energy security
The UK’s energy system isn’t ready to meet future energy needs while also preventing rapid climate change, according to a new report from the Royal Society. The report calls for a new vision for energy generation that is based on the long-term replacement of fossil fuels through the
low carbon
The Carbon Trust is improving access to more than £100 million in interest-free and unsecured loans for small and medium-sized businesses. The move is aimed at helping more businesses survive the recession by cutting both their energy costs and their carbon footprints. Thousands of small businesses have already slashed their
A new report highlights the most cost-effective areas to target in an effort to lower the carbon footprints of 1960s flats across the UK. The report, prepared by the Energy Saving Trust with support by Mears Group and Travis Perkins, investigates the real-life costs of achieving a 60-per cent reduction
This week’s Create09 will examine the impact of the global economy and climate change on IT research and design practice. Jointly organised by the British Computer Society’s (BCS) interaction specialist group and the human-computer interaction specialist group of the Ergonomics Society, the two-day conference — “Boom and Bust” — will
biofuels
Scania has sold 85 ethanol-powered articulated buses to Busslink, operator of bus services for Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (SL), the regional public transport company in the Swedish capital. “A continued commitment to ethanol power is consistent with SL’s decision to buy only buses that operate on renewable fuels starting in 2010,
hemp
Stop snickering already: hemp is proving to be a sustainable, low-carbon Super Fibre that could help the UK and Europe dramatically reduce their carbon footprints in numerous ways. How many ways? We review five of the coolest here: Car Parts Norfolk-based Lotus Cars uses locally farmed hemp, among other sustainable
green business
A £4 million project based at the University of East Anglia aims to promote innovation in alternative and non-food crops. The project will be officially launched with a special event on 29 June. The aim of the Innovation in Crops project, or InCrops, is to help develop the East of
green building
Deutsche Bank has been awarded a preliminary certificate in gold from the German Sustainable Building Council for the renovation of its towers in Frankfurt. The preliminary certifications is presented for exemplary sustainable buildings that are still in the planning or construction phases. “With the certification of our ‘greentowers’ in Frankfurt,
green IT
Despite the ongoing recession, most small and large enterprises across Europe plan to maintain or increase spending on green IT, according to a new survey from HP. Of 2,000 decision-makers and IT users surveyed across seven European markets, 81 per cent said they would either stay the course or
global warming
Prime Minister Gordon Brown said today that the world should create a £60 billion-per-year global fund to help developing countries reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change. Speaking before a group of ambassadors, green groups and business organisations gathered in London, Brown said, “The UK is determined
GreenLight Awards
Kyocera are also calling for entries to its annual GreenLight Awards, now in their fourth year. The awards recognise individuals and organisations that have been instrumental in identifying and meeting an environmental challenge associated with their business and/or promoting public awareness, understanding and active concern for the enhancement and
El Nino
What does climate have to do with cricket? More than you might suppose, according to the authors of a new study published today in the journal Weather. In fact, depending on the climate trend — hot and dry vs. cool and wet — English cricketers might enjoy a bit of an edge
