The case for a carbon tax – getting past our hang-ups to effective climate policy by law professor Shi-Ling Hsu

September 30th, 2011 by Island Press

In this hyper-partisan era, you wouldn’t expect liberals and conservatives to agree about much of anything—certainly not taxes, definitely not taxes to stop climate change. But according to legal expert Shi-Ling Hsu, this controversial idea actually has surprising support on both sides of the aisle.

(click on book cover to go to Amazon UK)

Both New Times columnist Paul Krugman and über-libertarian Grover Norquist support higher gasoline taxes. Even Exxon-Mobile CEO Rex Tillerman is in favor of carbon taxes. Continue reading

Recycling reluctance costing Brits £762 million each year

September 30th, 2011 by O2

Ignorance and apathy prevents UK gadget lovers from cashing in.

New research from O2 reveals Brits lose out on a staggering £762million each year by failing to cash in on their old tech goods, including mobile phones, MP3 players, sat navs, games consoles and digital cameras.

With more than 17.5 million of these gadgets thrown out each year – or one for every three UK adults – the research highlights the potential money making opportunities available to British consumers. Continue reading

Guernsey seminar on links between mental health and domestic abuse on 7 October 2011

September 30th, 2011 by Domestic Abuse Strategy Co-ordinator

Jennifer Holly, a representative from the AVA Project, has been invited by Options to speak on the links between Mental Health and Domestic Abuse at a breakfast seminar at Les Cotils, St Peter Port from 8 am to 9.45 am on Friday 7 October 2011.

(Please click on the image to download the flyer as a PDF file)

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Renewable energy now providing nearly ten percent of UK’s electricity

September 29th, 2011 by RenewableUK

The Scroby Sands wind farm (please click image to expand - image courtesy of RenewableUK ©Ben Alcraft)

• 120% increase in electricity from wind compared to a year ago
• 50% rise overall in electricity from renewables
• Nearly half of all renewable electricity comes from wind alone Continue reading

Televised mock trial at UK Supreme Court on 30 September to consider Ecocide a crime against peace

September 29th, 2011 by The Hamilton Group

A mock trial on the guilt or innocence of the two CEOs accused of crimes of Ecocide is being held from 9 am to 5 pm on Friday 30 September 2011 at the UK Supreme Court, Parliament Square, London. The mock trial can be seen live on Sky.

The Jury will give its verdict at 5.00 pm. The indictments are based on real events.

A Press Conference will follow immediately afterwards in The Lawyers Suite, Supreme Court, Parliament Square, London.

Present will be:

• Rt Hon Michael Meacher MP former Minister of State for the Environment
• Michael Mansfield QC Prosecuting Barrister
• Christopher Parker QC Defence Barrister
• Polly Higgins, Environmental Lawyer who has proposed to the UN that Ecocide becomes the 5th Crime Against Peace
• Charles Perry, Partner Second Nature, former Director of BP Green Energy
• Alyn Ware, World Future Council, Vice-President International Peace Bureau
• Simon Hamilton, Chairman, The Hamilton Group
• The Foreman of the Jury and Expert Witnesses from the Trial

In April 2010, British barrister Polly Higgins proposed to the UN that Ecocide, the environmental equivalent of Genocide, becomes the 5th International Crime Against Peace alongside Genocide, Crimes Against Humanity, Crimes of Aggression and War Crimes. Continue reading

Global warming could cause Guernsey’s ormer, Haliotis tuberculata, to shrink

September 29th, 2011 by Queen Mary University of London

The way in which global warming causes many of the world’s organisms to shrink has been revealed by new research from Queen Mary, University of London.

Almost all cold-blooded organisms are affected by a phenomenon known as the ‘temperature-size rule’, which describes how individuals of the same species reach a smaller adult size when reared at warmer temperatures. But until now, scientists have not fully understood how these size changes take place.

Writing in the journal The American Naturalist, Dr Andrew Hirst and colleagues from Queen Mary’s School of Biological and Chemical Sciences explore this unusual shrinking effect in more detail, and show conclusively how it occurs. Continue reading

Professor Nicholas Day speaks with BBC Guernsey about planning for a rise in sea level and storm surges

September 28th, 2011 by Professor Nicholas Day

Professor Nicholas Day, CBE, FRS speaks with BBC Guernsey about planning for a rise in sea level and storm surges (click image to expand - ©RLLord)

When Guernsey last produced a report on its coastal defenses the scientific community stated that we should take into account a sea level rise of 70 to 80 centimetres by the end of the century.

A lot of scientific work in the last five years now suggests that the sea level could potentially rise by 1 to 1.5 metres (five feet) by the end of the 21st century.  When witnessing a high spring tide you can imagine what an extra five feet of sea level would do to our coastline.  The whole area would be swamped.

St Peter Port waterfront floods on a high spring tide (click image to expand - ©RLLord)

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Belle Greve Bay area residents invited to learn about wastewater treatment plant project

September 27th, 2011 by Guernsey Water

Residents of the Belle Greve area are being invited to a drop-in session to learn the latest developments in the planned wastewater installation at the site.

The session will take place on 12 October 2011 and will run from 5 to  7 pm. Nearby residents and other interested members of the public are invited to the existing Belle Greve wastewater plant where the project team and preferred contractors will give updates of progress being made in the development of the new inlet works. Continue reading

The Guernsey Bicycle Group’s Mission Statement

September 27th, 2011 by Guernsey Bicycle Group

The Guernsey Bicycle Group (GBG) exists for the benefit of all by encouraging the use of bicycles and other environmentally friendly forms of transport to reduce the adverse effects of the internal combustion engine.

• GBG is a voluntary group working for the community
• GBG promotes improved facilities for cyclists and walkers
• GBG seeks to coordinate and focus the efforts of other groups and individuals that share its aims.
• GBG accepts the role of motor transport in Guernsey society but seeks to encourage the community to embrace sensible means to reduce its adverse effects.
• GBG therefore supports measures to promote cycling and walking as well as public transport and car sharing as ways to achieve its mission.
• GBG was launched in 1996 and is going strong.

Members of the Guernsey Bicycle Group gather to promote safe winter cycling (click image to expand - ©RLLord)

Atlantic saury, Scomberesox saurus, caught on Banc au Nord on 24 September 2011

September 26th, 2011 by Richard Lord

Mark Platt fly fishing on Banc au Nord to the north-east of Sark on 24 September 2011 caught a 95 gram Atlantic saury, Scomberesox saurus. This fish had a total length of 340 mm, a fork length of 323 mm, and a standard length of 306 mm.  It will be submitted as a Guernsey angling record.

Atlantic saury, Scomberesox saurus, caught over Banc au Nord, to the north-east of Sark on 24 September 2011 (click image to expand - ©RLLord)

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