In praise of wind power

A new dawn for supersized wind turbines in the UK? Supersize onshore wind turbines that reach twice the height of Big Ben could be built in England if the de facto ban is lifted. The current tallest wind turbine in England is 126.5m at a site in Essex. Bank Renewables, which developed the wind farm in South Lanarkshire, said it would be looking for sites in England if the ban were revoked. The effective ban was put in place in 2015 by tightening planning restrictions in the National Planning Policy Framework. To end the ban, the relevant planning regulations should be scrapped or clearly…
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How much should I pay for a plastic shopping bag?

It's an inconvenient fact but… everyone should be thinking like this these days (we live in the plastic age, after all). Every plastic bag that's produced for consumers to carry their goods home should have a price attached. Or, every shopper should be responsible for bringing their own bags into the store with them. Did you know that a reinforced, reusable plastic bag has a lower footprint than a paper one? Many shops have now moved to paper bags, which is progress, but also still a waste, because these get thrown away too, often after only one use. Awareness needs to…
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The Circular Economy: it’s time to rethink plastic use

Re-thinking our plastic usage It is clear to us at PRL that the thinking on plastics needs to radically change. Plastics may be versatile materials, but the way we use them is totally wasteful. Every year, millions of tonnes of plastic, worth billions, ends up being trashed, burned or leaked into the environment. 8 million tonnes of plastic leaks into the ocean every year, and that number is on the up. If we don't rethink, then by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish (by weight). So, is it really possible to rethink the way we…
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