The Transition Handbook

New book just published! By Rob Hopkins, co founder of the Transition Towns Network and founder of Transition Town Totnes.

At first glance this looks excellent. £12.95 RRP or from Amazon.

Poor old turbine!

The wrong kind of wind?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcrO4USqRfo

Measuring the UK's greenhouse gas emissions

A new report from the National Audit Office has suggested that greenhouse gas emissions might be 12% higher than reported because DEFRA has used two different accounting systems.

The system the government uses to report to the UN (which shows a cut in greenhouse gases) shows the UK emitted 656m tonnes of CO2 in 2005.

The more accurate and more up to date system (which shows a rise in greenhouse gases) shows the UK emitted 733m tonnes of CO2 in 2005

Down load the report here.

Surely if emissions are rising we need to be honest about it and then amend policy accordingly?

The Secretary of State Hilary Benn responds - you decide if enough is being done.

Nature's capital - National Trust report on land management, climate change and flooding

A new National Trust report highlights the importance of land management in addressing climate change and flooding.

A new report published by the National Trust today – Nature's Capital – urges the public and private sector to invest new money in helping to deliver major public benefits from land, including reduced risk of flooding and tackling climate change.

Recommendations in the report are based on the Trust’s own practical experience as the largest non-governmental landowner in the UK, managing over 250,000 hectares.
Investment now will save public money later in tackling the problems of climate change, flooding, water pollution and poor health.

The report contains four key recommendations for action:

The water industry should invest in land management to improve the quality of drinking water at source.Nearly two billion pounds has been spent in the last five years on an energy intensive treatment process to make drinking water quality acceptable for consumers. This needs to change and there is a need to tackle the problem at source. A partnership of public, private and voluntary organisations has been working together in the Peak District to tackle the causes of peat degradation which impacts upon water quality. The project will ultimately reduce the need for expensive water treatment.

More of the Government’s £800m flood risk budget should be spent on managing land in a way that makes space for water rather than just spending the money on hard engineering and flood defence.This change of policy would then help to reduce the risk of floods downstream and take into account the impact of climate change and the affects of extreme weather as seen in Gloucestershire and Yorkshire in the summer of 2007. A joint project between the National Trust, Environment Agency and University of Durham at Upper Wharfedale in Yorkshire is seeking to create space for water and tackle the problem of flash flooding via wetland creation and soft engineering.

Extend the use of carbon markets to provide financial incentives for investment in land based carbon, such as peat bogs, to reduce losses of carbon from soil.Over 10 billion tonnes of carbon is estimated to be stored in UK soil – equivalent to around a year and a half of global greenhouse gas emissions - and the peatlands are the single largest store of carbon in the UK. A carbon audit at the National Trust’s Wallington Estate in Northumberland is assessing the amount of carbon stored in its soil and biomass and how much is emitted through day to day operations. An essential part of this project will be to restore and conserve the carbon banks.

There is a need for more NHS and Primary Care Trust funding to be allocated for green exercise prescriptions in the outdoors.This would help get more people out into their local green spaces to tackle obesity and improve their health and well-being. At the National Trust’s Clumber Park in Nottinghamshire the local council and health authorities have been prescribing healthy walking to help tackle the obesity problems in the East Midlands.

Tony Burton, Director of Policy and Strategy at the National Trust, said:
'With a changing climate and rising demands for new built development, the pressure on land is increasing. We need to harness new sources of investment and new partnerships to realise the potential of our land to help tackle flooding, climate change and the supply of clean water and green spaces for the benefit of us all.'

The Green Budget!

Ho hum - lots of mixed messages but perhaps some indications of future actions?

Darling suggested that the Climate Change Bill would probably have to 'recommend' 80% CO2 cuts by 2050 rather than the published 60% cuts. Good stuff but ...

how to achieve 80% cuts?

• defer the fuel escalator - well, no that wont help....
• promote more new roads - well, no that wont help....
• promote new runways at Heathrow and Stanstead - well, no that wont help....

On the positive side increased tax tax for gas guzzlers
and positive noises about carbon neutral homes

and of course the plastics bags! If supermarkets don't reduce plastic bag then the government will legislate.

In order to cut emissions by 80% its going to need more than a plastic bags ban surely?

Organic milk and carbon emissions

A litre of 'ordinary' milk takes over three times as much energy to produce than a litre of organic milk. Much of this extra energy is used in the production of fertiliser. So next time you're at the shops, opt for organic.

Thanks Friends of the Earth Tip of the Day

Six degrees videos

I recommended Mark Lynas' book Six Degrees in an earlier blog.

Mark has now teamed up with National Geographic Magazine in the States to produce a website along with a series of summary videos of the 6 degrees message. Six individual videos have been produced featuring Mark Lynas and NASA scientist James Hansen. Each video is featured below.

One degree
Two degrees
Three degrees
Four degrees
Five degrees
Six degrees

Good stuff Mark - its all about dripping water on the stone.