Tuesday, 22 May 2012
That's Travel: Book An Eco Break With Holiday Villas in Lanzarote...
That's Travel: Book An Eco Break With Holiday Villas in Lanzarote...: Lanzarote is usually associated with standard package holidays and conventional hotel breaks. But visitors to the fourth largest of the C...
Tuesday, 15 May 2012
Cuffley Eco Home surrounded by SuDS compliant surfacing
RonaDeck Resin Bound Surfacing
Ronacrete Approved Contractors ARC Surfacing laid approximately 200 square metres of RonaDeck Resin Bound Surfacing, using a 6mm Maple Harvest aggregate which was chosen from the RonaDeck range of natural aggregate blends, each formulated for strength and appearance. The surfacing will not discolour over time because the specially formulated polyurethane resin does not yellow or darken when exposed to Ultra Violet light.
To create a firm foundation for the resin bound paving ARC Surfacing first laid a sound base of asphalt After allowing this time to harden they mixed the RonaDeck Resin Bound Surfacing two-component resin together with the supplied blended kiln-dried aggregate and laid it by trowel at 18mm thick.
Within just four hours the surface was hard enough to walk on and was ready for cars after only 1-2 days.
RonaDeck Resin Bound Surfacing complies with SuDS regulations which requires that rain water can pass through the aggregate and resin surface into the earth below, allowing it to flow into natural water courses or ground drainage systems. Its porous design ensures water can quickly and easily permeate the surface and allow homeowners to do their part to protect the environment.
www.ronacrete.co.uk
tech@ronacrete.co.uk
01279 638700
Monday, 14 May 2012
National Trust launches new competition to capture the spirit of Octavia on camera
The National Trust has
launched a new amateur photography competition called 'Your Space' which will celebrate green spaces and the life of the National Trust founder
Octavia Hill.
Run in conjunction with National Trust Magazine, the competition will run from May until August and asks people to capture what green spaces mean to them.
Four internationally-acclaimed photographers, Mary McCartney, Joe Cornish, Arnhel de Serra and Charlie Waite, have helped launch the 'Your Space' competition with a new collection of pictures at National Trust places that capture the relationship between people and green places.
Octavia Hill was a leading environmental campaigner in Victorian Britain. She campaigned to save green spaces in and around London, such as Parliament Hill, and, years ahead of her time, saw the benefit of spending time in the outdoors and closer to nature.
As one of three founders of the National Trust, Octavia Hill, set about acquiring green places and built heritage to be looked after by the charity for the benefit of the nation until she died in August 1912.
The competition is based around her writings on green space: 'We all need space; unless we have it we cannot reach that sense of quiet in which whispers of better things come to us gently [and we need] places to sit in, places to play in, places to stroll in, and places to spend a day in…'
The competition includes all green space in the UK, not just National Trust places, and hopes to capture images of everyday green places.
These could include pictures from the local park, where people play with their kids or walk their dogs, or favourite strolls in the countryside.
What is important is that the images capture what these places mean to the photographer and why they matter.
Fiona Reynolds, Director-General of the National Trust, said: "This competition is all about using photography to reflect on why green spaces matter to us as a nation. We're looking for powerful and inspiring images that celebrate this special relationship that we have with our parks and countryside."
There are four categories in the competition: ten and under, 11-16 year olds, over 16s and smartphones. Entries need to be submitted by 31 August 2012 and the full terms and conditions can be found on the website.
The prize for the overall winner, worth £1,500, will include a bespoke one-to-one day long workshop with award winning landscape photographer Charlie Waite, a special landscape print and up to two nights stay in a National Trust holiday cottage.
The three runners-up will join Charlie at a National Trust property for day which includes lunch and behind-the-scenes tour.
A panel of judges, including Mary McCartney, Joe Cornish, Arnhel de Serra, Charlie Waite, Sue Herdman (Editor of National Trust Magazine) and Chris Lacey (National Trust Photographic Manager), will decide on the winners for the four categories. One of the category winners will then go on to be the overall winner of the competition.
Entries for the competition can be uploaded at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/yourspace and shared via Facebook and twitter.
Run in conjunction with National Trust Magazine, the competition will run from May until August and asks people to capture what green spaces mean to them.
Four internationally-acclaimed photographers, Mary McCartney, Joe Cornish, Arnhel de Serra and Charlie Waite, have helped launch the 'Your Space' competition with a new collection of pictures at National Trust places that capture the relationship between people and green places.
Octavia Hill was a leading environmental campaigner in Victorian Britain. She campaigned to save green spaces in and around London, such as Parliament Hill, and, years ahead of her time, saw the benefit of spending time in the outdoors and closer to nature.
As one of three founders of the National Trust, Octavia Hill, set about acquiring green places and built heritage to be looked after by the charity for the benefit of the nation until she died in August 1912.
The competition is based around her writings on green space: 'We all need space; unless we have it we cannot reach that sense of quiet in which whispers of better things come to us gently [and we need] places to sit in, places to play in, places to stroll in, and places to spend a day in…'
The competition includes all green space in the UK, not just National Trust places, and hopes to capture images of everyday green places.
These could include pictures from the local park, where people play with their kids or walk their dogs, or favourite strolls in the countryside.
What is important is that the images capture what these places mean to the photographer and why they matter.
Fiona Reynolds, Director-General of the National Trust, said: "This competition is all about using photography to reflect on why green spaces matter to us as a nation. We're looking for powerful and inspiring images that celebrate this special relationship that we have with our parks and countryside."
There are four categories in the competition: ten and under, 11-16 year olds, over 16s and smartphones. Entries need to be submitted by 31 August 2012 and the full terms and conditions can be found on the website.
The prize for the overall winner, worth £1,500, will include a bespoke one-to-one day long workshop with award winning landscape photographer Charlie Waite, a special landscape print and up to two nights stay in a National Trust holiday cottage.
The three runners-up will join Charlie at a National Trust property for day which includes lunch and behind-the-scenes tour.
A panel of judges, including Mary McCartney, Joe Cornish, Arnhel de Serra, Charlie Waite, Sue Herdman (Editor of National Trust Magazine) and Chris Lacey (National Trust Photographic Manager), will decide on the winners for the four categories. One of the category winners will then go on to be the overall winner of the competition.
Entries for the competition can be uploaded at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/yourspace and shared via Facebook and twitter.
National Trust MyFarm experiment now free to join
The National Trust has
announced that one year on from the launch of its innovative,
award-winning MyFarm project, the charity is dropping the £30 sign-up
fee in a bid to widen its success and inspire even more people to
engage with farming and food.
The experiment - based at the Trust's 1,450 acre Wimpole Home Farm in Cambridgeshire - was launched last May to encourage people to learn about day-to-day farm life and get a better understanding of where their food comes from.
The virtual farmers are able to view day-to-day farm activities via blogs from the farm team, videos and live webcams. Significantly they can also influence what happens on the farm by voting on key decisions usually made by the farmer.
As the project moves into the second year, the team behind the project are seeking to increase the number of people who take part in MyFarm, and cover a wider range of food topics.
Farm Manager Richard Morris said: "We've learnt a lot from our 5,000-strong audience over the last 12 months, especially how interested people are in following and finding out about the day-to-day running of the farm.
"The experiment has helped us deepen people's understanding of the challenges faced by farmers in the wider market place including the European and World markets, and enabled those involved to comment on a wide range of farming issues.
"It's been the animal stories that have really captured the public's hearts - both births and deaths. MyFarmers have also loved getting to know the farm team, the rare breed animals kept at Wimpole and the monthly votes which explore one particular aspect of farming in more depth, with the majority vote then carried out on the farm."
The National Trust is the country's biggest farmer and through MyFarm hopes to help people understand the issues facing farming today, the numerous and daily decisions farmers have to make, as well as the joy and the heartache which is part and parcel of farm life.
As part of the changes the Trust will also now host the experiment on its own website rather than the current microsite. It will also make broader use of social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to interact with users and to encourage further discussion on food and farming issues.
Founding Farmers - those who joined in the first year - will be invited to continue as ambassadors on these platforms to encourage more people to join in; sharing the journeys they have been on over the last 12 months.
MyFarm Project Manager Andrew Cock-Starkey added: "Our members come from all over the world as well as from the UK and after a successful first year we believe we’ve established a clear demand for this kind of learning. Now we want to reach even more people and build a broader understanding of farming.
"Waiving the membership fee will, we hope, help us reach a much wider audience, as will ensuring we have appealing content for users of different ages across various platforms."
Deputy President of the National Farmers' Union Meurig Raymond said: "This project is an effective and fun way of engaging people in farming and the hard work and skill that goes into producing food for their table. With more and more people using social media to communicate, share views and influence decisions MyFarm also tackles some of the more serious issues and involves its supporters in the day-to-day running of a real-life farm."
The experiment - based at the Trust's 1,450 acre Wimpole Home Farm in Cambridgeshire - was launched last May to encourage people to learn about day-to-day farm life and get a better understanding of where their food comes from.
The virtual farmers are able to view day-to-day farm activities via blogs from the farm team, videos and live webcams. Significantly they can also influence what happens on the farm by voting on key decisions usually made by the farmer.
As the project moves into the second year, the team behind the project are seeking to increase the number of people who take part in MyFarm, and cover a wider range of food topics.
Farm Manager Richard Morris said: "We've learnt a lot from our 5,000-strong audience over the last 12 months, especially how interested people are in following and finding out about the day-to-day running of the farm.
"The experiment has helped us deepen people's understanding of the challenges faced by farmers in the wider market place including the European and World markets, and enabled those involved to comment on a wide range of farming issues.
"It's been the animal stories that have really captured the public's hearts - both births and deaths. MyFarmers have also loved getting to know the farm team, the rare breed animals kept at Wimpole and the monthly votes which explore one particular aspect of farming in more depth, with the majority vote then carried out on the farm."
The National Trust is the country's biggest farmer and through MyFarm hopes to help people understand the issues facing farming today, the numerous and daily decisions farmers have to make, as well as the joy and the heartache which is part and parcel of farm life.
As part of the changes the Trust will also now host the experiment on its own website rather than the current microsite. It will also make broader use of social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to interact with users and to encourage further discussion on food and farming issues.
Founding Farmers - those who joined in the first year - will be invited to continue as ambassadors on these platforms to encourage more people to join in; sharing the journeys they have been on over the last 12 months.
MyFarm Project Manager Andrew Cock-Starkey added: "Our members come from all over the world as well as from the UK and after a successful first year we believe we’ve established a clear demand for this kind of learning. Now we want to reach even more people and build a broader understanding of farming.
"Waiving the membership fee will, we hope, help us reach a much wider audience, as will ensuring we have appealing content for users of different ages across various platforms."
Deputy President of the National Farmers' Union Meurig Raymond said: "This project is an effective and fun way of engaging people in farming and the hard work and skill that goes into producing food for their table. With more and more people using social media to communicate, share views and influence decisions MyFarm also tackles some of the more serious issues and involves its supporters in the day-to-day running of a real-life farm."
Sunday, 13 May 2012
National Trust launches legal challenge against landmark wind farm decision
The proposal would see four 126.5m wind turbines built within the setting of the Lyveden New Bield site, a place described by the Planning Inspector who granted approval for the plans as "probably the finest example of an Elizabethan garden [with a] cultural value of national if not international significance".
After planning permission was initially refused by the local Council, the development was given consent on appeal in March 2012. The three organisations started legal proceedings on 23 April under section 288 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. It is extremely rare for English Heritage and the National Trust to pursue legal action and it is the first time that East Northamptonshire Council has ever taken a case to this level.
Fiona Reynolds, Director-General of the National Trust explained the decision to take the matter to the Administrative Court: "We fully support renewable energy and have made our own commitment to halve our dependence on fossil fuels by 2020. We have also backed a number of wind proposals where scale and setting have been considered appropriate.
"However, the decision to allow a development of this size so close to one of the country's most treasured historic places is both damaging to Lyveden New Bield and could have serious implications for other heritage sites across the UK."
As a Grade I listed building, registered park and garden and scheduled ancient monument, Lyveden New Bield's unfinished Elizabethan lodge and gardens have the highest heritage designation possible. The wind turbines would be prominent, modern structures in a landscape that still evokes the character of Lyveden New Bield's historic Rockingham Forest surroundings. The turbines would be visible from almost everywhere on the property.
Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage, said: "Our challenge to his decision is not simply about the balance of professional judgement between heritage and renewable energy. The Inspector did not adequately take into account the contribution that Lyveden New Bield's historic and rural surroundings make to its immense significance."
Leader of East Northamptonshire Council, Steven North added: "It is regrettable that it has come to this, but we fully support this legal challenge and will be working closely with the National Trust and English Heritage to protect this heritage site."
Productivity Stifled by Companies Overlooking the Environment
Companies and organisations that don’t take
their environmental responsibilities seriously enough are less likely to
benefit from a productive and motivated workforce, a study has revealed.
Commissioned as part of Green Office Week, which begins today, Monday 14th May, the study of 1,000 office workers demonstrates that over half of the UK’s office workers feel they would be happier and more productive at work if the companies they work for were more supportive of their efforts to be green.
UK workers are twice as likely to be green at home as they are at work and eight out of ten Britons said they were disappointed that their company didn’t lead the way with more green initiatives.
Despite the clear link between being green and being happy, 41% of office workers said they had previously found themselves in an awkward situation with their bosses simply for trying to positively implement green practices at work.
One in ten said they are actively discouraged from recycling at work by their company, meaning that while the nation happily recycles and conserves energy at home, when getting to work these efforts are undermined.
A further 40% say they would avoid suggesting greener working initiatives because they wouldn’t want to be seen as ‘nagging’, which could reflect badly on their career prospects.
And, one in ten office workers go as far as stating they would look for another job if they felt their company’s environmental efforts were not being taken seriously enough.
A staggering 60% of office workers say they are influenced on whether to apply for a job or not by a company’s environmental credentials, meaning companies who don’t take the environment seriously may be missing out on top working talent.
Time for Change
Green Office Week’s Gregg Corbett said: “These findings demonstrate that many UK companies still think that they don’t have the time or finances to implement greener working practices into how they operate. This is despite evidence demonstrating that being green can bring real cost-saving and productivity benefits to companies.”
“We spend a third of our lives at work and more than half of UK workers feel they would be noticeably happier and more positive if it was easier for them to be more environmentally friendly. With this in mind, there’s never been a better time for change.”
Bigger and better than ever before, Green Office Week 2012 features a unique Green League with points and prizes for the greenest UK workers and a special Junk Modelling Challenge that will prove being green can be great fun too.
Full of hints and tips to help you and your business green your workplace, the week’s daily themes will help guide you on some of the most important things you can practically implement. To find out more about Green Office Week 2012, simply register at www.greenofficeweek.eu.
Wednesday, 9 May 2012
Celebrities, Politicians and Businesses supporting Save the Bengal Tiger Week
Save the Bengal Tiger Week
is launching 14th May, with over 500 restaurants, renowned
celebrities and politicians backing this vital campaign to help save the
Bengal tiger from extinction.
During Save The Bengal Tiger Week, the British Curry Club has recruited over 500 Indian restaurants nationwide to pledge their support, by providing a 3 course meal for a bargain £20.00. The Royal Bengal Tiger is synonymous with the Indian sub-continent and its culture. The Sundarbans Tiger Project has therefore joined forces with The British Curry Club and its members.
Mike Ahmed of the British Curry Club says;“We are calling on the nations army of curry lovers to support Save the Bengal Tiger Week by visiting restaurants in their local area and beyond. What’s more the special tiger menu that’s on offer, has been especially tailored to cater for the UK taste buds and features the top ten curry dishes as voted by the British public in Chaat magazine”
During the week, events will take place nationwide to help raise awareness of the campaign and the plight of the Bengal tigers.To get involved and buy tickets for the restaurants please visit http://www.savethebengaltiger.co.uk.
Chris Packham – Really Wild Show
"I've been involved in Wildlife for my work both as a presenter and a wildlife photographer for more than two decades now and have a keen interest in what goes on in this area. I'm well aware of the plight of the Bengal tiger and think that projects like Save the Bengal Tiger Week are a great way to help highlight the danger these tigers face of extinction.
Chris Packham – Really Wild Show “I wish the Save the Bengal Tiger Week every success and the Sundarbans Tiger project overall”
Amanda Protheroe Thomas - Presenter
”Saving the Bengal tiger in today’s society is vital with so many beautiful species under threat from extinction. Having worked as a wildlife presenter and seen animals such as these up close you realise how precious they are and how important it is to save them from the threat of poachers. I offer my support to Save the Bengal tiger Week and wish it much success”
During Save The Bengal Tiger Week, the British Curry Club has recruited over 500 Indian restaurants nationwide to pledge their support, by providing a 3 course meal for a bargain £20.00. The Royal Bengal Tiger is synonymous with the Indian sub-continent and its culture. The Sundarbans Tiger Project has therefore joined forces with The British Curry Club and its members.
Mike Ahmed of the British Curry Club says;“We are calling on the nations army of curry lovers to support Save the Bengal Tiger Week by visiting restaurants in their local area and beyond. What’s more the special tiger menu that’s on offer, has been especially tailored to cater for the UK taste buds and features the top ten curry dishes as voted by the British public in Chaat magazine”
During the week, events will take place nationwide to help raise awareness of the campaign and the plight of the Bengal tigers.To get involved and buy tickets for the restaurants please visit http://www.savethebengaltiger.co.uk.
Chris Packham – Really Wild Show
"I've been involved in Wildlife for my work both as a presenter and a wildlife photographer for more than two decades now and have a keen interest in what goes on in this area. I'm well aware of the plight of the Bengal tiger and think that projects like Save the Bengal Tiger Week are a great way to help highlight the danger these tigers face of extinction.
Chris Packham – Really Wild Show “I wish the Save the Bengal Tiger Week every success and the Sundarbans Tiger project overall”
Amanda Protheroe Thomas - Presenter
”Saving the Bengal tiger in today’s society is vital with so many beautiful species under threat from extinction. Having worked as a wildlife presenter and seen animals such as these up close you realise how precious they are and how important it is to save them from the threat of poachers. I offer my support to Save the Bengal tiger Week and wish it much success”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)