17 October, 2007: I've been called worse! Thanks, GreenBang, for cheering me up on a soggy Tuesday morning. GreenBang, by the way, is a great place to find breaking green news particularly on clean technology, sustainable living, the environmental industry and of course, who's who. You'll find everything from cars to computers, ethics to energy. Greenbang tracks what businesses are doing – for better or for worse – and the potential consequences for the planet.
|
|
 Winners of my first newsletter's prizes from Mother Earth were Kat Boon, Clio Turton, David Wilks and Sandra Deeble. I hope you  enjoyed your soaps! On 20 October I'll draw the names of the winners of the Aveda Men's products offered in my second newsletter. The four winners will be notified by email and announced here. If you still haven't received my newsletter, sign up
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
.
|
|
|
Starve your Bin |
| Print |
|
Email
|
16 October, 2007: Today, Mayor of London Ken Livingstone has called on Londoners to recycle three times more rubbish. Speaking at the launch of the new Recycle for London campaign, the Mayor chastened Londoners for recycling just over 20% of their rubbish when more than 60% of bin contents could be recycled.
The campaign aims to raise awareness with new adverts encouraging Londoners to ‘starve their bins’ and instead feed their recycling boxes and bags. London needs to improve its recycling rate dramatically to avoid Government fines for failing to meet targets outlined in the landfill directive.
"The gulf between what Londoners say they are recycling and what is required is still huge," says Mayor Livingstone. "If we don’t recycle, our rubbish gets tipped into vast landfill sites in the home counties which are fast running out – or it gets burnt, adding to our contribution to climate change. I am today calling on all Londoners to live up to their claims... and get recycling."
The mayor has also recently named 15 eco activists as 'London Leaders'. They’re signing a pledge to speak out on sustainable living in London. The scheme was launched by the London Sustainable Development Commission. Lutfun Hussain (co-ordinator of the Coriander Club) is pledging to create a Spitalfields green quarter. Andrew Morrison (B&Q's Director of Operations London and South East) will hold events in London B&Q stores promoting sustainable living, and work with suppliers on more sustainable products. Dusty Gedge (co-founder of Living Roofs) is working to persuade three major financial institutions in the City to fit green roofs. For more on all the London Leaders, see www.londonsdc.org.
|
|
|
Global Warning |
| Print |
|
Email
|
 World Food Day, 16 October, 2007: Compassion in World Farming warns that your fork has a bigger impact on climate change than your car key. On World Food Day CiWF has launched a report and initiative called Global Warning: The Big Food Challenge. The report states that a typical Sunday roast beef produces greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to driving 194 miles from
London to
Manchester.
Worldwide, livestock production is responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions (transport creates 14%). With the number of animals farmed for food predicted to double to 120 billion a year by 2050, Global Warning concludes that developed countries should reduce their consumption of animal products by one third over the next decade and by 60% by 2050, in line with the government’s carbon reduction targets.
CiWF is urging people to take the Big Food Challenge and eat less meat, dairy and eggs.
“A quarter pounder leaves a bigger carbon footprint than the average car journey to work – and that’s before you think about food miles and the energy used for cooking,” says Joyce D’Silva, Ambassador for Compassion in World Farming.
|
|
15 October, 2007: The National Consumer Council (NCC) has been investigating supermarkets' green credentials and finds that green shopping is no longer just for the wealthy. Sainsbury’s now tops the NCC's  annual league table along with M&S and Waitrose – all with B ratings. Asda and Tesco moved from D to C, and even the lower-end supermarkets Morrisons and Somerfield have improved from E to D.
There's still a long way to go, as even the top scorers failed to implement basic measures in-store. No supermarket got top marks for the amount of UK in-season produce on sale, and there were disappointing findings on unnecessary packaging and plastic bags.
"It’s really encouraging to see that a mass-market retailer like Sainsbury’s can be a leader on sustainable initiatives," says Lucy Yates, Senior Policy Advocate. "It proves that the green choice doesn’t need to be the preserve of the affluent – it can be affordable and accessible to all. But to really make a difference, we want to see supermarkets go much further than this by making energy-efficient lights much cheaper now and phasing out plastic bags completely."
"The food we eat is responsible for one-third of our impact on climate change," says Larry Whitty, Chair of the NCC. "It’s vital that the big supermarkets make green shopping much easier, but much remains to be done if supermarkets are to become truly green grocers."
|
|
|
Nobel Peace Prize |
| Print |
|
Email
|
12 October, 2007: Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2007 today "for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change."
The thousands of scientists on the IPCC win for their scientific reports issued over the past two decades and Mr Gore for being one of the world's leading environmental activists, creating worldwide awareness and understanding of the problems – and potential solutions. With this joint award, the committee hopes to highlight the interventions that appear necessary to protect the world’s climate and the security of mankind. "Action is necessary now, before climate change moves beyond man’s control," says the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
|
|
|
RSPCA Good Business Awards |
| Print |
|
Email
|
12 October, 2007: The RSPCA Good Business Awards has announced its winners for 2007: Waitrose (supermarket), Able & Cole (food retailer), Lush (cosmetics), Leon (restaurant chain), The Swan Inn (restaurant), M&S (large fashion retailer), and Wildlifeworks UK (fashion retailer) won the highest accolades of the night for each of their industry categories.
Others, such as supermarket Tesco, cosmetics companies Liz Earle and Urban Decay, restaurants Cubana and Moshi Moshi, footwear designer Beyond Skin, and food retailer Pepperfield Farm were also rewarded for their ethical efforts.
|
|
|
The Nag's Finest Cuts Film Competition |
| Print |
|
Email
|
|
12 October, 2007: If you're a filmmaker (or just a creative type), sign up for The Nag's film competition, sponsored by Anti-Apathy and Flo Creative. Make a short clip about the way the world is changing today and what you are doing to try and make it a little bit better. Clips from 30 seconds to five minutes long are eligible, with personal takes on any eco topics, from climate change to ethical fashion, food miles to recycling. All formats welcome – live action, animation, camera phone footage or anything else you can conjure up.
Deadline: 31 December 2007. And the prize? Drumroll please: the winning films will be shown on Channel 4, Sky TV or on Manchester City Gateway’s six-storey LED tower. There is also a cash prize of £500. The winning film will chosen by the makers of The Nag along with partner organisations (and influenced by web votes). For more details, contact
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
of Anti-Apathy (0207 841 8930).
Visit TheNag.net for inspiration and ideas on greening up your life. SKY is also running its own Greenshoots competition for 60-second films on climate change, amateurs welcome.
|
|
|
Green News 
