Have you ever had an old tennis ball that’s unusable? Maybe a dog’s gotten to it. Or maybe you just don’t have the energy for a quick game of tennis anymore. What ever the reason I’m urging you not to just toss it away with the rubbish.

In an attempt to help research and the preservation of harvest mice in Leicestershire and Rutland old tennis balls are being reused to give little homes for harvest mice.

The county council, worried about dwindling number has took it upon themselves to use hundreds of old tennis balls making a small penny sized hole for the mice to make it home sweet home.

The reason for the decrease in number is apparently due to changes in farming methods leading to the destruction of their homes.

The project is believed to be one of the biggest of its kind ever run in Leicestershire.

County Council wildlife expert, Helen O’Brien, said: “Little is known about the creatures’ current status locally so we need people to look in tall grass and fields and send in their information.

“The data will help us track numbers and tell us where we need to focus our attention to safeguard their future.”

The balls, donated by a local tennis club, are available for surveyors to distribute and monitor.

If you want to get involved why not go to the county council’s environmental resource centre in Birstall on June 14th.

I read with great interest an interview in the Sunday Times this weekend with actor Jeremy Irons; he stated his fears of the implications of continued population growth and the associated impacts upon the planet and its resources.

Jeremy Irons has propelled himself into a position as a green campaigner and in the course of the interview declared his ambition to produce a documentary about sustainability and waste disposal in much the same way as Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth. He is currently seeking a wealth of expert opinion as well as seeking appropriate funding in order to produce the documentary, before stating his ambition to hopefully make it into a movie.

On the issue itself Irons told the Sunday Times “One always returns to the fact that there are just too many of us, the population continues to rise and it’s unsustainable” before continuing to add “I think we have to find ways where we’re not having to scrap our effluent junk and are a really sustainable planet”.

This made me recall a seminar I recently attended which stated that we currently consume four planets worth of resources, clearly an unsustainable level; most will agree with Irons that it is something that requires our urgent focus as a global community.

Irons went on to discuss the need for a new economic vision as a response to the global financial crisis. “I don’t think things can ever be the same again. The next generation will have to think laterally and find ways to cope with this”.

At BuilderScrap this is something that we are well aware of, the consumptive nature of society in the western world places resources under immense strain, in recent years we have seen and heard of the pressures on resources such as fossil fuels, timber and water to mention a few. We must ask how this can be achieved without damaging the economic climate and promote green initiatives and innovations.

We also recognise that this consumptive nature must be reduced; goods and materials seem to be given much shorter life spans than necessary. In some cases in the construction industry we witness manufactured materials that are sent to landfill without ever being taken out of its packaging let alone used. Part of the economic vision must be to cut out this waste and extend the life of materials and products.

With this principle in mind Irons launched his own attack on the throwaway society “Why does it make sense for us all to be buying a lot of motor cars, selling our old ones and scrapping them? Why don’t we make cars that last for 40 years? We could”. Irons himself says he runs “very old motor cars”.

Undoubtedly examples exist across most industries, our experience at BuilderScrap predominantly within the construction industry shows that it is possible to prolong the life of building material. In the past as a society we have been too quick to throw away material and buy new, clearly a more sustainable approach means that we could extend the life of this material by reusing or recycling before disposing. BuilderScrap is a platform that exists to facilitate such behavioural changes.

Irons summed up by stating that we all need to live less decadently, a need to recycle before replacing goods and the need for wealth to spread about. He concluded “There’s a long way to go”.

Here at BuilderScrap we came across this funny video on YouTube, let us know what you think.

According to the BBC the Liberal Democrat MP Chris Huhne is now the environment and climate change secretary in Mr. Cameron’s coalition cabinet.

The new British coalition government has yet to announce the policies that Huhne’s department will now enact, but in their manifesto the Liberal Democrats pledged to:

• Reject a new generation of nuclear power stations “based on the evidence nuclear is a far more expensive way of reducing carbon emissions than promoting energy conservation and renewable energy”.
• Block new unabated coal fired power stations.
• Set target to generate 40 per cent of electricity from renewables by 2020, rising to 100 per cent by 2050.
• Invest £400m in upgrading shipyards to support offshore wind and marine energy industry.

The Conservatives are in favour of new build nuclear, but with a Liberal Democrat MP as energy secretary it remains to be seen if the UK’s current plans to build up to ten new reactors will be enacted.

The appointment will be just one of a possible five cabinet posts that Liberal Democrat will be in power of under David Cameron’s government.

Vince Cable is expected to be responsible for business and banks.

George Osborne has also been given the post of chancellor while Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has been given the job of deputy prime minister.

We will continue to keep you updated when we get the information.

Deep in the heart of Pennsylvania, United States, there is a deep fire burning below the surface. This is coming from a coal fire that has been burning for a shocking 48 years and continues to burn on. Underground coal fires are almost impossible to contain and extinguish. Along with a vast amount of coal burning there are also large quantities of other green house gases like methane being released into the atmosphere. These fires can last for decades and decades.

Coal fires are considered to be a global catastrophe and rightly so. A town called Centralia, PA was once a coal mining town with a population of around 1,000, that has now sizzled down to a mere 9 people. The fire was started by the voluntary fire brigade in 1962 when they set fire to a rubbish dump as this was the way they dealt with waste (not exactly environmentally friendly), the fire wasn’t fully extinguished and spread through a hole in a rock pit and began to set fire to an abandoned underground coal mine. The most recent published report was on December 1st which confirmed the fire continues to burn to this day.

In 1981 the danger became all too apparent when a 12 year old boy fell into a sinkhole 42 meters deep that opened like the gates of hell beneath his very feet. Fortunately the boy was saved by his older cousin who managed to pull him from the mouth of the hole before he could fall to his inevitable death. After that traumatic event in 1984 the U.S congress gave more than $42 million to help relocate the town’s population.

The most shocking thing I found out whilst reading this article is that coal fires is quite common place all over the world. There are unwanted coal fires which continue to burn in the United States, South Africa, Australia, China and India. Coal fires around the world burn approximately 20 million tonnes of coal a year!

Fire fighters all over the world are fighting battles such as this every day, in these types of cases it’s the entire world that is losing with the destruction of our planet and the depletion of our resources. I just hope that these fires come to an end sooner rather than later.

If you are considering a new home for the future why not take a look at the eco friendly alternatives to living?  The BuilderScrap team have been looking into substitutes for conventional buildings which can be used for a variety of purposes including permanent homes, a holiday house, tree top dining or a hotel bar.  When I came across companies who specialise in building tree houses and eco lodges I was instantly enthralled with the idea of living Swiss Family Robinson style.  The tree houses are constructed in wood, and as implied by the name, are built in and around trees.  Many of the designs I’ve come across are beautiful and resemble something from a fairy tale, however I don’t know if I could bring myself to reside in one on a permanent basis, not only because of my fear of heights but also having lived in the UK all my life I know how cold and brutal our weather can be.  Trying to sleep in a tree house whilst one of the storms of the last winter are threatening to bring your idyllic castle in the trees down around you simply doesn’t appeal to me.  However, using the tree houses as holiday homes or as a relaxing part of a hotel experience are both appealing ideas and something I hope will become more available in the future. 

For those not quite radical enough to consider living in tree houses in the rather harsh and unpredictable climate of the UK there are other ways to help ensure your buildings are environmentally friendly.  Recycling is a great way to help the environment, whether you’re recycling your morning paper, old shoes or construction waste.  Research the best ways to ensure your home will be eco friendly for the future such as improving insulation and the use of solar panels.  And of course reusing as often as possible.  Using the builders exchange site BuilderScrap can help bring a stop to construction waste going to landfill and help to save our environment.  By seeing more building materials being reused by other contractors, charities and others in the third sector we are not only being more eco friendly but are also helping our local community.

Working for BuilderScrap gives me the opportunity to read up on every day environmental issues. I recently came across a very interesting article regarding the effect that glasses and contact lenses have on the environment.

Apparently this came in to focus during the big 3D cinema hype that has had the world drooling over the next incredible step forward in watching television. The film ‘Avatar’ created a demand for 42 million pairs of 3D glasses to be produced. The grand scheme to help counter the inevitable waste guaranteed to be left was to collect and reuse where it is possible, as I’m sure many people will have taken them home, and either lose or break them or simply put them in the bin (and probably not a recycle bin).

That isn’t the only waste caused by visual impairment; disposable contact lenses obviously have a clear environmental fault. It also doesn’t help that they arrive in sanitized blister packs and come with plastic bottles of solution. Single use lenses may not have the same size ecological effect as long term lenses, but still have an effect all the same.

So as it stands glasses are seen as the environmentally conscious person’s choice of sight enhancement. The problem with glasses is the frame, the heavily laminated acetates which is made from non renewable oils, which causes the creation of them to be highly damaging to the environment.

The opticians clearly don’t see this as a problem as ‘BOGOF’ offers are often the lead for their campaigns. A current pair of glasses is expected to last on average 2.2 years. So next time when you go to pick up your new spectacles why not ask for eco frames which contain recycled acetate, and show that you’re not short sighted when it comes to the environment.

Well this week has been as exciting as it comes, firstly and to be perfectly honest most importantly I have been promoted (hold for applause) to Digital Marketing Assistant. So all week my step had a certain spring in it. So thanks to the powers above, I will be much more involved in the digital side of things which means our loyal blog readers will have plenty more of me! I have also triumphed in my customer management exam which has also put me in a rather giddy mood.

There has been a dark cloud hanging over us this week, sadly one of our most valued staff has decided to start a new chapter in her life with her boyfriend in London, so we all wish Dannii all the luck in the world, she will truly be missed. It’s always been a life long dream of hers to live in the big city.

We have also expanded the BuilderScrap team with the addition of 6 new people; Katie, Ben, Ash, Daniel, Liam and Steve have all joined the ranks and they’re all eager to start working long hours for low wages (!) just so we can give our devoted users the care and attention that you deserve. We have also welcomed Robert into the fold, who will be looking after the BuilderScrap accounts.

This week we also achieved our target of 3, 500 users on the site so we celebrated with a variety of muffins and cookies. We are growing every single day now and hope to reach our next target of 5,000 by August. We’re all thrilled with the response we’ve had since the company has taken off, and we’d like to thank you all for helping us to grow!

Else-where our inspirational leader Mr. Brendon Kenny has been speaking at Grand Designs Live about the benefits of reusing construction materials, as well as how BuilderScrap can help to meet the Code for Sustainable Homes.

This week has seen growth across the spectrum; from user numbers, work force numbers, amounts of responsibilities or the growth of Mr. Kenny’s fame it has all had a positive impact on BuilderScrap. Long may it continue.

When planning your holiday this year why not consider an eco-lodge?  They are less harmful to the environment than most holiday homes and they are beautiful in their simplicity.  After writing a blog on the Pembrokeshire eco village I was interested to look at other buildings and projects catering for environmentally aware people.  During my search I came across news of a set of eco lodges which have been constructed in Spain and was delighted to discover that these idyllic buildings had little impact on the environment.  The building materials used most in the construction is European oak, which makes up the walls, floors and ceiling.  The oak, certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, is tougher and more resistant than soft wood timber and was chosen because of the high levels of insulation offered to shelter inhabitants from the harsh winter weather.  Due to the remote location of the building, the timber was carried by hand down existing paths on the hillside. 

 Additionally, the lodge is not connected to mains and is run on solar power alone with a back up generator for emergencies.  The water is gained through water catchment and a purification system and there is a composting toilet.  Even the interior was designed around specifications to remain as sustainable as possible.  Simon Payne, director of the company Blue Forest who designed and constructed the lodge, has said that “The owner specifically wanted to minimise environmental impact by renewable power and rainwater rather than mains supplies.”

 Great attention was paid in order to cause no distress to the surrounding trees, the location itself was chosen so that no trees would have to be felled to make way for the building and when it came to supporting the freestanding building, cement was poured into hand dug holes for the support posts, preventing any roots of nearby trees being damaged.

The lodges themselves look out from the Andalucian Hills with spectacular views across the Straight of Gibraltor.  The natural surroundings coupled with simple yet beautiful buildings make these eco lodges the perfect holiday destination, not to mention their small impact on the environment.  It is safe to say the BuilderScrap team have found their next location for a relaxing and sustainable retreat!

BuilderScrap.com are looking at the defra 2009 Public attitudes and behaviours towards the environment survey. Investigating the extent to which respondents were involved in volunteering for environmental and other organisations. The post concludes with an analysis of respondents‟ self-reported life satisfaction.

Involvement with organisations that are linked to the environment

Respondents were presented with a list of fifteen third sector organisations whose remit had some links to the environment and asked if they were a member of, or made regular donations to any of these. A third (32%) of all respondents were involved with at least one of these organisations. Respondents were most likely to be involved with Oxfam (12% of all respondents), The National Trust / The National Trust for Scotland (9%), Christian Aid (6%), RSPB (5%) and Wildlife Trusts (5%).

DEFRA September 2009

Involvement with these organisations appears to have decreased since the 2007 Defra Survey from 42% to 32% in 2009. As shown in the above table, reported involvement has decreased for most of the individual organisations listed in the survey, such as Oxfam and The National Trust, though there was an increase in the numbers reporting involvement with unlisted organisations concerned with the environment (from 1% in 2007 to 5% in 2009).

Public attitudes and behaviours towards the environment – tracker survey DEFRA September 2009

Working with Builders merchants in the UK, we know the majority have good links with volunteer organisations on both a charitable and social inclusion organisations.

So lets keep up the great work!