Articles in this issue

Articles in this issue:

“Science dictates that we need a 100% reduction in carbon emissions. Here’s how to achieve it”

Oliver Tickell 14 July 2008, Carbon reduction, International policies & agreements

Oliver Tickell makes the case for controlling greenhouse gases ‘close to the source’ via a groundbreaking new worldwide permits auction.

Old World wine

Hannah Bullock and Julia Sussams 25 July 2008, Freight, Shipping

Sailing ship takes ‘slow cargo’ from France to Ireland

Tesco made a splash last autum transporting wine by barge. Now a French shipping company has taken ‘slow freight’ one step further...

Anaconda joins wave energy hunt

Julia Sussams 3 October 2008, Wave power/tidal

The world’s largest snake, which hunts its prey in water, has given its name to a pioneering new device for generating electricity from waves.

Hydrogen takes to the water

Tom Bamford 8 August 2008, Hydrogen/fuel cells, Shipping

Barge breakthrough on zero emission shipping

When transport secretary Ruth Kelly addressed the International Maritime Organization on the subject of the shipping industry’s huge carbon dioxide emissions, she might have drawn inspiration from an unassuming canal boat in Birmingham.

American Eye

15 August 2008, Higher/Further Education, Society & culture

Fired up over climate change, US students are turning up the heat on colleges’ green credentials. Polly Ghazi sees this driving a race for the top.

Bin bounty

Louise Vennells 18 August 2008, Local government, Waste & recycling

Councils to reward residents for recycling

Within months, UK residents could be cashing in on their recycling under a new scheme which has already encouraged Americans to go green on their rubbish.

Transport of delight

18 August 2008, Aviation

GF tastes airship technology at first hand over London

A cleaner, more civilised flying experience than frenetic jet travel? Green Futures went on one of the world’s largest airships to find out.

Greening Whitechapel

Julia Sussams 21 August 2008, Local food, Recycling

City market leads the way in waste recycling

London’s bustling and colourful Whitechapel Market, selling everything from salmon to saris, has suddenly gone greener and cleaner – as the first market in the country to recycle nearly 100% of its rubbish.

Wheelie wins

29 August 2008, Cycling

‘Cycling city’ Bristol heads push on bikes in towns

That most familiar of all zero-carbon vehicles, the bicycle, is to get £100 million backing from the government in a drive to promote its potential as an urban alternative to the car.

PV’s bright future?

Louise Vennells 5 September 2008, Science & technology, Solar energy/PV

Window coating could be low-cost solar breakthrough

Price is still a real barrier to household-level photovoltaic power. But a special coated window glass, developed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, could help crack that problem.

The futureproofers

Hannah Bullock and Vicki Lesley 19 September 2008, Local government, Social enterprise

Around the country, towns are printing their own currency, turning over scraps of land to grow food and re-skilling their workforce for a future where fossil fuels are no longer on tap.

Solar all night?

Hannah Bullock 1 October 2008, Science & technology, Solar energy/PV

Promise of homes as mini ‘power stations’ via solar PV link to hydrogen production

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have high hopes for their latest “breakthrough” in solar photovoltaics.

Adapting the capital

Giovanna Dunmall 7 October 2008, Local government, Visions & futures

Mayoral plan addresses climate change risks to London

London’s vulnerability to the effects of climate change has spurred mayor Boris Johnson to announce what is billed as the first ever Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for a major city.

Ikea DIYs it

Hannah Bullock 14 October 2008, Retail, Socially responsible investment

Ikea invests €50 million in cleantech start-ups

The new investment arm, Ikea GreenTech, aims to work with five or six companies in areas such as solar, lighting, energy efficiency and water saving, over the next five years.

Victorian home of the future

Roger East and Tim Nichols 14 October 2008, Energy conservation & efficiency, Heritage

Camden showcases ‘heritage-friendly’ low-carbon refurb

Yes, it is possible – to cut the climate change impact of a typical 150-year-old English home dramatically without ruining its character.

School report

Alison Winward 7 October 2008, Schools

Councils ‘must try harder’ on emissions, says sustainability watchdog

The CO2 output from schools will be counted as part of each authority’s total under the Carbon Reduction Commitment, the domestic emissions trading scheme due to be launched in 2010.

Lending light

Roger East 14 October 2008, Behaviour change, Community energy

‘Library’ scheme lets public get real feel of low-energy bulbs

People do still harbour suspicions about compact fluorescent lightbulbs. Must they be an ugly shape – or too cumbersome, their glow too dim, their light too cold? Will they fit their fittings – and work with their dimmer switches?

Hebridean hopes for hydrogen

Hannah Bullock 14 October 2008, Hydrogen/fuel cells

Island to harness renewable power through fuel cells

This autumn sees the installation of a vehicle fuelling station on the Hebridean island of Lewis. The excitement lies in the fuel it has on offer – renewably generated hydrogen.

Pulling power

Giovanna Dunmall 14 October 2008, Visions & futures, Wind power

Scientists link chain of kites to harvest wind energy six miles high

They call it a laddermill – and they think it is “the third generation of wind power”. The device is essentially a huge chain of wing-like kites attached to a looped cable, developed by scientists at the Delft University of Technology.

Green crude

Hannah Bullock 14 October 2008, Biofuels

Oil from algae attracts attention as biofuel solution

Algae biotech company Sapphire Energy has raised $100 million in initial investment to develop a sustainable version of oil that it’s calling “green crude”. So why might this be a better bet than other highly problematic biofuels?

Orchards’ richer harvest

Hannah Bullock and Jon Wallace 14 October 2008, Biodiversity, Farming/Horticulture

Studies unearth surprisingly high value of trees

We should stop and consider the broader picture before we grub up more of the UK’s fast disappearing orchards – because they may be worth more than we think.

Q: Where do butterflies go when it all gets too much?

Hannah Bullock 14 October 2008, Climate change impacts, Conservation

A: Butterfly Survival Zones

Twenty of them have been designated across Britain in a bid to stop the country entering a ‘post-butterfly era’.

Money talks

Dax Lovegrove 13 October 2008, Carbon reduction, Climate change impacts, Corporate responsibility, Green Futures partners

Taking stock on green investment – WWF

Package deal

Iain Aitch 13 October 2008, Carbon offset/neutrality, Green Futures partners

Offsets for everyone – TUI

Plane sensible

Iain Aitch 13 October 2008, Aviation, Carbon reduction, Green Futures partners

Getting to grips with aviation’s footprint – Entec

Track changes?

Christian Wolmar 8 October 2008, Carbon reduction, Green Futures partners, Railways

At the heart of low-carbon transport – Rail Safety and Standards Board

Wet revolution

Darren Towers 13 October 2008, Green Futures partners, Water

Tapping efficiency gains – Thames Water

Green house effect

Roger East and Terry Slavin 8 October 2008, Carbon offset/neutrality, Carbon reduction, Housing

Will new homes meet the zero-carbon test by 2016? Terry Slavin and Roger East investigate.

New Year’s Day 2030

James Goodman 13 October 2008, Climate change, Visions & futures

James Goodman explores contrasting futures for a world wrestling with a new climate.

Zero hour for a new capitalism

Jonathon Porritt 13 October 2008, Climate change impacts, Corporate responsibility

Seize the time for sustainable capitalism, says Jonathon Porritt.

Smarter bytes, slimmer footprints

Bill Thompson and Jon Wallace 13 October 2008, Information technology, Innovation

Bill Thompson feels the weight of the online world.

And another thing…

Martin Wright 13 October 2008, Railways

Martin Wright gets cross with Greenpeace – and productive on a train

The Knowledge

Hannah Bullock 13 October 2008, People

In the first of a new series, the Co-op’s Paul Monaghan lets us in on the secret.

Letters

13 October 2008

"A recession is an excellent opportunity to bring economic and environmental considerations together. They are inextricably related, a part of the same thing, and we need to make sure that the public and political debate is framed in those terms."

“If the NHS built cycle paths…”

Helen Clarkson 13 October 2008, Cycling, Health

Yes, the road is full of crazed people (some of them pedestrians). Yes, it often rains. And yes, I have on occasion forgotten to pack my shoes. But being outside and getting exercise without having to join a gym keeps me reasonably sane.

Building “must stand up”

Martin Hunt 13 October 2008, Housing

There I was, all set to help develop a positive, forward-thinking work programme with one of Forum’s business partners. And here was the MD, introducing the internal sustainability workshop.

Editorial

Roger East 13 October 2008

Pulling out of Cambridge station, the London train passes a building site. It’s all quiet on that front – the time of the morning, or the state of the housing market?

India launches climate action plan

Martin Wright 24 September 2008, Asia, Climate change

Proposals 'too little, too late' say critics

Solar power will be “centre stage” in India’s strategy to tackle global warming, according to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

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