Weekly green glossary: Assam, Hydroxyl radical and natural disasters
Taken from The Independent
Buzz words for the week ending January 07.
Assam – The world renowned tea brand is beginning to be affected by climate change, according to reports. (Guardian)
Bees – New research confirms that bee populations are dwindling, which could have catastrophic effects on agricultural production. (Reuters)
Blackbirds – and other wildlife have been dying in huge numbers across some parts of the United States , leaving scientists baffled as to the cause of their death. (CBC News)
Bluefin – The controversy surrounding the fishing of endangered Bluefin tuna hasn’t dampened the enthusiasms of Japanese gastronomes, where one of the fish sold for a record breaking €298,711. (Guardian)
Chukchi – Alaskan residents and conservation groups have succeeded in challenging permits held by Shell Oil to drill exploratory wells in the areas of Beaufort and Chukchi. (Associated Press)
Hydroxyl radical – A new study shows that levels of Hydroxyl radical, an atmospheric substance that acts in a similar fashion to a detergent, maybe more stable than previously believed, providing a stronger scientific basis for emission regulations. (NY Times green blog)
La Nina – the weather phenomena that has left a part of Australia the size of Germany and France flooded. (Reuters)
Natural disasters – In terms of natural disasters, 2010 was one of the deadliest years, with a total of 295,000 people losing their lives to earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, forest fires and other natural catastrophes. (AFP)
Plastic bags – Italy became the latest country to ban the use of non-biodegradable plastic bags on January 1; however, retailers are still being allowed to use up their stocks. (Environmental Leader)
Tidal power – American company Verdant Power has submitted an application to install 30 new tidal power turbines in New York’s East River. If successful, the turbines could generate power for the city. (Intelligent Energy Portal)
ULE - American safety certification firm Underwriters Laboratory Environment (ULE) has created a sustainability standard for mobile phone manufacturers. (Green Biz)
Unilever - has unveiled what is believed to be one of the greenest headquarters (HQ) ever built. The HQ of the company behind Vaseline is located in Hamburg and is equipped with LED lights and efficient heating systems. (Inhabitat)
>>> For the full article (including links) please click here
January 27, 2011
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Sales of sustainable seafood soar in UK supermarkets
Taken from The Guardian Online
Sales of “alternative” species of fish and seafood have soared after being championed in Channel 4’s newFish Fightcampaign, the UK’s leading supermarkets reported today.
Consumers are favouring coley, dab, mussels, squid and sardines over the staple salmon, cod and tuna following the programmes last week, which highlighted the wasteful use of “discard” in fishing practices while encouraging shoppers to take the pressure off popular fish stocks by being more adventurous in what they eat.
The cook and Guardian writer Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, credited with boosting demand for higher-welfare chicken three years ago, has taken the lead in the new campaign.Programmes from fellow chef Jamie Oliver have shown consumers new ways of cooking less popular species such as mussels, squid and trout.
Sainsbury’s said sales of “bycatch” from its fresh fish counter had been “promising” overall, while sales of pollack had leapt by 167% week on week. It said customers had responded well to the fish featured in Jamie Oliver’s programmes with sales of British and MSC-certified mackerel up 60% and mussels up 16%.
Sales of its sustainable “line and pole caught” canned tuna increased by 17% over the last week, while sales of organic salmon grew by 16% and normal salmon sales remained unchanged.
Tesco, the UK’s biggest fish retailer, said it had seen an increase in sales of between 25 and 45% for fresh sardines, coley, brown crab, sprats and whiting in the week since the first programmes. It said in a statement: “We sell around 40 species of fish on our fresh counters and our staff are trained to advise customers on trying new varieties. Sales of fresh cod, herring, mussels, mackerel and canned tuna also increased compared to last week.”
But the supermarket was singled out by Fearnley-Whittingstall for misleading labelling on its canned tuna, leading the company to pledge to catch 100% of its own-brand canned tuna using the “pole and line” method. Tesco last week came fifth out of the major supermarkets in a 2011 league table of sustainable tuna, compiled by Greenpeace.
>>> Please read the full article here
January 23, 2011
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Surprising by-products of green oil
By lowcarboneconomy
With all the gathering interest in bio fuel crops, it is interesting to see some of the by-products the green oil industry is producing whilst farming the sustainable green oil crops.
The Millettia pinnata plantations in Queensland, Australia have many varied by-products, some of which would surprise even the most hardened advocate for bio fuel crops.
They utilise many natural ways to develop their crop yields and harness the experience of many years in the agriculture industry. They keep a huge number of bees on the plantation – as they manage to get the crops to flower for most of the year, thus virtually removing the old problem of seasons, this means the bees have a food source all year round. The abundant food for the bees allows them to produce a very high yield of honey, which is harvested and sold as one of the by-products of the green oil plantations. This approach removes the reliance on buying in bee hives to pollinate the crops, and removes some of the threats associated with colony collapse disorder which is threatening bee populations all over the world. It is thought that colony collapse disorder is being made worse by the practice of farms buying in bees for short periods of time to pollinate their crops – this could increase the spread of mites and viruses over much larger areas than the bees would normally cover, and allowing the bees to mix with other bees they would not normally come in contact with.
The plantations also provide cattle feed produced from the seed pods after they have been processed and the oil has been extracted. This biomass is called seed cake and is an extremely valuable source of cattle feed. The rest of the biomass is used to create biofertilizer; this is made up of prunings and cuttings from the Millettia trees themselves.
>>> Please read the full article here
January 21, 2011
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Natural Empathy Hits the Presses
Charlotte Methven celebrated buying British last weekend in You Magazine from the Mail on Sunday. It featured one of 
MoreEco’s favourite brands, Natural Empathy as an up and coming British Brand and highlighted their hand and body lotion and indulgence natural candle. To celebrate this they’re offering £2 from every online sale of Beautifully British products as a donation to the Help for Heroes charity.
The article discusses the notion of ‘rediscovering the idea of buying British to support our economy and see how great small British brands can be’ – a concept MoreEco supports whole heartedly. So if you fancy taking a look at the article please click here and let us know what you think!
Thanks
The MoreEco Team
>>> See the article here
>>> Check out Natural Empathy’s page here
June 3, 2010
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What role will natural gas play in a low carbon economy?
One of the most fundamental changes which needs to be made if the world is to stop global warming and create a new low 
carbon economy is for its population to decrease its dependence on fossil fuels.
The fact that an alternative to fossil fuels would have to be discovered was an accepted truth before climate change even became an issue and alternative energy sources have been in development for many years.
Now solar power, wind power and hydroelectricity have become part the UK’s energy mix, however they need to play a much larger part.
But what role will natural gas have in the low carbon economy?
A study by the World Watch Institute concludes that natural gas will be a key player in the US’s transition to a low carbon economy. The move from coal to gas has already played a large part in the UK’s emission reductions over the past two decades.
The authors of the research stated that natural gas, particularly that which is now being uncovered from unconventional reserves, is far less “carbon intensive” than both oil and gas.
They added that natural gas can be used in conjunction with renewable energy sources to provide “flexible backup” when there is a large demand on power, which simply could not be done with coal.
However, if people come to see natural gas as a viable resource to perform this role it could have a negative impact on the development of energy storage technologies. This concern is heightened by the fact that using natural gas for this purpose is only a very short term solution, as the production of gas from the North Sea will be 80 per cent less than it was in 2004 by 2015.
And this could be where the real sticking point lies. Will presenting natural gas as part of the transition to a low carbon economy dissuade people from searching for alternatives?
The BBC reported last year that upgraded figures on the level of natural gas reserves in the US makes it more cost effective to extract and means it will support long term supply. This makes the use of natural gas a reality in the US’s plans for a low carbon economy.
New drilling techniques enabled the country to tap into reserves within tight sands and shale rock, however there have been concerns over the environmental impact of this drilling.
Rune Bjornson, head of the gas division at Statoil, claimed that if Europe was to convert its coal power stations to natural gas then carbon emissions would be reduced by 40 per cent.
The World Watch Institute study concludes by saying that replacing the use of oil and coal with natural gas will help reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality.
What needs to be done now is finding a way of using natural gas to its fullest advantage, while ensuring its impact on carbon emissions is as low as possible. The question is how will this be done?
>>> Please read the full article here
May 18, 2010
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Top Ten Ways to Keep Eco-Healthy
1. Take Your Vitamins!
Keeping healthy on the inside is one of the best ways to feel healthy on the outside. Make sure to get your supplements from eco-friendly stores such as Higher Nature or Holland and Barrett. Keeping your body healthy stops you from craving extra foods and therefore creating surplus waste!
There are plenty of eco-stores selling amazing green skin products that use only natural ingredients and haven’t been tested on animals. These products are kinder on your skin and produced more sustainably than other commercial cosmetic products. Once you’ve finished your current foundation or body lotion replace it with more natural products and reap the benefits.
3. Organic, Unbleached Clothing and Bedding Products
Kinder on your skin and good for the environment try to buy un-dyed and un-bleached clothing and bedding wherever possible.
4. Exercise Outside
Avoid the gym and exercise outside instead! Running, yoga, power-walking, swimming… a lot of these activities can be done outdoors saving you money and lowering your carbon footprint!
Try to eat organic, fairtrade, natural, un-processed and local foods. Not only are these better for the environment but cutting out processed foods has been proven to be better for your health and your body! Drink plenty of water instead of carbonated drinks and try to snack on natural plants, seeds and products.
6. Turn It Off
Turn off your electronic products. Try to avoid charging your phone or laptop unnecessarily and avoid some of the health risks that can come with using a computer or phone too much. Cut out those headaches, save on your energy bill and reduce your carbon footprint all in one!
7. Spend Time Outside
Get some fresh air! Spending more time outdoors is better for your body and helps avoid spending hours in front of the Tv.
8. Go Vintage!
Shopping at thrift stores saves you money and can revamp your wardrobe to bring you into the fashion-forward lane! Look amazing whilst recycling old clothes, what a great excuse to go shopping.
9. Plan Ahead!
Sticking to your goals and plans without being distracted by the commercialisation of the world can help keep you focused and happy. You can save money simply by sticking to your shopping list and not being taken in by the fancy displays! Never get the post-shopping blues again!
10. Walk the Dog
Walking the dog combines exercise, fresh air and bonding with your special pet! Getting outside of the house for a set amount of time each day can reduce stress and help keep you (and your pooch) trim… what an eco treat!
December 13, 2009
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Top 10 Eco Tips
1. Recycle
Find out what your local council recycles and make sure to adhere to their rules. Clean out your cans and jars and take your paper (newspapers, cardboard, old letters etc) to your local dump. Recycling is one of the best ways we can cut down on our unnecessary consumption!
2. Simplify
Your life – cut down on any unnecessary expenditure. Take any un-used clothes to your local charity shop and try not to buy too many things you don’t need! Getting rid of things you don’t use and cutting down on things you don’t need helps reduce unnecessary waste in the future!
Try to budget and plan your weekly shop so you don’t throw away food. Keep a small compost heap so any raw vegetables that you might have thrown away get put to better use. If you enjoy gardening then grow your own instead of buying your fruit and vegetables down the shop!
Get rid of all your disposable products and replace them with reusable products. This might include plates, cups, cutlery, razors, bathroom products, towels, bags, pens etc.
5. Use the Library!
The library is a great local free service. Instead of buying all your books new go down to your local library and borrow for free! Great for the environment and your purse strings.
6. Buy Organic, Local and Free Range Where You Can
One of the best ways to be sustainable is to keep your local businesses thriving. Instead of tescos head down to your local butchers or grocers and try to support your local Farmer’s Market. Try to avoid food which uses unnecessary packaging and has been processed. It’s better for your health and the eco-system! Only purchase ‘dolphin-safe’ Tuna and try to buy fair trade wherever possible. Helping other people is the first step to helping the world.
Buying an energy-meter can be one of the best ways to measure and cut down on your energy use. Turn off your TV at the socket and try to keep your computers off-charge when they don’t need it. Turn off lights when you’re not in the room – it is these little changes that can make a massive impact on energy consumption in your community! Try these changes in your office as well!
Try to commit to cutting down your water consumption. Place a water-saving product in your shower such a timer and try to avoid having too many baths! Only fill up your kettle to the level which is needed and consider buying a low-flow flush toilet. Always run your laundry and dishwashers on full – they should be packed before you turn them on! Use a dishwasher instead of hand washing and don’t rinse your dishes before putting them in the wash! Fix your leaks and try to use a recycling-water car wash!
Don’t throw your trash on the floor and try to pick up any you see left along the roadside. Get involved in a local clean-up project and think of planting some trees in your local park. Helping to support local parks is an important part of keeping your community green.
10. Natural Products
Try to use natural products whenever possible. This includes make up, cosmetics, body lotions, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner etc. Make sure they’re cruelty free. Good for your body and the world! Try to use natural products for the home as well (such as Ecover)
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