Posts Tagged ‘climate squad’
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Should we go to Greenland for oil?
By Chris Perkiss
Greenland happy to be the new oil frontier!
OK, so this is my first blog but I saw this and couldn’t help but to get confused and want to express it! It’s no secret that as a race, indeed as a species, we have to change the way we live order to maintain this planet as we know it. If anything is important in our quest to change our ways, it’s the need to decrease our reliance on oil. Not only for its obvious uses in transport fuels and the like, but also its use in the production of plastics, especially in the unnecessary packaging of goods.
In this materialistic and consumerist society we find ourselves in, I see the benefit of new oil, but the fact that we are even still looking for it sends me into despair. With the threat of ‘peak oil’ growing, it has never been a better time to change our ways and for industry to look elsewhere for alternative means of meeting demand.
Going back to Greenland, are all the people there really happy about this? Fair enough it can change the reliance of their small economy but has it really come to tarnishing one of the last untouched havens in the world? The most ironic thing about this story is the location. Although the oil lies beneath, it is the surface that I worry about. Ultimately, the oil will be used in ways which will inevitable feed back to the ice on top which will melt into our oceans and cause all sorts of bother. I can’t help but to be disheartened by the discovery of new oil, I personally feel that we are stuck in a way that cant be changed. I really hope that by 2050, a shift in social consciousness had occurred and called upon industry to change and we avoid the dangerous 2 degrees barrier
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The Only Superhero The World Needs
During the early 90’s, Superhero cartoons and TV shows were kicking ass. There was the Marvel cartoons of Spiderman and X-men, Power Rangers and this guyCAPTAIN PLANET.
The most righteous, camp, mullet haired superhero ever!
He has no clear super ability, so he is able to do basically anything!In addition he taunts baddies with puns and has the amazing catchphrase of – The Power Is Yours.
So what’s his deal then
Gaia (Mother Earth) wakes up and finds out that the human race is destroying the planet, so she sends out 5 magic rings that control elements of nature (Earth, Wind, Fire, Water and Heart) to 5 special youngsters named the planeteers, who then travel the world defeating the bad guys. If they are really in trouble they put the power of the 5 rings together and BAM, Captain Planet saves the day.
FACT: Many famous actors voiced characters in the 113 episodes – Jeff Goldblum, Meg Ryan, Whoopie Goldberg, Sting, Dan Ackroyd & Elizabeth Taylor
the Eco-Villains are the best though.
- Hoggish Greedly: Pig like human representing overconsumption
- Looten Plunder: Greedy businessman representing uncontrolled capitalism
- Duke Nukem: A radioactive mutant to do with nuclear power
- Verminous Skumm: A rat creature representing poor sanitation
- Dr. Blight: Mad scientist who uses uncontrolled technology
- Captain Pollution: Opposite of Captain Plant (obviously) He once reproduced the 5 rings into evil versions of Radiation, Deforestation, Smog, Toxics and Hate.
FACT: Has the title for first ever kids cartoon, to deal with HIV/Aids and to mention sex.
The episodes are very over-the-top. In the episode ‘Polluting by Computer’ the Eco-Villains break into the government computer system and change all the National Parks stats so they can dump toxic waste there……..OK some of you are now saying that’s not that far fetched.
It would be great if Captain Planet returns to the screen. Teaching more kids about the issues around climate change, waste, sanitation and all things sustainable. Its message would be as clear as ever, as every kid knows about recycling and wind-farm these days. I think they just need two more Eco-Villains. one to do with oil and the other to do with government.
Who else agrees with me?
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2050 - Green and clean?
Climate Squad volunteer - Aisha Brown Colpani - discusses her vision of 2050 for our Greenprint to 2050 project
If you want to join the Greenprint, join us on the 25th August or 1st September. We’ll debate the lifestyles we want to live, the communities we want to live in and the best way to make it happen. Reserve a place by calling Heather on (0207) 420 4441 or e-mail climate.squad@globalactionplan.org.uk
Trying to imagine the world of the future takes a bit of thought; putting aside the image of a hover-car darting across the sky (for now), what can we really expect to see? How far will the world have moved from that to which we have become accustomed by the time the year 2050 rolls around?
It would be hard to make an even halfway plausible suggestion for a future reality without factoring in the major question of the state of the environment, or, more specifically, how much further we will push said environment before it furiously rebels. With more and more headline space being used to highlight the effects of Global Warming it seems that now is the time to pay attention if we want any kind of improvement today as well as in forty years time. Why not start at home?
The great thing about the boom in super-sophisticated technology is that we actually have the tools, we know where the problems lie; if we really want to transform the UK into a green and clean environment then we have to make the most of the means at our disposable in order to do our collective bit to reduce carbon emissions. By 2050 I’d like to see many major roads kept exclusively for bicycles. How many more people would be enticed to jump on their bikes knowing that they’d be able to ride calmly around town, in a space shared with other cyclists? And what number would ditch the car when they realised just how much more convenient pedalling down the main road would be? The fact that there is also a mini work-out to be had while inhaling the unpolluted air is not an unwelcome prospect either…the list of Pro’s is endless really. There’s no denying that the bicycle is having somewhat of a revival as the first choice of travel; who wants to wait for the bus or squeeze into the tube carriage when you could do your little bit just by pedalling down the street? Now, imagine the huge reduction in carbon emissions if the bicycles on the streets were to out-number the cars…I guess our fore-mothers and fathers had the right idea when it came to getting around.
But my vision of a clean-aired future does not rely solely on investing in two decent wheels; how can I even begin to imagine a carbon-free (or at least a greatly carbon-reduced!) environment without putting in a mention to those machines of unrivalled carbon-gulping power a.k.a. the oxygen givers, or, to use the more formal term, trees? Without trees there would be no world to fret over in the first place and I think it is time to give them a bit more appreciation; we need to make more space for these wonders of nature, especially in metropolitan areas where a glimpse of green can be something of a rarity. I do have to acknowledge that London does have some beautiful parks where the trees stand strong and the flowers are maintained with pride but I can think of another area that could benefit just as much from that consideration for plant-life; the school play-ground. I remember reading an opinion suggesting that the best way to get the younger generation interested in caring for the natural world would be with the introduction of a substantial garden area in schools, a place where the kids would learn how to interact considerately with plants - they will be the young adults taking responsibility for the future of the environment after all.
Care for the environment is an issue which we must all take to our hearts sooner if we want to build a healthier, cleaner, more considerate society later. And the rewards don’t stop with the green credentials. Don’t believe me? Picture the scene: you leave work mid-afternoon (as the current obsession with a career will have taken a backseat for enjoyment of all the other things we could be doing), the sun shining and gently warming your face, or, perhaps, a light spray of rain (well we are talking about the UK here) - but not so much to hinder any outdoor activity. You go to your local little park area and find it buzzing with activity as people congregate to tend to the plant life, weeding and watering, admiring the different colours; it’s a time of relaxation and socialising. You feel closer to the Earth and further from the every day issues which tend to dominate the day…Why dismiss this snapshot as too good to be true?
When I think of 2050 and of my ideal vision of the UK and the world by that time, I think of a place proud of its reputation as a home to plants and wildlife left as nature intended; I think of a base that complies to the top environmental standards and keeps our pollution levels in-check through passionately upheld rules regarding the environment and encouragement of individual pride in our green surroundings. I imagine a place where recycling as much waste as possible becomes a reflex in every household and where more emphasis is put on respecting and enjoying our natural surroundings above man-made products. In 2050 the UK could be a place for cyclists, for environmentally acceptable vehicles of public transport, for lots of trees, for recycle bins (exclusively), for less stress about money and more time to breathe the truly fresh air.
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You may know more than you think
By Climate Squad volunteer, Zoe Smithson
Climate Change is everywhere, on the news, on the internet, in politics, everyone is aware of it, talking and learning about the it consequences, and how to take action. More and more young people today attend University and live the student lifestyle; drinking, going out, eating rubbish food, and sometimes just being a bit careless. They may not realise but they are probably learning about the affects of climate change in their chosen subject, such as Politics and International Relations, Architecture and Design, Engineering, and science just to name a few.
I am an Intern for Climate Squad at Global Action Plan, and I came here knowing the basic information about climate change and how to act like recycling, turning off lights - all things to cut carbon emissions, which can be prevented in your everyday lifestyle. When I thought about my course at University where I study Interior Design, I came to realise that I have been learning how to design for the future, eco-friendly design, sustainability, renewable materials and Human Centred Design. It is design for the future; it is for you to be aware of, as it is happening. Architecture releases a huge amount of carbon emissions per year that to cut carbon emissions, everyone has to build in a more eco-friendly way.
Sustainable architecture is a term used to describe designing that seeks to minimize the negative environmental impact of buildings, by using renewable materials, solar panels, heating, cooling and ventilation in a way to save energy and costs, and for a greener way of life. Sustainability is also a large discussion in the pressing economic and political issues of the world today, so whatever profession you would like to be in, you will come across debate about climate change. In simpler terms, sustainable, ecological design is to ensure that our actions and decisions we make today do not inhibit the opportunities of future generations. The future is in our hands, build for a brighter future, learn, and life live in a greener positive way and be more conscious of your actions.
To sum up, to all University students like myself, be more aware of the goings on around you, because climate change is a huge issue, and you have to know about - take action to change the future as we are the future generation. There is always something you can do and somewhere you can help, teach and learn to cut the affects of climate change. Start by joining www.climatesquad.org.uk and volunteer your time to help and make a difference.
Help build your future at our “Create your future” workshops where we will seek your vision of a low carbon 2050 so we can create the climate for change.
17th, 19th, 25th August and 1st September! - To register call Heather on 0207 420 4441 or e-mail climate.squad@globalactionplan.org.uk.
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Around the world in 12,000 solar panels
By Astrit Muzliukaj
Solar Impulse, the unmanned solar powered aircraft made its longest in air flight reaching a height of 28,000 feet and landing after 26-hours. The aircraft powered up the day before and set off during the night managing to surpass its expected air-time of 24 hours to an impressive 26 hours. It is powered by 12,000 solar cells and managed to reach a speed of 70 MPH. The makers’ aim is to circle the globe by 2013.
Ensuring that this technology improves, we could possibly see commercial airliners equipped with such technology. This symbolic flight is a first for humans and, besides the obvious benefits for the airline industry, could see the reduction in fossil fuel usage and possibly usher in a new way of aviation travel. However, some speculate that the solar panels may not be efficient enough to power such a huge aircraft or may need special servicing to keep the solar panels working. In addition to this there is the obvious fact that some flights are carried out during the night and need to be constantly replenished with sunlight to power them up.
(Image courtesy of BBC)
This type of technology is sure to have implications in our flying. Firstly, the low demand for fuel is good news not only for the environment and also a fantastic saving for companies such as Boeing and Airbus. This then has implications on customers as the savings are brought down to travellers in the form of lower fares. This would be a huge benefit for travellers as they could afford more holidays and see more places across the globe for a much lower price of what is spent today.
The possibilities that this experiment brings are endless. The use of solar panels on planes could have knock on effects for other events. An example is the world cup which could see a reduction in overall carbon emissions as a result of spectators flying in solar powered planes. Avid travellers also see it as a perfect way of reducing their individual carbon footprint and doing their bit for the planet. This surely is a great piece of technology and must be supported through to ensure that future generations of planes have solar panels fitted inside them.
In summary, there are three clear winners if this kind of technology really gets into gear. There’s the environment benefiting from low fossil fuel usage and less air pollution. Next, the airline companies such as Airbus and Boeing will benefit through savings because they no longer need to power up their planes using fuel - just simple sunlight. And finally there’s the public. All those great savings that airliners make will pass onto you in a neat little low fare package (in the long run)… hopefully if they are not too greedy.
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Mud, Music and Manpower - IOW festival
Climate Squad volunteer Louise heads to the Isle of Wight festival 2010 for some…
Mud, Music & Manpower
By Louise Groom, Climate Squad Steering Group volunteer
What I was up to
I was lucky enough to head to the Isle of Wight last weekend for Climate Squad with V Inspired’s Summer of Give festival tour to talk to people about Climate Squad and all the cool (and free!) stuff young people can get from it such as skills training, certificates, fun times as well as meeting new people in their area and feeling good about cutting carbon and protecting our environment.
Pedal faster people
We went with Global Action Plan’s energy bike which you pedal (like a normal exercise bike) and generate energy to power various appliances such as your iPod or charge your phone which went down REALLY well at the festival! Loads of young people loved the bike (especially feeling the difference between powering old and new light bulbs) and once we got talking everyone was really keen to find out more and generally chat about climate change and cutting carbon. This was really motivating but meant I was knackered and lost my voice by the end of the festival! Late nights and screaming to the likes of the Strokes probably didn’t help….
PHOTOS: Check out Charlie from Kiss fm on the energy bike and some other awesome people I met:
Amazing skills
As we were with V’s big purple bus, we got to see all the incredibly talented volunteers playing around on the decks, mics, bass6 (amazing beatboxer - check him out) as well as superhuman football tricks, very bendy cheerleaders and some awesome bands!
PHOTOS: Some of V’s amazingly talented volunteers entertaining and showing how volunteering can be fun and help develop & support skilled young people (www.vinspired.com)
Big thanks and why it’s important
Overall, I had a wicked weekend and it really made me realise how so many young people want to be involved with projects such as Climate Squad and how important it is that we get out there and help them get involved, build up their CV and also…enjoy!!
Big thanks to V inspired for the great tunes & entertainment and Climate Squad for giving me the opportunity to go to a fantastic festival!
Get involved in festival fun
Climate Squad and V will be all over the place this summer so come and see us or if you’re interesting in volunteering with us, take a look at our opportunities or get in touch with climate.squad@globalactionplan.org.uk:
★ T4 On the Beach on 4th July
★ Y Not, Peak District - 30th Jul-1st Aug
★ Relentless Boardmasters, Newquay - 3rd-8th August
★ Celtic Blue Rock, South Wales - 6th-8th Aug
★ Relentless Boardmasters on 4th - 8th August
★ V Festival Chelmsford and/or Weston-Under-Lizard - 20th - 22nd August
★ Creamfields on 28th - 29th AugustFestivals we’ve been at:
Camden Green
Festival of Nature
Isle of Wight festival
Charlie from KissFM
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#3 Green Britain Day - 4 easy steps to reduce your food footprint
Food
The amount of chicken we eat has doubled since 25 years ago. Not only that, but our individual consumption has increased by nearly 10kg since 1961 to 79.6kg in 2002. This high demand means eating chicken has a high impact on the environment at every stage in which the chicken gets to us.
We are not saying to stop eating chicken or other meat all together – just be aware of the impact it has. The herding, looking after the animals and transportation all contribute to CO2 emissions.
UK households throw away about 8.3 million tonnes of food and drink every year.Food waste per household is estimated to be at £50 a month – imagine what you could do with that amount of money!
Although we are consuming more chicken it is in fact more environmentally friendlier to eat the little creatures than say eating beef. For every 1kg of beef produced, the same amount of CO2 is emitted as producing 7kg of chicken!
What can you do to stop this impact?
1. Reduce the amount of waste thrown away from your household - Because there is only so much landfill space available to dispose of unwanted food we have to make sure that we don’t run out of this space.
2. Plan your shopping before you buy So if you don’t need to buy something don’t buy it until it’s needed. This is important because then you can make the most out of all the food that you have and need.
3. Leftovers are not waste! - Be creative with your food and make something really delicious while saving the environment.
4. Store food in your freezer and reduce the need to throw food away once it is out of date.Think of it as food but frozen in time – it’s as young as the day it was frozen!
Read #1 Green Britain Day- 5 easy steps to reduce your fashion footprint
Read #2 Green Britain Day- 6 easy steps to reduce your travel footprint
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PUMP IT UP!
Pump it up!
Join us in this project to pump up car tyres for shoppers, saving them carbon and helping them take small steps to tackle climate change.
Basing ourselves in Shopping Centres around the country, we will help drivers save money, fuel and carbon!
By pumping up car tyres to the correct level, drivers not only benefit from saving money, becoming safer, and burning less fuel, they will also decrease their carbon emissions by 5-8%.
Here is what our volunteers have said about Pump it up:
“I have just done volunteering for Pump it Up at Brent Cross Shopping Centre today for Global Action Plan. I had a good day overall and got to meet some interesting people
as well as helping the environment and giving useful information to others.” - Becky ThorpeRemember your travel and food expenses are paid by us!
Register your interest by emailing climate.squad@globalactionplan.org.uk
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#2 Green Britain Day- 6 easy steps to reducing your travel footprint
Travel
In 2007, domestic transport was responsible for around 21% if all GHG emissions in the UK and by 2008 travel by car accounted for 63% of all trips made within the UK and ~80% of all distance travelled!
On the upside between 1995 and 2008 there was an increase in the use of public transport with use of buses increasing by 8% outside of London and 61% within London, and the use of surface rail increased by 54%!
What can you do, and inspire others to do?
1. Get started with PUMP IT UP! –come along to a Climate Squad pump it up event and learn how to pump car tyres correctly. Having the correct air pressure means the tyres do not cause friction on road surfaces which saves energy and CO2.
2. Use the Global Action Plan travel hierarchy -
Walk – Cycle - Bus - Train – Car – Taxi - Plane
3. Use a FREE bike in London - In July 2010 a free cycle-hire scheme launches in London! 6,000 cycles will be located in 400 docking stations across Zone 1. After registering, they are free for the first 30 minutes or 12p/day for a year.
4. Electric cars - Plug-in electric cars can be 5x more energy efficient than a baseline fossil-fuel car and significantly more efficient than a hybrid. Some can even reach 62mph in 4 seconds!
5. Dispose of car batteries correctly – the recycling rate of car batteries is estimated at higher than 90%! However they are classed as hazardous waste so take them to a dedicated waste and recycling centre or ask your local council. Most recycling services will offer discounts on new batteries when you take your old one!
6. Dispose of car tyres correctly –more than 100,000 used tyres are removed from the UK each day and 450,000 tonnes/year of used car tyres are recycled or disposed off which is enough to stretch a line between London and Sydney! So - reduce, reuse, and recycle. Check your car tyres weekly for damage, air pressure and tread and this will help them extend their lifespan.
Each retreaded tyre for an average car saves 4.5 gallons in oil compared to manufacturing a new one!
Did you know?
In the United States, Fife, Scotland, and on the South Downs outside Brighton, tyres have been used to build houses. Called Earthships, they’re built using around 2,000 tyres which are rammed full of earth and then stacked like bricks to form walls. The walls are then rendered with adobe, plaster or cement.
Read #1 Green Britain Day- 5 easy steps to reduce your fashion footprint
Read #3 Green Britain Day- 4 easy steps to reduce your food footprint
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#1 Green Britain day - 5 easy steps for reducing your fashion footprint
2 million tonnes of clothes are bought in the UK every year, of which 1.2 million tonnes is dumped in landfill sites! The average Brit throws away 30kg of clothing and textiles which is very much down to the availability of cheap throwaway fashion.
So what’s the problem?In the UK the clothing and textiles sector was responsible for:
~3.1 million tonnes of GHG emissions
~1.5-2.0 million tonnes of waste
70 million tonnes of water waste
10 x more energy than producing steel or glassAlso, when these materials end up in landfill, some synthetic materials don’t decompose and some which do degrade release methane which is 21 x more powerful than CO2.
If everyone in the UK bought one reclaimed woollen garment a year, it would save an average of 371 million gallons of water – the average UK reservoir holds about 300 gallons!
5 easy steps for reducing your fashion footprint…
1. Choose eco labels - many shops have organic clothing, green, Fairtrade collections and upcycled collections which use old fabrics to create new fashion. There are also many UK based designers supporting local businesses and which save energy by being UK-made, e.g. People Tree, Beyond Skin and Izzy Lane.
2. Take your old clothes to one of the 6,000 recycling banks in the UK – this is easy yet only 25% of the banks are being used to their full capacity and only 16% of clothes are recycled! The clothes are taken to homeless, charity shops or sold in developing countries.
3. Shop in charity shops – Fed up of seeing everyone wearing the same dress as you? Full of vintage glamour at bargain prices, charity shops are ideal for that unique piece that will set you apart - and you will be raising money for charity! Over 70% of the world’s population uses second hand clothes so why not do it!?
4. Swapping and swishing –host your own party or swap online from one of the many websites out there.TheBigWardrobe has 30,000 members and pieces from Stella McCartney, Marc Jacobs and Topshop.
5. Customise your wardrobe – as Vivienne Westwood advised everyone watching her on Jonathon Ross:
“Do it yourself, take the tablecloth if its beautiful… put things together yourself, don’t spend money, just take what you can find, take your old things and keep on wearing them, don’t buy much fashion but if you do buy it, choose really well, wear it for a long time until it drops of your back and it will get more wonderful…forget buying all of these new clothes…buy less and choose well”
It is very easy to associate eco fashion with “hippies” however this shouldn’t be the case. London fashion week saw designers such as Izzy Lane and Amana take part in the “Estethica” initiative which is now in its 7th season.
The government have also outlined a sustainable clothing roadmap which is a voluntary clothing industry initiative to improve the environmental and ethical performance of clothing to hopefully make green fashion choices second-nature.
Read #2 Green Britain Day- 6 easy steps to reduce your travel footprintRead #3 Green Britain Day- 4 easy steps to reduce your food footprint
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