The town of Swindon is bidding to become the countries most water efficient area. The Save Water Swindon campaign has been launched in conjunction with WWF UK, Waterwise and Thames Water to help ease pressures on the natural environment whilst also helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The plan is for Swindon to be used as an example to the rest of the country as they prepare to reduce their water use. Residents of the Wiltshire town will be supported in their efforts to save water for the next 12 months by the Environment Agency who have deemed the area seriously water stressed.

The average person in Swindon uses 164 litres per person per day, which is approximately 16 litres more per person than the national average. The Government’s target is for people to use 130 litres per day, which is made worse in Swindon as the area has a high population density and water is scarcer than anywhere else in England and Wales.  The Save Water Swindon campaign estimates that by saving 20 litres of water a day, the average home can reduce not only their energy bills by £100 a year, but also their greenhouse gas emissions.

WWF Ambassador and presenter of Grand Designs, Kevin McCloud said -

Save Water Swindon is an ambitious campaign that will set a precedent for how large-scale water efficiency in existing homes can be achieved – with benefits for homeowners and the environment. As we continue moving towards a more holistic sustainable lifestyle, both in our homes and the way we live, water efficiency will play a significant role. Not only will reducing demand for water help reduce the amount we need to take from the environment it can also reduce greenhouse gases and as a result our home energy and water bills.

With up to 6% of the UK’s greenhouse gases resulting from water prep and distribution alone, now is a great time to make a change. To help Swindon reduce its water use, house owners can register online below for a free water saving makeover or have a trained fitter visit their home. Once inside he can give a house a free water audit and then advise on the best water saving products and install them – all for free!

> > Sign up for free water saving makeover

Freshwater Policy and Programme Officer at WWF-UK, Rose Timlett, said -

All the water we use at home comes from the natural environment. People tend not to realise that when they turn on the tap or flush the loo the water could be coming from the local river and when we use too much it’s bad news for the animals and plants that live there. With water use on the up, a growing population and the threat of climate change it’s vital that we all take steps now to reduce the amount of water that’s wasted and help protect some of our most special native species, like the otter, water vole and brown trout. Reducing the amount of water we use is something we can all achieve with minimal effort. We hope that other villages, towns, and cities will follow Swindon’s lead.

Help WWF UK with a Charity Gift

The WWF is a non profit organisation who can only sustain their tireless work in saving the planet and its inhabitants through donations. You can help raise funds through the WWF Adopt an Animal scheme.

From as little as £3 a month you receive a certificate, a print of your animal, a greetings card, and a soft toy that would make a fantastic charity gift for a loved one.

> > Click here to Adopt an Animal with WWF UK

View other top charity gifts

WWF charity officials will be launching a new set of reports on new guidelines for the protection of a new, warmer Arctic. The International Governance and Regulation of the Marine Arctic reports were launched in Denmark to coincide with the visit of Russian president Medvedev and show that new plans need to be put into place for this highly vulnerable environment. As the region is no longer completely ice covered, the area is more susceptible to fishing and shipping, which in turn will have a profound effect on its natural habitat and resources.

Executive conservation director for WWF-International, Lasse Gustavsson, said -

The melting of the Arctic ice is opening a new ocean, bringing new possibilities for commercial activities in a part of the world that has previously been inaccessible. What happens in the Arctic has a global environmental and economic impact. For instance, more than a quarter of the fish eaten in Europe comes from the region, and yet we do not have effective rules for fishing in newly accessible areas.

With the Arctic possibly becoming ice free within decades, commercial ships will be looking to sail the Northern Sea Route above Siberia. This in turn will see more oil and gas exploration where once there was none, with the major possibility of spills in this highly susceptible environment. Due to a lack of clean up rules and infrastructure, this could have a devastating effect not just on the region, but also cause repercussions across the world.

WWF officials will be looking into the legal side of how the possible rapid change could allow irreparable damage to the marine environment. If resource extraction is to take place it needs to be within sustainable limits, as currently it is unclear what these boundaries are. This in turn will help to prevent overfishing and stop pollution accidents and shipping disasters. A new, legally binding Arctic framework will need to be put into place to help ensure the future protection of this delicately balanced region.

Director of Campaigns at WWF-UK, David Norman, said -

It’s time to recognise that the current international rules just can’t cope with the complex challenges of the Arctic region. The ice has protected the Arctic Ocean for hundreds of years; we have collectively removed that protection though our contributions to climate change, and now we must work together to manage the new risks we have created.

Help WWF UK with a Charity Gift

The WWF is a non profit organisation who can only sustain their tireless work in saving the planet and its inhabitants through donations. You can help raise funds through the WWF Adopt an Animal scheme.

From as little as £3 a month you receive a certificate, a print of your animal, a greetings card, and a soft toy that would make a fantastic charity gift for a loved one.

> > Click here to Adopt an Animal with WWF UK

View other top charity gifts

The Magic Snorkel is a great website for divers to not only support shark & marine conservation, but also save themselves money off diving, equipment & insurance. The site itself was first created to help unify the global dive community & the need to actively help save the planet’s oceans and its inhabitants, particularly those that are under threat. The Magic Snorkel’s aim is to raise money to support marine conservation agencies and help them to protect the world’s fragile diving environments.

The website is free to use and has a wide variety of articles, photos and videos highlighting their work in raising awareness for marine conservation across the globe. There really is something for everyone, whether you’re a recreational diver, a pro, or someone who takes an interest in the seas and its inhabitants. The Magic Snorkel also brings together some of the world’s best dive centres, offering its members a reputable places & people to train with at discounted rates. With affiliates across Europe, Asia, Australia and the Caribbean, The Magic Snorkel site is a great way to receive diving discounts across the world whilst also helping to care for the environment that is so precious to the sea creatures that call our place of play home.

> > Click here to visit The Magic Snorkel website

WWF charity officials are absolutely chuffed with the response to this year’s Earth Hour, where millions of people around the world joined forces to highlight public support for action on climate change. The now an annual global event crossed all seven continents in 125 countries, with more than 4,000 cities and towns taking part, making it the biggest switch off ever. People were asked to sign up and switch off their lights for one hour at 8.30pm on Saturday 27th March 2010, and boy did they do so in great numbers!

CEO of WWF UK, David Nussbaum, said -

The largest ever number of countries, people and landmarks joined forces for Earth Hour this year. It was a visible demonstration of the enormous level of support there is around the world, for a united effort to tackle climate change,” “WWF now asks that World Leaders listen to the millions of people who took part, and finish the job they started in Copenhagen last year by creating a fair and ambitious global climate deal.

In the UK alone, landmarks that were plunged into darkness for Earth Hour included Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Number 10 Downing Street, Edinburgh Castle, Belfast City Hall and Wales Millennium Stadium. Other interesting global Earth Hour facts include -

• Google registered 56.1 million mentions of Earth Hour in the lead up 24 hours
• The island government of Tuvali asked that no vehicles should be on the road during Earth Hour
• 31 US State Governors supported Earth Hour
• Major icons in Paris went dark including the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame and the Louvre
• The Prime Minister and President of Pakistan turned off their lights for Earth Hour

Praising the event, UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, said -

Earth Hour is both a warning and a beacon of hope. By switching off non-essential lights for an hour, people will join a symbolic display that can inspire the change we so urgently need. As we watch the lights go out from continent to continent, let us reflect on the fragility and importance of our natural heritage and pledge to protect it for a sustainable future for all.

Help WWF UK with a Charity Gift

The WWF is a non profit organisation who can only sustain their tireless work in saving the planet and its inhabitants through donations. You can help raise funds through the WWF Adopt an Animal scheme.

From as little as £3 a month you receive a certificate, a print of your animal, a greetings card, and a soft toy that would make a fantastic charity gift for a loved one.

> > Click here to Adopt an Animal with WWF UK

View other top charity gifts

WWF UK has shortlisted their final 3 short films for their fantastic Earth Hour, and your vote can help decide the top prize-winner. That’s right, decision time is finally here for the 3 aspiring film makers whose one minute Earth Hour videos have made it this far. Simply click on the link below to check out the finalists and vote, it will only take you a couple of minutes and all 3 shorts a pretty cool. After you’ve chosen your favourite why not tell a few of your friends to vote too!

> > Click here to watch the 3 Earth Hour finalists and videos

The films are fun and inspiring, and your vote could be the deciding factor in who wins the whole competition. Earth Hour commences across the globe on Saturday 27th March 2010 at 8.30pm, when millions of people across the globe will be turning their lights off for one hour in a show of global unity in the call for action against climate change.

So why not get involved by checking out and voting for the videos and turn your lights off at 8.30pm this Saturday, and join millions of other people across the world who want the climate change issues to be resolved as quickly as possible.

Help WWF UK with a Charity Gift

The WWF is a non profit organisation who can only sustain their tireless work in saving the planet and its inhabitants through donations. You can help raise funds through the WWF Adopt an Animal scheme.

From as little as £3 a month you receive a certificate, a print of your animal, a greetings card, and a soft toy that would make a fantastic charity gift for a loved one.

> > Click here to Adopt an Animal with WWF UK

View other top charity gifts

WWF UK is pleased to hear the news that the British government has confirmed that they will be providing millions of pounds in funding for the next stage of the UK’s carbon capture and storage (CCS) competition. The two remaining entries, Scottish Power and E.On, will be receiving huge financial backing for their detailed engineering studies, with Scottish Power’s taking place at their existing coal plant at Longannet in Fife.

These studies will hopefully lead to an immediate net reduction in CO2 emissions from the power sector if it goes ahead. The E.On project would involve the building of a new coal plant at Kingsnorth in Kent if it succeeded, risking the possibility of a new lease of life to this already controversial proposal. The Government is putting through a legislation in the Energy Bill that would enable around £9.5 billion to be raised over a period of 20 years for 4 carbon capture demonstrations, with the money being raised via a levy on consumer electricity bills. The Energy Bill will have its Second Reading in the House of Lords on Tuesday 23rd March 2010.

Dr Keith Allott, head of climate change at WWF-UK said

Moves to demonstrate carbon capture and storage are welcome but it is essential that this technology is tested in a way that benefits the climate from the outset and does not lock the UK into new indefinitely polluting coal plants. Opting now for Longannet would enable the UK to gain experience on the ground relatively quickly and will actually reduce emissions from day one. It is therefore concerning that the Government continues to flirt with a new plant at Kingsnorth that wouldn’t be up and running until 2016 or later and even then, would have 80% of its emissions going to the atmosphere.

It will be a sorely missed opportunity if the Government doesn’t use the Energy Bill to put in place a CO2 emission performance standard that would set robust limits on emissions from power plant. The Government is planning to spend billions of pounds of consumer’s money on demonstrating CCS, an as yet commercially ‘unproven’ technology so it is only reasonable to expect guarantees that the climate will benefit.

Help WWF UK with a Charity Gift

The WWF is a non profit organisation who can only sustain their tireless work in saving the planet and its inhabitants through donations. You can help raise funds through the WWF Adopt an Animal scheme.

From as little as £3 a month you receive a certificate, a print of your animal, a greetings card, and a soft toy that would make a fantastic charity gift for a loved one.

> > Click here to Adopt an Animal with WWF UK

View other top charity gifts

Only 2 weeks now until the WWF charity Earth Hour, which will be taking place in the UK at 8.30pm on Saturday 27th March 2010. Over 1000 cities and towns across the globe will be taking part by switching off their lights to show they care about climate change. 88 countries took part across the world last year and 2010 looks like even more will be taking part in what will be one of the world’s biggest unified messages to the world leaders that climate change need to be dealt with.

World famous landmarks across 25 time zones will be switching off their lights for one hour, including in the UK -

• Big Ben
• Piccadilly Circus
• London Eye
• Royal Albert Hall
• Manchester’s Trafford Centre
• Inverness Castle
• Wales Millennium Stadium

Supported by companies like M&S, Coca-Cola and Ikea, this worldwide phenomenon will show the world’s leader that the people of the planet are serious about stopping climate change. First time participants include Kosovo, Madagascar, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Mongolia, Cambodia, Czech Republic, Paraquay, Ecuador and the US Commonwealth of the Northern Marina Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

Head of Campaigns at WWF-UK, Colin Butfield, said -

This years Earth Hour hopes to attract some one billion people. By signing up to switch off their lights, individuals, businesses, towns and cities can join a global phenomenon and show world leaders that we care about climate change.

> > Click here to sign up for Earth Hour

Help WWF UK with a Charity Gift

The WWF is a non profit organisation who can only sustain their tireless work in saving the planet and its inhabitants through donations. You can help raise funds through the WWF Adopt an Animal scheme.

From as little as £3 a month you receive a certificate, a print of your animal, a greetings card, and a soft toy that would make a fantastic charity gift for a loved one.

> > Click here to Adopt an Animal with WWF UK

View other top charity gifts

If you currently live in a marginal constituency, you have a unique opportunity to be a major influence at the next general election. WWF UK would like to use your influence to help preserve some of the world’s most incredible animals and create a better future for everyone in the country.

You may be wondering what links tigers, the general election and your future, and the answer is climate change. Rising temperatures are putting up to 30% of the world’s species at risk. Tackling climate change not only offers the opportunity to safeguard the wildlife at risk from a warming world, but also to help create a green economy right here in the UK. This could also open up the door for thousands of new green jobs during a time of high unemployment.

This years general election is the perfect opportunity to let your local politicians know that there is public support for action on a greener Britain. WWF UK has teamed up with CAFOD, Christian Aid, Tearfund, Greenpeace, Oxfam UK, RSPB and many other charities to encourage all of their supporters to ‘Ask the Climate Question’. This can be done by

1. Every time a member of a political party asks whatís important to you, list climate change in your top three issues.
2. Attend a candidates political meeting with family and friends to quiz them on climate change.
3. Get involved locally help with this campaign by writing letters to candidates

Marginal constituencies will be closely fought in the country, with political parties taking far greater interest in the views of voters in your area. With the ear of the politicians, now is a great time for you, your family, friends and neighbours to tell them that you are concerned about the future of not just humans, but also the countries wildlife and their habitats due to climate change.

> > Click here to visit the WWF campaign site

Help WWF UK with a Charity Gift

The WWF is a non profit organisation who can only sustain their tireless work in saving the planet and its inhabitants through donations. You can help raise funds through the WWF Adopt an Animal scheme.

From as little as £3 a month you receive a certificate, a print of your animal, a greetings card, and a soft toy that would make a fantastic charity gift for a loved one.

> > Click here to Adopt an Animal with WWF UK

View other top charity gifts

WWF UK is leading a coalition of environmental groups, alongside councils and residents, to battle against the government’s decision to expand Heathrow airport with a new runway. The coalition claims that the third runway will breach UK legal limits on noise and air pollution that in turn will seriously undermine government climate change targets.

WWF UK director of campaigns, David Norman, said –

The decision to allow a third runway at Heathrow blows the chances of setting the UK onto a low carbon pathway completely out of the water. If the targets set in the Climate Change Act are to be meaningful, the government must stop adopting policies that undermine them.

The coalition also claim that the consultation process for the new runway was flawed and that the costs of the project had not been properly assessed and will not benefit the economy. If the legal challenge is successful, the government may also be forced to review its entire aviation policy, with plans already afoot to expand nearly 30 airports across the UK.

The coalition is backed by Transport for London and London mayor Boris Johnson, alongside wildlife charities such as Greenpeace, WWF UK and the RSPB, all claiming that the expansion will increase carbon emissions incompatible with the need for climate change. If the third runway goes ahead the village of Sipson would have to be demolished, with the number of flights increasing by 220,000 a year.

How that can be seen as helping towards the decrease in global warming is anyone’s guess…

Help WWF with a Charity Gift

The WWF is a non profit organisiation who can only sustain their tireless work in saving the planet and its inhabitants through donations.

From as little as £3 a month you can help raise funds through the WWF Adopt an Animal scheme. The recipient gets -

• a soft toy of their selected animal
• a certificate
• a print of your animal
• a greetings card
• plus much more …

> > Click here to Adopt an Animal with WWF

View other top charity gifts

ASDA has continued their environmentally friendly shopping experience with the unveiling of their latest high efficiency store in Bootle, Merseyside. The 40,000 square foot supermarket is ASDA’s latest energy efficient store, with a total cost of an estimated £16m.

Opened last November, the timber-framed store boasts a host of sustainable features, including, recycled bricks, a recycled aluminium roof, rainwater harvesting and natural lighting. The store will also have the ability to be 50% more energy efficient than a typical ASDA store.

7,000 jobs will be created over the next 12 months through the opening of between 10 and 12 new superstores, in addition to a further 1500 jobs created through their Home Shopping and ASDA online.

ASDA Chief Financial Officer, Judith McKenna, said -

‘This major investment demonstrates our on-going commitment to bringing low prices and fantastic service to even more people across the UK. We have an impressive track record of regenerating areas at the edge of and in town centres throughout the UK, showing our ongoing commitment to local communities.’