Oops...

... Sainsbury's hasn't sworn off palm oil after all - they've just promised to use the sustainable stuff. Consider me corrected!

Palm oil and the chemicals industry (not all at once, though.)

Bayer launched their group-wide climate programme yesterday. It has, in fact, already begun working on the first lighthouse projects: a global concept for zero-emission buildings for offices and other industrial buildings known as the “EcoCommercial Building”, the development of stress-tolerant plants and systems to encourage the effective use of crops for biofuels, and the "Bayer Climate Check" for optimizing production processes. Bayer will also invest EUR 1 billion in climate-related research and development and other projects in the next three years. Find out more here.

Sainsbury's have finally taken the plunge and banned palm oil - I give the fellow supermarkets a week before they dive after them in a lemming-like fashion (though hopefully with a more pleasant end, for the orangutans anyway.)

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.

Save To Del.icio.us