Transition Island Blog

Camden residents’ conscientiously sorted doorstep recycling boxes are simply rebundled and sent abroad.

Every item of paper placed in Camden’s recycling bins is sent to Malaysia, Indonesia, India or China. All of the borough’s waste plastic goes to China.

This is according to figures released to the New Journal this week under Freedom of Information rules. The council is locked into a seven-year, £16 million a year contract with waste company Veolia.

But it is the council’s cost-cutting policy of lumping all types of waste together, that requires the ‘contaminated’ recycling can only be processed abroad.

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As predicted, the Government U-turn on Real Time Displays.

Jonathon Porritt, Chair of the Sustainable Development Commision, gives his views on the recent decision by BERR (Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform) not to give the go-ahead to a plan which would have seen power companies providing every home with a free device able to display electricity use in real-time.

We supported this energy efficiency method that can help householders save between 8 and 16% of their electricity bills.

See the Channel 4 news item.

opinion:
Such a shame!

Radical CO2 reduction targets and urgent switchover to renewables energy sources is NASA’s opinion.

In a new report released today (12/5/08), James Hansen, head of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, said that the EU and its international partners must urgently rethink targets for cutting CO2.

Fears we have grossly underestimated the scale of the problem are emerging.

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2nd May 2008

The result sets Councillor Adrian Ramsay on course to win Charles Clarke’s Norwich South seat, becoming one of the first Green MPs elected to Westminster.

Finishing the night with an increased number of City Council seats from 10 to 13, Norwich Green Party has leapfrogged the Liberal Democrats to become the official opposition on Norwich City Hall, just 2 seats away from the ruling Labour Party.

At the same time, the Greens have beaten Labour on local election vote share across the Norwich South Parliamentary constituency by approximately 2000 votes. For the first time, the Norwich Greens also won more votes than Labour across the entire city.

This historic election sees the Norwich Greens become the most powerful Green Group of councillors in the country. The result also sets Nelson Ward Green Party Councillor Adrian Ramsay on course to win Charles Clarke’s Norwich South seat, becoming one of the first Green MPs elected to Westminster.

Read more…

More than seven in ten voters are not willing to pay higher taxes to fight climate change.

The online survey also reveals that most Britons believe “green” taxes on 4×4s, plastic bags and other consumer goods have been imposed to raise cash rather than change our behaviour.

Two-thirds of Britons think the entire green agenda has been hijacked as a ploy to increase taxes.

Only a few days ago, we reported The Labour Government’s addiction to “spin” has created the most profound disillusionment. This has resulted in the “disgust and alienation of voters who now tell opinion pollsters that they scarcely believe a word that any government spokesman utters.”

The UK is committed to reducing carbon emissions by 60 per cent by 2050. This target will be impossible to reach without popular support. 

eco-fatigue

We seem to moving from charity fatigue to eco-fatigue.

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While action on Climate Change appears to be moving ahead, action on Peak Oil appears to be desperately slow.

Peak Oil is upon us - we now have 10% rises in the price of crude oil every month.

Burning fossil fuels contributes to Climate Change. 

Back in February, we reported that the UK & USA have the lowest level of people saying that they are personally making a significant effort to reduce their carbon output.

WHY?

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A new poll has found that majorities in 15 out of 16 nations surveyed around the world think that oil is running out.

People think governments should make a major effort to find new sources of energy.

Most think that future oil prices will be much higher.

So why do so few governments publish peak oil policies?

minority unconcerned

On average, a 22 percent minority believe that “enough new oil will be found so that it can remain a primary source of energy for the foreseeable future.”

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The Conference is a great success! Well-designed, well-attended and well-addressed by relevant speakers.

Organised by the Island Strategic Partnership (ISP) to launch the Eco-Isle Vision, their many speakers repeatedly brought the message home - we WILL get there.

journey planning

Setting the scene were David Pugh, speaking as leader of the Isle of Wight Council, and John Owen, Chair of the ISP. They reminded us that we have to commit to our destination before we plan the journey. And what an ambitious destination!

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Tony Blair, former British prime minister, has begun a rapid tour of Asian capitals to help break the deadlock over climate change.

[read more from the BBC]

He says it is ‘urgent‘ that action is taken to cut global carbon emissions by 50 per cent.

It would be easy to be cynical about his one-man mission to save the planet…

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A political party has started acting on Peak Oil.
AT LAST!

What will they do?

Not much - they are not in power, nor are they likely to be for the foreseeable future.

It’s the British National Party.

BUT AT LEAST THEY HAVE A DISCUSSION GROUP.

All the same…

The Times recommends we follow the Transition Towns model.

Do it ourselves.

Work at a community level rather than a political level.

Talk to neighbours, friends and workmates.

Quicker? Probably!

Action:
Get the Transition Handbook.