weekly news compilation 24.02.2012

Here's our weekly round up from the world of twitter of what's been in the news:

Biodiversity
Moss Brook Growers: is there a Birmingham counterpart? http://bit.ly/zIg9or nice story of cooperative organic food growers to replicate.
Seed Event Sat 3 March at Martineau Gardens: http://bit.ly/wnwqfx - grow something new this year.
RT @pauldezylva: "If our pollinating insects disappear most of our favourite foods will too" #Bees #Butterflies, Blooms http://bbc.in/AuGb33

Energy & Climate Change
RT @sarcasmcat: Guarantee our profits or the lights go out, warns #Centrica boss as he holds nation to ransom http://tgr.ph/ySUcwb #bigsix

RT @GreenLibDems: Lucy Lawless—a.k.a Xena the Warrior Princess—Occupies a Shell Oil Drilling Ship http://fb.me/1CDAyyFC1
New blog post by Sara on coming to meet an MP with us today to talk #finaldemand with @shabanaMahmood http://bit.ly/z18PTq

UK urged to support tar sands ban: http://bit.ly/wgkZM6
MT @CraigBennett3: British Gas £500m profits, call on Govt to "slow down" free insulation 4 poorest households: http://bit.ly/ySoRTW #bigsix
British Gas bosses reap rich rewards for failure: http://bit.ly/zuiXlr #finaldemand #ripoff #energy #bigsix
@RichardBurdenMP Will you support EDM number 2730 to End the Big Six Energy Fix? bit.ly/wFfSLn

RT @leohickman: UK gas demand in 2011 at lowest level since 1995 due to mild weather, says DECC http://is.gd/ccsEJN
Energy Act could make Birmingham buildings 'virtually unlettable': http://bit.ly/AvOzP9 - need to get them up to standard urgently.

RT @DECCgovuk: Edward Davey welcomes Ofgem proposals for reform of energy market, http://bit.ly/wXs3gH - Is there going to be progress?

Planning
Problem with #saveislandhouse - Quintain sold plot with outline planning permission for hotel, 106 not enforceable? http://yfrog.com/obccdmp
RT @digbeth: New DiG blog post, Connaught Square Site Sold - http://tinyurl.com/6ohsqrs - keep fingers crossed 4 good developer #notquintain
Latest from @birminghampost on attempts to #saveislandhouse - seems increasingly unlikely to succeed: http://bit.ly/wT3Wg0 #greedydevelopers
RT @getgood: #saveislandhouse RT @digbeth: Worrying developments for those looking to Save Island House - http://tinyurl.com/86gm7je
See you there: RT @BhamEnvironment: Sustainability Forum on draft planning document 'Places for the Future' on 12/3/12: http://bit.ly/woFu6a
RT @BhamEnvironment: Bham's draft planning document 'Places for the Future' out for public consultation until 22/3/12: http://bit.ly/yh7qpF

Transport
RT @birminghampost: Washwood Heath sites could be blighted for 20 years if set aside for #HS2 depot, claims cllr http://tinyurl.com/8yxz83m

RT @bengoldacre: Cameron backs the Times #cyclesafe campaign, great stuff http://thetim.es/xM71vH - Whitby? Bham Post sticking up for cars!
Poor car drivers seem to need sticking up for in Birmingham. Could have fooled us: http://bit.ly/wTXnG3 #waroncyclists #allmoneygoesonroads
RT @london_cycling: Ian Austin MP - spend per person on cycling - Netherlands £20, London £5, rest of UK 79p. #cyclesafe
RT @birminghampost: Give Midlands fair share of transport cash, demand MPs http://bit.ly/xw6zGq & let's have local rail & bus rapid transit
RT @walkitcom: Still Walking - Birmingham festival of walking 15th March - 1st April 2012: http://stillwalking.org/
Traffic chaos after six vehicles crash at Swan Island, Sheldon: http://bit.ly/ydwKYC - seems to have been a lot since the new Tesco opened!
Half of people in UK fear our #roads are unsafe for #cycling: http://bit.ly/w51oEP - We thought it was more than that in #Birmingham.

Waste & Resource Use
MT @ProfTimLang: fossil fuel use by world agriculture grew 50x in last 60 years. Wholly unsustainable: Cornerhouse p20 http://bit.ly/w66Ky0

New blog post: Ethical Shopping - Hard on the High Street? http://bit.ly/AllLM7
RT @poshbirdlikeyou: Firms urged to save #water SE #drought declared - @wwwfoecouk; stop ignoring problem (& solutions) http://bit.ly/yjcFRG

"Let’s ban toilet paper" http://bit.ly/zX3JCp - not sure we can see that campaign taking off. Really should be made from recycled paper.
Nectar trial in Birmingham ‘a great success’: http://bit.ly/wK0FDp - strangely it doesn't say how much #recycling has gone up by.
Sharp rise in waste-fed Anaerobic Digestion plants in UK: http://bit.ly/yRXhtq how long until Bham has some @EBRI_UK?

Others
RT @FinanceBham: Birmingham City Council 1st local authority to take an equity stake in a business http://ow.ly/9eXg3 - interesting move.
Approaching a quarter of the places gone for our "City of the Future" event. Don't miss out, register now: http://bit.ly/A6EeX3

RT @TheBrummie: Events: Volunteer at TheOldPrintWorks, Moseley http://bit.ly/oBjlBN
Who you gonna call? #growthbusters http://www.growthbusters.org/
Interesting and thoughtful piece; "Do we have time to shift values?" http://bit.ly/yCxTNA from the common cause project.