IMPACTS Spring 08

Dear Contact,

Spring now seems to be springing, time to let you know about our latest online environmental goodies....

Carbon Counting

UK carbon emissions in 2007 were down 2%, thanks to less coal use - rather than implementation of any of those policies.

Talking of which, we have created a page called "Policy Cacophony of Carbon", that lists - and links to, 50 UK/UN polices dealing with carbon reduction in the main business sectors.

Check out our "portal search" engine which searches top 100 carbon sites.

Keep your eye
on our Noticeboard in

for all latest developments in the low-carbon world

Sustainable Food.
Till last week we were No1 when you googled "sustainable food", but DEFRA have overtaken us. We have added a "world food page about different diets" and are keeping up with discussions about food 'labels for sustainability'.

Charlie was on Radio 4's "Food Programme" going on about how local food production (in Ribble Valley Food Trail, Lancashire) can help drive the development of "Sustainability Skills" on the land. Listen to interview

We will need more sustainability skills, especially now that the "Food Crunch" of rising food prices is upon us. Look at what we said on "What is sustainable food?" PPT at Green Feast Conference.

Look out in next few days about some disagreements (eg New Scientist) within new intergovernmental body, called IIASTD, that will makes decisions about how agricultural science can help hunger, improve nutrition and provide sustainable development.

You may have come across a "Flexible Framework" (pdf) that helps public procurement (eg PASA for food) become more sustainable. We've put it into more active language with relevant links, to show how both our own and others' endeavours can help implement more sustainable food systems.

EPAW Home

Co-operative Ethical Food Policy went public in March and made mention of pesticide reduction for which we have built an online Pesticide Reduction Programme.

For years, we have adopted and adapted Environmental Management Systems for all sorts of similar situations. However, we avoided developing an e-Environmental Management System, believing there were enough people covering that area. However, we noticed that there isn't a completely paper-free version (there some online systems withdownlaodable Word/Excel sheets which you then print off. We use our online databases to enter the appropriate and relevant data. Have a look what we are up to "Environmental Management System".

Health & Safety Practices

We have advocated for some time that there should be National Occupational Standards for the Environment, and that these could be modelled on ENTO's H&S
NOSs (New version May 2007). This case is made more fully in an article we have written for Environment UK Spring 08 (p40-41).