UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has asked the world’s science academies to review work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Work will be co-ordinated by the Inter-Academy Council, which brings together bodies such as the UK’s Royal Society.

The IPCC has been under pressure over errors in its last major assessment of climate science in 2007.
Mr Ban said the overall concept of man-made climate change was robust, and action to curb emissions badly needed. The Inter-Academy Council will convene a panel of experts to conduct the review, and will be run independently of UN agencies.

One issue that was raised at the UN news conference was how independent the scientists on the Inter-Academy Council’s review panel will be from the scientists who contributed work to the IPCC in the first place. “Let me be clear – the threat posed by climate change is real,” said Mr Ban, speaking at UN headquarters in New York.
“I have seen no credible evidence that challenges the main conclusions of [the IPCC's 2007] report.”

Robbert Dijkgraaf, the council’s co-chair, said the review panel will be chosen so that it includes both inside knowledge of the IPCC and outside perspectives.
“The panel will look forward and will definitely not go over all the vast amount of data in climate science,” he said.

REVIEW’S TERMS OF REFERENCE
Analyse the IPCC process, including links with other UN agencies
Review the use of non-peer reviewed sources, and quality control on data
Assess how procedures handle “the full range of scientific views”
Review how the IPCC communicates with the public and the media

“It will see what are the [IPCC's] procedures, and how can they be improved, so we can avoid certain types of errors.”

But Roger Pielke Jr, a professor of environmental studies at the University of Colorado who has recently criticised the IPCC over its assessment of the costs of climate-related disasters, said the terms of reference appeared to have some significant omissions. “How will it deal with allegations of breakdowns in procedures in the AR4?”, he asked. “The terms of reference say nothing about looking at the AR4 procedures, but it would be difficult to do a serious evaluation without actually evaluating experience,” he told BBC News.

“Should it ignore the AR4 issues, then it will risk being called a whitewash.” Prof Pielke also suggested the panel might look at apparent conflicts of interest within the IPCC’s staff. The conflict of interest charge has been levelled against the IPCC’s chair, Rajendra Pachauri, over his business interests.

But standing alongside Mr Ban, he welcomed the review.
“The IPCC stands firmly behind the rigour and reliability of its Fourth Assessment Report from 2007, but we recognise that we can improve,” he said. “We have listened and learned from our critics, and we intend to take every action we can to ensure that our reports are as robust as possible.”

The review was demanded by world governments at last month’s meeting of the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) Governing Council. The Inter-Academy Council has been asked to finalise its conclusions by August, in time that its recommendations can be discussed and adopted at October’s IPCC meeting.

>>> Read the full article here

The Department for Transport will from January 2011 provide grants worth £5,000 against the cost of a fully electric or plug-in hybrid car.

In order to qualify for the grant, the amount claimed must not represent more than 25 per cent of the cost of the car. Furthermore, the vehicle must have a range of at least 70 miles, a minimum top speed of 60mph, and meet European safety standards.

London, Milton Keynes and the North East will receive funding for 11,000 charging points in car parks at railway stations and supermarkets. Many of these will enable rapid charging, although not all will be installed before 2013.

Similar electric car grants already exist in America and China.

A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “The grant is intended to coincide with the launch of mass-produced electric cars like the Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi iMiev – currently the choice of electric vehicle is very limited.”

Which electric cars will be eligible for the £5,000 grant?

When the scheme first launches, only two cars – the Tesla Roadster and Mitsubishi iMiev – will qualify for the £5,000. However, many more models are promised in 2011. The following electric vehicles are currently undergoing testing on British roads.

>>> Read the full article here

1. Go for a walk – There is nothing more refreshing or eco-friendly than going for a stroll! It uses absolutely no carbon energy and can be a replacement for your school or work trip meaning you save on petrol as well as keeping fit!

2. Eat seasonally – Save on energy consumption by buying local, seasonal and fresh produce. Try not to buy anything that has been flown in from abroad and have a go at trying some new foods to mix up your diet!

3. Go to a local exercise class – Support your local community and businesses by attending a local exercise class. Whether it’s pilates, yoga or spinning this can be a great way to trim up and meet new people in the area.

4. Take your nutrients – Shops like Holland & Barretts provide a great range of vitamins and supplements that will help keep you fighting fit and your metabolism high.

5. Cycle to work – Cycling has many benefits for your body. It’s great cardiovascular exercise and, now the weather is warming up, can be a brilliant way to get to and from work.

6. Don’t take too many baths! – Not only do too many baths waste water and energy, they are also bad for your skin! Having too many can dry out your skin meaning you require more moisturiser and products that can be detrimental to your bodily health.

7. Get your Five-a-day – Make sure you get your recommended five fruits and vegetables a day. Keep them seasonal, keep them local and try them in all kinds of combinations. You will be surprised what a difference it can make to how you feel.

8. Lose weight the sensible way – Don’t invest time, money and energy in fad dieting and overpriced exercise machines. Go for a run, take the kids to the park and eat right and you will see that weight come off at a healthy rate that is maintainable.

9. Eat less meat – Get your protein from other sources, such as nuts, and help cut your personal carbon footprint as well as naturally increasing the healthy foods you eat during the day.

10. Have fun – Enjoy the outdoors, enjoy your food and look and feel eco-fabulous!

The “Low Carbon World” website, a web-based communications platform was officially launched today (Thursday) in Bali, Indonesia at the United Nations Environment Programme’s annual Governing Council.

The new website, a joint project between Low Carbon Economy.com and the United Nation’s Climate Neutral Network (CN NET) aims to facilitate the move to global low carbon economies, a necessary imperative if we are to combat dangerous and escalating climate change.

The new website will assist knowledge transfer and simplify access to information and tools that can be difficult to trace.

LowCarbonEconomy.com will list every country’s carbon policies, commitments, historical performance, future projections and opportunities, as well as country-specific marketplaces, networks, associations and standards which are relevant to government departments and investment agencies.

“Everyone agrees that the transition to a low carbon economy is an environmental and economic imperative, and will require increased collaboration globally – particularly between public and private sectors. Until now, access to the necessary low carbon information has been extremely restricted and very time consuming. With this project we have changed that and we look forward to continuing to work with UNEP and other major partners over the coming months and years,” said Toddington Harper, TLCE’s Managing Director.

Annual global greenhouse gas emissions should not exceed 40 to 48.3 Gigatonnes (Gt) of equivalent C02 in 2020, if a rise in global temperatures is to be curbed at 2 degrees C or less, whilst between 2020 and 2050, global emissions ideally need to fall by between 48 per cent and 72 per cent.

“The solutions for the transition to a low carbon economy already exist, and it is a question of removing barriers for rapid and mass uptake. These barriers include technical, financial and informational aspects. I look forward to seeing this project develop further,” said Achim Steiner UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of UNEP.

The Climate Neutral Network (CN Net) celebrated its second anniversary at UNEP’s 11th Special Session of the Governing Council in Bali, Indonesia by hosting a side event titled “High hopes, low carbon – making it work!” The side event showcased work and success stories undertaken between CN Net and The Low Carbon Economy Ltd (TLCE) over the past 12-months.

A new tool has been released that will allow people to measure the environmental cost of their food, as well as the nutritional value.

Carbonostics has released an updated version of its lifecycle management tool, which can determine the ‘hotspots’ in the food production process.

According to the company, the newly enhanced version features end-of-life calculation that takes in food and packaging materials and carbon emissions from the packaging process.

In addition, all the new information is broken down by steps in the supply chain process, meaning that more information is available than ever for calculating food choices.

The tool is suitable for small food manufacturers, retailers, public buildings and any suppliers in the food retailing sector.

A recent analysis of two studies by New Scientist, looking at green purchases, found that most consumers were easily fooled by packaging and a brand’s historical reputation – meaning that they over-estimated the greenness of some products.

>>> Please read the full article here

In the three years to 1991 the proportion of children aged five to 10 walking to school in Britain was 62 per cent, but this has now dropped to 48 per cent according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

By contrast, the proportion of children travelling to school by car has increased from 27 to 43 per cent.

The move from walking to travelling by car is only partly explained by the fact that the average length of a trip to school has increased for primary school children from 1.3 miles in 1995–97 to 1.6 miles in 2008.

Less walking makes roads ‘safer’ and more dangerous

The fact that many children are now driven to school may go some way to explaining the improvements in British road casualty figures. Road deaths on British roads have fallen below 3,000 for the first time since records began in 1926.

A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “There may be fewer casualties, but if people switch from walking to cars, high levels of traffic makes streets feel dangerous and puts more people off cycling and walking”

“The increasing number of vehicles on British roads and its effect on the travel habits of children continues a vicious cycle – the more traffic there is, the more likely children are to be ferried to school by car.”

>>> Read the full article here

Among the successful companies were the Coal Authority, for its minewater treatment scheme; Nuphalt Ltd for its infrared road repair system; Agfa Graphics for its profess efficiency and Toyota UK for its success in reducing carbon emissions.

Dan Morris, the environment minister, revealed the UK representatives at a ceremony at the Royal Society yesterday.

“All of our winners have shown great innovation and invention with new products, processes and systems which provide improved environmental performance and importantly, value for money for their customers,” Mr Morris said.

All will go on to compete at the European Business Awards for the Environment, the entrants of which will revealed after the panel meeting concludes on March 12th.

The UK has so far won at least one award in each round since 1994 and has more entries overall than any other European nation.

>>> Take a look at the government award site here

>>> Please read the full article here

The class action suit brought by residents from southern Mississippi, which was ravaged by hurricane-force winds and driving rains, was first filed just weeks after the August 2005 storm hit.
“The plaintiffs allege that defendants’ operation of energy, fossil fuels, and chemical industries in the United States caused the emission of greenhouse gasses that contributed to global warming,” say the documents seen by AFP.

The increase in global surface air and water temperatures “in turn caused a rise in sea levels and added to the ferocity of Hurricane Katrina, which combined to destroy the plaintiffs’ private property, as well as public property useful to them.”

More than 1,200 people died in Hurricane Katrina, which lashed the area, swamping New Orleans in Louisiana when levees gave way under the weight of the waves.
The suit, claiming compensation and punitive damages from multinational companies including Shell, ExxonMobile, BP and Chevron, has already passed several key legal hurdles, after initially being knocked back by the lowest court.

Three federal appeals court judges decided in October 2009 that the case could be heard. But in February the same court decided to re-examine whether it could be heard this time with nine judges.
Other companies named in the suit include Honeywell and American Electric Power, with the residents charging that “the defendants’ greenhouse gas emissions caused saltwater, debris, sediment, hazardous substances, and other materials to enter, remain on, and damage plaintiffs’ property.”
They allege that companies had a duty to “avoid unreasonably endangering the environment, public health, public and private property.”

The district court, which initially rejected the case, ruled that it was “a debate which simply has no place in the court.”
The court argued that Congress first had to enact legislation “which sets appropriate standards by which this court can measure conduct.”
Mississippi residents must now wait for the appeals court to fix a new hearing, in principle within the next three months.

A decision would then be due by the end of 2010, and both sides could also then take the case to the Supreme Court.

>>> See the whole article here

To celebrate the end of Fairtrade fortnight, the MoreEco team thought they would put together an article that explains exactly what Fairtrade is, and why you should do your best to buy their produce.

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What is Fairtrade?

The concept of ‘fair trade’ has been around for over forty years but did not include a formal system until the late 1980s. It was established by Christian Aid, CAFOD, Oxfam, Traidcraft and the World Development Movement and later joined by the Women’s Institute. The first product to be certified was Green & Black’s Maya Gold Chocolate followed by Cafedirect coffee and Clipper tea.

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The concept has taken off dramatically since these first products were certified and now includes a variety of food, clothing and gift ranges. The Fairtrade Foundation is an independent non-profit organisation which envisions a world in which sustainable development, equality and fair pay form the basis of any trade structure. In order to achieve this, Fairtrade attempts to transform previous trading structures in order to help the disadvantaged and poverty-stricken. They work with businesses, communities and individuals all around the world to improve the trading rights and position of organisations who are often taken advantage of.

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Why Should You Buy Fairtrade?

Fairtrade is not just any non-profit organisation. Not only do they provide a fair and honest service to the communities and businesses involved but they also provide the consumer with great quality produce at a fair price. You reap the benefits of investing in Fairtrade products. The Fairtrade certification enables the consumer to make informed decisions about their purchase choices and means they can be safe in the knowledge that their money is providing a reasonable income for those people who are involved. The quality of the produce is well worth the price, especially with the realisation that the people putting in the groundwork get fair compensation for their services.

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Fairtrade Towns

Fairtrade also promotes the education of local communities involved with trade structures and issues. As a charity it believes that ordinary people can make a dramatic difference to the livelihood of the producers and aims to increase awareness of this belief. Fairtrade towns are those which are committed to promoting understanding of trade issues in their local community – to find out more please take a look at the Fairtrade website.

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Fairtrade Fortnight 2010

Fairtrade Fortnight 2010 took place from the 22^nd of February until the 7^th of March and was labelled ‘the big swap’! Fairtrade asked the nation to swap their usual produce choices to Fairtrade – whether it be coffee, chocolate, fruit or socks. By doing this the general public proved that they care about their responsibility as consumers and can make a real difference to the lives of the people who grow or sew that which we buy, eat and wear. Fairtrade fortnight was a phenomenal success with celebrities such as Emma Watson creating Fairtrade fashion lines, Oxfordshire schools hosting a week of incredible green events and Cadbury’s offering songs from the likes of Paolo Nutini and Sway when you registered your swap to Fairtrade.

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The nation spoke out and showed the world that Britain cares about the lives of the farmers and workers that provide us with so much of our material goods. Why not try to make the swap to Fairtrade certified products yourself and reap the benefits of great quality products that make a real difference to the lives of the producers.

Green festivals promote the awareness of ecological concerns whilst engaging with entertainment Festivals such as Chorlton’s Big Green Festival (27th March), the Real Food Festival (7th-10th May), The Green Festival (22nd May) and Fiddler’s Green International Festival (18th-25th July) promote positive change whilst providing fun, interesting and thought provoking days out for the whole family. The Big Tent (23rd-24th July) is Scotland’s biggest eco festival and has been a phenomenal success in the past providing a format that everyone can benefit from. The Croissant Neuf Party (13th-15th August) won the Greenest Festival of the Year award in 2009 and combines exceptionally great music with renowned street theatre, workshops, open mic sessions and sports activities. Perhaps one of the best known green events comes in the shape of the Big Green Gathering (dates tbc) which is a wonderful five day camping event in Somerset. Grown out of the Green Gatherings and Glastonbury Music Festival events it is definitely not one to be missed.

Another fantastic way of promoting the green agenda is by getting involved with an action day. Fairtrade Fortnight is currently underway and Walk to School Week will commence on the 17th of May – a great way to get the kids involved! World Environment Day takes place on the 5th June, recycle week begins on the 21st of June, World Water Week on the 5th of September and Buy Nothing Day takes place on the 27th of November.

The most famous action day comes in the form of Earth Day which celebrates its 40th anniversary on the 22nd of April. These days provide an opportunity to show your support for a great cause and teach your family about the impact of their actions on the environment at large.

Or how about the EcoBuild exhibit (2nd-4th of March) where sustainable designers, innovators and constructors come together to provide more than 100 free conference and seminar sessions? Or One Life Live (18th-21st March) which provides inspiration and advice to those who feel they want to make more of their lives? These fantastic events combine volunteering opportunities, seminars, career advice and business acumen to help you make a difference.

If you’re still not convinced then check out UK Aware (16th-17th April) which brings together 200 exhibitors, 15,000 visitors, 100 low carbon vehicles and over 50 world guest speakers or Sustainabilitylive! (20th-22nd May) which is the UK’s largest forum for excellence and innovation in environment, water, energy and land and is guaranteed to have something for everyone.

>>> For more details on all the green events listed above, check out our Green Events page.