Earth is home to 8.7 million species

There are approximately 8.7 million different types of plant and animal on Earth but 90 per cent of them have yet to be discovered, according to new estimates writes the Daily Telegraph's Nick Collins.

Previous guesses had put the total number of different species at anywhere between three million and 100 million, but a new calculation based on the way in which life forms are classified puts the estimate at the lower end of that scale.

The list of known species currently stands at about 1.2 million, but experts said that advances in technology meant that the remainder could be found and classified within the next century.

The study was undertaken by researchers from the Census of Marine Life, a ten-year project involving 2,700 scientists from more than 80 countries aimed at assessing the diversity of life in our seas and oceans which concluded in October 2010.

Since the 18th century species have been officially classified under a pyramidlike system, with each placed in a series of related groups. For example humans are categorised in the same order as chimpanzees, the same class as dogs and cats and the same overall kingdom as all other animals.

By analysing the rate at which the more generic groups, such as mammals and fish, break down into smaller ones scientists were able to predict the number of species at the lowest level despite not having found them yet.

When tested against well-known groups like mammals, birds and fish, the method accurately predicted the number of individual species, study leader Dr Camilo Mora said.

The formula predicted there are 7.77 million species of animal, of which fewer than one million have been catalogued, 298,000 species of plants, and 611,000 species of fungi on the planet.

Dr Sina Adl, one of the researchers, said: "If we really want to understand how our environment works we need to have a sense of what the species in it are and how they interact.

"If we have been trying to manage the environment with only 10 per cent of its species known, then it is no surprise that we are not doing a very good job."

Most of the species which have been found are vertebrates, like mammals and birds, while many of the 7.5 million undiscovered species lurk in the seas and in the soil around us.

Scientists currently discover about 15,000 new species each year, meaning it would take almost 500 years to classify every plant and animal on the planet at the current rate, but technological advances could see the work completed sooner.

In a commentary accompanying the study in the Public Library of Science Biology journal Lord Robert May, of Oxford University's zoology department, said: "My optimistic guess would be around a century to complete our assessment of the diversity of life on earth."

Funding a Green Future 2012 to support Climate Week

We are delighted to announce that next year's Funding a Green Future will be supporting Climate Week 2012, which runs between 12-18 March 2012.

Climate Week is a supercharged national campaign to inspire a new wave of action on climate change.

Culminating in a week of activities and events, Climate Week showcases the practical solutions to climate change being developed in every sector of society. By highlighting real examples, the campaign aims to inspire thousands more, renewing our ambition to create together a more sustainable, low-carbon future.

The UK’s first Climate Week in March 2011 saw nearly half a million people participating in over 3,000 events in Britain’s biggest ever environmental occasion. Events were run by schools, businesses, charities, government, local councils, trade unions, community groups and others. There were more than 1,000 pieces of media coverage, and over a quarter of British adults were aware of Climate Week.

To find out more about Climate Week visit http://www.climateweek.com/

Cycling worth £3bn a year to UK economy

A Report by the London School of Economics says industry employs 23,000 and generates £500m for the state annually, as manufacturers see sales rise by 28%

 

 

Cycling generates nearly £3bn a year for the UK economy, according to a report from the London School of Economics. The figure includes £51m in revenue for British manufacturers from the 3.7m cycles sold in 2010 – a rise of 28% on 2009.

The gross cycling contribution of £2.9bn for the economy takes into account factors such as bicycle manufacturing, cycle and accessory retail and cycle-related employment.

Commissioned by the broadcaster Sky and British Cycling, the report said every cyclist in the UK has a "gross cycling product" of £233 annually.

Employing around 23,000 people, the UK cycling sector made a £500m employment contribution in 2010, including more than £100m in income tax and National Insurance contributions last year, the report said. A total of 208m cycle journeys were made in 2010, with a net addition of 1.3m more cyclists taking to their bikes compared to the previous year, bringing the total to 13m.

Of these new cyclists, half a million are now cycling regularly. New cyclists alone contributed £685m to the UK economy, with existing regular cyclists representing a total market value of £635m. The report also showed that regular cyclists take 7.4 sick days per year, compared with 8.7 sick days for non-cyclists.
It added that a 20% increase in cycling by 2015 would save the economy £207m in reduced traffic congestion, £71m in lower pollution levels and £52m in NHS costs.

Dr Alexander Grous, of the LSE, who conducted the research, said: "The good news is that structural, economic, social and health factors seem finally to have created a true step-change in the UK's cycling scene."

The transport minister, Theresa Villiers, said: "The government is committed to encouraging cycling as a healthy and enjoyable way of getting around. It helps reduce congestion, gives children more opportunities for exercise, and it can play a part in the fight against climate change.

Stewart Kellett, British Cycling's recreation director, said: "This report is further evidence that when more people get involved in cycling there are measurable benefits to the individual, their family, their employer, the environment and the economy as whole."

Ian Austin MP, vice-chairman of the all party parliamentary cycling group, said: "This important report shows that encouraging greater participation in cycling can bring not only social but economic benefits for Britain."

Article orginally appeared on the Guardian's website

Energy-saving light bulbs leap in price

The cost of energy saving light bulbs is rising sharply ahead of the European Union ban on the traditioanl 60-watt bulbs. First the European Union banned the sale of traditional 100-watt light bulbs in favour of "energy-saving" alternatives.

By Edward Malnick, the Daily Telegraph

Frosted-style bulbs, too, disappeared from British shop shelves on orders from Brussels.

Now, at the end of this month, comes the biggest reform of all, when all production of basic 60-watt light bulbs will cease. Once stocks run out, householders will have to rely on low-energy Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) instead.

Whilst the new-style lights last longer and use less electricity, critics complain that they are less bright.

And with just weeks to go before the September 1 switch date, consumers have suffered another blow: the cost of CFLs is soaring.

Manufacturers have blamed recent price rises on the growing cost of raw materials required to make the bulbs, and say there are further increases to come.

In a second, parallel move, the price of the traditional-style 60-watt bulbs has also gone up sharply as the date approaches for their manufacture to cease.

A similar pattern was observed in 2009, when the price of 100-watt bulbs increased sharply just before they went out of production – at a time when some shops and consumers were stockpiling the old-style bulbs.
Giles Chichester, the Conservative energy spokesman in the European parliament, accused manufacturers of "exploiting a market opportunity" by raising the price of 60-watt bulbs.

The EU announced in 2008 that it would phase in a ban on the manufacture of old-style incandescent light bulbs, used since Victorian times, as part of its drive to save energy and cut carbon emissions.

However, the CFLs that are replacing them contain small quantities of expensive rare earth elements. Makers say that growing demand for the substances, particularly in China where they come from, has forced prices upwards.

One major wholesaler, Sparks in north London, said the price charged by its supplier for an 11-watt CFL had risen from £1.39 in June to £1.67 today, an increase of 20 per cent.

For consumers, the price of a Philips 11-watt CFL at Argos has risen from £3.99 in September 2009 to £4.99 last week, a rise of 25 per cent. At Sainsbury's, the cheapest energy-saving bulb is now £2, up from £1.21 for the same bulb two years ago – a rise of 65 per cent.

In letters sent to lighting suppliers and seen by The Sunday Telegraph, manufacturers say they expect even more increases later in the year. The sales director of Sylvania, one of Europe's largest bulb-makers, told his customers that China's near-monopoly over the key raw materials lay behind the increase.

He wrote: "At the end of last year, the Chinese government decided to reduce the export of rare earth elements to protect their fast-diminishing reserves. This has resulted in limited availability of phosphors in 2011 and a steep increase in price."

Duncan Chamberlain, the trade commercial manager of Philips, wrote: "Philips Lighting expects that further price increases may be necessary during the course of 2011." The price of traditional 60-watt bulbs has doubled since the EU announced its ban in 2008. One manufacturer which charged 16p in 2008 now charges 33p, and at Sainsbury's the price per bulb has gone up from 70p to £1.

James Shortridge, managing director of the Ryness lighting shop chain, said that such sharp increases in wholesale prices were last seen around the time that the 100W bulb was banned in September 2009.
He told The Sunday Telegraph: "When the 100W ban came in, the last orders we placed were 30 per cent higher in cost than the previous ones. Their production plant did not suddenly leap in cost from one month to the next, it's just a case of 'These are the last orders, we are going to take what we can for it.'"

Whereas 11-watt CFL bulbs are marketed as being the "equivalent" of a traditional 60-watt bulb, tests conducted by this newspaper have shown they produce less than 60 per cent of the illumination.
Consumers were encouraged to accept the new-style bulbs with a Government scheme – now ended – which saw them sold for as little as 10p at supermarkets and DIY stores, thanks to subsidies provided by energy giants in return for points towards carbon reduction targets.

The Energy Saving Trust's website states that the price of their recommended light bulb starts from between £1 and £2. However, consumers will struggle to find CFLs manufactured by the leading brands recommended by the Trust at this price.

Mr Shortridge said that not a single manufacturer sells the energy saving bulbs for less than £1.80, which are in turn being sold to customers for over £2. Consumers have been warned that cheaper, non-branded alternative bulbs have been known to explode and to break light fittings.

Sustainable Procurement

What is sustainable procurement?

Sustainable procurement is an approach to buying products and services that takes into account the economic, environmental and social impacts of what you buy. Looking for Carbon is about supporting action on climate change and therefore this guide focuses on the environmental impacts of procurement and particularly reducing carbon emissions in the supply chain. The aim is to explore how sustainability considerations complement other key business criteria such as cost, value-for-money and stakeholder preference.

Sustainable procurement means looking at the impacts of the product or service on the environment over its entire lifecycle from creation to disposal. Taking paper as an example, you would assess whether the paper is made from virgin pulp or a form of recycled product, whether it is from a sustainable source, the production process, how it is packaged, how it is delivered to you and whether you can recycle it.

The benefits

Taking sustainability into consideration in purchasing decisions is not merely about being seen to be green, there are many potential business benefits. Recent CIPD research reveals that more than 50 percent of people would prefer to work for a company with a strong environmental policy and clients are increasingly asking their legal advisers to demonstrate their green credentials. Being ahead of the game can give firms competitive advantage, but equally, as more firms build environmental considerations into the procurement process it will drive suppliers to develop more, better and cheaper low-carbon products and services. So it really is a win-win situation.

Business case	Example
Reduced exposure to reputation risk	Strengthened brand, enhanced community relationships, etc
Competitive advantage	Both public and private sector clients assess law firms on environmental credentials
Cost savings	Lower consumption of energy and other resources
Attract and retain talent	Employees are increasingly concerned with firms' environmental credentials
Anticipating legal obligation	Being ahead of the game on legislative requirements to reduce carbon consumption

Feeding in Tariffs - Making them work for you...

The introduction of Feed-in Tariffs (FITs), also known as Clean Energy Cashback, represents a real opportunity for public bodies to create environmental benefit, coupled with a range of economic benefits. In addition to carbon emissions reduction, the installation of renewable energy can create local jobs, reduce fuel poverty and contribute to the local economy.

Toolkit: Making Feed-in Tariffs work for you

The Energy Saving Trust has produced a guide to help make it easier to take advantage of FITs by providing information on the tariffs, as well as finance, ownership issues, a step-by-step guide, and some real life case studies. Whilst there are a number of technologies which are eligible to receive FITs, this document focuses primarily on solar electricity (PV). This technology is well suited to a large scale roll out by local authorities and housing associations.

Download our guide to Making Feed-in Tariffs work for you

Download our FIT PV calculator

Ofgem Feed-in tariff statistics

Ofgem now have a statistics hub for showing the number of FIT installations. This for example can be searched by local authority or technology. See: Ofgem Renewables and CHP Register

Information from our Feed-in Tariff events
The Energy Saving Trust and Friends of the Earth recently held two events about Feed in Tariffs (FITs), providing local authorities with an overview of the FIT scheme and sharing information on how local authorities can use FITs. The slides from all of the presentations and Q&A's are below as well contact details. Please contact your regional Energy Saving Trust teams in the first instance with queries about Feed in Tariffs.

Contact details
Feedback
Consultation
Presentations
Q&A notes
Friends of the Earth: Get serious about CO₂ campaign
Microgeneration online tools

Contact details
Please refer to the list of regional contacts for further information

Feedback
We would value your feedback on the event, and ways we can support your organisation in the future. Please complete our feedback form and email it back to us.

Consultation on allowing local authorities to sell electricity
In March 2010 the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) launched a consultation on allowing local authorities to sell electricity. This consultation closed in June 2010 and DECC have now issued their response which can be found on the DECC website here. The conclusion of the consultation has resulted in local authorities being allowed to sell electricity. Local authorities could previously sell electricity only where this was generated alongside heat. This amendment now allows the sale of electricity generated from renewable sources.

The statutory instruments allowing local authorities to sell electricity generated from renewable sources can be found here:

• For England and Wales
• For Scotland

FITs events presentations

The powerpoint slides for the presentations can be found below:

Introduction to the Feed in Tariff: Rob Lewis, Renewable Energy Strategy Manager, Energy Saving Trust
Arup's research will culminate in a report due for publication shortly. This will be hosted on Friends of the Earth's website.

Finance and Ownership Models for low carbon homes: Justine Prain, Project Director, Home Energy PAYS project, Energy Saving Trust

Green New Deal Briefing: Keith Budden, Manager, Birmingham Environment Partnership

The future of local support: Andy Deacon, Head of Local Delivery, Energy Saving Trust
Videos of these presentations are being edited and will be hosted here as soon as possible.

Question and answer notes
Download the notes from the question and answer session in London.
Download the notes from the question and answer session in Manchester.

Friends of the Earth: Get serious about CO2
A briefing note on the campaign is available to download. If you would like to contact Friends of the Earth about any of the issues they raised, please use the below contact details:

David Powell, Lead on LA Finance
Economy Campaigner, Friends of the Earth
mailto:%20David.powell@foe.co.uk, 020 7566 1615

Liz Hutchins, Lead on local carbon budgets
Parliamentary Campaigner, Friends of the Earth
mailto:%20Liz.hutchins@foe.co.uk, 020 7566 1728

Dave Timms, Lead on FITs policy
Energy Campaigner, Friends of the Earth
mailto:%20Dave.timms@foe.co.uk, 020 7566 1615

Microgeneration online tools

For more information on our microgeneration online tools visit the microgeneration section of our website. To discuss this in further detail please speak to your regional contact.

Invitation - Low Carbon Construction, 14th September 2011, UEA

Invitation In the first of a regular series of events on low carbon construction Promoted by UEA’s Low Carbon Innovation Centre and InCrops Enterprise Hub we focus on PassivHaus developments in the region.  These events will be of interest those involved in construction. PassivHaus principles are a key methodology for building low carbon homes, resulting in minimal heating demand. The PassivHaus standard can help achieve high levels of the Code for Sustainable Homes, BREEAM and significantly reduce heating bills. This event considers the issues around design and performance. 14 September 10:00 -13:00, Sportspark UEA, Norwich The event is FREE to attend. Registration If you would like to attend please contact Julia O’Rourke, InCrops events co-ordinator: j.orourke@uea.ac.uk, tel.: 01603 591765. Please state your preference if you wish to go on one of the tours.

Programme Registration and coffee from 10:00. Presentations to start at 10.30. Hear about BREEAM, the Code and PassivHaus -Jennifer Hardi, Low Carbon Futures and Refurbishment at Building Research Establishment (BRE) UEA Exemplar Building: PassivHaus, BREEAM and bio-based materials -Ben Binns, InCrops Enterprise Hub Wimbish PassivHaus Project: the Vision -John Lefever, Regional Head of Development,  Hastoe Housing Low Carbon Construction and Performance: the Wimbish PassivHaus project -Martin Ingham, Associate Consultant, Low Carbon Innovation Centre 12.15 Questions and discussion - close at 13:00 Optional extra: Tour of Thomas Paine Building and UEA Biomass Power Plant . Places strictly limited to 10 per tour – please book and state your preference. Click here for more information about this event.



Enabling the Green Economy

The government's vision that sets out the policy landscape over the next decade must specify actions as well as warm words

 

The notion that climate change can present business opportunities is old news. The debate is moving on. With unprecedented private and public sector funds pouring into environmental projects around the world, business leaders are asking which country is leading the green economy race and which markets offer the most attractive returns at least risk.

While the UK's economy has strong green foundations on which to build, it is rapidly losing ground to developing nations and other competitors. This trend is directly related to aggressive regulatory and fiscal policy packages that countries are putting into place, such as China's new five-year plan that seeks to underpin a "clean revolution" in its economic development.

Ministers recognise that the UK must do better and have recently announced a plethora of policies aimed at taking the handbrake off. These include reforms to the energy market and frameworks to incentivise energy efficiency in homes and businesses.

However, in the global sprint towards sustainability, legislation alone will not be enough. In a recent report the Aldersgate Group sets out the case for a comprehensive green growth strategy. The report argues that the strategy should include robust regulation to reduce polluting activities and policies that address market barriers (such as access to bank finance and reforming planning laws). It also argues there should be incentives to accelerate growth in dynamic sectors where the UK has the skills base and know-how to succeed on the global stage.

The central message is that green growth is not just about boosting traditional environmental technologies but the transformation of the whole economy.

Policy-makers increasingly recognise that green growth is relevant to all industries. This will be reflected in the next few days when the government publishes its vision, entitled Enabling the Transition to a Green Economy, for how it can work together with business. Aimed at corporate decision-makers, it will set out the policy landscape over the next decade, including the likely economic impacts and implications.

At its heart, the vision seeks to boost the confidence of senior business executives to invest in going greener. This should be welcomed and is a step in the right direction. Businesses are increasingly perplexed by the wide range of overlapping regulations, perverse incentives and endless acronyms. A beginners toolkit will help time-pressured sustainability professionals get their heads round the green policy labyrinth and help sell business strategies to the board.

Nevertheless, actions speak louder the words. Regulation is required to address market failures where actors who damage the environment do not bear the costs of that damage. What matters is the effectiveness and ambition of environmental policies rather than raising awareness about them.

The biggest test of the vision will be whether it can genuinely increase policy certainty. Will it provide businesses with the confidence to accelerate the greening of their operations? Can it reassure investors that there won't be some nasty policy shocks or ministerial U-turns in a few years time? What can be put in place now to ensure that the next government wont change course?

Above all, the vision must play its part in a broader green growth strategy that is the envy of the world. This is vital if the UK is going to gain share in emerging markets and build competitiveness through adopting more resource efficient practices. Get this right and the prize is more jobs and greater prosperity in a resource-constrained world.

This article first appeared on the Guardian Online on 4th August 2011 and was written by Andrew Raingold. Andrew is executive director at the Aldersgate Group, an alliance of leaders from business, politics and society that drives action for a sustainable economy and he gave a talk at Southend on Sea Borough Council's 'Funding a Green Future 2011'.

Temperature-Regulating Building Material sucks up excess Heat

BY Ariel SchwartzTue Aug 2, 2011

Simply set your walls to your desired temperature and sit back as they cool your room.

These days--apparently realizing that paying for heating and cooling costs money--building owners take energy use seriously: extensive insulation, natural light and cross-ventilation, and intelligent temperature controls are just some of the ways that LEED and other energy-efficient buildings keep costs down. Now Chinese researchers have come up with another tool in the energy-saving arsenal: a building material that can release and retain heat on command.

Developed at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC), the material can be set to absorb any extra heat in a room--so if, for example, a user decides they want to keep the temperature at 70 degrees, the material can absorb any extra heat above that temperature. This doesn't mean the end of the air conditioner; the device can still help control air movement and humidity. The building material just soaks up extra heat.

"There are quite a few of these materials on the market but they all have limitations. When it comes to releasing the heat in a short period there is a time lag... [and] in the past when we've tried to improve on the thermal response, you lose some capacity to store the original amount of energy," explained project leader Jo Darkwa in an interview with the The Engineer. "The challenge was how to overcome these two barriers, making it more responsive but retaining its original abilities. We’ve been able to do that and manufacture samples at very low cost and using local material."

There are still hurdles to overcome before the material can be commercialized. The temperature at which the material starts absorbing heat is currently set during manufacturing, but the researchers want consumers to be able to set the temperature once the material has already been applied. Simply set your thermostat and watch as your walls absorb heat out of the room.

Once the material is ready to go, it will probably end up in China first. The country is experiencing a massive building boom, and developers in Ningbo (UNNC's home city) are required by the government to include at least one "sustainable" energy technology in all new buildings. A low-cost heat-regulating building material seems as good a choice as any

Renewable Heat Premium Payment Scheme Launched

The Government has launched the Renewable Heat Premium Payment scheme to help householders across the country with funding towards the cost of installing renewable heating systems. The new £15 million initiative, which opens to applications today, will support up to 25,000 installations

Approximately 4 million householders in the UK do not have mains gas and have to rely on more expensive, higher carbon forms of heating, such as heating oil and electric fires. The scheme will mainly focus on these households.

The following technologies will be available through the scheme:

• Ground Source Heat Pump - £1,250 grant (for homes without mains gas heating).
• Biomass boiler - £950 grant (for homes without mains gas heating).
• Air source heat pump - £850 grant (for homes without mains gas heating).
• Solar thermal hot water panels - £300 grant (available to all households regardless of the type of heating system used).

The Government will also provide, for a significant sample of participants, additional meters for their heating equipment.

£3 million of the overall £15 million will be set aside for registered social landlords to improve their housing stock. Details of how to apply for these funds will be announced at a later date.
Householders will need to ensure they have basic energy efficiency measures in place before applying.

Management of the scheme will be undertaken by the Energy Saving Trust and from today an information line and website will go live to provide people with more information. Householders can call 0800 512 012 or visit www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/RHPP

Grants will be available on a first come, first served basis and the scheme will close on 31 March 2012.

Video from Funding a Green Future 2011

The above clip was taken from Southend on Sea Borough Council's Funding a Green Future 2011 - a two day national conference for the public sector designed to provide key information about how they can take a proactive approach to the UK's transition to a low-carbon economy. The event included speakers from the Committee on Climate Change, the Environment Agency, the Carbon Trust, 10:10, the Energy Saving Trust and the event's charity partner Carbon Leapfrog.

The event proved a great success and will return on the 13th and 14th March next year from 'Funding a Green Future 2012'.