Global reforestation efforts got an amazing boost when the El Verde Project in the Philippines started their 12 million trees by 2012 project by setting a new Guinness world record for planting the most trees simultaneously.

El Verde Tree planting world record volunteers

On February 23rd 2011 6893 volunteers gathered in the Philippine province of Camarines Sur to plant 64096 trees See confirmation on the Guinness world records website and the Guiness world records blog about the world record event Volunteers included President of Philippines Noynoy Aquino AKA Benigno Aquino III, Provincial Governor of Camarines Sur Luis Raymund Villafuerte, fire, police and hospital services, judges, politicians, businesses and thousands of other locals.

President of Phillippines Noynoy Aquino and Governor of Camarines Sur Luis Raymund Villafuerte El Verde

President of Philippines Noynoy Aquino AKA Benigno Aquino III plants a tree at the El Verde event

Provincial Governor of Camarines Sur Luis Raymund Villafuerte and volunteers plant trees for El Verde

Another YouTube video about El Verde event

And another video on YouTube about the El Verde event

Province of Camarines Sur is in the Philippines with a population of about 1 ½ million people See the Camarines Sur website and See the Wikipedia entry With such natural wonders as Mt. Isarog and an indigenous tribal people called the Agta, it is a beautiful place to visit.

Governor Villafuerte was happy to promote the benefits of tree planting.  “The El Verde project combines biodiversity conservation, economic development and a climate change adaptation strategy to help reverse the rate of deforestation in the province.” “We want to teach our people the importance of saving the environment and how they can help as active stakeholders,” Villafuerte said.

The El Verde project has inspired families living in Camarines Sur to get involved in the planting and maintenance of the saplings in their early years. The families are partnered with an area of land with at least 2500 new trees planted and asked to nurture them. In return extra food is distributed to them, along with extra health and education benefits.

El Verde is inviting business and individual sponsorship to help address climate change through reforestation. Please help make a difference and get in touch with El Verde Contact details for El Verde

A Collection of photos showing the El Verde Tree Planting Volunteers

El Verde Tree planting world record volunteers

El Verde Tree planting world record volunteers

El Verde Tree planting world record volunteers

El Verde Tree planting world record volunteers

El Verde Tree planting world record volunteers

El Verde Tree planting world record volunteers

El Verde Tree planting world record volunteers

El Verde Tree planting world record volunteers

El Verde Tree planting world record volunteers

El Verde Tree planting world record volunteers

El Verde Tree planting world record volunteers

El Verde Tree planting world record volunteers

El Verde Tree planting world record volunteers

El Verde Tree planting world record volunteers

El Verde Tree planting world record volunteers

Photos from Boom Dayupay

More Reforestation efforts around the world.

The El Verde initiative blends in well with the United Nations acknowledged 2011 is the International Year of Forests Find out more about The International Year of Forests 2011

Another great reforestation initiative headed by Professor Wangari Maathai and HSH Albert II, Prince of Monaco is The Billion Tree Campaign that has facilitated a world changing 11 billion trees to be planted. Read more about The Billion Tree Campaign

The inspirational Boris Trajanov helped to initiate ‘Tree Day’ in Macedonia in August 2007 Macedonia Tree Day Since then the Macedonia people have planted over 20 million trees. Watch a video of Boris Trajanov talking about ‘Tree Day’

The world record for trees planted in 1 hour by 100 people or less is 26422 trees. That’s an average of 264 trees each person in one hour! See the Guinness World Records Website for Confirmation If half of the world’s population planted trees at the same rate for just 1 hour 883 billion trees would get planted.

“Planting and growing increasing quantities of trees is the scientific solution to Earth’s environmental dilemma.” Dr. Richard St. Barbe-Baker Watch Video Of Dr. Richard St. Barbe-Baker on YouTube HERE

Posted by Michael Horsnell
Please take time to leave a comment / reply below

International Year of Forests 2011 is a golden opportunity, to centre everyone’s thoughts on the beauty, benefits and necessity of forest protection, enhancement and reforestation of our planet.

View from Turtle Mountain Iwokrama Rainforest Reserve, Guyana

“Planting and growing increasing quantities of trees is the scientific solution to Earth’s environmental dilemma.” Dr. Richard St. Barbe-Baker Watch Video Of Dr. Richard St. Barbe-Baker on YouTube HERE

The United Nations has acknowledged 2011 the International Year of Forests Celebrating Forests for People See the UN website for this 2011 initiative

UN International year of Forests 2011 logo

As more and more of humanity learn to appreciate the higher value of the world’s forests for the complex jewels they are, compared with the short term 20th century view of forests wealth if they are chopped up, mined or replaced with farmland, we are ALL waking up to the true value and undeniable wealth of ecosystems all over our planet.

It is so much more rewarding for ALL to protect, nurture and enjoy forests without feeling the need to destroy them for short term profit.

Who in their right mind would hold an ounce of gold or 20 barrels of oil higher in value than 10 acres of pristine rainforest or even one acre?

Humanity and the Earth cannot continue in the old fashioned 20th century bubble of growth from destruction. Both Humanity and the Earth will benefit from sustainable growth based on protecting, nurturing, enhancing and creating life in our biosphere.

Unless we evolve from a 20th century mindset that short-sightedly presumed a rainforest is worth more chopped up than alive and thriving, many an unscrupulous business will take that opportunity and chop it up for profit. Humanity will benefit from putting more value on protecting and nurturing life, rather than putting a value on something’s destruction.

Worldwide reforestation will bring about so much abundance and wealth for humanity and the rest of the planet.

View from Turtle Mountain Iwokrama Rainforest Reserve, Guyana

What can we all do?

• We can ALL plant trees, one, ten or ten thousand, as many as we can, either by direct planting ourselves, in communities or through organised schemes.
• We can ALL make every effort to visit a pristine forest somewhere in the world, to fully understand its phenomenal splendour.
• We can ALL refuse to buy ANY consumer goods unless absolutely sure they have NOT helped to destroy pristine forests anywhere on the globe.
• We can ALL write to our politicians and businesses to insist they will not earn profits from the destruction of pristine forests and will support reforestation efforts.
• Explore this great website and support reforestation worldwide. http://goodplanet.org/LoveForests

Of Forests and Men Video

Yann Arthus-Bertrand was appointed by the United Nations to produce this official film for the International Year of Forests 2011.

Yann has an amazing website full of nature’s beauty:

Yann Arthus-Bertrand Website

Of Forests and Men, is an Amazing video. The Earth needs reforesting. Humanity needs the world reforested.

Reforestation is the crux to a richer more diverse humanity. Restoration projects will for sure help heal ourselves and the Earth.

Posted by Michael Horsnell
Please take time to leave a comment / reply below

The pollution from the burning of fossil fuels is extensively accepted to be damaging our whole biosphere and is widely known to be the cause of Climate Change.

Humanity broadly appreciates the problems caused by the pollution from fossil fuels and is now embracing the solutions, from clean renewable energy, to reforestation, to Permaculture food production techniques, to worldwide initiatives repairing ecosystems.

Low Carbon Prosperity

When we put a higher value on the natural world for what it is, compared to what it may be worth if chopped up, mined or replaced. When we recognise the value of ecosystems for its true wealth, we can protect, nurture and enjoy it without feeling the need to destroy them for short-term profit.

Prince Charles eloquently addresses these issues in this speech to the Low Carbon Prosperity Summit at the European Parliament 2011

• For more information on the Cambridge Programme for Sustainability:  Have a look at the princes charities.org Cambridge programme for sustainability leadership
• For a full transcript of the speech: Full Transcript of The Prince of Wales to the Low Carbon Prosperity Summit

This clip is where Prince Charles shows his abhorrence towards climate change deniers and sceptics.

This is a transcript of  Prince Charles showing his abhorrence towards climate change deniers and sceptics.

“Now I have to say, this process has not exactly been helped by the corrosive effect on public opinion of those climate change sceptics who deny the vast body of scientific evidence that shows beyond any reasonable doubt that global warming HAS been exacerbated by human industrialized activity.
Their suggestion that hundreds of scientists around the world, and those who accept their dispassionate evidence – including presumably ladies and gentlemen myself, who rather ironically am constantly accused of being anti-science – are somehow unconsciously biased creates the implication that many of us are, somehow, secretly conspiring to undermine and deliberately destroy the entire market-based capitalist system which now dominates the world!
So I would ask how these people are going to face their grandchildren and admit to them that they actually failed their future; that they ignored all the clear warning signs by passing them off as merely part of a “cyclical process” that had happened many times before and was beyond our control, that they had refused to heed the desperate cries of those last remaining traditional societies throughout the world who warned consistently, CONSISTENTLY of catastrophe, because they could read the signs of impending disintegration in the ever-more violent, extreme aberrations in the normally, harmonious patterns of Nature.
So I wonder, will such people be held accountable at the end of the day for the absolute refusal to countenance a precautionary approach, for this plays I would suggest a most reckless game of roulette with the future inheritance of those who come after us? An inheritance ladies and gentlemen that will be shaped by what you decide to do here in this Parliament.”

Dirty Fossil Fuel Pollution

The fossil fuel industry

The fossil fuel industry has earnt billions from humanity burning billions of tons with many of us not realising the climatic consequences building up. Now we all understand the problems caused, it is prudent to move as quickly as possible away from dirty fossil fuels and towards a clean energy, prosperous future.

Pollution taxation has been put in place globally, to give tax incentives to all industries that do not pollute. This is a great way of gently ushering business away from a polluting past and towards a clean energy future, without any guilt of a polluting past.

Ultra conspiracy theorists inspired by propaganda spewed out by the fossil fuel lobby continually come up with reasons not to blame fossil fuels for the pollutants the industry is responsible for, so they can continue polluting blinkered to the climatic disasters we are creating.

Here are a few of the conspiracies feeding climate skepticism:

• A campaign put out by Exxon Mobile through the Competitive Enterprise Institute suggests pollution from burning fossil fuels is good for the planet. Watch the video on YouTube Their mantra is “They call it pollution. We call it life.”
• Another campaign put out by Exxon Mobile and Chevron through The Cornwall Alliance who are part funded by Exxon and Chevron suggests anybody who cares for our environment is evil and part of a global conspiracy to destroy the earth and religion.  Watch the video on YouTube
• Another campaign purports that climate change is a scam put out by the global elite, so they can control and tax everyone. Illuminati made up Climate Change
• Another campaign suggests that the whole universe is warming and pollution from burning fossil fuels play no part. The real cause of climate change is planet nibiru or planet x.

Generally it’s a shotgun type approach by the fossil fuel lobby, they spew out as much doubt about the pollution from burning fossil fuels having any detrimental effect in the hope some of the propaganda sticks.

Parts of the older generation feel guilty if they admit sharing the responsibility for playing their part in polluting our biosphere. But guilt isn’t necessary, especially if they didn’t know about the problems being caused.

But now we all know the climatic problems that are staring us all in the face. Now we are all fully aware of the connections between fossil fuel pollution and climate change, this is the time to act. It is ALL of our responsibility to create a healthier, brighter, more robust future for our children.

Zero Carbon Britain 2030

Excellent further reading:

• A comprehensive explanation to all skepticism both honest questioning and ultra paranoid can be found here. Skeptical arguments answered with Science.
• Read this great Scientific Guide to Global Warming Skepticism  The Scientific Guide to Global Warming Skepticism
• Zero carbon Britain sets out a new energy strategy toward 2030, that is robust, comprehensive and importantly it concentrates on a pollution free future.  Read The Zero Carbon Britain Report 2030
• Greenpeace have worked closely with hundreds of clean energy companies to bring us this great report  Energy Revolution – A Sustainable World Energy Outlook
  
• Download the summary of the Energy Revolution report
  
• Download the full Energy Revolution report

Clean Renewable Energy Future

November 2010 saw the launch of the Nemesis, an impressive electric vehicle built by Ecotricity, the UK’s leading clean renewable energy supplier.
This superb piece of engineering really is the Nemesis of all Petrol heads.
Welcome to the age of Renewables.

The Nemesis from Ecotricity with Dale Vince and Damon Hill

Designed and built in Britain the Nemesis is a masterpiece of engineering giving all the thrills of a regular sports car, but none of the dirty fossil fuels pollution.

Ecotricity harness their own energy from Wind turbines and rapidly expanding solar parks.

The Nemesis is a wind powered sports car, harnessing its energy from the wind

The Nemesis electric car from Ecotricity is launched

The Nemesis amazing stats:

Top Speed of 170mph 0-100mph in 8.5 seconds. A range of 100-150 miles depending on driving style.

Check out the full pdf specifications sheet here:

www.ecotricity.co.uk/nemesis/spec-sheet

Robert Llewellyn from his fully charged show was lucky enough to visit Dale Vince the Founder of Ecotricity, for an exhilarating test drive.

The Nemesis is a unique UK designed and built electric vehicle, so much better than dirty fossil fuel vehicles.

The Nemesis electric car from Ecotricity is launched

The Nemesis electric car from Ecotricity is launched

The Nemesis electric car from Ecotricity is launched

The Nemesis electric car from Ecotricity is launched

The Nemesis electric car from Ecotricity is launched

The Nemesis electric car from Ecotricity is launched

The Nemesis electric car from Ecotricity is launched Clean Fuel

The Nemesis from Ecotricity with Dale Vince and Damon Hill

Watch out for the Nemesis in its upcoming speed record run and for the endurance run – Land’s End to John O’Groats in 24 hours

***Extra***

Stay up to date with the adventures of the Nemesis on Dale Vince’s Blog Zero Carbonista.com

Find out more about The Nemesis on the Ecotricity Website Ecotricity.co.uk/nemesis

Ecotricity are leading the UK into a clean energy future away from dirty fossil fuels. They promise to match you local supplier on cost. Find out all about them and join in the energy revolution www.ecotricity.co.uk

Posted by Michael Horsnell

Please take time to leave a comment about climate change and clean renewable energy below

www.unep.org/billiontreecampaign

Rainforests need to be shown that they are worth more alive, than dead.

In 1950 the forest cover of Indonesia was about 160 million hectares; today less than 48 million hectares are left. www.greenthefilm.com/Info

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

***DONATE*** As the film is given away free, please donate what you can afford to help Patrick help everyone save global rainforests.

www.greenthefilm.com/Donate

DEFORESTATION OF INDONESIA IS MADE POSSIBLE BY :

THE COMPANIES BEHIND THE WOOD INDUSTRY AND OUR PASSIVITY

If we don’t buy the products, those companies can’t sell the products.

The consequences of our purchase from palm oil products (biofuel, toothpaste, biscuits, etc) to garden furniture, to plywood, to paper, all decide if species are exterminated or will survive.

See this extensive list of companies to question on there sourcing of products.

DEFORESTATION OF INDONESIA IS MADE POSSIBLE BY :

THE COMPANIES BEHIND THE WOOD INDUSTRY
Sinar Mas Group – Indonesia
Salim Group – Indonesia
Barito Pacific Group – Indonesia
Bakrie & Brothers Group – Indonesia
Tanjung Lingga – Indonesia
Astra International  – Indonesia
Djajanti Group – Indonesia
Kalimanis Group – Indonesia
Kayu Lapis Group – Indonesia
Korindo Group – Indonesia
Gudang Garam – Indonesia
Raja Garuda Mas Group – Indonesia
PT Uniseraya Group – Indonesia
PT Diamond Raya – Indonesia
Mitra Usaha Sejati Abadi (MUSA) – Indonesia
Surya Dumai – Indonesia
Sumalindo Lestari Jaya Group – Indonesia
PT Inhutani – Indonesia
Benua Indah Group – Indonesia
Lyman Group  – Indonesia
Alas Kusuma Group – Indonesia
Sumber Mas Group Samarinda – Indonesia
Hasko Group – Indonesia
Central Cipta Murdaya Group – Indonesia
PT Tanjung Kreasi – Indonesia
Rimbunan Hijau – Malaysia WTK Group –  Malaysia
Samling Global Limited – Malaysia
Kerwara Limited –  Malaysia

THE COMPANIES BEHIND PULP AND PAPER INDUSTRY
Sinar Mas Group- Indonesia Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) – Indonesia
Indah Kiat – Indonesia
Kertas Nusantura – Indonesia
Kalimanis Group – Indonesia
Raja Garuda Mas – Indonesia
Kiani Kertas – Indonesia
Raja Garuda Mas International – Indonesia
Asia Pacific Ressources International
Holdings  (APRIL) – Indonesia
PT Inti Indorayon Utama – Indonesia
PT Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper – Indonesia
PT Tanjung Enim Lestari Pulp and Paper (TEL) – Indonesia
PT Musi Hutan Persada Pacific Timber – Indonesia
PT Arara Abadi – Indonesia
United Fiber System Limited (Unifiber) – Singapore
Jaakko Pöyry – Finland

THE COMPANIES BEHIND THE PALM OIL PRODUCTION
Sinar Mas Group – Indonesia
Astra Agro Lestari – Indonesia
Raja Garuda Mas International – Indonesia
Asian Agri – Indonesia Salim Group – Indonesia
Inti Indosawit Subur – Indonesia
Musim Mas Group – Indonesia
Duta Palma –  Indonesia
Inexco – Indonesia
Indofood Sukses Makmur – Indonesia
Makin Group – Indonesia
London Sumatra – Indonesia
Bakrie and Brothers – Indonesia
Anglo Eastern Plantations Plc – Indonesia
First Resources Limited – Indonesia
Agro Group – Indonesia
Austindo Nusantara Jaya – Indonesia
Surya Dumai Group – Indonesia
Sime Darby Group – Malaysia
IOI Group – Malaysia
JC Chang Group – Malaysia
Guthrie – Malaysia
Golden Hope – Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur Kepong – Malaysia
Asiatic Development – Malaysia
Boustead Holdings – Malaysia
United Plantations – Malaysia
IJM Plantations – Malaysia
Tradewinds Plantation – Malaysia
Golden Agri – Singapore
CTP Holdings Pte Ltd – Singapore
Wilmar / Kuok / ADM – USA
Cargill – USA
MP Evans Group – United Kingdom
Socfindo – Belgium

THE BANKS AND FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS SUPPORTING IN THE ABOVE INDUSTRIES
World Bank
International Monetary Fund  (IMF)
International Finance Corporation  (IFC)
World Trade Organization (WTO)
Asian Development Bank (ADB)
World Resources Institute (WRI)
COFACE – France
Export Credits Guarentee Department (ECGD) – United Kingdom
Export Import Bank (EX-IM) – USA
Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund – Japan
Finnvera – Finland
Export Development Canada – Canada
Export Credit Guarantee Board – Sweden
CellMark – Sweden Gerling-NCM – Germany
National Machinery Equipment Import Export Corporation (CMEC) – China
China Export & Credit Insurance Corporation – China
Sinar Mas Bank – Indonesia
ABN  Amro Bank – Indonesia
Bank Central Asia – Indonesia
Bank Mandiri – Indonesia
Babobank Duta – Indonesia
Bank DBS – Indonesia
Bank Panin – Indonesia
Bank Resona Perdania – Indonesia
Danareksa Securities – Indonesia
OCBC Bank – Singapore
DBS Bank – Singapore
AFC Merchant Bank – Singapore
CIBM Group – Malaysia
Malayan Banking – Malaysia
SOCFIN – Belgium Sipet – Belgium
Bank Brussels Lambert – Belgium
Raifeisen Zentralbank Österreich AG – Austria
Andritz – Austria Rabobank – Netherlands
ING Bank- Netherlands Fortis Bank –  Netherlands
German Development Bank  (DEG) – Germany
Deutsche Bank – Germany
Commerzbank – Germany
HSH Nordbank AG – Germany
HSBC – United Kingdom
Legal & General – United Kingdom
Barclays – United Kingdom
Standard Chartered Bank -  United Kingdom
Royal Bank of Scotland – United Kingdom
Edinburgh Java Trust – United Kingdom
Collins Stewart – United Kingdom
Lloyds Bank – United Kingdom
Numis Corporation – United Kingdom
Astra Zeneca – Sweden / United Kingdom
UBS – Switzerland
Credit Suisse – Switzerland
Goldman Sachs – Switzerland
Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi (UFJ) – Japan
Mizuho Bank – Japan
Vivendi Water – France
Natixis – France
BNP Paribas – France
Credit Agricole – France
AXA – France
Société Générale – France
Citibank –  USA
Cornell Capital Partners – USA
Merrill Lynch – USA
Morgan Stanley – USA
JP Morgan Chase – USA
Lehman Brothers – USA
Amroc – USA
Blackrock – USA

THE COMPANIES TRADING OR BUYING WOOD PRODUCTS FROM INDONESIA
CSH Industrial Group – Singapore
Aeonic International Trade – Singapore
Wajilam Exports – Singapore
Jason Parquet – Singapore
Neeshai Trading – Singapore
Nature Wood – SIngapore
Chippel Overseas Supplies – Singapore
Tong Hin Timber Group – Singapore
Sitra Holdings – Singapore
Chiang Leng Hup Plywood – Singapore
Pargan – Singapore
Sunlight Mercantile – Singapore
Sunrise Doors International – Singapore
Wason Industries – Singapore
Dowlet Trading Enterprises – Singapore
Pan Majestic Holdings – Malaysia
Acmeco Ventures – Malaysia
Flooring Box – Malaysia
Hok Lai Timber – Malaysia
Kim Teck Lee Timber Flooring – Malaysia
McCorry Group – Malaysia
Sumec International Technology Trade – China
Jiangsu Kuaile Wood Industry Group – China
Xiamen Xinda Import Export Trading Company – China
Sino Forest Corporation – China
Celandine Co. – China
Montague Meyer – United Kingdom
Wolseley Group – United Kingdom
Homebase –  United Kingdom
Habitat – United Kingdom
International Plywood – United Kingdom
Premier Forest Products – United Kingdom
Kingfisher Group (B&Q, Castorama, Brico Dépôts, Hornbach) – United Kingdom John Lewis – United Kingdom
Travis Perkins – United Kingdom
Kiani – United Kingdom
Wolseley Group – United Kingdom
Maison du Monde – United Kingdom
Jewson – United Kingdom
Allied Carpets – United Kingdom
Caledonian Plywood – United Kingdom
Cipta – United Kingdom
Wood International Agency – United Kingdom
Armstrong World Industries – USA
Lowe’s -  USA
Koch Industries Inc. – USA
Chesapeake Hardwoods – USA
Plywood Tropics – USA
Geogia Pacific – USA
Taraca Pacific – USA
North Pacific Lumber – USA
Far East American – USA
IHLO sales & Imports – USA
The Home Depot – USA
Les Mousquetaires (Bricomarché) – France
Leroy Merlin – France
Saint Gobain Group (Point P / Lapeyre / Jewson / Raab Karcher / Dahl) -  France
Maison Coloniale – France
Pier Import – France
Pont Meyer – Netherlands
Hoek Lopik – Netherlands
Oldeboom – Netherlands
Tarkett – Germany
Possling – Germany
Roggemenn – Germany
Daiken – Japan
Seihuko – Japan
Nippindo – Japan
Kahrs – Sweden
IKEA – Sweden
DLH Group – Denmark
Junckers – Denmark
Finnforest – Finland
FEPCO – Belgium
Glencore International – Switzerland
Goodfellow – Canada

THE COMPANIES TRADING PULP AND PAPER FROM INDONESIA
United Fiber System Limited (Unifiber) – Singapore
PaperlinX Asia – Singapore
International Paper Company – USA
Weyerhaeuser Company – USA
Kimberly-Clark  – USA
MeadWestvaco Corporation – USA
Procter & Gamble  – USA
Koch Industries – USA
OJI Paper – Japan
Nippon Paper Group – Japan
Sumitomo Forestry Co – Japan
Marubeni Corporation -  Japan
Itochu -Japan Marubeni – Japan
Sojitz – Japan
Stora Enso Oyj – Finland
UPM-Kymmene Corporation – Finland
Metsälliitto – Finland
Cellmark – Sweden
Bomo-Cypap Pulp and Paper– Cyprus

THE COMPANIES TRADING OR BUYING PALM OIL FROM INDONESIA
Sinar Mas Group – Indonesia
Permata Hijau Sawit – Indonesia
Golden Agri – Indonesia
Indofood Sukses Makmur – Indonesia
Arnott Indonesia – Indonesia
Wilmar Group – Singapore
Charleston Holdings (Tropical Oil Products) – Singapore
Pacific Rim Plantations Services – Singapore
Olam International – Singapore
Intercontinental Oils and Fats – Singapore
Lam Soon – Singapore
Kuok Group – Malaysia
Sime Darby – Malaysia
Giant – Malaysia
Mitsui & Co – Malaysia
Yee Lee Corporation – Malaysia
Intercontinental Specialty Fats – Malaysia
SSD Oils Mills Co – India
Nirma – India
Hindustan Lever – India
Godrej Industries – India
China Grains & Oils Group Corporation – China
China National Vegetable Oil Corporation – China
Beijing Orient-Huaken Cereal & Oil – China
Beijing Heyirong Cereals & Oils – China
Cargill  – USA
Bunge – USA
Archer Daniels Midland  (ADM)  -  USA
Kentuky Fried Chicken (KFC) – USA
Kraft  – USA
ConAgra Trade Group Inc. – USA
Reckitt Benckiser -  USA
Procter & Gamble  – USA
Johnson & Johnson – USA
Wal-Mart  – USA
Hershey – USA
Kroger Co  – USA
Shaw’s – USA
Safeway Inc – USA
Costco Wholesale Corporation – USA
Kroger Co – USA
Pepsi Co Inc. – USA
Krafts Food Inc. – USA
SYSCO – USA
Pizza Hut -USA
Mc Cain – USA
Burger King – USA
Mc Donalds – USA
US Foodservice – USA
Aramark – USA
Estée Lauder – USA
McKee Foods Corporation – USA
Kellogg’s  – USA
Starbuck – USA
Colgate Palmolive – USA
Safeway – USA
Shaw’s – USA
Albertson’s – USA
Ahold  – USA
Sara Lee Corporation – USA
Unilever – Netherlands / United Kingdom
HJ Heinz – United Kingdom
Cadbury Schweppes – United Kingdom
Body Shop International – United Kingdom
Tesco – United Kingdom
Sainsbury’s – United Kingdom
Boots – United Kingdom
Marks and Spencer – United Kingdom
Macphilips Foods – United Kingdom
Compas Group – United Kingdom
Associated British Foods – United Kingdom
Tate & Lyle – United Kingdom
Musgrave – United Kingdom
John Lewis Partnership – United Kingdom
Co-operative Group – United Kingdom
ASDA – United Kingdom
Britannia Food Ingredients – United Kingdom
United Biscuits – United Kingdom
Aarhus – United Kingdom
Northern Foods plc – United Kingdom
Burton’s Foods Ltd – United Kingdom
Croda – United Kingdom
Whitbread Group – United Kingdom
ICI – United Kingdom
ASDA – United Kingdom
Waitrose – United Kingdom
Morrisons – United Kingdom
Carrefour – France
Edouard Leclerc – France
Auchan – France
Pinault Printemps Redoute – France
Danone – France Gillette – France
SAS Devineau – France
L’Oréal – France
Henkel  – Germany
Cognis – Germany
Alfred C Toepfer International – Germany
Metro Group – Germany
Aldi Group – Germany
Schwarz Group – Germany
Rewe – Germany
Cognis – Germany
Cremer Oleo – Germany
Walter Rau – Germany
ALDI Group – Germany
Goodman Fielder  – Australia
Gardner Smith – Australia
Coles Group – Australia
Australian Food – Australia
Woolworths Limited – Australia
Arnott’s – Australia
Foodstuffs – New Zealand
Progressive Enterprises – New Zealand
Ahold NV – Nertherlands
CSM –  Netherlands
Cefetra – Netherlands
Glencore Grain – Netherlands
Nidera – Netherlands
Akzo Nobel – Netherlands
Nestlé  – Switzerland
Barry Callebaut – Switzerland
Glencore International – Switzerland
Lindt – Switzerland
Florin – Switzerland
Nutriswiss – Switzerland
Coop – Switzerland
Migros – Switzerland
DaiEi – Japan
Kao Corporation – Japan
Saraya Co Ltd – Japan
Fuji Oil Group – Japan
Mitsubishi Corporation – Japan
Myojo Foods – Japan
Rainbow Energy Corporation – Japan
Arthur Goethels – Belgium
Delhalze Group – Belgium
FEDIOL – Belgium
Danisco – Denmark
Dragsbaek – Denmark
Goteborts Kex – Sweden
Cloetta Fazer – Sweden
Mills DA – Norway
Orkla Group – Norway
Saetre Kjeks – Norway
Kantolan Keksi – Finland
Musgrave Budgens Longis – Ireland
Savola – Saudi Arabia
Thai President Foods – Thailand

THE COMPANIES INVESTING IN BIO DIESEL MADE FROM PALM OIL
Wilmar Group -  Singapore
Continental BioEnergy – Singapore
Carotino Sdn Bhd – Malaysia Zurex Corporation – Malaysia
SPC Biodiesel – Malaysia
DXN Oleochemicals  – Malaysia
PT Vision Renewable fuels – Malaysia
Natural Fuel – Australia PME Biofuels – Australia
Mission NewEnergy Limited – Australia
Sterling Bioduels – Australia
Biofuels Corporation – United Kingdom
Greenergy – United Kingdom
BP International – United Kingdom
D1 Oils –United Kingdom
EDF Energy – United Kingdom
WHEB Biofuels – United Kingdom
Cargill – USA
BioFuel Merchants (BFM) – USA
BioX Group – Netherlands
Costal Energy limited – India
ED&F Man Biofuels – France
BioDiesel Oils – New Zealand
Neste Oil – Finland
OKQ8 – Sweden
ECO Solutions Co – South Korea
Rainbow Energy Corporation – Japan
Biopetrol Industries – Switzerland

AND OUR PASSIVITY !!!!!

Directed by: Patrick Rouxel
Sound design and mix: Simon Apostolou
Music: Frédéric Sanchez del Rio
Foleys: Xavier Drouault
Colour grading: Cendrine Vincent
Technical supervision: Yoann Copinet
Graphic artist: Lise Fischer
Saxophone: Xavier Trombini
Voices: Eugénie Selin, Vanessa Cadasse, Sandra Gengoul

Please leave a reply below if you’ve any thoughts on the film.
Posted by Michael Horsnell

Robert Llewellyn is bringing us the new ‘Fully Charged Show’ www.fullycharged.tv Presenting how electric cars are most definitely making a statement.

Robert Llewellyn discusses our addiction to oil and the Electric vehicle solution

Interview with Quentin Willson at the Bridgestone Eco Rally 2010

The Tesla Roadster – As described by owners Part 1

Find out more about The Tesla electric vehicle range on the Tesla website www.teslamotors.com

The Tesla Roadster – As described by owners Part 2

Find out more about The Tesla electric vehicle range on the Tesla website www.teslamotors.com

tesla roadstar

Robert Llewellyn’s review of the Honda hydrogen fuel cell FCX Clarity electric vehicle.

Find out more about The Honda FCX Clarity electric vehicle on the Honda website world.honda.com/FuelCell

Robert Llewellyn’s review of the Mitsubishi iMiev electric vehicle.
Find out more about The Mitsubishi iMiev electric vehicle on the Mitsubishi website www.mitsubishi-cars.co.uk/imiev

Mike Brewer lets members of the public drive the i-MiEV

Robert Llewellyn drives the prototype Nissan LEAF

Find out more about The Nissan Leaf electric vehicle on the Nissan website www.nissan.co.uk/electricvehicles/leaf

The NEMESIS Electric Vehicle in development.

Keep up to date with its development on Dale Vince’s Blog zerocarbonista.com

nemesis electric car

nemesis electric car

Electric planes harnessing solar energy are advancing fast.

From www.solarimpulse.com

Solar impulse solar airplane

Electric vehicles are the way forward for the transport that we are all addicted to nowadays. From cars to trains to planes, electricity is the clean option!

As more and more people take the choice to use Electric vehicles, three main cruxes will dictate the future availability and development of Electric vehicles.

• Storage of Energy – Batteries.
• Old addictions – Companies that are heavily reliant on profits from old fossil fuels.
• Source of electrical energy.

The storage of energy in a car is of obvious importance and by making use of advances in mobile phone and laptop battery technologies, electric vehicle battery technology will continue to speed ahead. There are also many vehicles which harness electricity as they move an obvious and sensible move.

From car companies, to fuel suppliers to governments reliant on taxes we are heavily tied to the old system of propulsion – the burning of fossil fuels, so this will take some clever thinking from governments to help with financial incentives to help business change to clean electric vehicles.

An electric vehicle is not that clean if it depends on dirty non renewable sources of electricity to power it. Luckily we have many clean, renewable sources of energy at our disposal nowadays; Solar, Wind, Hydro, Tidal, Wave to name but a few.

Clean energy for electric cars.

We all have the choice of living in the eternal world of old polluting vehicles or stepping forward into the next great era of transportation. Electric transportation.

Posted by Michael Horsnell

Please take time to leave a small comment / reply below

To view the Great Trees of East Devon Website click here

View the videos below.

The Farway Yew

The Salcombe Regis Thorn

The Bicton Monkey Puzzle Tree

The Whimple Wonder

The Phear Park Lucombe Oak

The East Budleigh Mark Tree

The Great Oak at Upton Pyne

The Ginkgo Tree Presented by Sidmouth Men of the Trees and planted by Councillor Arthur White

The Maidenhair Jurassic Tree Ginkgo Biloba Presented by Sidmouth Men of the Trees at the Knowle in Sidmouth Devon

Ginkgo Biloba Leaf from the Jurassic Tree Presented by Sidmouth Men of the Trees at the Knowle in Sidmouth Devon

Monterey pine Pinus radiate at the Knowle in Sidmouth Devon

Hands Across The Sand in Sidmouth

Are you up for showing your support for cleaner oceans? Take a  picture or two on the beach in Sidmouth?

Meet at bottom of steps of Jacobs Ladder at 11:45am

Make a stand against offshore drilling 26th June:

http://bit.ly/NOoffshoreOil

http://www.facebook.com/HandsAcrossTheSand

The image is powerful, the message is simple.  NO to Offshore Oil Drilling, YES to Clean Energy.

HOW TO BUILD A TOP BAR HIVE by P J Chandler DIY Beehive

As most people are aware our bee populations are in trouble. They help keep the rest of nature alive, primarily though their pollination efforts.

They have been dying in their millions over the last decade. Over use of pesticides, Mites, lack of useful plants, lack of hives seem to have all contributed to their demise.

For the financially minded the guesstimates of the cost that the work bees do for humans is astronomical. But the end result of the annihilation of bees would be crop failures and complete dependence on artificially pollinated crops, or even the possible downfall of humanity.

People wanting to help protect bees and reverse this ecocide, can keep Bees, plant bee loving plants, not use pesticides, buy organic food and support organisation helping them.

Download this easy to follow plan showing you how to build your own Beehive.

HOW TO BUILD A TOP BAR HIVE

by P J Chandler

Click here to download a free copy of the DIY Beehive pdf

This free book is a supplement to the barefoot beekeeper, available from www.biobees.com

beehaus

the big green idea

International bee research association

From the company that made the popular chicken houses ‘Eglu’ comes the ‘Beehaus.’

Click this weblink to visit the Beehaus website

www.omlet.co.uk/Beehaus

Bridget Strawbridge of The Big Green Idea is an excellent source of information on Bees www.thebiggreenidea.org/bee-friendly

Helping bees and bee keepers in the UK      www.britishbee.org.uk

American Beekeeping Federation       www.abfnet.org

International Bee Research Association     www.ibra.org.uk

This pdf has some suggested flowers useful to bumblebees     Download a pdf of Suggested flowers for bumblebees here

pdf from   www.buglife.org.uk

“Loss of the world’s genetic diversity would be worse than energy depletion, economic collapse, limited nuclear war or conquest by a totalitarian government .As terrible as those catastrophes would be for us, they could be repaired in a few generations. The one process ongoing in the 1980’s that will take millions of years to correct is the loss of genetic and species diversity by the destruction of natural habitats. This is the folly our descendants are least likely to forgive us”. E.O Wilson

Posted by Michael Horsnell

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Ginkgo Biloba Jurassic Tree Maidenhair Tree leaf

A group of locals have set out on an exciting project to improve the Byes area in Sidmouth, Devon, bringing biodiversity, an educational platform for learning and improved usage of this large piece of parkland

The main aim of the BEE project is to improve biodiversity of the byes. This will be done with tree planting, hedge planting, along with other recommended steps that will help bring more wildlife for users of the byes to enjoy. Such as Bees, Bats, Birds, Butterflies, invertebrates, mammals all through improving or providing a habitat for them.

The Ginkgo Biloba or Jurassic Tree leaf is being used as a logo for its connection with The Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, in itself a huge attraction for Sidmouth.

A Google satellite view of the byes can be seen here.

This links to a larger copy of the Byes Google Map

Inspiration for the Bee project comes from The United Nations International Year of Biodiversity 2010 and  The International Year of Forests 2011

2010 International Year of Biodiversity

Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth. It is essential for sustaining the natural living systems or ecosystems that provide us with food, fuel, health, wealth, and other vital services.

Humans are part of this biodiversity too and have the power to protect or destroy it. Currently, our activities are destroying biodiversity at alarming rates.

The Byes is a beautiful area, but much of it has been in disrepair with many older trees dying and few being replaced. This project will add new trees and help improve biodiversity and usage within the byes.

The Bee Project will help and encouraged the local schools and college to make more use of the Byes, by treating it more as an outdoor classroom.

The Improvements will encourage more locals and visitors to make use of the byes area.

The BEE Project is in support of the SAP Project, another exciting project to declare the whole of Sidmouth as an Urban Arboretum.

Bee Project Byes Sidmouth www.apachetramp.com

Bee Project Byes Sidmouth www.apachetramp.com

Funding for the project is being sought from all interested parties. Please spare some time to donate to the BEE Project here. All donations will be gratefully received and will be registered with the project together with a thank you letter. If an anonymous donation is preferred please mention.

Donate in denominations of £5

Donate in denominations of £25

Donate in denominations of £100

To Donate on eBay click here

Please invest in the future of the byes by helping this project.

More details of the project will follow.

“Biodiversity is the greatest treasure we have. It needs to be protected at all costs.” Sir David Attenborough

“God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand tempests and floods. But he cannot save them from fools”. John Muir

When visiting Sidmouth a lovely walk is to follow the Byes from Sidford to Sidmouth making sure you explore Margaret’s meadow at the half way point. The walk is about 2km 1½ mile

If visiting Sidmouth by bus X53 X54 52A 52B 899 get off in Sidford and walk down byes lane, past the football and rugby pitches to the entrance of the byes.

Sidmouth Town Plan Bus routes from Devon County Council

If visiting Sidmouth by bike, make use of the improved cycle path into Sidmouth along the byes.

If visiting Sidmouth by car, some free on street parking is available on byes lane, Sidford.

Follow the direction of the river until you reach the seafront in Sidmouth.

Follow the Green patch from The Salty Monk Restaurant in Sidford down to where it meets Salcombe road in Sidmouth.

Some history of Sidmouth.

http://bit.ly/SidmouthHistory

http://bit.ly/SidValeSimouthHistory

To contact the group please email:  sidmouthbeep@gmail.com

Posted by Michael Horsnell

Please take time to leave a small comment / reply below

Bee Project Byes Sidmouth www.apachetramp.com

PRASEG News

Catch up with the latest news on sustainable, renewable energy through the eyes of the parliamentary group PRASEG

This newsletter is produced by PRASEG for distribution to members once a week. PRASEG seeks to provide readers with news and parliamentary information related to renewable and sustainable energy issues.

PRASEG is a cross-party parliamentary group with 115 parliamentary and 250 industry members.

If you would like to become a member, please contact Rose Dickinson, the PRASEG Coordinator, at info@praseg.org.uk

For further information on the group, visit the PRASEG website at: www.praseg.org.uk

Download your pdf copy of Praseg News 17th June 2011

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Thanet Offshore Wind Farm off the coast of Kent UK. Owned by Vattenfall.

Thanet Offshore Wind Farm off the coast of Kent UK. Owned by Vattenfall.

Secretary of State, Energy and Climate Change Chris Huhne MP had this to say about the wind farm at its opening:

“I am pleased that we’ve reached the point where 5GW of our energy comes from onshore and offshore wind – that’s enough electricity to power all the homes in Scotland. Getting these massive structures out here into the sea is a tremendous feat of engineering and I applaud all involved with this awesome achievement”.

“We are in a unique position to become a world leader in this industry. We are an island nation and I firmly believe we should be harnessing our wind, wave and tidal resources to the maximum. I know that there is still more to do to bring forward the large sums of investment we want to see in low-carbon energy in the UK, and we as Government are committed to playing our part”.

As of September 2010 Thanet is the largest Offshore Wind Farm in the WORLD, with 100 wind turbines and covering an area of 35sq KM

Read more in the Vattenfall Press release

Video of Thanet Offshore Wind Farm inauguration.
Map of Offshore Wind Farms provided by 4C Offshore.

Alan Whitehead PRASEG Chair

Posted by Michael Horsnell

Please take time to leave a comment about climate change and clean renewable energy below

Kaieteur Tree Planting fund

During National Tree Week in November 2009 Kaieteur Tree planting fund organised a campaign to give trees to local schools. It was to help enhance the grounds of the school, allow some children to become ‘tree guardians’ and help to celebrate the United Nations International year of biodiversity 2010

Sidmouth All Saints Infants

The campaign raised a total of £356.60 with generous donations from East Devon Carbon management programme overseen by Councillor Graham Brown

Sidmouth in Bloom

The Vision for Sidmouth transition town group

Along with many customers of local businesses giving generously.  It helped that the Sidmouth Chamber of Commerce supported the campaign

St Nicholas C of E Junior

In January 2010 5 local schools benefitted with a large collection of native tree saplings, along with several apple trees and blueberry bushes.

Sidmouth All Saints Infants

Sidmouth Infants School

St Nicholas C of E Junior School

St. John’s School

Sidmouth College

Sidmouth Infants School

Sidmouth in Blooms theme for this year as set out by the RHS Britain in bloom 2010 is ‘Local Roots’ Their campaign is gathering momentum for a medal attempt in this year’s competition, making the most of Sidmouth’s rich history, they are eagerly requesting volunteers to offer a few hours of their time.  Contact Sidmouth in Bloom 01395 579965

Trees for the Byes Campaign

Kaieteur is organising the next local tree campaign ‘Trees for the Byes campaign’ collecting to add trees to the local beauty spot, The Byes in Sidmouth Devon. Please help by donating here.

The planting of trees is one of the best long term solutions to increasing biodiversity. To help celebrate 2010 International Year of biodiversity you can buy tree saplings from kaieteur here, or donate to help us plant them on your behalf here.

Further reading:

Download a PDF copy of East-Devon-District council draft carbon management plan

Download a PDF copy of Sources Of Information for RHS Britain in bloom theme for 2010 local roots sidmouth

Free trees and educational resources can be discovered on the woodland trust tree for all website.

Posted by Michael Horsnell

Resurgence Magazine Review

It’s simple: Resurgence magazine offers substance and inspiration.  The magazine is issued six times a year and features interesting and intelligent articles, poetry and artwork by regarded international authors who share The Resurgence Trust’s passion for life.  The current January/February issue focuses on the idea of liberty and includes articles on William Blake and freedom by Philip Pullman: the road beyond Copenhagen by Stephen Hale: and from the Richard Dimbleby Lecture, HRH The Prince of Wales talks about utilising natures capital for a new form of economics.

As the name suggests, Resurgence is about recovery; a recovery to that alignment of mind body and soul that comes from working creatively with our environment, rather than working against it.  The resurgence website

www.resurgence.org (which for a free taster provides some interesting articles) states that they advocate trade with responsibility, money with morals, politics with principles and science with a soul.

At the forefront of new developments, technology and fresh thinking Resurgence gives readers the feeling of being at the very head of a revolution.  It really can’t be stressed enough; as we have less and less time to stop and read, make what you do read count by reading Resurgence.

Volcanic region of Ecuador by Emma Brice

This beautiful magazine is a joy to have around you, for when you have those moments to relax.

It is available to buy from the magazine section of the Kaieteur Website

Posted by Emma

The mouth of the River Sid Sidmouth

The Transition Town Movement

is continuing to sweep the UK and the globe, encouraging communities to come together and prepare for the challenges and opportunities of Peak Oil and Climate Change.  To view how many ‘official’ groups are now spanning the globe view, have a look at the Transition town web site.

‘In Transition’ First Detailed film about Transition Towns movement

This blog post about the  Sidmouth Transition Town Group will be updated with a PDF of the latest going on from The Vision Group for Sidmouth (Sidmouth transition town group).

Visit the Vision group web site here.

Contacts:

The chairman Robert Crick 01395 519292

Secretary Jeremy Woodward jaydoubleyou@onetel.com

Press secretary Liz Bramley  lizbramley@btinternet.com

Community Market coordinator Kerry Gibbons kerryjg@tiscali.co.uk 07973 137592

Latest Newsletter available below:

Click here for your PDF DOWNLOAD Sidmouth Transition Town Group update January 2011

Click here for your PDF DOWNLOAD Sidmouth Transition Town Group update December 2010

Click here for your PDF DOWNLOAD Sidmouth Transition Town Group update November 2010

Click here for your PDF DOWNLOAD Sidmouth Transition Town Group update September 2010

Click here for your PDF DOWNLOAD Sidmouth Transition Town Group update August 2010

———

Click here for your PDF DOWNLOAD Sidmouth Transition Town Group update December 2009

Click here for your PDF DOWNLOAD Sidmouth Transition Town Group update January 2010

Click here for your PDF DOWNLOAD Sidmouth Transition Town Group update February 2010

Click here for your PDF DOWNLOAD Sidmouth Transition Town Group update March 2010

Click here for your PDF DOWNLOAD Sidmouth Transition Town Group update April 2010

Click here for your PDF DOWNLOAD Sidmouth Transition Town Group update May 2010

Click here for your PDF DOWNLOAD Sidmouth Transition Town Group update June 2010

Click here for your PDF DOWNLOAD Sidmouth Transition Town Group update July 2010

Recommended reading material:

The Transition Timeline for a local resilient future by Shaun Chamberlin

Many associated books can be food here!

Donate to help plant more trees in The Byes Sidmouth.

Posted by Michael Horsnell

Please take time to leave a small comment / reply below

A google map of location can be viewed here.

23rd December 2009 2pm

Sidmouth Devon Jurassic coast silhouette

Sidmouth Devon Jurassic coast Fingers in the sea

Sidmouth Devon Jurassic coast jacobs ladder beach

Posted by Michael Horsnell

Please leave a review at the bottom of this post, about any item purchased from kaieteur, being as honest and open as possible, so it can be shared with others.

E.G. What the item is? Likes dislikes. Anything else you can say about the item or items.

Posted by Michael

If you havent visited sidmouth yet we can be found through this google map.

Kaieteur in the visit Sidmouth guide book, have a look here

For a complete pdf guide to Sidmouth Town centre please download from this link from Sidmouth town council.

Kaieteur is on the Sidmouth Chamber of Commerce website.

Hello from Kaieteur Sidmouth Devon

Kaieteur environmenatl books and wind turbine

Kaieteur solar radio with Imogen

Simon Dale Low impact Home www.simondale.net

This beautiful rustic home is a masterpiece from Simon Dale. Often referred to as a hobbit house, which is understandable if your imagination is allowed to enjoy its magic.

This style of housing allows people to build homes which blend in with the environment, rather than fighting against it. Being imbedded into the earth and the large thermal mass helps to keep temperatures stable. Warm in the winter and cool in the summer.  They have a low detrimental impact on the environment, in fact enhance it. Because more common sense is used, the cost is kept low and the result is affordable housing!

Whist the internal natural style offers food for the soul of any nature lover. The result also has the benefits of being low cost and low impact.

The style of Simon’s roof is a reciprocal frame as described by Graham Brown of Findhorn “The Reciprocal Frame is a timeless piece of nature’s wisdom that has a great resonance for our time.”This style of roof is similar to one which Tony Wrench has used in his inspirational low impact roundhouse in Pembrokeshire, famous by being put through a mammoth planning adventure.  Tony has compiled a good article also published in the Permaculture magazine, which describes how to construct a Reciprocal Frame Roof. Read how to build your own here.

Simon Dale Low impact house www.simondale.net

Simon built the house with £3000 and about 1500 man hours, showing  how environmentally friendly and cost effective a home can be. Whilst its rustic charm will not appeal to everyone, it highlights how easy it is for people to build their own home.

To learn more about Simon’s home visit his web site here.

To learn more about Simon’s new adventure at the Lammas project visit his web page at Lammas

A low-impact settlement

Lammas in Glandwr, Pembrokeshire, Wales obtained planning permission to create an eco-village using green technology and Permaculture principles.

Their style of Eco village, truly is ‘eco’. It offers a model for low impact living that can be replicated allowing eco housing co operatives to create sustainable homes

undercurrents.org who offer inspirational news have produced 24 episodes all about Ecovillage Pioneers which can be viewed here

To view the Lammas web site, have a look here.

The 1st episode is below; Introducing Lammas

There are many other examples of Sustainable housing, some of which are listed below.

BedZED Zero Energy Development Biorgional Solutions for Sustainability

BedZED Zero Energy Development

A good example of a sustainable community housing project in suburbia is Beddington Zero Energy Development or BedZED in Wallington, south London. Embracing renewable energy, co operative housing, carbon emissions, sustainable food, and sustainable transport.

Read all about it on the BedZED website

In the process BedZED together with the WWF created the One planet living principles, which have famously highlighted the danger of using resources as if there is no tomorrow! When obviously we only have the one.

One planet Living

woodhouse wood

Woodhouse wood in Carmarthenshire

Woodhouse wood in Carmarthenshire shows how to live as part of nature rather than outside it.

Read more on the woodhouse wood web site.

The Gatehouse hobbit house

The gatehouse green roof house

Another beautiful low cost, low impact sustainable home is the gatehouse green roof house, created in east Ayrshire, Scotland, by software engineer Steve James. He managed this with just over £4000 together with his labour.

Have a look at this great web site showing a beautiful picturesque tour of how and why he did it, together with optional musical accompaniment.

Low cost wood store

Another beautiful picturesque tour show plans how to build your own combined wood store and tool shed. This example is set in an old walled garden in Dumfriesshire.

Take the tour.

Steward community woodland

Steward community woodland in Moretonhampstead Devon UK, have been pioneers (since 2000) in showing how woodland can be used sustainably, offering shelter and livelihoods, whilst keeping the forest alive.

Read more about their adventure here

The California Institute of Earth Art and Architecture

The California Institute of Earth Art and Architecture Cal-Earth, founded by Nader Khalili shows how easy it is to build low cost shelters using materials local to your home. The founding philosophy is the equilibrium of the natural elements of earth, water, air, and fire.

This particular building process can be more specifically described as sustainable architecture using the superadobe method created by Nader Khalili

See the Cal-Earth web site to read more about these low cost shelters

Low impact living initiative LILI

The Low impact living initiative

The Low impact living initiative otherwise know as LILI have a huge resource of relevant information on many types of shelters, all of which offer an approach which can be low cost, and low impact to the environment.

LILI website

Earthship homes

Earthship

The famous Earthship designs are being used much more as truly sustainable buildings. Incorporating many recycled products and using natural sources of energy for the home

These are 6 principles which an Earthship incorporates

Thermal/Solar Heating & Cooling

Solar & Wind Electricity

Contained Sewage Treatment

Building with Natural & Recycled Materials

Water Harvesting

Food Production

More about the US site can be found here.

More about the Brighton Earthship can be found here.

The Global Ecovillage Network GEN

To find out more about living sustainably around the globe The Global Ecovillage Network GEN is a good source showing ecovillage’s around the world.

Low impact development book

Low Impact Development

For a free PDF(6 MB) copy of the excellent Low Impact Development edited by Jenny Pickerill and Larch Maxey download a copy here.

Although free its production relies on donations, so please be generous and donate here!

To find out more about the book have a look at the Low impact Development web site.

Diggers and dreamers

Diggers and dreamers are the people to talk with if you want to learn more about communal living in the UK. From learning how to form your own community to just helping out with one of the many already in existence. Visit the Diggers and dreamers web site here.

Chapter 7

If you are looking for help with planning procedures for low impact, sustainable housing, you will find it useful speaking with chapter 7 They have named their organisation after chapter 7 of agenda 21 that came out of the earth summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, which was aimed at addressing our Earths environmental challenges. Visit the web site here

Radical routes

Radical routes as it suggests has a radical view on changing our outlook on housing by looking at it more co operatively.  Sensible stuff, for those prepared to live more cooperatively. Visit Radical routes to find out more.

Passive house  or Passivhaus

Passive house (Passivhaus) is the penultimate in sustainable design for homes. The principles encourage a clever approach to insulation, position, heating and energy needs of a home. Essentially The house heats and cools itself, hence the name “passive”.

Wolfgang Feist and Professors Bo Adamson developed the concept and its is widely used as a benchmark to aim for in the sustainable building market. Visit the Scottish passivhaus centre web site here.

The Code For Sustainable Homes

The Code for Sustainable Homes

The Code for Sustainable Homes is the uk national code being used to encourage house builders and developers to construct more efficient buildings.  More about the code here.

Green Building

The green building bibles and the green building quarterly magazines by the green building press are an amazing resource for products, ideas and contacts for anyone wanting to retrofit or new build. They show a huge range of renewable energy technologies, together with where to buy them.

The quarterly Green Building magazines can be purchased here.

The latest green building bibles can be puchased here.

Help ‘The Kaieteur Tree Planting Fund’ to continue planting trees by donating here.

Please feel free to add any updates, amendments, suggestions or comments to the post below.

Posted by Michael Horsnell

How fungi - mushrooms - mycelium can help save the world

Fungi or mushrooms are the fruiting body of the mycelium network.

Fungi decompose and absorb a huge variety of nutrients and elements. In doing so they produce fertile soil, naturally carry out the process of carbon capture and with there symbiotic relationships with many plants and trees also help lock even more carbon into the plant structure, by helping them grow quicker.

The mycelium spreads out through the soil and other organic materials to help breakdown and assimilate compounds. In fact mycelium grows into such an intricate network, left untouched by human intervention fungi can become the largest organisms on this planet.

Photo source – A beautiful picture of amethyst deceiver (Laccaria amethystea)

The complex network of mycelium often works symbiotically, sharing the micro nutrients it has produced with the trees and plants which have produced carbohydrates through photosynthesis (something fungi cannot achieve). Mycelium also shares symbiotic relationships with bacteria, sharing valuable chemicals.

TED

The guru of fungi, Paul Stamets presents this TED talk, putting forward excellent evidence of how valuable to the earth these organisms are.

Follow Paul Stamets on twitter here @PaulStamets

Paul Stamets website fungi.com

An interview with Paul Stamets by mother earth news

Trees grow on Mushrooms and natural carbon storage techniques

Chris Rhodes highlights an important fact in his blogpost  March 22, 2009 ( which can be read here )

He points out that plants which have mycelium surrounding their root structure when young, establish and grow with better vigour because of their symbiotic relationship. The mycelium acts as an extension to the root system with obvious benefits.

So Tree saplings being prepared for reforestation projects would benefit enormously if the natural partnering fungi can be attached at an early stage. Leading to improved growth in the tree and therefore storage of carbon, whilst the mycelium itself helps to lock up huge amounts of carbon in the soil.

Chris has also summarised some of Paul Stamets work in this blog post

Carbon Storage

The Department of Ecology at Lund University, Sweden has a project looking at how mycelium helps store carbon in the soil. This highlights the many benefits of leaving naturally formed soil structure wherever possible.  Details of the project can be viewed here.

Mycoremediation

Mycelium plays a huge part in the cleaning up of pollutants we produce in our modern lives. The process is often called Mycoremediation. Mycelium with symbiotic relationships with bacteria can break down substances which can be toxic if left unchecked.

This is an excellent description of how fungi can create fertile soils.

Examples of Mycoremediation in the Amazon.

video clip – A Solution to Pollution – Mycoremediation in the Ecuadorian Amazon

A definition of Mycoremediation from www.celsias.com

‘Many species of mushrooms are actually powerful bioremediators, natural organisms that help break down pollutants. They colonize contaminated soil, and then secrete enzymes that break down the offending chemicals into nontoxic components. The result is clean soil and lots of mushrooms.’

London Olympic 2012 have been using bioremediation processes to clean land. See this link.

‘The bacteria, fungi and other microbes will completely clean this soil without any waste being taken to landfill as part of the green, high-tech clean up of the Olympic Park.’

To buy the best book on fungi look no further than the kaieteur web site

Or for a free preview see it here on google.  Page 82

Help plant trees, please donate to the kaieteur tree planting fund

To find out more about fungi from the BBC breathing places have a look here

Posted by Michael Horsnell

Please take time to leave a small comment / reply below

snowman funeral christmas

Posted by Michael

Reforestation

Saturday 5th December 2009 saw a world record attempt organised by BBC Breathing Places

The world record for trees planted in 1 hour by 100 people or less was wiped out at Gransha Park, along the River Foyle in Northern Ireland.

A committed few, planted 26422 trees in 1 hour with pop star Nadine Coyle helping out. That’s an average of 264 trees each person in one hour!

BBC Breathing Places Treeoclock world record & Northern Ireland World record BBC report

At that rate with collective effort:

If half of the American military planted trees for 1 hour 192 million trees would get planted

If half of the Chinese military planted trees for 1 hour 454 million trees would get planted

If half of the UK population planted trees for one hour 8 billion trees would get planted

If half of the USA population planted trees for one hour 40 billion trees would get planted

If half of the Indian population planted trees for one hour 155 billion trees would get planted

If half of the Chinese population planted trees for one hour 176 billion trees would get planted

If half of the world’s population planted trees for 1 hour 883 billion trees would get planted

Kaieteur Tree Planting Fund

Here in Sidmouth, East Devon we did manage a leisurely 100 tree saplings being planted by the local Transition town group for Sidmouth, vision group volunteers and members of the Sidmouth in bloom committee at the beautiful local Harcombe hill Living Woods as reported by the Sidmouth Herald

Download a PDF copy of the article in the local Sid Vale newspaper here.

A recent collection during this year’s national tree week 25th November until 6th December, organised by Kaieteur in aid of the Sid Valley Trees for Schools Campaign saw £356.60 collected to distribute tree sapling to local schools. Thanks to everyone that donated, this varied from 1p to £100.

3 big donors were East Devon District Council Carbon management team, Sidmouth in bloom committee and the Sidmouth vision group. We will be distributing the trees after the Christmas break.

Please donate here towards our next tree planting campaign ‘trees for the byes’ to help keep The byes in Sidmouth green.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson famously said “The creation of a thousand forests are in one acorn”

Professor Wangari Maathai, founder of the Green Belt Movement and 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and HSH Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco are overseeing the United Nations Billion tree campaign with 9 billion trees pledged to be planted.

Professor Wangari Maathai really is the queen of tree planting as she shows in the amazing documentary: Taking Root which highlights much of her work with the Green Belt Movement

To buy your own tree sapling as a beautiful gift or to plant out yourself click here.
Posted by Michael Horsnell

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