As much as I would like to see every individual quit ,this to me is the clinching argument for regulating

I’m more concerned with getting everyday folks to see the resource they have under their noses and getting them to convert that into another form of energy – ‘black gold’ or compost that they can grow a few fruits and vegetables in!

Food waste remains an enormous contributor to landfill, despite the best efforts of great campaigns like Love Food Hate Waste and many more.

Perhaps the energies of the powers that be might be better invested in helping to encourage and convert the general public across to a bit of simple composting. This could be aided by consistent financial concessions for purchasing bins, with statutory bins built on all new housing developments and serious investment in community allotment schemes to begin with, not to mention getting neighbouring boroughs and councils to share their resources and let more green and food waste in via the doorstep collection schemes.

If people get to grips with a little sustainable living, many of our eco-problems could well be kicked into touch.

Rubbishly yours,
Tracey Smith

Author of The Book of Rubbish Ideas
http://www.BookOfRubbishIdeas.co.uk

Particularly encouraging as materials in landfill will have an increasing commercial value in the future compared with the price of raw materials, not to mention the environmental benefits, which are numerous. A number of organisations are creeping into this area.

Have a look also at the U.S Army’s ‘Tactical Biorefinery’ http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=978 , which digests organic and non-organic waste into ethanol, methane and propane. Absolutely ingenious!

Very useful for the disaster relief situations, as well as military operations.
Surely this technology can be used commercially to create useable fuels from landfill.

There is also a microwave technology that coverts plastics into oil and rubber tyres into diesel. One such innovator is Global Resource Corporation (GRC), whose ‘Hawk 10′ machine can recover oil and gases from a variety of waste materials, oil sands and shales. However, the cleverest part is that gases produced in the conversion process are used to fuel the machine, in a closed loop system of sustainable energy use. See: http://www.globalresourcecorp.com/

Not sure how this might or might not affect the advancement of renewables?

Thanks for your comment. It goes to show how important it is for large businesses to prioritise environmental policy, especially when it comes to being transparent in ‘greening’ their supply chain. I’ve heard a similar story to the ‘Chinese Ikea lightbulbs’; this time the business is Sky, who, in their new campaign to be CarbonNeutral, have sparked a race for optimum energy efficiency between manufacturers of digi boxes.

Suppliers will go the extra mile to improve their environmental credentials when winning business is at stake; a realistic and slightly depressing fact that should be a cue for to the government and consumers alike to put pressure on market leaders.

Bethan

Thanks for your comments. You’re right to point out that focusing on other countries contributions to global warming is no reason to ignore our own. So, well done for getting your solar water heater installed. Solar PV panels are pricey but there are grants available and with the cost of energy rising at such a rate your investment will pay off a lot quicker.

Check out these websites for more information about grants and installation.

http://www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk/home/
http://www.heatmyhome.co.uk/uk-solar-grants.htm
http://www.government-grants.co.uk/solar-water-heating-grants.shtml

Good luck!
Bethan

From my own point of view I try to make my opwn little contribution, and find that frustrating too. We recently installled a solar water heater on our roof. I have been looking into Solar Voltaic panels as well, but for a little guy like me it becomes frighteningly expensive, and takes a serious chunk out of the household budget.

In my opinion governments, both local and federal, should be doing two things: (i) heavily subsidizing the installation of solar energy technology and making it affordable for homeowners and (ii) hammering the message home to kids in school, because they are the ones who change the parents’ opinions.