blog.green.tv

Why Motors Cars and Women Matter

Posted by annied in greentech on 12. Nov, 2009 | Comments Off

By Chris Milton

Last month I was invited to the IAA Frankfurt Motor Show. Renault was launching a complete range of electric cars and they were gathering various journalists to their bosom to help spread the message.

So I went and wandered around, picking up all sorts of bumpf on the Renault cars and various other eco and green transportation solutions.

Some were good. Renault’s in particular was impressive , and I’m not just saying that because they fed me free coffee and chocolate cheesecake.

Biochar: How to make the market work

Posted by annied in Cantos, green business, greentech on 09. Nov, 2009 | Comments Off

“Biochar Will Save the World!” proclaims a group page on Facebook. Popular mechanics writes of an “ancient charcoal” that can “put the brakes on global warming.” More than its prospects as a carbon sink or a fuel, it has massive prospects for development (the economic kind) for developing countries and emerging markets. But is it really that simple? A very wise Finance professor* once told me, “Anytime anybody tells you they have a market for that, be very suspicious.” It’s not that biochar couldn’t work, but that the market to make it work would have to be nuanced and highly regulated.

5 more sites that make us green-geek out

Posted by annied in DECC, Oxfam, greenblogs, greentech, greentv news on 30. Oct, 2009 | Comments Off

5 more wicked-cool places seen online

(non)Governmental Creates New UK Ministry

Posted by annied in DEFRA, Kew Gardens, carbon trading on 29. Oct, 2009 | Comments Off

The New Economics Foundation (hence, NEF) launched its informal study of personal carbon budgeting via an art cultural piece at the Bigger Picture Festival of Interdependence last Saturday. A “rationette” explained the new Ministry of Actually Trying To Do Something About It and handed out carbon ration booklets. [Click to Watch an explanation of the study, and how you can get involved]

Biodiversity v GM, or both?

Posted by annied in Kew Gardens, agriculture on 27. Oct, 2009 | Comments Off

From The Bigger Picture: Festival of Interdependence on Saturday last, Colin Tudge (author Feeding People is Easy) explains how important something like Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank Project is:

Carbon Credit Schemes Don’t Fall From the Sky, You Know

Posted by annied in carbon trading, climate change, energy on 23. Oct, 2009 | 1 Comment

Local Carbon Trading Scheme translates greenhouse gas emissions in a way everyone can understand

“I want my kids to feel they can do something about their future right now. I think everybody feels like this is all the hand of god, but this is a thing we’ve all been complicit in… I don’t want my kids to look at the future and feel like they can’t do anything about it. So I don’t want them to wait for some big carbon crediting scheme to come dropping out of the sky. I want them to feel like in their day-to-day approach they can do something,” says Sam Nelson, co-founder of the Maia Maia Project.

The New Food Panic: Scientists Call for Green Revolution 2.0 & FoE says No!

Posted by annied in FoE, agriculture on 21. Oct, 2009 | Comments Off

Well, it looks like world maybe headed for a second green revolution. None the least to do with the Royal Society for Agriculture’s new study that calls for £2 billion for R&D over the next decade. A new study from the International Food Policy Research Institute (find link Nelson et al) forecasts future crop yields based upon the IPCCs second worst scenario is 1.6 degree Celsius average rise in global temperatures combined with two climate change weather pattern models (NCAR & CSIRO). But Kew Gardens and Friends of the Earth both argue for biodiversity instead.

The Future Starts Here: Parliament debates 10:10

Posted by annied in campaign on 19. Oct, 2009 | 1 Comment

This week our Government has the opportunity to take a bold leap towards immediate cuts in our emissions. The Liberal Democrats have tabled a motion to garner cross party support for 10:10 Based on one simple ask, 10:10 calls on all of us to commit to a 10% reduction in our carbon emissions in 2010. On Wednesday, the motion being discussed will call on parliament, the government estate and the public sector to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 10% in 2010 compared to 2009 levels. Gordon Brown, his cabinet, the shadow cabinet and the Liberal Democrat party have already signed up. At the time of writing, the 10:10 campaign has gathered over 35,000 supporters from all sectors. The motion may just have enough support to pass.