Posted by Yan Yan on September 24th, 2007
No stamp duty for carbon neutral homes, extended energy saving allowances for landlords, tax deductions for investments in energy saving machinery… the UK government is famous for its green sticks (taxes on fuels and all kinds of other things), but it also offers a range of incentives to businesses and individuals to help guide them towards greener choices.
This handy article gives an outline to some of the tax breaks available, such as the following:
8. Stamp duty land tax on carbon neutral homes
From 1 October 2007, for a 5 year period, the first sale of a carbon neutral home will be stamp duty exempt where the sale price is below £500,000. For sales at prices above that level, the SDLT charge will be reduced by £15,000.
Posted by Yan Yan on September 24th, 2007
For those of you not familiar with the concept, NetJets is kind of like a taxi system for your everyday millionaire. For a modest fee, you can avoid those pesky departure lounges and head off to the beach without having to endure that overweight so-and-so crushing you against the window. Of course, environmentally speaking, personal jets are a little like going to the coffee shop down the road in a fleet of Humvees (one for you, one for your wallet, a third to carry your latte).
NetJets Europe appears to have recognised this fact and is now implementing 100% carbon offsets for all new owners and renewals from October 1st. Existing owners will be offered to opt-in to the scheme, they tell us. It’s all part of the company’s goal to be 100% carbon neutral by 2012, and it’s embarked on a wide range of initiatives to do so, according to its climate change site.
Every little helps, innit?
Posted by Yan Yan on September 24th, 2007
London’s Hyde Park has a new eco-friendly feature: a solar-powered boat–the snazzy-looking 14 metre catamaran pictured here.
It looks great, and Greenbang will be sure to mosey on over whenever he’s next in the park.
Somewhat oddly, though, the press release makes great play about the boat’s monitoring and control systems (also pictured here). Apparently the boat’s manufacturer scoured the market for kit that would be capable of withstanding the “harsh on-board environment”…of Hyde Park.
We’re told the stuff (supplied by Moeller Electric) can cope with temperatures ranging from -25 to 55 degrees Celcius. We know climate change is killing the English summer, but we didn’t realise it was getting that bad.
Posted by Yan Yan on September 24th, 2007
Toyota’s hitting the road to highlight how its hybrid engines can save the world by improving fuel efficiency and reducing emissions—in a big truck.
It’s called the “Highway to the future: mobile hybrid experience” national tour (of the US) and they’re planting 50,000 trees to offset the environmental impact of the trucks (we’re guessing they’re not running on biodiesel).
It all sounds like an unusual way to promote Toyota’s energy efficiency technology. Nonetheless, visitors will get an action-packed agenda:
There are four distinct interactive learning areas within the exhibit.
* “Alternative Fuels: Fueling the Future,” identifies the differences in the various types of alternative fuels and how they are produced.
* “Environment and Resources: Small Steps, Big Difference,” shows attendees what they can do to make a difference to the environment.
* “The Prius Driving Experience” simulates the current Hybrid Synergy Drive technology allowing visitors to interact with system while on-screen instructions offer driving tips.
* “Hybrid Technology: Not All Hybrids are Created Equal” exhibit gives visitors a better understanding of the various hybrid technology options on the market and how hybrids benefit the consumer and the environment.
Toyota’s site, with tour details (and a great truck animation) available here.
Posted by Yan Yan on September 24th, 2007
Greenbang’s inbox has been bulging with an incredible array of ‘green’ products, ranging from the fun (pencil cases made from old car tyres) to the downright dubious (helicopter-based eco-tours).
Others are noticing the same trends all over the world, as firms re-brand products or services as eco-offerings. Of course, much of this is great, as companies figure out how to make something in a less harmful way. But some do tend to raise the odd eyebrow, as this article notes:
New eco-cars range from the slightly dubious hybrids that mix a V6 engine with an electric motor, to all-electric racing cars that can beat Ferraris. Even Arnold Schwarzenegger has had his Hummers converted to hydrogen (although there’s no word on him giving up pumping cigar smoke into the atmosphere).
Nice, one example is pictured above, part of the “eco-limo fleet“. And don’t forget about those devastating vibrators:
There are, sadly, no statistics on exactly how much environmental damage is caused by vibrators powered by conventional means. But, just in case it’s unexpectedly second only to long-haul flights for carbon emissions, a company called California Exotic has created a solar-powered vibrator called Solar Sensations.
Apparently it’s shaped like a mobile phone, to avoid the neighbours raising their eyebrows too.
Posted by Greenbang on September 21st, 2007
By Helen Gough
A cyclist’s life in London consists of shortcuts and dodging large vehicles that almost knock you down, which makes us wonder why some cyclists choose to do it in the first place?
Do they want to do their bit for the environment or is it just to get to work - it seems cycles are faster than cars these days anyway…
I spoke with bike courier Chris Perry, 20 from Epping Forrest, who travels in on his bike into the West End every day. He told me that Soho is one of his favorite areas to ride as the pace is much slower than other parts of London, and there is much less traffic.
“It’s a lot faster for local jobs and more enviromentally friendly, too. When leaving my bike in Soho I tend not to use the bike racks and will use a tall lampost, or a signpost, to stop people from stealing it.”
It would appear that Soho is a safe, easy place to ride your bike with the only drawback being that you have to recognise the complex one way systems that characterise the area.
James Mayer (pictured), 19, a student from Camden told us: “It’s much cheaper and better for the environment”, he also pointed out how Westminter City Council does a lot to encourage cyclists by making it a safe area with lots of areas to lock up your bikes.
In recent years, the government has invested heavily in improving conditions for cyclists. Over the past year the number of cyclists has grown by 83 per cent, with an average of 480,000 iding to work every morning.
Transport for London has been proactive in encouraging cyclists back on to the roads. It has extended the cycling network and provided more cycle parking. But has it done enough to make the rest of London safe enough for anyone to cycle on?
Posted by Greenbang on September 21st, 2007
Unfortunately yes it does in this case…
By Alexandra Azrak
Greenbang has been out and about to see if laundry cleaners in Soho use eco friendly washing powders. In Soho, price seems to be the key factor keeping them from going green.
Marshall Laundry, based in Soho, washes linen for local pubs and restaurants. It switched to a greener washing powder a while ago, but the company had to raise its price in accordance. In doing som it lost customers so to stay competitive, switched back to the non-greener alternative.
When asked would their clients pay extra to use eco-friendly products, a spokesperson from Marshall said: “They would definitely not want the prices to go up. Most clients are not willing to pay that little bit extra for us to use eco-friendly products.”
So what’s the answer? Any ideas? Tell us…
Posted by Greenbang on September 21st, 2007
By Chevaan Seresinhe
Ever wondered how environmentally friendly sex toys are? To be honest, Greenbang hadn’t either, but quite a few people keep bringing the subject up. We even posted about a talking-rabbit sex story a while ago…
But it appears that the seedy streets and back alleyways of Soho, there’s very little interest in this going green with their dildos, bondage toys or PVC costumes.
There’s a surprise.
As you might expect, most Soho sex shop owners avoided talking to us about this, but we asked them anyway because we thought it would be funny.
But one company that did take a proactive approach to greener sex was Harmony, one of London’s largest sex shop chains.
Simon Pope, a buyer for Harmony admitted that there was a limited stock of green products out there for buyers. “But that’s changing and we are looking to introduce more products.”
And on an interesting note, a rival sex shop offered a recycling service for dildos. In effect, if anyone brought in their used dildos [!!!], the company would be happy to recycle them.
Greenbang hopes staff there wash their hands before dinner…
Posted by Greenbang on September 21st, 2007
By Roberta Verbaite
We’ve all had to deal with a water leak at home at some point - but how do you deal with dodgy city-wide plumbing that’s over 100 years’ old?
Thames Water has had quite a number of problems with leaks over the years, mainly because of the old Victorian water pipes bursting with high pressures they were not built to withstand.
It has been carrying out a ‘watermains substitution’ project throughout London. It will take up four weeks to change the mains on each street, but Thames Water is confident that by 2010 all the Victorian mains networks will be substituted.
The results will mean fewer leaks and water quality preservation. Plastic mains are being put in to replace the cast iron ones, preventing limescale build up.
The cost of the project is justified by having less damage to fix. Funds can now be spent on damage intervention and invested in research.
An inside source on the project said that the timeframe for the repairs depends on what is uncovered.
Sometimes they find bad leaks and other times long-forgotten vaults, secret rooms and passages between the buildings.
So next time you’re out and about in Soho and you have to drive around the roadworks, don’t get too annoyed - London will only benefit from this. Well, let’s hope so anyway…
Posted by Greenbang on September 21st, 2007
By Lauren McGregor
Calling all you green consumers out there…we have been out on the streets of Soho, well for 55 mins, talking to local businesses about what green products they sell. So, here is your guide to green products in Soho.
Our first stop was the ‘Just Falafs’ restaurant which amazed us with all of the green initiatives they are doing for their business.
Chris Skinner, manager of the restaurant, told us that all of the electricity used by both of their shops is 100 per cent renewable from Ecotricity, (Wind Power), and their delivery van is powered by liquid-powered gas.
The food products are not only sustainable but are also organic while the packaging is 100 per cent biodegradable.
Our second stop was Cousting and Wilcox Ltd, an artist materials shop. There we spoke with a member of staff, who showed us their quite small and unobvious, recycled products section. They had a really nice selection of quirky slogans on their products, like: ‘I used to be a plastic box…’.
Unfortunately these products have not been selling so well, but we think that they would if people knew more about them.
The overall winner of today was Pret a Manager who are doing amazing things. The manager of one of their shops in Soho, confirmed that all their products are organic, fair trade and sourced from the UK (apart from their Basil).
Even their juice is juiced locally and an initiative to recycle all of their waste products will be introduced before Christmas. They already use charities such as Centre Point and Jesus Fellowship, to whom they give all of their sandwiches and salads to at the end of the day to help the homeless.
Our visit to Starbucks has been quite different for the one to Pret. We were greeted with a resounding ‘No!’ and when I queried more I found that they did have Fair Trade products, but failed to use local produce, charities for waste food or have in place any initiatives that would help others.
While we were walking around I had an idea for another category of biodegradable product - condoms 
Where better to look then Soho. There must be so much waste produced by them, is it being dealt with?
Unfortunately I was unable to find the answer but did find an assortment of rechargeable vibrators in Ann Summers… ☺
So all in all, we found quite a lot of green information from retailers - something we were pleasantly surprised at.
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