Flying is a climate crime. Blunt, but true.

It was a harsh decision to make, but when I first read about the damage that airlines do the atmosphere in terms of climate change, I decided not to fly again if I could help it. That was in 1990, and I still stand by that decision. Read my article on world.edu, and you'll know more about why I made it.

http://bit.ly/nl7kX3

Eco-stories

Dutch study finds windpower good for biodiversity
http://www.just4theplanet.com/offshore-wind-farms-are-good-for-biodiversity/

Pathogens & insecticides, a lethal combination for honeybees
http://www.just4theplanet.com/pathogens-and-insecticides-a-lethal-cocktail-for-honeybees/

Southpole base turns to the sun for power
http://www.just4theplanet.com/south-pole-base-turns-to-the-sun-for-power/

European cities are starting to reject the car (about time too!)
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/27/science/earth/27traffic.html?_r=4&hp=&pagewanted=all

Energy watchdog IEA says oil is riding a big dipper
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/8693206/Oil-is-riding-a-big-dipper-says-energy-watchdog-IEA.html

Gas fracking carries serious environmental risks US panel finds
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-11/gas-fracking-poses-serious-environmental-risks-u-s-panel-finds.html

Germany enjoys surge in offshore wind
http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2100019/germany-enjoys-surge-offshore-wind-investment

US cleantech investment falls by 44%
http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2099676/cleantech-investment-plunges-44-cent

Canadian emissions to rise on back of tar sands boom
http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2100369/report-canadian-emissions-rise-tar-sands-boom

Some Top Eco-Stories

Leaders promise to reduce carbon emissions while ensuring that a new giant oil pipeline called Keystone XL is built to serve expansion of the Alberta tar oil sands, the most carbon laden oil in the world - http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=56812

RBS funding the most destructive process on earth: tar sands exploitation in Canada
http://oneworldgroup.org/2011/08/11/curing-rbs-of-their-oil-addiction/

China expands its nuclear power programme, unfazed by Fukushima
http://e360.yale.edu/feature/chinas_nuclear_power_plans_unfazed_by_fukushima_disaster/2432/

Food prices reach record highs in drought-stricken Africa
http://human-wrongs-watch.net/2011/08/10/record-highs-in-food-prices-in-hungry-djibouti-ethiopia-kenya-and-somalia/

Nigerian drinking water stricken with benzene at 900 times above the safety limit
http://human-wrongs-watch.net/2011/08/10/nigeria-drinking-water-polluted-with-benzene-at-levels-900-times-above-the-limit/

The Mediterranean Sea is very, very sick
http://human-wrongs-watch.net/2011/08/05/1578/

Porritt versus Monbiot on Nuclear Power
http://climateandcapitalism.com/?p=5199&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+climateandcapitalism%2FpEtD+%28Climate+and+Capitalism%29

Plastic solar panels?

Solar PV - its not just about silicon! There are plastic solar panels too and nanotechnology has also enabled to PV cells to be printed on to paper.

http://bit.ly/n7ZLv3

Today's Eco-stories

Jason Ford's blog piece on FiTS for The Engineer
http://www.theengineer.co.uk/blog/good-day-sunshine/1009534.article

James' blog on Business Green, examining the solar FiTS fiasco
http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/james-blog/2098410/finding-silver-lining-solar-feed-tariff-fiasco

Toyota plant goes solar
http://www.newcarnet.co.uk/Toyota_news.html?id=11483

Renewable Heating Grant Incentive begins
http://www.checkatrade.com/News/Renewable-heating-grant-incentive-begins.html

FiTS deadlines drives solar power boom
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jul/28/solar-boom-uk

The Isle of Wight's first solar farm connects to the grid
http://www.iwradio.co.uk/news/iw-radio-news/solar-farm-connects-to-the-grid-2647/

Rooftop mounted solar panels help to keep buildings cooler says new study
http://www.renewable-energy-news.info/rooftop-solar-panels-cool-buildings/

Germany looks set to remain the European wind pace-setter
http://www.rechargenews.com/energy/wind/article270509.ece

Wood recyclers to hold 10th anniversary conference
http://www.letsrecycle.com/news/latest-news/wood/wood-recyclers-announce-10th-anniversary-conference