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Energy

Ways to reduce energy usage, pollution, and better management of supply chains.

UWE launches Sustainability Report today on World Environment Day http://www.uwe.ac.uk/environment/news/Sustainabilityreport.ps.pdf - Sustainability Report (2006/07)

Modelling

SEEDS Modelling - SEEDS - Modelling

SEEDS Modelling Page - SEEDS - Modelling Page

Scientific Modelling

Taxation Futures for Sustainable Mobility - Faculty of the Built Environment - http://www.built-environment.uwe.ac.uk/research/cep/researchProjectDetails.asp?ProjectID=164&GroupID=CEP - Economic instruments have been widely advocated to encourage more sustainable forms of transport, but the UK transport taxation regime was designed mainly to provide a reliable income stream rather than behavioural change. Increases in fuel tax have not delivered significant behavioural change and have faced severe political resistance.

External Links

Askbristol - http://www.askbristol.com/askbristol.php - Askbristol tells you what's happening in Bristol and how to influence it. You're in the right place to see what decisions are being made, view and respond to consultations, join discussions, start or sign a petition, or just find out more about how you can influence decision making in the city. Below are the most recently added discussion comments, webcasts, e-petitions, and consultations so click on the links and get involved!

BanTheBulb - http://banthebulb.org/ - A campaign to save money and help the environment by using energy efficient light bulbs.

BBSRC - Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council - http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/society/dialogue/consultations/bioenergy/background.html - Background and report - In 2005, BBSRC commissioned an expert panel, Chaired by Professor Douglas Kell (University of Manchester), to advise on BBSRC’s potential research priorities in the area of bioenergy.

Biomethane.org - http://www.biomethane.org.uk/ - Biomethane for Transport. - Biomethane for Transport is a networking community of organisations from the private and pubic sectors with interests in the development of biomethane as a road transport fuel. - The group developed from a study and subsequent conference during 2006. This concluded that a significant proportion of the UK's road transport fuel needs could be supplied by biomethane formed from the anaerobic digestion of organic waste. As additional benefits the process could reduce waste sent to landfill and also produce potentially valuable by-products.

Bristol University - http://www.bris.ac.uk/researchreview/2007/11795153701.html - In our opinion... Science in the public spotlight - Man's role in causing climate change has been a topic of much interest over the past 30 years. It is a primary focus of UK and international scientific strategy and a political issue that guides public policy. It may also decide elections. As with all such issues, a major arena for debate is the media but, just as there are many sensible articles discussing climate change and, in particular, global warming, there are just as many that distort and misrepresent the science. Dr Rich Pancost, Professor Paul Valdes and Ian Ross, on behalf of the University's Global Change Initiative, put their side of the argument. - 22 June 2007 - Bristol Research Initiative for the Dynamic Global Environment (BRIDGE) - http://www.bridge.bris.ac.uk/.

Building Energy Software Tools Directory - http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/tools_directory/ - Home.

Building Energy Software Tools Directory - http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/tools_directory/alpha_list.cfm - Tools Listed Alphabetically.

CarbonCare - http://www.carboncare.co.uk - CarbonCare implements business energy saving strategies and helps them reduce their energy consumption and carbon footprint. We work for companies and individuals, who want to tackle climate change. Together we promote energy efficiency and the integration of renewable energy sources into residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional sectors.

Carbon Trust - http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/ - Making Business Sense of Climate Change.

Clean Sky - The Clean Ski JTI - http://www.cleansky.eu/index.php?arbo_id=35 - The Clean Sky JTI will be one of the largest European research projects ever, with a budget estimated at 1.6 billion Euros, equally shared between the EC and industry, over the period 2008 - 2014. The public Private Partnership will speed up technological breakthrough developments and shorten the time to market for new solutions tested on Full Scale Demonstrators. - Clean Sky will encourage the participation of SMEs to ensure their full involment in the programme, therefore offering opportunities to the entire aeronautic supply chain from all Member States and Associated countries.

Cost of Energy Calculator - http://faculty.engineering.ucdavis.edu/jenkins/CBC/Calculator/index.html - Welcome to the Energy Cost Calculator Site! From this site you can link to simple web-based cost calculators that allow you to determine the cost of energy based on your own technical, financial, and economic assumptions.

DTI - Energy white paper: meeting the energy challenge - http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/whitepaper/page39534.html - Energy is essential in almost every aspect of our lives and for the success of our economy. We face two long-term energy challenges: tackling climate change by reducing carbon dioxide emissions both within the UK and abroad; and ensuring secure, clean and affordable energy as we become increasingly dependent on imported fuel. - This White Paper, published on 23 May 2007, sets out the Government’s international and domestic energy strategy to respond to these changing circumstances, address the long term energy challenges we face and deliver our four energy policy goals: - to put ourselves on a path to cutting CO2 emissions by some 60% by about 2050, with real progress by 2020; - to maintain the reliability of energy supplies; - to promote competitive markets in the UK and beyond; - to ensure that every home is adequately and affordably heated.

Energie Helpline UK - http://www.energiehelpline.co.uk/home/energie-helpline-home - The Energie Helpline UK is a free, Government-funded service that promotes the EU energy funding programmes in the UK and provides support to organisations bidding for European funding.

Energy Community - http://www.visualknowledge.com/wikikey/A24010S6651504 - Let's look at our Networked Improvement Community (NIC) and ask ourselves: "What is our NIC's 'Improvement Vector'?" and "Can we work together on improving how we improve?".

Energy Lecture Presentations - Bristol - Slides from these lectures are available in Powerpoint format - Institute of Physics and Institution of Engineering and Technology IET Bristol Network - In November 2006 the Institute of Physics held a mini-series of lectures on the theme of energy.

Energy plan set to back nuclear - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6681377.stm - Tony Blair has reiterated his backing for nuclear power as the government prepares to unveil its energy strategy. BBC News - 23 May 2007.

Energy Review; http://www.strategy.gov.uk/work_areas/energy/index.asp - The Strategy Unit - This project examined the long term challenges for energy policy in the UK, and set out how energy policy can ensure competitiveness, security and affordability in the future.

Energy Savings Trust - http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/ - Making the most of your energy.

Energy Technologies Institute - http://www.dti.gov.uk/science/science-funding/eti/ - Energy Technologies Institute - The Institute’s remit is to accelerate the development of secure, reliable and cost-effective low-carbon energy technologies towards commercial deployment. The Institute will play a major role in technology developments internationally in support of the UK's climate change goals.

Environment and Research - Science for Environment Policy - DG Environment News Alert Service - http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/research_alert_en.htm - There is evidence that the results of research are not always fully exploited. It is thus important to improve the dissemination of research results so that they are both more usable for policy makers and help to communicate understanding of environmental issues to the general public. - That is the reason why DG Environment has decided to establish this service in order to reinforce the links between science and policy. - The target audience are policy makers as well as the wider public. - This service provides scientific information in the field of the main themes of the Environmental Action Programme and relevant to DG Environment policy priorities in support of the knowledge based approach.

European Commission - Intelligent Energy Day - http://ec.europa.eu/energy/intelligent/events/infodays_en.htm - European Info Day 2008 - 31st January 2008.

Garrad Hasson - http://www.garradhassan.com/ - Wind Turbines.

International Journal of Energy Systems and Power - http://www.ijesp.com.

Java Climate Model - http://jcm.chooseclimate.org/.

The Low Carbon KTN - Low carbon technologies could change the future of our planet. But without proper guidance and links the bright ideas from industry and academia won't form products which we can use everyday. - The Low Carbon KTN is here to change this. - The KTN, together with Cenex, will act as a national network connecting organisations, including technology providers and potential consumers, universities, research organisations, investors and others to form communities interested in exploiting the potential of low carbon and fuel cell technologies.

NHS urged to cut carbon emissions - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6226166.stm - The NHS - one of the world's largest public bodies - has been urged to cut its greenhouse gas emissions. - 22 June 2007.

Open University Climate Modelling - http://www.open2.net/sciencetechnologynature/worldaroundus/grassroots.html - The development of the climateprediction.net climate model was almost as involved and intricate as the climate it sought to map - here, Bob Spicer recalls the inspirations and frustrations of getting the model created; on the next page, he reveals exactly what the number crunching is for.

Pentagon Considering Study on Space-Based Solar Power - http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/070411_tech_wed.html - The Pentagon's National Security Space Office (NSSO) may begin a study in the near future on the possibility of using satellites to collect solar energy for use on Earth, according to Defense Department officials - 11 April 2007 - Jeremy Singer - Space.com.

People & Planet can now reveal your university’s environmental performance score - http://peopleandplanet.org/gogreen/greenleague2007 - Awarded a First, 2:1, 2:2, Third, or Fail, we applaud the greenest and expose the least-green universities in the country.

Science holds key to greener future - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6596427.stm - The environmental problems facing the world in the 21st Century are the legacy of human activities, argues Sir David King. But he says, in this week's Green Room, we also hold the key to solving these problems by attracting the brightest young minds into the world of science.

Solar Power From Space: A Better Strategy for America and the World? - http://www.space.com/adastra/070517_adastra_solarpowersats.html - By Al Globus 17 May 2007 - Space.com.

Stern Review Report; - http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/stern_review_economics_climate_change/sternreview_index.cfm - HM Treasury - Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change.

Sustainable Development Commision - http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/ - The Government's independent watchdog on sustainable development.

Tidal Power: Severn Estuary - Department for Business Enterprise & Regulatory Reform - http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/sources/renewables/explained/severntidalpower/page41473.html - The tidal energy resource in the Severn Estuary provides the largest potential of all the UK’s estuaries for renewable electricity generation. Previous studies, including the recent report from the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) ‘Turning the Tide: Tidal Power in the UK’ indicate that up to 5% of the UK’s electricity demand could be met by harnessing the tidal energy that exists within the estuary.

TrackerBack - http://www.trelissa.co.uk/ - awarded prestigious Galileo Masters UK 05/06 Winner title.

Transport for Greater Bristol - http://www.tfgb.org.uk/ - A step change in powers and investment is required to meet Bristol's transport needs and the challenges of congestion, climate change, quality of life and air quality, building on good practice from around the country.

US leads search for climate solutions - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6283986.stm - In the second of a series examining California's "green revolution", the BBC News website's Sam Wilson reports from San Jose on how the state is at the forefront of innovation in clean technology. - 9 July 2007.

Events

The BA British Association for the Advancement of Science - Bristol and Bath Branch - Spring-Summer 2008 Programme of Events - http://www.cems.uwe.ac.uk/~phale/FinalProgrammeSpringSummer2008.pdf - http://www.ba-west.org.uk/.

local Events

Spring 2008 (Date & Time to be confirmed)

Public Debate on Tidal Power from the Severn Estuary

UWE, Frenchay Campus, Bristol

Admission free

Joint with the RSA and the Severn Estuary Partnership.

Dr Mervyn Bramley

Engineer and Environmentalist

Join the discussion as Dr Mervyn Bramley convenes this public meeting which will follow publication of the Sustainable Development Commission Report in Autumn 2007. Download the "Turning the Tide" Report from the Commission web site.

BA British Association for the Advancement of Science - Bristol and Bath Branch - Spring-Summer 2008 Programme of Events - http://www.cems.uwe.ac.uk/~phale/FinalProgrammeSpringSummer2008.pdf - http://www.ba-west.org.uk/ - Programme of Events - Projects.

21st February 2008

Environmental Protection UK and UWE Annual One-day Conference

ENVIRONMENT & HEALTH - PREVENTION BEFORE CURE

The 10th Annual Conference jointly organised by the South West Division of Environmental Protection UK (formerly the NSCA) and the University of the West of England, Bristol is on Thursday, 21st of February 2008 at the Watershed, Bristol. The theme for this one-day conference will focus on Environment and Health policy and research. There will be presentations from the Health Protection Agency, Barts and the London Queen Mary’s School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Bristol, University of Aberdeen, UKPHA, South West Public Health Observatory, and the University of the West of England.

Further Information - http://www.uwe.ac.uk/aqm/

Thursday 28th February at 7.00pm

Biofuels - A solution for a low carbon future?

BAWA Pavilion, Southmead Road, Bristol

Admission free

In association with the RSC & SCI.

Dr Stuart Shales

University of the West of England

Dr Shales (University of the West of England) explores the current state of biofuel production in the UK in comparison to Europe and the rest of the world. Biofuels are very much in the news as renewable alternatives are sought for existing motor fuels in a low carbon economy. First generation biofuels include bioethanol and biodiesel which are substitutes for petrol and diesel respectively. In particular the conflict between the use of agricultural land for food production versus biofuels production will be discussed. Is there enough agricultural land in the UK for both? Finally, future second generation biofuels will be considered.

This talk follows the RSC Bristol & District Section AGM at 6.00pm.

UWE News 2008 - Checking out the air we breathe at UWE - http://info.uwe.ac.uk/news/UWENews/article.asp?item=1244 - 2nd April 2008 - Visitors to the University of the West of England's Frenchay Campus on Monday 7 April will have a unique opportunity to see cutting-edge air quality and vehicle emissions monitoring systems in operation at a free event between noon and 4pm. - Stroud-based Enviro Technology (ET), holding the event in association with University's Air Quality Management Resource Centre, will be measuring emissions as vehicles drive by using a unique device called the Accuscan 4600. Because it's a remote-sensing system, there is no need for the vehicle to stop so that a measurement can be taken and the equipment is capable of surveying as many as 4000 vehicles a day, depending on traffic volume.

2nd May 2008

Carfree Communities: The Challenge for Ecotowns and Cities

Further Information - http://info.uwe.ac.uk/news/UWENews/article.asp?item=1203

One Day Conference, 2 May 2008 - Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel, College Green, Bristol - Keynote Speaker: Rosie Winterton, Minister of State for Transport.

5th May 2008

IET Bristol

18.30 for 19.00

Offsetting fuel/energy dependency using plug-in hybrids

Room 1N05

University of West of England

Frenchay Campus

Coldharbour Lane

Bristol BS16 1QY

This talk will outline current issues concerned with dependency on oil and other diminishing energy sources for motive power. The development associated with current hybrid-fuel and electric power sources and the challenges they present will be explored.

Further Information - http://www.theiet.org/local/uk/s-west/brist/calendar/hybrids.cfm - Events.

Thu 8th May 2008

Sustainable Communities:The Need for a Systems Based Approach

5:00pm - 7:00pm

Pugsley Lecture Theatre, Queen's Building

Bristol

Creating sustainable communities requires an understanding of the relationship between policy, planning, behavioural issues and technologies. This seminar will explore how their relative influences can be evaluated and managed to produce positive results, placing a strong emphasis on projects within the Bristol area.

Further Information - http://www.bristol.ac.uk/engineering/systemsengd/sustain.pdf.

Thu 15th May 2008

7pm - 9.30pm

'Cradle to Cradle - Life Cycles, not Recycled' A better environmental approach'

Angela Vivian Memorial Lecture

Venue: UWIC Cardiff

RSA Wales & Western Region

Speaker: Michael Braungart, Visiting Professor at UWIC Cardiff

Michael Braungart is one of Time Magazine's 'Heroes of the Environment' 2007, and since March he is Visiting Professor at UWIC, Cardiff, working on a design strategy for Wales along Cradle to Cradle principles, as he has been doing with the Dutch. He has been called the world's only truly 'green' chemist. He has a research laboratory, EPEA, in Hamburg, Germany, from which he works with major multinationals to design products which at the end of one useful life, clearly have good potential, not a just a second-rate second use. He is also a very entertaining public speaker.

Further Information - http://www.rsawaw.org/upcoming.php - Events.

17th-18th June

Bristol Environmental Technology and Services Sector (BETS) Expo

BETS Expo 2008 will provide the perfect environment for gaining insight into business support provision, environmental technologies and services to enable greener business growth in the future.

Organised by Bristol City Council's BETS (Bristol Environmental Technologies & Services Sector Initiative), the business-to-business conference and exhibition will bring together a rich diversity of delegates. It will cut through the 'greenwash' and share best practice environmental initiatives that can help turn the UK's low-carbon challenge into a reality.

Further Information - http://www.betsexpo.com/.

National Events

BioEnergy Europe 2008 - http://www.environmental-finance.com/conferences/2007/BioEur08/register.htm - Environmental Finances Conference - London 18th and 19th February.

Biomethane - an Integrated Environmental Solution: a one-day conference - http://www.low-carbon-ktn.org.uk/showdoc.asp?doc_id=11246 - 03 March 2008 - Devonport House, Greenwich, London - A one-day conference hosted by Cenex in partnership with NGVA and EPUK - Biomethane offers a unique opportunity to integrate waste management solutions with the production and use of a clean burning, low carbon transport fuel. This event will bring together expertise from the production of biomethane, management of transport fleets and environmental assessment to make a strong case for the production of biomethane from organic waste, and its use in transport applications. - Presentations will include best practise from the UK beyond, insights on the gas vehicle market, expertise in the production of biomethane, and details of assistance available for those considering biomethane projects. The event will also feature the launch of the ‘Biomethane Resources Toolkit’, providing a wide range of tools to help organisations assess biomethane projects and applications.

British Interplanetary Society - Events - Space-Based Solar Power for Peace, Prosperity and Survival - http://www.bis-spaceflight.com/sitesia.aspx/page/196/id/1687/l/en-gb - Speaker: Col. Coyote Smith - Venue: BIS Conference Room, 27/29 South Lambeth Rd, London, SW8 1SZ - 7/May/2008 - 7.00 - 8.30 pm. - The director of the recent Pentagon study on space-based solar power will discuss their findings indicating that such a capability can provide the world with another safe source of abundant clean energy and how this can avert wars, generate wealth, and help reduce the global carbon footprint.

Carbon Trust/BCS Data Centre Tool - http://www.bcs.org/server.php?show=conEvent.1829 - 21st August 2008, 18:00 - BCS, 1st Floor, The Davidson Building, 5 Southampton Street, London, WC2E 7HA - London (Central) Branch & Data Centre Specialist Group - This will be the official launch of the Carbon Trust / BCS beta program for the DCSG Data Centre Simulation Software Tool.

Energy Efficiency Sandpit - Call for Participants - http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/CallsForProposals/EnergyEfficiencySandpit.htm - Call for Participants - This sandpit, organised by EPSRC and E.on UK, will focus on energy efficiency technologies, and will address the research issues surrounding the critical areas for influencing the reduction of CO₂ emissions. The sandpit is intended to bring together interested research groups working in the area. - Friday 17 August 2007.

EPSRC - Adaptation and Resilience to a Changing Climate launch event on 27th March at the Radisson SAS, Birmingham, at which a £6 million call for proposals will be announced. - http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/CallsForProposals/ARRCLaunch.htm.

Joint IET, IMechE & ICE Event: Great environmental debate - http://www.theiet.org/local/uk/thames/berks/env-debate.cfm - 09 April 2008 - The Town Hall - Blagrave Street - Reading - RG1 1QH - Following the huge success of the Great Energy Debate in 2006 and Great Transport Debate in 2007, the IET, IMechE, IChemE and ICE are pleased to bring you the Great Environmental Debate this year. Do join us for a great evening to explore, in the presence of other engineers and leaders within our community, the various aspects that are influencing our environment today and what is being done/could be done for a greener future!

NCC Annual Conference 2008 - http://www.ncc-conference.co.uk/ - 11th June, Café Royal, Central London - Green is the new black, it would seem. With many organisations now trying to "out-green" the competition, we are rapidly running into the problem seen with most bandwagons - just how real are some of the messages coming from the vendors? - All hi-tech companies, on both sides of the Atlantic.

Articles

50 years on: The Keeling Curve legacy - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7120770.stm - By Helen Briggs - Science reporter, BBC News - It is a scientific icon, which belongs, some claim, alongside E=mc2 and the double helix.

100 Years Of Plastic - http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/thematerialworld_20070524.shtml - BBC Radio 4 - Bakelite, the original plastic, is a hundred years old this year. - The invention of Belgian-born Leo Hendrik Baekeland, it spawned an industry that now churns out 100 million tonnes annually around the world. - Quentin Cooper - 24 May 2007.

A businesslike approach to fixing transport? - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6197858.stm - BBC News - By Robert Peston - BBC business editor.

A greener way to recover methane - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7140983.stm - Oil reservoirs could have an environmental make-over with the help of bacteria. - 12 December 2007.

A report on current technology that may effect Severn Estuary barrage proposals - http://r-energy.co.uk/index.shtml - This study was carried out in 2004 to assess the facts based on the various Severn Estuary barrage proposals.

A Severn barrage or tidal lagoons? A comparison - http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefings/severn_barrage_lagoons.pdf - Friends of the Earth Cymru.

BBC Science/Nature - Severn barrage would stretch from south Wales to the Somerset coast

BBC Science/Nature - Source Strathclyde University/Energy Authority of New South Wales

'Action needed' on home emissions - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7209723.stm - BBC Science/Nature - By Richard Black - Environment correspondent, BBC News website - European governments and the European Commission are being urged to hasten the development of housing that produces no greenhouse gases. - 28 January 2008.

Advisers endorse tidal power plan - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7021835.stm - An influential government advisory body has endorsed proposals for a tidal barrage across the Severn estuary. - By Mark Kinver - Science and nature reporter, BBC News.

Approval for 'biggest' wind farm - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/6188133.stm - BBC News 18 December 2006.

Backing for Severn barrage power - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/4927744.stm - BBC News 21 April 2006.

BBC Climate change - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/portal/climate_change/default.stm - news, opinion & explanation from around the BBC.

BBC Climate change: In depth - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/sci_tech/2004/climate_change/default.stm - Guide to climate change - Find out how the greenhouse effect works, why the Gulf Stream might change and how hot experts think it might get.

BBC Climate change: In graphics - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6322083.stm - Climate change: In graphics - It is "very likely" that human activity is the cause for climate change, scientists from over 130 countries have concluded. The graphics below illustrate their predictions on just how much global temperatures may rise over the next century - 2 February 2007.

BBC - Electricity Calculator

BBC Electricity Calculator - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/uk/06/electricity_calc/html/1.stm - The electricity calculator gives you the opportunity to choose how you would like the UK’s electricity to be generated in 2020. - Once you have made your choice, the calculator will work out the possible impact in terms of carbon emissions, whether you managed to keep the lights on and how it will affect people's annual bills.

BBC Fuelling the Future - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/sci_tech/2006/energy/default.stm - Special Reports.

BBC Science/Nature - Animated guide Find out how the greenhouse effect works and more...

BBC Green Energy - Guide - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/04/uk_alternatives_to_oil/html/1.stm - Introduction - The prospect that oil might one day run out, together with the growing threat from global warming, means the need for alternative energy sources has never been greater.

BBC Science/Nature - Options for a future without fossil fuels - Diagrams

BBC Guide to climate change - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/sci_nat/04/climate_change/html/greenhouse.stm - Interactive Demonstration.

BBC Guide to UK nuclear power - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/guides/456900/456932/html/default.stm.

BBC Panaorama - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/panorama/6411421.stm - Go green or else! - We are told climate change is the biggest threat facing the world but is there anything the average family can do about it? - 5 March 2007.

BBC Planet under pressure - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/sci_tech/2004/planet/default.stm - With humanity demanding more from the Earth than ever before, BBC News explores the planet's most pressing environmental problems in a six-part series.

BBC - Q&A: Aviation emissions - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6955009.stm - BBC Technology News - Environmental campaigners have been staging protests against the expansion of Heathrow Airport, one of the world's busiest airports. They say any growth in the aviation industry will undermine efforts to tackle climate change. - 20 August 2007.

BBC Radio 4 - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/analysis/6904585.stm - BBC Radio 4's Analysis: Go Green or Else! will be broadcast on Thursday, 19 July 2007 - The UK government has set a target for reducing carbon emissions by 60% below their 1990 level by 2050. This is a higher target than set by any other country and one which cannot be achieved without serious shifts in the way we deliver and consume energy across heating, lighting, driving, travel etc.

BBC Radio 4 - A Sunparched Country - http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/sunparchedcountry.shtml - Caroline Holmes discovers how Australia is facing up to its worst drought on record. - Tuesday 22 April - 27 May 2008 - 9.30 - 9.45am.

BBC Radio 4 - Climate Change - http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/frontiers_20070613.shtml - Frontiers - Politicians and policy makers around the world seem to have woken up to the fact that global warming is going on, so you might think that the scientists' work is done - 13 June 2007.

BBC Radio 4 - Costing the Earth - http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/costingtheearth_20080207.shtml - Bring Me Sunshine - There's often a perception that our grey, overcast skies make solar power a virtual impossibility for all but a few weeks of the year. But two kinds of solar power are possible here - solar thermal to heat water, and photovoltaics (PV) to create electricity. 1 February 2008.

BBC Radio 4 - Costing the Earth - http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/costingtheearth_20080124.shtml - Coming soon to a supermarket near you: the carbon label. - In a couple of years time the Government funded Carbon Trust wants to start labelling the food we buy to tell us how much carbon was emitted during its production. They're currently working on a methodology to standardise the information they hope to put on everything from fresh meat to crisps and ready meals, telling the shopper how much energy it's taken to grow, transport, produce, store, consume and dispose of. - January 24 2008.

BBC Radio 4 - Costing the Earth - http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/costingtheearth.shtml - A MEATY SUBJECT: It's a simple idea: give up meat today, reduce livestock numbers - meaning fewer cows and sheep burping and er, passing wind across the globe - and hey presto, greenhouse gas emissions would be drastically reduced overnight. It seems like everyone from the UN Food and Agriculture to prominent vegetarians are urging us to forego the beefburger for the sake of the planet these days, but as with many environmental issues, is it that simple?. - May 8th 2008.

BBC Radio 4 - Costing the Earth - http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/costingtheearth_20080130.shtml - GRID LOCK? - Britain has been set stretching targets to generate 15% of our energy form renewable sources by 2020, but has the Government put the right policy in place to deliver? - In Europe only Luxembourg and Malta currently have a worse record at increasing the percentage of energy that comes from renewable sources. It's a fact that Catherine Mitchell, Professor of Energy at Exeter University, finds depressing. She tells Costing The Earth that even though Britain has had a renewable energy policy in Britain since 1990, "in that time we have only increased our renewable energy by about 1%.". - January 31 2008 - Renewables delivery under attack - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7222767.stm - By Benjamin Chesterton - Costing The Earth, BBC Radio 4 - The UK government's record on delivering renewable energy is under attack. - Energy regulator, Ofgem, says the main mechanism for delivering green energy to the national grid is not working. - It also told BBC Radio 4's Costing The Earth programme that it believes the government is not listening to its calls for change. - 1 February 2008.

BBC Radio 4 - Frontiers - http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/frontiers.shtml - Energy Harvesting - Imagine a heart pacemaker powered by the heart it monitors, or a mobile phone powered by the flexing of a knee. - In this week's Frontiers, Gareth Mitchell meets scientists who are developing ways of generating small amounts of electricity from human and mechanical vibration. - The research field is known as "energy harvesting". Harnessing vibration to generate electricity means that devices no longer have to rely on mains electricity or batteries for power. - 12 May 2008.

BBC Radio 4 - Frontiers - http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/frontiers_20030521.shtml - Global Warming - Manmade greenhouse gases affect global warming - a well known fact. But how much does the Sun contribute to this effect? - 21 May 2003.

BBC Radio 4 - In Business - http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/news/inbusiness/inbusiness_20080110.shtml - Hello Sunshine! - As politicians seek ways of producing sustainable energy, Germany has taken the lead with the world's biggest solar power station and the beginnings of a significant renewables industry. Peter Day discovers the secret of German success. - He travels to Leipzig in former East Germany where they are building the world’s biggest solar power station and visits Conergy’s state of the art manufacturing plant producing solar panels in Frankfurt-an-der-Oder. - 10 January 2008.

BBC Radio 4 - Leading Edge - http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/leadingedge_20080410.shtml - Hydrogen biofuels - Geoff Watts examines a revolutionary process announced this week at the American Chemical Society meeting, for converting plant sugars into hydrogen, which could see sugar powered batteries for portable laptops and sugar fuel cells for vehicles within a decade. - 10 April 2008.

BBC Radio 4 - Leading Edge - http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/leadingedge_20080214.shtml - Polar ponderings - Science writer Fred Pierce makes some icy reflections on the warmer, more watery world of the future. - 14 February 2007.

BBC Radio 4 - Leading Edge - http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/leadingedge_20070726.shtml - Wet weather - Dr Peter Stott from the Met Office talks to Geoff Watts about a new study linking increased global rainfall to human activity. Could the UK's wet summer be down to global warming? 26 July 2007.

BBC Radio 4 - Material World - Global Science - http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/thematerialworld_20080103.shtml - Our planet provides food, water and energy for its 6.6 billion inhabitants. - Science helps us maximise the Earth’s resources, but the world's natural mechanisms are coming under unprecedented strain. - In this week's programme, Quentin Cooper talks to four scientists about the role of science in sustaining and preserving our world. - 03 January 2008.

BBC Radio 4 - Material World - Here comes the Sun - http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/thematerialworld_20080221.shtml - Solar Panel Technology - In just 40 minutes on a sunny day in the UK, we receive enough energy from the Sun to provide the country’s entire energy requirements for a whole year. - Quentin Cooper finds out how we can make more use of the Sun. - Why are solar panels currently so inefficient and how can the blackness of a moth's eye could help improve our ray catching abilities? - 21 February 2008.

BBC Radio 4 - Material World - Oil From Sand - http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/thematerialworld_20080814.shtml - A region of Canada in Northern Alberta contains oil reserves to rival Saudi Arabia! But these are not underground reservoirs of sweet, light, crude oil that just need to be pumped out. These are the Athabasca oil sands - an unpleasant mixture of sand, water, oil and sulphurous tar. They cover more than a thousand square miles of remote terrain and are difficult, expensive and environmentally damaging to extract and process. - With the rise in oil prices, extracting oil from the tar sands has become big business. Oil companies have invested billions and expect production to rise to 5 million barrels of heavy crude a day over the next couple of decades, making Canada a major oil exporter. - To talk him through some of the slick ways to get thick oil out of the sand Quentin is joined by Dr Joe Wood, Lecturer in Chemical Engineering at Birmingham University - who is working on CAPRI, a method for refining the oil while it's still in the ground - and by Professor Malcolm Greaves of the Improved Oil Recovery Research Group at Bath University, who has developed something called THAI - Toe to Heel Air Injection. - Thursday 14 August 2008.

BBC Radio 4 - Material World - Severn Barrage - http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/thematerialworld_20080515.shtml - If it were built, the Severn Barrage would stretch from Cardiff to Western-Super-Mare ... - It would be one of the biggest engineering projects ever in the UK and would be the keystone of a tidal power revolution in Britain. - It could provide 5% of the UK’s electricity needs alone, but there will be significant loss of wildlife habitats. - Can science push the boundaries of tidal power overcoming the problems to make it a viable energy source in the future?. - 15 May 2008.

BBC Radio 4 - The Investigation - http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/theinvestigation/pip/3vlit/ - Simon Cox investigates the dash for renewable energy. Can we generate a third of our electricity from wind power by 2020? - 4 September 2008 - Thursday 4 September 2008 20:00-20:30 (Radio 4 FM).

Britain 'facing energy shortfall' - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7210625.stm - BBC Science/Nature - By Richard Black - Environment correspondent, BBC News website Britain is likely to face a shortfall in electricity generation within five to seven years, a report concludes. - 27 January 2008.

Brown urged to resist coal rush - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7143567.stm - By Jonathan Amos Science reporter, BBC News, San Francisco - The renowned climate scientist Dr James Hansen says the UK and Germany must resist new coal-fired power stations.

Business chiefs urge carbon curbs - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7464517.stm - By Richard Black Environment correspondent, BBC News website - A coalition of 99 companies is asking political leaders to set targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions and to establish a global carbon market. - Their blueprint for tackling climate change is being handed to Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda ahead of next month's G8 summit in Japan. - Companies involved include Alcoa, British Airways (BA), Deutsche Bank, EDF, Petrobras, Shell and Vattenfall. - They argue that cutting emissions must be made to carry economic advantages. - 20 June 2008.

Can oceans be used for carbon sequestration? - Science for Environmental Policy - http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/94na1.pdf - Using the ocean to sequester carbon, a method proposed for the mitigation of climate change, is now the subject of fierce scientific debate. The hope is that strategies could be developed that would stimulate carbon uptake using natural processes. One such approach involves using ocean-based plants called phytoplankton, which, when they grow and photosynthesise, absorb carbon dioxide. This carbon-rich plant mass then sinks into the deep ocean; a process known as the ocean’s ‘biological pump'. - 31 January 2007.

Can the airline industry give us any insights to green computing? - http://www.bcs.org/server.php?show=ConBlogEntry.419 - British Computer Society BCS Ethics Blog - Alan Freeland - On Thursday 24th April I was at a lecture at the RI given by Ian Poll, Professor of Aerospace Engineering and Business Development and Technical Director of Cranfield Aerospace Limited, and Bill Glover, Boeing's environmental strategy chief, on what the airline industry is doing to make air travel greener. - A number of parallels struck me between the Airline Industry and the IT industry and this blog explores those parallels. There were no handouts provided at the lecture so the source for this Blog are my notes plus cited internet searches. - 6 May 2008.

Carbon emissions show slight fall - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7220487.stm - By Roger Harrabin BBC Environment Analyst. The UK's carbon emissions fell by just 0.1% last year, and the government has admitted it must do more to tackle climate change. - The figures would have been worse if the UK's share of pollution from global flights and shipping had been included. - 31 January 2008.

Care needed with carbon offsets - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6184577.stm - By Jonathan Amos Science reporter, BBC News, San Francisco - 15 December 2006.

Carbon moves 'may boost airlines' - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6189025.stm - BBC News - 18 December 2006.

Carbon neutral new schools plan - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7149579.stm - Energy-saving and eco-friendly school building projects have been announced as part of the government's drive for new schools to be carbon neutral. - 18 December 2007.

Cash cuts see green grants halved - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7393918.stm - BBS Science/Technology - The number of government grants made to people who want to fit solar panels or other green energy systems to their homes has halved, the BBC has learned. - It comes after the low carbon buildings programme cut the maximum grant on offer from £7,500 to £2,500. - The Renewable Energy Association, which says the programme is failing, has accused ministers of complacency. - But the government says uptake went up considerably last month after the need for planning permission was removed. - 10 May 2008.

Chemicals industry could cut CO2 emissions using biotechnology - Science for Environmental Policy - http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/94na4.pdf - Industrial scale biotechnology could be used by the chemicals industry to produce bulk chemicals like ethylene, butanol or acrylic acid, which are the basic raw materials used in the production of many materials, such as plastics and electronic components. Currently, these chemicals are made from starting materials that are derived from crude oil and natural gas, using processes which release significant amounts of CO2. New research suggests that industrial biotechnology processes, such as fermentation, that use biomass as a starting material could significantly reduce CO2 emissions from the chemicals industry. - 31 January 2007.

China's 'rapid renewables surge' - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7535839.stm - By Mark Kinver Science and nature reporter, BBC News - China has the world's fifth largest fleet of wind turbines - China's rapid investment in low carbon technologies has catapulted the nation up the global renewable energy rankings, a report shows. - The Climate Group study said China invested $12bn (£6bn) in renewables during 2007, second only to Germany. - However, it was expected to top the table by the end of 2009, it added. - 1 August 2008.

Clean deadline call on coal power - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7518311.stm - By Richard Black Environment correspondent, BBC News website - The government should set a deadline for coal-fired power stations to adopt "clean" technologies or close, according to a parliamentary committee. - The Environment Audit Committee says the government is wrong to believe that a carbon market alone will persuade companies to invest in "clean coal". - Its report warns that progress in this area is "extremely disappointing". - A coal-fired station produces about twice as much carbon dioxide as a gas-burning facility of equal power. - The company E.On recently won approval from Medway Council for plans to build new coal-fired plant at Kingsnorth power station in Kent, though a government decision on the project was recently postponed. - 22 July 2008.

Clean is mean for new plane engines - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7510762.stm - BBC Science/Technology News - By Nigel Cassidy - Business reporter, BBC News, at the Farnborough Airshow - For 59 of the last 60 Farnborough International Airshows, nobody really had to worry about the price of aviation fuel. - Yet now, with the underlying cost of oil having doubled since the last Farnborough in 2006, the entire industry is focusing on how to make conventional jets burn and waste less fuel. - Even the military are starting to worry about it and they don't pay a penny in tax on their fuel. - For the commercial sector, part of the answer lies with improving air traffic controls, modifying aircraft handling and fitting 'winglets' to reduce drag. - Yet, a glance round the vast technical exhibition halls at Farnborough confirmed that the focus is now moving more closely onto the features and benefits of the next generation of jet engines that will be available for the plane makers to choose from. - 16 July 2008.

Manufacturers are looking for a solution for both noise and emissions - BBC News

Clegg unveils green energy vision - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7573691.stm - BBC Science/Technology News - Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has unveiled plans for an "energy independent" Britain by 2050, which he says can be achieved by boosting renewable energy. - He is calling for a programme on the scale of the Apollo moon mission to end the UK's increasing dependence on foreign coal, gas and oil. - The government wants more nuclear energy, but he says wave, biomass, wind and solar power is the way forward. - 21 August 2008.

Climate bill's 60% emission cut - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7080580.stm - Prime Minister Gordon Brown has committed the UK to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 60% before 2050 to help tackle global warming. - BBC News - 6 November 2007.

Climate change spooks companies - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7006451.stm - Ever more companies see climate change as a growing threat to their commercial interests, according to a study carried out on behalf of 315 global investors. - BBC Business - 23 September 2007.

Climate prediction: No model for success - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7381250.stm - By Roger Harrabin Environment analyst, BBC News - Pier Luigi Vidale smiles fondly as he gazes at the image unfolding on his screen. - It is a rare and beautiful view of Planet Earth. - Curlicues of cloud formations swirl around the Antarctic at the bottom of the screen as if captured by time-lapse photography. - The image resembles a view of the Earth from space, stretched full frame. - But a small yellow ball scudding along the bottom of the screen hints at another story. - The ball is the Sun, heating the surface as it passes and provoking a daily puff of cloud from the Amazon rainforest in this computer-generated climate model. - The animation comes from research led by Dr Vidale at Reading University's Walker Institute. - It is designed to provide long-term data to help scientists distinguish between heating trends and natural climatic fluctuations. - This week, about 150 of the world's top climate modellers have converged on Reading for a four day meeting to plan a revolution in climate prediction. - 6 May 2008.

Concern over tidal barrage cost - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7448973.stm - BBC Science/Technology - The power generated by the proposed Severn Barrage could be produced more cheaply using other green technologies, a report says. - The £15bn dam across the Severn estuary from Cardiff to Weston-Super-Mare in Somerset could supply 5% of the UK's electricity within 14 years. - But an independent report commissioned by 10 environmental groups said it was not a good use of taxpayers' money. - 12 June 2008. - The ebb and flow of tidal power - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7449284.stm - BBC Science/Technology - By Mark Kinver Science and nature reporter, BBC News - In January, the UK government and Welsh Assembly launched a two-year feasibility study into the possibility of harnessing tidal energy in the Severn estuary in order to generate electricity. It has the second largest tidal range in the world, which could be used to meet up to 5% of the UK's electricity needs. - Two forms of technology are being assessed by the study: tidal barrages and tidal lagoons. - 12 June 2008.

Could carbon capture replace cuts? - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7202637.stm - By Dominic Laurie Europe business reporter, BBC News, Norway - If there's a country that's really made the most of its fossil fuel resources, Norway is a good candidate for the prize. - 23 January 2008.

Cutting carbon emissions 'could help SMEs with fuel costs' - http://www.bcs.org/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.18919 - British Computer Societ (BCS) - 23 April 2008 - An energy management service has told how cutting carbon emissions in the office could help SMEs deal with rising fuel costs. - However, the Green Consultancy said that a lack of connection between capital budgeting and budgeting for maintenance and utilities in the public sector was causing problems.

Czech firm plans giant wind farm - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7585929.stm - BBC Business - Czech power firm CEZ is to build what it says will be Europe's largest onshore wind farm, in a 1.1bn-euro ($1.6bn; £886m) project. - 28 August 2008.

DEFRA Select Committee - Comments on the Government Response to Climate change: the "citizen's agenda" 18-12-07 Hilary Benn MP has been invited to explain the Government's negative response to recommendations on assistance to local authorities, supplier obligations and energy services, metering, micro-generation, renewable heat and 'green' taxes.

Demand for 'green home' rebates - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6966225.stm - Households should receive council tax rebates to encourage them to install solar panels and wind turbines, an independent think tank claims. - 28 August 2007.

Double the Hurricanes, Half the Fun - Universe Today - Researchers are reporting that the frequency of Atlantic hurricanes has doubled over the last century. 100 years ago, the Atlantic saw 6 severe storms a year, and now it experiences 15. The study concludes that warmer sea surface temperatures are to blame; changing wind patterns from global warming are fueling the increase in hurricanes. - August 1st, 2007.

Electricity station switches to pasty power - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/7517116.stm - BBC News - A dung-fuelled power station in Devon is facing opposition to plans to create 100% of its energy from food waste. - 21 July 2008.

Emissions don't make Europe happy - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6897485.stm - BBC News Science/Nature - Europe's carbon emissions have risen markedly over the last 40 years, but the extra fuel use has brought little increase in happiness, a report says. - 15 July 2007 - Happiness doesn't cost the Earth. - Wednesday, 12 July 2006.

Energy needs 'to grow inexorably' - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7081679.stm - The global demand for energy is set to grow inexorably through to 2030 if governments do not changes their policies, warns a top energy official. - 7 November 2007.

EU climate flight plans 'deluded' - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6977623.stm - BBC Science/Technology News - European Union proposals to reduce the climate impact of flying will not work, a report concludes. - The EU plans to include aviation in its Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). - But analysts at the Tyndall Centre, a prestigious UK climate research body, say this will have minimal effect without a major rise in carbon prices. - 4 September 2007.

EU energy: Revolution for the UK? - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7206008.stm - ANALYSIS - By Richard Black - Environment correspondent, BBC News website - Offshore wind farms may become a common sight around Britain - If the European Commission's proposals on energy amount to a "revolution", as president Jose Manuel Barroso claimed when he announced them on Wednesday, what does the revolution look like? - 24 January 2008.

EU industry sees emissions rise - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7326834.stm - BBC Science/Technology News - By Mark Kinver Science and nature reporter, BBC News - Carbon dioxide emissions from Europe's heavy industry sectors rose by 1.1% in 2007, say carbon market analysts. - The estimate is based on initial data from the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), which includes more than 10,000 large industrial plants. - 2 April 2008.

EU reveals energy plan of action - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7203514.stm - BBC Science/Technology News - European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has announced "historic" plans to make Europe "the first economy for the low-carbon age". - He said Europeans wanted "a vision and a plan of action" against climate change and the measures would cost 3 euros (£2.10) a week for every citizen. - 23 January 2008.

EU 'should ban inefficient cars' - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7225451.stm - By Roger Harrabin - BBC environment analyst - The EU should ban the sale of cars that do under 35 miles to the gallon, the ex-chairman of oil giant Shell says. - Sir Mark Moody-Stuart told BBC News the motor industry would adapt to cope with stricter environmental rules. - 4 February 2008.

EU stumbles on the low-carbon road - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6293933.stm - By Stephen Mulvey EU reporter, BBC News - 24 January 2007.

Euro MPs back patio heaters ban - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7219565.stm - A call for a ban on outdoor heaters has been backed by the European Parliament. - MEPs voted to endorse a report that says a timetable should be set to phase out patio heaters, as well as standby modes on televisions. - 31 January 2008.

Europe push for greener aviation - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7228054.stm - BBC Science/Technology News - Some of the biggest names in European industry have begun a public-private partnership with the EU to produce greener aircraft. - Airbus, Dassault, Saab and Rolls Royce are all taking part in the 1.6bn euro (£1.2bn) "clean sky" initiative. - 5 February 2008.

European Commission - Boosting growth and jobs by meeting our climate change commitments - The European Commission has today agreed on a far-reaching package of proposals that will deliver the European Council's commitments to fight climate change and promote renewable energy. The proposals demonstrate that the targets agreed last year are technologically and economically possible and provide a unique business opportunity for thousands of European companies. These measures will dramatically increase the use of renewable energy in each country and set legally enforceable targets for governments to achieve them. All major CO2 emitters will be given an incentive to develop clean production technologies through a thorough reform of the Emissions Trading System (ETS) that will impose an EU-wide cap on emissions. The package seeks to deliver the European Union to reduce greenhouse gases by at least 20% and increases to 20% the share of renewable energies in the energy consumption by 2020, as agreed by EU leaders in March 2007. The emissions reduction will be increased to 30% by 2020 when a new global climate change agreement is reached. - 23/01/2008.

Finding a smart way to save energy - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6225938.stm - BBC Science/Nature - VIEWPOINT - Luke Nicholson - 22 June 2007.

Firms 'need clear climate policies' - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7028214.stm - VIEWPOINT - James Smith - Fossil fuels are going to remain the main source of power in an increasingly energy-hungry world for decades to come, says James Smith in this week's Green Room. However, he urges governments to urgently provide polices to encourage investment in cleaner technologies - 8 October 2007.

Flirting with danger - Sex sells, but at what cost? - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6900665.stm - BBC Science/Nature - VIEWPOINT - Matt Prescott - "Sex sells" is the mantra of advertisers, but our fixation with status symbols and material wealth is undermining our efforts to tackle climate change, argues Matt Prescott. In this week's Green Room, he outlines how he thinks we can love ourselves and the planet. - 16 July 2007.

Focus on carbon 'missing the point' - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6922065.stm - The focus on reducing carbon emissions has blinded us to the real problem - unsustainable lifestyles, says Eamon O'Hara. In this week's Green Room, he argues that bigger problems await us unless we shift our efforts. - VIEWPOINT - Eamon O'Hara - 30 July 2007.

Forests to fall for food and fuel - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7503304.stm - By Richard Black Environment correspondent, BBC News website - Demand for land to grow food, fuel crops and wood is set to outstrip supply, leading to the probable destruction of forests, a report warns. - The Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) says only half of the extra land needed by 2030 is available without eating into tropical forested areas.- A companion report documents poor progress in reforming land ownership and governance in developing countries. - Both reports will be launched on Monday in UK government offices in London. - 13 July 2008.

Funds freed up for UK innovation - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7085131.stm - UK pioneers of research into new materials, green energy and future communications will share a £100m government fund to back innovation. - 8 November 2007.

Galileo Masters - http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/003706.html - World Changing - Another World is Here - Trackerback - "With the sub-metre accuracy of Galileo, you'd even know how high off the ground that consignment of tyres was," [the inventor, Richard White] said. "You'd know instantly if it had been dumped over a hedge rather being taken to the reprocessing plant." - Jamais Cascio November 2, 2005.

Germany leads 'clean coal' pilot - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7584151.stm - BBC Science/Technology News - By Roger Harrabin Environment analyst, BBC News, Germany - Beneath the gargantuan grey boiler towers of Schwarze Pumpe power station which pierce the skies of northern Germany, a Lilliputian puzzle of metal boxes and shining canisters is about to mark a moment of industrial history. - This mini power plant is a pilot project for carbon capture and storage (CCS) - the first coal-fired plant in the world ready to capture and store its own CO2 emissions. - Next week the pilot - an oxyfuel boiler - will be formally commissioned. - 3 September 2008.

Germany leads 'clean coal' pilot - Explanation - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7584162.stm - BBC News has been given exclusive access to the world's first coal-fired power plant to integrate carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology into a pilot-scale site. - Below, Philippe Paelinck, Director of CO2 for energy company Alstom, takes you on a guided tour of the 30-megawatt plant at Schwarze Pumpe, Germany. - Video tour - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7584155.stm - How it works - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7586569.stm - 3 September 2008.

BBC - How it works

BBC - Tech option 2

BBC - Tech option 3

BBC - BBC - Carbon burial - Geological Options for CO2 Storage

Giant trees 'to clear excess CO2' - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7429562.stm - The scientist who coined the term "global warming" in the 1970s has proposed a radical solution to the problem of climate change. - Wallace Broecker advocated millions of "carbon scrubbers" - giant artificial trees to pull CO2 from the air. - Dr Broecker told the Hay literary festival in Powys: "We've got an extremely serious problem." - BBC Science/Nature - 31 May 2008.

Global IT sector 'needs strong Kyoto' - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7288316.stm - By Mark Kinver Science and nature reporter, BBC News - The global IT sector needs a strong post-2012 Kyoto climate deal if it is going to deliver big carbon savings, a senior businessman has suggested. - IBM's climate change programme chairman Graham Whitney said globally binding targets were needed to ensure companies made "investments in significant ways". - 19 March 2008.

Gone with the wind on 'kite ship' - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7205217.stm - BBC News, Bremerhaven, northern Germany - Once the ship (MS Beluga SkySails) has reached the open sea, it reveals its brand new weapon in the fight against global warming - a kite. - 23 January 2008.

Gore challenges US to ditch oil - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7513002.stm - BBC Science/Technology - The Nobel laureate and former US vice- president, Al Gore, has urged Americans to abandon electricity generated by fossil fuels within a decade. - Mr Gore compared the scale of the challenge to that of putting a man on the moon in the 1960s. - He said it did not make sense that the US was borrowing money from China to burn oil from the Middle East which then contributed to climate change. - Critics say weaning the US off fossil fuels is not possible within a decade. - 18 July 2008.

Green energy plans to be outlined - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7474592.stm - BBC Science/Technology - Proposals on renewable energy aimed at meeting EU climate change targets and securing the UK's future supply are to be unveiled by the government later. - More wind turbines and solar panels are expected to be signalled as ministers aim for 15% renewable power by 2020. - Less than 5% of Britain's electricity currently comes from green sources. - Environmental groups have hailed the strategy but say past promises have not been met and some industry groups have expressed caution over its timetable. - 26 June 2008.

BBC News - The number of wind turbines could be increased under the plans

Green energy push planned for UK - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7467336.stm - BBC Science/Technology news - As many as a quarter of British homes could be fitted with solar heating panels under new government plans for a "green revolution". - Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the new proposals are "the most ambitious" such strategy that Britain has seen. - 21 June 2008.

BBC News - Solar panels for domestic use are already becoming popular

Green is the new gold in IT world - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7436974.stm - By Maggie Shiels Technology reporter, BBC News, Silicon Valley - Hi-tech companies are competing on a new front - to become the greenest business. - A year after pledging to become the greenest company on the planet, computer maker Dell has introduced measures aimed at claiming the "green crown". - But there's no shortage of environmental monitors making sure corporate boasting isn't little more than window dressing. - 12 June 2008.

Green light for massive wind farm - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7517176.stm - BBC Science/Technology News - Plans to build Europe's largest onshore wind farm in South Lanarkshire have been approved by Scottish ministers. - The 152-turbine Clyde wind farm near Abington, will be capable of powering up to 320,000 homes. - The £600m scheme from Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) is expected to create 200 jobs during construction, with 30 staff employed on completion. - 21 July 2008.

Green Power Stations are no Pipe Dream - http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/InTheNews/GreenPowerStationsAreNoPipeDream.htm - EPSRC research in the news (Sky News 3 August 2007) - Sky News, Science Daily, Tyne Tees TV and BBC Radio Newcastle are just some of the media outlets that are highlighting EPSRC funded research at Newcastle University that could cut greenhouse gas emissions from power stations.

Green tech in 'Formula Zero' race - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7581839.stm - The world's first international hydrogen-powered motorsport race was held in Rotterdam this weekend. - Dubbed the Formula Zero championship, the contest pitted teams from five countries against each other in a zero-emissions go-kart race. - Each team's entry was powered by a commercial fuel cell that produces electricity from hydrogen. - A Dutch team won the endurance event, while a Spanish team clinched the award for fastest lap. - 26 August 2008.

Harnessing off-shore wind - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7390996.stm - John Moylan visits a wind farm off the coast of north east England to see how it could help with the UK's energy needs. - BBC Science/Technology - 8 May 2008.

Harvesting Solar Power from Space - Universe Today - Written by Ian O'Neill - In a new report, the viability of sending solar panels into space to collect a vast quantity of uninterrupted energy has been re-investigated. Although the idea has been around since the 1970's, space solar power has always been viewed as prohibitively expensive. In the current energy climate down here on Earth with spiralling oil prices and a massive push toward green energy sources, sending massive solar arrays into geosynchronous orbit doesn't seem like such a strange (or expensive) idea. There are many obstacles in the way of this plan, but the international community is becoming more interested, and whoever is first to set up an orbital array will have a flexible and unlimited energy resource... - June 1st, 2008.

Universe Today - Harvesting Solar Power from Space

Homes to get free energy monitors - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6550361.stm - Mark Kinver - 16 April 2007.

Honda makes first hydrogen cars - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7456141.stm - Japanese car manufacturer Honda has begun the first commercial production of a zero-emission, hydrogen fuel-cell powered vehicle. - The four-seater, called FCX Clarity, runs on electricity produced by combining hydrogen with oxygen, and emits water vapour. - Honda claims the vehicle offers three times better fuel efficiency than a traditional, petrol-powered car. - 16 June 2008.

Humans 'affect global rainfall' - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6912527.stm - Human-induced climate change has affected global rainfall patterns over the 20th Century, a study suggests. - BBC Science/Nature - 23 July 2007.

In search of a green machine - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/click_online/7306516.stm - By David Reid Reporter, BBC Click - What use is saving trees if the very technology that made it possible to go paperless is shipped across continents, non-recyclable and so power-hungry it has a carbon footprint the size of a bear? - Tackling the power-hungry office was a theme at Cebit - At the German tech fair Cebit, the emphasis was very firmly on energy conservation: getting the most out of what you put in. - 21 March 2008.

Investors urge action on climate change - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7004372.stm - US President Bill Clinton will be taking a leaf out of his political ally Al Gore's book on Monday as he takes part in a the New York launch of a major study of large, global corporations' attitudes to climate change. - By Jorn Madslien - Business reporter, BBC News - 23 September 2007.

Is extreme weather due to climate change? - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6915309.stm - With parts of Europe baking in a heatwave, while parts of England are experiencing their worst flooding for 60 years, it is tempting to ascribe this extreme weather to climate change. - 25 July 2007.

IUS Select Committee evidence session - Renewable electricity-generation technologies 10-01-08 - Professor John Wilson, IoP; John Loughhead, UKERC; Dr Gordon Edge, BWEA; Philip Wolfe, REA; and Professor Dave Delpy, EPSRC, will give evidence.

Lovelock urges ocean climate fix - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7014503.stm - Two of Britain's leading environmental thinkers say it is time to develop a quick technical fix for climate change. - Richard Black - Environment correspondent, BBC News website - 26 September 2007.

Making energy from waves - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7535307.stm - BBC Science/Technology - A wave turbine on the Scottish island of Islay is now generating electricity. - Mounted on land, its developers say it is a first of its kind, harnessing the energy from waves to blast air down the turbine. - Craig Anderson has seen it in action. - 31 July 2008.

Massive wind farm 'turned down' - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7208991.stm - Plans to build one of Europe's biggest wind farms on the Isle of Lewis are set to be turned down, BBC Scotland understands. - BBC News - 25 January 2008.

Models 'key to climate forecasts' - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6320515.stm - BBC Science/Nature - By Dr Vicky Pope - UK Met Office's Hadley Centre - The state of the Earth's atmosphere is influenced by many factors - The only way to predict the day-to-day weather and changes to the climate over longer timescales is to use computer models. - 2 February 2007.

MPs' concerns over UK carbon plan - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7056238.stm - MPs have asked the government to provide evidence that the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) is helping cut the UK's greenhouse gas emissions. - 22 October 2007.

MPs criticise government over CO2 - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7504121.stm - BBC Science/Nature - The government has made "very poor progress" on reaching its own carbon emissions-cutting targets, MPs say. - Ministers want departments and agencies to reduce emissions by 12.5% by 2010/11 compared with 1999/2000 levels - and to be carbon-neutral by 2012. - But the influential environment audit committee said a cut of just 4% had been achieved by 2006/07. - Chairman Tim Yeo said this damaged the government's "moral authority" on environmental issues. - 14 July 2008.

New study for Severn energy plan - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7013068.stm - The government has announced a fresh feasibility study into the Severn Barrage, a tidal power plan that could provide about 5% of UK electricity. - 25 September 2007.

New turbine to harness wave power - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7532510.stm - BBC Science/Technology - A turbine designed to be the forerunner of the UK's first commercial wave power station has been officially switched on in Argyll and Bute. - The device on Islay was set in motion by Scottish Energy Minister and local MSP Jim Mather. - Inverness-based Wavegen plans to install 40 of the turbines off Siader on Lewis in the Western Isles. - It would produce enough power for 1,500 homes and create a much-needed breakwater for boats. - 30 July 2008.

Nuclear's CO2 cost 'will climb' - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7371645.stm - By Paul Rincon Science reporter, BBC News - The case for nuclear power as a low carbon energy source to replace fossil fuels has been challenged in a new report by Australian academics. - It suggests greenhouse emissions from the mining of uranium - on which nuclear power relies - are on the rise. - Availability of high-grade uranium ore is set to decline with time, it says, making the fuel less environmentally friendly and more costly to extract. - The findings appear in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. - 30 April 2008.

Ozone has 'strong climate effect' - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6916162.stm - Ozone could be a much more important driver of climate change than scientists had previously predicted, according to a study in Nature journal. - By Paul Rincon Science reporter, BBC News - 25 July 2007.

Planemakers confront green issues - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6223834.stm - BBC Technology News - Carbon dioxide emissions from aircraft are a significant and growing contributor to harmful global warming. It is time for the industry to sort it out, says Scott Carson, chief executive of Boeing's commercial planes division. By Jorn Madslien - Business reporter, BBC News, Paris air show - 21 June 2007.

Planet Mechanics - Air Propelled Sandwich - http://natgeochannel.co.uk/Programmes/EpisodeGuide.aspx?Id=670 - Next Showing: Monday 14 April 2008 at 12pm - Eco-engineers Dick and Jem travel to Bath, England to create an eco-friendly delivery vehicle for a sandwich shop owner. Will Dick and Jem's air-propelled motorbike pass government inspection. - Bristol Observer April 10th 2008 - "You can ride this moped and go by air - A Bristol University aeronautics graduate has invented what he believes is the first motorcycle in the world to be powered by fresh air. - The ground-breaking machine could revolutionise the way we travel in towns and cities, according to its inventor and TV presenter Jem Stansfield.

Plug-in hybrid boosts electric motoring - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7608570.stm - By Jorn Madslien Business reporter, BBC News - Toyota has launched trials of the UK's first petrol-electric hybrid car that can also be plugged into the mains. Soon drivers should be able to chose between the petrol pump and the electric socket to power one and the same car. - 10 September 2008.

Pointers to a low-carbon future - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6686161.stm - By Roger Harrabin BBC News environment analyst - Three over-arching policy documents this week lay out the government's vision for a competitive, resource-efficient, low-carbon economy - 24 May 2007.

Power firms 'can lease sea bed' - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/7607050.stm - Sections of Scotland's sea bed are to be leased to developers who want to generate electricity from the tides, BBC Scotland understands. - The Crown Estate, which owns the sea bed, is expected to begin the leasing process within weeks. - A quarter of Europe's marine energy potential is believed to lie around Scotland's shores. - 9 September 2008.

Power-hungry IT firms change focus - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7307661.stm - By Clare Davidson - Business reporter, BBC News - Vapour trails across the sky makes pollution from planes highly visible. Not so the pollution from the computer industry. - Yet the information and communications technology industry - or ICT - is responsible for the same amount of carbon dioxide emissions as those from planes. - Each year, both sectors emit 2% of total CO2 emissions, though there are signs that the ICT industry is changing. - "In fact, there has been a radical shift in the industry," insists Randy Allen, a vice-president at computer chip firm AMD. - 11 May 2008.

Property plan's 'low carbon' goal - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7288320.stm - By Mark Kinver Science and nature reporter, BBC News - Improving the environmental performance of buildings in North America can cut the region's carbon emissions more than any other measure, a study suggests. - 14 March 2008.

Quick guide: Carbon footprints - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6665523.stm - Economic development in much of the world has entailed burning fossil fuels on an industrial scale. - 3 June 2007.

Renewables delivery under attack - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7222767.stm - By Benjamin Chesterton - Costing The Earth, BBC Radio 4 - The UK government's record on delivering renewable energy is under attack. - Energy regulator, Ofgem, says the main mechanism for delivering green energy to the national grid is not working. - It also told BBC Radio 4's Costing The Earth programme that it believes the government is not listening to its calls for change. - 1 February 2008.

Renewables mandate 'undermined' - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7522667.stm - By Roger Harrabin BBC environment analyst - The UK's business department, BERR, has been accused of trying to sabotage Europe's rules on renewable energy. - BERR is trying to change a line in an EU Directive which mandates that energy sources such as wind and wave should get priority connections to the grid. - Problems with getting electricity grid connection to windy sites is one of the biggest reasons for the UK failing on its current renewables targets. - 23 July 2008.

Scheme to cut 'carbon footprint' - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6165576.stm - BBC News - Science Nature - 1 November 2006 - A scheme designed to help companies measure the total amount of carbon emissions from their goods and services has been launched by the Carbon Trust.

Science for Environment Policy - EUROPA - http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/themes_en.html - Environment News Alert Service Archive - This website is designed to promote new, timely and relevant information for environmental policy making.

Science for Environment Policy - EUROPA - Archive - http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/themes_en.html - Welcome to DG Environment News Alert on new scientific evidence !

Science for Environment Policy - EUROPA - Brochure - http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/brochure.pdf - Science for Environment Policy - DG Environment News Alert Service Archive - Modern and effective environment policy needs to be based on the latest scientific findings. Yet research results are not always fully reflected in policy-making. - To strengthen the links between science and policy, DG Environment of the European Commission has launched Science for Environment Policy, a weekly service of news alerts on new scientific findings in the field of top priority environmental issues.

Science for Environment Policy - EUROPA - Research - http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/research_en.htm - Environment and Research - Research and Development can help us to better understand our environment and develop solutions to many of our existing problems. An important challenge for environmental policy is therefore to make best use of research results and new scientific findings in policy development and implementation.

Severn barrage details unveiled - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7202413.stm - Details of a feasibility study into the Severn Barrage, a tidal power plan that could provide about 5% of UK electricity, have been announced .- BBC News Website - 22 January 2008.

Severn tidal 'fence' idea floated - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7467336.stm - BBC Science/Technology news - Plans for an alternative tidal energy project to a £15bn Severn barrage have been put forward by opponents. - Those behind the idea say it will allow shipping to move freely and keep ports at Cardiff and Bristol open and provide a balance with wildlife concerns. - Severn Tidal Fence group (STF) includes engineering groups Amec and BMT and Edinburgh University. - 16 July 2008.

BBC News - The tidal fence is designed to allow shipping to pass through.

Ships on legs - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7206780.stm - By Giancarlo Rinaldi - BBC Scotland - Rising from stormy seas, the giant turbine towers of an offshore wind farm seem almost miraculous to the untrained eye. But how do you put them there? - Most boats do not have legs. But a jack-up barge has six, protruding high into the air when the ship is in transit. - 30 January 2008.

Smart directions for green ideas - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4394080.stm - BBC News - Science Nature - 2 November 2005 - Jonathan Amos.

Society depends on more for less - BBC News website VIEWPOINT Sir Mark Moody-Stuart - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7218002.stm - If the world is to end the threat from climate change, we need to produce more with less energy, says Mark Moody Stuart. In this week's Green Room, he outlines his vision that will help society fulfil this goal. - 4 February 2008.

Solar dyes give a guiding light By Matt McGrath BBC science correspondent - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7501476.stm - A new way of capturing the energy from the Sun could increase the power generated by solar panels tenfold, a team of American scientists has shown. - The new technique involves coating glass with a specific mixture of transparent dyes which redirect light to photovoltaic cells in the frame. - The technology, outlined in the journal Science, could be used to convert glass buildings into vast energy plants. - The technology could be in production within three years, the team said. - BBC Science/Technology - 11 July 2008.

BBC Science/Nature - Current solar plants need large mobile mirrors to produce energy - Image

BBC Science/Nature - HOW NEW SOLAR PANEL TECHNOLOGY WORKS - Diagram

1. First solar concentrator coated with transparent dyes absorbs sunlight and transmits it to glass panel edge

2. High voltage solar cells on edge of glass capture sunlight.

3. Low voltage solar cells trap light escaping through first panel.

4. The first panel can also be used alone as a window pane. In the future, glass buildings could produce their own electrical energy.

South West of England Regional Development Agency (SWERDA) - Discovering Bristol Science City - http://www.southwestrda.org.uk/news/release.asp?ReleaseID=1839 - 2nd February 2007.

Sustainable power generation in microbial fuel cells - Science for Environmental Policy - http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/93na6.pdf - A more efficient, cheaper and cleaner way to produce electricity and treat wastewater using microbial fuel cells (MFCs) is on the horizon. Research suggests that by changing the solution used in the fuel cell it is possible to increase power output and conductivity. MFCs are essentially clean energy 'batteries' in which bacteria consume organic waste, releasing chemical energy that is converted into electrical energy and clean water. - 24 January 2007.

Tesco to run fleet on green fuel - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6187653.stm - BBC News - 17 December 2006.

BBC Science/Nature - Ten-year climate model unveiled

Ten-year climate model unveiled - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6939347.stm - BBC News - 9th August 2007 - Scientists say they have developed a model to predict how ocean currents, as well as human activities, will affect temperatures over the next decade.

The birth of a quieter, greener plane - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6113418.stm - BBC Business News - 6 November 2006.

The ebb and flow of tidal power - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7449284.stm - BBC Science/Technology - By Mark Kinver Science and nature reporter, BBC News - In January, the UK government and Welsh Assembly launched a two-year feasibility study into the possibility of harnessing tidal energy in the Severn estuary in order to generate electricity. It has the second largest tidal range in the world, which could be used to meet up to 5% of the UK's electricity needs. - Two forms of technology are being assessed by the study: tidal barrages and tidal lagoons. - 12 June 2008.

BBC Science/Nature - Severn Barrages and Lagoons

BBC Science/Nature - Tidal Lagoons - How they generate electricity

The final frontier for solar energy - BBC Science/Technology News - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7131617.stm - Scientists are assessing the possibility of embarking on a space engineering project that would eclipse the effort to construct the International Space Station. - By Judith Burns - Science producer, BBC News - 7 December 2007.

The healing power of computers - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7396041.stm - BBC Science/Technology - Smart thinking about green computing could make a big impact, says Bill Thompson. - Like every other product of the advanced manufacturing capabilities of a long-industrialised society the computers that surround us - and, for the pacemaker wearers among us, that we have taken into our bodies - carry an environmental cost. - Silicon may be cheap, but turning it into processors requires vast amounts of energy, clean water and many potentially toxic chemicals. - 12 May 2008.

The man making 'wind bags' - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nottinghamshire/7315059.stm - By Brady Haran BBC News - Seamus Garvey wants to "store the wind". - He believes the future of energy is storing it as compressed air in giant bags under the sea. - And a major power company has invested in the scheme. - Professor Garvey, a long-time proponent of compressed air, feels vindicated by the research grant. - 26 March 2008.

The Northwest Passage is Open, and That's Not a Good Thing - http://www.universetoday.com/2007/09/18/the-northwest-passage-is-open-and-thats-not-a-good-thing/ - Universe Today - 18 September 2007 - Plain sailing on the Northwest Passage - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6999078.stm - BBC News - Kathryn Westcott - 19 September 2007 - Ice withdrawal 'shatters record' - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7006640.stm - Arctic sea ice shrank to the smallest area on record this year, US scientists have confirmed. BBC News 21 September 2007.

The Severn Barrage - Definition Study for a New Appraisal of the Project - http://www.dti.gov.uk/files/file15363.pdf - DTI - Final Report: January 2002.

The Timeline For 21st Century "Climate Change Events" - http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2007/07/the-timeline-fo.html - July 17, 2007 - The Daily Galaxy - Earlier this year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), reported that there is a 90 percent likelihood that humans are significantly contributing to the change. Scientist Stephen Hawking described climate as a greater threat to the planet than terrorism.

The Truth About Denial - By Sharon Begley - Newsweek - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20122975/site/newsweek/#storyContinued - Aug. 13, 2007 issue - Sen. Barbara Boxer had been chair of the Senate's Environment Committee for less than a month when the verdict landed last February. "Warming of the climate system is unequivocal," concluded a report by 600 scientists from governments, academia, green groups and businesses in 40 countries.

The wrong way to a warmer world? - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/analysis/7328634.stm - BBC Radio 4's Analysis: The wrong way to a warmer world? will be broadcast on Thursday, 3rd April 2008 at 20:30 and repeated on Sunday 6th April at 21.30 BST. - Mitigation and adaptation. Two words we're going to have to get used to in the latest battle over climate change. - Over the past few years the key debate has been about the science - is the world really hotting up and, if so, are humans responsible? - There's still a minority of sceptics who question the idea of man-made global warming. The consensus, though, is that the earth is getting warmer - and that humans have helped turn up the thermostat. - The new debate that's splitting scientists, economists and politicians is not about whether the world is getting hotter but about how we should respond.

Tidal Power - Sustainable Development Commision - http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/ - The UK's outstanding tidal resources could provide at least 10% of the country’s electricity. The Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) has carried out a comprehensive study of tidal power in the UK, including an evaluation of proposals for a Severn barrage. Our report, 'Tidal Power in the UK', includes a series of recommendations to Government on how to develop our tidal resource, and emerging tidal technologies, to provide secure, low carbon electricity for the long term..

Time for the IT crowd to go green - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7010539.stm - Despite the many benefits they bring, society's growing dependence on computers is taking its toll on the environment, says Steve Nunn. In this week's Green Room, he calls for a "strategic shift" in mindsets to curb IT's growing impacts. - VIEWPOINT - Steve Nunn BBC Science/Nature - 24 September 2007.

Time to encourage biomass growth - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7530794.stm - BBC Science/Nature - VIEWPOINT David Williams Biomass energy is being touted as a key player in the push to green Europe's electricity supplies, says David Williams. In this week's Green Room, he argues that although there are promising signs, more needs to be done to encourage large-scale developments. - 29 July 2008.

Times Online - Environment News - http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/.

Tougher carbon targets law urged - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6928084.stm - The government's proposals to tackle climate change need to be tougher and legally enforceable, say MPs and peers. - August 2007.

TrackerBack - Galileo - http://userdrivenmodelling.blogspot.com/2006/01/trackerback-galileo.html - This is an excellent project idea, and won the Galileo Masters 2005 competition for best UK entry.

Turning off the digital world - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6183259.stm - The increasing energy demands of the digital world need to be addressed if we are to avoid severe global warming, argues regular commentator Bill Thompson.

Turning the Tide, Tidal Power in the UK - Sustainable Development Commision - http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/publications.php?id=607 - If fully exploited, tidal power has the potential to generate 10% of the UK's electricity. This report examines in-depth the propositon for a Severn Barrage and also the possible application of tidal range, tidal stream and tidal lagoon technologies at other sites around the UK.

UK aerospace companies achieve 19% reduction in energy use - http://www.weaf.co.uk/news - West of England Aerospace Forum (WEAF) News - September 20th 2007.

UK forecasts to zoom in on towns - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6917519.stm - Weather forecasters will soon be able to zoom in on regions that are the size of a town, UK meteorologists have said. - BBC Science News - 26 July 2007.

UK homes urged to 'leave it off' - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7209817.stm - By Richard Black - Environment correspondent, BBC News website - Britons are being asked to "leave it off" later this month, to show that cutting home energy use can have an impact on climate change. - During E-Day, which begins on 27 February, people will be asked to switch off electrical items not in use. - The National Grid will assess what difference it makes to electricity consumption, and power companies will offer support for home insulation. - 5 February 2008 - e-day - http://www.e-day.org.uk/.

UK in 'delusion' over emissions - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7536421.stm - By Roger Harrabin BBC environment analyst - The UK has been living under a delusion over its claim to be cutting greenhouse gases, according to two reports that will shake the climate change debate. - They show that instead of falling since the 1990s, UK greenhouse emissions have been growing in line with the economy. - This is dependent on emissions from aviation, shipping and imported goods being counted. - At the moment they are excluded under the internationally-agreed system for carbon accounts. - Both reports are from the respected Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) based at the University of York. - 31 July 2008.

UK 'may miss 2020 target for CO2' - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6959589.stm - Further promises by the UK government to meet greenhouse gas targets look unlikely to be met, a think tank says. Cambridge Econometrics was one of the first to forecast that the government would miss its target to cut CO2 by 20% for 2010. - By Roger Harrabin - BBC environment analyst - 23 August 2007.

UK plans big wind power expansion - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7474592.stm - BBC Science/Technology - Thousands of new wind turbines could be built across the UK over the coming decade as part of a £100bn plan to boost renewable energy. - Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the UK should be a leader in renewable energy. - But he warned it would not come from "business as usual" and he called for a national debate on achieving the UK's target of 15% renewable energy by 2020. - 26 June 2008.

UK renewables policy 'inadequate' - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7463427.stm - BBC News - The UK government is unlikely to meet its target of 10% of electricity being generated by renewable sources by 2010, a committee of MPs has warned. - The Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Select Committee called the policy inadequate and was disappointed by an apparent "lack of urgency". - It added that the wait for planning consent was "too lengthy", and access to the national grid was "too limited". - 19 June 2008.

BBC Science/Nature - UK renewables policy 'inadequate'

UK set for 15% renewables target - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7195420.stm - By Roger Harrabin - Environment analyst, BBC News - The EU wants to create a low-carbon economy across Europe - The European Union is expected to tell the UK that 15% of energy needs must be met from renewable sources by 2020. - 18 January 2008.

UK 'to ignore' EU pollution plea - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7204294.stm - By Roger Harrabin BBC Environment Analyst - The government will ignore a plea from the EU to create a clean technology fund from a levy on pollution, BBC News has learned. - Instead the UK wants to divert the proceeds of the levy - which could stretch to £1bn a year - into general Treasury funds. - It will mean that all UK energy users, including households, will pay part of their energy bills to the Treasury. - Wednesday, 23 January 2008.

UK's first emissions zone begins - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7225527.stm - BBC News Website - The most heavily polluting lorries are facing charges of £200 per day to enter Greater London as Britain's first low emission zone (LEZ) comes into force. - The £49m scheme uses cameras to check all lorries over 12-tonnes entering the zone against a database of vehicles certified as meeting EU exhaust limits. - 4 February 2008.

'Unexpected growth' in CO2 found - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7058074.stm - Carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere have risen 35% faster than expected since 2000, says a study. - BBC Science - 23 October 2007.

Universe Today - Be A Carbon Hero - Written by Nancy Atkinson - NASA is quite proud of its 'spinoffs', technology developed for NASA’s needs in space needs that in turn contribute to commercial innovations that improve life here on Earth. And rightly so. Just as a quick example, improvements in spacesuits have led to better protection for firefighters, scuba divers and people working in cold weather. But the list of NASA spinoffs is quite extensive. - Just like NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) has a Technology Transfer office to help inventors and businesses use space technology for non-space applications. The latest invention touted as an ESA spinoff is a small hand-held device called a Carbon Hero that might help make people more aware of the carbon footprint they are leaving behind due to vehicle emissions. - February 25th, 2008. - ESA Technology Transfer Programme - ESA Press Release - Tracking your carbon footprint.

Universe Today - Hanson: Earth at Crisis Point - Written by Nancy Atkinson - NASA's lead climate scientist says Earth has reached a "tipping point" in the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere at 385 parts per million. But James Hanson, director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies believes there are ways to solve the problems of excess greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. Hanson submitted a paper to Science magazine today, which outlines a plan for phasing out all coal-fired plants by 2030 and taxing their emissions, as well as banning the building of any new plants unless they are designed to trap and segregate the carbon dioxide they emit. - April 7th, 2008.

Universe Today - Wind Power From the Ocean (With Help from Space) - Written by Nancy Atkinson - drive regularly through Iowa and southern Minnesota in the US, and over the past few years wind farms have been popping up in that region up almost faster than corn grows. These massive wind turbines are awesome to see. But there may be an even better location for future wind farms than the breezy plains of the central United States: our oceans. Experts say ocean winds blow harder and with more reliable consistency than wind on land, which more than offsets the greater cost of building windmills offshore. Efforts to harness the energy potential of Earth's ocean winds could soon gain an important new tool: global satellite maps from NASA. Scientists have been creating maps using nearly a decade of data from NASA's QuikSCAT satellite that reveal ocean areas where winds could produce wind energy. - July 9th, 2008.

Wind Power From the Ocean (With Help from Space) - Ocean Wind Turbines - Source Universe Today

Unravelling the sceptics - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7081026.stm - By Richard Black - Environment correspondent, BBC News website - Deciphering the positions of climate sceptics can be a puzzle - What do "climate sceptics" believe? - 12 November 2007.

Virtual Environmental Planning Project (VEPs) - http://www.veps3d.org/site/242.asp - The Virtual Environmental Planning Project (VEPs) is developing web applications to help people view, comment on and understand the environmental issues associated with proposed planning developments and help them to participate more fully in the planning process. - Demonstrations of the technology are freely accessible online providing an opportunity for people to test the technology and have a say in how it might develop. - VEPs is for anyone interested in the planning process including the general public, planning aid volunteers, politicians and planning officers.

Waste wood could be converted to electricity cost effectively - Science for Environmental Policy - http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/93na1.pdf - Waste wood from forest management programmes can be economically converted to renewable electricity and fuels, while at the same time having a positive environmental benefit. Researchers in the USA used lifecycle assessment tools to quantify the potential risks and benefits to the environment associated with forest remediation, a form of forest management. - 24 January 2007.

What's Your Environmental Footprint? - http://www.livescience.com/triviagreenerfuture/ - LiveScience.com - LiveScience QuizWhat's Your Environmental Footprint?.

When the wind doesn't blow - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7598212.stm - By Simon Cox BBC News - By 2020, more than a third of Britain's electricity will be generated by wind power, according to government plans. But what happens on calm days? - On a clear summer's day the Horns Rev wind farm off the coast of Denmark could almost double as a tourist attraction. Watching the rows of 200 foot white steel turbines turning gently in the wind, occasionally catching the afternoon sun is beautiful, almost hypnotic.

Where weather means energy - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6685509.stm - BBC News 23 May 2007 - Sarah Mukherjee BBC environment correspondent.

Whitehall bid to cut IT emissions - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7511056.stm - BBC News - The government hopes to be the first in the world to make its computer system "carbon neutral". - The Cabinet Office hopes measures like switching off computers at night and making sure servers do not stand idle will save 117,500 tonnes of carbon. - Computer systems generate up to 20% of all carbon produced by government. - The environmental audit committee has warned that the government is "lagging behind" its own emissions targets and IT systems are among factors to blame. - The British government says it wants to be the first in the world to make its computer system's energy output "carbon neutral" - through a combination of reducing energy use and offsetting schemes - such as buying carbon credits. - 17 July 2008.

Wind 'could power all UK homes' - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7135930.stm - BBC News - All UK homes could be powered by offshore wind farms by 2020 as part of the fight against climate change, under plans unveiled by John Hutton. - 10 December 2007.

Wind turbine-maker powers ahead - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7562847.stm - BBC Business - A surge in demand for renewable energy has led to a large order backlog for the world's biggest wind turbine-maker, Vestas Wind Systems. - 15 August 2008.

Zero carbon goal needs firm foundation - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7262747.stm - VIEWPOINT - Imtiaz Farookhi - There is no "magic bullet" solution when it comes to meeting the UK government's ambitious target of making new homes "zero-carbon" by 2016, says Imtiaz Farookhi. In this week's Green Room, he argues that poor use of technology will be just as bad as doing nothing at all. - 25 February 2008.

Biofuels

Airline in first biofuel flight - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7261214.stm - BBC News Science/Technology - The first flight by a commercial airline to be powered partly by biofuel is to take off from London. - Billed as a green fuel breakthrough, the Virgin Atlantic flight to Amsterdam will not have any passengers on board. - Earlier this month, Airbus used the world's largest passenger jet, the A380 to flight test another alternative fuel - a synthetic mix of gas-to-liquid. - 24 February 2008.

Biofuel trial flight set for 747 - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7017694.stm - Air New Zealand says it plans to mount the first test flight of a commercial airliner partially powered by biofuel. - By Richard Black - Environment correspondent, BBC News website - BBC Science/Technology News - 28 September 2007.

Biofuel use 'increasing poverty' - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7472532.stm - The replacement of traditional fuels with biofuels has dragged more than 30 million people worldwide into poverty, an aid agency report says. - Oxfam says so-called green policies in developed countries are contributing to the world's soaring food prices, which hit the poor hardest. - The group also says biofuels will do nothing to combat climate change. - 25 June 2008.

Biofuels - A solution for a low carbon future? - Thursday 28th February at 7.00pm - BAWA Pavilion, Southmead Road, Bristol - In association with the RSC & SCI. - Dr Stuart Shales - University of the West of England

Biofuels 'are not a magic bullet' - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7187361.stm - By Richard Black Environment correspondent, BBC News website - Biofuels may play a role in curbing climate change, says Britain's Royal Society, but may create environmental problems unless implemented with care. - 14 January 2008.

Biofuels: bad for the environment? - http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/markmardell/ - BBC - Mark Mardell - There's a warning from one of Britain's experts on cars and climate change that legally binding European Union targets aimed at increasing the use of biofuels could actually make the problem of global warming worse. - But she says the law cutting carbon dioxide from cars should bite sooner, rather than give car makers the time they want to adapt. - Professor Julia King, the woman tasked by Gordon Brown with producing a report on the action needed to cut carbon dioxide emissions from cars, has been in Brussels giving a seminar for "West Midlands in Europe". - 29 Apr 08.

Biofuels 'need strict standards' - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7259593.stm - By Tim Hirsch Environment reporter, Brasilia - Biofuels should only be produced if they meet strict environmental standards, an international group of lawmakers have concluded. - The legislators said the fuels also had to deliver significant savings of greenhouse gas emissions. - 22 February 2008.

Biofuels - Research Writing Assignment - Are Biofuels Good or Bad for the Environment? - Word Document - Biofuels may have an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which lead to global warming and in a more general reduction of pollution. For chemical fuels, biofuels are currently the only realistic alternative to oil based varieties, and in the UK 25% of energy emissions result from such fuels being used for the transport sector (The Royal Society, 2008: 1). Of course oil based fuels are also used for energy in other sectors. The Royal Society reports biofuels may be regarded as part of the solution to these environmental problems. However, what part each individual biofuel takes needs to be assessed. - Whether biofuels are a solution depends on which types of biofuels and methods of production are used and judged most appropriate in providing environmental benefits in the most economical way. The Royal Society report (2008: 1) argues for the importance of biofuels in environmental mitigation but hedges this by explaining that biofuels cover a wide range of crops and production processes, that environmental and economic aspects of the complete ‘life-cycle’ must be considered, and that environmental and social aspects of land use must also be considered. The Royal Society report explains, however, that land use is an issue for all food or fuel crops (page 62). The report explains that each biofuel must be judged individually, that the environmental effect of the whole life-cycle of production and use must be taken into account, land use and the balance between biofuel production, agriculture, water, biodiversity, and the environment in general must be examined, and global effects must be addressed not just local effects.

Brazil defends biofuel's merits - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7528323.stm - By Gary Duffy BBC News, Sao Paulo - At the busy Sao Manoel ethanol plant, three hours drive from the city of Sao Paulo, the noise from the churning machinery seems relentless. - Truckloads of sugar cane arrive from the nearby fields, some cut down by hand, some - in a sign of things to come - removed by machine. - From sugar cane fields to the garages of Brazil, doubts about biofuels in other parts of the world have not visibly slowed the process here. - Marcus Jank, president of the Sugar Cane Producers Association believes ethanol from sugar cane brings environmental and economic benefits. - 28 July 2008.

Call for delay to biofuels policy - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7309099.stm - BBC Science/Nature - By Roger Harrabin BBC Environment Analyst - The UK's chief environment scientist has called for a delay to a policy demanding inclusion of biofuels into fuel at pumps across the UK. - Professor Robert Watson said ministers should await the results of their inquiry into biofuels' sustainability. - Some scientists think biofuels' carbon benefits may be currently outweighed by negative effects from their production. - 24 March 2008.

Call to abandon biofuels targets - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7199073.stm - The EU should abandon its biofuels targets because they are damaging the environment, a committee of MPs says. - By Roger Harrabin - BBC Environment Analyst - 21 January 2008.

Concern over small biomass option - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7401099.stm - By Mark Kinver Science and nature reporter, BBC News - Small-scale biomass power plants can have a greater environmental impact than other renewables, a study says. - UK researchers found that although the facilities offered carbon savings, they produced more pollutants per unit of electricity than larger biomass plants. - They suggested the way the feedstock was transported produced proportionally more pollutants than larger sites. - 16 May 2008.

Costing the Earth - http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/costingtheearth.shtml - Radio 4 - Biofuels - As green as they seem? - Biofuels are being marketed as the cleaner greener alternative and, in part, a solution to depleting stocks of fossil fuel. Powering our cars from plants such as wheat or oilseed rape may sound environmentally friendly but Tom Heap finds out that not all biofuels are equal. - Radio 4 Downloadable programme - 17 May 2007.

Grass biofuels 'cut CO2 by 94%' - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7175397.stm - Producing biofuels from a fast-growing grass delivers vast savings of carbon dioxide emissions compared with petrol, a large-scale study has suggested. - 8 January 2008.

Green power station site opened - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/south_of_scotland/7303483.stm - First Minister Alex Salmond has officially opened a £90m biomass power station near Lockerbie. - Steven's Croft - owned and operated by E.ON - is the largest wood-fired facility of its kind in the UK. - 19 March 2008.

House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, 2008. Are biofuels sustainable? http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Environment/documents/2008/01/18/EACbiofuelsreport.pdf.

Land Clearing and the Biofuel Carbon Debt - Increasing energy use, climate change, and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from fossil fuels make switching to low-carbon fuels a high priority. Biofuels are a potential low-carbon energy source, but whether biofuels offer carbon savings depends on how they are produced. Converting rainforests, peatlands, savannas, or grasslands to produce food-based biofuels in Brazil, Southeast Asia, and the United States creates a ‘biofuel carbon debt’ by releasing 17 to 420 times more CO2 than the annual greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions these biofuels provide by displacing fossil fuels. In contrast, biofuels made from waste biomass or from biomass grown on abandoned agricultural lands planted with perennials incur little or no carbon debt and offer immediate and sustained GHG advantages. - Science Express - Published Online February 7, 2008 - Joseph Fargione, Jason Hill, David Tilman, Stephen Polasky, Peter Hawthorne.

Quick guide: Biofuels - What are biofuels? - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6294133.stm - Biofuels are any kind of fuel made from living things, or from the waste they produce. This is a very long and diverse list, including:wood, wood chippings and straw - pellets or liquids made from wood - biogas (methane) from animals' excrement - ethanol, diesel or other liquid fuels made from processing plant material or waste oil. - 24 January 2007.

Science for Environment Policy - Biofuels: Bad news for water quality? - http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/92na2.pdf - European Commision DG Environmental News Service - 17 January 2007.

Science for Environment Policy - Biotechnology - http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/themes_en.html#biotec - European Commision DG Environmental News Service.

Science for Environment Policy - Is a full Transition to Biofuels possible in the Transport Sector? - http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/90na4.pdf - Swedish researchers have analysed the potential for a full transition to domestically produced biofuels in the transport sector in Stockholm by 2030. Considering the particular case of Sweden, the results demonstrate the importance of making studies of energy efficiency potentials in all energy sectors before making an assessment of distributions of bioenergy between sectors. Furthermore, this study highlights the importance of considering both demand and supply-side policies in order to reduce energy use in the transport sector. - European Commision DG Environmental News Service. - 13 December 2007.

Science for Environment Policy - Perennial grass crops - a carbon neutral biofuel? - http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/97na5.pdf - Perennial crops, such as grasses, are attracting increasing interest as potential biofuel crops. Perennial crops have significant advantages over many annual crops because they require less energy input during growth than annual crops which not only need to be planted each year, but typically require more fertiliser, herbicide and pesticide input. Research on farm-scale cultivation of the perennial grass, switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), has shown that it can produce five times more energy per hectare than is needed to grow, harvest and process it into ethanol. - European Commision DG Environmental News Service - 21 February 2008.

Sustainable biofuels: prospects and challenges - The Royal Society - http://royalsociety.org/displaypagedoc.asp?id=28632 - Our climate is changing and there is now scientific, social and political recognition that this is very likely a consequence of increasing anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Transport now accounts for about 20% of global anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions and 25% of emissions in the United Kingdom (UK), and these figures are growing faster than for any other sector. If the UK is to reach its target of reducing emissions by 60% by 2050 then cuts will need to be made in the transport sector. - However, access to energy underpins our current way of life and the hopes of peoples around the world for improved lives. Mobility is a core component of these aspirations. Transport has become the main driver for increasing global primary oil demand, which is predicted to grow by 1.3% per year up to 2030, reaching 116 million barrelsa per day (up from 84 million barrels per day in 2005). The transport sector in particular relies almost entirely on oil, which is predicted to become increasingly scarce and costly in the next few decades and supplies of which are vulnerable to interruption. - Biofuels - fuels derived from plant materials - have the potential to address these two issues. At first sight they appear to be carbon-neutral (the carbon they emit to the atmosphere when burned is offset by the carbon that plants absorb from the atmosphere while growing), renewable (fresh supplies can be grown as needed) and capable of being cultivated in many different environments. In addition they are an integral part of the emerging 'bio-economy', where plant material is used to produce specific chemicals and bulk industrial chemicals. In the future these may increasingly replace chemicals derived from fossil oil. The full picture, however, is much more complex as different biofuels have widely differing environmental, social and economic impacts.

UK 'should end biofuel subsidies' - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7581436.stm - The government should stop funding biofuels and use the money to halt the destruction of rainforests and peatland instead, a think tank has said. - Policy Exchange said the switch would have a bigger impact on climate change because trees and peatland remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. - The government currently spends £550m annually on biofuel subsidies. - 26 August 2008.

Will biofuels power tomorrow's planes? - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7259004.stm - By Stephen Dowling BBC News - On Sunday, a Virgin Airlines Boeing 747 took off from London's Heathrow Airport en route to Amsterdam. This short flight may prove to be a giant leap forward for the aviation industry. - The aircraft did not carry passengers - but it was the first commercial aircraft to fly partly under the power of biofuels. - An Airbus A380 has already flown on alternative fuel. - 24 February 2008.

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Implementation based on Space Horizons - http://www.cems.uwe.ac.uk/amrc/JANS/spacehorizons/ - Project for Information Technology Management for Business - Year 2.

Yahoo Pipes RSS Feed for these energy information sources - http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/pipe.info?_id=b3962106d3b1908789ce595912ad9a4f.

Publications

International Journal of Innovations in Energy Systems and Power (IJESP)' - http://www.ijesp.com/ - It is an e-journal and all the papers are accessible free of charge to everyone.

International Journal of Modelling, Identification and Control (IJMIC) - http://www.inderscience.com/browse/index.php?journalCODE=ijmic.

Funding Calls

Briefing event: Technology Strategy Board's competition for Collaborative Research and Development investment - http://www.low-carbon-ktn.org.uk/showdoc.asp?doc_id=11224 - A briefing session on 19 December will provide a valuable opportunity to find out more about the Technology Strategy Board and particularly about its recent call for proposals for collaborative research and development, announced on 8 November.

European Commission - Energy - http://ec.europa.eu/energy/intelligent/call_for_proposals/index_en.htm - Intelligent Energy Europe - The 2008 call for proposals is your chance to apply for IEE funding this year.

Low Carbon Energy Technologies competition - http://www.berr.gov.uk/innovation/technologystrategyboard/page43358.html - 02-01-08 Technology Strategy Board Will invest £10m in collaborative industry-led R&D projects intended to stimulate improvements in low carbon energy technologies. Deadline 27-03-08.

EPSRC

Chemical and Biochemical Solar Energy Conversion Scoping Workshop - http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/CallsForProposals/ChemBiochemSolarEnergyCall.htm - The Research Councils Energy Programme invites large consortia proposals in the area of Chemical and Biochemical Solar Energy Conversion. This call has come about as a result of the Chemical and Biochemical Solar Energy Conversion Workshop. - Proposals should be focussed on biological fuel production, photochemical fuel production and the underpinning fundamental science that enables these processes. - Proposals should aims to bring together a large multidisciplinary consortium, with a focus on fundamental research, a defined network activity, researcher mobility and an element of public understanding of science.

Feasibility Studies in Underpinning Physical Sciences and Engineering for Energy Research - http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/CallsForProposals/EnergyFeasibilityStudies.htm - A total of £2 million has been earmarked by the EPSRC Energy Programme for research proposals in the form of speculative feasibility studies to carry out underpinning science and engineering to tackle energy research challenges - This is a call for research proposals in the form of speculative feasibility studies to link underpinning science into the Energy research area. Proposals must encourage bold and innovative thinking, seek to draw novel research into energy that has the potential to lead to high impact research and should enhance the international position of UK energy research.

Hydrogen as an Energy Vector - Call for Participants - http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/CallsForProposals/HydrogenEnergyVectorSandpit.htm - This is a call for participants to attend a sandpit workshop looking at hydrogen as an energy vector. The purpose of this sandpit will be to identify the gaps in the current research portfolio of hydrogen as an energy vector, and to initiate a major activity that not only fills the gaps but also links in to the existing, broader hydrogen research landscape. - The sandpit will be held on 4 - 6 December 2007 at New Place Hotel near Southampton.

Nanotechnology Grand Challenges: Energy - http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/CallsForProposals/NanotechnologyGrandChallengesEnergy.htm - This call invites proposals in the area of large-scale, integrated projects exploiting nanotechnology to enable cheap, efficient and scalable ways to harvest solar energy.

Energy Funding Calls - http://www.cems.uwe.ac.uk/amrc/seeds/proposallinks.htm#Energy.

NESTA

NESTA - Big Green Challenge opens for applications 09-01-08 - A £1m prize fund to encourage individuals and community groups to come up with new ways to cut carbon emissions. Applications close 29-02-08. The winner will be announced in late 2009.

Environment Challenge - http://www.nesta.org.uk/programmes/challenges/what_we_do/index.aspx - Our second cluster of activity is focussed on the environment and climate change. - £1m Climate Change Prize Fund - The Big Green Challenge is a £1m prize fund to encourage and reward people working together to find new and better ways to reduce C02 emissions. - We are challenging not-for-profit groups and organisations to develop and implement new approaches that lead towards a 60% reduction of C02 emissions in their communities. - To find out more please visit - http://www.biggreenchallenge.org.uk.

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