Check Out Car Emissions

The government Act On CO2 campaign has added new information to its campaign with a website allowing you to check out the CO2 emissions of new cars. You can select the type of car you are interested in by class (e.g. family, estate or MPV), gearbox type and fuel type. The database will then show you a list of ten vehicles with those with the lowest emissions at the top of the list.

If you are looking to buy a new car, check out the Act On CO2 site here.

Related UK Energy Saving pages
Alternative Fuel Conversion
Eco Driving

Related blog posts:
Biofuel Debate Continues
Biofuels - The Lesser of Two Evils or Just as Bad as Oil?

Green IT Survey

If you work in the IT industry you might be interested in the Green IT Survey being run by ComputerworldUK on behalf of Global Action Plan. The idea is to see how much the IT industry understands about green issues and what is being done by way of sustainability.

For more information on the survey visit the ComputerworldUK website.

To take the survey click here.

Green Surfing

Contrary to popular belief, surfing isn't the green sport you would think. Apart from the fact that many surfers travel the world (usually by plane) to find the best waves, much of the surfing kit is made from oil-based products. But this is slowly changing with more eco-friendly surfing gear popping up. Check out an article in the Independent on this subject and click on some of the links below if you are interested in 'green' surfing goods.

Hills Organic Surf Wax
Loose Fit
Homeblown
Ocean Green
Move Virgo

National Geographic Climate Change Issue

Check out October's National Geographic for an article on biofuel production and a climate change map. The issue is also available online at the National Geographic website.

Biofuel Debate Continues

Planet Ark have published a news article today about some issues caused by the production of biofuels in Hungary this year. This is another interesting take on the environmental sustainability of growing crops for fuel. Visit Planet Ark for the full story.

Related UK Energy Saving pages
Alternative Fuel
Alternative Fuel Conversion

Related Posts:
Biofuels - The Lesser of Two Evils or Just as Bad as Oil?

Walk For a Change!

I have just discovered the walkit.com website which is encouraging people to ditch the car or public transport and walk. At the moment it only offers routes in London, Birmingham and Edinburgh but they are hoping to add more as time goes on.

Related UK Energy Saving pages
Sustainable Transport
Walking Bus

Big Business Thinks about Carbon Footprints

An article on BBC News today reports on the fact that nine big businesses such as Coca Cola and the Halifax have signed up to a scheme to measure the complete carbon footprint of some of their products. The Carbon Trust are currently working with Defra and BSI British Standards to come up with a draft carbon footprinting standard and the nine pilot partners will be using this to measure their products' carbon footprints.

This should be an interesting study and will hopefully draw more awareness to the need for us all, including businesses, to reduce our carbon footprints. It is very difficult to know the environmental impact of most things we buy, but information on carbon footprinting may be a useful way of raising consumer awareness and encouraging business to make energy savings wherever possible.

Visit the Carbon Trust for more information on the scheme.

Related Posts:
The Green Provocateur
National Work from Home Day

New Energy Watch Page with Winter Tips!

The UK Energy Saving Energy Watch page has been updated with some suggestions for saving energy and money as autumn and winter approach. Tips include draught proofing your home and turning down your thermostat.

The Energy Watch page is updated regularly so keep an eye out for the latest, often seasonally appropriate, energy saving tips.

Click here to save money on gas and electricity bills.

Can the High Street Ever be Truly Green?

This is basically the question being asked by Mark Lynas in the Guardian today. He looks at whether the supposed 'green credentials' of various high street stores and supermarkets really amount to much in the battle against climate change.

Whilst Mark Lynas does make some valid points about the double standards of some stores and whether there is real value in their environmentally friendly undertakings, he is effectively criticising the stores for the consumers' behaviour. Certainly large corporations including shops and supermarkets need to do much more to reduce their environmental impact and to encourage consumers to be environmentally conscious, but consumers themselves need to think about their own actions. It is queried, for example, whether M&S's planned ranges of fairtrade cotton clothes are a positive move when fashion itself is wasteful. But consumers will go out and buy new clothes so why not at least offer those which can have a more positive environmental and social impact such as organic and fairtrade?

The bottom line is that everyone needs to do their bit; governments, big business, small companies and individuals. Climate change won't stop on its own and, whilst we need to think about the bigger changes too, every little can help!

Related Posts:
Supermarkets Continue to be Targeted for their Green Credentials
Supermarkets Continue 'Green Crusade'
Co-op Come Top of Green Poll
Supermarkets Continue to Wave the Green Banner
Devon Town Outlaws Plastic Bags
Supermarkets Offer More Green Initiatives
Tesco Ups the Green Ante with More Green Clubcard Points

UK Energy Saving Calculator

Earlier this year UK Energy Saving launched their Energy Saving Calculator and they have been promoting it again this week using online media. The Calculator includes at-a-glance information on energy saving with details of the costs and savings involved.

Visit the UK Energy Saving Calculator.

Check out the press release at one of the links below.
SanePR
PRLeap
Free Press Releases
PRLog
24-7 Press Release
PR-GB
Pressbox

Related Posts:
News of New Energy Saving Calculator Spreads
UK Energy Saving Launch New Energy Saving Calculator

Biofuels - The Lesser of Two Evils or Just as Bad as Oil?

There are continuing concerns being aired at the moment about the environmental and social impact of growing crops for biofuels. The issue of food pricing has been much discussed due to worries about possible rises caused by more land being used for fuel production (see links below to an article I wrote recently on this topic), and now there are growing concerns about possible environmental damage.

Friends of the Earth issued a press release yesterday refering to a leaked document from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development. This report apparentely mentions numerous environmental issues which suggest that biofuels may be more damaging that oil.

Read the Friends of the Earth press release here.

Article - Is the Production of Biofuels a Cause for Concern? - August 2007
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The Green Provocateur

Environmentalist Donnachadh McCarthy decided to tackle some green issues in everyday establishments recently, reporting on their response to undertaking such tasks as turning off unnecessary lights. He got a mixed reaction from retailers and businesses, and the full report can be found on The Independent's website.

Supermarkets Continue to be Targeted for their Green Credentials

A survey has been carried out by The Grocer magazine into how many plastic bags supermarkets are using when making home deliveries. Asda and Sainsbury's didn't fair well in the final report with up to 15 bags used for 32 items! Tesco came out better, and in fact they now offer the option to customers of having their shopping delivered loose in the boxes with only items such as bleach in carrier bags.

For more information on the survey try one of the following links.
The Independent
The Daily Mail

Related Posts:
Supermarkets Continue 'Green Crusade'
Co-op Come Top of Green Poll
Supermarkets Continue to Wave the Green Banner
Devon Town Outlaws Plastic Bags
Supermarkets Offer More Green Initiatives
Tesco Ups the Green Ante with More Green Clubcard Points