Fellowtravellers is a radical new concept in mass transport which claims to offer an environmentally-friendly, economical and reliable alternative to the stresses and strains of traditional public transport and a genuine non-car travel option. It is an alternative, local, and responsive public transport system which puts the needs of the traveller at the heart of [...]
Back from our traditional Whitsun break, and time to take stock. After a surprisingly small amount of soul-searching I’ve decided to put Change Alley out of its misery. There are other projects that are more deserving of my attention right now.
The Change Alley brand may make a reappearance in a new form in the future, [...]
Photo © Jorge Sanz
Every summer here in the People’s Republic of Suburbia, we’ve grown used to being entertained by the aerobatic antics of flights of swifts who’ve made the long journey from Central and Southern Africa to breed. London’s Swifts reported the first London arrivals on May 2nd, but here in Bromley the skies are [...]
It’s that time again, and the Chelsea Flower Show, “the ultimate event in the gardening year”, is in full swing. The show, flagship event of the Royal Horticultural Society, is being loudly promoted as the ‘greenest’ ever. Mind you, they seem to say that every year. They’re certainly placing a great deal of emphasis on [...]
This letter was published today at Survivalblog.com:
Sir:
I recently finished trenching and running a few hundred feet of irrigation pipe on land that has been in my wife’s family for a few generations. We are the proud recipients of this small farm in the Southeast US. My Mother-In-Law was helping, and getting various tools and such [...]
Fuel rationing may be just one of a series of shocks facing drivers and commuters in Queensland, Australia. Looming oil shortages will produce the biggest change in society since the industrial revolution, Sustainability Minister Andrew McNamara warned yesterday.
To underscore his concerns, Mr McNamara will appear in a documentary film premiering May 20th in which he [...]
Shares in British Airways rose sharply this morning after preliminary results for the 12 months to March revealed annual pre-tax profits up by 44.5% to £883 million. These excellent figures are bucking the trend in airlines around the world, and particularly in the US, where the airline sector as a whole posted an $11 billion [...]
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wild Life Service
The polar bear, whose summertime Arctic hunting grounds have been greatly reduced by global warming , will be placed under the protection of the Endangered Species Act. The Center for Biological Diversity, Greenpeace and the Natural Resources Defense Council filed suit in 2005 to force a listing of the [...]
Housing, Planning Comments (0)
The East of England Regional Assembly has voiced concern over proposals for four eco-towns in the region, involving nearly 50,000 new houses. The body is worried that the planning system will be bypassed and that the schemes themselves are unsustainable.
Responding to the eco-towns public consultation, the Assembly raised concerns that the new homes are not well linked to jobs and public transport and could become dormitory towns with high levels of commuting by car.
Cllr Derrick Ashley, Chairman of the Assembly’s Planning Panel said: “Government should halt this dash for eco-towns before more money and effort is wasted. The public want high environmental standards for all new housing not speculative development in unsuitable locations.
“Proposals for new settlements in the region should be decided through the Assembly by local councils and other stakeholders to ensure sustainable growth in appropriate locations.”
Under this system, EERA has already planned for two new settlements at Northstowe in Cambridgeshire and Wixams in Bedfordshire as part of the East of England Plan, the regional development blueprint up to 2021.
The Assembly believes that the eco-town decision-making process should be transferred to its review of the East of England Plan which will identify the region’s housing needs up to 2031.
East of England Plan portal page
Sphere: Related ContentPete Smith @ July 19, 2008
Following on from an interesting conversation about Peak Oil and manual tools started by Earthpal over at The Coffee House (’Renewable Energy: the power of the human body‘), I started thinking about how I could reduce my use of powered tools around the house. At this time of year, one of the most frequent routine tasks is mowing the lawn. My 20-year old electric rotary mower is still going strong, but I haven’t got a clue how much energy it uses in its dotage, and it’s a heavy beast to use. With fond memories of the sound of hand mowers whirring lazily in the afternoon sun, I bought one of these babies.
The Qualcast Panther 30 Sidewheel Cylinder Lawn mower is a thing of beauty. It’s as light as a feather for starters, which means you can literally lift the whole thing plus a full box of grass clippings with one finger. If you’re mowing after rain it doesn’t leave ruts on the lawn, unlike my electric dinosaur, which is nice for those of us who garden on heavy clay. And there’s no need for unravelling the cable, finding a socket, testing the circuit breaker and all the rest of the faffing about you have to do with a powered machine. And I don’t do my back in carrying it up and down the steps at the back of the house. And it does a better job in less time.
Go on, I dare you, buy one of these now. It’s £37.95 from Amazon, including delivery. It’s great fun and great value, they have zero carbon emissions, and you can mow the lawn during a power cut.
Pete Smith @ July 16, 2008