Get Wet n’ Wild on 2nd February!

2012 World Wetlands Day on 2^nd February is a cause for celebration! CIWEM urges the UK to visit your local wetland centres, woodlands and coastal areas to enjoy many of the benefits wetlands offer society, highlighting their importance economically, environmentally and spiritually.

2011 was a good year for the natural environment with a number of high profile documents being released in support of wetland protection. The UK National Ecosystem Assessment (UK NEA) marked the first analysis of the UK’s natural environment in terms of the benefits it provides to society and continuing economic prosperity. This provided the evidence for the Natural Environment White Paper, the first for more than 20 years, which highlighted the importance of placing the value of nature at the heart of our decision making.

Both of these documents identified the many benefits of wetlands including recreation, flood alleviation, biodiversity and habitat diversity alongside the increasing pressures they face. Wetlands are very sensitive to subtle changes in water supply and quality, including acidity, nutrient levels and water table fluctuations alongside economic factors associated with population growth, economic prosperity, and increased demand for land for intensive agriculture compounded further by competing agricultural and environmental policies. 2012 looks set to be an increasingly challenging year, with drought forecast across the South East.

Effective measurement and consideration of ecosystem services will deliver significant steps in alleviating many of these pressures. However, this is problematic as precise figures for the current extent of the UK’s Wetlands remain difficult to calculate. Alongside this the delivery of their ecosystem services depends on their ecological condition and actual location within the landscape. More technical data is therefore required to manage this resource effectively. CIWEM offers support for this work and urges the wider public to demonstrate their commitment through visiting their local wetland reserves.

CIWEM Executive Director, Nick Reeves OBE, says: “This year’s World Wetlands Day highlights the role of responsible tourism in supporting both wetlands and people. CIWEM urges the people of the UK to go out and visit a local reserve, helping to support the many charitable groups that run our wetlands and adding their voice to the message that wetlands play an important and intrinsic role to this nation’s well being”

The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) is an independent professional body and a registered charity, advancing the science and practice of water and environmental management for a clean, green and sustainable world www.ciwem.org

This press release is presented for your information only.

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

“Sniper in Helmand”, the book the MOD tried to stop, has been published

Pen and Sword Books Launch New Title “Sniper in Helmand” - the Book That the MOD Tried to Stop Being Published

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

“Sniper in Helmand” is a thrilling action-packed, yet very human, account of both front line service in the intense Afghanistan war and first-hand sniper action. Having never planned to write a book, James was encouraged to write down his experiences as part of his treatment for post traumatic stress disorder

January 2012 : Few soldiers are deemed good enough to be selected and trained as snipers and even fewer qualify. As a result, snipers are regarded as the elite of their units and their skills command the ungrudging respect of their fellows - and the enemy.

James Cartwright is one such man who recently served a full tour of duty with 1st Battalion the Royal Anglian Regiment in Helmand Province. “Sniper in Helmand”, the book that the MOD tried to stop being published, describes the highs and lows of almost daily front line action experienced by our soldiers deployed on active service in arguably the most dangerous area of the world.

As part of the Battle Group’s crack Mobile Operations Group, James’s mission was to liquidate as many Taliban as possible. His book, the first to written by a trained sniper in Afghanistan, reveals the psychological pressures and awesome life-and-death responsibility of his role and, in particular, the deadly cat-and-mouse ‘games’ with the enemy snipers intent on their own kills. The author scored many kills, including a confirmed kill at over 1000 metres, one of the longest sniper shots with a .36 cal rifle ever.

Andy McNab inspired James to join the army and has written a moving foreword. James Cartwright, a pseudonym as his true identity cannot be revealed due to him being a Sniper. Snipers' identities are not allowed to be revealed for their own safety, served with the Royal Anglian Regiment.

With over 350 books published every year, Pen & Sword has established itself as a specialist book publisher. Over recent years the company has continued to grow and is now one of the UK’s leading military history publishers.

http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/sniper-in-helmand/p/3251/

This article is based on the press release by the publisher and a review is to follow shortly and we will see as to whether the book lives up to the publishers' announcements.

© 2012

Outdoor Allergens Can Persist Through Winter, Notes COIT Cleaning and Restoration Company

High pollen counts were recorded in many parts of the country this year, spelling trouble for American allergy sufferers

San Francisco, CA : According to COIT, a leading supplier of specialty cleaning and disaster restoration services, high pollen counts were recorded in many parts of the country this year, spelling trouble for American allergy sufferers. For some, the problem persisted through fall and is still a risk as winter progresses. Pollen often finds its way into homes, where it can get trapped in draperies, blinds, and other window treatments. As a result, COIT, which is headquartered in San Francisco, recommends that families with allergy-sensitive individuals address indoor allergens to protect family members.

According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), most people use the term “hay fever” to describe allergic reactions to all plants that produce pollen, although 75 percent of Americans who are allergic to pollen-producing plants are allergic to ragweed. Allergy symptoms include eye irritation and puffiness; a runny or stuffy nose; sneezing; and an inflamed, itchy nose and throat. Severe allergy sufferers can experience asthma attacks, chronic sinusitis, headaches, and impaired sleep.

“Pollen allergies are no joke, and people often wonder why their symptoms linger after allergy season has officially ended,” Bob Kearn, President and CEO of COIT, said. “What they don’t realize is that pollen can enter the indoor environment through open doors and windows, on clothing and pets, and even on footwear. Once inside, it can cling to carpeting and furniture, as well as to the folds in draperies, blinds, and window treatments.”

The AAFA notes that ragweed pollen, which is almost exclusively responsible for fall allergy symptoms, has been measured 400 miles out to sea and up to two miles up in the atmosphere. “It’s not a surprise that such an efficient traveler can wind up in your draperies,” Kearn said.

COIT was founded in 1950 as a single dry cleaning business, and drapery cleaning is the company’s signature service. In addition to removing persistent pollens, professional drapery cleanings remove dust, smoke, odors and soil.

COIT recently announced that in 2012 it will complete installation of GreenEarth® Dry Cleaning machines in all of its company-owned stores in the U.S. making its drapery cleaning process more eco-friendly. “COIT cares about the affect of the indoor environment on allergy sufferers and the health of the outdoor environment,” Kearn explained.

With more than 60 years of industry experience in the U.S., Canada and Thailand, COIT is a leading supplier of carpet, upholstery and drapery cleaning services. The company also provides tile & grout cleaning, air duct cleaning, and 24-hour emergency restoration services. COIT's impeccable reputation offers customers the peace of mind that comes from knowing every job will be done right the first time.

Disclosure & Disclaimer Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

This article is for your information only and the GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW does not (necessarily) approve, endorse or recommend the product, service or company mentioned.

Parks and green spaces given opportunity to contribute to the London 2012 Games legacy

After Love Parks Week Community Games are granted the Inspire mark by the London 2012 Inspire programme

Love Parks Week has been granted the London 2012 Inspire mark which recognises outstanding projects and events helping deliver the Games’ lasting legacy. The London 2012 Inspire programme enables non-commercial organisations across the UK to link their events and projects to the London 2012 Games in an official scope. The London 2012 Inspire programme recognises innovative and exceptional projects that are directly inspired by the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

As a part of the Inspire programme this year Love Parks Week will include the option for event organisers to run London 2012-themed Community Games. These free Community Games are a way of bringing the fun and excitement of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to cities and towns across the UK. These games are to be hosted in parks and green spaces as a part of Love Parks Week 2012 and will allow organisers to use the prestigious Inspire brand.

These Community Games will also promote the lasting environmental and community benefits of our nation’s parks and green spaces. Tess Stackley, Campaign Manager said “Working with the Inspire programme gives us a great platform to highlight how our parks and green spaces can provide everyone with a place for maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle. We envision people who come to these Community Games will return to their parks with their friends, family or on their own to stay active, take up a new sport and get the proven health benefits from spending time outdoors.”

Seb Coe, Chair of the Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games said: “The Inspire programme is ensuring the legacy of the 2012 Games starts now as projects like Love Parks Week are enabling people who work in and enjoy spending time in their parks to make positive changes in their surrounding area.”

In addition to educating the public about the benefits of green spaces for individual health and social development, these Community Games will help to deliver a sustainable Olympic Games by bringing some of the fun and excitement to towns and villages across the UK. Instead of traveling into London to feel as though they are a part of the 2012 Olympics, people will be able to celebrate the build up to the opening ceremony in their local park or green space during Love Parks Week.

Park facts for health:

1. The difference in the weight gained for children living near green and non-green areas was 5.1kg for girls aged 16 years and 5.9kg for boys.

2. Populations exposed to the greenest environments have the lowest levels of health inequality.

3. Children living close to busy roads are more at risk for respiratory illness, including asthma.

4. Access to quality green space decreases a person’s blood pressure, cholesterol and stress, while increasing their ability to face problems and become involved in social activities.

5. Daily gardening reduces the likelihood of developing dementia by 36%.

Love Parks Week is organised by parks charity GreenSpace. GreenSpace is a registered charity which works to improve parks and green spaces by raising awareness, involving communities and creating skilled professionals. For more information: www.green-space.org.uk.

The size of farming

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

Farms in the western world and we include in this term the Antipodean countries, and such places, are becoming bigger and bigger and we are being told that we have to accept this trend as this is the only way to go forward.

Keeping in step with this growth pattern farm machinery, that is to say tractors, combines, sprayers, etc., also are getting every bigger and more and more sophisticated. The latter to such an extent that the driver of today's modern farm tractors and combines is just becoming someone who inputs the data and them monitors the operation. The machines can plow, etc., via satellite. Great for straight lines, but what if and when technology finally fails.

A great majority of farms in the USA, in Canada, in the UK, Australia and a couple of other such places, nowadays fall more and more under the term “factory farm”, for lack of a better expression, and the big old farming estates of Europe and such are not even close in size and operations. In fact many of the old large estates in Eastern Europe are still worked in almost the same wasy as before World War II.

With the ever bigger machinery and scale of operations, highly dependent of fossil fuels, especially petroleum products, and not just for running the machines, I just wonder as to how people think that this is going to continue with petroleum products becoming more and more expensive on an almost daily level. We are running out of cheap and abundant oil and thus it will get more and more expensive.

The huge farming operations are not sustainable and, in fact, do serious harm o to the environment, our health and the Planet as a whole.

Chemical fertilizers, based, predominately on petroleum products pollute the soil and the water and rob the soil of its ability to support life. Herbicides and pesticides pollute the environment, and us, directly and through the food that we eat and the water that we drink and even the very air that we breathe.

Use, or should we better call a spade a spade and say overuse, of antibiotics in animal farming is making us all sick and is creating superbugs, including MRSA and such like. Things have to change and they must change pronto; ideally now, this very moment.

To think that we can continue to grow farms and their operations more and more and bigger and bigger, as our governments, the farming lobby, and the general powers that be so, is absolutely ludicrous. It is not sustainable and the attempt is just to purposely destroy the (small) family farms, which is the very aim, in fact, methinks.

However, you do not have to have all the huge machines and run your farm like a factory and farming as an industry.

Instead of bigger and bigger our farms in the “developed” world – I sometimes really wonder about the “developed” bit – must be brought down to size again and everyone also must do his part in food growing.

We must return to the small, family-owned and -operated, or to community-owned and -operated, farms.

Small is beautiful also and especially in the farming sector and the Amish farms can stand as an example of this is the modern world. They are the only farms in America that don't just break even; they actually make a profit and a very handsome one at that.

© 2012

The USA: Now also the Internet policeman?

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

Not content with its self-appointed role as world cop the United States now have decided it also must police and have total control of the Internet, with full power of decision as to what is allowed and what is not.

This is rather interesting if we consider that if and when Iran, or China or any other any other country block access to certain sites, especially American propaganda ones, the US is the first to call “foul” or “illegal censorship”. It appears there are two standards and two set of rules; one for the USA and one for everyone else.

While, according to the USA, it is foul and illegal censorship when sites, especially American sites, are being blocked by China, Russia, Iran, it is not, it would seem, when it is done by or on behest of the American government and its backers.

A variety of supposed justifications are put about as also in the latter half of January 2012 when Megaupload, a major file sharing and -hosting platform, was shut down but the US authorities and four people were arrested in conjunction with this in New Zealand on order of the FBI.

The SOPA proposals are not even law as yet and still the US takes it upon itself to close down websites or orders, and I stress orders, other countries to shut them down.

America is getting too big, way too big, for its little boots. A serious counterbalance is needed. Someone, some country, who is prepared to put the US in its place but there is no one left out there.

The USSR, which was the counterbalance, faulty as it was, is history: Others just simply do not exist with the possible exception of China.

When President Obama came to power it was hoped by many that the excesses and abuses of the Bush era were at an end. Alas, it was all but rhetoric and business continues as usual.

The SOPA proposals began under Bush, if I am not mistaken, and Obama and those that actually pull the strings behind the scenes – yes, all any US President is is a puppet – want this power and even more in order to totally control the Internet.

The Powers-That-Be do not like the freedoms of the Internet (and of digital publishing) and the fact that it gives ordinary people a voice as citizen journalists and -reporters, as Bloggers. The fear the Blogger like nothing else.

The Internet allows – in its current state – people to publish and distribute their own books without the control of publishing houses and the censors and that too goes very much against the grain of The Powers-That-Be.

To The Powers-That-Be the Internet, and the freedom that it gives people, is an anathema and while they may – as a cover – have a go at the likes of China with regards to restrictions imposed there on Internet usages, etc., the restrictions that they have in mind to impose on the Internet per se are even more draconian than those restrictive countries employ.

They know that the Internet can be a tool used against them and hence they will try to find a way, under guises and excuses, curb the Net and its freedoms, if we are not careful.

The most dangerous government is not one that is (openly) hostile against its people and its neighbors but one that seems to be benign and friendly. It is those where we let our guard down at our peril for they are capable of lulling us to sleep.

The Powers-That-Be, which control the US, and probably, by proxy, also the UK and the EU, are not benign and the Internet, and the capacity that it gives to the people, gives them the jitters. And while, as said, they may rant and rave when during demonstrations and actions such as in the “Arab Spring” the Internet was cut in places such as Egypt, Libya, etc., they intend to do the very same if protests happen on their patch.

America, however, is the one that wants to call the shots and that absolutely everywhere, as one can see by the actions against Megaupload (and the attempt to silence WikiLeaks). One can but wonder as to what was really being distributed by Megaupload. Was it a movie about something sensitive or what?

The US government has ordered YouTube before to pull videos and user accounts with regards to footage from demonstrations such as the Occupy Movement ones and the related brutal police actions against peaceful protesters, and others. So, I guess we may as well wonder...

We need to have a counterbalance again and in the lieu of the USSR is will have to be “We The People”.

© 2012

Over 50% of Germany's renewable energy is owned by citizens & farmers, not utility companies

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

Sometimes, while not liking them for other reasons, I must wonder as to whether Germany and the Germans are some of the only ones, if not indeed THE only ones, who actually get green and eco properly.

A solar complex in Bavaria, southern Germany

Germany's promotion of renewable energy rightly gets singled out for its effectiveness, most often by me as an example of how to do things well versus the fits and starts method of promotion common in the USA and even the UK.

There is another interesting facet of the German renewable energy saga: 51% of all renewable energy in Germany is owned by individual citizens or farms, totaling $100 billion worth of private investment in clean energy.

When one breaks that down into its components, that is to say, solar power and wind power, then the figures are that 50% of Germany's solar PV is owned by individuals and farms, while 54% of its wind power is held by the same groups.

While the UK has a serious load of wind turbines most of them, however, are not privately or farm owned but are owned by the electricity generating companies, with only a few farms holding such as private possession. Private wind and solar PV installations are rarely coming up in calculations, especially not the individual homes and farms.

In total there's roughly 17 GW of solar PV installed in Germany – versus roughly 3.6 GW in the US (based on SEIA's figures for new installations though the third quarter of 2011 plus the 2.6 GW installed going into the year) and recent figures for the UK are just a little above 6 GW (given by Renewables UK in January 2012). This is for a country which, I am sure, has more wind than Germany, though still, considering our sizes, better than the USA.

Germany now produces slightly over 20% of all its electricity from renewable sources and proves that those things can be done. The real stupid thing is that every time that countries, such as Germany, and their achievements in the real of renewable energy as well as recycling, etc., are pointed out the British government goes into turtle mode, pulling its head into its shell and proclaiming that that cannot work in Britain and Britain is different to all those other countries where it can be done.

The main thing though, other than the huge lead in solar PV installations Germany has over the US, thanks to good policy, and the fact that so much wind power isn't owned by utilities, is what slightly over half of renewable energy being owned not by corporations but by actual biological people mean. Namely an obvious democratic shift in control of resources and a break from the way electricity and energy has been produced over the past century.

This is a good thing indeed and is leads to decentralized power generation, more re-localization and re-regionalization of economic activity, the world getting smaller while more connected and therefore in a way bigger at the same time... taking a step backwards, and perhaps sideways, while moving forwards.

In “Small is beautiful” small power stations for every village were being advocated rather than large corporation owned ones and we must get down to that level.

It is also a much more resilient system in that the entire grid cannot be knocked for six by this or that incident when the entire country has small, personal or community owned power generating plants, whether wind, PV, or biomass.

© 2012

“BREAK THE CHAINS OF BONDAGE” COIN LAUNCHED

FIRST-EVER COIN MINTED TO INCLUDE MESSAGE AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

London, January 2012: A silver coin bearing the message “Break the Chains of Bondage” to combat human trafficking will launch at the World Money Fair, Europe’s largest coin convention in Berlin February 3rd.

 

The innovative prototype coin is issued by the United Future World Currency (UFWC) a global currency initiative. The prototype coin carries the message of ending human trafficking prominently depicted on the obverse the first-of-its-kind to include this socially aware message.

The coin is being struck by the Royal Mint UK in eco-silver* and includes the silhouette images of a man and woman back-to-back with a broken chain of five links. The reverse is designed by Luc Luycx, the graphic artist behind the designs of the EURO.

President Barack Obama designated the month of January as “National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month” in the US, the UFWC have developed this eye-opening campaign to take build on the growing worldwide initiative.

Dr. Sandro Sassoli, founder of the UFWC commented, “We want our project to encourage Mints and central banks to issue a coin that ends up in the hands of the public and raise awareness of this very important cause”.

As part of the launch and project, UFWC are approaching more-than 60 world Mints attending the World Money Fair to encourage them to issue a coin with the message of ending human trafficking and modern-day slavery.

The UFWC are pleased to announce that several Mints and Central Banks have already expressed an interest to participate in this initiative ahead of the launch.

The statistics of human trafficking are staggering, it affects the smallest village, town and big city and no continent is exempt. The figures are growing in terms of the number of women and men becoming victims.

The international campaign organized by the UFWC will continue into 2013 and beyond. Coins have been conveying important messages for more than two thousand years and this coin is meant to speak for those who can’t.

According to the latest UN figures, there are an estimated number of between 10 and 30 million people world-wide who are either enslaved or in bonded servitude; many of them are children, and not just in third-world countries.

No country, continent or community is exempt from this scourge, it crosses race, religion, ethnic background. Both women and men become unwitting victims of unscrupulous crime syndicates who buy and sell human beings as easy as going out for a coffee or burger.

The nominal amount of money involved to buy a human being from a remote Asian village is just US$50. Just two of the UFWC prototype coins can procure one human being!

The UFWC prototype (model) “1” unit coin is struck in Britannia silver (.958 fineness) with a weight of 20 grams and a diameter of 32 mm. The prototype coin is struck in proof quality with a total mintage limited to just 200 examples. The insignia of the Royal Mint appears on the reverse along with the “eco-silver” logo.

The coin is being struck in eco-silver, (a product developed by Cookson Precious Metals) a responsibly sourced precious metal from a dedicated line of recycled silver, thus eliminating the need for further mining activities which are harmful to the environment.

The prototype coin will be made available to several organizations who promote ending human trafficking and anti-slavery as presentation pieces. The coin will also be presented to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon by the UFWC in conjunction with the United Nation’s campaign to end human trafficking.

The United Future World Currency gained international attention during the G8 Summit held in L’Aquila, Italy in 2009. Their first UFWC prototype gold coins were presented to attending heads of state and government.

The UFWC prototype coins were made part of a recent presentation to more than 40 heads of State & government at the South-South awards (a United Nations Development Program sponsored project) in New York City in conjunction with the opening ceremonies of the General assembly on the 19th September.

The United Future World Currency (UFWC) was developed in 1996 as the initiative of Dr. Sandro Sassoli after a meeting and consultation with Prof. Arthur Schlesinger Jr., former counselor to US president John F. Kennedy. The idea behind the initiative is to develop a worldwide recognized currency independent of the US dollar, Euro, sterling or other national currency free from any one political or national allegiance.

While I am well aware that there are a fair number of people who will come around claiming that this is the planned currency of the New World Order and will jump about telling us how bad this is going to be.

As far as I am concerned on this level it is a nigh pure silver coin that may actually become a recognized trade round and that should please many of us who consider that silver coins should form part of a survival preparedness plan.

Having said that, however, that does not mean that precious metal coins should be our primary TEOTWAKI insurance; skills and other things for barter should be and are more important. A number of silver coins would not go amiss, for sure.

Disclosure & Disclaimer Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

This article is for your information only and the GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW does not (necessarily) approve, endorse or recommend the product, service or company mentioned.

© 2012

MYdrap – Product Review

Table chic on a roll. Now there is a novel idea.

Review by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

The MYdrap cotton or linen napkins – yes, they also come in real linen – on a roll are available in a wide range of colors, sizes and designs.

The napkins are washable (up to six times) and fully recyclable, as they are cloth, which, in fact, means that they can go into the compost where they will return back to soil.

They are better than paper, especially for the trees, and less trouble than using “proper best linen” napkins, whether cotton or actual linen and are ideal for picnics and parties, but also suitable for formal dining. You can really liven up a formal occasion with those at table rather than just plain ones.

I came across “MYdrap” on the 2012 Home London Show at Earls Court and was rather taken by the idea and concept.

While paper, obviously, is also biodegradable and/or recyclable these MYdrap napkins on a roll beat, in my opinion, paper napkins hands down and then some, and that on more than just one front.

Great idea, in my view, and one that deserves consideration when planning dining events, from picnics to formal dinners.

© 2012

Disclosure & Disclaimer Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

Best Practice for Green City Planning

As urban spaces grow and become ever more populated, attention is being focused on sustainability, infrastructure, and environmentally-friendly building

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

The German city of Hamburg, which was awarded the title “European Green Capital” by the European Commission in 2011, successfully implements green solutions to today’s metropolitan challenges through its strong commitment to a green vision, reducing the per person CO2 emissions by 15% compared to 1990 and by saving 46,000 megawatts of energy each year.

A traditional port city that handles Europe’s second largest number of containers, Hamburg ranks among Europe's wealthiest cities with an excellent economic outlook. Hamburg’s green strategies and new initiatives have made it a best practice model for other cities to follow.

Across the Atlantic, New York is currently developing its own strategies and initiatives to meet the sustainability challenges of an ever-growing metropolis and on December 1, 2011 representatives of Hamburg and New York City have come together to discuss their strategies and visions of green city planning.

Adam Freed, Deputy Director of the Mayor's Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability of the City of New York, was b eing joined by his German counterpart, Dr. Benno Hain, the Coordinator for Climate Protection and Head of the Coordinating Center for Climate Issues, Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. Michael Kruklinski, Vice President in Corporate Development & Strategy at the Siemens Corporation, and Alex Marshall, Senior Fellow at Regional Plan Association, did also share their expertise with the audience.

The event took place at the German Center for Research and Innovation in New York and was jointly hosted with American Friends of Bucerius as well as in cooperation with the City of Hamburg.

The German Center for Research and Innovation, www.GermanInnovation.org, provides information and support for the realization of cooperative and collaborative projects between North America and Germany. With the goal of enhancing communication on the critical challenges of the 21st century, the GCRI hosts a wide range of events from lectures and exhibitions to workshops and science dinners. Opened in February 2010, the GCRI was created as a cornerstone of the German government’s initiative to internationalize science and research and is one of five centers worldwide.

While, it would appear, American cities are happy to learn from the experiences of their counterparts in Germany, and to adopt and adapt ideas and procedures use there, in the UK there is always a total antipathy against doing something like that.

When one suggests to politicians, on local and/or central level, to look to, say Germany or the Netherlands, Denmark or Sweden, for solutions to overcoming certain environmental challenges and those of sustainability, the answer is 90% of the time one of “that may work over there but could/would never work here”.

Maybe, just maybe, British cities, local governments and central government get a hint from the cooperation between German and American cities and they too may look for real and proper proven solutions there.

© 2012