Heritage - an environmental benefit.

Today I came across some photos on the BBC website of some at risk heritage assets in the UK.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-15351162

Preserving these is sensible from both a historic, educational (to demonstrate skills of our ancestors) and environmental.  The latter is sometimes forgotten but carbon, in both construction and embedded materials can be possibly saved by converting existing historic buildings.

This, of course, has to be be within the law but we don't want progress to be hampered by unused "historic" buildings which nobody wants to save and have no real social benefit. A prime example of this is in Blackburn Lancashire, where an urban ringroad connecting a multi-million pounds railway roadbridge has been quashed by a protected building which has been empty for about 50 years and in danger of falling down. Surely is it's to be retained for heritage purposes it's either useful or it can become a negative feature. In this case in Blackburn, the building causes traffic mayhem as a dual carriageway, instead of passing straight onto the aforementioned bridge, turns into a one way single road, on which traffic crawls through some of the less welcoming of the town's streets.

DIEM Ltd is 6 years old this week

Reallised today I’ve reallised that DIEM Ltd is 6 years old. 6 years of giving clients around the UK the environmental advantage.

It’s not really an anniversary of note, so excuse the 5 year celebration video!

Thanks to all clients, friends, family, colleagues, Twitter followers, LinkedIn connections, website visitors, TV Channel subscribers, people who I’ve met at events and anyone else I’ve missed!

Climate change of seasons

Well, look at the weather this year compared to a decade or more ago. Shifted seasons, violent storms, heavy rain and hot spells in October.

Whilst I believe that people should have their own opinion, but the fact is that the climate is changing before our eyes.

For more information on climate change, please visit:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Environmentandgreenerliving/Thewiderenvironment/Climatechange/DG_072885

Public transport islands

I've got to say, my reletively short drive to visit a client this morning was horrendous, taking 1 hour 40 to do 35 miles, even setting off at 06:35. Due to cost, carbon and my loathing of being stuck in traffic, I've just looked up the journey via public transport and it would take 3hrs 15mins via 40mins of walking, 2 buses and a train.

I think public transport in our city regions is OK if you are travelling to that city centre. My journey is via Merseyside and Greater Manchester and the internal looking nature of what was the PTEs and some post Beeching rail weak points, regional commuting in the North West is awful to say the least.

Grow your own vegetables

Coming the end of the first season of me growing vegetables, I recommend it to others. Being not very familiar to gardening my fiancee and I had a go at growing beetroot, carrots and various herbs and all are a success.

Also in the garden for following seasons we have asparagus (well, we do live in Formby which is famous for it) and artichokes.  So, it's good for the environment, our health and budget as it's cheaper than buying.

Why not have a go?

Back to basics, back to Brundtland

I've been participating in the excellent RICS Sustainaiblity Group on Linkedin and today in a discussion about priorities for sustainability and home improvement at

http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=3993763&type=member&item=74517467&qid=7f070d27-e3db-496e-883b-c40a85510ca9&trk=group_most_popular-0-b-ttl&goback=%2Egmp_3993763

On writing on this, all paths led to the Brundtland Report (Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future).   For anyone interested in sustainability and wants links to this core topic, a good site is at:

http://www.iisd.org/sd/

With the full report text at:

http://www.un-documents.net/wced-ocf.htm

Railway safety - a bitter reminder

Having just read about a couple in Scotland who sadly lost their lives crossing a railway line, it's a sobering reminder to how dangerour the railway is for the public.

Having worked on or near the line for a few years when I was younger, you learn how little warning you have when trains are approaching, even from a position of safety.

Speaking years ago to a German friend, I noted that there are no fences on German high speed railway lines. When I said people may go on the line, the German view was "who would be so stupid".

The different view in the UK of a robust railway fencing policy and T&V policy with Network Rail and BTP, it's still sad that accidents happen.

Please remind people about how dangerous the railway is and some useful links from Network Rail are:

Level crossings http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/2292.aspx

Trespass & vandalism http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/1037.aspx

C4 Dispatches - Dispatching the obvious

Reflecting on last night's Channel 4 Dispatches programme on waste in the UK, I think it told only half a story.  This was because it totally ignored commercial waste and focussed on the more emotive and politically motivated suject of domestic kerbside collections.

Whilst the impact on kerbside collecitons and the related waste awareness of the public is high, the environmental, legal, logistical, social and financial implications of the legal duty of care for commercial waste needs to be raised in such arguments for it to be balanced.

It seems Dispatches has a rather one sided view and reveals the obvious rather than investigate and argue. The recent railway Dispatches with Richard Wilson looked at rail travel and had a dig at peak time Friday afternoon travel from London Euston on Virgin Trains. Yes, it's going to be crowded at that time of the week and if you want a quieter train wait an hour is my advice.

Such TV shows, not forgetting C4 is part public funded, should take a balanced view and non sensationalise obvious problems.

Well, the Green Deal saga rumbles on and the plot thickens. My view is that, whilst accredited certification for installers is a good idea, do we have time.
Martin Brown's excellent blog refers to the process at http://fairsnape.wordpress.com/2011/10/09/green-deal-pas-2030-necessary-control-or-unnecessary-burden/ and as someone who advises clients on accredited certification of management systems, will there be enough time to:

• Agree PAS 2030
• UKAS to accredit certificaiton bodies
• Certificaiton bodies to train auditors
• Companies to devise and apply PAS 2030 systems
• Companies to gain accredited certificaiton to PAS2030

I don't want to be a pessimist and want to follow the government line of "let the market decide" as similar state meddled schemes have ended in lots of people spending money to train with out little return, such as with HIPS/DEA, but industry needs clear guidance, especially with so little time to spare.

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Sick already of SIC codes?

I've had lots of enquires recently about SIC codes having to be put on waste transfer notes.  These codes are to use their full name The United Kingdom Standard Industrial Classification of Economic Activities (SIC) and are used to classify business establishments and other standard units by the type of economic activity in which they are engaged.

If you are unsure of these, please contact your accountant or finance department.