“The government-backed plan aims to break the deadlock and pave the way for a new generation of hydrogen-powered cars that will create demand for hydrogen refuelling stations. “The hydrogen highway, running from south Wales, along the M4 corridor into the southeast, will help attract more cutting-edge companies to the area, allowing the southwest to build infrastructure and expertise in another major form of low-carbon power generation,” said Stephen Peacock, executive director at the South West Regional Development Agency.”

More

Simply Green Cornwall Valentine offers here

While few people disagree that Cornwall should work towards alternative forms of energy supply, the positioning of the planned wind farm at Davidstow is a pretty dreadful choice of location. Bodmin Moor is one of Cornwall’s special places and needs to be looked after for future generations as much as energy supplies do.

more

US researchers have genetically modified bacteria to eat carbon dioxide and produce isobutyraldehyde – a precursor to several useful chemicals, including isobutanol, which has great potential as a fuel alternative to petrol.

The modified bacteria are highly efficient and powered by sunlight, so a future goal is to set up colonies near to industrial plants. This would allow greenhouse gases to be recycled into useful chemical feedstock – supplying several hydrocarbons that are typically obtained from petroleum. Read the rest of this entry »

Simply Green Cornwall has posted on Davidstow wind farm – Turbines will ruin view of Bodmin twin peaks

The Scarlet hotel  just launched a  fabulous  video showcasing the hotel,  a stunning short film, excellent music from local talent Ben Howard.  Video created with Sideways Cornwall, who came to film one beautiful weekend in September and got some  amazing shots of the hotel, surrounding beach and bay. If you would like a sneak preview of the hotel, or if you’ve  already visited, gently be lulled into the sense of calm. peace and tranquility of the Scarlet  Hotel  www.scarlethotel.co.uk

CoSERG in its response to the 12 week Consultation on the Proposed Changes to the South West Regional Spatial Strategy 2006-2026 say they believe the ‘south west’ region has no obvious cultural or historical rationale and this might explain the failure to provide the sensitive treatment that Cornwall’s unique combination of socio-economic problems requires.

They say there has been a staggering lack of imagination accompanying the process of top-down regionalization in England and that this approach rests only on “inertia and the acceptance of technocratic planning regions adopted for Census and Poor Law purposes in the 1830s and 1840s.”

The group lists a summary of ten objections to the strategy. They say that they reject the housing figures proposed in the RSS for Cornwall. They believe they are unsustainable, unnecessary and unacceptable and that developer led housing provision cannot meet affordable housing need.

According to CoSERG the increasing urbanization of Cornwall and densification of Cornish settlements will not improve sustainability. They argue that the evidence indicates that such land-use policies will not lead to reduced car dependency.

Much of the housing ‘demand’ in Cornwall arises not from a local need but from people moving here, the group believes. They go on to say, “For some years Cornwall has had high population growth compared to other parts of the United Kingdom. The number of people living in Cornwall increased by 32% between 1971 and 2001 compared to just 6.5% in England.”

As part of an alternative policy for housing, CoSERG recommends a number of changes to the planning system. They suggest that local councils should be able to restrict permission for inappropriate developments, which do not meet local, needs. They also say there is need to ensure that the transfer of residential property to non-residential purposes is subject to obtaining planning permission. Looking at affordable housing, they consider the focus should alter, possibly by directly providing social housing rather than relying on the developer-led approach.

The full CoSERG report called ‘South West Regional Spatial Strategy 2006-2026, Wrong region, wrong assumptions, wrong strategy – A Response to the SWRSS and Secretary of State’s Proposed Changes’ can be found on their website here…Wrong region, wrong assumptions, wrong strategy (PDF)

OR it can be requested by sending an email to: cosergwm@hotmail.co.uk

Release date: 29st October 2008

Save Our Unspoilt Land (SOUL), 15 November 2009

The Austell group SOUL who are opposed to the plans of housing developers, Wainhomes to build 1500 homes, a school, a care village, and employment facilities on the open green fields to the north of St Austell, say on the organisations web site that Wainhomes are to run another consultation exercise on Friday 20th Nov from 5.00pm to 8.00pm, and on Sat 21st Nov from 10.00am to 2.00pm. (Which they emphasise is 2 days after the public exhibition of the Eco Village proposal for thousands of houses to be built at Baal Pit and West Carclaze). SOUL say, “This is even after Cornwall Council Planners wrote to the developer on 27th October, pointing out that their consultation had attracted widespread criticism.”

SOUL say, “The developer has chosen to consult after submitting a planning application, which may raise the question of how the application has taken on board comments made by the people of St Austell. They say added to the plans of Imerys / Orascom to build 2000 dwellings on Baal Pit and West Carclaze, we can expect 3300 new homes over the next few years.”

SOUL are urging people to come to the Eco Town exhibition on Wed 18th Nov at 6.30pm, and to the Wainhomes exhibition on the following Friday or Saturday. The venue is The Keay Theatre for both events.

For more…www.staustellsouls.com

All petitions can be placed free on EcoPetitions, and have the ability to collect comments to add additional weight to the campaign. As of this time we believe that EcoPetitions is the only environmental petition website that allows the visitor to add a supporting comment to their signature.

Currently there is a very popular petition against the proposed St Dennis Incinerator Site, why not check it out and give your support.

Good is Planet Earth