WORST BUS DEFENDS PRICE RISES
The cost of catching a bus in Bath has gone up again. Private monopoly FirstGroup have defended the decision, despite having bought millions of barrels of its fuel in advance. The Chronicle story does not mention the monopoly word. Nor does it mention the fact that councils have the powers to subsidise bus fares. Read the comments if you wish to be enlightened.
http://tinyurl.com/5csnwq

BRISTOL PRESSURE COOKER SCHEME
The Government is channeling £30 million into a pioneering gas clasification-pyrolysis "pressure cooker" scheme at Avonmouth to treat up to 30,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste produced by Bristol city council. The system is supposed to produce only low emissions. According to Defra: "It is all long term stuff. The whole point of it is that we learn from it."
http://tinyurl.com/69kk34

BRISTOL INCINERATOR A BURNING ISSUE
Meanwhile, though B&NES has officially opted to scrap the idea, the other three members of the West of England Partnership – Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire councils – are still considering the idea of an incinerator to deal with rubbish. The Minority-led Labour Bristol City Council, though, reliant on Tory votes, is divided on the issue.
http://tinyurl.com/5ks36x

HOW NOT TO RUN OUT OF PUFF
One of the main problems with wind power is no wind. But what if you store it…
http://tinyurl.com/6ad4k9

GREENWASH OF THE WEEK
Greenpeace's new website to expose the ludicrous claims made by environmentally unfriendly corporations is worth a look. Check out the ads page at the link below.
http://tinyurl.com/5anjw5

SUPERMARKET EEK
The sponsors of the Best Green Packaging category of this year's Green Awards for Creativity in Sustainability is… (wait for it to come round) that bastion of no metal and plastic-wrapped goods, Asda. Hurrah! That is creative. If not sustainable.
http://tinyurl.com/6lw6aj

PLASTIC CATS AND DOGS
Talking of packaging, BBC blogger Christine Jeavans has kept an audit of her family's plastic waste in a month. And yes, it amounted to a not particularly small mountain.
http://tinyurl.com/5bt7gq

ZERO PLASTIC
How much plastic can we save in Zero Waste Week? With Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Councils joining this time, it's going to be the biggest one yet.
http://tinyurl.com/5wwcmn

LOCAL T-SHIRT & SON DONE GOOD
it's good to see the print trade sit up and take notice of Europe's only organically-certified t-shirt printer, pioneering Westbury firm T-Shirt and Sons. They used to be based in Bath, y'know.
http://tinyurl.com/5mpxcu

CLOUDED THINKING
Creating fake clouds are among ideas to save the planet in Royal Society papers.
http://tinyurl.com/6f9kln

GREEN INVENTION OF THE WEEK
Solar-powered bus shelters are popping up all over Miami. But as Eco-Geek point out, what will the vandals make of them?
http://tinyurl.com/58yozm

This week's Green Digest was compiled by Gideon Kibblewhite.
Let Gideon know if you've seen a story you think he should cover. This
digest appears every Tuesday, except when it's a bit late. To subscribe
visit greenbath.org/og, create a user id if you don't already have one,
and subscribe to Bath Green News. greenbath.org is supported by local
ethical publishers Faragher Jones.

We'll be back by next week, though!

Last week, Bath Oxfam members met to 'stitch n bitch' at Green Park Brasserie, making more squares for the visual 'Baby Blanket' petition against maternal mortality that Oxfam will present to Gordon Brown. In fact, we even met some non-knitters whilst there, who gace us a hand and attempted a few rows, so Thank You!!

If you don't feel you can knit squares, you can still support the petition by telling Gordon Brown why every woman has the right to a healthy pregnancy - http://www.oxfam.org.uk/get_involved/campaign/actions/maternal_emergency....

We have several dozen squares so far, but could still do with more, so if please do knit more if you can! Send your knitted squares by the end of August to Oxfam Bath, Flat 5, 14 Norfolk Crescent, Bath, BA1 2BE!!

Janine

This week: Birds and wasps, dead zones and a giant windscreen…

TWO TUNNELS TALKS
Progress on the Two Tunnels Greenway (TTG) has slowed after talks between the Council, the TTG and National Cycle Network builders Sustrans identified a number of issues. The Digest understands that sticking points include Sustrans' request that the council acts as ‘Client’ for the project with the potential associated risk; the Council's financial contribution, which had been understood to be £400k over four years; and possible future maintenance and running costs. A meeting between the three parties was held on 17 July to clarify matters, but the council's position will now not be known until after a Council Cabinet meeting to be held on 5 September.

CRACKDOWN ON BATH CYCLISTS
Meanwhile, cyclists in Bath who break road laws have been warned they face £30 fixed penalty fines after police recorded a sharp increase in offences. Surely, though, more provisions for cyclists, like safe cycle lanes, would both get them off the pavements and encourage more motorists out of their cars and onto two wheels.
http://tinyurl.com/6zkxaw

BRAZIL LAUNCHES FOREST FUND
Brazil is seeking to raise £11bn in donations from foreign Governments by 2021 to conserve and sustainably develop the Amazon. It won't, though, be standing for any interference in its policies.
http://tinyurl.com/5lotng

DEAD ZONE THREAT TO SEA CREATURES
Ooops. The oceans are running out of oxygen…
http://tinyurl.com/5jsh7a

BIRDS AVOID WARMING'S STING
Climate change has caused UK birds to lay their eggs early – but the clever little tit family have found an alternative food source in the form of gallwasp eggs.
http://tinyurl.com/56jbdx

GREENWASH OF THE WEEK: SHELL AD PULLED
A Shell advert in the Financial Times that suggested exploiting Canada's oil sands is sustainable has been slammed as "misleading" by the Advertising Standards Authority.
http://tinyurl.com/6fn6tn

US CHAINS STORES IN PANEL DECISION
American supermarkets have come up with the bright idea of turning their flat roof space over to solar panelling. Good idea, eh? How much flat roofing is there over here? Acres and acres!
http://tinyurl.com/56vcma

PINTS FOR PRODUCE
A village pub in Norfolk is letting punters barter home-grown produce that would look good on their menu for pints. Says manager Cloe Wasey: "Someone will say, 'That rabbit tasted great' and we say, 'Here, meet the person who shot it.'"
http://tinyurl.com/67eduw

I'LL TAKE THAT RAINFOREST PLEASE
Yachts, jets, football teams? Such accessories are so last century for a new breed of superrich 'green philanthropists'. What they want now are ecosystems. Take ski and sporting goods mogul Johan Eliasch. He's just bought 400,000 acres in the Brazilian Amazon.
http://tinyurl.com/5agetc

US HAS WIND BEHIND IT
America could produce 150 gigawatts of wind power by 2020 – enough to displace about 180 coal plants. That would be still be only half, though of it's target of 20 percent wind power target. Put your money in turbines…
http://tinyurl.com/6z9w3z

GREEN INVENTION OF THE WEEK
A German scientist has installed a giant windscreen on the Rhone glacier in Switzerland to try to stop it from melting…
http://tinyurl.com/5m5kfj

This week's Green Digest was compiled by Gideon Kibblewhite. Let Gideon know if you've seen a story you think he should cover. This digest appears every Monday, except when it's a bit late. To subscribe visit greenbath.org/og, create a user id if you don't already have one, and subscribe to Bath Green News. greenbath.org is supported by local ethical publishers Faragher Jones.