Which Organisation Emits More CO2 Than 50 Countries?

The National Health Service accounts for 3% of UK carbon emissions, which equates to about 18m tonnes of CO2, equivalent to the 50 lowest emitting countries in the World. Considered one of the largest employers in the world, with approximately 1.5m employees the NHS provides free healthcare for all in the UK, across thousands of locations.

Previously these buildings were built with a focus on cost, rather than a concentrating on their overall energy efficiency which over time would have made significant savings on energy consumption. Now they have been shown to be energy hogs - thanks to the introduction of Display Energy Certificates - along with other government buildings.

That was in the past and now the NHS through the NHS Sustainable Development Unit, have created the NHS Carbon Reduction Strategy for England, which intends to reduce emissions directly and indirectly caused by the NHS by 26% by 2020, and 80% by 2050, inline with the target set by the UK government for the rest of the UK.

"Professionals working within and for the NHS are amongst the most trusted people in the country. The impact that climate change will have on the health of the people we serve makes standing and saying we are part of the fight against climate change a key component of the day job of the NHS."

Where the CO2 is Emitted?

• Energy (22%)
• Travel (18%)
• Procurement (60%)

As part of the strategy the NHS Sustainable Development Unit has partnered with other organisations to drive the sustainability message with in the organisation. Partner organisations include, the Energy Saving Trust, Unison, Environment Agency, General Medical Council and Health Protection Agency.

Reasons the NHS is Acting?

1. The New Legally Binding Government Framework & National Targets
2. The Strength of Scientific Evidence to Act Now on Climate Change
3. The Health Co-Benefits for Patients and the Health System
4. The Importance of Cost Reduction
5. The Willingness of NHS Organisations and Staff to Act
6. The Need for the NHS to be a Leading Public Sector Exemplar

The NHS are not dragging their heels on the issue and they are certainly aware, the core responsiblity now is putting this plan into action. They can help enact change, but their toughest challenge will be implementing change on others, especially as procurement is such a major contributor to their overall CO2 emissions.

But they are already testing schemes across the UK which have made changes and successful pilot schemes are likely to form part of the plan. Ideas which have proven successful already include increasing use of sustainable, local and organic foods in the 300m meals provided annually by 1200 NHS hospitals. As previously stated in this blog, converting to organic milk over standard milk reduces the carbon footprint by two-thirds, and using alternative packaging can also reduce the waste.

Using and promoting towel nappies over disposable nappies in pilot schemes on maternity wards has also been proven to increase their use in the areas that these schemes exist.

By procuring in this way the carbon footprint of the NHS organisation has been reduced and it has also influenced the behaviour and carbon footprint of the parents who continue to use cloth nappies at home. The introduction of the Stork-eco nappy in to the Jane Crookall Maternity Unit at the Noble’s Hospital has effectively reduced the Unit’s disposable nappy waste for clinical incineration by 99.9% and their total clinical waste by 83% helping to make long-term financial and environmental savings.

Other Measures Being Introduced To Reduce Emissions

• Review of Energy & Carbon Management
• Development of More Renewable Energy
• Reducing Waste at the Buying Stage
• Working with Suppliers to Reduce their Carbon Footprint
• Providing and Promoting Sustainable Foods
• Systematic Review of Transportation for Staff, Patients and Visitors
• Incentives for Low Carbon Transport
• Promote Care Closer to Home
• Removal of Bottled Water
• Improve Efficiency in Water Use through Measuring and Recording Usage
• Monitoring and Setting Targets for all Waste Streams in all Areas

We will keep tabs on the progress of the NHS over the next few years to let you know how they are doing and to highlight some of the schemes they are implementing to reduce their CO2 emissions.

Envoy for Climate Change

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has chosen Todd Stern - who took part in the Kyoto Protocol negotiations on climate change from 1997 to 1999 - as her envoy for climate change, the state department said. Stern, who served under former President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 2001, will be the Obama administration's principal adviser on international climate policy and strategy as well as its chief climate negotiator.

After leaving the Government, Stern served as an Adjunct Lecturer at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, and as a Resident Fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

"Containing climate change will require nothing less than transforming the global economy from a high-carbon to a low-carbon energy base. But done right, this can free us from our dependence on foreign oil and become a driver for economic growth in the 21st Century."
Todd Stern, US Envoy for Climate Change

Articles by Todd Stern

• Capturing the Energy Opportunity: Creating a Low-Carbon Economy, November 27, 2007
• A Changing Climate: The Road Ahead for the United States, November 26, 2007
• A Missed Climate Opportunity, September 26, 2007
• Create an E8: Global Warming Requires Global Leadership, June 1, 2007
• Creating the E-8, June 1, 2007
• Global Warming Goes to the Movies, May 28, 2004

Downturn No Reason to Stop Climate Change Fight

World leaders must not let the economic downturn get in the way of the fight against climate change, Tony Blair told an energy conference. The former prime minister stressed the importance of acting now and said that a new global agreement was necessary.

"It is now, right now, at the instant when our thoughts are centred on the economic challenge that we must not set to one side the challenge of global warming, but instead resolve to meet it and put the world on a path to sustainable growth for the future."
Tony Blair, Former British Prime Minister

Mr Blair, who said the downturn should not be seen as an obstacle but an opportunity to combat climate change, also set out the terms of a new global agreement. He said interim targets were needed, obligations had to be shared fairly and that people should be ready to make practical simple steps instead of just technological advances.

Energy efficiency, he said could account for a quarter of the reductions necessary to avoid catastrophic climate change. The energy efficiency of existing houses has been highlighted by the Committee on Climate change as something that needs to be improved.

Insulation, double glazing, microgeneration and water saving are among the measures that can help homes become more energy efficient.

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Government U-Turn on Aviation and Shipping Emissions

The Government has made a U-Turn on the exclusion of aviation and shipping carbon emissions after 50 Labour MPs pressed for the sectors to be included in the Climate Change Bill, which sets a target to cut carbon emissions by 80% by 2050, which was announced earlier this month.

The government agreed to redraft its bill, which was given a third reading by 463 votes to three - a majority of 460 - in the Commons. It accepted an amendment requiring ministers to take into account projected emissions from the sectors when setting future budgets that will cap emissions.

The government has resisted calls in the past to include aviation and shipping, saying it would be nearly impossible to allocate responsibility for international emissions to individual countries.

The government's advisory committee on climate change, headed by Lord Turner, recommended last month that the sectors must figure in climate change targets while arguing that they would not be able to meet the 80% target by 2050.

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In Search of Clean Power

In this, the last of his Big Ideas programmes, James May (of Top Gear fame) tries to find smarter, brighter and bolder ways of powering the planet for future generations. So James sets off on a global search to find people who share his dream. It takes him from Guildford, where he takes a solar powered car to its limit at night, to the US where he joins some aerospace engineers who are trying to build an 'elevator' into space.

In Holland, he meets the first Dutchman in space who has put away his rockets and has swapped them for kites as he tries to harvest the power of the jet-stream. And finally, in the deserts of New Mexico, James seeks out some modern-day alchemists, who offer the promise of allowing him to drive his car on petrol conjured out of thin air.

There will be a few familiar sites in this episode with the Marine Current Turbine in Strangford Lough and the Solar Tower in Saville, which have previously been mentioned in this blog.

You can catch this program on the BBC iPlayer for a few days yet.

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Green Jobs Boom

A new, landmark study on the impact of an emerging global "green economy" on the world of work says efforts to tackle climate change could result in the creation of millions of new "green jobs" in the coming decades.

The new report entitled Green Jobs: Towards Decent work in a Sustainable, Low-Carbon World, says changing patterns of employment and investment resulting from efforts to reduce climate change and its effects are already generating new jobs in many sectors and economies, and could create millions more in both developed and developing countries.

However, the report also finds that the process of climate change, already underway, will continue to have negative effects on workers and their families, especially those whose livelihoods depend on agriculture and tourism. Action to tackle climate change as well as to cope with its effects is therefore urgent and should be designed to generate decent jobs.

Though the report is generally optimistic about the creation of new jobs to address climate change, it also warns that many of these new jobs can be "dirty, dangerous and difficult". Sectors of concern, especially but not exclusively in developing economies, include agriculture and recycling where all too often low pay, insecure employment contracts and exposure to health hazardous materials needs to change fast.

What's more, it says too few green jobs are being created for the most vulnerable: the 1.3 billion working poor (43 per cent of the global workforce) in the world with earnings too low to lift them and their dependants above the poverty threshold of US$2 per person, per day, or for the estimated 500 million youth who will be seeking work over the next 10 years.

Green jobs reduce the environmental impact of enterprises and economic sectors, ultimately to levels that are sustainable. The report focuses on "green jobs" in agriculture, industry, services and administration that contribute to preserving or restoring the quality of the environment. It also calls for measures to ensure that they constitute "decent work" that helps reduce poverty while protecting the environment.

The report says that climate change itself, adaptation to it and efforts to arrest it by reducing emissions have far-reaching implications for economic and social development, for production and consumption patterns and thus for employment, incomes and poverty reduction. These implications harbour both major risks and opportunities for working people in all countries, but particularly for the most vulnerable in the least developed countries and in small island States.

The report calls for "just transitions" for those affected by transformation to a green economy and for those who must also adapt to climate change with access to alternative economic and employment opportunities for enterprises and workers. According to the report, meaningful social dialogue between government, workers and employers will be essential not only to ease tensions and support better informed and more coherent environmental, economic and social policies, but for all social partners to be involved in the development of such policies.

Among other key findings in the report:

• The global market for environmental products and services is projected to double from US$1,370 billion (1.37 trillion) per year at present to US$2,740 billion (2.74 trillion) by 2020, according to a study cited in the report.
  
  
• Half of this market is in energy efficiency and the balance in sustainable transport, water supply, sanitation and waste management. In Germany for example, environmental technology is to grow fourfold to 16 per cent of industrial output by 2030, with employment in this sector surpassing that in the country's big machine tool and automotive industries.
  
  
• Sectors that will be particularly important in terms of their environmental, economic and employment impact are energy supply, in particular renewable energy, buildings and construction, transportation,basic industries, agriculture and forestry.
  
  
• Clean technologies are already the third largest sector for venture capital after information and biotechnology in the United States, while green venture capital in China more than doubled to 19 per cent of total investment in recent years.
  
  
• 2.3 million people have in recent years found new jobs in the renewable energy sector alone, and the potential for job growth in the sector is huge. Employment in alternative energies may rise to 2.1 million in wind and 6.3 million in solar power by 2030.
  
  
• Renewable energy generates more jobs than employment in fossil fuels. Projected investments of US$630 billion by 2030 would translate into at least 20 million additional jobs in the renewable energy sector.
  
  
• In agriculture, 12 million could be employed in biomass for energy and related industries. In a country like Venezuela, an ethanol blend of 10 per cent in fuels might provide one million jobs in the sugar cane sector by 2012.
  
  
• A worldwide transition to energy-efficient buildings would create millions of jobs, as well as "greening" existing employment for many of the estimated 111 million people already working in the construction sector.
  
  
• Investments in improved energy efficiency in buildings could generate an additional 2-3.5 million green jobs in Europe and the United States alone, with the potential much higher in developing countries.
  
  
• Recycling and waste management employs an estimated 10 million in China and 500,000 in Brazil today. This sector is expected to grow rapidly in many countries in the face of escalating commodity prices.

The report provides examples of massive green jobs creation, throughout the world, such as: 600,000 people in China who are already employed in solar thermal making and installing products such as solar water heaters; in Nigeria, a bio fuels industry based on cassava and sugar cane crops might sustain an industry employing 200,000 people; India could generate 900,000 jobs by 2025 in biomass gasification of which 300,000 would be in the manufacturing of stoves and 600,000 in areas such as processing into briquettes and pellets and the fuel supply chain; and in South Africa, 25,000 previously unemployed people are now employed in conservation as part of the 'Working for Water' initiative.

"A sustainable economy can no longer externalize environmental and social costs. The price society pays for the consequences of pollution or ill health for example, must be reflected in the prices paid in the marketplace. Green jobs therefore need to be decent work"
Green Jobs: Towards Decent work in a Sustainable, Low-Carbon World

The report recommends a number of pathways to a more sustainable future directing investment to low-cost measures that should be taken immediately including: assessing the potential for green jobs and monitoring progress to provide a framework for policy and investment; addressing the current skills bottleneck by meeting skill requirements because available technology and resources for investments can only be deployed effectively with qualified entrepreneurs and skilled workers; and ensuring individual enterprises' and economic sectors' contribution to reducing emissions of greenhouse gases with labour-management initiatives to green workplaces.



The report finds that green markets have thrived and transformation has advanced most where there has been strong and consistent political support at the highest level, including targets, penalties and incentives such as feed-in laws and efficiency standards for buildings and appliances as well as proactive research and development.

The report says that delivery of a deep and decisive new climate agreement when countries meet for the crucial UN climate convention meeting in Copenhagen in late 2009 will be vital for accelerating green job growth.

The report was funded and commissioned by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) under a joint Green Jobs Initiative with the International Labour Office (ILO), and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the International Organization of Employers (IOE), which together represent millions of workers and employers worldwide. It was produced by the Worldwatch Institute, with technical assistance from the Cornell University Global Labour Institute.


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Earth: The Climate Wars: Fightback

Earth is a new three-part documentary series based on climate change and began on BBC2 on 7th September, all screened episodes are available on BBC iPlayer (UK Only).

In the latest episode, Dr Iain Stewart investigates the counter attack that was launched by the global warming sceptics in the 1990s.

At the start of the 1990s it seemed the world was united. At the Rio Earth summit the world signed up to a programme of action to start tackling climate change. Even George Bush was there. But the consensus didn't last.

Iain examines the scientific arguments that developed as the global warming sceptics took on the climate change consensus. The sceptics attacked almost everything that scientists held to be true. They argued that the planet wasn't warming up, that even if it was it was nothing unusual, and certainly whatever was happening to the climate was nothing to do with human emissions of greenhouse gases.

Iain interviews some of the key global warming sceptics, and discovers how their positions have changed over time.


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Five Spaces Left for the Climate Ride 2008

Five Spaces Left for the Climate Ride 2008

Brita Climate Ride 2008 is the first multi-day bicycle ride where your pedal strokes help raise money and awareness for meaningful climate change and renewable energy legislation! This transformative event is ideal for anyone who believes that change is possible and that America can take the lead in a green economy.

Beginning on September 20th, one hundred and twenty Climate Riders will pedal 300 miles from New York City to the nation’s Capitol in Washington D.C. in five days, departing from the heart of Manhattan and then meandering along country roads through New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. On the fifth day, riders will cycle past the iconic Washington Monument to arrive near the marble steps of the Capitol building. Here we will celebrate the riders’ amazing accomplishment and valuable contribution to the advancement of climate change education and renewable energy policies.

Along the way, expert speakers will educate and inspire Climate Riders about the science, the policies and the solutions to the climate crisis. Our riders and the communities we pass through will learn that our government, businesses, and each individual American will benefit from a cleaner, healthier climate. This is a unique event—a fundraiser and climate conference on wheels.

The Aims of the Event are to;

• Increase awareness of climate change, renewable energy, and green jobs amongst participants, donors, and the general public.
• Advance the movement toward a green energy economy and encourage citizens to call on politicians to legislate meaningful climate change and energy policies.
• Inspire individuals to take their share of responsibility for reducing fossil fuel energy consumption.
• Showcase the bicycle as a viable, carbon-free, healthy, and fun method of transportation.

For more information on how you can get involved in this amazing event, visit Climate Ride 2008.


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Milk Sludge Fertilising Willow

Dale Farm’s environmentally aware staff have come up with a novel solution for reducing the company’s carbon footprint – using sludge from the waste water treatment plant at Dunman to grow willows.

Traditionally the sludge, which is a normal by-product of dairy processing, has been spread on farmland – where it acts as a valuable fertiliser. However, the Nitrates Directive has effectively reduced the amount of land that can be treated this way and other outlets had to be examined. After reviewing a range of possible options, it was decided that applying the sludge to Short Rotation Coppice Willow for producing renewable energy biomass, was an environmentally friendly solution that was also cost effective.

The scheme, which is operated in partnership with Rural Generation Ltd, began on a trial basis in June. It uses bespoke machinery that injects the sludge below the surface of the ground in a willow plantation in the Cookstown area, relatively close to the Dunman factory.

A permit had to be attained from the Environment and Heritage Service to allow the sludge to be used this way. The effluent has to be treated using a belt press, which increases the solid content to approximately 12% – which results in fewer transport movements and thus reduces the fuel and labour required.

Willow production is a renewable and sustainable energy crop that is harvested and used to produce either heat or electricity. Harvesting is usually on a two yearly rotation when the willow is cut and chipped, and some local Councils are currently using willow as an alternative energy source for heating e.g. swimming pools.

Willow production does not contribute to global warming – the only carbon dioxide released upon burning is that which was fixed from the air whilst the willow was growing, making it “carbon neutral” unlike other fuels such as coal and oil.

The use of sludge as a soil conditioner and source of nitrogen on willow plantations is a good example of an environmentally sustainable, low carbon route for recycling an organic waste stream. It is well established in Europe and N America, but is still relatively new in N Ireland and Dale Farm is the first local company to investigate this opportunity.

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Is The Government Right to Scrap the One-Off Winter Fuel Payment?

The government today announced that it would not be providing the much anticipated "Fuel Payment Plan" of £150 to seven million households, which was originally announced in the media last month after it was leaked by a senior civil servant travelling on a train. Is this the right decision?

Our homes consume energy, copious amounts of it. 83% of domestic energy is used for space and water heating, and in the huge majority of homes this is done in an inefficient way. One-off payments purely provide assistance in the short-term, delaying the issue and exacerbating the situation further. In addition by providing a "subsidised" fuel, encourages the user to continue to use energy in an inordinate way, becoming reliant on benefits to subsidise their existence. Reduction of consumption has not be ingrained into the mindset of the individual, increased consumption, increased demand, and whilst on a global scale, relatively minor, increased prices, inevitably leading to further hardship.

By focusing on reducing energy consumption, via energy efficient technologies such as cavity wall insulation and loft insulation, this assists with the core aims of a reducing dependency of fossil fuels and lowering CO2 emissions. It is an investment for the future and progresses the nation towards a low carbon economy. It alleviates the burden on the tax payer, freeing up future revenue to be invested in further projects. By empowering individual awareness of the environmental and economic benefits of reducing their consumption, this kick-starts a revolution of energy savers.

According to Uswitch, this year the average annual household bill will be £1,467, up 61% on last year. As a whole, this equates to an annual spend for domestic households of £31bil annually, of a total UK consumption expected to exceed £200bil (three times the level of 1998). If all households that could install the two measures mentioned above did so, with the help of government grants or assistance, we could reduce UK energy use in monetary terms by 0.88% per annum, and reduce UK CO2 emissions by approximately 8.4m tonnes.

Political benefits from energy efficiency in the long-term oppose to "short-term gimmicks", reduced reliance on imported 'old sun' energy, sustained decreased in energy consumption, reduced CO2 emmissions from point of implementation year-on-year, improved air quality and decrease in associated illnesses.

Whilst I believe the that the government has made the right decision, those that will suffer from this announcement, are those most in need of support, however there is genuine help available to those who are fuel poor, individuals on certain benefits, and even for those that are not.

Specific advice is available, you can contact the Energy Saving Trust or, if you contact us via email, with information about your current energy use, type of housing, installed heating methods, your location, energy supplier details. We will try to find the best solution to reduce your energy bills right now for free, through grants, support and practical advice.

Further information on how you can reduce your energy consumption this winter is available on our Winter Energy Saving Ideas page.


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Picture: Heavy Rain in Japan

A house leans perilously after being damaged during heavy rain in the Tokai region of central Japan has left one woman dead. A further 1.2million people were advised to evacuate after a record 246 millimetres of rain fell in three hours, last week. Authorities dispatched about 100 soldiers to the hardest-hit city, Okazaki, to rescue the stranded from flooded homes. Some areas were left without power or telephone service hours after the storms and several rivers overflowed, forcing drivers to abandon their cars in the streets.

Is Climate Change The Reason for the Westlink / Broadway Flood?

At the weekend during "freak" weather conditions, parts of Northern Ireland received in excess of August's rainfall in under 12hrs, leading to extensive flooding across the province, which lead to 850 calls to emergency services, and over 8000 calls for assistance from public service providers such as the Department of the Environment (DoE), Road Service NI, and Northern Ireland Water. Since I had not posted since Saturday, I'm sure you may have even thought I was stuck somewhere.

However, one iconic part of the road network in Belfast was left submerged in 20ft of water, capturing in excess of 20 million gallons of water. The Westlink and M1 upgrade scheme began in February 2006 at a cost of around £104m in a bid to solve the problems of daily rush-hour bottlenecks. The underpass was opened to traffic six weeks ago — 13 months ahead of schedule — and was designed to improve the strategic links between the M1, the M2 and the M3 motorways.

The Broadway roundabout underpass has two live rivers that run beside it, the Clowney Water to the west, and the Blackstaff adjacent to the east. These rivers are underground and therefore have a fixed capacity. Despite the construction of a large overflow chamber under Broadway roundabout. The design shape of the Westlink is effectively a basin or bowl which would funnel any water to the centre, this water would then drain away, making use of the overflow chamber. In the days preceding the "extraordinary event", there had been continued rainfall, this saturated the area which was worst affected, leading to the ground being unable to absorb any further rainfall. Rain then lay, or in the cases where it fell on uneven ground ran to the lowest point. This increased substantially the amount of water in rivers, and water from previous days were still filtering downwards. At the Clowney Water and Blackstaff, where the capacity is fixed, water could only pass through at normal rates, or increased rates at increased flow, so to cope with twice as much water, the river would have to have passed at twice normal speed, it can to a certain degree cope until no more when the waters will back up an eventually force the rivers to burst their banks.

This month has been the wettest August on record, with 177.8mm of rainfall so far. The last wettest August was in a 1956 with 161mm of rainfall. So how could climate change or global warming be to blame?

Research from Newcastle University in 2006 suggested that rain intensity has doubled in the UK over the last 40 years due to climate change, this has an affect on current systems which may have been designed to cope with large amounts of water over long periods, however as rainfall becomes heavier and more intense, these systems have to cope with the same amount of water but in a shorter time frame, as on Saturday; existing systems simply could not cope.

"If the trend continues, which is likely, this suggests we will have an increase in flooding over the coming years which has major implications for flood risk management"
Dr Hayley Fowler, Newcastle University

This may not be the last time that the Broadway underpass becomes submerged, holding the equivalent water of 32 Olympic swimming pools as the area flooded previously in December 2007, and that was before the underpass had been dug out, it's now only a matter of time and alot of intense rain before it happens again. Floods can also be exacerbated by plastic bags. Bangladesh, imposed the ban after it was revealed they were a major contributor to the 1988 and 1998 floods which submerged two-thirds of the country.

There is a great deal of sympathy for those who have been affected by the recent events, its hard to contemplate that it may be months or even a year before homes will be returned to normal, and the loss of irreplaceable items.

For those disposing of destroyed white goods and electronics, you should contact the council for a free household amenities collection. When replacing white goods, consider purchasing the most energy efficient appliances.



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Burning Holes in Government Fuel Payment Plan

At the weekend it was leaked by a senior civil servant travelling on a train, that the government have it laying in the wings for a "Fuel Payment Plan", the one-off payment of £150 would be targeted at those in receipt of child benefits, the total number of people that are set to benefit from this windfall is estimated to be over seven million households, requiring in excess of £1 billion.

Taking into consideration the "Winter Fuel Payments" paid to 11.7m people over 60 years in age, which costs a further £2 billion pounds. A total of £3 billion is effectively subsidising energy, making it cheaper, less expensive to use. In times when we should be reducing energy, friend of the blog and chief executive of the Energy Saving Trust, Philip Sellwood, believes that this money would be better spent and more effectively in terms of energy reduction and environmental benefit (not to mention the 17.5% return to the government from VAT, instead of the 5% on fuel), if this money was invested into energy saving measures.

For example, £3 billion could easily insulate every cavity wall in the country. Saving those householders £720m a year, every year (without inflation of energy costs), saving 4.8m tonnes of CO2 annually.

Philip Sellwood posted his own back of envelope savings on his blog;

Our own stats show that with £150, a householder could:

Draught proof an entire house, saving around £25 a year with an outlay of around £90.
Buy a hot water tank jacket, saving around £20 per year, with an outlay of just £12.
Fully insulate all pipe work, saving around £9 per year, with an outlay of just £9.
Replacing existing light bulbs with energy saving ones. With a typical cost of around £3 per bulb it would be possible to replace every light bulb in the house. This could save around £45 a year or £600 over the lifetime of the bulbs!

My maths was never much good, but even I can see that by spending this £150 on energy saving measures means saving around £100 this year, next year, the year after....well, you get my drift!

My own quick back of envelope calculation suggest that each household would reduce their CO2 emissions by 710kg. £3billion would be enough to offer all these measures to every household in the UK saving 14.91m tonnes of CO2. If the government instead decided to invest all the money into wind turbines, and start their own government wind co-op they could install a minimum of 300 wind turbines with up to 2GW, almost doubling the current capacity, providing, clean green energy for 1.2m homes, or approximately 5% of UK domestic properties.

The scheme has not yet been given final approval. The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (DBERR) confirmed that further help with fuel bills was being considered, but insisted no decisions had been taken. So now is the time to get it right, and make positive changes, so that the money makes a return socially, environmentally, and of course politically.

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11th Hour on C4

A film which looks at some of the most important environmental issues facing our planet is being shown on Channel 4 on Sunday 25 May, at 7:25pm.

Produced and presented by Leonardo DiCaprio, The 11th Hour explores how we live, how we affect the earth's ecosystems, and what we can do to change the impact we have on our planet. Experts from all over the world - including UK scientist, Stephen Hawking, and US sustainable design expert, William McDonough - present the facts and discuss the most important issues that face our planet. The film will be available on DVD from 2nd June.

Lifestyle Green 2008

After a massive success with their first environmental focused exhibition at the Kings Hall in Belfast in September 2007, LifeStyleGreen will be back for their second environmental show on Saturday and Sunday the 13th and 14th September 2008 at Castle Espie, Comber, County Down. Exhibition space is limited, and already some big local brands have signed up, some returning for the second year. Exhibition space is available from £20/m2, for the two day event.

Darling, It's Too Little Too Late

Chancellor Alistair Darling unveiled his first budget yesterday, however, many environmental groups have called on the inadequacy for environmental protection contained within the announcement.

The key announcements contained in the budget are;

Environment

• 2p increase in fuel duty is postponed until October this year, and rise by 0.5p per litre in real terms in 2010
  
• £950 "showroom" tax from April 2010 for the most polluting vehicles
• £800 million environment fund to work with the United States, Japan and other countries as well as the World Bank to fund clean technologies in developing countries
• First Carbon budgets to 2022 will be announced alongside the Budget next year
• Energy Bill will allow the tripling of renewable electricity by 2015
• Introduce legislation to impose a charge on single-use plastic bags, if we have not seen sufficient progress on a voluntary basis. Legislation would come into force in 2009 and based on other countries' experience, it could lead to a 90 percent reduction, with around 12 billion fewer plastic bags in circulation. The money raised should go to environmental charities
• Cavity wall insulation for nearly three million homes. Loft insulation, more energy efficient appliances and light bulbs
• £26 million funding next year for a Green Homes Service to help people cut their carbon emissions and their fuel bills
• Smart meters to medium and large companies over the next five years
• Non-domestic buildings will become zero-carbon from 2019
• Biofuel duty differential will be replaced by the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation
• Reforming capital allowances for business cars to increase the incentive to move to lower emitting cars
• Air passenger duty scrapped in favour of flight tax

Energy

• Increase in Social Energy Tariff from Energy Companies to £150m, up from £50m
• 5m Customers on PrePay Meters to be given fairer Energy Pricing
• Increase in Winter fuel payment for over 60s from £200 to £250 and for the over 80s from £300 to £400

Whilst some of the efforts of the chancellor are certainly welcomed, it is a disappointment that he has not chosen to implement these changes immediately, with some measures not being introduced for over two years.

The additional resources for improving energy efficiency in homes and business and increased revenue for the Green Homes Service provided by the Energy Saving Trust will also assist reduce energy use. However with the assistance provided to those on social energy tariffs and Winter fuel payments, energy use may increase. I believe that to ensure that these are paid or reductions given to the householder, they must have had a free home energy inspection. This will highlight the need for loft and / or cavity wall insulation or other energy saving methods, those who meet specific criteria should (as already happens) have these installed for free, those that do not fall into these categories should have the measures installed for free in place of the fuel payment.

I hope the threat to impose charges on plastic bags is followed through as this is what is needed to dissuade their use to levels which otherwise through voluntary methods would be unattainable.

What do you think about the budget?

Picture: Wind & Waves Batter UK

High winds of up to 85mph caused by the Atlantic weather front moving eastward, have caused substantial damage to property across the country, and caused travel woes for many others.

Energy Saving Day

Energy Saving Day, a 24-hour initiative aiming to reduce the UK's electricity use, began at 18:00, in an effort to curb climate change by turning off devices not in use. Aptly named E-Day, information will be updated real time from the National Grid, they will also monitor how much difference it makes to consumption, while power companies will identify customers wanting home insulation as part of the event.

"I'm delighted by the way in which so many organisations from all sectors of society have been prepared to see what they can do to help tackle climate change. They have offered to set aside their day-to-day differences in order to highlight that they accept the available science, agree that saving energy is a good idea, and want to simplify and widen access to some of the other potential solutions to climate change."
Dr Matt Prescott, Originator, E-day

Part of the Grid's job is to forecast demand for electricity. It says its forecasts are usually accurate to within 1% - so comparing demand across the 24 hours of E-Day with its predictions should provide an accurate measure of whether the initiative has made much difference.

However you can join in and follow the nations progress online at E-Day. Currently the UK is using 1.7% more electricity than normal. In contrast to the BBC planned Planet Relief, E-Day is less likely to cause problems for the National Grid, it's a good way of raising awareness of energy saving, however it is unfortunate that the event was not publicised more as empowering more people will have a stronger reaction.

Effects of Climate Change on a Local Level

Photography: Peter Sandeman of 3SixtyCreative

A major report published today by the National Trust, "Shifting Shores: Living with a Changing Coastline" (PDF) describes how three of its iconic coastal properties in Northern Ireland are at risk from coastal erosion and flooding over the coming century.

The research was commissioned by the Trust and undertaken by leading coastal experts from Queen’s University and the University of Ulster. Their research focused on the Giant’s Causeway, north-east Strangford Lough and Murlough National Nature Reserve.

Key findings include:

• The Giant’s Causeway (an UNESCO World Heritage Site) is likely to experience increased storminess, with a greater area of the Causeway 40,000 interlocking basalt columns washed by waves by 2050, while by 2100 access to parts of the Causeway could be more difficult, particularly in winter.
  
  
• At north-east Strangford Lough, sea level rise of up to 25cm is predicted by 2050, and possibly by up to 1 metre by 2100. This would result in significant loss of feeding and nesting grounds for the Lough’s birdlife, such as Brent geese who migrate annual and graze on the eel grass. Increased winter storms would result in sea walls being overtopped more often and undefended areas of coast experiencing greater erosion.
  
  
• At Murlough National Nature Reserve it is possible that between 50 and 400 metres of dunes could be eroded away, while tidal and storm flooding could reach one metre higher than present day extremes.
  
  

"Northern Ireland’s coastline will be a changing, and indeed challenging, environment in the 21st century. The National Trust, and many other bodies, must prepare now to meet the uncertain challenges ahead."
Professor Julian Orford, Queen’s University, Belfast

"Because the National Trust cares for so many very special places, it is essential that we invest in this kind of research, to help us to understand how climate change may affect our properties in the future. Significantly, this report also highlights the challenges which will be important for all of us – government, landowners, coastal communities – to begin to consider now and to plan for in the future. Shifting Shores is a major contribution by the National Trust to the growing debate about climate change. In particular it provides key information about how climate change may affect us here in Northern Ireland. The key challenges which we in the Trust believe it is essential to address now include the need for more detailed coastal data and mapping of the whole Northern Ireland coastline. This is needed urgently, and government must make this a priority. Our planning system, and in particular development plans and planning policy statements must take predicted coastal change into account, to ensure coastal landscapes are adequately protected in the future"

Hilary McGrady, Director for Northern Ireland, National Trust

The report outlines key climate chane impacts on the Giant's Causeway as;

• The Giant's Causeway World Heritage Site is likely to experience increased winter wetness; drier summers; more frequent and longer-lasting storms with associated storm surges; and as part of the rising sea-level, higher-reaching extreme flood levels.
  
  
• These conditions will increase erosion and have an impact on the habitats on the site, such as coastal saltmarsh and coastal vegetated shingle which are of European significance. Particular plants at risk would include oysterplant and Scot's Lovage while of the invertebrates likely to be affected the most notable is the tiny narrow mouthed whorl snail, which is found in Northern Ireland only at the Giant's Causeway.
  
  
• In the short-term (2020s) there will be an increasing threat of storms and adverse weather conditions. This will require ever more rigorous hazard management, especially in relation to access to the cliff top.
  
  
• In the medium to longer term (2050s - 2080s), slope instability and cliff retreat may be likely. Realignment of the cliff top path may have to be considered.
  
  
• Wetter winters and greater frequency and intensity of rainfall would result in increasing risks of slope instability or failure. Past major slips may be reactivated. In this scenario, the long term viability of the existing road to the Causeway Stones would need to be reviewed.
  
  
• In the medium-term rising sea level and greater peak surges are likely to significantly increase the area of Causeway stones washed by waves.
  
  
• In the longer term (2080s to 2100) this would continue to increase, with the possible result that there may be periods when access to the stones would be considerably more difficult. The Grand Causeway could experience considerable erosion, while parts of the Middle and Little Causeways could be under water for periods of the winter.
  

In Northern Ireland no-one lives more than 35 miles from the coast, and with the Giants' Causeway defined as one of only three heritage sites in the British Isles it is seen by many as a national treasure. The latest report from three highly respected institutions will allow individuals on a local level to quantify the impacts climate change could have, and the implications this could have on the environment, society and economy. The report also hints on potential solutions that could help to stave off the inevitable.

Plain Sailing for CO2 Reductions in Shipping

The first cargo ship to harness wind power in more than a century is to sail across the Atlantic.

Travelling from Hamburg to Venezuela, the merchant ship Beluga will be The first commercial cargo ship with additional propulsion by a towing kite system. The kite measuring 160 square metres is predicted to reduce fuel consumption by 20%, and a similar reduction in CO2 emissions. SkySails are available in sizes up to 5000 square metres.

The technology is being pioneered by SkySails, whose aim to reduce fuel consumption of modern shipping by the utilisation of environmentally friendly, free-of-charge wind energy

By using the SkySails-System, a ship‘s fuel costs can be reduced by 10- 35% on annual average, depending on wind conditions. Under optimal wind conditions, fuel consumption can temporarily be reduced by up to 50%. Even on a small, 87 metre cargo ship, savings of up to 280,000 euros can be made annually. According to an up-to-date study from the University of Delaware (USA), the world trade fleet consumes approx. 280 million tons of oil or 2 times more than Germany (approx. 125 million tons). Cargo ships run on extremely sulphurous fuel oil, their emissions damage our environment considerably.

Experts from Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance (London) estimate that shipping traffic generates 7% of the total worldwide output of sulphur dioxide (SOx), and is thus one of the main causes of climate-damaging gases (see climatic impact). Through the consistent global use of the SkySails technology worldwide, it would be possible to cut over 146 million tons of CO2, which equals approx. 15% of the CO2 emissions of Germany. Read more on shipping and the environment.

This is an excellent concept that has become a reality, not just an energy saving measure, but cost effective with some ships reducing energy use by 35% without effecting timescales on which cargo ships are reliant. The excellent support services offered by SkySail ensure that emergency maintainece support by specialists can be availble at any harbour in the world in 36hrs.