ANOTHER PLANET

The UK Government is now so seriously concered about the lack of rain in Southern and Eastern England it has held a crisis meeting with farmers  - with farmers warning Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman that crop production in the affected regios would be down 15% even if normal rainfall resumed. However a more alarming figure was that if the dry spell continues, yields will be down 50% and livestock farmers are struggling to feed their animals. Some parts of the country have had just 5mm of rain since the end of February and soli mosture levels are the lowest for 50 years. Food prices are expected to rise and drought warnings have been issued in at least five counties accross the Midlands and East Anglia.The UK's hot spring could be due to the shrinking Arctic ice cap - which has led to a block of high pressure sitting over Britain. Weather experts admit that they are still trying to work out why Britain's weather is changing, but one possibilty is that global warming (due to greenhouse gas emissions) has led to both the ice cap shrinkage and a shift in the jet stream - although different models show different results.Waste Connect have an interesting article on Eco-festivals RECYCLING ROCKS here  http://www.wasteconnect.co.uk/page.aspx?ID=2197c32e-cb45-49a3-9fb8-41a24b650548 and that features Green Gathering, Download, Big Tent, Criossant Neuf Summer Party, Glastonbury and Shambala and they link through to the Metro at http://www.metro.co.uk/news/167987-an-a-z-of-the-perfect-eco-festival with our very own A-Z for a green festival.Solar power developers in the UK are going to take the Government to court for slashing subsidies for larger solar projects - by removing the higher than market price 'feed in tariff' for solar electricity - to protect small generating projects. Mark Shorrock, CEO of Low Carbon Solar said "if the Government issues a tariff and you have two years to develop a project, the Government can't change the rules half way through that process".Greenpeace have been ordered to stop oil protests in the Arctic against Cairn Oil. The UK company has obtained a injunction from a court in Amsterdam that, if breached, would cost Greenpeace E50,000 each day, capped at E1 million. Scottish based Cairn says it loses $4 million for each day lost to disputes on its oil drilling rig off Greenland.  Greenpace cannot go within 500  metres of rigs.