4.65t)
• Camden (4.87t)
• Westminster (4.92t)
• Tower Hamlets (4.98t)
• Islington (5.19t)

In addition the report looks at measures that can be taken to reduce CO2 emissions, attitudes towards energy saving and segmenting homes on a street-by-street basis to individually target areas based on which can benefit the most.

The Green Barometer Reports are always an interesting read, if not for the quality information but for the document design. The addition of the league of worst emitters will encourage a wrath of energy saving and could become quite a competitive annual table showing progress by area in reductions or gains in percentage terms. The council areas at the bottom will be trying to get their names off the bottom after the bad press Down has received in the last few days with local and national media attention, it will also encourage greenies in those areas to become community changers.

Cold This Winter?

If your feeling cold this winter there is one place to turn to, The North Face Breckenridge offers the full range of clothing from North Face Jackets, vests, pants and baggage. Whether you’re ready to buy a North Face backpack, Denali Jacket,a Nuptse Down Coat, or, just have a question about how to pack your gear, you can count on the people at Breckenridge who know what works best because they use the products themselves at 9,600 feet above sea level, this adds to the quality of customer service that often is not found in other stores. Added to that the warm family atmosphere at the store, that even includes the store dogs Jasper and Sambucca (to name just two).

And don't worry if you don't intend to use the equipment at 9,600 feet you can always wear them at sea level and enjoy urban chic, and benefit from the quality insulated jackets that they have to offer especially as this winter is expected to be exceptional bleak.

Unfortunately Breckenridge can only ship to US addresses most likely due to brand limitations, but they do offer free shipping on all orders over $50.

If you want to find out more head over to their site or their Breckenridge blog.

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Please Close The Door

In my second rant of the month I am asking people to consider the impact from leaving doors open when entering shops. Some shops are required to prop doors open, as this is company policy, such as the Body Shop, GAP Kids, Waterstones and Holland & Barrett, to name and shame some of the offending companies (for more check on this article from the Times). The logic of which means wasted energy in heating (or in Summer cooling) the shop, cold / hot drafts and cold / hot staff. Not only does this waste energy but reduces staff productivity.

So next time your Christmas shopping why not consider shutting that door behind you even if it was open in the first place, if not only to keep the staff in skimpy tees warm. Wrestling staff to the ground may be an over reaction should they open the door again, but you can always just walk out as easy, maybe closing the door behind you could make a statement.

If one store (the size of Body Shop) halved the hours that its air-conditioning was on for a period of six months, it could save 3,700kWh of electricity. Saving 1.67t of CO2 emissions.

If you have a brand to name and shame for similarly wasteful practices please add them to the list of shame below. I shall be shop spotting on Monday with handfuls of pictures to create a collage of open doors, league of shame, and hall of fame.

Searching for a Credit Card

If your in search of a new Credit Cards, why not check out the new comparison site from the Boomerang network. Offering a range of cards from all the top financial institutions, you can compare the market and find a card that suits your needs. The card specifics are laid out in bullet points highlighting the benefits of each card in short and easy-to-understand statements. They also offer news, information and advice on the credit card market ranging from "How to Stay Out of Credit Card Debt" this Christmas, to warning of the dangers of "Credit Card Vishing".

Why not try it out, whether you are looking for your first or thirty-first card they can certainly assist you in the best offers available to you.

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Winter Warmer Ideas

With the continued rises in the price of oil, gas (up 14% on September), electricity (up 18% on September) and coal (up 100% on June), and the predicted bleak cold winter ahead. I have come up with a few ideas on how to make your home a little warmer, even this late in the year and save you some cash.

Cavity Wall & Loft Insulation
Insulating cavity walls and lofts in your house is the best way to save and stay a warmer this winter. Both measures can save up to £250 a year in energy costs and two tonnes in CO2 emissions. Measures cost from as little as £350 each. With grants available for £150 for each measure installed, and in London an extra grant of £100 is also available for cavity wall insulation.

You may also be entitled for free insulation if any person living in the house is in receipt of certain benefits, credits or allowances. This is known as 'Priority Group Funding' because the government and utility companies consider these householders to be a priority. Qualifying benefits include:

* Attendance Allowance
* Income Support
* Council Tax Benefit
* Disability Living Allowance
* Housing Benefit
* Child Tax Credit (household income under £15,050)
* Working Tax Credit (household income under £15,050)
* Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
* Income-Based Jobseekers Allowance
* War Disablement Benefit
* Pension Credit

In some areas, 100% grants are also available to the over 60s and households where there are children under the age of 16.

If all homes that currently are not insulated implemented these measures, nationally we could reduce CO2 emissions by 14.3m tonnes. For more information on the grants available call 0800 512 012 or check the EST grant finder.

Chimney Balloon
Chimney's can be responsible for up to 15% of heat lost from a room. You can prevent this with a chimney balloon (or old newspaper, however less safe and effective). The balloon is placed into the chimney and inflated preventing cold air from entering the room. Cheap at around £20, easy to install and should last up to four years.

Draftproofing
Draftproofing your house can also provide significant savings of up to 20%, and some grants are available.

Draw Your Curtains
Drawing your curtains at dusk can help prevent the escape of heat through windows, acting almost like an air pocket. Ensure however that the curtains are placed behind radiators to allow heat to better circulate rooms.

Heat Reflectors
Placing heat reflectors behind radiators can significantly improve the efficiency of your heating system ensuring that heat does not get absorbed into the walls. These can be purchased from DIY stores for around £20 - £40 (for enough for your entire house) and can be installed by simply cutting to size and sticking to the wall immediately behind the radiator.

Condensing Boiler
As the current lifespan of a boiler is around 15 years, choosing a heating system with a high efficiency condensing boiler with the correct heating controls can make a huge difference to your heating bills over time.

A high efficiency condensing boiler works on the principle of recovering as much as possible of the waste heat which is normally wasted from the flue of a conventional (non-condensing) boiler. The best high efficiency condensing boilers convert more than 90% of their fuel into heat, compared to 78% for conventional types. Typical savings are about a third, £175 to £220 a year. Grants are available in some areas and cost can be recouped in about three years.

Blankets & Jumpers
Staying warm does not always require the use of burning fuel, a comfy blanket or extra jumper can work wonders providing instant warmth and reducing your energy bills.


If you have any other winter warmer ideas feel free to add them to the comments section.

HIPs Extended to All Properties

The government announced on Thursday, from 14 December 2007 all properties sold in England and Wales will now require a Home Information Pack. We have followed the roll out from initially being required for four bedroom houses in August, to the inclusion of three bedroom properties in September.

Included in HIPs is an energy performance certificates (EPCs) will give homes an efficiency rating of A - G. To date the average EPC rating has been an "E". Buyers whose homes score badly will receive extra help from the new Green Homes Service announced this week by Gordon Brown.

"Hips and EPCs are already helping consumers to save hundreds of pounds off their fuel bills. All home buyers will be able to benefit from energy efficiency advice, with those receiving low green ratings of 'F' and 'G' especially targeted for support and grants"
Yvette Cooper, Housing Minister

This is the completion of the roll-out of HIPs and I am glad to see that this has been efficiently rolled out in a period of less than six months, as I feared back in august it was going to be a drawn out process lasting in excess of a year. The final 40% of the housing stock affected results in a further 8.4m homes requiring a pack should they be going on to the market. The launch of the Green Homes Service will compliment EPCs, as owners seek to improve their homes efficiency. The inclusion of homes with one and two bedrooms will also be a positive move to reducing the emissions from homes as these are most likely to have a higher footprint per capita.

Being Naughty ... Selling Out to Advertisers

You may have noticed my shallow attempts to monetise this blog with the paid for posting that have appeared in the last few days. There currently is two postings. The main reason that I have added these posts to the blog are as they offered reasonable money off the back of our pagerank status. But rest assured this decision was not taken lightly as the fee will be invested in either a competition featuring some energy efficient prize, or donated to an environmental organisation to help protect the world. As yet I have not came to a conclusive decision but if you have any ideas, please feel free to add a comment in the comments section.

Potentially I could distribute 72 stapless staplers or 123 energy saving bulbs to help the planet, but your ideas are probably more exciting.

Coal Power Plant Decision Deferred

I mentioned the proposed new coal fired power station from E.on to be built in Kingsnorth in Kent in my post regarding Gordon Brown's Climate Change Bill.

The existing power plant in Kingsnorth, Kent provides up to 7.5% of the UK's current electricity demand by burning 750 tonnes of coal per hour. The new power plant would improve efficiency by 20%, equating to carbon emission savings of 2m tonnes a year, however if the proposal is rejected the existing plant will need to close as it will not meet with legislation regarding emissions. This is a scenario facing half of UK coal fired power stations. With the closure of nine nuclear power plants over the next ten years this will result in a reduction in production of electricity of 30%. Eyes will be carefully watching the news in the future for a conclusive result.

Medway Council met on Wednesday night to discuss the plans. Officers have recommended the council makes no objection. The new proposal has lead to over 9 000 objections from members of the public (8 000 from Greenpeace standard templates or postcards),leader Rodney Chambers announced the decision on the proposal was deferred to allow for more information.

"There will be a meeting of only committee members who will go on the site to gain more details from a presentation by E.ON"
Rodney Chambers, Medway Council

Despite my neutral tone in the text of this article I am against the proposed building, in favour of investment in renewable technologies which can exploit the potential of natural resources in the UK and yield a higher payback ratio than that of coal fired power plants. However this could lead to an energy crisis by 2015 if solutions are not derived to fill the gap that once was filled by our coal fired power plants closing in the next decade. It's a tough decision that will not be taken lightly and will test the resolute of the governments climate change bill.

Bet 365 Online Poker

Leading online sports betting website Bet 365 have added a casino and online poker to their portfolio. I admit I am a Bet 365 member, having used their site for a flutter or two on horse racing and sports betting in the distant past. Having tried out their new features, and having used the competition in the past, I can say that Bet 365 offer an easy to use "gui" and your one account can be used for all their services. If your new to online gambling you couldn't do any better than to pop over to at least check out their how to play guides, to get to grips with games and understand how much you could win and lose.

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TfL in £9.65m Order of Hydrogen Buses

As part of Transport for London's continued commitment to the environment, mayor Ken Livingstone has announced an order of ten Wright Group badged hydrogen powered buses to be delivered by 2010.

All ten of the new Wrightbus single deck vehicles will be powered by a hybrid-electric drive system, five of which will incorporate Ballard Fuel Cells, with the other five buses utilising a hydrogen internal combustion engine developed by Ford Power Products. As there is no carbon in the fuel, hydrogen-powered vehicles produce no carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide or particulate emissions. They also have the additional benefit of being exceptionally quiet in operation.

Use of hydrogen also opens up the possibility of creating fuel from renewable sources, which can reduce world dependence on imported oil and other fossil fuels. Hydrogen can be derived from water through electrolysis, a process that can be achieved with clean electricity generated from solar, wind, or hydroelectric power.

“Hydrogen technology offers a sustainable, safe and clean power source which is ideally suited for a densely populated, major international city like London. Working closely with our technical partners and Transport for London, this order is another significant step towards making the vision of a “hydrogen economy” a reality and demonstrates our determination to be at the vanguard of development of ever cleaner and even more efficient buses.”
Jonathon Poynton, Business Development Director, The Wright Group

Wrightbus has played a proactive role in the development of cleaner buses in the capital, which has already seen 12 Hybrid Electric Vehicles already in successful operation on two TfL routes.

Gordon Brown Outlines Climate Plans

Download the Speech (MP3)
Read the Speech
Watch Some of the Speech

Gordon Brown has outlined his plans for the British fight against climate change, fronted by a "green hotline" to advise people on how they can reduce their impact on the environment. The new Green Home Service, a website, telephone hotline and advice centres will be a "one-stop-shop" for advice and information on a range of issues including reducing waste and saving water.


In essence this seems like a government funded carbon copy of the independent Energy Saving Trust, and whilst I'm sure the Green Home Service will provide a competent and worthy service to the public on a range more diverse than currently captured by the EST. It still remains that people will need to seek advice before they change their habits, rather than implementing legislation, funding nationwide initiatives, or implementing voluntary agreements with retailers which forces change. Within his speech he cited that a third of households in the UK will be offered assistance to make carbon reductions in the next three years, equivalent to about 2.2 million homes per year. Potentially leading to reductions of 6m tonnes of CO2 per year by 2010, or 1.1% of total UK CO2 emissions.

"I believe it will require no less than a fourth technological revolution. In the past the steam engine, the internal combustion engine, the microprocessor transformed not just technology but the way our society has been organised and the way people live. Now we're about to embark on a comparable technological transformation to low carbon energy and energy efficiency and this represents an immense challenge to Britain, but it is also an opportunity."
Gordon Brown, Prime Minister, United Kingdom

In addition to the new information service, there was also plans to further co-operation with other countries including Japan and the US to establish a new "funding framework", to help developing countries adjust to low carbon growth, adapt to climate change and tackle deforestation.


In recent months the government has come under increased scrutiny over reports published regarding its commitment to, and likely failure in meeting targets regarding renewable energy. Currently approximately 5% of UK energy is provided by renewable energy sources, however Gordon Brown hit back at these critics stating Britain was absolutely committed to meeting our share of the EU's 2020 renewable energy target, further suggesting it could mean the UK will have to produce between 40 and 50% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020. An exceptional target which almost seems pie in the sky to some. BBC environment analyst Roger Harrabin said this would be "staggering", but he said that the government was seeking to negotiate down the EU target.


However this part of the speech will be seriously considered tomorrow as Gordon Brown's government reveals whether consent has been granted to a new coal fired power plant in Kingsmill, Kent (beside an existing inefficient coal-fired power plant). The existing power plant provides up to 7.5% of the UK's current electricity demand by burning 750 tonnes of coal per hour. The proposed new power plant from electricity company E.on would improve efficiency by 20%, equating to carbon emission savings of 2m tonnes a year, however if the proposal is rejected the existing plant will need to close as it will not meet with legislation regarding emissions. This is a scenario facing half of UK coal fired power stations. With the closure of nine nuclear power plants over the next ten years this will result in a reduction in production of electricity of 30%. Eyes will be carefully watching the news tomorrow to hear the result.


There was many other initiatives mentioned in the Climate Change Bill regarding consultation with the British Retail Consortium to phase out plastic bags, a major expansion that will see five million more homes offered discounts of up to 100% on cavity or loft insulation, and another three million offered cheap or free low-energy light bulbs and other appliances. Over the next decade, every household will be offered a smart meter that shows people the true extent of their energy use, encouraging frugality.


With the suggested measures it seems difficult that these will equate to a faction of the 60% reduction in CO2 emissions proposed by 2050.


The reactions to the speech have been varied with quotable regular Philip Sellwood, Chief of the Energy Saving Trust commenting on his blog;

"This Green Homes Service will form the first genuine one-stop-shop for citizens to access advice on all matters 'green' - whether that is energy efficiency, renewable energy, travel, water efficiency and waste reduction. At a time when both Government and particularly Defra's budgets are under such pressure, credit must go to Defra for holding out for this additional funding over the next three years. Sorry if this sounds a bit like I'm being a cheer leader for Hilary Benn, but sometimes even the Government gets things right! I know that's not a very fashionable view these days, but let's at least give a small round of applause on this dark, grey and wet Tuesday!"
View Greener Homes Are In Sight!

Other Reactions to the Prime Ministers Speech;

"Six months in the job of prime minister, and Brown has finally got around to talking about climate change. Whilst I welcome plans to consider tightening the 60% target, the government is playing catch-up - and asking another committee to look at the figures won't help. To make real headway on curbing our emissions, we need to act now. We do not have time for yet more commissions and reviews, for more political delay. Today's speech was sorely lacking in real measures to reduce our emissions."
Caroline Lucas, Green Party


"In March, Tony Blair committed the government to an EU target for 20% of Europe's energy to come from renewables. Since then the government - and particularly the dinosaurs in the DBERR (Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform) have tried to wriggle out of it. It is good to see Gordon Brown recommit to this and get the renewables revolution back on track."
Keith Allott, WWF UK


"It's good news that the government will not renege on its EU renewable energy targets. But we need to look at the small print to see whether Mr Brown is really prepared to meet 20% of our energy from renewables without counting nuclear power as the French are doing. The government blithely talks of the opportunities created by green industries yet refuses to promote fledgling initiatives properly. Boasts of a new Green Home Service seem shallow when recent cuts to the New Millennium Grants will dissuade many homeowners from installing energy saving measures in their homes."
Chris Huhne, Liberal Democrats


"After a summer of lobbying, wriggling and confusion, the government's apparent change of heart on renewable power is fantastic news, but will only be credible if new policies emerge to actually meet targets. Britain lags a long way behind most of our European neighbours on renewable power, despite having the greatest wind, wave and tidal resource in Europe. We should be able to contribute our fair share of the EU-wide renewable energy commitment and source at least 20% of our energy from renewables by 2020."
Tony Juniper, Friends of the Earth


"It's positive that the prime minister has raised the bar ahead of the Bali conference by talking about an 80% cut in UK carbon emissions by 2050. Oxfam believes that only an 80% cut in rich countries' emissions will be enough to stop the worst impacts of climate change. The world's poorest people - already hard hit by climate change - depend upon rich countries like the UK moving first and fastest to set a clear course for a low carbon economy."
Phil Bloomer, Oxfam

Anglian Offer Up to £800 Off Double Glazing

Anglian offer a broad range of quality home improvement products to help improve your home, this includes uPVC window, uPVC doors, driveways, garage doors and conservatories.

Double glazed window are one method of reducing the heat lost from our homes. Heat loss through glazing is approximately 10 - 20%, and with the exceptionally cold Winter that lies ahead for the UK, if you have not already installed these, you should think about it especially with the £800 off internet exclusive offer.

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Tesco Green Clubcard Point Rant

I am a Tesco shopper, mainly as it is one of the closest large supermarkets to my home. I have always used reusable carrier bags, since before the launch of Green Clubcard Points. At my local Tesco however Green Clubcard Points are not what they seem, as often I have left the store without the points being added, whilst this is not an issue for me (it's just an added benefit to being green), it just seems that Tesco are not keeping their promises, and that some who solely make use of the Green Clubcard Points offer as their main reason to reuse bags will simply stop. Going on the 4% rule (which normally refers to restaurants), where only about 4% of people actually complain, the other 96% might just simply never return or in this case reuse bags. Whilst I am criticising Tesco in relation to one store I'm sure this is just an oversight by some staff, and the green efforts by Tesco are highly commendable.

On a another note, Sainsbury's were giving out free bags for life all weekend. They might still have some left in store tht you could blag. Their efforts have helped to reduce 750 tonnes of plastic bags going to landfill.

What Kids Think?

I recently received an email from digforfire, a Sheffield based marketing agency promoting a new microsite from ibuyeco, the carbon neutral car insurance company. I wrote about ibuyeco in late September. The email outlined the purpose and feel of the new site, as I have not found a site sharing the views of children on climate change just yet, I thought this was a bit different. This is how senior account executive, Sally Rushton pitched the microsite to me;

"Climatekids.co.uk is a microsite where real kids get the chance to express their fears and views on climate change. You’ve heard the viewpoints of the scientists and politicians, but it’s really interesting to hear about it from the people it is going to affect the most. We hope that as well as raising a few smiles, the kids’ message will also make people stop and think about the damage we’re doing to the planet and how it will affect future generations."

You can find out more at Climate Kids with subtle ibuyeco promotion, but that's what microsites are about.

Buy One Get One Tree

Innocent the ethical smoothie maker have launched a campaign to plant at least 100 000 trees in Africa (where they grow their mangos) and India, that's enough to cover 200 football pitches. From each 1 litre pack a tree will be planted by entering a unique code on the back of the pack, registering takes less than a minute and you can gift your tree to someone else if you wish, especially coming in to the Christmas season.

You can keep an eye on the treeometer on the home page of the microsite which keeps tally of every tree planted real time, 87 763 as I look now, and details the latest planters name. If you want you can travel to the virtual forest and search for your tree.

I love this new sustainability effort by Innocent, they are a leading brand and have ethics and sustainability at the core of their business practice, they have 100% recycled packaging (not kids cartons ... yet), all their bananas are Rainforest Alliance certified, and after releasing their huge carbon footprint label are now working with our suppliers and bottlers to achieve a reduction of 15% in 2007.

"It may all sound a bit Miss World, but we want to leave things a little bit better than we find them. To do business in a more enlightened way; where we take responsibility for the impacts of our business on society and the environment, and move these impacts from negative to neutral, or better still, positive. We call this our drive for sustainability."
Innocent Drinks

Click here for why trees are good and why Innocent is ethical.

The tree planting project will be carried out by Carbon Clear, an offsetting company, whose projects include retrofitting mini-taxis in the Philippines and low smoke cooking in the Sudan. Whilst I fully support the project I am sure we are all aware of the Coldplay incident which has tarnished the reputation of carbon offsetting via tree planting in the last few years (their offsetting was provided by Future Forest, a British company, recently renamed CarbonNeutral). I'm sure however the project will be managed efficiently by both Carbon Clear and Innocent for the long term under the scrutiny of Innocent drinkers and Innocent themselves.

Tesco currently have innocent smoothies at 2 for £4.

Picture: Tidal Surge Batters England

The south east of England yesterday saw the largest tidal surge in half a century, the waters were nearly 8in (20cm) lower than originally feared and passed without causing major damage. In 1953, 307 people died, when high tides and a storm saw a tidal surge of 3.2m (10ft 6in).

Picture: Rachel Temple