SEPTEMBER 11th, 2009
Almost a decade after the last short-haired bumblebee flew through Britain’s meadows, ambitious plans are underway to reintroduce the extinct species. Although the short-haired bumblebee officially died out in the UK in 2000 a small community survived in New Zealand after being exported there in the late 19th century to pollinate red clover.
Scientists intend to spend two months capturing queen bees as they emerge from hibernation in Mackenzie Country New Zealand. They propose to rear the queens in captivity in the hope that they produce a second generation of queens, which could then be shipped back to Britain once they enter hibernation. Another team of volunteers is already working with local farmers, landowners and members of the public in Kent to restore the habitat where the bees are to be released in late Spring, early Summer.
If the plan succeeds it will be the first time a species of bee has been reintroduced to a country after the native population has died out.
Sources: Guardian & Ecologist
SEPTEMBER 11th, 2009
The arctic is sending us a clear message - climate change is occurring more rapidly than anyone ever imagined. This video made by the Extreme Ice Survey supporting 350.org dramatically illustrates the extent that the Mendenhall glacier near Juneau, Alaska retreated in 350 days.
350.org is an international campaign dedicated to building a movement to unite the world around solutions to the climate crisis. Ahead of the Copenhagen climate talks this December 350.org are calling on people around the world to organize an action on October 24 incorporating the number 350 at an iconic place in their community. This event aims to send a clear message to world leaders:
“The solutions to climate change must be equitable, they must be grounded in science, and they must meet the scale of the crisis.”
350ppm (parts per million) is the threshold for safe levels of CO2 in the upper atmosphere. Once this number is exceeded irreversible damage begins to be done to the Earth’s climate. CO2 Levels have already reached 390ppm, the highest in recorded history, and are rising by 2ppm every year.
Summer levels of sea ice in the Arctic have decreased by an area five times the size of the UK between 1979 and 2007 and many experts now believe the Arctic will be completely free of summer ice between 2011 and 2015. It’s not too late to reverse the damage we are doing, join the global movement to reduce CO2 levels at www.350.org and send a message to Copenhagen.
Source: Do The Green Thing
JULY 6th, 2009
On the 2nd of July the latest part from the Prince’s Rainforest Project campaign went live in London at Piccadilly Circus. The key image of the campaign is Kermit the Frog. The McDonald’s sign gives members of the public the chance to interact with the breathing frog, allowing them to be photographed in front of the screens with the frog seemingly on their hand, head or shoulder. Alongside this, the red Coca-Cola sign turns green before showcasing some of the well-known faces from the campaign including Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford and Kermit the Frog. In the picture above British actress Talulah Riley interacts with the frog.
JUNE 30th, 2009
Ethanol production has come under much criticism for driving up the price of corn on the world’s markets. This week it’s algae, mixed with a good does of technology, to the rescue! Dow Chemicals announced plans to join Algenol Biofuels in a pilot-scale project to use algae and carbon dioxide to produce ethanol fuel. The facility is planned to be located at Dow’s Freeport, Texas site. Want to know more?
JUNE 25th, 2009
The Sear’s Tower in Chicago, America’s largest skyscraper, will undergo a “green” retrofit costing $350 million that will make the 110-storey office tower a beacon for environmentally sound space. Plans include wind turbines, green roofs and solar panels, all of which will reduce electricity consumption by a staggering 80 per cent and water usage by 40 per cent. The Tower will be renamed the Willis Tower later this summer. The project is scheduled to take 5 years to complete and create 3,600 jobs.
JUNE 22nd, 2009
A new manifesto, ‘Greener and Wiser‘, produced in conjunction with Age Concern, Help the Aged, Green Alliance and Natural England, calls for older people to be trained as local volunteer environmental advisers. With a growing older population and widespread apathy amongst the younger generation, the ‘Greener and Wiser’ manifesto recommends making use of the older generation to ‘age proof’ local environmental strategies and develop intergenerational projects for the community.
AUGUST 10th, 2008
A bar inside of the trunk of a 6,000 year old Baobab tree, draws 7,000 visitors a year from across the world, to enjoy a drink beneath its branches.
The one of a kind bar was created for the locals residents inside a massive 72 foot (22 meters) high tree in a garden in Limpopo, South Africa and can comfortably sit up to 15 people.
The ancient tree which had hollowed naturally over time, revealed evidence of former inhabitants of indigenous Bushmen of the Kalahari desert and the Voortrekkers, the Dutch pioneers who travelled through South Africa in the mid-1800’s.
JULY 7th, 2008
Take a trip to the city this summer and catch a glimpse of some of London’s most innovative and modern green designs.
Insider London has created the ‘Cutting Edge Green Tour’ which embarks on an exploration across London, taking in eco shops, green communities and futuristic environmental architecture.
