Stocks and shares? Property? Forget it! The talk is of Carbon – the new oil, or the Green Gold as some would put it.  In fact, it is entirely the opposite to oil. The Carbon market was created by the UN to wean the world off its addiction to oil and to reduce global emissions. Companies that actively reduce their emissions are awarded one carbon credit for every tonne of CO2 they reduce. They can then sell those credits for cash, and thus have a strong monetary incentive to reduce their carbon footprint.

“United Nations Carbon Credit Prices May Rise by 42% by 2012” Barclays Capital

Who buys them? Big polluting companies that don’t have the means or will to reduce their emissions, but do have the capital to invest in eco-friendly projects. These big polluters purchase the carbon credits from the eco-friendly projects, thereby investing into them and effectively offsetting their own emissions.

“Carbon Prices May Triple by 2013″

UBS

So why the buzz in the city?  Well, in the middle between the big polluters and the small carbon friendly projects sits a broker – and there is some serious money to be made here. Until recently the brokers and the companies have been making all the money, but now there is an opportunity for private investors to get involved and enjoy a slice of this lucrative Market.

One of the leaders in this field is a company based in Monument called MH Carbon. Possessing a wealth of knowledge on financial investments and run by a team of experienced financial professionals, MH Carbon is currently helping private investors gain exposure to this fast growing market.

The UK announces the most ambitious targets on greenhouse gases of any developed country

Chris Huhne, Energy Secretary – May 2011

If Barclays Capital are right in their assumption that the Carbon Market will grow by 42% this year and PM David Cameron and Energy Secretary Huhne carry out the drastic emission reduction targets that they have so avidly set out, then investors would do well to get involved in this market. Since MH Carbon was founded, many small imitators have attempted to replicate what they are doing, but few yet have the experience or knowledge required to set up diversified portfolios and pension schemes at the discounted market rates that MH Carbon manage.  They are professionals in the Voluntary Carbon Market.

So as you ponder on your next investment move, amid a financial world filled with red screens, crashing markets, rock bottom interest rates and soaring inflation, the savvy investor would do well to cock an ear towards the Carbon Market.  Far from a bunch of hippies with flowers in their hair singing Hare Krishna, it is now a rapidly growing financial market worth billions and is set by many of the highest standards to become the biggest market in the world within a matter of years. That is why banks all over the world are scrambling to set up green investment arms, and huge multinational corporations and governments from all corners of the planet are ploughing billions into it! Are they doing it to lose money? Not likely!  A wise man once said “invest where the people with money invest” and how right he was!

Don’t miss the next boom. This is arguably the best capital growth market of our generation, and you must now choose between measly main market dividends or significant capital growth.  Besides, further down the line as you relax on your sun lounger enjoying the fruits of your success, you can also smile in the knowledge that you have done your little part in saving the world!

Who needs a dividend when you can have that? Wonderful!

MH Carbon is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

OV Triple Rose Luxury Organic Facial Oil

While ingredients stocks last, OV has a fantastic introductory offer on its Luxury facial oil, containing precious Soil Association Certified Damask Rose Otto – a highly prized skincare ingredient which is difficult to obtain & 3 times more expensive than gold!

This luxury facial oil has received some excellent accolades in recent months from the Beauty Bible, most recently in the ‘Skingenious Skincare Special’ in You Magazine 26th June 2011:

Q. “My previously normal skin is getting much drier as I go through my 40s. It looks dull and rather sad – and makes me feel like that too! What can I do?”

A. “We love facial oils to keep skin supple and glowing. A favourite is OV Triple Rose Luxury Organic Facial Oil, which really does plump and moisturise dry skin overnight.” (Sarah Stacey & Jo Fairley, www.beautybible.com)

Try it now!

OV naturals is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Technology has altered the landscape of our lives.  Life today is easier, faster and more convenient but many scientists are trying to warn us that the mobiles, computers and wifi we all love might have serious effects on our health.

At the end of May 2011 the cancer research agency of the World Health Organisation reported that mobile phones are “possibly carcinogenic”.

Christopher Wild, director of the International Agency for Research On Cancer, concluded that,  “Given the potential consequences for public health of the classification and findings it is important that additional research be conducted into the long term, heavy use of mobile phones”.  He went on to advise, “It is important to take pragmatic measures to reduce exposure”.

ElectroDOT – an energy supplement
The electroDOT is like an energy supplement and is a “pragmatic measure”.  It is a 17mm wafer thin shiny magnetic disk which holds a vibrational energy signature.  The principle is similar to that used in homeopathic medicine where an energy signature is stored in a solid substance.  Either inserted into or easily attached to the outside surface of a mobile phone, the electroDOT helps relieve toxic effects while at the same time restoring natural energy.

All phi energyDOTs hold their charge for at least five years which brings your monthly cost to just 42p.

electroDOT is a very powerful means of neutralizing the negative effects of the electro-magnetic radiation from mobile phones.

If you would like to know more or review our research please look at our website http://www.phiharmonics.com or call Lucy on 01803 782008.

PhiHarmonics Ltd is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

A survey by the University of Cambridge international examinations has revealed that a very high percentage of students are highly critical of the standard of education they received in secondary school.  Although they may have achieved the correct “A” level grade the depth of learning is inadequate to support  them fully for the step up to degree level education.

A total of 94% of students said that their secondary education could have been better matched to the needs of university study.  A significant clear gap emerged in their ability to conduct independent research and their report writing skills were not matched to the requirement demanded in university. This  implies  our teaching resources are concentrating more on achieving targets measured by the number of “A” levels gained and failing to give students the depth of learning that best prepares them for the next stage in their educational journey.

The concern is not new.  There have been many criticisms levelled by captains of industry that many children finishing secondary school are ill prepared for the employment market.  They complain they inherit the burden of completing the education of new recruits to the standard  required in industry.  The same issue cascades through the schooling process. Secondary school head teachers are predominately critical of the standard of children leaving primary school that subsequently places an often insurmountable liability on the secondary school  to support the pupil properly.

It must surely lie with the next level in the educational journey to influence the quality of candidates which they are accepting. Ideally secondary head teachers should have responsibility for setting the curriculum and tests taken by primary school pupils to ensure they have the right qualities and educational grounding needed to support them during throughout secondary education.  Similarly industry must take a more positive role in setting the standards they require from secondary school leavers. This has to involve a form of steaming that will predict the likely choice of a student at 15 years old.  Lastly, universities must be responsible for setting the curriculum and standards of exam that prepares students adequately to fulfil the studies required at degree level.

But we are no alone.  A report by the U.S. Department of Defense estimates up to 75 per cent of service applicants are currently unsuitable to join the military due to poor educational achievement. Clearly the future national defence of the USA is causing cause for concern. The report also states one in six young adults in Nebraska (for example) does not graduate from high school on time. Of those seeking to enlist 15 per cent are rejected due to low scores for maths, literacy and problem solving.

Could a fundamental change in educational strategy stand a chance in the current thinking of government circles?  It would remove undue emphasis on passing exams to hit targets and place greater weight on the needs of the subsequent stage in the educational journey. Perhaps more importantly it would involve teachers in the fundamental selection and complexity of the curriculum. It could then remove the pointless exercise of feeding secondary schools with children ill equipped during primary school who subsequently fail to thrive during secondary school.  The current system may appear to tick all the right boxes in exam results key performance indicators but finds little support in commerce, further education and ultimately employers.

Keen2learn

Keen 2 Learn is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Contemporary bed and breakfast with three ensuite rooms in a coastal village which nestles amongst the Torridon Mountains. Guests have their own lounge with panoramic sea views, wood burner, mini library and WiFi. Our food is homemade using organic produce where possible – home grown, local or fairtrade if not organic. Preserves, bread and yoghurt are all homemade and organic. Packed lunches are available with advance notice. We’ve achieved the ‘Gold’ level Green Tourism Award. Low CO2 philosophy throughout. Low allergen, green cleaning, homemade organic soaps. Keen gardener and composter – free in vessel demo. Bikes to hire and drying room. Close to Applecross Peninsula, Inverewe Garden and Beinn Eighe National Nature Reserve. http://www.organicholidays.co.uk/at/2976.htm

Organic Holidays is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

September 13-16, 2011

Teachers: Julia Ponsonby, Wayne Schroeder and Dave Hamilton

September is a month of abundance for gardeners and for food lovers. Every year the College finds new and inspiring ways to work with the wide variety of seasonal produce grown locally and in the College gardens. Out of this seasonal plenty our team of celebrated cooks conjure up delicious meals, soups, preserves, and baked products which are internationally renowned.

Join award winning cookery author Julia Ponsonby, along with chef Wayne Schroeder, and self-sufficiency expert Dave Hamilton to learn how to harvest and transform Nature’s abundance into delicious and inspirational meals. Revitalise your cooking by learning new recipes, new techniques and celebrate Nature’s bounty with fellow food lovers in the beautiful surroundings of Schumacher College’s 15th Century building.

The activities on offer will include:

• Seasonal soup making
• Creative uses for abundant vegetables
• Baking and bread products – including baking in outdoor cob oven
• Jams, preserves and pickles
• Forest garden salads and fruits
• Inspiring a new relationship with food, and reflections on health and dietary choices
• Foraging and seasonal treats

Cost: £300 – All course fees include accommodation, food, field trips and all teaching sessions.

www.schumachercollege.org.uk

admin@schumachercollege.org.uk

01803865934

Schumacher College, Dartington is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

The Granary is a two bedroom stone built cottage on a 660 acre working organic dairy farm. Originally built around 200 years ago as an extension to the 1642 farm house, it provided a dairy, cheese rooms to store double and single Gloucester cheese, and a granary to store oats and grain to feed their animals. It also then had a pig sty in what is now the lower patio area. We milk over 140 organic dairy cows and our milk is sold to the Organic Milk Suppliers Cooperative. We can’t, by law, sell our organic milk to you, but you are more than welcome to try some creamy ‘raw’ milk for the experience. Visitors can watch a calving, observe a milking, and even have a go if they so wish. Situated on the edge of the Cotswolds in the ancient Gloucestershire Southwolds, this is a lovely walking area. Many footpaths criss cross our own land, including the Monarchs Way and the Cotswold Way. Just over the fields there is a smallholding where you can buy the most delicious organic pork and lamb joints, sausages, etc. http://www.organicholidays.co.uk/at/2975.htm

Organic Holidays is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

This unique straw bale barn overlooks a tranquil orchard, pond and gardens in a private valley on our 14 acre organic smallholding. The barn has curvy lime rendered walls, a new oak floor, a wood burner, large iron bed, comfortable sofa and a huge deck outside. It also has a kitchen, shower and outdoor compost loo. The barn is powered by solar panels, wood fired heating and a wind turbine. We are developing our beautiful smallholding along sustainable principles and welcome people who would like an organically peaceful time. Being members of the Wholesome Food Association we produce naturally grown food for sale in our local area. Cotna Barton is only a mile from the sea and the beautiful beaches on the Roseland Peninsula. http://www.organicholidays.co.uk/at/2974.htm

Organic Holidays is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Fairwind is making way for new autumn lines that will be coming online with the newly built website at the end of the summer. Bargains include recycled leather cushions at £12, embroidered hearts now only £5, and elephant memo boards at £16.

Stocks are limited so check out the full range of sale items now at http://www.fairwindonline.com/category.asp?cat_id=61

Fairwind is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

First published on the YouGen blog

“Where should I put my air source heat pump? is a question I am often asked.

I reply “where would you like to put it?” and nine times out of 10 it can be installed where the enquirer had hoped it could.

So let’s look at the basics to give us some ideas of where we can, and cannot, position our air source heat pump.

Rule No.1

An air source heat pump (ASHP), as it’s name suggests, requires air as its source of heat. So rule number 1 is position the unit where it has an ample supply of ambient (outdoor) air.

Note I mention ambient air. If you were to position your ASHP in the loft, garage or some other internal space you would effectively turn that space into a cold room (freezer); as the heat pump takes the same air and keeps cooling and cooling it until the temperatures slumped to levels where it was impossible for the heat pump to extract heat effectively.

Rule No.2

When having your ASHP installed always consider that, in that unlikely event that your unit should require attention, there is adequate access for a service engineer to take a look at it, without having to resort to expensive scaffolding or other access equipment.

So enough of rules and on to recommendations!

Ground Level or suspended?

Where ever possible I would recommend placing the unit on the floor immediately outside the property similar to the unit shown above. This has two major benefits: first, the pipework on the exterior of the house is kept to a minimum, thus avoiding increased heat loss. Secondly, any service or maintenance work is easily and comfortably executed.

I should also mention that if you are placing the unit on the floor, ample allowance should be made to ensure any ice caused by the defrost cycle in sub zero temperatures will not cause a hazard on a path or walk way – your installer will be well aware of this hazard and should be able to overcome it easily enough.

If you are fitting the unit into a corner made up of two walls, make sure there is adequate space around the unit to allow for free air flow. As an example the dimensions required for the units my company manufacture can be seen below.

You will notice that there is also a minimum distance that must be kept clear in front of the unit.
This distance is to prevent the cold air being blown out of the front of the unit from bouncing back into the rear of the unit.

Cold air bouncing back into the rear of the unit will reduce the average air temperature the unit is extracting its heat from, which in turn reduces the efficiency of the unit and increases running costs.

In some circumstances however it is not always possible to fit a unit on the ground and the unit must therefore be fitted on brackets at a higher level. If so, take care not to cause any hazard at head height and to ensure it is easily accessed for any service visits.

Again your installer will be able to advise you and will probably suggest a drip tray be used to ensure any condensate from the unit is collected and drained away out of harms way.

North, East, South or West?

I am also often asked whether there is any benefit in positioning the unit against a south facing wall rather than a north facing wall? Not normally, is my response!

As already mentioned the unit takes it’s heat from the air, and whilst it is possible that the shade air temperature may be a degree or so warmer on the south side of the property than the north, this is only likely to be in daylight summer hours when the unit is unlikely to be operating.

Other Considerations

If possible, avoid positioning the unit immediately outside or below a bedroom window. There are always those nights when you can not get to sleep and, if you are like me, when they occur the merest murmur like the refrigerator downstairs in the kitchen becomes an irritant.

While modern air source heat pumps are extremely quiet, in the middle of the night you are just as likely to notice them as you would the refrigerator in the kitchen downstairs if they are right outside your open bedroom window. Therefore the further away you put them from the bedroom window the more likely it will be that it is only the fridge’s murmur irritating you.

It is also probably worth also mentioning that you should avoid putting the unit into a court yard, where the sound would bounce around and not decay as quickly as when there are no surfaces for it to bounce on.

One final consideration, if your property is exposed, is to avoid positioning your unit against a wall that snow usually drifts against. If the snow was to drift against the unit and reduce its air flow, it would reduce its efficiency and its output as a result.

Flexible

So apart from the few exceptions I have mentioned above an air source heat pump can be positioned anywhere around the property, making it even more flexible than a traditional gas boiler and certainly, from a positioning point of view, one of the most flexible renewable energy technologies.

Next Blog – Can you use air source heat pumps to heat domestic hot water?

About the author: John Lightfoot is an energy expert on the YouGen website. John is also director at Thermal Energy Ventures Ltd.

First published on the YouGen blog. For more information on renewable energy, please visit the YouGen website.

YouGen is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more