All householders, motorists and businesses will have to reduce their carbon dioxide pollution to zero to allow for aircraft greenhouse gases, according to a major study.

The UK's Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research report shows that even if aviation's current growth is halved from today's level the rest of the economy will require carbon dioxide cuts far beyond Government targets for 2050.

Dr Kevin Anderson, who led the research at the Tyndall Centre at Manchester University, said: "If the UK Government does not curb aviation growth, all other sectors of the economy will eventually be forced to become carbon neutral.

"It will undermine the international competitiveness of UK industry."

Aviation is especially polluting because planes burn vast amounts of kerosene fuel at high altitudes.

Its rapid growth stems from falling ticket prices and increasing passenger demand.

The Government's Aviation White Paper predicts UK passenger numbers will more than double from 180 million to 475 million over the next 25 years.

These new findings are part of a five year comprehensive study by the Tyndall Centre that sets out a far reaching agenda for cutting carbon dioxide emissions over the next 45 years.

It details the actions that need to be taken by Government and industry.

The new report called "Decarbonising the UK" describes ways of cutting carbon dioxide emissions from road transport, housing, industry and coal fired power stations and the role of renewable energy, nuclear power and hydrogen fuel in providing low carbon energy supply.

Source: ananova.com
09/21/2005

Sent by: jul
09/21/2005 13:42:35

Belgium could become the first country to introduce self-destructing briefcases to combat attacks on security vans.

Interior Minister Patrick Dewael said his staff were conducting talks with security and technology firms to develop cases that self-detonate when in the wrong hands.

Dewael added that signs on security vans warning that the cases within would automatically destroy their contents if removed would deter armed robbers.

A spokeswoman for secure transport company Brink's, Maxime Vanden Daele, said: "We are hoping Belgium will become the first country to make the use of such cases compulsory."

The Mission Impossible-style cases are expected to be introduced in the country by 2009.

Source: ananova.com
09/16/2005

Sent by: jul
09/16/2005 12:24:45

A student has designed a shower that recycles dirty water.

Peter Brewin, a design student at the UK's Royal College of Art, created the device.

The system re-circulates and cleans used water reports BBC online.

The system could save families around £170 each year.

The shower works in a similar way to a Dyson vacuum cleaner, using filters and hydro cyclones, installed behind the shower unit, to clean the recycled water and reheat it to the desired temperature.

The shower has just won the British Standards Institution 2005 Environmental Design Award.

Peter said he is glad that the shower saves money and looks after the environment, he added: "Designing something which is good for the environment but which has no commercial value did not make sense, because it will never get to market."

The shower has a pause button designed to allows the user to stop the flow until it hits the right temperature.

Source: ananova.com
09/13/2005

Sent by: jul
09/13/2005 16:48:53