he London congestion charge zone will be halved in size after a decision by Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, to abolish the western extension introduced last year by his predecessor, Ken Livingstone. Transport for London will lose £70million per year in income from the scheme. All profits were invested in the transport network and fares are likely to rise to pay for the shortfall. The extension, covering Kensington and Chelsea and part of Westminster, will not be removed until Spring 2010 while Mr Johnson undertakes the legal process of rescinding the... 

Thousands of tonnes of rubbish collected from household recycling bins may have to be stored in warehouses and former military bases to save them from being dumped after a collapse in prices. Collection companies and councils are running out of space to store paper, plastic bottles and steel cans because prices are so low that the materials cannot be shifted. Collections of mixed plastics, mixed paper and steel reached record levels in the summer but the “bottom fell out of the market” and they are now worthless. The plunge in prices was caused by a sudden... 

American scientist has demonstrated a new way to capture energy from the sun, the method increases the the power generated by solar panel tenfold. The new technique involves coating glass with a specific mixture of transparent dyes which redirect light to photovoltaic cells in the frame.It was outlined in the journal Science. This technology which is expected to  be in production withing about three years can turn glass buildings into huge renewable energy plants.  Read More →

Leading Japanese car manufacturer Honda has begun the first commercial production of a zero-emission, hydrogen fuel-cell powered vehicle. The four vehicle, called FCX Clarity, runs on electricity produced by combining hydrogen with oxygen, and emits H20 (water vapour) instead of the C02, one of the gases that are said to cause ozone depletion. The car is said to offers three times better fuel efficiency than a traditional, petrol-powered car. At present, Honda plans to produce 200 of the cars over the next three years. Unlike LPG and other alternative... 

Plans to ban or charge for single-use plastic bags are a diversion from the real environmental issues, a  government adviser said. Waste and recycling expert Professor Chris Coggins said such a government policy allowed the supermarkets to pass on responsibility to customers. Professor Coggins was extensively quoted in a BBC article which can be read in full here.  Read More →