In other news... 8/02

Scientific studies rule against biofuels. More...
... but is it time to forget about them altogether? More...
Trying to find a greener car? More...
Carbon labelling takes off. More...
BMW predicts a fifteen year wait for hydrogen autos. More...
Standard Life's ethical funds drop airline investments. More...
Animal welfare beats environmental concerns in consumer's minds. More...

March for change whilst on your solar powered bluetooth headset... It's all about the outdoors folks!

Business

• The BBC is weighing up possible stances on climate change, as Roger Harrabin and Richard Black argue that there is no need always to balance the corporation's coverage of climate change when the consensus is that it's happening, is serious, but manageable if tackled urgently
• With the opening of the new Eurostar terminal at St Pancras today, emissions from cross-channel travel have been reduced. The company is also absorbing the cost of offsetting the emission which are released each journey. Details of the company's Tread Lightly initiative can be found here.
• According to BusinessGreen, Xerox claims it has saved $2bn since 1991 by cutting the waste it has sent to landfill.
• Speaking at the Guardian News and Media motor industry lunch yesterday, trade and investment minister Lord Jones warned against demonising the car industry and driving manufacturers elsewhere. Read more.
• Greenbang takes a look at Microsoft.
• Nokia tells us through Reuters that it's working on new energy-saving products to try to reduce its impact on the environment. It fails, however, to tell us what they are. Greenwash anyone?
• Orange have created a solar powered bluetooth device! Yey for orange! Read more. (Thanks to Greenbang.com for this one)
• Sainsbury's has seen the use of its free carrier bags significantly drop in the last six months, suggesting that its 16 million customers are beginning to abandon the single-trip carrier bag in favour of longer-life re-usable bags (the use of which has increased 50%). Finally it's catching on... The sharp decline in free carrier bags follows Sainsbury's first two 'Make the difference' days when Sainsbury's was the first UK supermarket to remove free, disposable carrier bags from check-outs and instead offer free re-usable 'Bags for Life'. Sainsbury's will repeat its day of action for its next 'Make the difference' event that will run over the weekend, from Saturday 17th to Sunday 18th November 2007.

Politics

• Greenpeace approves of something for once - their climbers scaled the front of St Pancras station today to hang a giant banner reading "Yes", presumably celebrating the new, shorter alternative to high-emissions aviation.
• A National Climate Day March will take place on the 8th of December.Assemble on Millbank at 12 noon for the main march [Westminster Tube]. At 2.30 pm there will be a rally at the US embassy. Speakers include Chris Huhne MP, Michael Meacher MP, Caroline Lucas MEP, Zac Goldsmith, and George Monbiot. Book the day out in your diary folks!

Science

• Cod face a new threat - not happy with regular fish and chips consumption, we're now forcing them to deal with climate change too. A report in today's Telegraph covers a study by Prof Bigg at the University of Sheffield which shows that "With regard to future climate change, it is clear that the acceptable habitat will retreat poleward significantly as temperatures warm,"
• The Telegraph reports some bizarre, spring-like behaviour from nature after an exceptionally mild autumn. Read more here.
• Is Plastic always bad? Treehugger reports on an article which suggests you plastic drinking vessel may actually be relatively eco-friendly...
• RealClimate responds to Monday's list of climate scepticisms on the BBC.

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A busy day for Greenpeace.

Business

• Intel has adopted the sunflower as the emblem of its new Penryn family of processors. Intriguingly, the sunflower has the power to pull lead from the soil - just as lead has been eliminated from the new processor.
• More on the plastic bag ban in london...
• Great article on the automotive industry and the pressures it faces from BusinessGreen

Advertising

• A bizarre exchange of adverts is taking place in Kansas. Have a look here

Science

• The Telegraph reports on hydrogen power, detailing a new method that relies on bacteria in a specially designed reactor that can efficiently produce hydrogen fuel from any type of biodegradable organic matter. The faces behind the science, Dr Shaoan Cheng and Prof Bruce Logan of Penn State University, report on their findings today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. And yes, following in the footsteps of great minds before them, the name is equally as complex as the theories behind it: electrohydrogenesis.

Politics

• Greenpeace gives a heated response to the government's intention of offsetting it's flight emissions:
  "This is just plain hypocritical of the government," says Charlie Kronick. "Off-setting is a book-keeping trick that can't stop climate change, because once you've burned jet fuel at altitude there's absolutely nothing you can do to stop your emissions changing the climate. If ministers were serious about reducing greenhouse gases from aviation they'd shelve plans for new runways and airports."
  Not sure if I agreee with them about the value of offsetting, but their second point does have some validity. The govt needs to do a bit of joined-up thinking here.
• British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his visiting Hungary counterpart Ferenc Gyurcsany pledged on Monday to work together within the European Union to bring progress on economic, environmental and security issues. In a joint statement after bilateral talks at Downing Street No.10, Brown and Gyurcsany said the enlarged EU had the opportunity to become a "genuinely global player" with the signing of the EU Treaty at the informal European Council in Lisbon last month.
• The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties will be held soon in Bali, to discuss the post-Kyoto framework. An extensive article from ths WBCSD can be found here.
  Greenpeace have launched a video about the conference: