Mygreenweek

People all over Britain are being urged to take part in World Environment Day next week.

The global event, which takes place next Thursday, June 5, was established in 1972 by the United Nations and this year will be hosted by New Zealand.

But countries around the world will be supporting the event, which the UN says is intended to “give a human face to environmental issues and empower people to become active agents of sustainable development.”

A huge variety of events will be taking place including street rallies, bike parades, tree planting and clean-up campaigns.  And if you’re looking for ideas on what to do, then you’re bound to find a good idea in the World Environment Day alphabet which suggests 80 different ways in which you can take part.

UN officials say we should use this year’s event to examine the state of our environment and consider what each of us must do to help preserve life on earth.

Britain’s Environment Agency is urging people to take part and you can visit its website to make an environmental promise.  It has promised that a new website which goes live today will give lots of ideas and provide a range of resources for people planning projects.

It is hoped that schools, universities and colleges will take part in the event and there are also many community events planned.  In London, there will be a green auction and tree planting events. Check out what is happening in your area by clicking on the regional map on the Environment Agency website.
And don’t forget that just four days later, National Liftshare Day will be taking place in the UK.  Businesses and organisations are being urged to set up their own liftshare scheme and individuals can log onto the website and try to arrange to share transport with another traveller.

Liftshare.com is a completely FREE service with members all over the country who regularly – or occasionally – share a journey to reduce C02 (and fuel costs!) To date, it has helped to arrange more than one million shared journeys and currently has more than 200,000 members.

Susan

Controversy is mounting over plans to bury carbon dioxide in a bid to keep greenhouse gas emissions below danger levels.

The International Environment Agency says carbon capture and storage (CCS) could be the silver bullet in the fight against climate change.

CCS is a means of separating out carbon dioxide when burning fossil fuels, and then dumping it - underground, or under the sea bed.

But critics argue that it is unsafe, has never been tested on a commercial scale and could slow down any move towards real green power sources.

And while the IEA says any challenges could be overcome and the WWF believes it could be a viable stop-gap -  some environmental groups, including Greenpeace, describe it as “a false hope.”

Experts have warned that further rises in climate temperature will bring more damaging heat waves, water shortages and flooding and supporters of CCS claim it is the technological answer we’ve been looking for.
Already, a number of major companies are said to be  “preparing” for CCS projects – but Greenpeace says the reality is that the technology is not yet viable.

It says although supporters of the planned new coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth have made much of the idea of “clean coal”, the plant will simply be ready to incorporate CCS when the technology becomes viable – and that might be never.

Greenpeace has criticised Eon for wanting to build a coal power plant that will “pump out as much CO2 as thirty developing countries, year on year” in the hope that at some point CCS will be available.

Opponents say we face the prospect of massive emissions for the next 40 years from a new generation of coal-burning power stations - approved on the basis of a promise that never materialises.

Susan

Here’s a great collaboration that’s just started between two existing organisations, Eco-Libris and BookMooch.

Now, I’m not much of a reader myself, but my partner and my mum both read avidly, and I’m constantly struggling to find enough material for them. They share books with each other, and with friends, but still run out of titles they like, especially as everyone has different favourite authors. As well as this, at some stage, someone ends up with a book that everyone else has read, and is now essentially useless.

BookMooch is a brilliant idea for extending your effective circle of reading friends, and works a little bit like an online library, or like a video rental site. One you’re registered, you can type in the details of books you are prepared to give away, and you get one tenth of a “Mooch Point” for each that you put in. Other Moochers can browse or search the database for books they want to read, and you send them the book. For each you send, you get one point, which entitles you to receive one book from another member. You can keep the book forever if you want, or you can relist it. The only restriction is that you must donate at least one book for each five you receive.

Eco-Libris sells packs of stickers, for $1 per sticker. You put the sticker on a book, and they work with not-for-profit ecological organisations to plant a tree to “balance out” the environmental effect of that book. Most people start with a pack of 25 stickers. Now Eco-Libris and BookMooch have teamed up, so that you can use your Eco-Libris stickers to earn extra Mooch Points, one for every 10 trees you help to get planted.

If you have spare Mooch points, you can also donate them to one of the supported charities, so you have lots of different ways of helping the planet. I think both the ideas are really good, and there are already redundant paperbacks hanging around in my sitting room that I have mentally earmarked to offer up, and not only will it tidy the house a bit, but also set my bookworms up with a bit more matter to digest.

Amanda

 A warm Merry Christmas to all of you

SenseUp becomes Mygreenweek!

Don’t forget to update your bookmarks and add Mygreenweek!

SenseUp becomes Mygreenweek, the blog where you find everything you need to green up your week!

Don’t forget to update your favorites with the new Mygreenweek address!

Enjoy your reading on Mygreenweek :9

Check out the new page of the blog and Show your love to our writers!

If you’re crawling under free stuff your company gives you or if you want to get rid of your Christmas presents, put them to good use and Show your love for SenseUp talented writers!

Aurelien

Welcome on the Sense up your business blog!

Here you can discuss new green business ideas, concepts or tips on how to be a greener company. This space is addressed to every green-minded person willing to share its knowledge and views.

Find more about who I am in the About me page

Let’s spread out the attitude and get more and more companies turning green!

Please demonstrate a polite and respectful behaviour when posting here.