Energy & Environmental Management articles from November 2003

Energy & Environmental Management archives from November 2003

Collective action for change.
November 1, 2003... Britain looks ahead two years to its presidency of the European Union and the Group of Eight industrialised nations as a unique opportunity to influence international action on the environment. Defra Secretary of State Margaret Beckett told...

End of life.(News)(processing old cars, vans)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... New standards were introduced on November 3 for processing old cars and vans (ELVs), encouraging their reuse and recycling. In time, all fluids will need to be removed, and certain parts dismantled before scrapping, at special sites licensed...

GSK partnership.(News)(GlaxoSmithKline, Carbon Trust)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Carbon Trust is to partner with GlaxoSmithKline. Working with its Primary Supply operation, which manufactures in six sites across the UK, the partnership aims to help reduce energy use and carbon dioxide emissions. It will be delivered through...

Green energy mark.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... A new Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin (REGO) scheme will enable renewable energy producers to show that their electricity comes from a green source. It will be administered by Ofgem.

Re-register now.(News)
November 1, 2003... Readers of this magazine are asked to re-register now to continue to receive a regular free copy, and to indicate interest in receiving a web version. The re-registration card appears near the centre of this edition, at the end of the Focus...

Building spearhead.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... A high-level group of builders, developers, planners and environmental advisers will spearhead efforts to raise the environmental quality of buildings. Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett announced the new Sustainable Buildings Task...

Joining forces to shake up business.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The British Chambers of Commerce and the Institute of Directors have joined forces with Envirowise to form a new partnership that will show businesses how to be less wasteful and more profitable by reducing overhead costs. The campaign...

New focal point.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Stephen Timms, Minister for Energy, joined over 130 guests to celebrate the launch of the new Energy Institute, which marries the Institute of Petroleum with the Institute of Energy. Stephen Timms was joined by Prof Martin Fry and Dr Pierre...

Banks talk carbon at No10.(News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Ten major investment banks talked emissions trading over breakfast at Number 10 in October. One banker said they discussed with the PM and Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett what the City could do to help slow climate change. "There are a...

Quick Wins on contracts.(News)
November 1, 2003... Government Ministers have signed up to sustainable buying. All new central government department contracts must apply minimum environmental standards when purchasing certain types of product, covering aspects such as energy efficiency and...

Running on fuel cells.(Energy)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... How feasible is the vision of a world where silent vehicles running on hydrogen and emitting no pollutants cruise our roads? A new report from the Department for Transport looks at hydrogen and fuel cells, focusing on the three key issues of...

Fossil fuel use grows.(Energy)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The UK produced 7.5% less primary fuel in the second quarter of 2003 than the same time last year, but consumed 2.8% more--oil consumption even increasing by 7.4%. The Climate Change Levy has increased the average prices of fuels to industry:...

Suppliers breach RO terms.(Energy)(Maverick Energy Ltd.)(TXU (UK) Ltd.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Ofgem is considering further action after TXU (UK) Ltd and Maverick Energy Ltd breached the terms of the Renewables Obligation (RO). Both companies failed to present ROCs or pay the relevant buy-out. Electricity supplier TXU (UK) owes the...

Small generator support.(Energy)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Farmers who grow energy crops, small buildings which generate electricity and smaller co-firing power stations which burn a combination of biomass and fossil fuels, will benefit from new Government proposals. These alter the timescales for...

Water directive--'a blow'.(EU news)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... A major clean-up of Europe's rivers, lakes and coastal regions should be the result of the now approved Water Framework Directive from the EU. The directive bans industries from discharging hazardous substances into rivers, and requires EU...

Hydro bargain.(EU news)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... A study looking at the external costs of different methods of generating power has found that those for a solar PV panel are more than three times costs for nuclear power. The seven impacts analysed for the EU Commission report include human...

Water fund.(EU news)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The European Parliament is to create a European Water Fund of 1 billion [euro] from both public and private sources to fund water supply and purification in developing countries. MEPs called for an assessment of the effect of privatisation...

Limited Reach.(EU news)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Europe's chemicals industry has cautiously welcomed the EC's toned-down plans for regulating its environmental impacts under the 'Reach' system. But others are angry at its continued weakening. There is now lighter treatment of polymers and...

Use for forestry waste.(EU news)
November 1, 2003... Using the residue of forestry logging to generate electricity and heat could reduce European Union C[O.sub.2] emissions by four to six per cent--significantly helping it to meet its Kyoto targets, says a report launched at the World Forestry...

Digby backs new equity scheme.(Waste News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Digby Jones, the CBI's director general, is backing the launch of the first equity fund in Europe to have a dedicated focus on the recycling sector. "Business is a significant player in the waste chain and has taken positive steps to...

Kerbside collections rise.(Waste News)(kerbside.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The proportion of households served by kerbside collection schemes for rubbish in England increased to 58% in 2001/2002, according to the Waste Management figures for that year released in August. Other trends include a small decrease in the...

24m [pounds sterling] for six waste projects.(Waste News)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... A total of 118.7million [pounds sterling] has so far been allocated to 254 projects outside of London over 2002/03 and 2003/04 for local authority waste minimisation and recycling schemes. An additional 24million [pounds sterling] was made...

Winning mix.(Waste News)(grants to increase the UK's use of recycled and secondary aggregates)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Capital grant funding from WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme) has been awarded to two companies under an open competition to increase the UK's use of recycled and secondary aggregates. RMC Aggregates (North West) has been awarded...

Waste trading--your view.(Waste News)
November 1, 2003... Opinions are being invited on proposals for the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme for local authorities in England, scheduled to start in 2004. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are consulting separately. In England, waste disposal...

Ozone hole bigger than America.(Environment)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The gaping, man-made hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica is the second largest ever observed, according to scientists from NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL). It...

River quality rising.(Environment)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... River quality in England and Wales is improving, according to the latest figures for chemical and biological river quality. About 95% of rivers were of good or fair chemical quality in 2002, and about 75% of good chemical quality alone; 955 had...

Public holds the key.(Environment)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Engaging with ordinary people is vital in creating a more environmentally-friendly town or city. This is the conclusion of a panel of environmentalists, who met in London to discuss all aspects of urban sustainability. The experts included...

5m [pounds sterling] funding.(Environment)(Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs program Darwin Initiative)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Darwin Initiative, a biodiversity grants programme run by Defra, is seeking applications for a share of 5 million [pounds sterling] funding for projects to start in April 2004. The scheme helps poorer countries conserve their rich...

Environmental systems' valuation.(Environment)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Environmental management is a core issue for many businesses. But how valuable are the formal management systems which businesses use to improve their environmental performance? The remas project is seeking companies to take part in a study...

No moss but lots of trees.(Environment)(tree planting offsets concert tour's environmental impact)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Rolling Stones (above) worked with Future Forests to mitigate the carbon impact of their recent 40 Licks tour. Thousands of trees will be planted to offset the carbon dioxide emissions generated according to venue size, distance between...

Rural panel.(Environment)(Rural Climate Change Panel)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The impact of climate change in rural areas is being studied by a new Rural Climate Change Panel to determine if specific new policies are needed and top bring together existing initiatives. Further details at: www.defra.gov.uk/environment/...

Helping to preserve the 'lifeblood' of small businesses.(Carbon Trust)
November 1, 2003... Energy efficiency is critical to delivering the UK's carbon emission reduction targets. The Energy White Paper, and every other significant study, puts energy efficiency as the bedrock on which any carbon emission reduction strategy is based....

Breaking the link ... between resources and productivity.
November 1, 2003... Can we have our cake and eat it? At the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, the UK Government committed itself to "encourage and promote the development of a 10-year framework of programmes... to accelerate the shift...

WADE in where others fear to tread.(World Alliance for Decentralised Energy )
November 1, 2003... Decentralised energy (DE) is the new buzzword. In the wake of the recent power failures, the aim of its protagonists is nothing less than a paradigm shift away from the dominant electricity-supply idea of the twentieth century - a national grid...

True threats to global security.
November 1, 2003... There has recently been a trilogy of titles from publishers Earthscan, two of which are the annual checklists of our collective planetary progress from those unblinking watchers on the wall of civilisation, the Worldwatch Institute. In his...

Global partnership.(Renewables)(Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership for promoting renewable energy)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Ministers from more than a dozen countries joined forces to launch the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) in the City of London. Energy and environment ministers, including those of India, France, the US, the UK and the...

Stealthy blades.(Renewables)(windfarms)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Many otherwise acceptable wind farms--on and offshore--have had their planning approval blocked by the MoD who say the movement of turbine blades would interfere with RAF radar. Now, a company has come up with a project for a type of'stealthy'...

New life for oil site.(Renewables)(deepwater offshore windfarm)
November 1, 2003... The Government and the Scottish Assembly are giving 388,000 [pounds sterling] to support development of the world's first deepwater offshore windfarm on an old oilfleld. Canadian oil company Talisman and Scottish & Southern Energy will use the...

Web for wind.(Renewables)(against misinformation)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and WWF-UK have launched a web site to fight misinformaton about wind power. See www.yes2wind.com.

Green light for EA.(Renewables)(EnvironmentAgency)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Every watt of electricity used by the EnvironmentAgency at its 2,000-plus sites now comes from renewable sources. Over three years the Agency has gradually switched each of its offices, sites, pumping and gauging stations, including the Thames...

Hard selling fuel cells.(Renewables)(eighth Grove Fuel Cell Conference)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The abilities of 65 UK companies active in fuel cells, and the UK Fuel CellVision were broadcast by the launch of The UK Fuel Cells Industry: A Capability Guide by the DTI at the eighth Grove Fuel Cell Conference. Energy Minister Stephen Timms...

Prison's Clear Skies approach.(Renewables)(applications invited for reducing emissions)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The second round of applications for Clear Skies renewable energy grants has offered more than 890,000 [pounds sterling] to a range of not-for-profit community organisations. Almost 1.4million [pounds sterling] has been awarded since July, in...

Focus on ... water: the sustainable management of water is essential to meet current and future demand and to protect the water environment. Climate change--with its many menacing consequences--and the demands of growing population and affluence affect how much water is used.
November 1, 2003... The sustainable management of water is essential to meet current and future demand and to protect the water environment. Climate change--with its many menacing consequences--and the demands of growing population and affluence affect how much...

Clear vision for water--the nation's choice.(focus on water)
November 1, 2003... Water UK is the association that represents all UK water and wastewater service suppliers at national and European level. Pamela Taylor, its chief executive, describes the industry's challenges in protecting the environment, the 2004 periodic...

Sustainable ways to treating waste.(focus on water)
November 1, 2003... In defining solutions to waste waters, remedial and end of pipe measures can only be part of the answer. We are moving into a new phase--the quest for sustainability--in managing and improving our environment and water quality. Pamela Taylor,...

Water technology list--worth tapping into.(focus on water)
November 1, 2003... British industry is set to benefit from water savings and additional tax relief with the launch of the Water Technology List this month on www.eca-water.gov.u k. The Water Technology List (WTL), developed and managed by the Inland Revenue...

Spending money like water? Companies plan for future. Water companies have recently submitted their plans for the next five years. Their challenge is to keep prices down and improve services ...(focus on water)
November 1, 2003... Water companies have asked the regulator for a 10% average price increase in their draft business plans for Ofwat's price review. Pamela Taylor, chief executive of Water UK, the body representing water firms, said that average prices needed to...

Realising the value, enhancing business success: sustainability issues impact business.
November 1, 2003... In many societies throughout the world, there has been a gradual increase in awareness about environmental and social issues, and a development of ideas about what is acceptable. Increasing access to information through the internet and media...

To precious to waste: water is a precious thing--not least because saving it saves that other precious thing--money. Dr Judith Thornton, of the Centre for Alternative Technology's Biology Department takes you through the wringer to squeeze out the waste.(focus on water)
November 1, 2003... Water in the UK is commonly seen as both cheap and plentiful.Water costs around 0.07 pence a litre, plus a similar amount to dispose of once we have used it. Most people are therefore unconcerned with how much water they use, and this attitude...

Taking your medicine--a new look at chemical risks.(focus on water)
November 1, 2003... The Environment Agency has recently completed research on what happens to some of our most commonly used pharmaceuticals when discharged into the wastewater system. In particular it looked for 12 that were thought to pose the greatest...

It's not just salmon that suffer!(focus on water)(Scottish Environment Protection Agency)
November 1, 2003... Sir Ken Collins is the head of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the regulatory body north of the border, where they tend to look down--literally--on events in the other two principalities of the British mainland. SEPA of course...

Saving 58k [pounds sterling] a year--just a drop in the ocean?(focus on water)(Woodnook Bleaching and Dyeing Company)
November 1, 2003... All industrial and commercial organisations use water and it forms a significant part of every company's overheads and costs. The true costs of water includes far more than the initial charge for water supply. In industrial applications the...

WWWater links to keep informed.(focus on water)(Directory)
November 1, 2003... "Ask the Expert" free advice service for questions relating to water and energy efficiency. They aim to get an answer within five working days: www.watermark.gov.uk/wg_asktheexpert .asp. CIRIA--for key performance indicators and...

Pay back time for industry.(Best Practice)
November 1, 2003... Manufacturing industry is having to bear the impact of the Climate Change Levy, energy price rises and a widespread economic downturn, but the sector is being aided by lean initiatives to reduce operating costs. There is potential for...

Investing for positive change: in the second part of our look at how the world of corporate finance approaches sustainable development, we consider the progress of Socially Responsible Investment.
November 1, 2003... The Corporation of London seeks to promote investment in Social and Green SMEs, sometimes called "social investment" and "cause-based investing", a broad area that covers social banking, community development finance, alternative profit...

Peterborough takes a lead in the UK wind market.(Advertisement feature)(REpower Systems AG)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... The cluster of environment firms in Peterborough has been boosted by news that the city is set to become a major centre for the growing wind energy market. Specialist engineering company Peter Brotherhood Ltd is to become a leading supplier to...

Peterborough leads environmental message for Europe.(Focus on Peterborough)
November 1, 2003... Peterborough, home to a growing cluster of environment companies, is to take the lead at an exhibition in France later this year aimed at encouraging more of these firms to move to the East of England. Greater Peterborough Investment Agency...

Ecolochem secures semiconductor contract--the first of its type in Europe.(Focus on Peterborough)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Peterborough-based industrial water treatment services provider Ecolochem International has secured a ten-year contract with National Semiconductor to purify water for use at its semiconductor manufacturing plant at Greenock, Scotland. The...

Peterborough expands the range of zero emission vehicles.(Focus on Peterborough)(John Bradshaw Limited.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Specialist electric vehicle manufacturer, John Bradshaw Limited, has introduced a new range of all-electric, road-going vehicles. They are specially designed for urban transport applications in waste management, recycling schemes, street...

UK CEED expands.(Focus on Peterborough)(UK Centre for Economic and Environmental Development.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Since relocating to Peterborough in 2000 UK CEED (UK Centre for Economic and Environmental Development) has more than doubled its turnover and increased its staff from three to thirteen. Its growth and success has been as a result of a...

Environmental policies win business.(Focus on Peterborough)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Gildenburgh printers, a member of Peterborough's growing environment sector, is expanding and doubling the size of its premises as a result of winning new business--much of which has been gained through its environmental policies and equipment....

SMART grant throws light on local company.(Focus on Peterborough)(Kwiklite Ltd .)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Peterborough company Kwiklite Ltd has switched to a niche market and is growing fast with plans to double its customer base in the next two years--but there is more to Kwiklite than replacing a fluorescent tube or halogen bulb. The award...

Peterborough company is short listed for national low carbon innovation scheme award.(Focus on Peterborough)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... ITM Power Ltd, based in Peterborough, has been short listed for the next stage in a major national award to find the UK's low carbon innovator of the year. The company is developing patented materials and innovative manufacturing methods...

Peterborough hots up with cooling system.(Focus on Peterborough)(Environmental Process Systems Limited .)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Environmental Process Systems Limited (EPS), a world leader in the development and supply of innovative, energy efficient cooling technologies, is seeing significant growth in its export business. It now sells over 90 per cent of its products...

Building across the professions.(Centre for Sustainability a diverse team of over 400 work together for future sustainability)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... At the Centre for Sustainability (C4S) a diverse team of over 400 work together for future sustainability. Our customer base is formed of a wide range of Government and private clients, and we provide multi-disciplinary research and advice for...

Welcome to Solar Street: with the cost of conventional street lighting set to soar ...
November 1, 2003... A street in Newport, South Wales, is to be lit by the sun--at night. Solar powered lights are nothing new for many types of illuminated street signs, but for actual lighting, it is still relatively novel in the UK. Designed by SolarGen...

Addressing Agenda 21.
November 1, 2003... In the part of London made famous by the film "Notting Hill" is an oasis of calm and contemplation. In the midst all the London life, near the Portobello Road street market, schools, homes factories and businesses and all the other hurley...

Flood of information.(Resources)
November 1, 2003... What are the future climate-change related risks of flooding and coastal erosion and how should we deal with them? A risk-based integrated analysis can be downloaded from: www.foresight.gov.uk/servlet/ Controller?action=eipndisplay...

Sigma surfaces.(Resources)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Increasing numbers of organisations are realising there's a powerful case for managing the social, environmental and wider economic impacts of their activities. Many, however, are unsure of how best to act. The SIGMA Project...

Climate change workshops.(Resources)(Calendar)
November 1, 2003... UKCIP and the Environment Agency are holding training workshops on climate adaptation, risk, uncertainty and decision-making. 19 November (Birmingham)--how a tree-growing business' long-term strategy might manage climate change and water...

Accountants take note.(Resources)(Sustainable Energy Ltd.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Most SMEs do not have the time or resources to analyse their energy efficiency--despite the potential to save money. Now, their accountants--to whom the bottom line perhaps means more than most in an organisation--can do it themselves in less...

Events diary.(Resources)(Calendar)
November 1, 2003... All November: North East Business Environment (NEBEM) 03-includes events on Biotechnology, Green Procurement, microloans, Energy Efficiency, and IPPC; contact Joanne Bennison,Tel.0191 229 1824. November--February 2004: one-day workshops on...

Log books for buildings.(Resources)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Owners or occupiers of new non-residential buildings should from now on be able to monitor and control energy consumption, thanks to the new Building Regulations for England & Wales (they differ in Scotland and Northern Ireland). This is...

e-digest for stats.(Resources)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Environmental Statistics section of the Defra website has been substantially restructured. It is a gateway to information on the following topics: air quality, coastal and marine waters, environmental protection expenditure by industry,...

Global model.(Resources)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Computer users can download a specially tailored version of the Met Office's global climate model and run it on their own PC as part of a global climate prediction experiment. Visit www.climateprediction.net to see how you can get involved.

Retail review.(Resources)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... A new version of BREEAM has been launched to help the construction industry create better retail buildings. (BREEAM is the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method, the most widely used means of reviewing and improving...

Climate change guide.(Resources)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... A climate change guide for local authorities, Climate Change and Local Communities--How Prepared are You? has been launched by Environment Minister Elliot Morley and Phil Hope from the ODPM. The UK Climate Impacts Programme is working with...

Degree days--August & September 2003.(Resources)(Illustration)
November 1, 2003... Thames South Southern South Severn Valley Eastern Western Valley 20 yr. avg 19 32 37 23 17 Aug '02 8 18 26 19...

Getting it wrong.(Resources)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Following the success of the Worst Practice Guide, John Pooley (above) presents his new collaboration with Government Office South West,the guide to Energy and Environmental Management Influencing Senior Management--Getting It Wrong. The guide...

Warm Homes week.(Resources)( campaign to cut cold-related deaths and illnesses due to fuel poverty)
November 1, 2003... Warm Homes Week is an annual campaign to cut cold-related deaths and illnesses due to fuel poverty. Organized by National Energy Action, working with npower the campaign runs from November 28 to December 8. To get involved, email...

gets green Gascool.(Products & Services)(Ailsa Hospital.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The environmental benefits of GAgCoors gas-fired, high efficiency absorption chillers were the determining factor in Ayrshire & Arran Primary Care NHS Trust's choice of cooling system for the computer server room at Ailsa Hospital, Gas-fired...

Energy & Utility Skills appoints Chief Executive.(Products & Services)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Energy & Utility Skills, the employer-led Sector Skills Council being formed to foresee and address the future skills needs of the electricity, gas, water and waste management industries, announced the appointment of Tim Balcon as its Chief...

Chalmor HeatMaster gets Carbon Trust approval.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The HeatMaster from Chalmor Ltd has become the first heating optimiser to be approved by the Carbon Trust for inclusion on the EnergyTechnology List. This advanced electronic time and temperature controller is suitable for a variety of heating...

Ross Environmental Products Ltd: how to reduce almost any oil spill to a dustpan and brush job in seconds.(Products & Services)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Ross Eliminator Absorbent and Degreaser contain millions of oil eating microbes that spring into life immediately they are introduced to oil spills. This can be in the kitchen, on the road, on a forecourt or indeed anywhere where cooking oil or...