This week: sausages, airships and "Bin Laden a green campaigner" shock...

TRANSITION BATH: WHERE DO WE SEE IT GOING?
On Monday 22 February from 7.15pm in the back room of the Bell on Walcot Street, Transition Bath are holding a public meeting to review what they have achieved so far and to plot a way forward. It sounds like a good idea to have a think about what they are trying to do and it presents a great opportunity to get involved if you haven't already. Green Bath News will be along; hope to see some of you there.
http://transitionbath.org

STAYCATIONERS LIKE BATH'S SKYLINE WALK
The National Trust has revealed that the six-mile Bath Skyline Walk has topped a table of the most frequently downloaded walks from its website. The Trust puts a rapid increase in the number of people using its walks down to last year's recession-inspired 'staycation' trend.
http://tinyurl.com/walk-on-walk-on

CONSERVATION BODIES' NO TO URBAN EXTENSION PROPOSALS
In their response to the Core Strategy Consultation, both English Heritage and Bath Preservation Trust have blasted B&NES' urban extension proposals You can download PDFs of their responses here...
http://tinyurl.com/urban-worriers

PUBLIC WORKSHOP: COMMUNITY RENEWABLE ENERGY WORKSHOP
"Incorporating Low Carbon elements into your Local Plan" is the subject of a workshop open to the public to be held at the Guildhall on Saturday 13 February (11am-4pm). It will explore how communities can include energy efficiency and domestic or community-scale renewable energy projects in their development plans. For more information, or to register, email planning_policy@bathnes.gov.uk or call 01225 477548.

BIOMASS GRANTS
The Department of Energy and Climate Change has made a further £4 million available under the Bio-energy Capital Grants scheme, which helps businesses and community organisations such as schools and hospitals with the cost of buying and installing biomass boilers. Grants of up to £500,000 pay for up to 40 per cent of the difference in cost between a biomass boiler and its fossil fuel alternative. Applications for this round of funding must be made by 31 March 2010.
http://bioenergycapitalgrants.org.uk

ENGINEERS: "ECO BLING" ON INEFFICIENT BUILDINGS IS USELESS
News from further afield. Wind turbines and solar panels on poorly designed buildings are a waste of energy, says the Royal Academy of Engineering.
http://tinyurl.com/bling-bashed

"MISLEADING" FEED-IN TARIFFS BLASTED
Meanwhile, the Academy’s visiting professor in building engineering physics Doug King says that the Government's new feed-in tariffs for home energy generation won't work for most people. "Many of us will be better off investing in energy savings at home or in a large scale renewable energy scheme through a co-operative or commercial venture.”
http://tinyurl.com/timid-tariffs

SURVEY: TOP CONSERVATIVE CANDIDATES DON'T CARE ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE
A poll of 141 Tory candidates in winnable seats has revealed that "reducing Britain's carbon footprint" is for them the lowest of 19 possible priorities for a Cameron government.
http://tinyurl.com/tory-climate-revolt

BLIZZARD OF CRITICISM ENGULFS "GREEN" WINTER OLYMPIC BID
The German Alpine Association is threatening to boycott the joint bid by Munich and Garmisch-Partenkirchen for the 2018 Winter Olympics unless it becomes more environmentally friendly.
http://tinyurl.com/bid-slips-up

GREENWASH O0F THE WEEK
Russian president Vladimir Putin isn't everyone's idea of a green hero – which is just as well, because he's no such thing, it turns out. In a publicity stunt last summer, brave Vlad descended to the bottom of Siberia's Lake Baikal – the largest body of fresh water in the world – in a mini-submarine to declare it "ecologically clean". Now he has not only reopened a polluting paper mill on its shores but raided the offices of a Russian environmental group opposed to it.
http://tinyurl.com/bad-vlad

GREENWASH OF THE WEEK 2
Criticising George W Bush for not ratifying the Kyoto Protocol and castigating America and big industry for causing climate change, arch nutter Osama Bin Laden has called for a boycott of the American dollar. Phew. With him on our side we can all sleep soundly in our beds at night.
http://tinyurl.com/bin-laden-bull

WALLS: DON'T ASK US WHERE OUT PORK COMES FROM
Walls and Richmond are resisting calls for country of origin labeling on its sausage packaging. Walls owner Kerry Foods said their stance was "not about Kerry’s making more money or anything like that" – while claiming it would "add costs"...
http://tinyurl.com/walls-porkies

GARSTANG FORGETS FAIRTRADE
Garstang Town Council has been branded "shameful" after it snubbed a request to incorporate a Fairtrade logo on its letter headed paper to mark the 10th anniversary of Garstang's status as the world's first Fairtrade town. Oops.
http://tinyurl.com/garstang-gaffe

GREEN INVENTION OF THE WHEEL
The brainchild of British designers, the Aircruise, a “Clipper in the Clouds”, is an airship that runs on solar energy and a hydrogen fuel cell system. It looks lovely – but can this luxurious concept possibly be sustainable? No.
http://tinyurl.com/clipper-in-the-skies

The weekly Green Bath News digest is compiled by Gideon Kibblewhite. Let Gideon know if you've seen a story you think he should cover. 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 sponsored by Ace Energy, your local renewable energy experts. Call 01225 729005 to find out how you could cut your carbon footprint and save money.

This week: bats, bikes, glaciers, pink-footed geese, Transformers and evil ranchers...

DECISION TIME FOR TWO TUNNELS
The proposed Two Tunnels Greenway now faces a public consultation period before a final decision is made and supporters are being urged to express their support for the project to the council by email. It only takes a couple of minutes – details at http://twotunnels.org.
    Meanwhile, a walk of the route is taking place on Saturday 30 January. It starts from Linear Park, close to the Royal Oak on Lower Bristol Road at 10am. The tunnels themselves will be closed, so the four-mile stroll will instead go over the top of Combe Down before finishing at the Hope and Anchor in Midford around 1.15pm, from where buses run back to Bath at just after the hour.
    In yet more TT news, the lights in the tunnels could be switched off at night so the bats aren't disturbed. And in the interests of safety, gates that could be locked at night are also being considered.
http://tinyurl.com/bats-and-gates

INCREDIBLE VEGGIE ROAD SHOW
This free-entry event visits the Guildhall on Saturday 6 February from 10.30am-4pm. On the veggie menu: free tastings, cookery demos, talks, beauty products, books and more.
http://viva.org.uk/bath

WALCOT AUCTION
As many of you will have heard, Walcot Reclamation has gone into administration. They are now preparing for an auction their remaining stock at both their Walcot and Bathampton sites on Monday 15 February 2010. Times will be advertised on their website soon.
http://walcot.com

ELECTRIC CAR MAKER GRABS POWABYKE
After selling more than 30,000 bikes since it began trading in 1999, the Bath firm has sold up after struggling to raise the capital to expand last year.
http://tinyurl.com/powabyke-pedalled

US CLIMATE BILL UNLIKELY TO BE PASSED THIS YEAR
News from further afield. Hopes of an international climate deal look more shaky than ever now that Republican Scott Bown has won a seat in the US Senate, robbing the Democrats of their filibuster-proof 60-40 majority. Obama's Climate Bill will now need Republican support...
http://tinyurl.com/oh-bummer

OBAMA GRADED B- ON CLIMATE
Meanwhile, the US' League of Conservation Voters has awarded President Obama a B-plus grade for his handling of climate and energy issues. They gave George W. Bush a D-minus for his first year in office – which in hindsight seems rather generous.
http://tinyurl.com/could-do-better

CHILLING TRUTH BEHIND GLACIER GAFFE
The UN's panel of climate scientists has gifted climate change deniers a goal by releasing a warning about Himalayan glaciers that was based on an interview with a journalist rather than peer-reviewed science. But the gaffe is most worrying because it revels how little we know about the future of the Himalayas-Hindu Kush, a region on which nearly 40 per cent of the world's population depends for water.
http://tinyurl.com/glaciergate

BAGS FOR LIFE MOUNTAIN
Have you got a growing collection of bags for life? You are not alone!
http://tinyurl.com/bags-of-bags-of-bags

MET OFFICE: THIS SUMMER COULD BE HOTTEST ON RECORD
The under-fire Met Office is tempting fate again by suggesting that, because our old friend El Nino is back, "this year is more likely than not to be the hottest on record". Doug Smith, climate scientist at the Met Office's Hadley Centre, sensibly added the caveat: "Even if it isn't, I am quite sure a record breaker will still occur in the next few years."
http://tinyurl.com/BBQ-summer

CASH FOR CLIMATE CLIMATE INFLUENCE
The climate debate in the US could be affected by a Supreme Court ruling that corporations can spend as much money as they like to influence elections...
http://tinyurl.com/greenwash-fear

THAMES EEL POPULATION WIPED OUT
It could be because of shifts in oceanic currents due to climate change, man-made structures like dams or diseases and parasites, but the eel population in the Thames has crashed by a whacking 98 per cent in five years. Tidal Thames conservation project manager Dr Matthew Gollock: "Time appears to be running out for eels in the River Thames and this could have a domino effect on other species."
http://tinyurl.com/eel-bad-factor

GREENWASH OF THE WEEK
Brazilian cattle-ranching company Yaguarete Pora S.A. has received a greenwashing award from indigenous rights group Survival International after suggesting that its illegal bulldozing of land belonging to the Ayoreo-Totobiegosode tribe in Paraguay was "a noble gesture for conservation". The company's website said it would create a "nature reserve" on the deforested land – yet detailed plans submitted to the Paraguayan environment ministry showed that it was clearing two thirds of the 78,549 hectares for cattle...
http://tinyurl.com/forestwash

PINK-FOOTED GEESE "WORSE THAN PATIO HEATERS"
Apparently the critters are ripping up the Arctic with great gusto, causing no end of CO2 emissions. But they do have a right to exist, unlike patio heaters.
http://tinyurl.com/pink-not-new-green

GREEN INVENTION OF THE WEEK
It's a 14-foot replica of Optimus Prime, leader of every child's favourarte race of robots, the Autobots! Made by a Taiwanese DIY enthusiast, he has a chest made from some old windows, a back that has been fashioned from old TV aerials and all sorts of other things you might find lying about in a garage. We don't think he turns into a truck though.
http://tinyurl.com/rubbish-in-disguise

The weekly Green Bath News digest is compiled by Gideon Kibblewhite. Let Gideon know if you've seen a story you think he should cover. 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 sponsored by Ace Energy, your local renewable energy experts. Call 01225 729005 to find out how you could cut your carbon footprint and save money.

This week: Guerillas in Bath, trouble north and south, Shell to be tarred and feathered, the Environment Agency flies into criticism,  plus a novel way to wrap sandwiches.

GUERILLA GARDENERS WANTED
Just the beginning of Transition Bath’s plans plant edible goodies on spare sites in and around Bath for anyone to harvest, a team of guerilla gardeners have been clearing land for herbs and fruit bushes on Park Street. The gardeners will be out working again on Sunday 24 January and all are welcome to join in. For details, email Lyn at lynbarham@btinternet.com or call 01225 428039.

CYCLISTS WANTED
Bath Cycling Campaign is staging a Critical Mass bike ride through the city on Saturday 27 March, meeting at 1pm in Kingsmead Square. It's meant to be a celebration of cycling, so participants are invited to dress up in silly outfits, decorate their bikes and bring bells, horns and whistles. Spread the word.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Green Bath News reader Richard Daniel has created a website asking us to pledge to eat only locally sourced, naturally reared meat – a maximum of three times a week.
http://www.feastarian.org

GREAT WESTERN FINE
Great Western Wine has been fined £35,000 for failing to comply with recycling regulations between 2004 to 2008. Afterwards Great Western’s managing director Philip Addis said he was “understandably concerned regarding the severity of the fine” and could appeal.
http://tinyurl.com/fine-whine

 GREAT MELT GRIPPING ANTARCTICA
News from further afield. One myth pedalled by climate change deniers is that Antarctica is not melting. However, the latest data from NASA reveals that it’s not only melting but losing ice at an accelerating rate...
http://tinyurl.com/drip-drop-drip

 NEW ARCTIC METHANE WARNING
Meanwhile, emissions of the super-potent greenhouse gas methane from the Arctic seabed have increased dramatically. Scientists fear the approach of a tipping point when billions of tonnes of methane are released suddenly.
http://tinyurl.com/bubbling-menace

SHELL FACES SHAREHOLDER REVOLT OVER TAR SANDS
A coalition of institutional shareholders is forcing Shell to undertake a review of the environmental damage being done by its mining in Athabasca, Alberta. Catherine Howarth, chief executive of FairPensions, which has coordinated the revolt: “We expect that Shell's 2010 AGM could prove a watershed in the history of corporate accountability."
http://tinyurl.com/tar-but-no-tar

NUCLEAR POWER DANGERS “EXAGGERATED” SAYS PHYSICIST
In a plea for rational risk assessment, Prof Wade Allen of Oxford University: "The radiation that a patient gets in one day from a course of radiotherapy treatment – it would take a million hours of exposure for someone standing in the radioactive waste hall of Sellafield...” Wouldn’t want to try it though.
http://tinyurl.com/radiation-risks

 GLOBAL GREED “UNSUSTAINABLE”
The environmental research organisation the Worldwatch Institute says US-style consumption is now global and threatens efforts to arrest climate change.
http://tinyurl.com/global-greed

CIA SHARING SPY SATELLITE PICS WITH CLIMATE SCIENTISTS
The CIA has released classified images of the polar ice caps to environmental scientists.
http://tinyurl.com/cold-thaw

GREENWASH OF THE WEEK
The Sun has been given the excuse to give the Environment Agency a bashing after it was revealed that the "green quango" sent its staff on 120 short-haul flights last year including two from Bristol to Plymouth. Well t certainly doesn’t make great reading.
http://tinyurl.com/open-goal

GREEN INVENTION OF THE WEEK
Instead of wrapping your tasty treats in plastic, why not wrap them in... bacteria.
http://tinyurl.com/bacs-magic

BREAKTHROUGH OR CRIME SCENE
Obama has called Copenhagen a “breakthrough”. Greenpeace has called it “a crime scene”. Now, says the Times’ Giles Whittell, hope of any real progress depends on the world’s largest police sate submitting to international scrutiny and “the whim of an old war hero from Arizona”...
http://tinyurl.com/copenhagenwash

The weekly Green Bath News digest is compiled by Gideon Kibblewhite. Let Gideon know if you've seen a story you think he should cover. 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 sponsored by Ace Energy, your local renewable energy experts. Call 01225 729005 to find out how you could cut your carbon footprint and save money.

This week: The fallout from Copenhagen, the last word on the blooming weather, blackwashing and more...

OFT BUS INQUIRY TO ALSO LOOK AT PUBLIC FUNDING
The Office of Fair Trading says that its investigation into Bath and Bristol bus services will look at fares, competition and also value for money for the tax payer. Fancy that – ask for one inquiry into buses and three come along at once!
http://tinyurl.com/OFT-busses-in

LOCAL NO TO LASTEST SPATIAL STRATEGY HOMES PLAN
Where to build new houses in the district continues to exercise people. Not on green belt land around Sulis Meadows at Odd Down or alongside the A4 between Bath and Newton St Loe, say local protestors. MOD land could provide one alternative answer.
http://tinyurl.com/spatial-spat

CHINA SACKS CHIEF COPENHAGEN NEGOTIATOR
News from further afield. As a tawdry game of blame ping pongs between Beijing and the West, China has sacked its main man at the talks.
http://tinyurl.com/copenhagen-farce-latest
This account in the Guardian of what went on inside the talks makes one think the pantomime season must have arrived early.
http://tinyurl.com/pantocrime
Where does Copenhagen leave us? With the USA still bound by its Senate, China still bound by its pride and the UN on the sidelines, says the BBC’s environment Roger Harrabin. 

“ARCTIC OSCILLATION” TO BLAME FOR BIG CHILL
Idiots like Jeremy Clarkson will no doubt use the current weather to rubbish global warming, but it is actually the result of a well known but hard-to-predict phenomenon – a swing between high and low pressures over the Arctic. High pressure over the Arctic equals cold for the UK...
http://tinyurl.com/brrrrrritain

MEET THE DIRTIEST COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD...
The US produces four times more emissions per capita than China does and 18 times more than India, according to the latest emissions statistics compiled by the World Resources Institute. Kyoto- flouting, tar sands-digging Canada also fairs badly. The less said about oil producing Gulf sates the better.
http://tinyurl.com/you-DIRTY-old

RENEWABLEs SUPERGRID TO HELP POWER EUROPE WHATEVER THE WEATHER
The UK has signed up to be part of a huge supergrid that will tap Scottish wind, Belgian and Danish waves, Norwegian hydro-electric dams and vast potential solar farms in North Africa.
http://tinyurl.com/superb-grid
Meanwhile, Gordon Brown is launching a £100bn programme to build thousands of wind turbines in the North Sea which would power the majority of British homes when it blows...
http://tinyurl.com/blow-ahead

CABBAGE PATCH BRITAIN
The Government wants to ease our reliance on food imports by setting up temporary allotments on sites earmarked for development. It’s not nearly enough for Jeanette Longfield of the alliance for better food and farming, Sustain, who calls the UK’s food vision “hardly worthy of the name”.
http://tinyurl.com/brownfield-allotments

HOW GREEN ARE WOOD BURNING STOVES?
The new middles class fashion for burning stuff on the fire may not be as ungreen as you might think. But not everyone can do it, surely.
http://tinyurl.com/wood-for-the-trees

BLACKWASH OF THE WEEK
A report published recently in the Journal of Tropical Biology and Conservation analysing the publicity tactics used by both NGOs and palm oil companied has accused Friends of the Earth and the Rainforest Action Network of “blackwashing”, a term used to describe environmental scaremongering and propaganda. 
http://tinyurl.com/blackwashing

GREEN INVENTION OF THE WEEK
The world's first hydrogen fuel cell canal boat is touring Amsterdam's waterways. And no, alas, it’s not the magnificent-looking ship in the background.
http://www.fuelcellboat.nl/efcbhome.html

The weekly Green Bath News digest is compiled by Gideon Kibblewhite. Let Gideon know if you've seen a story you think he should cover. 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 sponsored by Ace Energy, your local renewable energy experts. Call 01225 729005 to find out how you could cut your carbon footprint and save money.

A very merry Christmas to you all, dear Green Bath News readers!

We’ll be back in the New Year with our usual blend of local and global green news. Until then, enjoy a thoroughly sustainable knees-up.

The weekly Green Bath News digest is compiled by Gideon Kibblewhite. Let Gideon know if you've seen a story you think he should cover. 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 sponsored by Ace Energy, your local renewable energy experts. Call 01225 729005 to find out how you could cut your carbon footprint and save money.