Posts from — October 2008

Britain has been accused of trying to wreck Europe’s plan to tackle climate change by lobbying to remove aviation from renewable energy targets.

read more | digg story

Buzzing about in a compressed air-powered car will be an option for environmentally conscious Kiwis later this year.

read more | digg story

A “deadly dozen” diseases ranging from avian flu to yellow fever are likely to spread more because of climate change, the Wildlife Conservation Society said on Tuesday. “Even minor disturbances can have far reaching consequences on what diseases (wild animals) might encounter and transmit as climate changes.”

read more | digg story

The Palace of Westminster and the Bank of England have been exposed as among the country’s least energy efficient public buildings by a new law to measure carbon dioxide emissions from the national estate.

read more | digg story

Amongst its many other claims to uniqueness Knightsbridge stands out as the UK hub of the fur retail industry. A fact that was brought home to stores and shoppers alike last Saturday (28^th Sept) when over 200 animal rights activists took to the streets.

Organisers of the peaceful demonstration CAFT (Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade) said the protest was aimed at “some of the most notorious retailers and designers of fur”.

Stores like Gucci, Versace, Joseph, Armani and Burberry all have retail outlets in this exclusive shopping area and all stock fur; as does Harrods, the only department store in the UK which still does.

Adrian Ramsay, deputy leader of the Green Party who addressed the rally said “It is illogical, and it is inconsistent and it is indefensible that the government says we are not allowed to farm animals for fur in this country but fur can be imported. Suffering and morality do not stop at the boarders of the state.”

CAFT is campaigning for a total ban on fur imports and has asked shoppers to boycott stores that continue to stock fur.

(Both Harrods and the British Fur Trade Association declined to comment)