Caroline Lucas from the Green Party has described, in an article in The Guardian newspaper, the types of changes that she would like to propose in the battle against capitalism and the destruction of our environment.

The heart of this approach is centred on rejecting the current government’s plot to make huge budget cuts, especially within the public services.

Instead, the Green Party are suggesting this country invests in a new “green infrastructure”, which would not only help in the fight against climate change and towards nature conservation, but it will also help create a huge number of jobs in the trade sector.

By regenerating every building in the UK to be highly energy efficient and partially self-reliant on their own energy supplies, this scheme could produce a huge number of jobs for numerous trades – such as engineers, plumbers, builders and electricians, to name just a few.

Visualisation of Green Party Manifesto:

The possibility of implementing a new zero-waste strategy could also help create tens of thousands of jobs in the public service sector, especially for refuse collectors, and the party’s idea to train thousands of people in horticulture in order to produce more locally sourced food, would also produce many more jobs for people in their local areas.

This new Green “deal” is proposed to be funded partly by the new tax revenues generated by the scheme, as well as from private funding, repaid from savings on homeowners’ and businesses’ energy bills.

Could this be the future for an environment-friendly, economic equality-driven society? Only time will tell. Get in touch and give us your views on this proposal.

This would be a huge set back for the electric car market, as the industry has already began marketing their new range of electric cars with the idea that this proposed discount would remain in place.

Electric cars are expensive to buy, and it has been said that only the most environmentally conscious amongst us would be prepared to pay out for one. Even the £5,000 discount may not help attract many more buyers, so with the possibility of this discount being scrapped before it has even been put into practice, it is hard to see how the future of electric cars can get ahead.

Numerous dealers in and around Birmingham will be put out by this latest revelation. Renault plan to launch a new range of four zero emission cars 2011, which Renault Birmingham have confirmed they will be stocking from the end of next year.

Mitsubishi have already launched two low CO2 emissions cars in the form of the “Colt” and the “Outlander”, which both boast lower emissions and better fuel economy. There are also plans to release the new “i MiEV” soon, which claims to be “the first viable and affordable fully electric vehicle available in the UK.”

The Acorn Mitsubishi centre at Quinton already stocks the “Colt” from £8,499 and the “Outlander” from £25,999, so this £5,000 discount could really make a difference to the sales of electric cars in and around Birmingham.

With Nissan producing the new zero-emissions, recyclable “Leaf” and Citron marketing the new zero-carbon, 100% electric “C-ZERO” at the end of this year, we could be seeing big changes in the future of environmentally-friendly transport.

However, the cut of this proposed discount could stunt the sales of these cars, especially when you consider that Nissan are already promoting their new “Leaf” under the pretence of this £5,000 discount, offering their car for £23,350 instead of its £28,350 retail price.

The government may not realise it, but they could be damaging the potential for electric cars to have a real future on our roads.

Well hunt no more, as The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country hosts a number of weekly activity days down at their EcoPark in Small Heath. The EcoPark is an educational centre for children of all ages, which aims to teach children about their local environment and how to help protect it.

Children can take part in all kinds of exciting activities such as growing trees and vegetables, pond dipping, “minibeast” hunts and nature-themed arts and crafts. Most importantly, these activities will get the kids out in the fresh air, getting their bodies and minds active for the day.

More to offer

There are plenty more environmental activities on offer in the West Midlands. The kids will be spoilt for choice!

The Birmingham Nature Centre (run by Birmingham City Council) is home to a wide range of animals, such as red pandas, lemurs, cranes, otters and meerkats. The centre also has a wide collection of endangered reptiles, such as lizards and snakes.

With so many fascinating and unusual animals on display, those days of driving miles to the nearest zoo may be behind you. Birmingham’s Nature Centre is sure to impress and with entrance fees as little as £3.50 for adults, £1 for children aged 5-15 and under-5s going free, you could certainly afford to visit more than once this summer.

It gets better, as Birmingham is also home to an Outdoor Education Centre (BOEC), which offers exciting activities such as rope courses, zip wire, orienteering and even some water activities.

Not only does the centre offer a great day out for all the family, but it also aims to leave a lasting impression on its visitors about the importance of environmental and conservation work in the local area.

See the map for six of the top environmental days out for the kids, and get the six week holidays sorted.

View Environmental Days Out in a larger map

According to the latest analysis, combining activities such as walking, jogging or cycling with a natural area can increase your well-being, vastly improving your general mood and self-esteem.

The BBC have released the results of this study from the Environmental Science and Technology journal, who have suggested that the strongest impact of this combination of exercise and “green space” was felt by the younger generations.

Five minutes of walking, cycling, fishing or horse riding (amongst other activities) gave participants an immense feeling of well-being. Longer periods of exercise in a green environment gave continued positive effects, but the magnitude of these effects was much smaller.

Earth and Water

Further research showed that a greater effect was seen when exercise was conducted in an environment that also contained water – such as a river or lake.

Study leader and researcher at the University of Essex, Jules Pretty, claimed that those who were stressed or suffering with a form of mental illness could potentially benefit most from this “green exercise”.

Paul Framer, chief executive of mental health charity Mind, also showed support for this research, saying:

‘It’s important that people experiencing depression can be given the option of a range of treatments, and we would like to see all doctors considering exercise as a treatment where appropriate.’

Further praise

This is not the first research to suggest that time spent in a green environment is beneficial to a person’s health. The BBC have also published reports of “green spaces” reducing the health gap between wealthy and poor communities back in November 2008, and have given evidence that living near a natural environment can improve overall physical health in October of last year.

The “Adventure Boot Camp” is a strong supporter of this idea of exercise in an outdoor, natural space, as their programme promotes an hour of outdoor exercise a day, three to five days a week, for four weeks – claiming that women will “reduce weight and body fat, improve posture and gain self-confidence, strength [and] endurance.”

The organisers of the programme believe that there is increasing evidence that being outdoors when exercising helps people to feel better and live better. They are also firm believers that people need to exercise in a “green space” to feel the full potential of the programme they offer.

‘It’s not just being outside, it’s being outside in a green space; be it a park or a cricket ground you get the benefit of being amidst trees, plants and flowers.’

The West Midlands branch of the “Adventure Boot Camp” is located in Stratford-upon-Avon, which uses the local rugby fields for its programme.

The next session is a week long “blitz” and starts on May 24^th, so why not head down and improve your own mental and physical well-being.

For more information visit the UK Adventure Boot Camp.

The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country will be undertaking the restoration of Moseley Bog and Joy’s Wood Local Nature Reserve in an attempt to reverse the many years of underinvestment the site has suffered, and instead aim to conserve the key heritage features and biodiversity.

This is an important breakthrough for the bog – which was at one point destined to become a landfill site – as it is home to numerous forms of habitat and a high volume of species, including birds, invertebrates and small mammals.

Katie Foster – Chair of the Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund West Midlands committee – said:

‘We are delighted to play a major part in safeguarding and improving an area beloved by so many people in the region – and connected with such a well known writer whose childhood heritage here influenced his writing now known worldwide.’

The area, which is part of a wildlife corridor between Woodgate Valley and Kings Heath, will receive treatments that include hedgerow restoration, meadow management and tree safety. There is also to be a range of learning materials including resource packs produced and an outreach programme for schools and community groups, as well as a website and self guided MP3 tours for the site.

Neil Wyatt, Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country, was quoted as saying:

‘This is a remarkable reserve on its own merit, yet this place means so much to so many people, in so many different ways. It inspired Tolkien, and it has inspired local people to stand up for their local green spaces across the country.

Now, finally, all the effort of the local community to protect and look after Moseley Bog and Joy’s Wood will be rewarded.’

With the numbers of the honeybee declining steadily, the British Beekeeper’s Association (BBKA) are promoting a new campaign to encourage bee lovers – especially those who are unwilling or unable to keep a hive of their own – to help fund the protection of our fuzzy, winged friends.

The money will be used to aid research into the health of bees and support the training for beekeepers around the UK.

With the commercial value of honey weighing in between a massive £10 million to £30 million, it’s no surprise to learn that numerous areas of the UK’s economy could be affected.

Agriculturists and chefs alike could suffer if the number of honey bees continues to decline. So much so, that the Telegraph has reported that Michelin-star chef Raymond Blanc is backing the campaign.

As one of the main reasons for the decline in the number of bees in the UK is a lack of habitats providing food sources for them, I looked into the whereabouts of bee hives in the Midlands.

Two top hives in the Midlands

The Midlands boasts two expert beekeepers in our midst – Clive from Kenilworth and Jules from Mumbleys.

Clive has 34 years experience of beekeeping, and has even been a mentor to last year’s beekeepers from the BBC’s Farming Today programme. Clive’s hives are kept in a rural location with plenty of meadows, woodlands and access to a riverbank; giving the bees a wide cross-section of plants to feed on.

Jules has been a keen beekeeper for the last eight years, and her copse provides an abundant amount of apple blossom and hedge plants for the bees to thrive on. Jules is clearly passionate about beekeeping, as she says:

‘Beekeeping is always a fascinating challenge and every year is different.’

If you would like to adopt a hive visit the BBKA for more information.

Become a beekeeper

For those brave enough, there are also ample opportunities in the Midlands to run your own hive.

The Warwickshire Beekeeper’s Association (WBKA) hold meetings for current and future beekeepers for counties all across the Midlands; from Birmingham, to Solihull and Warwick.

Some of the counties offer exams to improve beekeepers’ knowledge on their hobby, others offer beginners and re-fresher courses and some even offer a free loan to help set up the necessary equipment.

If you are interested in finding more about the opportunities for beekeeping in the Midlands, visit the WBKA for more information.

The problem with our high-tech age of constant consumerism means that we can buy and sell anything we want – including live animals or their fur – through online auctions and chatrooms.

The BBC quoted Paul Todd, from the International Fund for Animal Welfare, as saying:

‘The internet is becoming the dominant factor overall in the global trade in protected species.’

According to recent findings, it is the anonymity of these online auction sites and chatrooms which causes such a problem – as the illegal activities of buying and selling either animals or their furs is severely difficult to trace back to the perpetrator.

Further bad news for endangered species

The BBC has also reported on the recent Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, in which 175 nations come together to discuss serious conservation issues.

This should have been a turning point for conservation issues of all kinds, but unfortunately numerous proposals to aid the protection of endangered species were rejected.

Conservationists’ attempts to ban the trade in polar bears, bluefin tuna and rare corals have all failed, leaving environmental activists dismayed.

There is clearly a need for these auction sites and chatrooms to be monitored more closely, as the illegal trading of live animals and their furs is having a serious impact on the conservation and protection of many endangered species.

This is an issue which surely needs to be considered by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, but with so many proposals for the continued protection of the world’s endangered species having already failed, it is hard to see a brighter future for the endangered species around the globe.

Lord Adonis of the House of Lords was reported by the BBC as saying:

‘Subject to this consultation, the London terminus for the high-speed line would be Euston [and] the Birmingham city centre station would be at Curzon Street…’

This would seem to be good news for the old station, situated at the rear of Millennium Point as it would not only be back up and running, but it would once again be at the forefront of the cutting edge rail business – as it was when it first opened in 1938.

However, the Birmingham Conservation Trust has warned of a possible clash between building conservation and landscape conservation.

The National Trust in the Thames and Solent region are said to be ‘dubious’ about the proposal, after the BBC reported Patrick Begg – director for the National Trust’s Thames and Solent region – as saying that the route could cause ‘serious and significant impacts on the landscape’.

The National Trust appears to be fretful about the environmental issues in opening the new HS2 line, and claim that they are ‘yet to be convinced’ that the government have fully taken into consideration the environmental factors surrounding the proposal.

It seems then, that this could be a long and difficult battle between building conservation and restoration and landscape conservation.

Whilst the idea of the Curzon Street Station being conserved and restored to its former glory could heavily sway many of Birmingham’s residents, organisations such as The National Trust will not be alone in flying the flag for the conservation of Birmingham’s natural areas and landscapes.