Green news & views

With natural gas & oil running low in the North Sea, Britain is resorting to importing more and more of its energy needs.

Renewable energy is also on the agenda and yet the prices are constantly on the rise. Take yesterday’s gas price hikes from the French firm EDF – consumer gas prices up 19% due to the increased wholesale prices they say.

According to Secretary of State, Peter Hain, the Government of Northern Ireland is proposing changes to the Building Regulations to make renewable energy generation compulsory on all new builds from 2008.

That means that within 2 years it will be mandatory that all new homes, company and public buildings will be micro-generating energy via solar panels (to heat hot water) and solar photo-voltaic panels or small wind turbines to self-generate electricity.

Well, OK, that might be a bit strong, but the results of a report published today in the British Medical Journal has found that drivers of 4x4s, or Chelsea Tractors, as they are commonly called in London, are a menace.

The observational study at three busy sites in London was undertaken to assess:

So, you wanna save the planet huh? Well, here's a list of the top ten tips to combat climate change - these things don't cost the earth and you could get up off the couch now and go turn the fridge down a notch ;)

How did this one slip by the radar?
Colgate Palmolive, once knocked by Tom's for putting artificial ingredients & sweeteners like saccharin in their toothpaste, paid $100 million cash for an 84% stake in the Kennebunk, Maine based business. However, Tom Chappell, the man himself, said that neither Tom's of Maine's business philosophy nor its product lines would change despite the majority share of Colgate.

With annual sales of around $50 million, Tom's will remain a stand-alone subsidiary of Colgate, though the familiar packaging will make no reference to its new owner.

Oops! Todays the day Britain starts eating the world!

We have just run out of our own natural resources and are about to become dependant on supplies from abroad, according to a study by the New Economics Foundation.

The UK government's chief scientist, Professor Sir David King, warned today that the earth is likely to experience a temperature increase of 3°C because we are all failing to agree on cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

Professor King warned that even if international governments agreed and acted to restrict CO2 emissions climate change is inevitable.

Well, the Green People fennel toothpaste ran out, so it was nice to find the Tom's of Maine spearmint toothpaste on the shelves again. This time we've gone for their "nature's antiplaque toothpaste with propolis & myrrh".

As with the green people paste it contains no fluoride and doesn't have that super-sugary taste that affects so many of the usual household brands.

Oxfordshire County Council began trials in January to use the power of the sun to illuminate bus stops at night.

Oh no, we ran out of Ecover washing up liquid, and just after a massive curry too. There is a shop just around the corner but it only sells those household brands, you know, the sorts of washing-up liquid that "cuts greasy grime in half the time"... sounds dodgy!

So, our support of the environment and the Belgian company Ecover continues with a trip to grab some of their Camomile & Marigold washing-up liquid.