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Climate Change Bulletin October 14th 2011
This is our 17th edition and this month we will take a
look at just what is nature worth to the British Economy
and we have another look at the pitfalls of commuting in the
Nissan Electric Leaf on London’s streets.
• Sir Richard Branson says go green or face recession• Just what is “Nature” worth
• Sainsbury’s Sustainability Plan
• And Britains Farmers delighted with the Supermarket giant
• Wondersoil and Climate Change
• India Thinks Big on Windpower
• SPECIAL FEATURE: the last in our series on the electric Nissan Leaf and the commuter. This month just some of the problems of going electric in London.
Sir Richard Branson calls for greener tax
regime
Billionaire warns of “mother of all recessions” unless investment in renewable energy increases
Sir Richard Branson has called on world leaders to drive a green economic recovery, warning that without measures to drive greater investment in renewable energy the global economy is heading for "the mother of all recessions".
http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTARvUmeAvfQ0hULALV4fxucGGlxUh0Myh7sRQ-D0_6ioBYiGso_bydAhXhAccording to reports, Branson told the third annual Six Senses Slow Life Symposium at Soneva Fushi in the Maldives that politicians should undertake urgent reform of the tax system as a means of incentivising investment in clean technologies.
"If we don't have alternative fuels we are going to have the mother of all recessions," he said. "The way to kick-start the revolution is to have no tax on all clean energy while slowly increasing tax on dirty energy.
Branson has emerged as a leading campaigner for
green businesses, setting up the Carbon War Room However, he has also
faced criticism from some green groups for his role as the
boss of one of the world's largest airlines and his plans to
launch carbon-intensive space tourism flights. Branson
defended his company's record, detailing how "we have been
diverting our profit from airlines into developing fuel for
aircraft that won't damage the environment". He also
called on campaigners not to succumb to negativity when
faced by environmental challenges, and instead recognise the
low carbon transition as the "biggest entrepreneurial
opportunity of our lifetime". The Maldives' Six Senses
Slow Life Symposium is intended to highlight the island
state's plans to become one of the world's first zero carbon
economies, providing a test bed for cutting-edge clean
technologies. Further reading • DriveGain
hails success of fuel-saving iPhone app Source: Businessgreen How nature is worth 50
billion pounds to the UK economy Hundreds of leading
scientists have taken part in an independent report in
efforts to put “a value” on the environment, not just in
a commercial sense but with the aim of showing its wider
worth - to protect it. Their conclusion is that the UK
economy is 20 billion pounds sterling richer each year as a
result of the natural world, with an additional 30 billion
(bn) pounds of value embedded in nature - if it is
protected, according to the UK National Ecosystem Assessment
report. The study is intended to make planning processes
more environmentally friendly. The scientists found that
inland wetlands, which work as natural water purifiers, are
worth 1.5bn pounds a year to the country’s business.
Pollinators, such as bees and insects, contribute 430
million pounds annually to agriculture, and rivers, coasts,
and other wetlands have a value of 1.3bn pounds a year for
their transport and amenity value. And the health benefit of
living close to a green space is 300 pounds per person each
year, the report found. Researchers from the University
of East Anglia, eastern England played a leading role in
assessing the worth of the natural world. The report
strengthens the arguments for protecting and enhancing the
environment and will be used by the government to direct
policy in future. Ian Bateman, professor of environmental
sciences, one of the report’s leading authors, said:
“Ultimately the value of the environment is infinite. So,
why would we want to put economic values on environmental
goods and services? “It’s very simple - it’s to
ensure their incorporation on equal footing with the
market-priced goods which currently dominate
decision-making. Without such representation we will get a
persistence of the situation where we have these services
being used as if they were free and had no value.” The
National Ecosystem Assessment (UK NEA) has used new
approaches to estimate the value of the natural world by
taking account of the economic, health and social benefits
given by nature. Although in the past, people may have
thought that caring for the environment meant extra
financial burdens, Professor Bateman and his colleagues say
that there are real economic reasons for looking after the
natural world. Their report also shows that the benefits we
get to our health, well-being and from the enjoyment of
nature have not always been fully appreciated or
valued. The assessment provides values for a range of
ecosystem services to help us fully understand the value of
the natural environment and how the benefits to individuals
and society as a whole can be better protected and preserved
for future generations. The UK NEA shows that the tendency
to focus only on the market value of resources that are used
and sold - such as timber, crops and fisheries - has led to
the decline of some ecosystems and habitats through
pollution, over-exploitation, and land conversion. The
report warns that continued population growth and climate
change are likely to put additional pressure on ecosystems,
and that actions taken now will have consequences far into
the future. It stresses the need for a more collaborative
approach to enhancing the environment, with everyone playing
their part to capture more of nature’s benefits in a
sustainable way. Bob Watson, professor of environmental
sciences, is the chief scientist for the UK’s Department
for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and the co-chair of
the UK NEA. “Roughly 30 per cent of all ecosystem services
are still declining or degrading. We are going in the right
direction but there's still a long way to go,” he said.
One of the big challenges is to balance production of food
and resources with sustaining the other services nature
provides. He added: “There is an urgent need to better
manage our ecosystems and the natural resources they provide
us with. But until now there has been no clear way of
valuing the full range of benefits they provide beyond what
we can buy and sell. The UK NEA introduces groundbreaking
approaches to measure the value of these services and how
they will be affected in future if we do not make the right
choices now. “The NEA shows that we need a more
integrated approach to ecosystem management, involving
government, the private sector, voluntary groups and the
public working together to protect the services nature
provides.” The UK’s Environment Secretary of State,
Caroline Spelman, said: ““We have, until now, taken
nature for granted and not understood that the services it
provides do have a cost and, if we destroy nature, there is
a really significant cost. “This is absolutely
ground-breaking. We are the first country to do this and get
a full understanding of what we get free from nature and to
factor that into our decision-making. It is hoped that the
report will encourage people to protect the environment
going forward.” Other natural facts and
figures: • value
of recreational fishing: 1 bn pounds; • timber:
100m pounds; • value of biodiversity to social
well-being: 540m pounds. By highlighting
the value of urban parks and green spaces, it is hoped that
developers will provide more natural areas in developments
rather than simply increasing the density of housing. The
information in the assessment will help inform the
forthcoming Natural Environment White Paper (details of
proposed parliamentary law to be debated) that ministers say
will help revitalise towns and the countryside. The UK
National Ecosystem Assessment Secretariat is based at the
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) World
Conservation Monitoring Centre in Cambridge Source :
London Press Service Sainsbury's launches
sustainability plan The supermarket will double
the amount of British food it sells and boost its provision
of fairly traded products under the £1bn plan Picture of
a Sainsbury's shopping bag co Photograph: Chris
Young/AFP/Getty Images Sainsbury's is to double the amount
of British food The company, which has 21 million customers and
almost 1,000 stores, said it was the most ambitious and
far-reaching programme ever announced in the industry, as it
set out 20 targets covering its products, community work and
employees. Initiatives unveiled under the so-called 20 by
20 sustainability plan As well as
being the the world's largest Fairtrade retailer -
accounting for £276mworth of sales last year - it is also
the largest retailer of MSC certified fish and RSPCA Freedom
Food-certified products. The company is also pledging to
create 50,000 new jobs by 2020, by which point it expects
20,000 members of Sainsbury's staff will have reached 20
years' service. The new plan coincides with the roll-out
in stores today of the supermarket's new Brand Match scheme
King said the company had achieved most of its
commitments covering corporate responsibility issues and now
wanted to take a long-term view of how it conducted its
business, predicting: "This will change the agenda in our
industry." David Cameron welcomed the announcement, saying
it was a good example of the government scheme Every
Business Commits Peter Kendall, president of the National
Farmers' Union (NFU) said: "We're delighted to see
Sainsbury's commitment to double its sourcing of British
food. It recognises the high quality and standards of
production that British farmers meet and that consumers
increasingly expect in the food that they buy. This
additional demand will send a really positive signal to the
industry at a time when farmers are facing massive
investment pressures." Harriet Lamb, executive director of
the Fairtrade Foundation, said Sainsbury's was building on
an already impressive record over the sale of fair trade
goods. Sainsbury's sustainability plan follows moves by
Tesco Source: The Guardian Farmers cheer
Sainsbury’s commitment to double sourcing of British
food The NFU has said it is delighted by a
commitment from Sainsbury’s to double its sourcing of
British food. Launched as part of the retailer’s new
Sustainability Plan, the targets set also include a
commitment to ensuring all meat, poultry, eggs, game and
dairy products will be sourced from suppliers who adhere to
independent higher welfare standards. NFU Director of
Corporate Affairs Tom Hind said: “The commitment from
Sainsbury’s to double its sourcing of British food should
be commended; it is a bold and positive step for food and
farming. It recognises the high quality and standards of
production and environmental protection that British farmers
already meet every day; those same standards that consumers
increasingly expect in the food they buy. “This will
send a really positive signal to our British farmers and
growers at a time when they are facing massive investment
pressures and rising energy, fuel and feed costs across the
board. “We will be looking to Sainsbury’s to work
with us on the detail of the plan to ensure that the
commitments have integrity and deliver economic
sustainability for UK agriculture. We want to ensure that
commitments to driving efficiency, for example, also mean
working with farmers to offer longer-term relationships with
predictable and profitable prices. These should then help
with challenges such as terms of investments.” Source:
National Farmers Union Innovative methods that
turn forestry and agricultural waste into carbon-rich soil
in a bid to tackle climate change are to be developed at a
top facility with the latest technology. A new processing
unit will help scientists in the United Kingdom to produce
biochar, a charcoal-like substance produced through the slow
heating of waste matter. Biochar is the porous
carbonaceous substance produced by the thermochemical
conversion of biomass - such as wood, leaves and manure - in
an oxygen-depleted atmosphere at relatively low
temperatures. The biochar process converts this farming
rubbish into a soil enhancer that can hold carbon, boost
food security and discourage deforestation. The process
creates a fine-grained, highly porous charcoal that helps
soils retain nutrients and water, potentially resulting in
higher crop yields for farmers. Researchers at the
University of Edinburgh, Scotland say that biochar increases
the carbon content in the soil, building a long-term store
that counters excess carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air and
helps to reduce other greenhouse-gas emissions. The
production process also releases energy-rich gases and
liquids that can be used to generate green energy, thus
offsetting the use of fossil fuels. “Biochar is a
process that can take carbon emissions out of the
atmosphere,” said Stuart Haszeldine, who is Scottish Power
Professor of Carbon Capture & Storage at Edinburgh
University. “Materials that are currently waste
products could be turned into useful substances that, not
only prevent greenhouse gases from accumulating in our
atmosphere, but also help farmers produce more crops and use
less fertiliser,” he added. By being porous, biochar
material attracts worms and also captures nutrients that
would otherwise run off the land, thus reducing the need for
carbon-intensive fertilisers. Recent studies show that
biochar may almost double plant growth in poor soils. Plants
take in CO2 during photosynthesis and this CO2 is released
into the atmosphere via natural decomposition and
burning. Biochar is a way to counteract this process by
transforming the biomass into a recalcitrant stable carbon
form that decomposes at much slower rates than its parent
feedstock. The process traps CO2 in the char preventing it
from being released back into the atmosphere. The material
can help facilitate better waste management and soil
improvement, all on a scale achievable by a town, village or
farm, the researchers found. The new unit, at Edinburgh
University’s UK Biochar Research Centre, is described as
unique. It allows scientists to produce large quantities of
biochar from a variety of agricultural and forestry
materials. The material will then be used in trials at
sites across the UK. By producing different forms of biochar
under controlled conditions, researchers seek to discover
how best to match the material to different crops and soils.
Dr Ondrej Mašek, who is a lecturer in engineering
assessment of biochar at Edinburgh, said: “Biochar is
potentially an innovative way of combating climate change at
a global scale. Through the opening of this new facility,
Edinburgh and Scotland are taking the lead in researching
how, exactly, biochar might be able to help us reduce our
carbon footprint.” Charles Hendry, the UK Minister of
State for Energy, said: “I am delighted that the
university has achieved a world first with this project. The
research centre's exciting work will be vital as we gauge
the full carbon-cutting potential of biochar. This work once
again highlights the world-leading achievements being made
in our universities.” Source : Norval Scott, Press &
Public Relations Office Website: GE
ploughs $50m into India's wind energy market General
Electric Financial Services and Greenko sign $115m wind
energy deal See full size imageGeneral Electric (GE)
has signed a $115m deal to help build 500MW of Indian wind
farms, joining the growing list of investors betting on one
of the world's fastest-growing green energy markets. GE
Energy Financial Services today confirmed it has signed a
deal with Indian project developer Greenko to construct
500MW of wind farms across the country, the first of which
will use GE turbines. The companies have set up a venture
The deal is GE's first
green energy investment in India and follows hot on the
heels of Goldman Sachs Raghuveer Kurada,
managing director for India at GE Energy Financial Services,
said "This investment expands GE's presence in
one of the world's fastest-growing power markets, with a
local, proven renewable energy developer," he said. "In
addition to capital, GE Energy Financial Services brings
deep wind and other renewable energy expertise gained by
building a $6bn portfolio of renewable energy When completed, GWPP will own
500MW of Greenko's project pipeline, enough renewable
electricity to power 875,000 average Indian households and
displace 700,000 tonnes a year of greenhouse gas
emissions. India However, despite its
generation and manufacturing potential, experts have warned
that India's market could face difficulties over the next
year if proposed changes to tax laws are agreed. Recent
analysis by Bloomberg New Energy Finance It also remains to be
seen if India can sufficiently upgrade its grid
infrastructure to accommodate the county's fast-expanding
green energy supply, amidst reports that some states are
already struggling to integrate new wind farms to the
grid. FURTHER READING Scottish firms
failing to take up green energy subsidies Greece's recession-busting solar plan edges forward Source : Businessgreen A week in the Leaf –
Day 3: Parking and charging The Nissan Leaf electric
carWill Nichols finds parking can be a problem as he spends
a week with Nissan's trail-blazing electric car Nissan
reckons you can travel about 100 miles in the Leaf before
having to recharge, and in the city, where the speed limit
is more aspirational than achievable, that is certainly
true. Even so, at some point you will have to fill up the
battery. If you're not doing it at home, the government
would like to see you charge up in car parks. It backed down
So that
leaves you with a bunch of regional charging networks, some
of which have ambitions to expand nationally, but have yet
to do so. I've been loaned a membership card for Source
London, the Transport for London-backed programme, which
gives you access to 160 points across the capital for a
£100 annual fee. In the longer term, 1,300 points should be
available to members. I've done my research before leaving
home, so I know that the nearest Source London point to my
office is in an NCP car park. If I wasn't so highly
efficient, or was driving somewhere unfamiliar, the Leaf has
a handy function to locate the nearest point while you're
driving - but beware: it doesn't tell you if it's in a
particular scheme, so there's a chance you might not be able
to charge once you get there. Pulling into the car park,
the bright green areas reserved for electric cars are
immediately obvious. However, it's simultaneously apparent
that only one of the four spaces is available, as the other
three are occupied by 'conventional' cars. One of the
offenders is an eerily familiar black Porsche Carerra -
surely not the same one that almost ploughed into me in
Hampstead the day before? I've only been in the car three
days and already I have a nemesis. My Nissan Leaf is the
only electric car at the chargepointFrustratingly, the staff
can't help me and seem ill-informed. They tell me that the
charge points are not yet active, when in fact they came
online in May, while the manager eventually admits they have
only seen around five electric cars in three months so they
don't bother keeping the spaces clear. A Transport for
London spokeswoman confirms later that the bays should have
been set aside specifically for Source London members, but
the responsibility for enforcing this policy is down to the
organisations managing the charging points. And while
NCP's web site claims to have 50 "electric-vehicle-only
spaces", a spokeswoman tells me the company is powerless to
stop errant vehicles parking in reserved bays. It seems
you may have to fight for your right to charge EVs. One
council bay near my office is often home to a Mitsubihi
iMiEV, but a large BMW is an equally common sight in the
reserved bay. The council can issue tickets, but this
doesn't help if you're running low on charge. I don't need
to top up the Leaf after just two days of driving but, in
the interests of good journalism, I decide to try it out.
Many points now provide fast-chargers that can fully charge
a car in two hours or so, or provide a 20-minute top up, but
not all current car models can use these, so the trickle
feed seems a fairer test. The system comprises a plug
behind a flap that unlocks when you wave your membership
card at the reader. Sounds simple. At least that's the idea,
but it takes several minutes of wafting and holding the card
on the screen before the flap opens. I then need a fair
few attempts to unplug and reinsert the plug before the
chargepoint springs into action, flashing a green light
while the blue bars on the Leaf's dashboard light up in the
dingy garage. Although it took me a good 10 minutes to
activate the chargepoint, I'm pretty sure I can't blame the
machine for the delay. Most other users I've spoken to have
had no problems recharging at all, while my technical
abilities are flummoxed by the toaster on a daily
basis. Within two hours my 'tank' is full but, while the
charge was free, I've had to pay £47 for a day's
parking. Parking on the street may provide a cheaper
option, but for now it's off to the next challenge: a weekly
shop with my mother. Source: Will Nichols, Business
Green. And don’t
forget we have a Facebook site where you can also catch up
on the latest Climate Change stories and more from the
British High Commission: ENDS
• total value of fish
caught in the UK: 600m pounds sterling;
mpanies such as
Sainsbury's invest in the future right now. We do not see
this plan as a luxury, it is rather an essential investment
that will ensure we can continue to provide customers with
quality food at fair prices, sustainably. This represents
another step in helping our customers live well for
less."
The “wonder soil” that
combats climate change
Address: University of Edinburgh, Old College, South
Bridge, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, EH8 9YL
New Zealand Defence Force: Surveillance, Aid, Responders And Evacuees Covered By RNZAF Vanuatu Flights
Leonard C. Goodman, IMI: The Democratic Party Faces Its Day Of Reckoning
APEC: Korea Sets Ambitious Priorities For APEC 2025 - Building A Sustainable Tomorrow
New Zealand Defence Force: NZDF Support To Vanuatu
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Türk Welcomes 2nd International Decade For People Of African Descent, Calls For Bold Action To Deliver Real Change
John P. Ruehl, IMI: What Is Driving State-Sponsored Attacks On Citizens Abroad?