weekly compilation 17.02.2012

This week's most important stories (that we've seen) are listed below:


Biodiversity
“@BumblebeeTrust: Heading to the garden centre this weekend? Don't forget to get plants good for #bees. Check our list http://bit.ly/AfTMDl"
MT @TheNatureCentre: Celebrate Edgbaston Reservoir becoming Local Nature Reserve. Special event Sat 10-3 tel: 675 3278 http://bit.ly/wd6Sow
Court finds Monsanto guilty of poisoning: http://bit.ly/xKgiEc #GM #pesticides

Energy & Climate Change
Are you a bit confused about what's happening with Feed-in-Tariffs. Here's a DECC FAQs page that may be of help: http://bit.ly/xow0iI
MT @AirportWatch: Interesting website showing changes in oil price by day, 5 days, month, year, 3 years, 5 years: http://bit.ly/zOUnL4
Great video by @ecotricity saying goodbye to cooling towers and hello to wind turbines: http://youtu.be/ggg3C87UVCY
RT @wwwfoecouk: EDF profits from sky-high energy bills: Energy company EDF's 2011 profits jumped due to high… http://goo.gl/fb/SN7PX
MT @RichardBurdenMP: Useful meeting with @Bham_FOE & @northfieldeco this am on issues raised in #FinalDemand Campaign: http://bit.ly/ADQ7iJ
RT @wwwfoecouk: Why has Cameron signed up to expensive new UK #nuclear plants we don't need? http://tinyurl.com/7k46ckn #energy
EDF comes under fire for jump in profits: http://bit.ly/yOjCmm by @graeme_brown for @birminghampost

EDF Under Fire For Stitching Up Consumers – Local Group Seeks Help From @RichardBurdenMP - press release: http://bit.ly/whevS4
Wow, that's quite a leap! RT @grist: Sales of solar panels for Japanese homes are up 30.7% in 2011 http://bit.ly/xkOf4R
RT @BCABS5: We're referring #fuelpoverty clients to Brum's #staywarmstaywell scheme. Freephone 0800 0337967 to access free support & advice
"the big energy companies in the UK have come through another year with big profits" & fuel poverty rises: http://bit.ly/wL99BP #finaldemand

Average Arctic temperatures in 2011 were 2.28 degrees above those recorded 1951-1980 - concern now over tipping points: http://bit.ly/x5OpUG
"If you like your hypocrisy sandwiches served with a side order of double standards": http://bit.ly/x8pbmx #deniergate @leohickman

On Tuesday, public meeting to discuss biofuels and biomass "Burning Crops and Breaking Rocks 7.00pm, council house: http://bit.ly/zsySwY
RT @wwwfoecouk: Good news: Co-op cuts emissions by 35% & saves £40m per year http://bit.ly/y5kTn8 #supermarkets #climatechange #economy
Call to embrace community energy: http://bit.ly/zm9rkH
New blog post by Kara Moses on the Birmingham Energy Savers New Deal consultation last week: http://bit.ly/vZwKo4

Planning
This is what @quintainplc thinks of Birmingham's heritage and legal section 106 agreements with the planning cttee: http://twitpic.com/8k808e
RT @digbeth: John Bull and John Hemming MP demonstrate their love for Island House - http://tinyurl.com/75zsrep #saveislandhouse
RT @ReStirredForum: See Re~Stirred Forum re: Connaught Square or Digbeth Park ? http://bit.ly/zFAC5w
On the day of the Digbeth Summit, here's some good news; awful Connaught Square plans dropped - let's have a park :-) http://bit.ly/ySJmxB

Great letter in the @birminghampost today by Rob Sutton about Island House. We'll post a link when it's online #saveislandhouse

http://www.birminghampost.net/comment/letters-to-the-editor/2012/02/17/developers-rule-the-roost-democracy-is-a-sham-65233-30344449/
Land use in a rebalanced Birmingham economy: a kindred concern: http://bit.ly/xUJly8
Glad @theneweconomics responded to this rubbish by Sainsbury's http://bit.ly/yfQl9G about killling off the high street: http://bit.ly/xEWCbx

Transport
MT @StopCityAirport: A farmer in Java needs to pick seeds for 18 days for one person to fly from Frankfurt to Hamburg: http://bit.ly/yyPfrQ
New report out on the damaging impacts of aviation biofuels - only solution is to cut the number of flights taken: http://bit.ly/yyPfrQ
Air pollution linked to heart attack risk - so can we do something about it in Brum, please: http://bit.ly/y70jnD

MT @sionsimon: (20mph) on suburban streets has always been my inclination. A bigger change would be if 30 limits were actually enforced.
RT @PostBusiness: David Bailey Blog: Electric car era off to a slow start http://bit.ly/zOmXyj - not very surprising in a recession.

Waste & Resource Use
RT @KarenCannard: Comedian Mark Thomas tells shoppers to take action on 'bloody packaging' http://bit.ly/w2cQD9

Others
What can an elected Mayor do for a city and region? What does it mean for city democracy? debate http://bit.ly/zIhKOC (via @Dan_Bridgewater)
Excellent, a rush of people signing up for our city of the future sustainable economics event. Book your place now: http://bit.ly/A6EeX3
RT @beaubodor: I believe the Government is rebranding Job Seekers Allowance as 'Tesco Value Wages' #supermarkets
Why profit-led growth is a myth: http://bit.ly/yPix5T - more interested in such stories ahead of our economics event: http://bit.ly/A6EeX3

Investors call on European Central Bank to address “carbon bubble” risk: http://bit.ly/wiytFV
Seconded: MT @jonwalker121 Congrats @podnosh, #brumbloggers & other vols on Big Society award 4 Social Media Surgeries http://blogs.birminghampost.net/news/2012/02/nick-booth-receives-big-societ.html
RT @pauldezylva: David Miliband MP says the #GreenestGovtEver is not "even pretending to greenwash anymore." http://labourlist.org/?p=28008
Ever wondered why economic growth is a threat to the environment and to economic sustainability? Answers here: http://bit.ly/zgLNYl

Julia Slay of @theneweconomics has been looking at effects of austerity measures in Bham: http://bit.ly/AdtWcv - she'll also be speaking.
Know what a steady state economy is and why it is desirable? We'll have a speaker talking about it on 20th March: http://bit.ly/zsWrv1