Generating Your Own Energy [Ground Source Heat Pumps]

Generating Your own Energy - GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMPS

There are lots of options to help you generate your own energy- cutting your carbon and your costs.

There are seven main options: wind turbines, solar water heating and solar electricity, ground source and air source heat pumps, wood fuelled heating and hydro power.

Every Friday we’re taking a look at one of the options in more detail.

GROUND SOURCE HEAT PUMPS use pipes buried in the garden to extract heat from the ground. This is usually used to warm water for radiators or under-floor heating systems. It can also be used to pre-heat water before it goes into a conventional boiler.

Beneath the surface, the ground stays at a constant temperature, so a ground source heat pump can be used throughout the year - even in the middle of winter.

A ground source heat pump circulates a mixture of water and antifreeze around a loop of pipe - called a ground loop - which is buried in the garden. When the liquid travels around the loop it absorbs heat from the ground.

And these are the benefits of ground source heat pumps;
• Reduce your CO2 emissions: on average a ground source heat pump could save around 540kg of carbon dioxide every year when replacing an oil boiler.
• Eliminate your fuel bills: ground source heat pumps run on electricity, so there's no need to pay for gas, oil or solid fuels to heat your home.
• Cut down on wasted electricity: heating your home with a ground source heat pump is much more efficient than using electric radiators.


Various grants of up to £2500 are also available to encourage home owners to generate their own power.

If generating your own power is something you’d like to explore further then The Energy Saving Trust website (http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/) has a simple questionnaire to help you narrow down your options.

And you can hear more about renewables on PASSION for the PLANET (http://www.passionfortheplanet.com/)

Networking for the Planet

One of the major challenges for people who care for this planet we live on is getting the message across to mainstream society.

Rather than it being presented as something that only “fringe dwellers” talk about, how do we get the majority of society aware of the need to make some changes?

Answer – use the media and practices of mainstream society! Two of the major ones would be e-media and networking – and combinations of both.

So here are some guidelines:-

1. Create a Twitter account with a catchy “green” or “environmental” name

2. Create a profile on some of the major e-networking sites like Facebook, Ecademy and LinkedIn.

3. Register a BLOG with free services like “blogspot”

4. Start writing well researched and data supported articles

5. Post the same article on each of the above as a blog

6. Create an account with YouTube

7. Record some short videos (using the same material as the above blogs). Most computers have a webcam these days and post those on your YouTube account

8. Create links in all of the above to each other to optimize your Google ranking and get more exposure.

So lets all get moving and get the message out that things need to change if we are to save this planet and preserve our lifestyles.


Geoff Kirkwood brings to this site 40 years business experience – several successful businesses – and lessons learned as a world class speaker, author, catalyst and centre of influence.

For more business tips listen to PASSION for the PLANET

Forget Skiing In Whistler

Forget skiing in Whistler – mountain biking is where it’s at.

Whistler is not just a first class ski resort and home to this year’s winter Olympics, it’s also a fantastic summer playground. If skiing is not your thing, wait until the snow, the silly hats and the grungy looking snowboarders have departed, and then head up the mountain.

You can try downhill mountain biking – as exhilarating as skiing, but warmer and with more to see. It’s best to start with a lesson as it’s actually not as easy, or as obvious, as it looks. The trick is to stay standing up on the pedals and never actually sit on the seat, you also need to be sure that both your feet are level and your legs are more or less straight. Once you are in that position, with your hands loosely gripping the handle bars and poised over the brakes – you’re ready to go! And whoa – do you go! And remember, as you go into a corner, lean the bike into the corner but to keep your body straight, its a slightly odd way of doing things, but it does work. And finally just don’t get too cocky. I speak from experience. There I was convinced I had got the hang of it, took a corner very fast, and lost control. I hit the ground hard, very hard. Never have I been so thankful for padding and a helmet.

If you prefer something with less effort (and arguably with less personal risk) then a hummer tour is one way to get off the usual tourist trail. You get to see some amazing scenery and the driver will probably have fun showing off just how versatile and solid a hummer is by backing it up a slope at almost 180 degrees and tipping it on its side as you go along a bank at the edge of the track. There’s no doubt its fun, but it’s not for the eco-conscious. It’s big, it’s thirsty and it trundles over anything in its path.

For the more environmentally sensitive then there’s always horse riding or hiking. And look out for black bears – there are over 50 living in the woods and spotting one is a great treat. I spied three during my short stay; once while mountain biking and twice from the gondola taking us up the mountain.


Once at the top of Whistler mountain the views are spectacular and the “must have” photo is one with you in front of the Inukshuk . These were built by the First Nations Peoples as directional beacons to help travellers find their way. This inukshuk is also the symbol of the 2010 winter Olympics.


From there be sure to take the peak-to-peak It’s the longest free span gondola in the world with over 3km of wire with no additional support. It offers stunning panoramic views, without all those pylons. If you can grab a place in one of the glass bottomed gondolas then you can watch the world fall away below you as you cross the valley between the mountains of Whistler and Blackcomb. This valley is also home to a huge hydro-electric project. It will produce 33.5 gigawatt hours of hydro electricity per year – the equivalent of powering the ski resort's winter and summer operations including 38 lifts, 17 restaurants, 269 snowguns and countless other buildings and services. Its a big step towards the resort’s aim of a zero operating footprint.


Whistler and Blackcomb are on lands that used to be a trading route for some of the first nations peoples of Canada. These communities have had an important role to play in the preparation for this year’s Olympics and their culture can be experienced by visitors to the resort at any time of year. A trip to the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre is an opportunity to see native arts and crafts, taste traditional foods, and perhaps even take part in some signing and drumming. Speaking to both Wily Lewis from the cultural centre and Tewanee Joseph from the Four Host First Nations for the Winter Olympics, it’s clear that they are proud of their traditions and keen to ensure that visitors understand that their culture is very much alive today, and not consigned to the musty pages of history books.

So if the Olympics give you a yearning for the mountains and next winter seems too far away, then take the Rocky Mountaineer train up from Vancouver and spend a few days enjoying this winter playground while it has its summer clothes on.

AUDIOBLOG: Green Energy [Tessa Laws]

Every Monday, an interview heard on PASSION for the PLANET.

This week Tessa Laws talks about CleanTech and the Rosenblatt Green Energy Awards.

CLICK FOR INTERVIEW.

You can hear more interviews on air and on demand at www.passionfortheplanet.com

Generating Your own Energy - AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMPS

Generating your own energy is now easier and cheaper than ever before.

There are seven key options to choose from: wind turbines, solar water heating and solar electricity, ground source and air source heat pumps, wood fuelled heating and hydro power.

This Friday we’re looking at AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMPS in more detail.

AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMPS absorb heat from the outside air even when the temperature is as low as minus 15° C. This heat is used to warm water for radiators or underfloor heating systems, or to warm the air in your home.

There are two main types:
• An air-to-water system uses the heat to warm water. Heat pumps heat water to a lower temperature than a standard boiler system would, so they are more suitable for underfloor heating systems than radiator systems
• An air-to-air system produces warm air which is circulated by fans to heat your home.

The efficiency of air source heat pump systems is measured by a coefficient of performance (CoP) - the amount of heat they produce compared to the amount of electricity needed to run them. A typical CoP for an air source heat pump is around 2.5.

The benefits of air source heat pumps;
• Reduce your fuel bills: air source heat pumps run on electricity, so there's no need to pay for gas, oil or solid fuels to heat your home.
• Cut down on wasted electricity: heating your home with an air source heat pump is much more efficient than using electric radiators.
• Save space: an air source heat pump system is compact, and requires no storage space for fuel.

Various grants of up to £2500 are also available to encourage home owners to generate their own power. If generating your own power is something you’d like to explore further then The Energy Saving Trust website has a simple questionnaire to help you narrow down your options.

And you can hear more about renewables on PASSION for the PLANET

News Reporting By Numbers

Scarily Accurate
Olly Barrett, London Bureau

Have a look at this ...

How To Report The News


Charlie Brooker is a Guardian columnist. He currently writes Screen burn, a G2 comment piece every Monday and he produces, writes and presents Screenwipe for the BBC.

FSN is PASSION for the PLANET's award winning news partner, providing global news from bureaus worldwide.

You'll find more world news stories, plus analysis from FSN at FSN REPORTERS BLOG .

How Tennis Can Lead You To The Green

When I recently took a trip to Melbourne to watch the Australian Open, I was thinking about whom, if anyone, would beat Federer this year. I wasn’t expecting to see much green activity at all.

After all, living in Sydney I had been disappointed about how much further behind their council was when it came to recycling compared to where I used to live in Surrey, England. Back in the UK my council provided a bin for the recycling of cardboards, bottles (both plastic and glass), paper, tins, cans, a bin for all food waste including bones and shells, a bin for general waste and a bin for garden waste. All in all, our general waste bin, in which rubbish was destined for landfills, was hardly used expect for the occasional bit of plastic wrapping. However, in Sydney they have three bins – one for general waste, one for general recycling and one for garden waste. This means a lot of their food waste is destined for dreaded landfill sites.

So when I went to Melbourne for the tennis my expectations were low. However, my partner booked us into a hotel that prided itself upon being environmentally friendly. And I am pleased to say to say that at the Alto Hotel on Bourke [http://www.altohotel.com.au/], like at Passion for the Planet, they really did walk the talk!

On arrival we were given energy saving key-tags which switch off lighting when you leave your room to save energy. Then instead of complimentary soaps or shampoos, there were dispensers by the sink and shower. This not only saves the hotel money but also prevents the waste caused by unnecessary wrapping.



There was no quadruple quilted rose-smelling wild peach tinted toilet roll – just 100% recycled rolls. A complimentary car park – encouraging petrol emissions you might think? No, no, this car park was free for those with electric or hybrid cars, and offered free re-charging from 100% green energy too!

And how can they claim that they used 100% green energy? Well, the hotel is fully powered by wind energy!
Not only did they manage all of this, but they did it with no compromise on the quality of the hotel whatsoever. The hotel staff were some of friendliest I’ve ever come across, giving useful advice with no lectures on the benefits of sustainability. The food was delicious (the restaurant was a member of Green Table, championing sustainable local produce), the rooms were clean and spacious, the location was perfect. In my mind the Alto on Bourke should be given six stars!

When I went on to research further I later discovered that the Alto is Australia’s first carbon neutral hotel. For a more facts on how the hotel saves on water, electricity and waste see Alto Hotel [http://www.altohotel.com.au/green-star-accommodation-melbourne.php].

So many of these tips and ideas can be applied to your home too. For example to conserve water they used water flow restrictors on all showers and taps. Not only will this help the environment and save you money I can vouch that it didn’t affect my showers as I hadn’t even noticed them during my stay! And by heating this water “on demand” the energy saving is so enormous that despite having a commercial kitchen and 57 bathrooms they only hold 630 litres in reserve, contrast this with a normal suburban household which typically uses a tank holding 200 litres in reserve.

And on the days I didn’t spend watching tennis or in the hotel – I am pleased to say Melbourne still kept the standards high for me! As I walked up Bourke Street to the famous shopping malls I noticed that the public bins had one for recycling and one for general waste. Inside the shopping malls themselves they only had hand dryers rather than paper towels.


Another small but fantastic way the local council helped people to cut their carbon emissions was to have Filtered Water refill stations so that shoppers need not keep buying bottle water to stay hydrated in the Australian heat.


So after visiting Melbourne purely for the Australian Open, I have to say I didn’t think that it would be tennis leading me to the green!

AUDIOBLOG: Winter Olympics [Kevin DeMaskie]

Every Monday, an interview heard on PASSION for the PLANET.

This week Kevin DeMaskie talks about how the locals of Whister feel about the Winter Olympics coming to town, and how environmental concerns have been addressed.

CLICK FOR INTERVIEW.

You can hear more interviews on air and on demand at www.passionfortheplanet.com

Generating Your Own Power - SOLAR ELECTRICIY

Generating your own energy is a great way to cut your carbon and your costs at the same time and with government grants available now is a good time to consider your options.

There are seven key choices: wind turbines, solar water heating and solar electricity, ground source and air source heat pumps, wood fuelled heating and hydro power.

Every Friday (for seven weeks) we’re taking a look at one of the options in more detail.

SOLAR ELECTRICITY systems capture the sun's energy using photovoltaic (PV) cells. The cells convert the sunlight into electricity, which can be used to run household appliances and lighting. PV cells don't need direct sunlight to work - you can still generate some electricity on a cloudy day.

PV cells are panels you can attach to your roof or walls. Each cell is made from one or two layers of semiconducting material, usually silicon. When light shines on the cell it creates an electric field across the layers. The stronger the sunshine, the more electricity is produced. PV cells come in a variety of shapes and colours, from grey "solar tiles" that look like roof tiles to panels and transparent cells that you can use on conservatories and glass.

The strength of a PV cell is measured in kilowatt peak (kWp) - the amount of energy the cell generates in full sunlight.

The are a number of benefits of solar electricity;
• Cut your carbon footprint: A typical home PV system could save around 1200 kg of carbon dioxide per year - that's around 30 tonnes over its lifetime.
• Cut your electricity bills: A typical home PV system can produce around 40% of the electricity a household uses in a year.
• Sell electricity back to the Grid: if your system is producing more electricity than you need, or when you can't use it, someone else can use it - and you could make a bit of money.
• Store electricity for a cloudy day: if your home isn't connected to the national grid you can store excess electricity in batteries to use when you need it.

Various grants of up to £2500 are also available to encourage home owners to generate their own power.

If generating your own power is something you’d like to explore further then The Energy Saving Trust website has a simple questionnaire to help you narrow down your options.

And you can hear more about renewables on PASSION for the PLANET

Snow News

US Capital Freezes
Priscilla Huff, Washington DC Bureau

The US federal government is shut.

The U.S. House of Representatives gave up and went on President's Day recess early.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is planning a trip to Saudi Arabia. Coincidence? Not when the snow is so deep, the weather forecasters have lost count of the inches.

That is my Lhasa Apso, Ginger, on a walk through about 2 inches of snow...that has already been plowed and shoveled three times. The mound of snow next to the bridge is well over a meter and a half.

And yes, there's snow as far as anyone can see. Those are trunks of Kwanzan Cherry trees. Washingtonians are deeply skeptical their famous cherries will ever bloom again, because spring may never come. The lamp posts are about two meters high...and some of them are buried nearly to the the lamp.

My neighbors are wondering, as they try to dig out their cars, where do they put the snow? One neighbor got a car about 95% dug out...and discovered it wasn't his.

Washington is a melting pot. My Iranian neighbors wised up and bought a shovel. The Indian family all works together, but they don't have enough shovels to go around. My Chinese neighbors don't know what to do. And, the Russian teenager keeps himself busy shoveling out cars.

As for myself, I was born in Buffalo, NY, one of the snow capitals of the United States. Yesterday, before this latest snow started, someone observed that the local airport had gotten more snow than Buffalo.

And, for Ginger, he thinks its all fabulous. Lhasa Apsos are the lion dogs of the Buddhist temples of Tibet and Ginger loves to go for a long walk and check out the igloo the young men dug out nearby.

FSN is PASSION for the PLANET's award winning news partner, providing global news from bureaus worldwide.

You'll find world news stories, plus analysis from FSN at FSN REPORTERS BLOG .

Searching in the Societal Web

The ‘societal web’ is beginning to emerge.

Businesses are moving from telling to listening, from informing opinion to facilitating collaborative insight, from one to many and from mono-media to infinite-media. The challenge for us all during this transition will be on how we can continue to maintain our income streams and on how we can adapt to the changing world.

When the web first appeared it was ‘Read Only’ and businesses presented their products and services for people to browse. In our opinion we are heading to the development of sharing as a way of working, of collaborating, in a community environment, by all, for the benefit of that community. Those who gather around your ideas and subject matter become your society, your community, but they set the context and the culture, it’s no longer defined by the owner of the infrastructure.

This is the Societal Web.

How search is changingSearching on the Societal Web is becoming more sophisticated over time. The initial search engine developments through companies such as Google and Yahoo focused on providing a swift route to finding pre-existing content.

In Web 1.0 most sites were relatively static and were informational, in that they were intended to be read by those interested in the subject matter that they discussed. As Web 2.0 and the Societal Web develop and user-generated content became the norm, the volume of information and the extent of web pages changed dramatically. Progressively, websites have to be dynamic in order to be interesting.

Looking back or looking now;
In doing a conditional search using one of the search engines all the existing active web pages are available to be found, but some may be several years out of date. Whilst the search engines make efforts to ensure that new content is more strongly featured than old content where information is relatively unchanging (but one example of where things not changing is an indication of accuracy is Wikipedia ); such an approach may erroneously bring new but incorrect material to the top of a search engine list. These challenges have faced the search engines for some time.

User-generated content however has an immediacy about it. It’s reflecting what’s currently happening. Users of Twitter who understand the #hashtags can follow a particular event simply by tracking what individuals are saying using a particular hashtag. For sporting events and fast-moving news stories, it’s often as quick to follow what’s happening on Twitter using these facilities and their searches than it is to watch using traditional media and through the news.

There is, therefore, a move by both the search engines and Twitter and other similar social network sites to provide search that offers a means to access both historical knowledge and current activity. These changes are being integrated into the search engines including Google which now includes a number of options to allows you just to search, for example, content that’s been added to the web in the last week, or the last month, or the last year. That is still, of course, historic, and as Twitter moves to more real-time searching so the search engines on sites such as Twitter and Facebook and other Societal Web sites is having to cope with an ever growing volume of historical data in their databases.

Balance and Authority;
Between the two I think there is a balance and I suspect that searching will develop into three specific areas;

Firstly, searching the historic record looking for long-standing, unchanging, reliable authoritative articles that provide good background and factual information

Secondly, great real-time search looking at what people are talking about right now, primarily being used for news, current events, sports events and so on

In between, a combination of the two, the third option; looking at tying historic, authoritative data with current authoritative people

This is the most interesting area. Allowing search to look at who has provided good links to authoritative data and who is recognised by others as an authority in their area will enable the search engines and the Societal Web sites to tie good quality content, that meets the needs of the person searching, by relying on the authority of the people that have provided the links to that information in the past.

That’s a whole new area and it’s one that is only just beginning to emerge; we should watch it with interest.

William Buist is Managing Director of Abelard Management Services, which specialises in building trust in teams and communities within its corporate and SME client base.

You can hear more from William Buist on PASSION for the PLANET

What Would You Do With £113million?

On Friday, a £2 investment and a bit of luck could put over £100million in your pocket [it'll need to be a big pocket]. This Friday's Euromillions jackpot is £113million. What would you do if you won?

A former lottery winner has been in the news this week. Michael Carroll won almost £10million 8 years ago. The cash is now gone, and he's on the dole. He says this is where his fortune went ...

£5million family and friends
£1million gambling
£1million Rangers Football Club
£800,000 televisions, sound systems and gadgets
£400,000 cars
£325,000 house
£300,000 parties
£230,000 crack cocaine
£200,000 jewellery
£200,000 swimming pool
£100,000 prostitutes
£60,000 holidays
£55,000 legal fees

Two two-word phrases come to mind: "no way" and "cautionary tale".

What would you have done with that £10million?

Think about that for a bit. Would you buy a mansion, or would you live in a hotel? Would you give lump sums to family, or set up trust funds? Would you donate to a charity, or set up your own? Would you save, or would you invest? Plan what you would do with £10million.

Then think about what you would do with £110million.

We were playing that game the other day, and came to this conclusion ... £10million allows you to easily provide a fantastic life for you & yours, but £110million gives you the opportunity to change the lives of many others.

Warren Buffett is one of the most successful investors in history. He's worth more than $30billion, and that's after giving over $30billlion to charity. Here's what Warren Buffett thinks about money:
" ... I don't have a problem with guilt about money. The way I see it is that my money represents an enormous number of claim checks on society. It's like I have these little pieces of paper that I can turn into consumption. If I wanted to, I could hire 10,000 people to do nothing but paint my picture every day for the rest of my life. And the GDP would go up. But the utility of the product would be zilch, and I would be keeping those 10,000 people from doing AIDS research, or teaching, or nursing."

So as you spend your £2 on a ticket for Friday, what will you be planning to do with the £110million?

AUDIOBLOG: Oceans [Prof Sir David King]

Every Monday, an interview heard on PASSION for the PLANET.

This week Professor Sir David King talks about the need to look after the world's oceans.

CLICK FOR INTERVIEW.

You can hear more interviews on air and on demand at www.passionfortheplanet.com

Generating Your Own Energy - SOLAR WATER HEATING

Generating your own energy is getting easier all the time – and cheaper too!

If you are thinking about generating your own power then there are seven key options: wind turbines, solar water heating and solar electricity, ground source and air source heat pumps, wood fuelled heating and hydro power.

Every Friday (for seven weeks) we’re taking a look at one of the options in more detail.

SOLAR WATER HEATING systems use heat from the sun to warm domestic hot water. A conventional boiler or immersion heater is then used to heat the water further or provide hot water when solar energy is unavailable.

Solar water heating systems use solar panels, called collectors, fitted to your roof. These collect heat from the sun and use it to warm water which is stored in a hot water cylinder.

There are two types of solar water heating panels; evacuated tubes and flat plate collectors.

Flat plates collectors can be fixed on the roof tiles or integrated into the roof. A boiler or immersion heater can be used as a back up to heat the water further to reach the temperature set by the cylinders thermostat when the solar water heating system does not reach that temperature.

Larger solar panels can also provide energy to heat your home as well - though usually only in the summer months when home heating is unnecessary.

The benefits of solar water heating are;

• Hot water throughout the year: the system works all year round, though you'll need to heat the water further with a boiler or immersion heater during the winter months

• Cut your bills: sunlight is free, so once you've paid for the initial installation your hot water costs will be reduced

• Cut your carbon footprint: solar hot water is a green, renewable heating system and doesn't release any harmful carbon dioxide or other pollutants

Various grants of up to £2500 are also available to encourage home owners to generate their own power.

If generating your own power is something you’d like to explore further then The Energy Saving Trust website has a simple questionnaire to help you narrow down your options.

And you can hear more about renewables on PASSION for the PLANET

Tough in the USA

Iraqi Refugees Struggle
Steve Mort, Florida Bureau

The US government has dramatically increased its intake of refugees from Iraq in recent years.

In fiscal year 2009, the US took in nearly 19,000 Iraqi refugees, up from just 200 in 2006.

But for many refugess from Iraq, the move has not been without its problems.

CLICK FOR REPORT

FSN is PASSION for the PLANET's award winning news partner, providing global news from bureaus worldwide.

You'll find more world news stories, plus analysis from FSN at FSN REPORTERS BLOG .

10 Ways to take the Stress out of Relationships

One of the key reasons that people come to consultations at Breathing Space is because of dysfunctional relationships in one way or another.

The area of relationships is one of the main causes of stress in our lives – at home, at work and in all social interactions.

However, we’re more in control of the outcomes in most cases than we might think and we can take the stress out of relationships by following some golden rules, including the following 10 step process:

1. It’s important to understand that nobody has the power to upset you unless you allow it. Nobody can make you feel bad. What dictates how good or bad you feel about relationships is your reaction to the way people behave towards you. Whilst you may feel hurt or upset with someone when they behave in a way you don’t like and whilst we may not have the power to change the situation, we always have a choice about the way we react to people and situations.

2. If you find yourself in conflict with someone, the best way to resolve it is to always be on the look-out to find solutions. Try to understand where the other person is coming from. Speak in terms of ‘When you said or did that, I felt…’ and ‘I’d like to understand...’ This limits the chance of confrontation and a defensive response. Sometimes these conversations can be challenging and upsetting, but in the long run, if we can discuss things openly, we’re more likely to find a solution.

3. Avoid dwelling on the past and playing the blame game. If someone has done something to upset you or vice versa, it is good to reflect and to learn from where things went awry. However becoming involved in ‘tit for tat’ conversations where we each blame the other party for something they did in the past is not helpful. Let go of the past, learn from your experience and move forward.

4. There are occasions where, despite our best attempts to find solutions, the other party may not be willing to change and may wish to hold onto old grudges. In these cases, it is best to avoid wasting energy on soul searching and finding ways to resolve things. Accept that some relationships may not be as close or as friendly as you would like and focus your attention on those relationships that are working and where you get a positive response. If you have to have contact with someone like this, set rules for yourself in the way you handle it and avoid any situations which may expose you to further negative responses.
5. Sometimes when we have been around people a long time, we forget what first attracted us to this person in the first place – as a friend, a work colleague or partner. It’s good to remind yourself of why you liked them initially and remind yourself of other things you’ve found about them that are positive. Keep your focus on what is good and what you find entertaining, helpful, endearing or positive in any way.

6. Our society often teaches us to be judgmental and to think in terms of ‘black and white’ and ‘right and wrong’. However things are rarely that simple. We each have a unique experience of life and just may see things from a different perspective. We can learn from different points of view and it’s actually OK to disagree with someone on occasions and still like each other. Do not expect people to change because you think they ‘should’ be doing something differently. The key is unconditional love and acceptance.

7. However busy you are, make those close to you a priority and manage their expectations. Close personal relationships are important to our happiness and deserve our attention. You don’t have to be a ‘yes’ person all the time and it is often possible to negotiate revised timings and schedules if necessary. The key is to recognise potential conflicts and deal with them as soon as you are aware of them rather than hoping things will work out. This gives those involved time to make other arrangements, reduces stress levels all round and encourages trust in relationships.

8. However much we care for others, if we put our own health and wellbeing first and manage our time well, we’re in a better position to help others.

9. If you find that certain people are often critical of you or seem to oppose you constantly, seek their opinion and advice on the next thing that involves them. The old adage ‘Keep you friends close and your enemies closer’ is often good advice. If you give them the opportunity to voice their opinions and get their ‘buy in’ to your plans, you may find them very useful allies.

10. NEVER accept abusive relationships as there is simply no excuse for this behaviour and NOBODY has the right to make you feel any less of a wonderful and unique human being than you are. If people are bullying you in any way, seek professional help and refuse to accept the blame for someone else’s bad behaviour. It’s all part of their power play to make you feel weak, so that they can continue to behave badly.



Annie Lawler is Managing Director of Breathing Space Therapies & Breathing Space for Business

And you can hear more from Annie Lawler on PASSION for the PLANET.

Top 10 Green Cars to watch in 2010

Don’t want to give up the car but want to be green? Here are the Top 10 Green Cars to watch for in 2010 according to “WhatGreenCar”

1. Peugeot iOn electric — CO2: 0 g/km — WGC Rating 10

Following years of being ahead in the electric vehicle (EV) world, Peugeot has now partnered with Mitsubishi to launch the iOn electric car — a French incarnation of the Mitsubishi i-MiEV (sister PSA company Citroen are badging the same car as the 'C-Zero').

The iOn is a proper four-seat electric car. Its 63bhp electric motor provides adequate performance of 0-62 mph in 13.0 seconds, a top speed of 87 mph, a range of up to 81 miles, and a recharge time of 6 hours using a conventional three-pin plug.

However, zero-emission motoring does come at a cost — on top of car purchase, the first 16 kW lithium-ion battery pack is expected to be leased for several hundred pounds per month. That said, fuel costs are less than 2p per mile, road tax is nil, and the car will qualify for the 100% discount from the London Congestion Charge.

Price: tbc. Available: autumn 2010. Website: www.peugeot.co.uk/vehicles/peugeot-car-range/peugeot-ion

2. Nissan LEAF electric — CO2: 0 g/km

When launched later this year, the Nissan LEAF will be the world's first zero-emission C-segment (small family) car.

Designed specifically for a lithium-ion battery-powered chassis, the LEAF is a medium-size hatchback that comfortably seats five adults and has a range of more than 100 miles to satisfy consumer requirements. The car is powered by a compact set of lithium-ion batteries, which generate power output of over 90kW, while its electric motor delivers 80kW/280Nm. This ensures a highly responsive, fun-to-drive experience that is in keeping with what drivers have come to expect from a conventionally powered car.

The LEAF can be charged up to 80% of its full capacity in just under 30 minutes with a quick charger, or more usually at home on a standard socket over 8 hours. While Nissan zero-emissions model is unlikely to be cheap, it will qualify for the planned £2k-£5k consumer grants due in 2011. As with the iOn, fuel costs are less than 2p per mile, road tax is nil, and the car will qualify for the 100% discount from the London Congestion Charge.

Price: tbc. Available: autumn 2010. Website: http://www.nissan-zeroemission.com/

3. Toyota Plug-in Prius hybrid — CO2: 59 g/km (expected)

Following the highly successful launch of the third generation Prius in 2009, this year brings the next development with the launch of their eagerly awaited Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle (PHV).

The PHV, which uses lithium-ion batteries (a first for Toyota), offers greater range on electric power only, significantly reducing fuel consumption and emissions. As its name suggests, the plug-in version can be charged from an external source as well as by the car’s own hybrid drive system. Although test cycles that measure the performance of PHVs are yet to be fully developed, estimates are that the Prius PHV emits only 59g CO2/km in the New European Driving Cycle – this is incredible for a car of this size!

Only Approximately 600 units will be introduced in Japan, the United States, and Europe this year, with 20 coming to the UK in mid-2010.

Price: tbc. Available: summer 2010. Website: http://blog.toyota.co.uk/official-switch-on-for-toyotas-plug-in-prius

4. Audi A1 — CO2: less than 99 g/km (expected)

This year will see Audi launch its long-awaited challenge to the Mini. The compact supermini-sized A1 will use the VW group’s MQB modular transverse engineering package and there will be three different body styles: a three-door hatch, a roomier five-door and a convertible. While the standard Audi A1s on offer will be front-wheel drive, being an Audi, Quattro four-wheel drive will also be available — S1 and Q1 derivatives will have the added traction gains allowed by all-wheel drive.

The choice of engine will be between a 1.4 petrol-unit (65bhp up to 200bhp for the hot hatch) and a 1.6 diesel engine (75bhp and 130bhp). Transmissions on offer will include a standard manual, and a twin-clutch, seven-speed S-tronic gearbox.

The car is already being billed as a challenger to BMW's ultra-successful Mini, and Audi is reported to be targeting 100,000 sales in the A1's first year. Future innovations may even include an electric version of the A1 (again following hot on Mini E’s trail) by 2011.

Price: from £11,000 (estimated). Available: summer 2010. Website: http://www.audi.co.uk/

5. Toyota Auris hybrid — CO2: less than 99 g/km (expected)

With the 2010 Auris hybrid, Toyota will (again) be forging ahead of other car makers with its commitment to hybrid technology. Not only will the Auris hybrid be the smallest hybrid car on the market, it will also be Toyota’s first European hybrid based on a regular production car, and will use the same hybrid technology as Toyota’s latest Prius (the Hybrid Synergy Drive).

While Toyota has not yet provided complete performance details, it claims that the new model should achieve a sub 99g/km CO2 figure with class-leading fuel economy and a 0-62mph acceleration time of around 10 seconds. In order to help it achieve these figures, the hybrid is 20mm lower than a standard Auris, and features additional flat undertrays and a rear diffuser. Even the alloy wheels are designed to reduce air turbulence in the wheel arches, and the car is fitted with low rolling-resistance car tyres.

The engine is able to operate in three modes: ECO for maximum fuel economy, POWER, which uses the electric motor to boost performance, and EV, switching the Auris to electric power alone — for up to 1.25 miles at speeds of to 31mph. Other innovations include solar panels on the roof help power the ventilation system, while LED lights front and rear reduce energy consumption and improve economy.

Price: tbc. Available: mid-2010. YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3_d7HXKYvs

6. Citroen DS3 HDi — CO2: 99 g/km (expected)

Launched at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show the DS3 brings a radically new look to the Citroen range, and is expected to be the first of three planned DS models in a new range.

The new supermini has been designed to be more fuel efficient than the current C3, with two HDi DPFS engines (90bhp and 110bhp) complementing three petrol engines (VTi 95, VTi 120, THP 150), developed in conjunction with BMW.

In particular the lower powered diesel unit will power a car with official CO2 emissions of only 99g/km &#8211 in other words a road tax free car. The more powerful diesel unit has emissions of 115g/km, while the three petrol engine versions emit between 136g/km to 160g/km. Visually striking the new model line promises to offer an extensive level of customisation, including four roof colours, coloured wing mirrors and rubbing strips allowing a myriad of colour-coding options.

Safety is also at the heart of the DS3 concept with 6 airbags, ESP, ABS with EBD and EBA fitted as standard across the range.

Price: tbc. Available: mid 2010. Website: www.ds3.citroen.com/uk

7. Volvo S60 — CO2: 119 g/km (expected)

First unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show last year, 2010 should see the production version of the much publicised S60 Concept. While it remains to be seen which of the numerous on-board innovations make it to the real-world version, its looks and emissions are likely to be close to those of the Concept model.

The new S60 will come with a four-cylinder 1.6-litre petrol unit using high-efficiency GTDi (Gasoline Turbocharged Direct Injection) technology, producing 180 horsepower. GTDi’s ability to improve fuel economy by around 20% is the main reason that the S60 is expected to have CO2 emissions of only 119g/km — remarkable for a non-hybrid petrol car and more like a diesel in this respect.

The new model may also come with an updated radar-based Volvo’s Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) which maintains a set time gap to the vehicle in front; now usable in slow-moving queues with repeated starting and stopping. Also advertised is the S60’s Collision Warning with Full Auto Brake and pedestrian detection, which gives an audible and visual warning to the driver, before automatically braking the car to avoid a pedestrian.

Price: tbc. Available: mid 2010. Website: www.volvocars.com/uk/campaigns/misc/S60Concept/Pages/default.aspx

8. Ford C-MAX — CO2: TBA

Building on the green credentials of the 2009 Ford C-MAX, the all-new 2010 model will provide even better comfort and lower emissions. Based on new C-segment vehicle platform, Ford will offer both a choice of a five-seat C-MAX or seven-seat Grand C-MAX, which features twin sliding doors and innovative seat design to provide outstanding space and flexibility.

In addition to upgraded versions of Ford’s highly acclaimed TDCi diesel engines, the new C-MAX range introduces a number of advanced new technologies including the more fuel-efficient, lower-CO2 EcoBoost petrol engines which use turbocharging and direct injection technology to improve fuel consumption by up to 20%. Ford philosophy is that this technology provides similar benefits to hybrid or diesel engine designs at lower cost.

EcoBoost is also able to deliver the strong low-end torque and responsive performance of a large capacity engine, but with the size, weight and fuel economy of a much smaller unit. Other new innovations include a new more versatile seat layout, semi-automatic parallel parking, blind spot detection, seat belt warning lights for rear seat passengers, and power operation for the tailgate.

Price: tbc. Available: mid 2010. Website: http://www.ford.co.uk/

9. Honda CR-Z hybrid — CO2: TBC

For drivers who want a sports coupe that can claim to be green, Honda is planning to launch the CR-Z (Compact Renaissance Zero) as a follow-up to the successful second-generation CR-X.

The new CR-Z is set to be a hybrid and will be the next Honda hybrid to be launched following the successful Insight launched in 2009, and before the Jazz hybrid which is next in line. Like the Insight, the CR-Z will utilise a mild hybrid Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) drive-train, which places an electric motor between the petrol engine and transmission. Unlike Toyota’s Prius system, this limits the possibility of electric-only operation, but does significantly increase overall fuel economy, so reducing emissions. The efficiency of the 2+2 front-wheel drive sports coupe CR-Z is helped by its small size and low weight.

Price: from £16,000 (est). Available: mid 2010. Website: http://automobiles.honda.com/cr-z

10. BMW 5 Series — CO2: TBA

Under its EfficientDynamics branding, BMW’s 5th generation 5 Series will continue to squeeze maximum performance with minimum emissions. There are plenty of greener (and not so green) models to choose from in the new line-up ranging from the most popular diesel-powered 520d (184hp, 0-62 in 8.1 seconds, top speed of 141mph, 56.5 official mpg, and CO2 of just 132g/km), right up to the petrol-powered twin-turbo 535i (0-62 in 6.0 seconds, 155mph, 33.2mpg , CO2 199g/km). Other main models include the 525d, 530d, 535d, 523i, 535i and 528i. (There is also a decidedly un-green twin turbo 4.4-litre V8 550i with CO2 emissions of 243g/km.)

All 5 Series with manual gearboxes will get a gearshift indicator light, to assist with eco-driving. Regenerative breaking is a standard feature — this tops the battery up with juice using kinetic energy gleaned from breaking.Low-rolling resistance tyres are also an option on some models. As you’d expect from BMW, interior finish is improved yet again, with the new model taking the interior refinement close to 7 Series levels.

Other new innovations include: Park Assist (which scans the roadside for a suitably proportioned parking space), 360 degree cameras which give an all round view for parking convenience and better views around blind junctions and four-wheel steering, which lowers the new BMW’s turning circle by 0.5 metres.

Price: from £27,555. Available March 2010. Website: www.bmwblog.com/2007/05/07/preview-2010-bmw-5-series-revealed

For lots more ways to be green tune into PASSION for the PLANET

AUDIOBLOG: Sleep [Dr Neil Stanley]

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This week Dr Neil Stanley talks about the impact modern society is having on our sleep pattern, making most of us go through life tired.

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