News
New US president puts environment back on political agenda
22.01.09
President Barack Obama acknowledged the threat of climate change and the need to invest in renewable energies for the future during his 20-minute inauguration address in Washington DC on Tuesday.
The newly-elected President pledged to “roll back the spectre of a warming planet” before going on to say: “We will restore science to its rightful place,” and “we will harness the sun and the wind and the soil to fuel our cars."
President Obama has already promised to undo the damage the Bush administration has done over eight years to the country’s environmental policy. He has already instructed key environmental scientists to help him battle the effects of climate change and to make America a much greener country.
He has committed to invest $150 billion in green energy and has been quick to pledge that the US will use 10 per cent of renewable energy sources by 2012 and a reduction of greenhouse gases by 80 per cent by 2050.
President Obama will now meet with his aides to discuss his ambitious plans.
Green energy company reduces tariffs
22.01.09
The UK’s only 100 per cent renewable energy supplier Good Energy is the first energy retailer to lower its tariffs. From 31 January, its standard electricity and gas tariffs will be 7.5 per cent lower, saving the average dual fuel customer £62 per year.
Juliet Davenport, CEO of Good Energy said: “Good Energy is committed to ensuring that its customers receive the best value possible for their renewable power supply. Good Energy is due to start paying less for its renewable power in 2009 and we want our customers to benefit from this.”
Business could save money with biomass
22.01.09
Businesses and public sector organizations could save money by switching their energy needs to biomass heating, according to a new guide published this week by the Carbon Trust. Biomass Heating: A Practical Guide is available to organizations and includes details of Biomass heating systems and step-by-step guides on how to get started.
Biomass systems can be much cheaper to run than buying gas off the National Grid. The guide gives an example of using wood or straw to heat a building. Compared to using gas, the biomass system would save 2-4 p/k Wh (pence per kilowatt hour). Used in a large building such as a school, a biomass system could save around £50,000 per year.
Mark Williamson, Director of Innovations at the Carbon Trust, explains:
“We’ve become so reliant on oil, gas and electricity that many businesses just aren’t aware of the cost and carbon benefits of turning to biomass for their heating supply. Renewable heating will need to play a key role in meeting the UK’s renewable energy targets and biomass offers the greatest potential to contribute to this. Growing the UK biomass industry can also offer other positive impacts, such as creating new green jobs in the UK and making use of certain waste products that would otherwise go to landfill.”
To download a copy of the guide please go to the Carbon Trust website at: www.carbontrust.co.uk/biomass
Government helps save British bees
22.01.09
The decline in the British bee population has been given an extra boost this week as Defra has announced a £4.3 million plan to attack the problem. The money will be used to support the National Bee Unit in its work to research the health of bees and to protect them from dangers of disease.
Announcing the plan, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said: “Bees are vulnerable to a number of threats. Pests and diseases, when combined with poor summers can leave colonies unable to survive the winter.
“We must get to grips with this, to see just how serious a problem it is, what the impacts on pollination are, and what we can do in response.”