It’s Budget Day today, and here’s what the Right Honourable Alistair Darling MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, had to say to the House of Commons: “(T)oday’s Budget will continue to help people through this global recession, and prepare Britain for the opportunities of the future. “Firstly,
electric cars
The following is a guest article by Mark Charmer of The Movement Design Bureau, who’s on the ground this week in Detroit: Making affordable electric cars for the masses is one tough equation, explains Nancy Gioia. Ford’s director of Sustainable Mobility Technologies and Hybrid Vehicle Programme. (Note: You
energy savings
British energy company npower is seeking ideas from people across the country on innovative ways to save energy. The Britain’s Bright Ideas campaign is based on an npower-commissioned study that found 40 per cent of Britons believe they have come up with a great idea or invention they hope
cleantech
Cleantech news as it happens — check back for regular updates: * Climate Counts’ latest scorecard, this one focused on child equipment and toy manufacturers, finds that such firms are “by and large, ignoring their own impact on climate change“; * The UK Energy Research Centre today launched an in-depth review of policies
cleantech
Seeking the latest cleantech news and developments? Look no further than Greenbang’s daily review of news you might have missed: * LiveScience reports that British low-cost airline easyJet has unveiled a design for a radically different-looking short-haul airliner that it says would be highly environmentally friendly and could be built
Jurdy tests our patience for Earth Day …
Wind turbines are coming in an increasing variety of sizes, capacities and styles, so we here at Greenbang thought we’d take a look at some of the most extreme: Smallest The Blow Light toy (right), with a six-centimetre-diameter rotor blade, takes the title of World’s Smallest Wind Generator,
renewables
The UK could see a trade balance benefit of up to £12.6 billion per year by 2020 if it pursues its plans for energy efficiency and renewables, according to a new report from the Renewable Energy Association (REA). The REA commissioned the report from Delta-EE following the release of
wind energy
Energy company E.ON plans to hold a public exhibition on Wednesday and Thursday to inform residents about a planned five-turbine wind farm at Lazonby Fell near Penrith. The exhibition, which will feature details about the proposed 10-megawatt to 15-megawatt installation, is set for 1 to 7 p.m. both
solid state lighting
Portugal’s Pombal City has transformed one of its roadways — Fidalgo Aprediz — with the nation’s first installation of solid-state street lighting. The light-emitting diode (LED) lamps, Philips’ LUXEON® Rebel LEDs, were installed by the firm BlueSpan. The lamps are about 60 per cent more efficient than typical high-pressure sodium
energy conservation
Forty-four institutions of higher education will share a portion £25 million from a Revolving Green Fund to help them “radically transform their approaches to energy consumption and reducing emissions.” The fund is jointly offered by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and Salix Finance. More than 100 educational
photovoltaics
Expect the photovoltaics (PV) industry to see a major market drop this year, warns electronics market analyst iSuppli. The firm bases its forecast on the industry’s overcapacity, along with fast-dropping PV prices and anemic demand in the face of the struggling global economy. Another contributing factor is Spain’s
