iblog

Matthew: President Mahmoud Abbas has dissolved his government in Gaza and declared a state of emergency as Hamas fighters run riot throughout the Gaza strip. All major strongholds of the moderate Fatah party and their security services have been captured by the fundamentalist Hamas party, who have now declared the strip to be an Islamist quasi-state. This effectively splits the territory further, with Palestine now comprising of the Hamas dominated Gaza Strip and Fatah’s West Bank. There has long been a history of animosity between the competing Palestinian factions. Hamas surprised the West last year by triumphing in democratic elections. However, Israel, the US and Europe refused to recognise Hamas as a legitimate government, calling it a terrorist organisation, and suspended aid. Fatah retained control of the Interior ministry, which handles security, despite the fact that constitutionally, it should have passed to Hamas. The capture of the Presidential compound in Gaza City yesterday was the turning point in the conflict, as it was the symbolic heart of Fatah’s powerbase. It has been the site of the imprisonment and torture of many Hamas fighters. Today they will hold Friday prayers in the compound to celebrate their victory. There is little in the way of hope for a successful coalition government to be formed between the two parties. Hamas refers to Fatah as traitors, collaborating with Israel and the West. Hamas view any attempt to make peace with Israel a betrayal of Islam. The events caused great concern in neighbouring Israel, which now has a fundamentalist Islam state which has vowed to destroy Israel on its Southern borders. “It has to be defined as a hostile and dangerous entity and be treated as such, because it is,” said Amos Gilad, a senior officer in the Israeli Defence Force. Israel is now expected to tighten its border controls and step up its military presence in the area. The current situation was catalysed by the Israeli withdrawal of its settlers from the strip in 2005. There are some calls from Israeli hardliners to cut off water and electricity to supplies to the strip, as this victory for Hamas increases the chances of a war between the Palestine and Israel.

Anna: Stanfords is the UK’s leading specialist retailer of maps and travel books. Founded in 1853 by Edward Stanford there is, however, nothing old-fashioned about the comapny's approach to environmental policy. Stanfords has recently announced that it will be recycling all materials from its stores in London and Bristol. In addition, company staff are entitled to an extra day of annual leave is they are taking a trip to Europe and opt to travel in a sustainable way. The policy is designed to encourage Stanfords workers to take the train or the bus, rather than relying on air travel. Stanfords' flagship store in Covent Garden is a delightful place to while away an afternoon, and claims to offer the world’s largest stock of maps and travel books under one roof. Natural, then, that staff should catch the travel bug and want to indulge their Wanderlust by taking foreign trips. It's a simple idea to reward workers who make that journey in a sustainable way by providing additional annual leave, but one which is effective. Justin Francis, co-founder of www.responsibletravel.com, spells out the stark realities of our penchant for jet-setting:

The simple fact is that aviation is the fastest growing cause of global warming. The amount of carbon dioxide emitted by air travel doubled between 1990 and 2004. That is totally incompatible with the need to reduce carbon emissions by 60% by 2050.

Yet with falling air fares, and even recent deals which saw budget operators paying taxes on behalf of customers, it has never been easier or more tempting to jet off to Europe for a short break. Sir Michael Bishop, Chairman of airline BMI, said:

“Today, air travel is a natural part of the daily lives of millions of people," adding that "in 1986, only 75 million people travelled through Britain’s airports. Last year, more than three times that number did so. It is a simple example of the benefits of choice and competition.

And while cost is no longer a real constraint on short-haul, instead it is time which is at a premium, which further discourages the public from taking greener, but slower forms of transport to reach their destination. This is what makes the Stanfords initiative so clever. Rather than jumping on the carbon-offsetting bandwagon, Stanfords are encouraging employees to think about their impact on the environment. The company is also, crucially, stumping up the cash to pay for the extra annual leave entitlement, thus facilitating and rewarding the eco-credentials of its staff.

Anna: Thursday 8th June saw the official opening in Rwanda of a huge, green energy power station. As German President Angela Merkel persuaded EU leaders to commit to greenhouse gas cuts, a small African nation was making an environmental statement of its own. The solar power plant is the biggest on the African continent, and has been built with the help of Merkel's compatriots. Specifically, with support from Germany's Federal State of Rhineland Palatinate. Inaugurated by Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda, the plant is capable of producing 250 kilowatts, which boosts the landlocked nation's electricity generating capacity to 50 megawatts. This seems like small fry compared to a plant like Drax, the UK's biggest coal-fired power station, which has a huge output capacity of 4,000 megawatts. But Rwanda's energy needs are also far more modest, and by building in renewable energy sources at an early stage, the country will reduce the need for fossil fuels in the future. As a small country, it's especially important for Rwanda to avoid over-reliance on more resource-rich nations in order to safeguard long-term energy security and enable development. "In 2004, we (Rwanda) experienced a major power crisis brought about by the falling of water levels in our water bodies and this was at a time when Rwanda had set the pace of development," said Kagame. He also felt international co-operation on energy issues was a key priority. The plant itself is sited at Jali hill in Gasabo District, part of central Rwanda's Kigali Ngali province. Funding for the project came from both the Rhineland Palatinate, which has been supporting Rwandan projects for a quarter of a century, and Stadtwerke Mainz, a German energy company. Together, they ploughed around 1 million Euros into the project. The remaining 200,000 Euros needed for the plant were provided by Rwanda's Ministry of Infrastructure. Currently, more than 80% of Africa's population does not have a regular electricity supply. With much of the continent lying in the equatorial zone, daylight is limited to about 12 hours per day. A lack of electricity makes simple tasks impossible after dark, with a knock-on effect on efficiency and productivity. It is perhaps only with regard to energy that Africa, after 6pm, remains a dark continent! Achim Steiner, of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), is positive about the future, pointing out that "the continent is rich in renewable resources which can benefit the majority of people within a few years.'' However, he does warn that the continent risks being left behind in an increasingly energy-demanding world economy. Access to computers and the internet could be a key factor in Africa's development, and corporations are queueing up to design and donate "the one hundred dollar laptop". But without electricity, such initiatives become unsustainable gimmicks. Yet there is little reason why Africa should lag behind the rest of the world when it comes to energy. Endowed with limitless sunshine, vast lakes and rivers, the continent could be a showcase for renewable energy generation. Rwanda's solar power plant is hopefully the first in a long line of initiatives which harness Africa's natural riches for the benefit of her own people.