If a country merely considering green its national colour doesn't make it green enough for you to want to visit it, then you may like to look at the GreenBox website. The Greenbox region is Ireland's first ecotourism destination - a beautiful, unspoilt landscape boasting unique ecosystems and areas of high conservation value - and Responsible Tourism Ltd (trading as Greenbox Ltd) is an organisation which was created in order to further develop ecotourism in the area. All the companies which offer retreats and tours in the Greenbox region must adhere to a standard known as the The European Eco-label for tourist accommodation services and camp site services (The EU Flower).
Ireland Ecotours runs two particularly interesting looking day-long tours. The Green Scene tour transports passengers round the region in an eco-friendly bio-bus powered with Pure Plant Oil, stopping on the way to teach them about the solar panels, windmills and micro hydro power used in the area. The Two Forests Mountain Biking Tour is a comprehensive tour of the region which also focuses on teaching cyclists how to adopt the most environmentally friendly practises possible whilst out biking. Cyclists are taught not to disturb wildlife, spread seeds, or churn up areas of marsh and wetland, and given a code of practise to take away with them. Alternatively, if you fancy a more spiritual approach, and err more towards the 'retreat' side of things than the 'tour' side, you might wish to investigate the breaks offered by Wilderness Therapy Sessions, The Ard Nahoo Eco Retreat Experience, or Blaney Spa and Yoga Centre.
French president Nicolas Sarkozy is keeping his pre-election pledge for a ‘green revolution’ in France. The first stage is a massive consultation exercise using an internet questionnaire and public meetings around the country. The consultation will not decide policy, but it will directly influence policy. There are of course critics of the president that are calling this a publicity stunt, but the fact is the president is doing something constructive and bringing the public into the process of reducing France’s carbon emissions. The public are basically being asked whether they want to save the planet. They are also being asked to voice their opinion on specific policies. For example, they are being asked if they would accept a 10kph speed limit reduction, given that this measure alone can save 1.8 billion tonnes of carbon emissions a year.
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The results of tests conducted over a period of almost two years have confirmed that levels of bacteria and viruses in Thames river water after bouts of heavy rain exceed recommended safety levels.
Although in recent years the Thames had gained a reputation for being one of cleanest rivers in Europe, the research found that discharges of untreated sewage into the river after bad weather was putting river users including rowers, canoeists and anglers, at risk of gastro-enteritis and other water-borne infections.
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A poll conducted by MTV has revealed that only 44% of British youths cite the environment as one of their key concerns. American youngsters were even less concerned, with a mere 36% of them saying it worried them. By contrast, the figures for countries in the developing world were much higher, with 75% of Indonesians, 74% of Brazilians and 71% of Mexicans saying that environmental pollution was a concern.
Related: http://shinymedia.headshift.com/cgi-bin/mtshiny/mt-tb.cgi/36951
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HarperCollins - publishers of such literary treats as ‘A Long Way Gone’ by Ishmael Beah and ‘The God of Small Things’ by Arundhati Roy - has announced that it is to use Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper for all its publications.
It is estimated that the wood and paper industries are contributing to mass deforestation, where every two seconds sees the loss of ancient forests that can be as big as a football pitch. The Forest Stewardship Council works to reduce this figure by working with local communities to supply sustainable wood from forests that are managed with respect for the environment, wildlife and the local population.
Josephine Cox, whose paperback “The Loner” is one of the first to be published on FSC paper, is pleased to be a part of a creative industry that is taking the environment seriously. “I’m delighted that my book is being printed on environmentally-friendly paper. I think we all need to do our bit to help the environment.”
Love film, politics and the environment? Then keep an eye out for the Groovy Movie Picture House. The world’s first solar powered, touring cinema is soon to be famous for bringing cutting edge, environmentally-focused, uncompromising, inspiring and of course creative films to all corners of the UK. This travelling cinema is often found at festivals (of the film and music variety) and is hosting this year’s Green Screen Independent Film Festival.
The Groovy Movie Picture House is powered by eight large solar panels, which turn sunlight into electricity to fuel state of the art projectors, amplifiers and lighting. On the film side of things: Groovy Movie prides itself in showing short and feature films by independent and radical, professional and non-professional film makers.
If you fancy yourself a bit of a film maker, then the guys at Groovy Movie would love to hear from you. Or, if you are more like me and just like to sit and watch, then check out the website for when and where Groovy Movie will be screening near you.
Related: Big Chill to feature pedal powered movies
With Foot and Mouth restrictions still in place in Surrey after a new case was confirmed over the weekend, a new disease has just been found in a British cow for the first time, it was reported in the Guardian. Bluetongue, which can affect cattle, sheep, goats and deer but not humans, is often fatal in sheep and can reduce milk yield in cows. As bluetongue is not prevalent in Britain, it is feared that an outbreak could cause many deaths as immunity to the disease is not widespread amongst British cattle.
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