Flood Fears, Energy Enquiry, Rubbish Recycling and Tibetan Trains

There seems little point in referencing the government's latest Energy Review, since it has made headline news across the British press, so I'll post some other interesting stories that have had less coverage for now, but I'll definitely come back to it later, once the hype has calmed and there are more opinions around. In the meantime...

Local councils are registering fears that thousands of homes will be at risk this year. There are concerns that many coastal areas across Britain will be damaged over the winter months by the storms and floods that UK has faced in recent years, apparently consequences of global warming. Several local government authorities have requested financial aid to guard against such damage, however, the funding has simply not been made available. Government representatives have publicly voiced their renewed commitment to maintaining coastlines and protecting against the erosion that leaves residents with increased chances of being flooede, however, those at risk will be little consoled if the resources aren't made available. The Telegraph has a report on it here, which does offer facts and statistics and is more than just scare-mongering.

The Financial Times have recently undertaken a survey to consider which of the major energy providers are making efforts to combat climate change. At a time when companies are being asked to reduce their Carbon dioxide emissions in line with EU targets, greenhouse gas emissions from power utilities accounted for almost a third of UK's national emissions in 2005, representing an annual increase of 15%. The study concluded that Scottish Power (my energy provider!) were clearly making the biggest difference. They have increased efficiency and invested more in renewable sources. I know it is possible for consumers to elect to have all their electricity sourced from renewable means, cos that's what we do. And, they also give you your bills online to save paper, if you so wish. Eon-UK came second, according to the research, with EDF (Energie de France) in last place. For more information on the survey, have a look here.


Exeter City Council have failed to prosecute the first woman charged with spoiling a recycling batch. She allegedly placed non-recyclable items in her green, council-provided wheelie bin, which were spotted and reported. It is now legally an offence to do so, and the council as well as environmentalists are keen to point out that it only takes one person's carelessness to spoil an entire lorry-load of well-separated waste. In this instance, Exeter City Council failed to provide conclusive evidence that the woman charged was guilty, however, they have vowed to remain vigilant and will continue to charge those who they suspect of breaking the law. This will be in line with other local councils, as recycling in Britain is finally on the increase, and we pull away from the bottom of the EU cohort. The Independent cover it here and here's Exeter City Council's recycling resources web pages.

And last one for now: Tibet's first railway opens. It is celebrated, but environmentalists are keen to log concerns and call for monitoring. It will run through the Tibetan plateau and opened at the weekend; it is hoped to attract further tourism and lead to local development. It is hard to argue with the desires of the local people, however, WWF amongst others are advocating close observation. They are worried that alrady-delicate eco-systems could suffer, not least as they are so high up (more than 5,000 metres above sea level at its highest point) and the balance tends to be finer. There are also concerns that the permafrost upon which most of the railway rests may well be unstable within a decade, due to problems we are already experiencing with global warming. Let's hope it can be managed well, providing financial support for the Tibetans who need it with minimal disruption to the wildlife of the region. More on the story here.