A Rochdale company and its director have been ordered to pay £14,484 in fines and costs, after they pleaded guilty to operating a waste transfer station at Klondike, Rochdale without the relevant environmental permits to make their operations legal.

The Environment Agency brought the prosecution against Roeacre Limited and its director Peter Cordwell on Wednesday 26 October, following numerous complaints from local residents, including reports of excessive noise from metal workings.

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill prohibiting American aviation operators from taking part in the E.U. Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).
If it became law, the European Emissions Trading Scheme Prohibition Act of 2011 would ban U.S. airlines from taking part in the ETS, which is due to come into force on January 1st.

The bill will now be considered by the U.S. Senate. President Obama supports the bill, so it is likely to be passed.
Earlier this month, Advocate General Juliane Kokott of the European Court of Justice gave advice that the E.U. ETS is compatible with international law, regarding a case brought against the E.U. by American airlines, who believe it is not.

Chris Huhne and Greg Barker today reiterated the Government's commitment to renewable energy, highlighting especially how many jobs it is helping to create.

Energy Secretary Chris Huhne addressed the RenewableUK annual conference in Manchester, where WWF has launched a report which demonstrates how Britain could meet between 60 and 90% of its electricity demand from renewable sources by 2030.

And in London, Energy Minister Greg Barker announced that state aid approval has been granted by the European Commission for the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), enabling it to be launched for commercial purposes.

A knee jerk cut in feed in tariffs will kill the solar industry, according to Alex Lockton, managing director of solar installation company Freesource Energy.

The Feed in Tariff cut is expected to be announced imminently, with a 50 per cent cut being widely reported today (Thursday October 27).

“We can just about live with a 50 per cent cut in the feed in tariff. The cost of solar panels has come down since the tariff was introduced last year, so we recognise the need for a reduction in the subsidy.

Making the impossible possible


Building a glacier in the dessert. It seems impossible, but artist Ap Verheggen, together with experts from Cofely Refrigeration, successfully conducted the first tests to prove different.

Verheggen, known from previous arctic projects that drew attention worldwide, in cooperation with Cofely Refrigeration, specialist in cooling technique, proved that it is possible to generate a glacier in a dessert in a ‘climate simulation’. They discovered that it is possible to create ice in extreme dry and hot conditions. By using solar energy in the most optimal way it can even be done without adding water. This is an important step in realizing an new art project: SunGlacier.

With weather forecasters warning that the UK may suffer from the coldest Winter in decades the Royal Horticultural Society is advising gardeners to get prepared.

“Admittedly it is difficult to predict the long term weather forecast but when it comes to gardening there’s no harm in preparing for the worst and now is the time to do it,” says RHS Horticultural Advisor Nicola Bristow. “A little planning and preparation will help ensure plants survive the deepest snowfall or hardest of frosts. Believe it or not cold Winters can actually be good for gardens as warm Winters may prevent the protective deep dormancy in many trees and shrubs. If this happens it increases their susceptibility to later frosts and scorch caused by cold winds.”

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The versatility of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) piping for hydroelectric power generation schemes is being increasingly recognised by estate owners in the Scottish Highlands following the successful completion of three projects.

Fusion Marine Ltd, the Oban based high volume water piping specialist, working with consulting engineer Adrian Laycock Ltd, have installed plastic piping for three hydro projects in Argyll at Glencreran, Barguillean and Achnacree. Several other local contractors were also involved and played a crucial role in the successful completion of the projects.