They have got the information from a three-year investigation of the global trade in Brazilian cattle products. The Greenpeace report names Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons and Marks & Spencer among dozens of high-profile companies that it says profit from products supplied by Brazilian farms on illegally deforested land. Much of the trade is in processed beef, used for pies, canned meat and frozen ready meals. The supermarkets insist it is not from the Amazon.

“UK companies are driving the destruction of the Amazon by buying beef and leather products from unscrupulous suppliers in Brazil. These products are ending up on our shelves.” Sarah Shoraka, Greenpeace
The investigation also tracked the global trade in other Brazilian goods made from cattle. It names Nike, Adidas, Timberland and Clarks Shoes among companies it says use leather linked to Amazon destruction.
Greenpeace wants companies to refuse to buy products sourced from farms that have carried out illegal deforestation. It wants consumers to pressure supermarkets and high-street brands identified in the report to clean-up supply chains.

“The cattle industry is the single biggest cause of deforestation in the world and is a disaster for the fight against climate change.” Sarah Shoraka, Greenpeace

Cattle farming is now the biggest threat to the remaining Amazon rainforest, a fifth of which has been lost since 1970. Big ranches are blamed for 80% of all deforestation in the region; the number of cattle in the Amazon grew from 21m in 1995 to 56m in 2006.

The report, Slaughtering the Amazon, describes how ranches responsible for illegal deforestation sell cattle to slaughterhouses controlled by a handful of Brazilian companies. These ship beef or hides to facilities in the south of Brazil and process them for export. They are often processed again in the importing country.

Greenpeace says records show that cattle from hundreds of farms across the Amazon are mixed and processed in this way, making it currently impossible to trace the origins of products. “In effect, criminal or ‘dirty’ supplies of cattle are ‘laundered’ through the supply chain.”

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Clotheslines were once considered a community eyesore but with clothes dryers using at least 6% of all household electricity consumption, many consumers are opting for good ‘old fashion air drying.

But instead of lowering their electric bills, some residents are receiving notices or even fines as clotheslines are commonly against the law in many communities, calling it a marker of poverty that lowers property values, according to The New York Times.

However legislation to protect the clothesline is catching on, most recently in Colorado, Hawaii, Maine and Vermont. While advocates for drying laundry outdoors feel that it is the right of the homeowner, others argue that it brings down the aesthetic appeal of a community! Surely we should be putting the earth first rather than aesthetics?!

For Opal Davis, 71, clotheslines are not a symbol of a low-income status, but of energy savings and cleanliness. As a resident of Maryville, Tenn., drying laundry outdoors is legal and common. “There’s nothing better than getting clothes fresh off the line,” Davis says. “Furthermore, it really cuts down on my electric bill every month. If that option was taken away, I would feel a little cheated.”

Similar bills to protect clotheslines are being considered in Maryland, North Carolina, Oregon and Virginia. If clothesline drying is not an option in your community, the U.S. Department of Energy recommends regularly inspecting dryer vents and using indoor drying racks as an alternative.

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• Water your garden in the cool of the early morning or evening. This will reduce the amount of water lost to evaporation.
• Lawns can survive long periods of dry weather if the grass is not cut too short, so try to maintain it at least 4cm during the summer months. Even if the grass turns a brown hue it will recover after a few days of rain.
• Use water from washing-up and baths in the garden.
• Weed regularly, to ensure that watering helps plants and not unwanted weeds.
• Don’t overwater – if you water plants too much their roots will remain shallow, weakening the plant. Leave them alone until they show signs of wilting.
• Collect rainwater and use a watering can rather than a hose.
• If you have to use a hosepipe then fit it with a trigger nozzle to control the flow.
• Mulches such as wood-chips, bark and gravel help to prevent water evaporation and also suppress weed growth, saving both water and time spent weeding.
• Plant flower and shrubs that thrive in hot and dry conditions such as thyme, evening primrose, rock rose, Californian poppy pinks, lavender and buddleia.

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• Don’t wash clothes just because you’ve worn them once – only wash them when they need to be washed.
• Fill the washer. Never only fill it less than a full load as it wastes water and energy. But don’t overfill the machine otherwise it won’t clean effectively.
• Dry your clothes outside or on a clothes horse.
• If you have a tumble dryer keep it in a warm place for it work more efficiently.
• Don’t pre-wash your dishes before you put them in. Independent tests show that there is little difference in the overall clean with modern dishwashers.
• Regularly clean out your dishwasher for it work at maximum efficiently.
• Try to keep your fridge and freezer full as it will save energy.
• Choose integrated appliances. Fewer products means less electricity.
• Only iron what you need to – do you really need to iron your underwear?!
• A build up of ice in your freezer reduces its efficiency so defrost it regularly.
• Avoid frost free appliances as they use more energy.
• Try to use eco-friendly washing and dish washing powder.
• Use the spin cycle on your washing machine to get rid of excess water before you dry them in a tumble dryer – it’ll speed up the drying time.
• Keep the black metal coils at the back of your fridge clean and dust free. The fridge also needs to be far enough away from the wall to allow air to circulate.

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Airways New Zealand, Airservices Australia and the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States are the founding members of the initiative created in February 2008 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from aviation activities in the region through technological innovation and best practice air traffic management.

Since then, the group has undertaken a series of three Trans-Pacific test flights in partnership with Air New Zealand, Qantas and United Airlines, to demonstrate and measure the emission reductions and fuel savings achievable through the use of existing efficiency procedures.

On 14 November 2008 a United Airlines aircraft flew from Sydney to San Francisco. This flight alone cut up to 15,000 kg of carbon emissions and saved more than 4,500 litres of fuel!

Alison Espley, General Manager Australia and New Zealand, United Airlines said: “Protecting our environment is a shared responsibility and the success of ASPIRE demonstrates the results of collaborative activity. United is committed to minimising our carbon footprint by continuing to expand waste management efforts and exploring alternative energies. We are thrilled that our participation in ASPIRE has demonstrated the potential for more efficient air traffic procedures and we look forward to working with our partners again in the future.”

The first ASPIRE Annual Report highlights each of the ‘green’ flights whose results will now be used in establishing a baseline for air traffic management performance and carbon emissions. In recognition of its potential to permanently reduce emissions, ASPIRE recently won the Jane’s ATC Global Award.

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Although there are numerous weather reports from the 18th and 19th century covering entire continents the oceans have largely been uncharted territory. Now a new project has transcribed and digitised nearly 300 ships’ logbooks dating back to the 1760s to help scientists fill in the gaps in the world’s recent climate history. Until now they have been an untapped resource of scientific data.

Some ship logs have already revealed evidence that climate change may not be as rapid as believed, with many charting little or no change in Arctic sea temperatures compared with today.

However the data of others may prove the opposite. Recordings taken by the HMS Isabella, which sought the Northwest Passage in 1818, compared with today show a significant decline in sea ice in Baffin Bay, Canada. This area of sea connects the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans.

Each log contains accurate weather information with daily and sometimes even hourly measurements of temperature, wind speed, air pressure and ice formation. Modern researchers can use them to find out what the weather was like all around the globe on any particular day back to 1760.
 
The UK Colonial Registers and Royal Navy Logbooks (CORRAL) project is led by Dr Dennis Wheeler from the University of Sunderland. He said: ‘What happens in the oceans controls what happens in the atmosphere – so we absolutely need to comprehend the oceans to understand future weather patterns.’

The project is being run in partnership between the University of Sunderland, the Met Office Hadley Centre and the British Atmospheric Data Centre.

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No

Atlantic Salmon
Barramundi (sea caged)
Blue Warhou
Broadbill Swordfish
Commercial Scallop
Deepsea Perch
Eastern Gemfish
Flake
Gemfish
Hake
Kingfish
Mulloway
Ocean Trout
Orange Roughy
Oreo
Redfish
Shark (flake)
Silver Trevally
Snapper (pink)
Southern Blue-fin Tuna
Swordfish
Yellow-tail Kingfish

Yes

Abalone
Australian Salmon
Blue Mussel
Blue Swimmer Crab
Bream
Calamari
Crayfish
Cuttlefish
Flathead
King George Whiting
Leatherjacket
Mullet
Mulloway – wild fishery
Octopus
Oysters
Squid
Trevally
Western Rock Lobster
Yellow-tail Kingfish

For more information visit www.amcs.org.au

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Researchers are embarking on a three-year study into how food supplies affect honey bees and their resistance to disease. The research at the Rothamsted Institute in Hertfordshire is being co-funded by the government and the bio-tech company Syngenta. It is hoped the research will devise new ways of keeping colonies healthy. Experts say honey bee colonies are dying off in unprecedented numbers.

There have been a variety of explanations put forward, such as the increased use of pesticides, the spread of parasites that feed on the bees themselves, or the loss of farmland flowers as agriculture has intensified.

For the first time researchers at Rothamsted will be looking at how nutrition is related to a hive’s ability to resist disease. The bees will be allowed limited foraging expeditions, and at the same time diseases in the hive will be monitored.

New theories however say that the honey bee is being wiped out by a new generation of pesticides. Chemicals routinely used on maize, oil seed rape and garden plants could be responsible for the mysterious decline, according to new documentary film Vanishing Of The Bees.

The new film suggests long-term exposure to a class of pesticides called neonicotinoids is partly to blame. Introduced in the 1990s because, unlike previous pesticides, they appear to be harmless to mammals, neonicotinoids are applied to seeds. Now American beekeeper Dave Hackenberg, who appears in the film, says pesticides are the prime suspect.

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Gardening is becoming more and more popular, with people pinching the pennies and wanting to know where their food comes from, growing your own vegetables, fruit and flowers is the economical and environmental option. However, millions of us spend hours painstakingly planting seeds and then fretting about the outcome. If you’re anything like me, you often disappointed when your effort is not reciprocated by an abundance of blooms. But fear not, there isn’t something wrong with you, you might just be working with already dead seeds!

Up to 59 per cent of vegetable seeds can be dead, while the figure can be as high as 73 per cent for flowers. The findings have been revealed by consumer group Which? after it tested three types of vegetable seed – spring onion, runner bean and cucumber. For flower seeds, its experts looked at begonia and pelargoniums, which are also known as geraniums.

In theory, there are legal minimum standards for the percentage of vegetable seeds that should germinate from a particular pack. However, this varies between types and is rarely enforced.

Which? found that seven of the 17 vegetable seed suppliers it tested failed to meet the minimum germination requirements.

Although there is no legal minimum germination standard for flower seeds, a number of suppliers performed badly during trials for Which? Gardening magazine.

However, it is not all bad news. Which? said that the germination rates from seeds have improved since it conducted similar research in 2007.

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If you’re the last one to leave the office or an empty room, make sure you switch the light off! The average office wastes thousands of dollars each year by leaving equipment on when it’s not in use and leaving the light on all night. Turn off computers and monitors at the end of each day.

Make energy saving practices company policy and lead by example.

Only turn the heating on when you really need to. Turning up the thermostats by one degree pushed up your heating costs by 8%.

Start a carpool scheme. Find out who lives near to you and share lifts to work, saving you money and getting another car off the road and thus helping the planet.

Cut down on long-distance travel in favour of video conferencing or Skype.

Opt for the green electricity tariff from your power provider. If they don’t have one look for a company that does.

Don’t put hot equipment such as photocopiers and laser printers close to cooling vents, the cooling system will need to work harder.

Improve facilities for cyclists, for example provide secure bike parking and showers, this will encourage people to use a sustainable way to travel to work.

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