Great news from merry ol’ England. They have introduced legislation that will set legally binding limits on CO2 emissions by 2020 and then lower limits by 2050.
Under the Climate Change Bill, carbon dioxide emissions must be cut by at least 60 percent by 2050. It also sets a legally-binding interim target for carbon cuts of 26 to 32 percent by 2020. Failure to meet targets could land the government in court says environment minister David Milliband who is behind the draft.
Some research in the USA that examined intersections that switched from stoplights to a roundabout proves that roundabouts are greener.
Intersections with roundabouts generated between 55% and 61% less carbon dioxide, depending on the time of day. Emissions of hydrocarbons, also greenhouse gases, dropped by between 62% and 68%. His paper, which is admittedly a bit of tough read, is here.
This is obviously good news from BusinessWeek:
The question of whether Europe should commit itself to a binding goal on renewable energy is set to dominate EU summit discussions on climate change, with the German EU presidency also putting broader energy issues, bureaucracy-cutting and the Union’s 50th birthday declaration on the agenda.
The University of Guelph, known for its agriculture and science, had teamed up with three other Ontario Universities to develop an eco -friendly car. With recent support from the Ontario Government, this project is well on its way to creating great strides for a healthier Canada.
” The concept is a step closer to reality today with the announcement that the provincial government is investing nearly $6 million in the BioCar Initiative, a multi-university project led by the University of Guelph.
“The BioCar initiative aligns some of the most distinctive innovation capacity in Ontario,†said Alan Wildeman, vice-president (research). “It involves a consortium of universities working with two of the largest industries in Ontario, the automotive industry and the agricultural industry. This combination provides an unprecedented opportunity for the province to be seen as a major contributor to the global biobased industrial revolution that is occurring.â€
Support for the project will come from the Ontario Research Fund and was announced today in Toronto by Premier Dalton McGuinty, minister of research and innovation.
“It’s a whole new way of looking at agriculture and a whole new relationship between the sector and Ontario’s economy,†said plant agriculture professor Larry Erickson, one of the lead researchers. “It opens the door for a lot more approaches and utilization of crops. Now, agriculture is more than meat and potatoes; it’s car parts, building materials, fuel and more.â€
Linux is an open source computer operating system that is FREE. By using it you can save money and the environment according to EcoGeek. My favourite linux operating system is Ubuntu, which is running on my computer and is easier to use than Windows.
“A typical hardware refresh period for Microsoft Windows is 3-4 years. A major UK manufacturing organisation quotes its hardware refresh period for Linux systems as 6-8 years.” A significant difference…a doubling even, of the lifetime of a computer.
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A widespread switch to Linux could prevent millions of tons of waste from going into landfills. Every computer not needed would prevent the use of 240 kg of fossil fuels. Spread that out over the 17.5 million computers that wouldn’t be going obsolete every year and Linux could deliver the world a much more sustainable future.