Many shoppers now look for good energy ratings when they buy new gadgets or appliances – but that’s not the only thing you need to think about before choosing your brand.

Environmental group, Greenpeace, publishes a green consumer guide covering some of the top manufacturers - and in its latest report, computer giant Microsoft and games supremo, Nintendo come off very badly.

The Greenpeace rating takes into account a variety of factors such as the presence of toxic chemicals in a product, whether the company has a good energy-saving record and its commitment to recycling of discarded products.

The guide is updated every three months and the latest, published a few days ago, puts Sony at the top of the tree (although even the Sony score can hardly be described as brilliant since it gets only 5.1 out of a possible 10 marks.)

Others that fare pretty well are Nokia, Samsung and Dell but Microsoft and Nintendo are currently bottom of the league.

Nintendo in particular has an almost non-existent score – managing just 0.8 out of 10, although it has apparently improved slightly on the use of toxic chemicals and is praised by Greenpeace for its commitment to cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

Sadly, it scored a big fat zero on all e-waste criteria, hence its pitiful overall score – which is even well behind the next worst in the league, Microsoft, which gained a score of 2.15.

So, before you invest in the next new piece of equipment, step one is to ask yourself whether you REALLY need it in the first place. We have become a real throw-away society, often discarding perfectly good gadgets just because we want a newer version.

Then, if you still think it’s a must-have, log onto the Greener Electronics Guide and check the environmental score of the big brand-names.

Greenpeace says the guide is designed to make the electronics industry face up to the problem of e-waste. It is pushing manufacturers to get rid of harmful chemicals in their products and it wants to see an end to the stories of “unprotected child labourers scavenging mountains of cast-off gadgets.”

Clearly, if people start buying more from the more environmentally-aware manufacturers, this will provide a big incentive to the poor performers to clean up their act.

Susan

New rules are being introduced to make it easier for consumers to choose “green” electricity tariffs that deliver extra benefits.

According to the government, some suppliers don’t offer many benefits other than satisfying their legal obligation to use renewable energy sources – whereas others also make a contribution to environmental projects or the fight against climate change.

So it is planning a new ratings system that will distinguish between the potential benefits of different green tariffs. That way, you’ll know whether you are paying more just because it’s renewable energy or whether the cost includes extra environmental actions by your supplier such as planting trees.

Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn, says: “I want to make sure that the green tariff market is clear for consumers.” 

He has now written to energy companies asking them to provide “the clearest possible information” about the environmental benefits of their green power and has asked energy regulator, Ofgem, to help collect information for the proposed ratings system.  

He said electricity is like any other product – people want to know what they are paying for – and this applies especially to a green tariff because it often costs more than traditional electricity.

The Carbon Trust says it supports the move because the green tariffs market is unclear and some tariffs deliver minimal extra carbon savings.

It says the sector suffers from significant double counting problems - and it’s essential that the benefits of renewables can be accurately reported by businesses towards their carbon reduction targets.

• The government has also just  announced a new round of biomass grants for  farmers and producers.

Grants of up to £200,000 will be available to support the biomass industry in England which ministers say has the potential to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and cut our carbon emissions.

The grants will apply to a range of crops  including willow, poplar, alder, ash, hazel, lime, grass and straw.

Susan

I was brought up with Belle Vue in Manchester being a promise of a wonderful Saturday afternoon out.

Along with mum, dad and my younger sister Natalie – we’d queue up for the 53 bus that would take us to Belle Vue. I can remember the sun always shining.

The Zoo and Its Inhabitants

We’d walk round the Monkey House, I can still remember the rather strange smell that had us glad to get out into the fresh air.

Then there were the lions and tigers, hippopotamus and bears, not to forget the snakes and lizards in the Reptile House.

We stuffed ourselves with ice cream and candyfloss. These were a rare treat as the war hadn’t been long over including rationing.

As I Went Into My Teen Years

By the time I was into my mid teens Belle Vue had a Ballroom, so Saturday nights would find a group of us girls waltzing and quickstepping the night away – well at least until the last bus was due to leave at 11.00 pm.

My First Date with My Husband Was an Afternoon at Belle Vue

There was a permanent fairground where we enjoyed ourselves.  Although at one stage I lost my dignity when we went on a ride called, ‘Shooting The Rapids.’  I ended up with my full circular skirt up round my waist, while my gallant knight slithered and slid on his back beside me down this chute – that dumped us in a heap at the bottom.

Bob and I Took Our Daughters to Belle Vue

By this time, we had moved to Longsight. This meant Belle Vue was now only a walk away from home.  We would go for a walk through Belle Vue on a Sunday morning.

Saturday nights were filled with the sounds of the Speedway as the motorbikes roared round and round the track.

The fireworks displays also on Saturday nights would light up the sky – often making settling our daughters difficult.

Belle Vue in the Present

Belle Vue Zoological Gardens closed in 1982, after being open for over 150 years.

Now all that’s left of the magnificent Belle Vue is the Speedway that has always been a great money maker.

Plans to Bring Back the Magic of Belle Vue

People with memories of Belle Vue in its heyday are now campaigning to bring back Belle Vue to its former glory.

It is planned that starting May 23rd 2009 there will be a festival called ‘Belle Vue Weekender.’

The Belle Vue Weekender will possibly have two funfairs, street performers, wrestling, bands, magicians and some children’s competitions.

It is to be hoped that bringing Belle Vue back to Manchester will help bring employment back to an area that has a very high unemployment rate.  We were promised a casino but the government changed its mind.

Therefore, the Belle Vue Weekender is not just nostalgia, but an economic need in East Manchester.

Eva

Environmental organisation, Greenpeace, believes it has come up with an excellent solution that could help to meet Britain’s energy needs and reduce C02 emissions.

It has commissioned research into CHP (combined heat and power) which it says shows that industrial sites around the country offer a great opportunity for bulk electricity generation.

According to Greenpeace, power stations in the UK currently waste almost two thirds of the energy they generate - and a massive 20 per cent of our total CO2 emissions come from the fuel which is burned to create this “wasted” heat.

Greenpeace says  the government has so far focused mainly on electricity generation but this accounts for only 17 per cent of our total energy demands whereas almost half of our energy needs are in the form of heat.

It says the government has no heat strategy for the UK and is concentrating on nuclear power which can provide only electricity whereas CHP has the  potential to generate enough power for the annual needs of two thirds of UK households.

The research carried out for Greenpeace by leading energy experts Poyry, claims that this potential could be harnessed by siting combined heat and power plants at existing industrial sites.

And it has identified nine sites around the country where CHP plants could be installed to meet the heat and power needs of local industry and supply electricity back to the national grid.

The proposal also offers substantial cost benefits since an industrial CHP plant is much quicker and cheaper to build than a nuclear power station. (Greenpeace cites the example of a CHP development at Immingham which supplies two refineries in Humberside with heat, steam and power. It is being expanded at the moment and is eventually expected to have the same generating capacity of  Sizewell B power station!)

You can read a summary of the report here

If the statistics stand up, it sounds like the obvious way forward but if it really is that simple then it begs the question – why hasn’t anyone thought about this before now ????

Susan

Almost every day we hear about a new project or initiative that has been set up to fight climate change or protect the environment.

Mostly, they are great campaigns or programmes that have our planet’s best interests at heart -  but with so many of them springing up, it’s getting harder and harder to become excited about another new kid on the block.

But today, I’m EXCITED !

And hopefully, you will be too - once you find out more about 350.  Yes, it’s a short title – and some critics complain that its name is meaningless and doesn’t tell us anything about its aims.

Okay, I’ll concede that at the moment, the name probably doesn’t mean a lot to most people. But it’s short and simple and as its founders point out, numbers are one of the few things that are universal to many countries of the world.

The name, 350, represents the number that top scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide in our atmosphere –measured in parts per million (ppm)

And that’s what the new organisation is all about.  It is looking to build worldwide support for its campaign to get us back to 350ppm. (At the moment, we’re standing at around 387 ppm)

And if its launch video is anything to go by, it stands an excellent chance of reaching the masses – in many different countries.  This video is definitely one to watch.

It sums up the climate change challenge in just 90 seconds (without even using any words until the closing screen) so it will mean something to most people, whatever language they happen to speak.

I reckon the video is a definite award-winner – but see it for yourself and make up your own mind

So, what’s so exciting about 350.org ?  Lots of things actually, but for me, the main two are:

•     it boils down the technical mumbo-jumbo surrounding climate change to a level that an eight-year-old can understand (my daughter is proof of that) and it uses some great analogies to explain the challenges we face and what actions we can take

•    It hasn’t been set up by any government or official agency. It uses mainly volunteers – and its mission is to build “a global grassroots” climate movement

Those involved  – including environmentalist Bill McKibben who wrote one of the first books on global warming for the general public - recognise that many people in many places are already doing their bit to save our planet.

They say their hope is “we can shine a spotlight on the work of existing organisations, highlighting everyone’s incredible work and knitting these many efforts together for a powerful and unified call to action–a call that is global, scientific, and specific.

“By providing a common platform with the 350 target, we can help to stitch together a whole that is truly greater than the sum of its parts, a diverse movement that speaks with one collective voice.”

And so say all of us !!

The 350  launch website is excellent – certainly the best climate site I’ve seen in a LONG while and for those who want a simple history of the subject, there’s an excellent article about it.

Sign up to 350 now….. and take every chance you can to spread the word 

You can find out all you need to know about 350 and how you can get involved here

Susan

Tatton Park has everything to interest all members of the family. There is the Mansion, Gardens, Farm Old Hall, 1 000 acre Deer Park and speciality shops.

Some Events Coming Up

Donkey Party at the Farm

Saturday June 21st

Join us at the farm. We are celebrating the arrival of our newest farm donkey ‘Frosty’.  You can also meet the old favourite donkeys – Dotty and Daisy.

Try out your artistic talents and paint a Donkey Picture.

Help to groom the donkeys and make them look nice and pretty for the visitors.

Plus come and meet Blossom and the Clydesdale’s adorable new foal Tabitha.

Cancer Research Race for Life

Saturday June 21st and Sunday June 22nd.

The race starts at 11.00 am.  Telephone 08705 134314 for further details or to register.

1940’s Weekend – The Way We Were

Saturday June 28th and Sunday June 29th

Tatton’s role in World War II was an important one and is celebrated during this weekend with battle re-enactment on the Home Front.

You can try your hand at make do and mend, dig for victory, wartime cooking, washday and attend an evacuees’ school.

Dance and sing with entertainers.

There will be Displays of Military and Civilian Vehicles.

Step back in time and come dressed up.

The 1940’s Weekend takes place in the Old Hall.  Times are 11.00 am – 5.00 pm (last entry 4.00 pm)

Adults £4, Children £2 or Family (2 adults and up to 3 children) £10

Some More Events Coming Up This Year

Rare Breeds Weekend At the Farm

Saturday July 19th and Sunday July 20th

Meet all our rare breed animals and help raise awareness of the endangered breeds

Summer Activities at The Farm

Tuesday July 29th – Friday August 29th

Donkey grooming, scarecrow making, farmyard collage, paint a picture and fun quiz.

Adopt A Farm Animal Day

Monday August 25th

You can adopt a Home Farm animal. The adoption scheme helps Tatton’s essential conservation and education work.

Kiddy Cook

Saturday September 13th

Kiddy Cook’s unique cooking session encourages children to learn about ‘good’ food and to explore new flavours in an educational and fun way.

Booking essential Tel: 07976 619648.

What’s New At The Farm?

Perfect for all the family, the farm provides a picture of rural life where time stands still since the 1930s.

Children can feed the goats and hens, meet the pigs and donkeys and visit Aunt Mary’s 1930s cottage.

Today the farm is still an authentic working farm that uses traditional farming methods. Recently it has been given Rare Breeds Accreditation for its commitment to helping sustain rare breed farm animals.

Meet The Animals

Pigs

Our pig herd comprises of six rare breeds that are on the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) watch list.

Each individual pig has its own unique personality – this makes them all great characters.

There are likely to be newborn pigs every month.

Horses

Our three Clydesdale horses are the gentle giants of the farmyard with equally big personalities.

Finn is by far the cheekiest, with a fantastic sense of humour.

While Blue is a real gentleman who is great with children of all ages.

Then there is Blossom, our brood mare, she excels at motherhood.  Her latest foal, Talisman born May 2007 – a brother for Jester.

Donkeys

Meet Daisy and Dotty, our adorable donkeys.  Bella is the youngest of the three ladies at just six years old, while Daisy and Dotty are both grand old ladies at 20 years old.  Throughout the year, we often have pampering days for the donkeys – children can help to groom them.

Goats

Loved by their visitors because of their cheeky personalities. Goats are often referred to as the missing link between farm animals and pets.

Visitors can buy goat food from the shop to feed them.

Cows

Tatton Dale is famous for its Red Poll Cattle, brought here in the 1930s by Lord Egerton.

Calves are born during Spring and early Summer, so there is a very good chance to be able to see them.

Sheep

Our flock of 45 ewes lamb once a year in March/April which is one of our farming calendar highlights.

Kippy and Jack

Last but not least are two of our biggest characters at Home Farm.

Meet Kippy, the errr!!! Hard working sheep dog.  Play fetch with her and you’ll be her best friend.

Fearless Jack is our hand reared black and white cat who is larger than life in every sense.

Other Visitor Activities

•    Walking / Cycling
•    Picnics and BBQS
•    Horse Riding
•    Sailing
•    Fishing

Adventure Playground

Conveniently located near the main car park.  Tatton Park’s Adventure Playground is one of the Park’s younger visitors favourite reasons for visiting.
It is suitable for children of all ages and abilities – from toddler to teens.

With over 30 rides, it’s fun and it’s FREE.

Contact Details

General Enquires: 01625 374400

Address: Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire, WA16 6QN

Eva

A massive development is currently underway near Margate in Kent to provide the UK with fresh fruit and salad vegetables all year round.

When completed, Thanet Earth will have greenhouses covering an incredible 80 acres of countryside and will be home to well over a million plants.

The seven huge greenhouses – upto 140m each in length – will be fed by their own reservoirs which will capture and recycle the water in which the crops are grown.

This will allow the site to be self sufficient for water throughout the summer while its combined heat and power system will provide energy for the national grid to offset costs.

Thanet Earth has come about because apparently Brits are chomping their way through ever-growing amounts of fruit and salad (which must be a good thing!)

When finally completed, the UK’s biggest ever greenhouse development will create up to 500 local jobs and increase home grown salad vegetables by around 15 per cent. Cucumbers and peppers will be picked from February until October while tomatoes will be picked throughout the year.

As you might imagine, for a site of this size, even clearing the ground ready for the development was a major undertaking….

I have to admit that  80 acres of glass houses is unlikely to be something you’d like to see in place of the countryside in your area. Fortunately,  the experts say that Thanet Earth type developments are unlikely to be springing up around the country.

The size of site needed isn’t easily available – and apparently there isn’t enough winter light in most parts of Britain to support the greenhouses.

Susan

People all over Britain are being invited to take part in Change Your World week which happens at the end of this month.

And the organisers, Sustrans, are stressing that if we all take just one small step, we can play a part in making a BIG difference.

They reckon that if all of us cut out just one car journey per week, we could reduce overall traffic by an amazing 10 per cent.

And they are asking people to commit to doing just that during Change Your World week which takes place from June 30 until July 5. So, all you have to do is cancel ONE car journey that week and either car share, use public transport, walk or cycle to your destination instead!

Change Your World is asking adults if they remember being free-range when they were kids. Back then, children regularly played outside and got around under their own steam rather than being chauffered everywhere by parents. The organisers says kids today are missing out on all that fun – and fresh air – and they believe the high levels of traffic on our streets is partly to blame.

Sustrans are asking people to sign up to the campaign online and the website has posters and wallpapers that you can download to support the campaign. You can also send e-cards to friends and family asking them to support the event.

You can find out more here

Susan

Wythenshawe Park in Manchester – a park in the middle of the town. It has 275 acres of magnificent landscape.

There are a wide range of facilities in the park:

•    Athletics Track
•    Bowls
•    Children’s Play Area
•    Crazy Golf
•    Horse Riding
•    Tennis Courts
•    Community Farm

Wythenshawe Community Farm is a registered charity and was established in 1984.

Children have a wonderful opportunity to learn about where food comes from and witness the busyness of a working farm.

A large assortment of farm animals including cows, sheep, goats, pigs, ducks and horses. The farm also has an extensive breeding programme – this means at varying times of the year young animals can be seen.

Visitors to the farm can get involved by sponsoring an animal.

Events in the Park from June – September

•    Health Walks on Tuesdays 1.00 pm – 2.00 pm
•    Brass Band on the first Sunday of each month 1.00 pm – 3.30 pm
•    Wythenshawe Hall opens for the summer, with a brand new exhibition – ‘A Park for the People’.
•    Woodcarving in the Park
•    Tales and Tours
•    Peter Pan Outdoor Theatre
•    Children’s Craft and Storytelling Drop-Ins
•    The Magic Garden
•    A Park for the People Memory Trail

Historical Information on Wythenshawe Park

From the late 1300’s, Wythenshawe descended through the Tatton family, who lived at Wythenshawe Hall.  The most dramatic incident in the Tatton’ long history was over the winter of 1643 – 44 when the site was attacked by Cromwell’s parliamentarian soldiers during the Civil War.

Robert Tatton a Royalist kept the Hall in a state of defence but surrendered on February 27th 1644 after two cannons were brought from Manchester.

By 1830, a number of fields around the Hall were opened to create an area of parkland.

In 1926 the hall and parkland was bought by Lord and Lady Simon at a time when the City Council was developing Wythenshawe as ‘The Garden City’, providing new housing for families being moved out of the then deprived areas of the city.

It was given to the city, ‘to be kept forever as an open space for the people of Manchester,’ and was intended for the recreational use of people living on the newly built nearby Wythenshawe Housing Estate.

Since that time the park has been a place of recreation, learning and enjoyment for the people of Manchester.

Education Programme

The Park Wardens are friendly and experienced and offer a variety of environmental – based activities which can either simply be for enjoyment or as part of a programme of learning for the National Curriculum.

Activities can include tours and planting sessions in the Horticultural Centre, to woodland exploring and orienteering.

Visits can be tailor made to suit and cost £1.50 per child.  For bookings etc call Phillipa Lloyd on 0161 998 2117.

For Manchester Schools Only

A Tudor Workshop is currently available at Wythenshawe Hall on Mondays.  This is FREE.

For more information please contact the Development Officer on 0161 998 2117.

Stop to Eat at the Courtyard Tea Room

The newly refurbished tearoom in the Courtyard is now open.

Throughout the Winter, a careful and imaginative restoration programme converted the historic former stables block into a comfy and spacious café.  Where you can enjoy a range of hot and cold beverages and snacks.

Opening hours are:  Weekends and School Holidays – 10.00 am – 3.30 pm.

The café can be hired for private functions. For further information call
0161 998 5083.

Put Wythenshawe Park on your list of ‘place to go this summer.’

Eva

Europe is home to less than 10% of the world’s total population – but apparently we use more than our fair share of resources.

According to the European Environment Agency, we consume around 15% of the world’s energy – and almost a quarter of all paper produced on the planet!

Speaking at the opening of Green Week in Brussels last week, EEA executive director, Jacqueline McGlade, said: “Europeans have become a society of consumers. Consumption fuels our economy. Shopping for some has become a favourite pastime, even a hobby.”

Professor McGlade said our high - and ever-rising - consumption has a real effect on the environment and ambitious policies are needed to steer Europe in a more sustainable direction. At the moment, any efficiency improvements we do make are often outweighed by rising consumption.

For example, although average fuel consumption per car has dropped by 10 % due to technical improvements since 1990, the overall fuel consumption actually increased by 20 % - mainly because car ownership has increased and people now travel further.

And Prof. McGlade says it is a sad fact of life that many drivers still prefer larger and less fuel-efficient cars.

She added:“Our current consumption and production patterns may well lie behind our material wealth - but they are also responsible for many negative impacts on the environment.

“These impacts are rising and could lead to significant consequences for our planet and humankind if action is not taken to put our consumption and production on a sustainable path

Susan