New station subway to open | Reading Borough Council

27/02/2013

To help deliver improvement works at Reading station the newly refurbished subway opens on Friday 1st March on the same day the section of the passenger bridge which links the station to the multi-storey car park will close for good.

The much-improved new pedestrian route from Vastern Road direct into the town centre will connect residents living north of the station.

The current passenger bridge will close permanently, to allow new platforms underneath it to be completed. For four weeks people will be able to use a temporary walking route via the new subway. Those using the temporary route should allow up to an additional 15 minutes to get to their trains.

The subway, which will be maintained by Council, has a new lighting and digital CCTV system linked to the station and police.

When the new northern entrance and passenger bridge is opened in April 2013, the subway will be the only means for those without train tickets to get from one side of the railway to the other.

via New station subway to open | Reading Borough Council.

Resource Efficiency Indicators (EEA)

European Environment Agency

A new in-depth report about “resource efficiency indicators” is out from the European Commission DG Environment.

The in-depth reports are a series of publications, which take a comprehensive look at the latest science on key topics in environmental policy.

Resource efficiency forms a vital part of Europe 2020, the EU’s growth strategy towards a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy. This In-Depth Report examines the progress in resource efficiency indicators, building on the EU’s Resource Efficiency Roadmap

resource-efficiency-indicat

Download the report here:http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/indepth_reports.htm

On vacation we do not consider the environment

Although many of us think of to make environmentally friendly choices in everyday life, when it comes to the holiday we prioritize other things.

Most tourists opt out of taking the green option when it comes to travel planning, especially regarding the mode of transport they use.

– Many people think of the environment in their everyday lives, for example they recycle, cycle or take public transportation to work and choosing organic foods – but when it comes to the holiday, it may seem that they do not want to take responsibility for the environment, but other things may control decisions, says Therese Hedlund ..

“Feels far away”

Her study shows that our decisions are more often based on individual, rather than the collective benefits when it comes to travel.

– For example flying is a quick and convenient way to get around when you have time constraints or are traveling with children, but the negative environmental impacts will affect us collectively. These negative feelings feel far away when we are making the decision, says Therese Hedlund.

Ironically tourists are also not willing to pay for an environmentally-friendly tour operator when considering the mode of transport to get to their destination, will however consider an environmentally-friendly, and often more expensive, accommodations at the resort.

– By choosing an eco-labelled accommodation you can show others that you are willing and able to pay for an accommodation that is more beneficial for the environment. This behaviour can provide status in today’s society, says Therese Hedlund.

 

ABOUT THE SURVEY

Based on a dissertation from Umeå University in Sweden that used two different surveys, one with 681, and the other with 732 response participants. The average age of the participants was 44 and 52 years, and there were equal numbers of men and women in both surveys.

 

Source: http://www.expressen.se/res/pa-semestern-bryr-vi-oss-inte-om-miljon/

US Environment Agency Releases First Climate Adaptation Plan

For the first time, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has publicly released a draft plan on how the department’s programmes will adapt to global warming, in a move that could lay additional groundwork…

 

EPA-Stragetic-Plan

Download the full Report here (55 pages)
via EPA.GOV

 

Electrifying Reading Station

FUTURE CLIMATE CHANGE NEWS
 
  • The aim is to become one of the UK’s first climate-neutral train stations
  • Electrifying key routes on the railway will mean faster, greener, quieter and more reliable journeys for thousands of passengers.
  • The overall goals are pointing towards climate-and fossil fuel-free district in 2030 where   carbon dioxide emissions below 1.5 tonnes per person per year by 2020
 
electrifying

Electric trains emits circa 20-35% less carbon per passenger than a diesel train. With zero emissions at the point of use, they  improve air quality in pollution hot spots such as city centres and main line stations. Electric trains are quieter than diesels and are virtually silent when waiting at stations.

Read about the progress at Reading station area development:
http://www.networkrail.co.uk/reading

An Experiment in Zero Waste | Residence on Earth

An Experiment in Zero Waste

Posted on February 6, 2013

Ever since I read Elizabeth Royte’s Garbage Land, I can’t throw away anything without thinking about the secret life of trash. Royte followed her garbage to landfills where nothing decomposes and a hotdog from 1950 looks virtually the same in 2005. I followed her to the recycling plants where enormous batches of paper are made back into pulp, and where plastic bottles find a second life as carpets or outdoor furniture. I traveled vast distances as trash from New York City is trucked to landfills as far away as West Virginia and where toxic sludge from wastewater treatment plants is spread on fields as fertilizer. Knowing that Americans generate 250 million tons of trash per year, I began an experiment last summer to see how much waste I actually produced and could divert.

Recycling was the easy part. Because I do not drink soda or bottled water, my container recycling over the course of a week was usually one or two milk and orange juice cartons, an egg carton, and various paperboard containers, aluminum cans, and plastic tubs. My paper was fairly minimal because almost all of my printing was done at work and I subscribed to no paper newspapers or magazines. However I did get a large amount of junk mail…

An Experiment in Zero Waste | Residence on Earth.

Green game-changers: insights for mainstreaming business innovation

Take a look through our new report that features 10 larger businesses that draw from entrepreneurial activity and are taking innovation forward at a grand scale.

This review follows on from last year’s Green Game-Changers report, which looked at small-scale sustainability innovators. The potential of these smaller players inspired this year’s review of the progress that large firms have made to adopt and scale up innovations. Within this remit we have honed in on those that have gone beyond product and process optimisation and have innovated their business models towards sustainability.  Hertz, Philips, B&Q, Umicore, and Caterpillar are just a few of the companies who have spoken about their experiences.

Green_game-changers

 

The report was produced with research from Verdantix

The Green Investment Report: The ways and means to unlock private finance for green growth

The Green Investment Report aims to inform and inspire policy-makers and public and private finance providers to close the gap in delivering inclusive, sustainable growth.

 

Foreword

Shaping a global economy fit for the 21st century is our greatest challenge. Such an economy in 2050 will satisfy the needs of more than 9 billion people, who will rightly demand equal opportunities for development. Delivering such inclusive development in a sustainable way, however, requires that we remain within the boundaries of what our planet can safely deliver. Economic growth and sustainability are inter-dependent, you cannot have one without the other, and greening investment is the pre-requisite to realizing both goals.

The-Green-Investment-Report

Download the report of the Green Growth Action Alliance here (40 pages)

http://reports.weforum.org/green-investing-2013/?doing_wp_cron=1359415984.7779729366302490234375

A British Energy supplier launches solar power solutions for companies in Greater Reading

FUTURE CLIMATE CHANGE NEWS

It is now offering British Energy businesses in the Greater Reading area the opportunity to buy solar power solutions. The production of one´s own electricity from the sun can be a reality for entrepreneurs. It has a range of comprehensive solutions which can help with everything from the planning to the commissioning of the plant.

– In spring 2013, we will launch our finished solar packages to residential customers in the region. We are now taking the next step in our commitment to environmentally friendly and renewable energy solutions by also offering corporate solar power, says the director of new business at British TBV-Energy.

British Energy’s offer to entrepreneurs is solution-oriented, which means that we tailor our solutions to the customer’s needs and the current real estate conditions. Customer may help all the way, from accessing it´s feasibility to the installation and commissioning of the solar system. Whether the system is integrated into the building’s facade, roof, or a more standard solution, is completely dependent on what is the most optimal and economical for the customer.

– As the next generation of energy, we want to be at the forefront of developments leading towards our vision of a sun economy – ie where all energy is directly or indirectly derived from the sun – and we believe that distributed, local production is an important step on the way, says British TVB-Energy.