Read to end for some brilliant comments
This from the U.K>
Crackdown on promotion of energy saving light bulbs
A scheme to promote energy saving light bulbs has been shelved as the new Government concentrates on insulating almost four million people's homes instead.
By Louise Gray, Environment Correspondent
Published: 1:14PM BST 30 Jun 2010
Experts believe that vast numbers of the compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) bulb are never used Photo: REUTERS The Carbon Emissions Reduction Target or CERT was set up by the last Government in April 2008 to force energy companies to cut carbon emissions from households by a certain amount.
Already it has helped 2.5 million people insulate their homes by providing financial help for professionals to fit lagging or double glazing.
Related Articles
Free eco-light bulbs 'cost £45'
Government ends free energy saving light bulbs scheme
Britons panic buying last stocks of conventional lightbulbs
Home owners failing green targets to pay more Council Tax
Customers buy up traditional light bulbs before switch to low energy alternatives
Jonathon Porritt, the greenest of bluebloodsBut the scheme has been criticised for also allowing energy companies to count more inefficient ways of cutting energy use towards the target. Under the scheme more than 330 million energy saving light bulbs have been distributed, though watchdogs say many of them remain unused.
Chris Huhne, the Energy and Climate Change Secretary, said the next period of the scheme, from March 2011 to December 2012, will force energy companies to only use more tried and tested methods.
Already the mail out of light bulbs has been banned and he said the promotion of the compact fluorescent (CFLs) in supermarkets would also be ruled out. Most insulation will have to be carried out by professionals, rather than leaving it to households to do it themselves.
Mr Huhne said forcing energy companies to be more efficient will ensure 3.5 million homes will be insulated over the next period of CERT.
He said the scheme will concentrate on insulating homes in deprived areas first.
"This is the beginning of a massive and urgent increase in home energy insulation for the nation. We are demanding that energy companies work harder to make homes warmer, more environmentally friendly and cheaper to run, especially for those who need it most," he said.
Government advisers have recently warned that unless the UK increases the pace of home insulation, then the country will miss key climate change targets.
It comes as scientists at The Grantham Institute for Climate Change at Imperial College London revealed that switching the lights off might save even more energy than was previously thought.
The study said that current Government estimates of how much carbon is saved when people reduce electricity consumption is up to 60 per cent too low.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Irving Withdraws from Biodiesel Plant
economic downturn, softening of demand for petroleum products
Weeks after mothballing a tidal energy research project, Irving Oil Ltd. has withdrawn its application for environmental approval to build a biodiesel refinery in Saint John.
A Department of Environment spokesperson said in an emailed statement that Irving Oil's biodiesel refinery plan has been withdrawn and will be immediately removed from the department's list of projects under environmental review.
Irving Oil did not respond to requests for an interview on Tuesday to discuss the decision to scuttle the proposed project.
The biodiesel plant was intended to be built next to Irving Oil's existing oil refinery in east Saint John.
Sam Robinson, a company spokesperson, said in April that the proposed plan would be designed to produce 2,200 barrels per day of biodiesel.
The company applied on March 31 for environmental impact assessment for a biodiesel refinery to create a renewable energy product from food waste that can be added to diesel fuel.
"And if this project proceeds it would employ up to 300 people in construction and create as many as 20 to 30 permanent jobs," Robinson said in April.
The environmental impact assessment application was timed so the company could qualify for federal government incentives designed to encourage biodiesel manufacturing.
When talking about the proposed biodeisel refinery, Irving Oil said in April the project was in the very early stages of development and warned that a lot of work needed to be done before it would move forward.
While the biodiesel plant would produce 2,200 barrels per day, the conventional Irving Oil refinery that it would have been built beside produces about 300,000 barrels of oil and gas per day.
It was revealed this week that Irving Oil quietly backed away from its exclusive rights to test 11 stretches of Crown land for tidal power capabilities.
When Irving Oil was awarded the rights to study the tidal power potential in the Bay of Fundy it had indicated that the tidal power generated could help power its proposed second oil refinery.
However, Irving Oil and BP shelved plans to build a second conventional oil refinery, known as Eider Rock, in July 2009.
A study conducted by Irving Oil and BP, which is currently dealing with the Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster, concluded that the project was not viable during the economic downturn and the softening demand for petroleum products.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2010/06/30/nb-irving-oil-biodiesel-refinery-558.html#ixzz0sQZRp0lQ
Weeks after mothballing a tidal energy research project, Irving Oil Ltd. has withdrawn its application for environmental approval to build a biodiesel refinery in Saint John.
A Department of Environment spokesperson said in an emailed statement that Irving Oil's biodiesel refinery plan has been withdrawn and will be immediately removed from the department's list of projects under environmental review.
Irving Oil did not respond to requests for an interview on Tuesday to discuss the decision to scuttle the proposed project.
The biodiesel plant was intended to be built next to Irving Oil's existing oil refinery in east Saint John.
Sam Robinson, a company spokesperson, said in April that the proposed plan would be designed to produce 2,200 barrels per day of biodiesel.
The company applied on March 31 for environmental impact assessment for a biodiesel refinery to create a renewable energy product from food waste that can be added to diesel fuel.
"And if this project proceeds it would employ up to 300 people in construction and create as many as 20 to 30 permanent jobs," Robinson said in April.
The environmental impact assessment application was timed so the company could qualify for federal government incentives designed to encourage biodiesel manufacturing.
When talking about the proposed biodeisel refinery, Irving Oil said in April the project was in the very early stages of development and warned that a lot of work needed to be done before it would move forward.
While the biodiesel plant would produce 2,200 barrels per day, the conventional Irving Oil refinery that it would have been built beside produces about 300,000 barrels of oil and gas per day.
It was revealed this week that Irving Oil quietly backed away from its exclusive rights to test 11 stretches of Crown land for tidal power capabilities.
When Irving Oil was awarded the rights to study the tidal power potential in the Bay of Fundy it had indicated that the tidal power generated could help power its proposed second oil refinery.
However, Irving Oil and BP shelved plans to build a second conventional oil refinery, known as Eider Rock, in July 2009.
A study conducted by Irving Oil and BP, which is currently dealing with the Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster, concluded that the project was not viable during the economic downturn and the softening demand for petroleum products.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2010/06/30/nb-irving-oil-biodiesel-refinery-558.html#ixzz0sQZRp0lQ
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
