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Could Kevin Costner save the Gulf of Mexico?

From Good Morning America...

Many in the entertainment industry have spoken out about the devastation caused by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and a few have offered to help, but actor Kevin Costner has spearheaded the development of a machine that can separate the spilled oil from the water, and oil giant BP is testing it.

Although an initial test of the machine failed, Costner said adjustments were made and the device works as it should.

Costner has spent the past 15 years and more than $20 million of his own money into developing the oil separator, a powerful centrifuge that he claims can separate oil from water and dump the oil into a holding tank, leaving the water 99 percent clean of crude.

Costner told "Good Morning America" anchor Sam Champion that he became inspired to work on the device after making the film "Waterworld" and after watching coverage of the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

That spill occurred off the coast of Alaska when the supertanker Exxon Valdez hit a reef in 1989. Approximately 11 million gallons of oil spilled into Prince William Sound, causing widespread harm to the local wildlife, environment and economy.




"When I saw everyone on the shore with rubber boots and pitch fork, trying to clean up the problem that they didn't create, you know, the images of the birds, it was all very sad," the "Field of Dreams" star said, speaking of the devastating effects of the Exxon Valdez spill.

In the interview on "Good Morning America," he added: "So I went ahead and said, 'does this have to happen?'"

With his scientist brother, Costner started his own company, Costner Industries, and bought the patent for the technology.

"If 20 of my V20s would have been at the Exxon Valdez, 90 percent of that oil would have been cleaned up within the week," he said, referring to one of the models of the oil separators.

The devices, which can be taken to the spill site via barges, come in different sizes. The largest can clean water at a rate of 200 gallons per minute, according to the firm.

Depending on the water-to-oil ratio, the devices are capable of extracting 2,000 barrels of oil per day from the gulf.

The actor and representatives of Ocean Therapy Solutions , the firm that developed the machine, demonstrated the centrifugal device for BP officials in New Orleans last month.

"The machines are basically sophisticated centrifuge devices that can handle a huge volume of water and separate at unprecedented rates," said Ocean Therapy Solutions CEO John Houghtaling. "They were developed from older centrifuge technology. Normal centrifuge machines are very slow and sensitive to different ratios of oil to water mixtures at intake."

During the initial test, the machine failed to work because the oil had been transformed to a peanut butter-like thickness due to the effects of the dispersants. The machines were then adjusted to handle the thick consistency, and now they work as intended, Costner's publicist said.

Costner hopes the machine will be headed to the Gulf soon.

Read the full article here

Top Tips for a low Carbon Christmas 4

Christmas is here!

Will your festivities be low carbon this year? There’s still time… so here are a few top tips to make your Christmas a planet friendly one…

1) After all the festivities are over see how much of the Christmas wrapping paper and Christmas cards can be recycled. If you can reuse wrapping paper for next year – even better! If not put it all in the recycling bin. It takes much less energy and water to produce new paper from recycled pulp than from virgin pulp. You can also shred your waste paper and use it for packing or for bedding for your pets.

2) If your eyes were bigger than your belly and you can’t eat all your Christmas lunch – don’t throw it away. If you have a bird table put out your scraps and left-overs. Birds need all the food they can get at this time of year and they quite enjoy the odd roast potato and Yorkshire pudding.

3) We generate huge quantities of waste over the Christmas period – including cardboard packaging, wrapping paper, plastic bags, glass bottles and jars, and empty food tins and drinks cans. All of these are recyclable – so if you local council won’t collect them, load them up and take them to the civic amenity and recycling centre. Despite the carbon from the car journey it’s still better to recycle these materials than throw them in the dustbin. You could be extra eco-friendly and offer to take your neighbours as well – that way you’ll be reducing the amount of car journeys you both make.


4) If you are lucky enough to get a new mobile phone for Christmas remember to recycle your old one. Many charities collect old mobile phones. Any unwanted gifts or items you no longer want can be donated to your local charity shop to help raise money.

5) As the year draws to a close take a moment to think about how you will live your life in 2010. Consider your impact on the planet and if you can choose a couple of things that you could easily do differently in 2010 that would make a difference. It doesn’t need to be anything major – start small and grow your contribution. Every step we take to reduce our carbon emissions is a step in the right direction, so don’t be put off by the size of the problem – remember the old saying; “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” Now is a great time to take that first bite.

Cutting your carbon at Christmas doesn’t have to mean cutting your fun, but it can mean cutting your costs!

Have a very merry green Christmas this year!

How my job changed my life and my health

I’ve been with Passion for the Planet for over a year now. Did I see myself working here a year? The short answer, to begin with, was no.

Let me explain. I didn’t apply for the job. I didn’t want a job in media and I wasn’t environmentally friendly. I wasn’t a complete eco hazard – I recycled bottles and clothing, and would walk instead of drive when possible. Although, if I’m honest this was because pre-Passion for the Planet I was a student and a lot of my ‘greener’ actions were fuelled by the knowledge it would save me money – it turns out that a good sale & buy on eBay can pay for next week’s food, that energy saving light bulbs cut electricity bills and that parking on campus costs a small fortune.

However, during my university years I also committed various environmental crimes. I drove up and down the M1 between London and Leicester, threw scrunched up scrap paper from essays in to bins rather than recycling and our diets were definitely not doing anybody any favours, including ourselves.

If a student gives you the excuse that they eat rubbish because they don’t have money for food – they’re lying. We used to buy take-aways a couple of times a week and eat burgers on the way home after nights out. These burgers were grim to say the least, being known universally among my friends as ‘rat burgers’ (the owner of the van used called us the ‘ratty girls’ as he never worked out we were referring to his business). We evened these expenses out by buying noodles that cost 5p per pack (I’m not joking, see here and sort the results in ascending order - they’ve gone up to 9p now). Apart from the fact they probably have about the same nutritional value as the newspaper you read this morning and forget the carbon footprint for a second - I still can’t get my head around how they could afford the entire manufacturing process from buying the ingredients, to cooking them, packaging and driving them to the supermarket all for just 5p.

Anyway, I know I wasn’t the only one eating like this. In fact, with regards to health, I was still slim as I would run around the park to work off the night before, and I was even relatively fit because I played a lot of sport for the badminton and hockey team. The fact that I was at the top end of the health scale compared to my peers says a lot about the benefits of exercising (or their lifestyles)!

So how did I get a job at the UK’s only environmental and health focused radio station without lying or even applying??

Well, the radio station was becoming more popular and expanding, so quickly in fact that it was keen to find some support staff. I happened to be at a friend’s house after graduating, discussing how I needed a job quickly to save up for travelling so I could go and come back before getting myself on to a graduate scheme. Her mother overheard and suggested Passion for the Planet, even though they hadn’t started advertising any positions yet. She said she wasn’t sure if it was what I was looking for (or even if I was what they were looking for) but maybe it would suit both parties for a while. So after a short interview that established I was capable of helping with admin and would fit in at the office, I got the job. As I only intended to stay for about 6 months before leaving to go travelling it was also agreed that they would continue to look for someone who would grow with the business.

As I began working at Passion for the Planet, I would also be listening to the radio at the same time as working. The interviews meant I quickly picked up hundreds of tips and lots of advice – not just on how to live a healthier lifestyle but a more environmentally friendly one too. Although I had never made any conscious effort to change my life, as I tuned in it just seemed to happen naturally.

By listening to the station I gained insights into a whole range of topics from cutting down office waste, to training falcons, where I can shop ethically and how to get into business. And my education was absolutely effortless too. Not to mention free!

Now, although I still own a car I certainly use it less. Even the smallest changes have made such a difference, from the way I eat (although I’m not a full blown vegetarian I am definitely feeling the benefits of eating less meat) to using websites like Freecycle to keep my flat tidy. The health tips have left me feeling more energetic and the inspiring good business interviews have made me reconsider my career path. Now I know there are so many more options available to me than just joining a graduate scheme! Reusing or reducing what I use has not only cut down waste but has saved me money which went towards my travels. (Passion for the Planet kindly kept the job open for me to allow me to fulfil my dream of travelling for 5 months, in the knowledge that I had a full time job to come back to.)

Passion for the Planet’s aim is to inspire and motivate people to live a healthier, greener life by giving them useful information in an entertaining way.

I’m proof that what we’re doing is making a difference!

Flooding – could it happen to you?

What would you do if you were at work, the rain was hammering down and within a day your offices were several feet underwater? Would your family be safe if you home was flooded? What would you loose to the rising water?

Over 5 million people in England and Wales are at risk of becoming a victim of flooding. The long term solution to prevent future flooding across the planet is to cut you and your family’s carbon emissions; however you need to have a short term plan as well.

Be prepared!
As we saw recently in Cumbria and back in 2007, floods can come suddenly and when they do they’re absolutely devastating to communities. By being prepared you could not just save you belongings but your life.

• Know the risk; Check these flood maps so that you can check whether you’re at risk from flooding from rivers or the sea.
  
• You don’t just need to be near water to experience flooding. Even if you live inland, you too could be a victim of flooding. Sewers can get blocked and overflow, contaminating flood water. Heavy rainfall can overwhelm the drainage capacity of the local area causing floods.
  
• Get flood alerts – almost three quarters of people that live in the areas that are at risk of flooding have not signed up to get regular flood alerts. Sign up to Floodline Warnings Direct by calling Floodline on 0845 988 1188 or online by following this link. The service they provide is free and sends flood warnings direct to you by telephone, mobile, email, SMS text message or fax.
  
• Flood proof your property. It will never be possible to fully protect your home or offices from the risk of flooding, but you can significantly reduce the damage done. Here’s a handy check list by the Environment Agency to help you get started.
  
• Check your insurance plan and make sure that it covers flood damage – otherwise you could find yourself footing the bill. Flooding can be financially costly on top of the inconvenience and distress of loosing your home.
  
• Find out how to turn off your gas, electricity and water mains supply in order to minimise damage
  
• Move treasured possessions and mementos. Secure a place to put cherished items such as photo albums, family videos and heirlooms. It’s quicker and safer to remove one box of things you want to keep safe from you house when leaving, rather than running round trying to collect things on the day of an emergency!
  
• What would you want to move to safety? Think about items that you’d want to save such as a pets and furniture and think about how you’d go about moving them.
  
• Community – not only will working together when a flood occurs help you to respond quickly and effectively, but consider neighbours that might need extra help, such as the elderly.

If you are unlucky enough to experience flooding in your area, or you have any concerns, the Environment Agency can provide you with the advice you need. Click on their flood advice guides or go to their main flood page if you want any more information.

Fancy a drink?

Millions of people in the UK spend millions of pounds on bottled water every year. And we’re being sold a scam… so let’s just clear something up;

By opting for tap water over bottles you can help the ENVIRONMENT, YOUR POCKET and YOUR HEALTH!


Now, if all this is true then why is bottled water such a successful industry? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that it isn’t a very sustainable way of doing business.

Some imported brands of bottled water are responsible for more than 300 times the CO2 emissions per litre than tap water (Thames Water 2009). According to WRAP three out of four plastics bottles are not recycled meaning millions of bottles needlessly end up in landfill. And even if they are recycled (which is far better than creating them from raw materials) it still leads to higher carbon emissions as the recycling process consumes energy.

Ignoring the environmental impact for a minute, why do people just keep reaching in to their pockets to buy another bottle of water when it’s so expensive?

According to the Consumer Council for Water bottled water costs 500 times more than tap water, so when we ask for bottled water at a restaurant it can be comparable to paying £1500 for a beer or glass of wine when we’d usually pay just £3. Interestingly, one in five people claim that they’re ‘slightly nervous’ or ‘too scared to ask’ for tap water (National Consumer Council). But the main reason is because of successful advertising campaigns which have managed to convince us that bottled water is somehow better for us.

However on the whole, tap water is just as safe, clean and healthy. And if you live in London (where the water certainly isn’t coming from any fresh water springs) then your tap water is actually rated top in the UK according the Drinking Water Inspectorate’s (DWI) annual water quality report in 2008. The DWI rigorously tests the quality of drinking water to make sure that it is safe in terms of bacteria, the chemical and metal content and perhaps surprisingly, how the water looks and tastes.

Further to this, The London On Tap campaign, a collaboration between Thames Water and the Mayor of London, recently launched a competition to design an iconic carafe to be used to serve tap water in restaurants, bars and hotels throughout the capital. So now restaurant owners can order a carafe with their logo on to serve tap water, which not only looks smart, but shows that their establishment has invested in our environment.

Now if you already know all of the above and in addition are trying to cut down on how much tap water you use (we salute you) then the Consumer Council for Water and the Energy Saving Trust have come up with these top tips to help you save money and the environment:

• Replace worn washers on leaky taps. A dripping hot water tap wastes energy and over a year could unnecessarily add over £18 to your annual water bill.

• Shorten your shower. For every minute you cut off your daily shower you could save between £5 and £10 off your energy bills over the year, or go one step further and install a water saving shower head, which can cut the amount of water used by about 30 per cent.

• When putting the kettle on to boil, only fill it with as much water as necessary. Two-thirds of us waste energy by boiling more water than we need.

• Make sure that the dishwasher or washing machine is completely full before turning it on, and avoid using the half load setting. Half-load cycles use much more than half the energy and water of a full load.

• Washing machines use huge amounts of energy, 90 per cent of which is through heating water. By reducing the temperature from 40 to 30 degrees, energy consumption will be reduced by 40 per cent.

• The hot water cylinder thermostat should be set at 60°C or 140°F. Any higher is a waste of energy and could lead to scalding.

• Insulate the hot water cistern to avoid wasting energy to keep it hot. Fitting a jacket that is at least 75mm thick could save around £35 each year.

Like so many environmental initiatives, when you think about it, it makes perfect sense, it saves you money and it’s actually very easy to do.

Getting relationships wrong hurts.

And when it’s our relationship with the world we live in it hurts more than just us.

Everything we do affects our world. Smile, don’t smile. Praise, criticise. Vote, stay at home. Buy fair trade, buy the cheapest. Think profit, think it through.

Personal or planet-wide, decisions and actions have consequences.

For example… too many sheep means higher insurance premiums, buying a fur coat costs you more than the price on the ticket, and driving your car increases the cost of bread.

Deforestation and over grazing by sheep in rural areas robs the land of its ability to absorb and retain rainwater. The water’s got to go somewhere … that’ll be rivers. Add too much rainwater going into rivers and you’ve got towns and villages becoming more prone to flooding. After Hue Edwards has slipped off his wellies and returned to the dry safety of Television Centre the less photogenic headline is higher insurance premiums.

In the 1930’s a South American mammal called the Coypu was introduced into the UK in fur farms. A few escaped from a farm in Norfolk and within a year they were destroying crops, digging into river banks and damaging drainage systems and flood defences. It took 50 years of hard work and many millions of pounds to eradicate the Coypu.

When you jump in your car to go to the shops you know that you’re adding the price of the petrol to your shopping bill. But did you also know that you’re increasing the cost of the food you’re buying? Cars release CO2 into the atmosphere and this changes our climate. A changed climate has lead to wheat crops failing in many countries. In particular Australia, one of the world's largest producers of wheat, is suffering from the worst droughts in a century. The failed crops have lead to a global shortage, affecting wheat prices and ultimately putting up the price of a loaf in supermarkets in the UK.

Every action we take can have a negative or positive affect on our relationship with the planet we live on. And just like relationships between humans, when we make a mistake and hurt a friend we rely on, we try to make amends, and so it is with the planet. We rely on the Earth and could not survive without it. So let’s consider our relationship with it and make amends for the hurt we’ve caused.

Happiness starts at work.

So we’ve all heard the expression ‘happiness starts at home’. However, for a lot of people most of their waking lives are actually spent outside the home and in the office. So why then, don’t we make as much effort to improve our lives, and environmental efforts at work?

I know many people who spend hours cooking delicious organic dishes for dinner, are oh so sustainable on the weekends - recycling almost everything, composting food waste and tea bags, re-using yoghurt pots for labeling pot plants, walking their kids to the park saving an unnecessary car journey, and many other fantastic ways to be green.

But then during the week they end up having a supermarket BLT for lunch (or at best a packaged salad which probably contains more salt than it’s equivalent in sea water), produce tonnes of administrative waste that ends up in landfills rather than being recycled, have the company spend money on expensive paper and packaging while the offices pay electricity bills for vending machines that are filled with chocolate and crisps. Remember, even if you are a carnivore with a sweet tooth with no interest in reducing your carbon footprint – the money alone that’s being wasted here could be coming straight out of your pay cheque!

So what can you do about the harm being done environmentally, to your health and to your pocket?


Here’s a list of things you as an individual can change:

• Next to the printer have a pile of clean paper and scrap paper – print on the back of the scrap paper if it’s for internal use
• Have a stationary box for stationary you get given free at events. Okay – so I accept this might not be enough to supply your whole office but it will certainly cut down annual spending and reduce waste
• Re-use jiffy bags when you get sent a package. We keep ours in a filing cabinet drawer and have the right size bag for virtually anything we want to send out
• Re-use the piece of paper in between business cards that the printers use to stop them smudging and don’t throw away out-of-date business cards – both can be used instead of post-it notes
• Bring a homemade vegetarian lunch in – that extra vegetarian meal per day will make all the difference to your carbon footprint, be cheaper and hopefully improve your health [for some recipes see Munch Less Meat]
• If you drive to work, take public transport once a week. Friday is often a good day to do this as it also means you can have a sneaky drink on the way home!
• Don’t throw yesterdays water down the drain (kettle or bottled) – water the plants in the office instead when you go to refill
• Walk rather than taking the lift which will also have positive health implications
• Don’t overfill the kettle you only need to put in it what will be used when making everyone some tea
• Bring in chocolates / biscuits you receive for everyone to share – so technically this isn’t any more environmentally friendly but it’s a nice gesture which will cheer everyone up around you, save your waistline and in turn cut down the nations health bills (I could go on about the importance healthy eating habits at work here but I won’t…)

And here are some things that you can suggest that your office changes:

• Ask them to buy stationery only from sustainable office suppliers [such as The Green Stationery Company] and always choose recycled paper.
• Have recycling for paper, cardboard, bottles, cans, etc (label one pile as ‘to be shredded’ if you’re worried about confidential information being passed on)
• Suggest that staff bring in their own bottle to use for water rather than using polystyrene or plastic cups next to a water machine. For clients offer them a glass of water that you can wash up (this also looks smarter)
• If you have a canteen suggest they offer at least two nutritionally balanced vegetarian options
• Ask the offices to take out vending machines and replace them with better cooking facilities. If people want chocolate they can always bring it in rather than your offices paying for the electricity that a vending machine uses and adding to their carbon footprint

Preventing Health and Environmental Catastrophes

Gordon Brown warns of 'catastrophe' if no climate change deal is reached in Copenhagen in December

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has warned of a 'catastrophe' of floods, droughts, and deadly heatwaves if world leaders don't agree a climate change deal this December. In a speech to the Major Economies Forum in London, which you can see below, Mr Brown has insisted there is no 'plan B' if agreement isn't reached at December's UN climate summit in Copenhagen. The Copenhagen talks aim to produce a successor to the Kyoto climate treaty, but preparatory discussions at the UN are stalled. The British government's critics say it is not doing enough on climate change and is in no position to lecture the rest of the world about it. Olly Barratt reports.





Drugs campaigners on benefits/dangers of prescribing heroin to addicts

I've just filed a package for on the recently published preliminary findings of a UK trial which has seen heroin addicts given the drug in an attempt to cut crime and help them deal with their addiction. It's an idea that's been the reality for some time in Switzerland but arouses strong emotions from people who support it, and those who oppose it. I've been speaking to Mary Brett from drugs campaigners Eurad, who is against moves to roll such a plan out in the UK - and you can listen to part of our discussion here as Mary tells me it's not a good idea. I've also been speaking to Claudia Rubin from drugs charity Release - you can listen to some of our interview here - she supports moves to a Swiss-style system following the 'success' of the UK trial.
Olly Barratt - UK correspondent.


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

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

Don’t save the planet – save yourself!

Saving the planet is not really about stopping Planet Earth from dying, exploding or somehow disappearing. It’s about saving our own skins. Pretty much whatever we do Planet Earth will still be here – it’s us (and many other life forms) that are the ones under threat.

So here are three quick and easy eco top tips…

1) Go Veggie. 25 calories of fossil fuel are used to produce just one calorie of meat protein. Vegetable protein requires 30% less energy, 100 times less water and seven times less land area.
Every time you eat a meat free meal you’re helping the environment.

2) Use the car for one less journey this week. Reduce your car use one journey at a time. It all adds up.

Every time you leave the car at home you are helping to reduce global warming and particulate pollution.

3) Take your unwanted clothes, shoes, toys and bric-a-brac to the local charity shop. Millions of tonnes of perfectly good, re-usable items end up in landfill every year.

So don’t add yours to the pile – donate it to charity and save the planet while helping a good cause.

I don’t just like my allotment – I love it.

40 years to wait for an allotment – that’s what the headlines shouted recently.

In fact, on closer inspection, it’s not entirely true but it is interesting that allotments are in more demand than they have been since the post war years of the late 1940s and 50s.

I am lucky enough to have an allotment at a very well run site called The Paddock. I’ll be honest, for the first couple of years, when I was trying to cope with it on my own, it was really too much. An allotment takes time and energy and the tiny bit of each that I was able to dedicate to my plot meant that come harvest time I was pulling weeds not vegetables.

So about a year ago I asked a friend if she’d like to share it with me –and the difference has been astounding.



I’d always enjoyed working on the plot, but now, with a friend to chat to and to be able to share the successes and failures, I don’t just like it, I love it.

And I am no longer harvesting weeds. Instead we’ve had (and are still having) punnets of raspberries, handfuls of giant courgettes, delicious French beans, onions, cabbages, sweet golden tomatoes, rhubarb and crunchy carrots, with the promise of corn on the cob, pumpkins, beetroot, spinach, and leeks still to come.

Have I saved money? Overall, probably not.

Does the food taste better than supermarket fare? Most definitely yes.

Do I feel I’ve spent my time well? Yes, I’ve loved every minute, even weeding in a downpour. And not much can match the joy of harvesting your own veg and then eating them that night, while they are still super fresh and full of flavour and goodness.

Have I made friends? Yes and by being part of an allotment group I feel part of a community; something that seems to be increasingly difficult in the modern age and especially in a big city like London.

Will I be keeping my allotment next year? A huge and resounding; yes, yes, yes.



So what advice do I have?

1) If you haven’t already got an allotment and it appeals to you – put your name down now, most places do have a waiting list, fortunately it’s not generally 40 years, but be prepared to wait a year to 18 months.

2) Be prepared to work hard. But also be prepared to enjoy fresh air, the sound of birds singing, a connection with the land and strange conversations about blight and pruning and “how come yours are huge and mine are tiny?”

3) Share it with a friend; it’s more fun, less work, the yields tend to be higher, the highs and lows are shared and it can be great planning what to grow together and trying out each other’s favourite fruit and veg.To find out about allotments in your area you’ll need to call your local council. A good book to get you started is “The Essential Allotment Guide”.

Walking and Cycling

Getting ourselves from A to B can often have a negative impact on the planet. We all know that we should fly less, reduce our car use and use public transport wherever possible. The trouble is that most of these actions involve sacrificing something, and that doesn’t sound like much fun to anybody.

It can be hard to visualise actually enjoying and benefitting from reducing your personal transport emissions when you are being made to feel guilty. However, if we did all walk or cycle a bit more, we would be healthier and better off, the planet would benefit, and we’d probably be a whole lot happier as a result.

With this in mind I’d like to recommend some websites and ideas that aim to make cycling and walking both more accessible and more desirable (and do it pretty well in my opinion).
The first website is all about walking. Walkit.com is like a journey planner for walking. You input your starting point and destination and the site will generate a route for you, complete with map and instructions. You can see how far the journey is, how long it should take for fast, medium and slow walkers, how many calories you’ll burn and the carbon emissions you will save when compared with making the same journey using another form of transport. Best of all you can choose between direct, less busy or less polluted routes. The latter will avoid main roads and go through parks and along rivers, giving you a more pleasant and healthier option for your journey. Walkit currently covers a variety of UK cities and there are plans to launch it in many more over the coming months. Check it out; you’ll be surprised at how quickly and easily you could get to your destination without spending a penny and both doing something healthy and benefiting the planet in the process.

Moving on to cycling (and I’m afraid this is specifically London based – apologies to any non-Londoners), transport for London has recently launched the new cycling section of its website and it’s packed full of useful information for cyclists of any proficiency. You can access information on cycle routes (including green routes), cycle training, equipment, safety and when you can take your bike on public transport. It’s a great resource and one that will expand as new routes are added. If you are the kind of person who likes the idea of cycling more but lacks the confidence to bite the bullet and do it, then you will find loads of tips to get you excited about getting on your bike. More experienced cyclists will benefit from the cycle journey planner and alternative routes that are available.

Sticking with cycling (and also with London again – sorry!), I wanted to draw attention to a couple of future developments that have got me really excited. The first is the 12 ‘cycling superhighways’, planned for completion by 2012. These will be dedicated cycle ways from the outer boroughs into the centre of London. The new routes will by clearly marked with continuous cycle lanes at junctions to help keep cyclists safe. I’m sure that these routes will make a lot of people feel much more confident about cycling in London.

The second is the Cycle Hire scheme planned for launch in May next year. This is similar to the Vélib scheme in Paris and will allow people to pick up a bike from a docking station and return it to another docking station at their destination. This will be really useful to both commuters and tourists. Initially there will be around 6,000 bikes in Central London and I suspect that this number will increase quickly as the scheme grows in popularity.

So there you have it. Just a few helping hands to make walking and cycling seem like more desirable options. Leading a healthier and more sustainable life is about increasing your quality of life, rather than simply sacrificing the things you need, want and enjoy.