Alexandra Wales - 19-Nov-2007
- North East businesses are being invited
to find out more about how climate change
could impact them, and how they can profit
by going green, at a seminar this month.
An event hosted and organised by the Environment
Agency and the Service Network on Friday
23rd November will give local business leaders
the chance to quiz the experts on green
business issues.
The event will be opened by Adrian Hilton,
the North East’s Regional Climate Change
Co-ordinator and will include Bob Carrick
and Peter Kerr of the Environment Agency
who will deliver an interactive workshop
at the Environment Agency’s offices in Newcastle.
This workshop will focus on how to protect
organisations from the changes that climate
change will bring.
Peter Kerr, Northumbria local levy programme
manager at the Environment Agency said:
“Climate change is going to cause significant
impacts on all businesses in the coming
years. By attending this workshop organisations
will start thinking about how they can adapt,
understand how to reduce costs and take
other opportunities. To do this successfully,
they must begin now, and this workshop will
be a great starting point.”
Guy Tunnicliff of Integration International
and Adam Woodhall of People Profit Planet
will also run a workshop looking at the
opportunities for business leaders to benefit
their bottom line by greening their business
activities.
Guy Tunnicliff added: “Whilst we believe
it is important for both the future of your
business and the planet that you attend,
the focus of the event will be on participation;
the workshop activities are designed to
not only be educational but also entertaining.
Attendees will also be given ample opportunity
to share experiences and learn from other
delegates.”
This event will be held at the Environment
Agency, Skinnerburn Road, Newcastle Business
Park, NE4 7AR on Friday 23rd November, from
9.00am till 12.00pm and includes lunch.
The event is free for Service Network members
and costs £30+VAT for non-members.
Those interested in attending should register
by emailing annabrown@service-network.co.uk
, go online at www.service-network.co.uk
or call 0191 519 7373.
Ends
Notes to editors
Environment Agency
Peter Kerr manages the Northumbria Local
Levy Programme at the Environment Agency.
This programme delivers work on a range
of themes around flood risk management.
A significant proportion of the projects
centre on climate change adaptation. Peter
is a Chartered Civil Engineer. Bob Carrick
also works in the Local Levy team with responsibilities
to coordinate and deliver projects across
the North East. Bob has particular expertise
in the field of planning and development
and is managing a project focusing on business
adaptation to climate change.
The Environment Agency is the leading public
body for protecting and improving the environment
in England and Wales. It's our job to make
sure that air, land and water are looked
after by everyone in today's society, so
that tomorrow's generations inherit a cleaner,
healthier world.
www.environment-agency.gov.uk
Service Network
Anna Brown is the events co-ordinator at
Service Network North East. Service Network
is a membership organisation for professional
business companies, which works with nearly
300 companies to promote the quality of
skills and expertise available across North
East England, and helps business become
more successful through providing a range
of valued services. www.service-network.co.uk
Integration International
Guy Tunnicliff is the director of Integration
International: experts in coaching managers,
helping organisations with strategic change
and developing people. Guy has a wealth
of experience of working with a wide range
of leaders, teams and organisations on a
variety of people and business issues. His
recent work has focused on changing cultures
and helping directors develop effective
values based businesses which include environmental
issues in their strategy. Guy uses whole
system change processes to enable people
in organisations to make environmental or
other significant changes.
www.integration-int.com
People Profit Planet
Adam Woodhall is the founder of People Profit
Planet; the environmental business coaches.
Adam has widespread knowledge in the field
of environmental and corporate responsibility,
in addition to having experience in training
and coaching, people and event management,
business development, marketing and customer
service. Around a year ago he set the company
up because he saw that many employees were
not applying in the workplace the environmental
knowledge they had. People Profit Planet
therefore works with organisations to empower
their staff to be greener and to bring this
knowledge into ongoing strategy.
www.peopleprofitplanet.co.uk.
+ More
Environment Agency prepares county’s rivers
for winter
Catherine Burbage - 19-Nov-2007 - Work
teams from the Environment Agency are out
in force across Lincolnshire repairing,
dredging and weed cutting in watercourses
hit by the summer floods.
Several towns, villages and settlements
in the county, including Louth, Grimsby,
and Horncastle, suffered severe flooding
this summer, bringing misery to hundreds
of home and business owners. Work is now
underway to prepare flood-hit watercourses
for the winter months.
In Louth, one of the worst hit towns in
the region, the Environment Agency has been
clearing silt and other debris out of the
River Lud, which runs through the town.
Work teams have been in Louth since August,
removing brick deposits from the watercourse
and restoring the riverbed to a profile
that will convey normal and flood flows
efficiently.
Banks have been restored to the River Steeping
at Wainfleet, and work is due to start on
repairing the banks of the Wainfleet relief
channel, and the Louth Canal at Austen fen.
Across Lincolnshire teams have been out
cutting reeds and vegetation from over 80
rivers and drains while on the major rivers
work has been ongoing to locks and sluices,
to make sure they are operating efficiently
for the increased winter flows. This is
part of a maintenance programme that is
carried out annually in the county.
Work teams have also been busy removing
debris including fallen trees, household
rubbish and even items such as fridges and
washing machines, to make sure that the
water flow is unobstructed.
Repairs to banks and flood walls are also
underway along watercourses damaged by the
summer deluge. Along the banks of the Fossdyke,
expansion joints and flap valves that were
damaged by the floods are being replaced,
while on the Upper Bain near Horncastle
channel sides that were scoured away by
flood waters are due to be reinforced.
In the north of the county around Grimsby
the Environment Agency is at work reinstating
banks that were breached or overtopped during
the floods, including at Winterton Beck,
Kelsey Beck, Oldfleet Drain and Creek Drain.
A hydraulic excavator will also be sent
in to de-silt Cutley Beck.
John Ulyatt, Operations Delivery manager
said: ‘We are working hard to get everything
back to normal after the unprecedented rainfall
and high flows in the summer. Removing trees
and debris, as well as repairing flood walls,
structures and river banks, is important
in reducing any further risk of flooding.
‘This is just a few of the hundreds of
jobs we are carrying out across the county.
An intensive programme is underway to clear
and prepare the watercourses for the winter,
which traditionally is the time when river
flows are at their highest.’
+ More
Radioactivity in food and the environment
2006
Head Office Press Office - 19-Nov-2007
- The 2006 annual report on radioactivity
in food and the environment has been published
by the Environment Agency, the Scottish
Environment Protection Agency, the Northern
Ireland Environment and Heritage Service
and the Food Standards Agency.
The main purpose of the annual monitoring
programme is to make sure levels of radioactivity
in food and drink from authorised discharges
from the nuclear industry do not exceed
UK and EU limits. The report shows our food
remains safe to eat.
"The Environment Agency regulates
the disposal of radioactive waste from nuclear
and non-nuclear sites in England and Wales
through strict authorisations. These cover
radioactive discharges into the air, the
sea, rivers, drains and groundwater, disposals
to land, and by transfer to another site,"
explained Environment Agency Head of Radioactive
Substances Regulation Joe McHugh.
"Radioactivity in the environment
comes from several sources and this extensive
report provides an in-depth assessment of
radioactivity in food and the environment
in the UK. It focuses on key information
that demonstrates both that food remains
safe and that the public’s exposure to ionising
radiation is within legal limits.
"The highest radiation dose in England
and Wales was approximately 50% (0.5mSv/y)
of the annual dose limit for the public
permitted under UK and EU legislation
"Operators of nuclear sites are required
to monitor their discharges and the effects
on the environment. The Food Standards Agency
and the separate national environment agencies
carry out their own monitoring programmes.
These are important because they provide
an independent assessment and act as an
additional check on the monitoring programmes
carried out by site operators."
The report has been compiled by the Centre
for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture
Science on behalf of the Environment Agency
for England and Wales, the Northern Ireland
Environment and Heritage Service, the Food
Standards Agency and the Scottish Environment
Protection Agency.
"We know that there are some concerns
about the possible effects of radiation
on the environment and on the food people
eat," added Food Standards Agency Head
of Emergency Planning, Radiation and Incidents
Division Lynne Ridler-Wall.
"The RIFE report is therefore very
important in informing the public about
the monitoring work that is conducted by
the relevant Government agencies in this
area.
"The main purpose of the Food Standard
Agency’s monitoring programme is to make
sure levels of radioactivity in food and
drink from authorised discharges from the
nuclear industry do not lead to people receiving
unacceptable amounts of radioactivity through
their food. Our work has shown that the
food chain has not been adversely affected
by these discharges and our food remains
safe to eat."
The report covers:-
Disposal of radioactive waste
Food irradiation
Radioactivity levels around nuclear sites
Nuclear fuel production and reprocessing
Research establishments
Nuclear power stations
Defence establishments
Radiochemical production
Industrial and landfill sites
Disposal of radioactive material at sea
and its effect on the marine environment
Regional monitoring and the effects of fallout
from the Chernobyl accident on diet, milk,
crops, airborne particulates, rain, freshwater
and seawater.
For more information on the Radioactivity
in Food and the Environment 2006 report
please visit http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/rife
