I have to say this latest expedition to Mars has really caught my imagination.  Continue Reading

As everyone who has read The Human Race knows I love stats and facts and recently came across a really interesting take by the US Geological Survey on how to represent the amount of water on the planet. Continue Reading

I went to see Coldplay last night in Manchester at the Ethiad Stadium along with 50,000 others. It was brilliant. We were dazzled with a fabulous 2 hour set complete with PyroTechnics, the most incredible monster size HD screens and a dazzling light show courtesy of the 25,000 or so wirelessly triggered wrist bands which flashed different colours at various points during the concert. Continue Reading

The Government published its annual report last week lauding the growth of the UK’s green economy – apparently the green goods and services market is now worth £122bn and the low carbon economy now employs almost one million people. Continue Reading

Are we slowly sucking the fun out of life? I refer of course to the news that Google has been given the go ahead to launch a self driven car in Nevada. That’s right. A car that drives itself without the need for human intervention. Continue Reading

This passed me by last year but is back this coming weekend for its second incarnation. I’m talking about the UK Green Film Festival, which will be screening films from around the world that explore some of the big environmental issues of the day. Continue Reading

I have to say it’s been interesting to see UK energy policy taking shape over the last six months with forays into areas that ten years ago would have seemed preposterous. Continue Reading

I love podcasts and use them all the time – what busy person wouldn’t in today’s world and I’m no different although one downside is that yesterdays or last week’s news tend to be your current affairs. Continue Reading

Let’s get this straight. I’m a huge Iceland fan – the country that is! As many of you know I located most of my first thriller, The Human Race, there after a visit in 2001 and completely fell in love with everything …the people, the geology, the way of life, its peace – all combined to send me home with a perception that Iceland is a clean, green and healthy country. Continue Reading

According to Mayan mythology a cataclysmic or transformative event will occur on 21^st December, 2012. Exactly what is open to some debate but interpretations range from mankind undergoing ‘a positive physical or spiritual transformation’(whatever that is!), through to Earth’s collision with a black hole or passing asteroid, or with a planet called “Nibiru.” Continue Reading

I’ve often alluded to the power of Mother Nature in my blogs and with good reason – it makes mankind look puny by comparison. And so we are but, collectively, we sure pack a big punch. However it might be even bigger than we all previously thought.   Continue Reading

Were you involved in Greenpeace’s dirty data campaign against Facebook? If so a big slap on the back. Last December Facebook ceded defeat and announced its goal to run on clean energy in the future – in other words move away from coal power. Continue Reading

It’s always been one of those questions for me. A little like ‘What does a tonne of CO2 look like?’ – something I looked into last autumn.

Well, the answer to this latest question is that the length of time these gases stay in the air differs from gas-to-gas. Continue Reading

I’ve blogged about failure before, but my attention turned back to the topic after reading the Steve Jobs biography by Walter Isaacson.

Notably, Steve Jobs had some very high profile failures. The first was his ignominious booting out of Apple – the company he had founded – followed swiftly by his reasonably unsuccessful tenure at the helm of NeXT, before his return to Apple in 1996. Most people would probably not consider these chapters in his life failures, per se. At least not financially; when he left Apple he was worth some $200 million and was subsequently able to sell NeXT back to Apple for a sum in excess of $400m. So these were hardly failures – or were they? Continue Reading

Now here’s a thought provoking start to your week: Rupert Read, a Philosopher at the University of East Anglia has suggested creating a new council responsible for protecting the Earth for future generations.

Read’s report, Guardians of the Future, suggests that this new democratic body, to be known as Guardians of Future Generations, would have two core powers. Firstly, it would have the ability to veto legislation that threatens the basic needs and interests of future people. It would also have the power to force a review, following suitable public petition of any existing legislation that threatens the interests of future people. Continue Reading

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…

Unfortunately it’s also the most wasteful.

I recently declared that I want to aim to cut my carbon emissions to zero within the next ten years. There are few things more likely to ruin my chances than Christmas. What with sacks full of presents all wrapped in fancy paper and ribbons, and all of them sat under a tree that has been cut down in its prime; is this really the season to be jolly? Jolly environmentally careless more like.

So after some serious thought and a bit of digging around online, here are five ways to keep your carbon emissions at a minimum and enjoy the season of goodwill ‘green guilt’ free.

1.       Buy local

It is commonplace nowadays for Christmas gifts to come from across the globe. Whether from eBay or Amazon, the shipping implications contribute significantly towards global carbon emissions. Buy from local independents and you’ll be doing your bit for the environment without anyone even realising it.

2.       Grow your own Christmas tree

Rather than buying an environmentally harmful artificial tree that is made up of non-biodegradable materials – and most of which are created and shipped over from Asia – why not grow your own? Plant one in your garden and see it blossom over the course of the year. Arguably more fun than unwrapping a fake tree, the grow-your-own option is even more eco-friendly than not having one at all as real trees breathe out oxygen into the atmosphere.

3.       Wrap presents in recycled material

Think newspaper and decorative sweet tins lying around the house. Rather than trudging out to the shops to buy numerous rolls of wrapping paper and decorative ribbons that will get binned, why not wrap presents with a personal touch? For small presents, painting jam jars with a festive theme is the perfect way to wish someone a merry Christmas, while doing your bit for the environment. For larger gifts, why not save up cereal and shoe boxes throughout the year and wrap them in paper that you’ve decorated yourself? Not only will you be saving the environment, you’ll be saving money too.

4.       Don’t overindulge

Christmas often results in overindulging, in every way. We all head out to our nearest supermarket to go and do our “big shop” and stock up for the season. But is this really necessary? Do we really need to buy the biggest turkey in the store? Will we really eat a full cheeseboard and all those tins of chocolates on offer three for two? Probably not. Buy what you know you’ll be able to eat and perhaps treat yourself to another bottle of mulled wine with the money you’ve saved. But only if you know that you’ll drink it.

5.       Compost what’s left

If you do find yourself with some leftovers after the big day is over, it’s a great idea to compost any excess vegetables or suitable waste. Compost bins are relatively cheap to purchase from most local garden centres, so you don’t have to order online or break the bank to do so. Alternatively, why not build your own composting bin? Instructions on how to do so can be found here, courtesy of the University of Missouri. The end product – finished compost or humus – can benefit the environment in a number of ways, primarily as a natural fertilizer for gardening.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year.

Best wishes,

O.C. Heaton

Image credit: Jess Spear…