ANOTHER PLANET?

Good Energy, which runs Cornwall's Delabole wind farm , has said that it will offer cheap energy to 400 households who neighbour the wind turbines, rewarding families with an average £110 per annum saving.Earl's Court, London's iconic music and exhibition space, is being levelled to make way for 7500 new homes. The £8 billion regeneration plan from developer Capco, which faced strong opposition from local residents, was used for the 2012 Olympics and has previously hosted shows from Radiohead, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and The Who.The Bank of England has said that environmental regulation has pushed up energy prices for consumers, saying that energy providers and Ofgem pointed to increases in network and distribution charges, as well as environmental legislation as factors pushing  up energy prices. Not profit then ........Without further commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions the world will see temperatures rise by four degrees and experience extreme heat-waves, declining global food stocks and sea levels rise, according to a report by the World Bank. The World Bank's analysis, Turn Down the Heat: Why a 4°C Warmer World Must Be Avoided, says scientists are predicting that today's climate could warm from the current global mean temperature of 0.8°C above pre-industrial levels, to as high as 4°C by 2100, even if countries fulfil current emissions-reduction targets. Earlier in November, PriceWaterHouseCoopers (PwC) said doubling the current rate of decarbonisation would still lead to emissions consistent with six degrees of warming by the end of the century.The Isle Of Wight Festival will go ahead in 2013 after a two day licensing committee review resulted in the event's current licence being upheld after a review was called for by local aerospace firm GKN, which argued that the festival should be given each licence on a twelve month term, with a formal review every five years and more consultation with local residents and businesses. GKN had objected after the traffic chaos caused by the rain deluged 2012 Festival. Promoter John Giddings has been required to make public an Event Safety, Operational & Traffic Management Plan.  Giddings also said that whilst he that he was willing to invest in improving the local infrastructure around his Festival's site to avoid the problems that occurred this year should the event be hit by very wet weather again in the future, he would not be able to fund wide scale infrastructure improvements telling the Committee  "I'm willing to put my hand in my pocket, but if you don't want us to, just tell me and we'll go away".A group of global investors has called for governments of the world to develop workable frameworks that reduce climate risk and support low carbon investment.  In a letter addressed to the governments of the world's largest economies, the group stresses that further delay in implementing adequately ambitious climate and clean energy policy will increase investment risk for institutional investors and jeopardise the investments and retirement savings of millions of citizens.  And UK business lobbying organisation, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), has called on the EU to stop "short-term tinkering" with the carbon market and clarify political agreement on a 2030 emissions target.Water shortages will threaten the future of large-scale energy projects, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has warned.  In a recent energy report, the IEA claims that the water needed for energy production is set to grow at twice the pace of energy demand until 2035, requiring the use of better technologies to manage the risk.  More at http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?src=nl&id=23580Consumer electronics giants such as Apple and Nokia must do more to curb carbon impacts in their manufacturing and supply chains, according to a Greenpeace report released today.  The bulk of the carbon footprint associated with many electronic devices such as tablets and smartphones is buried in the manufacturing operation where the electronic devices are assembled.  Edie.net says that according to the study, while these companies have made progress at removing toxic chemicals from the products they produce, their manufacturing and supply chains are still too heavily dependent on energy-intensive sources that are contributing to climate change.Waste management operations at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games offered a valuable opportunity for spectators to observe sustainability in practice, according to an independent review.  Encouraging source-separation of food and drink packaging materials such as cans and plastic containers throughout the Olympic park through a colour coded three-bin system, with key messages around recycling, helped push home messages around sustainable consumption according to the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012.  Its in-depth review also praised the London Organising Committee of the Olympic & Paralympic Games (LOCOG) for its meticulous attention to packaging such as the use of compostable cutlery and its ambitious targets including zero waste to landfill and a reuse/recycling 70% target.UK Energy Secretary Lib-Dem Ed Davey has said that an extra £3 per week would be a fair price for consumers to pay to develop the UK's renewable energies businesses, estimating that families would need to an extra £100 annually to fund an ambitious £7.6 billion p;an to develop green power.  And Tory Tim Yeo MP, chair of the Common's energy and climate change committee, said that 'a couple of pounds a week' was a reasonable price to pay for Britain to achieve a degree of energy security, reduce the country's commitment to fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.Olympic Park recycling bins: photo Ben Challis