This week's blog was going to be a report from the island of Corfu, which was home to one of the founders of modern species conservation, Gerald Durrell. It is also home to the Durrell School, which hosts regular seminars and residencies that have been led in the past by such distinguished environmental campaigners as David Bellamy. Climate change has been noticeable over the past decade or so in the changes to the ferocity of the mosquitoes on the island. My wife has twice had to call on medical treatment because of bites that have become infected. I'm not usually targeted because of my complexion; this year was different. In vain do I search the environment directory for a solution.

Town centres and neighbourhoods have been in the environmental news recently. Oddly enough, the Government's initiative on reviving town centres seems to me to have a modicum of credit to it. I have to admit at this point to never having seen anything on TV with Mary Portius, the lady behind the latest scheme, in it – the epithet 'Queen of Shops' makes me uncomfortable as I am temperamentally anti-shopping.

However, the idea of bringing the centres of towns back into use and encouraging traditional shops and community groups to use the buildings that are already there has to be applauded. The idea that you run some kind of competition where some win and others lose out completely is another story.

The big environment news story at the moment is all about fish. This month has seen talks on reforming the Common Fisheries Policy, with a view to ending discards aiming to regenerate stocks by 2015. Predictably, though, there have been allegations of 'backsliding' by those nations who stand to lose most from the conservation move. Equally predictably, there has been a visible division in the camps between the conservation-minded northern states and the more short-term views of southern Europe, including France.

The main story on the DEFRA site, however, is that the UK's devolved governments have reached an agreement on allocating the quota on an individual national basis. That is assuming there are any fish left after the latest round of wrangling. Greenpeace has initiated an innovative campaign to lobby for a fair and sustainable system. You can 'Be a fisherman's friend' by sending the petition to the Fisheries Minister or even star in your own sea shanty.

The solar industry has "applauded" a statement by the Department of Energy and Climate Change that it was reviewing the date of the cut to the solar Feed-in Tariff. The Solar Trade Association is said to have been 'delighted' by the decision, reported by a number of environment news sources. Someone, variously a-spokesman-said or Climate Change Minister Greg Barker, depending on which report you're reading, is said to have explained the change of heart as a reaction to the industry's representations.

It's only a commitment to 'review', mind, with no firm promises, but it does show that there are elements within this coalition that are prepared to listen at least to what is being said by the people in the industry who are at the sharp end of the market.

Paul Barwell, the STA's chief executive, said in a statement: "It is very encouraging for the future that Government is listening to industry concerns, but we need certainty as soon as possible on the details of when and what the next tariff adjustments will be."

Possibly most surprising is that one of those advising a more environmental approach by the Government was Foreign Secretary William Hague, according to a report in The Guardian. In its environment news pages the paper published a letter said to be from Billy the Kid to the Cabinet, in which he urged the Government to do more to help green industries promote growth. He also warned that without a strong lead on the green economy there was no prospect of international climate change agreement.

That is all very encouraging; but as one tweeter put it, why did he put it in a confidential letter that was then leaked? Why not just say it?

One use of energy that did not meet with universal approval was by the aforementioned Greg Barker, according to a report in The Telegraph. Mr Barker has a dachshund puppy which accompanies him to work sometimes. This dog has a cushion which Mr Barker has on at least one occasion warmed up in the office microwave at the DECC, according to the report. Those who use the microwave to heat their lunches were less than impressed.

The dog, Otto (honest!), is also said to accompany Mr Barker to meetings. According to one source, quoted in the report, the dog was "the most popular member of the DECC ministerial team by a long way". There is no indication as to whether Otto talked the most sense.

Chris Stokes