It seems the cost of fuel is always in the papers at the moment. We all know that the price of petrol is going up, due to the world price of barrels of oil, and this is having an impact on every economy in the world. In the UK, the problem is exacerbated by the amount of duty we pay at the pump. These high costs are causing problems for car drivers, especially those who drive to work, and may even force vehicle based businesses to close. However, the question is, how might these increasing fuel prices work in environmental terms? Could they force people to use their cars less often and reduce carbon consumption?
Although this is a commendable idea, I think that people will still use their cars for the foreseeable future. Therefore, an additional solution maybe further developing green car technologies so that cars simply do not need to use petrol (or at least use less petrol). For example, Lotus have developed a car that runs on a combination of gasoline, bioethnanol and methanol, and another one that runs on biofuel. Unlike hydrogen, which must be stored at very high pressure, or very low temperatures, methanol is a liquid at room temperature. It can also burn with greater thermal efficiency than diesel. Another example is the Toyota Prius, which uses both petrol and an electric motor.
Surely, the way to maximise the benefit of environmental policies around transport is to combine a number of possible solutions – technical innovations, green taxes and encouraging greener consumer behaviour.
Friday, 30 May 2008
Food Crisis
Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Nations and co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001, called for “nothing short of a green revolution” in Africa when he spoke at King’s College London yesterday. Mr. Annan was invited to the College to give a lecture on ‘Africa in the World Today’.
In his lecture, Kofi Annan emphasised the causal link between climate change and the global food crisis which is severely affecting Africa. “The most pressing challenge we face is food supply. We need action to tackle the immediate food crisis in Africa and the long-term impact that climate change will have on food supplies and agriculture across the continent", said Annan.
His speech, delivered yesterday, echoed some of the messages he delivered last month at the ‘Toward a Green Revolution in Africa’ conference in Salzburg, Austria. At that conference, Mr. Annan urged for “a uniquely African Green Revolution”. Mr. Annan wants to raise awareness about the importance of implementing a Green Revolution in Africa because of the continent’s “disproportionate exposure to climate risks”. He has called upon governments to help put in place social protection to help the poor of Africa cope with economic and climatic shocks.
The food crisis is being felt around the globe, including here in the UK, with many families struggling to cope with soaring food prices. The cost of basic staples such as milk, bread and rice have increased significantly. According to the Guardian, wheat prices have doubled between May 2007 and February 2008. This is an issue that requires a high level of international cooperation and commitment.
In Africa, however, the food riots that have occurred in countries such as Senegal and Burkina Faso haven’t just been about voicing discontent over higher food prices. Here, the food crisis is a question of life and death. I hope that Kofi Annan’s words will be taken seriously, and that immediate action will be taken to help transform farming and agriculture on the continent in light of the harmful effects of climate change.
In his lecture, Kofi Annan emphasised the causal link between climate change and the global food crisis which is severely affecting Africa. “The most pressing challenge we face is food supply. We need action to tackle the immediate food crisis in Africa and the long-term impact that climate change will have on food supplies and agriculture across the continent", said Annan.
His speech, delivered yesterday, echoed some of the messages he delivered last month at the ‘Toward a Green Revolution in Africa’ conference in Salzburg, Austria. At that conference, Mr. Annan urged for “a uniquely African Green Revolution”. Mr. Annan wants to raise awareness about the importance of implementing a Green Revolution in Africa because of the continent’s “disproportionate exposure to climate risks”. He has called upon governments to help put in place social protection to help the poor of Africa cope with economic and climatic shocks.
The food crisis is being felt around the globe, including here in the UK, with many families struggling to cope with soaring food prices. The cost of basic staples such as milk, bread and rice have increased significantly. According to the Guardian, wheat prices have doubled between May 2007 and February 2008. This is an issue that requires a high level of international cooperation and commitment.
In Africa, however, the food riots that have occurred in countries such as Senegal and Burkina Faso haven’t just been about voicing discontent over higher food prices. Here, the food crisis is a question of life and death. I hope that Kofi Annan’s words will be taken seriously, and that immediate action will be taken to help transform farming and agriculture on the continent in light of the harmful effects of climate change.
Thursday, 29 May 2008
The other Olympic Games
It has been a mixed few weeks for the 2012 Olympics with both some highs and some lows. Work has begun on the stadium three months ahead of schedule, with the Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Mayor of London Boris Johnson and Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell, all present to see construction begin. It will be early 2009 when the installation of the steel structures that support the Stadium roof begins.
Perhaps to help reach that moment, it was yesterday reported that a £2.2 billion emergency fund is having to be used to plug gaps that exist in the financing of the Games. The fund was previously “untouchable”, but is now required to deal with the effects of the credit crunch and falling house prices, which have impacted on a public private deal between Bovis Lend Lease, a project management and construction company, and the Olympic Authorities.
The road to hosting an Olympic Games is invariably never a smooth one, and that an emergency fund is already being relied upon, arguably, does not bode well for the future. However, other areas point to a more positive outlook: for example, application forms have long been available should you wish to apply to host an Olympic “Relocatable Venue”. Such an initiative could be crucial in establishing an Olympic legacy that reaches those beyond London.
Perhaps to help reach that moment, it was yesterday reported that a £2.2 billion emergency fund is having to be used to plug gaps that exist in the financing of the Games. The fund was previously “untouchable”, but is now required to deal with the effects of the credit crunch and falling house prices, which have impacted on a public private deal between Bovis Lend Lease, a project management and construction company, and the Olympic Authorities.
The road to hosting an Olympic Games is invariably never a smooth one, and that an emergency fund is already being relied upon, arguably, does not bode well for the future. However, other areas point to a more positive outlook: for example, application forms have long been available should you wish to apply to host an Olympic “Relocatable Venue”. Such an initiative could be crucial in establishing an Olympic legacy that reaches those beyond London.
It’s all over for the Billary show…
So why does Hilary Clinton (and her husband) continue to fight for the Democratic nomination?
Without delving into the complicated system that is the nomination process, Senator Obama’s lead is insurmountable in terms of delegates – pledged and super. While he might not have reached the magic threshold number, Hilary can not catch up.
Senator Clinton, to her credit is still winning primaries. As recently as last week she won Kentucky with a whopping majority. But is this resoluteness a show of defiance or, is the former First Lady playing a tactical game for long-term advantage, ignoring the detrimental effect it is having on her party? Having already loaned her campaign somewhere in the region of £5million, and with a number of her campaign managers moving on, what is her motivation?
One line of thought is that she may well believe that the Democrats should be entitled to a choice. However, with the primary process already stretched over several months and, more importantly, the Republican nomination all but wrapped up, the hurling of insults between two Democrats hardly adds value to their cause.
The other line of thought – the more cynical one – is that by hanging in the campaign, she is intentionally doing as much damage to her opponent so that he loses in November, and she will have another chance in 2012. This is something that she would never admit to and would not go down well with the millions of Democrats.
For the one time front-runner who appeared to have the nomination wrapped up before it even began, she has fought a nasty campaign against a formidable opponent who has managed to fundraise like never before and energise huge numbers of voters.
When in Philadelphia, Clinton compared herself to Rocky. But now is surely the time for her to hang up the gloves.
Greg
Without delving into the complicated system that is the nomination process, Senator Obama’s lead is insurmountable in terms of delegates – pledged and super. While he might not have reached the magic threshold number, Hilary can not catch up.
Senator Clinton, to her credit is still winning primaries. As recently as last week she won Kentucky with a whopping majority. But is this resoluteness a show of defiance or, is the former First Lady playing a tactical game for long-term advantage, ignoring the detrimental effect it is having on her party? Having already loaned her campaign somewhere in the region of £5million, and with a number of her campaign managers moving on, what is her motivation?
One line of thought is that she may well believe that the Democrats should be entitled to a choice. However, with the primary process already stretched over several months and, more importantly, the Republican nomination all but wrapped up, the hurling of insults between two Democrats hardly adds value to their cause.
The other line of thought – the more cynical one – is that by hanging in the campaign, she is intentionally doing as much damage to her opponent so that he loses in November, and she will have another chance in 2012. This is something that she would never admit to and would not go down well with the millions of Democrats.
For the one time front-runner who appeared to have the nomination wrapped up before it even began, she has fought a nasty campaign against a formidable opponent who has managed to fundraise like never before and energise huge numbers of voters.
When in Philadelphia, Clinton compared herself to Rocky. But now is surely the time for her to hang up the gloves.
Greg
Friday, 23 May 2008
Brown's Woes
It was, I’m afraid, with an air of inevitability that I read the paper this morning and discovered the Tories had won the by-election in Crewe and Nantwich. The swing to from Labour to Conservatives was 17.6%, and this in a seat held by Gwyneth Dunwoody since its creation in 1983.
We’ve not even reached the first year anniversary of Gordon Brown’s leadership, yet his authority, and future as Prime Minister, is repeatedly being questioned. Jack Straw has been cited as a possible “care-taker” Prime Minister, David Miliband as too young for now.
I can’t help but have a certain amount of sympathy for Mr. Brown – kept from the top job for so long, only to be made leader just as the global economic slowdown began, and a number of Labour’s policies implemented under Tony Blair began to falter. Furthermore, it can’t help that neither Mr. Blair, nor for that matter his wife, have not retreated from the spotlight.
However, opportunities exist for Mr. Brown to begin repairing his reputation this summer. The Olympics could yet provide a chance to show solidarity with human-rights advocates over Tibet, especially since he fudged the decision of how best to receive the Dalai Lama this week. Looking beyond the summer, a new American President may offer a breath of fresh air for Transatlantic relations, and fresh thinking on both Iraq and Afghanistan. That is of course assuming Brown still holds the keys to No. 10 come January 20th, when the new President is inaugurated.
We’ve not even reached the first year anniversary of Gordon Brown’s leadership, yet his authority, and future as Prime Minister, is repeatedly being questioned. Jack Straw has been cited as a possible “care-taker” Prime Minister, David Miliband as too young for now.
I can’t help but have a certain amount of sympathy for Mr. Brown – kept from the top job for so long, only to be made leader just as the global economic slowdown began, and a number of Labour’s policies implemented under Tony Blair began to falter. Furthermore, it can’t help that neither Mr. Blair, nor for that matter his wife, have not retreated from the spotlight.
However, opportunities exist for Mr. Brown to begin repairing his reputation this summer. The Olympics could yet provide a chance to show solidarity with human-rights advocates over Tibet, especially since he fudged the decision of how best to receive the Dalai Lama this week. Looking beyond the summer, a new American President may offer a breath of fresh air for Transatlantic relations, and fresh thinking on both Iraq and Afghanistan. That is of course assuming Brown still holds the keys to No. 10 come January 20th, when the new President is inaugurated.
Wednesday, 14 May 2008
Green Government
I came across an article this week highlighting that both HMRC and the Highways Agency were highlighting their green credentials at the recent Green IT event. The Department for Work and Pensions also had its green credentials promoted, by Government Chief Information Officer John Suffolk, following the Department’s reduction of servers by 2,500, and the subsequent reduction in its CO2.
IBM have recently reviewed the Treasury’s carbon management in IT, and changes such as rationalising datacenters through virtualisation, and installing network cards to remotely control PCs, mean the Department is now on track to meet the Government’s target of reducing CO2 emissions by 12.5 percent by 2010.
The Highways Agency has tackled this challenge by replacing standalone devices, for instance printers and photocopiers, with multi-function devices. Interestingly, the Highways Agency is also in discussion with sat-nav providers, exploring whether to allow drivers to access its latest information on the road network through in-car devices, thus reducing CO2 emissions from motorists.
Such promotion follows the 2007 Sustainable Development in Government Report, which assesses the performance of central government operations against the targets of the Framework for Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate, or (SOGE). In that, HMRC received an overall rating of three stars out of five, and the Highways Agency were not included. However, the HMRC’s performance was not unexceptional - of the 21 government departments, 12 reported poor or no progress on their targets.
Given the significant carbon emissions that an office can produce, looking at the energy consumption of IT systems is a crucial prerequisite of making significant reductions. The reporting and promotion of any green achievements by Government Departments could be one way to encourage this.
IBM have recently reviewed the Treasury’s carbon management in IT, and changes such as rationalising datacenters through virtualisation, and installing network cards to remotely control PCs, mean the Department is now on track to meet the Government’s target of reducing CO2 emissions by 12.5 percent by 2010.
The Highways Agency has tackled this challenge by replacing standalone devices, for instance printers and photocopiers, with multi-function devices. Interestingly, the Highways Agency is also in discussion with sat-nav providers, exploring whether to allow drivers to access its latest information on the road network through in-car devices, thus reducing CO2 emissions from motorists.
Such promotion follows the 2007 Sustainable Development in Government Report, which assesses the performance of central government operations against the targets of the Framework for Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate, or (SOGE). In that, HMRC received an overall rating of three stars out of five, and the Highways Agency were not included. However, the HMRC’s performance was not unexceptional - of the 21 government departments, 12 reported poor or no progress on their targets.
Given the significant carbon emissions that an office can produce, looking at the energy consumption of IT systems is a crucial prerequisite of making significant reductions. The reporting and promotion of any green achievements by Government Departments could be one way to encourage this.
Testing
Jim Knight, MP, the School’s Minister, came to the defence of school testing yesterday, after the Commons Select Committee for Children, Schools and Families released its quite critical report on Testing and Assessment. The Minister supported school testing arguing that it plays a very important role helping to prepare students for critical GCSEs and A-level exams later on.
Friday, 9 May 2008
Progressive Ideals
Progressive Ideals?
Tory leader David Cameron is claiming his party are the “champions of progressive ideals”. Cameron argues in the Independent that Labour MPs are awakening to a “painful reality”, recognising that in its longest continuous period in office, “Labour has done little to advance progressive ideals”, which he links to the 10p tax issue. Despite promising both social justice and economic efficiency, Cameron claims the government “has in fact delivered neither”.
In the fight against poverty, and in the pursuit of environmental sustainability, Cameron argues that conservative approaches are driving the intellectual agenda. The article ends with a strong message: “If you care about poverty, if you care about inequality, if you care about the environment – forget about the Labour Party. It has forgotten about you”. Cameron concludes, that if one is to count themselves a “true progressive”, voting Conservative is the answer - “only we can achieve real change”.
Given a recent YouGov/The Sun survey, increasing numbers of people are agreeing with such a message – a gap of 26 points now exists between the Conservatives and Labour, with the Conservatives on 49 per cent, Labour 23 per cent, and the Liberal Democrats on 17 per cent. It is now up to Gordon Brown to convince the British public that Cameron’s sentiments are wrong – and given both this poll and the recent electoral results, the Prime Minister is facing an uphill battle.
Tory leader David Cameron is claiming his party are the “champions of progressive ideals”. Cameron argues in the Independent that Labour MPs are awakening to a “painful reality”, recognising that in its longest continuous period in office, “Labour has done little to advance progressive ideals”, which he links to the 10p tax issue. Despite promising both social justice and economic efficiency, Cameron claims the government “has in fact delivered neither”.
In the fight against poverty, and in the pursuit of environmental sustainability, Cameron argues that conservative approaches are driving the intellectual agenda. The article ends with a strong message: “If you care about poverty, if you care about inequality, if you care about the environment – forget about the Labour Party. It has forgotten about you”. Cameron concludes, that if one is to count themselves a “true progressive”, voting Conservative is the answer - “only we can achieve real change”.
Given a recent YouGov/The Sun survey, increasing numbers of people are agreeing with such a message – a gap of 26 points now exists between the Conservatives and Labour, with the Conservatives on 49 per cent, Labour 23 per cent, and the Liberal Democrats on 17 per cent. It is now up to Gordon Brown to convince the British public that Cameron’s sentiments are wrong – and given both this poll and the recent electoral results, the Prime Minister is facing an uphill battle.
The Aftermath
With the aftermath of Labour’s terrible performance in the local and mayoral elections now fully registered, Labour suffering its worst losses since the 1960s - down 331 seats - and loosing the capital to Boris Johnson, it is now up to the Tories to demonstrate that their party can carry the momentum through to national elections. On May 1, voters sent out a clear message of dissatisfaction with the Government and a desire for change.
Thursday, 1 May 2008
Chicken Rescue
There is no escaping at the moment the idea of the responsible food consumer, both in terms of the environment and animal welfare, and particularly regarding chickens!
Therefore, I thought that I would let you know about a rather interesting trip I went on last weekend. I went with my mum to collect the chickens that she was rescuing and taking back to live in her garden in Greater London. The initiative is all part of the Battery Hen Welfare Trust The charity rescues battery hens from farms, prior to their slaughter, and rehomes them with members of the public.
My mum’s new chickens are currently somewhat feather bare, have some difficulty in walking and their combs look a bit worse for wear. Nevertheless, it will apparently not take too long for the hens to get back to full fitness, and they will still lay eggs. The most poignant thing is that, as they are used to being incarcerated in such small cages, they currently huddle together, but again this will change in time, and they clearly seem happier in their new home.
I think this scheme really works – it is a way to help improve animal welfare and bring environmental benefits (the hens are still laying eggs and therefore saving on transport costs to supermarkets) into the increasingly urbanised areas in which we live.
The long term aim of the charity is to diminish consumer demand for battery eggs whilst at the same time promoting British farmers using welfare friendly systems. This pro-industry policy is a vital element in ensuring the future is free range, with the consumer themselves taking responsibility for hen welfare. However, there is still only so much that the consumer can do, they can buy free range eggs, but what about all the other foods that contain egg products, such as mayonnaise and cakes? The food industry needs to make a stand in providing free range versions of their food products, giving consumers the choice to influence producer supply based on the products they purchase.
Therefore, I thought that I would let you know about a rather interesting trip I went on last weekend. I went with my mum to collect the chickens that she was rescuing and taking back to live in her garden in Greater London. The initiative is all part of the Battery Hen Welfare Trust The charity rescues battery hens from farms, prior to their slaughter, and rehomes them with members of the public.
My mum’s new chickens are currently somewhat feather bare, have some difficulty in walking and their combs look a bit worse for wear. Nevertheless, it will apparently not take too long for the hens to get back to full fitness, and they will still lay eggs. The most poignant thing is that, as they are used to being incarcerated in such small cages, they currently huddle together, but again this will change in time, and they clearly seem happier in their new home.
I think this scheme really works – it is a way to help improve animal welfare and bring environmental benefits (the hens are still laying eggs and therefore saving on transport costs to supermarkets) into the increasingly urbanised areas in which we live.
The long term aim of the charity is to diminish consumer demand for battery eggs whilst at the same time promoting British farmers using welfare friendly systems. This pro-industry policy is a vital element in ensuring the future is free range, with the consumer themselves taking responsibility for hen welfare. However, there is still only so much that the consumer can do, they can buy free range eggs, but what about all the other foods that contain egg products, such as mayonnaise and cakes? The food industry needs to make a stand in providing free range versions of their food products, giving consumers the choice to influence producer supply based on the products they purchase.
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