Amid soaring petrol prices, the government has today 'postponed' a green fuel tax that would have added an extra 2p on the cost of every litre.
Some have pointed out that the cost of fuel is already so high that an additional levy would be pointless; those who cannot afford the prices are already being forced to leave their cars behind, so the charges would make little difference from an environmental perspective. Others believe that the government is removing the tax only through credit crunch-fuelled fear of sinking further in the public's estimation.
If the Olympic torch has shed light on anything, it's the case against the Chinese regime that's now shining brightest in many people's minds.
Laying aside for one moment the country's actions in Tibet, there have been concerns raised over its appalling human rights record (including 'starvationa wages' and poor working conditions), jailing of anyone who dares speak out against the regime and animal rights violations to name but a few objections.
No, those aren't particularly girly-looking ties, but washable sanitary towels from Rachael Hertogs' online store, with everything a new-age woman could possibly want on hand for her 'moon time'.
Laugh all you like at the bunnies, moons and stars (you can buy a plain set too, but where's the fun in that?) but there's a serious message here, too; the average woman uses around 17,000 items of sanitary protection in her lifetime, which is an awful lot of stuff filling our landfill or being flushed into our sewerage system or even out on to our beautiful beaches. By re-using your pads you'll be making a pretty major contribution towards lessening this impact. So, ladies; what do you say to using the same set of towels for, oh, at least the next solstace? [Via Little Green Blog]
Ken Livingstone has declared war on so-called Chelsea Tractors by slapping a £25 charge on anyone who drives one into London's existing congestion zone.
This is quite a jump up from the standard charge of £8 per vehicle, but Ken isn't stopping there: vehicles deemed to be the 'least polluting' will now be exempt from any charge. Ken was quoted as saying that “the CO2 charge will encourage people to switch to cleaner vehicles or public transport and ensure that those who choose to carry on driving the most polluting vehicles help pay for the environmental damage they cause."
Do you drive a car in London? Do you think the increase will act as enough of a preventative to the capital's most well-off drivers to improve the air quality?
Waiters will try every trick in the book to get you to order expensive bottled water. But a backlash led by concern over the carbon footprint of imported water packaged in plastic and transported in polluting trucks is helping many people to ask for tap water in restaurants.
To me, it comes as a surprise that anyone would worry about asking. Having started my dining-out habit way back in my student days, I've developed foolproof strategies for avoiding additional costs, so to me, asking for tap water is a doddle, and even now I wouldn't give it a second thought. I'll correct waiting staff if they give even the slightest hint that the H20 they're about to bring to my table is anything other than Thames Water's finest.
So what about you? Do you have any qualms about adding 'tap' to the options of 'still or sparkling'? and have you met with any objections? Or do you actually prefer the bottled stuff? Please comment below.
Last week, we talked about some of the health concerns that are being connected with low-energy light bulbs, including migraine, dizziness and even skin cancer. Further to this, many people complain about the quality of the light from CFL bulbs, and are reluctant to give up their old bulbs, which may soon be outlawed.
I've found that the range of quality with these bulbs varies enormously: in my flat alone, I have some low energy bulbs installed that work brilliantly, and I'd choose them over the traditional sort any day. But I'll also admit that others I've bought take ages to brighten up, then look stark and horrible when they do. To me, this suggests that once the technology is sorted out, they'll be fine. But what do you think?
Bob Geldof has never been one to shy away from courting controversy, and here he is, at it again in a blog launched by Lexus that is intended to debate the pros and cons of hybrid cars.
Sir Bob was brought in as a celebrity blogger by the car firm to kick off discussion on the more eco-friendly direction that Lexus wants to take. But so far he's chosen to use the platform most notably for putting forward his own pro-nuclear opinions, which he's given a green slant. On meeting C02 reduction targets he brands renewable energy initiatives such as wind farms "Mickey Mouse" and insists that "to really help the planet, we have to go nuclear, fast".
And on hybrid card, the very subject he was drafted in to discuss: "The reason I drive a hybrid car is simple: to avoid London's congestion charge. I simply couldn't stand paying the f**king thing."
So what do you think: is Geldof bravely putting across a realistic solution to a doomed planet, or completely out of order?
Amid soaring petrol prices, the government has today 'postponed' a green fuel tax that would have added an extra 2p on the cost of every litre. 
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Ken Livingstone has 
Waiters will try every trick in the book to get you to order expensive bottled water. But a backlash led by concern over the carbon footprint of imported water packaged in plastic and transported in polluting trucks is helping many people to ask for tap water in restaurants. 
Last week, we talked about some of the 
Bob Geldof has never been one to shy away from courting controversy, and 
