Tuesday 28 June 2011
Mattress Recycling
It's an old adage - "If you don't look, you won't find". Mattresses have always been a problem item when it comes to recycling (I guess that's why they are one of the more commonly fly-tipped items). But - the other day I found this site: JBS Fibre Recovery. So there's really no excuse now, is there? There must be many more like this.
Wednesday 22 June 2011
DECC Delivery Review
Given that my old stomping ground, the Energy Saving Trust, was one of the principle subjects of DECC's Delivery Landscape Review I thought I should have a look at its findings. To be honest, I'm not overly surprised. The key statement is that EST will lose its core grant funding from 2012/13 but will be expected to bid for DECC/HMG delivery contracts.
Part of the rationale for this change is that DECC should have closer control over what is delivered and at what cost. The Review claims that such control has not be present in the past. Now, it is true that as a private company EST is not accountable to the SoS or other DECC ministers. However, certainly in my time at EST, we would have welcomed more direction from DECC (and previously Defra). We were forever being told "It's your plan, not ours, deliver it how you wish". So the Review is being, at best, somewhat disingenuous.
The document also states that EST has begun to ramp up its commercial operations to ensure that it continues to thrive in the absence of guaranteed DECC funding. True, but it's a big ask by April 2012, and it disguises the radical downsizing that has taken place (to the extent that one big leaving bash was held at the end of March because there just wouldn't be time for all the individual ones).
As a consequence a number of good people have gone elsewhere. One hopes that we are not in baby and bathwater territory.
Part of the rationale for this change is that DECC should have closer control over what is delivered and at what cost. The Review claims that such control has not be present in the past. Now, it is true that as a private company EST is not accountable to the SoS or other DECC ministers. However, certainly in my time at EST, we would have welcomed more direction from DECC (and previously Defra). We were forever being told "It's your plan, not ours, deliver it how you wish". So the Review is being, at best, somewhat disingenuous.
The document also states that EST has begun to ramp up its commercial operations to ensure that it continues to thrive in the absence of guaranteed DECC funding. True, but it's a big ask by April 2012, and it disguises the radical downsizing that has taken place (to the extent that one big leaving bash was held at the end of March because there just wouldn't be time for all the individual ones).
As a consequence a number of good people have gone elsewhere. One hopes that we are not in baby and bathwater territory.
Saturday 18 June 2011
Tuesday 14 June 2011
CO2 Emissions Highest Ever
Latest IEA estimates of carbon dioxide emissions suggest that in 2010 they were the highest ever. And the report also suggests that 80% of emissions from the power sector for 2020 are already locked in through existing and permitted infrastructure. It all makes the 2 degrees maximum temperature rise target seem even more remote. Dust off your adaptation strategies now.
A Bit of Trumpet Blowing
Nice to see something one's worked on get published. The annual Ofgem CESP report is out.
Back to the Greenest Government Ever
I've just caught up with Jonathon Porritt's report for FoE on the first year of Cameron's "Greenest Government Ever". It's not a pretty sight (and I include the annoying little symbols that the report uses to denote progress in that evaluation!). The Government having got rid of the SDC it doesn't really have any body to check on its progress so this report has to be welcomed for filling that hole, if for nothing else.
Perhaps one just starts at the end with Porrit's concluding remarks: " Writing this Report has been a disheartening process. In an ideal world, I would have wanted to demonstrate to Friends of the Earth the usual mixed balance sheet one might expect after just one year. But the 77 individual items pretty much speak for themselves: the bad and the positively ugly indisputably outweigh the good. At this stage, the likelihood of the Coalition Government living up to its “Greenest Government Ever” pledge is vanishingly remote."
Porritt is particularly scathing about DCLG, the Treasury and DoE (back to Planet Pickles?). Certainly Cameron seems to be hiding behind a number of the Tory's "ugly beasts". Indeed, he has been practically invisible on Green issues ever since his original announcement. Why? Does he not understand? Or is he just a good PR man with no underlying commitment? Whatever, now is the time for some leadership just to prevent this Government being the beigest ever!
Perhaps one just starts at the end with Porrit's concluding remarks: " Writing this Report has been a disheartening process. In an ideal world, I would have wanted to demonstrate to Friends of the Earth the usual mixed balance sheet one might expect after just one year. But the 77 individual items pretty much speak for themselves: the bad and the positively ugly indisputably outweigh the good. At this stage, the likelihood of the Coalition Government living up to its “Greenest Government Ever” pledge is vanishingly remote."
Porritt is particularly scathing about DCLG, the Treasury and DoE (back to Planet Pickles?). Certainly Cameron seems to be hiding behind a number of the Tory's "ugly beasts". Indeed, he has been practically invisible on Green issues ever since his original announcement. Why? Does he not understand? Or is he just a good PR man with no underlying commitment? Whatever, now is the time for some leadership just to prevent this Government being the beigest ever!
Thursday 2 June 2011
Carbon Neutral Bra
A new claim from M&S - the first range of carbon neutral undies. Dubbed "Autograph Leaves" the new range 'is sophisticated, elegant and glamorous' and uses 'a combination of intricate lace and dramatic embroidery, inspired by the exotic foliage of the rainforest'. Quite. The big question is will Mrs B wear them?
Seriously, this harks back to my previous post on offsetting, as that is the mechanism used in this case. It's an interesting exercise.
Seriously, this harks back to my previous post on offsetting, as that is the mechanism used in this case. It's an interesting exercise.
Voluntary offsetting in the FTSE100
Time to catch up on what's been happening over the last month (or more - given how much my nose was to the grindstone just before jolly hols - sigh).
In April Carbon Retirement published a report on offsetting by FTSE100 companies. (Follow the link in this EDIE report). The report generally chastises companies for 'pitifully low' offsetting and in a way that's fair enough but I do have a problem with looking at this issue just along the offsetting axis. If a company is putting siginificant money and effort into emissions reduction (and I'm not saying that many are) then I'd be happy to see low offsetting activity. Conversely, offsetting can compensate to a certain extent for lack of direct activity. I would like to see a more holistic report.
In April Carbon Retirement published a report on offsetting by FTSE100 companies. (Follow the link in this EDIE report). The report generally chastises companies for 'pitifully low' offsetting and in a way that's fair enough but I do have a problem with looking at this issue just along the offsetting axis. If a company is putting siginificant money and effort into emissions reduction (and I'm not saying that many are) then I'd be happy to see low offsetting activity. Conversely, offsetting can compensate to a certain extent for lack of direct activity. I would like to see a more holistic report.
News from Planet Pickles
Just back from jolly hols in France where we enjoyed the excellent roads, excellent food, wonderful hospitality (quite, we were not in Paris!) and the general spaciousness. Coming back seems to have landed us on the wierd and wonderful Planet Pickles (or perhaps Planet Spelman - or maybe they're a twin system?).
Have you see the Telegraph report about a return to weekly refuse collection? HMG appears to be planning to offer subsidies to councils to return to weekly refuse collection. That's my money! What bonkers part of CLG (or was it Defra?) thought up that idea? Is there not a sufficiently highly placed civil servant with a couple of neurons to rub together who can inform his or her parliamentary master or mistress that fortnightly collections work? Rubbish disposal has reduced under such regimes; and recycling has increased.
It's not a difficult system to get one's head around. And as for the anecdotes about an increase in rats etc. - it's hard for a rat to get into a wheely bin with a closed lid - maybe the methods of refuse collection should be considered, not the frequency.
It's time Mr Cameron put his money where his greenest-government-ever mouth is and gave Pickles and Spelman a good kicking (she obviously hasn't learned from the woodlands debacle).
Have you see the Telegraph report about a return to weekly refuse collection? HMG appears to be planning to offer subsidies to councils to return to weekly refuse collection. That's my money! What bonkers part of CLG (or was it Defra?) thought up that idea? Is there not a sufficiently highly placed civil servant with a couple of neurons to rub together who can inform his or her parliamentary master or mistress that fortnightly collections work? Rubbish disposal has reduced under such regimes; and recycling has increased.
It's not a difficult system to get one's head around. And as for the anecdotes about an increase in rats etc. - it's hard for a rat to get into a wheely bin with a closed lid - maybe the methods of refuse collection should be considered, not the frequency.
It's time Mr Cameron put his money where his greenest-government-ever mouth is and gave Pickles and Spelman a good kicking (she obviously hasn't learned from the woodlands debacle).
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