Greenpeace activists in Papua New Guinea have boarded a ship being loaded with tropical hardwoods of dubious provenance. The European Commission is currently considering legislation to prevent illegal timber from entering Europe, but rather than sit around waiting, Greenpeace stepped in to prevent a ship from loading up with wood...

With the myriad of warm colours cascading along the smooth curved wall, it would be hard for a visitor not to feel at peace. But the fact that this cosy building is also made from a hand-sculpted mixture of earth, water, straw, clay and sand almost intensifies the experience. And that was exactly what Julie Reynolds was looking for when she...

The argument in Parliament this week over whether to award a one off payment towards winter heating costs for those most in need or spend the money on energy efficiency measures continues, while according to research by the Liberal Democrats more than a million people are living in private accommodation that falls below the government’s...

People around the Caribbean are counting the cost of Hurricane Gustav, which killed at least 97 people and damaged or destroyed tens of thousands of houses. As the clean-up begins, some of the storm’s victims will need temporary housing until their homes can be repaired. Enter an ingenious idea from firm of US architects...

A new supermarket in Devon is claiming to have slashed it's C02 emissions by 40%, compared to other similar stores. Sainsbury's new flagship green store opened at Dartmouth in August, aiming to cut consumption of energy, water, timber and land, as well as running lorries on waste. The store hopes to be one of the first supermarkets to achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent' rating...

The slump in the property market caused activity by housebuilders to contract for a ninth month in a row during August, according to the latest figures. The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply's (CIPS) housing index, which measures levels of industry activity, registered 27.2 last month - a reading of less than 50 represents contraction. It is up from the series low of...

Camden council in London has carried out a green refurbishment of a council owned Victorian house and slashed its carbon emissions by 70 to 80%. The house, at 17 St Augustine’s Rd, is a large semi-detached property in a conservation area. The purpose is to show what can be achieved on an older building and the house will be used for social...

Residents of Norfolk will be able to see inside some of the region's most energy efficient buildings this month as fifteen green developments open their doors for guided tours from September 11-14. The free open days have been organised by the Campaign to Protect Rural England in Norfolk (CPRE Norfolk) as part of the Heritage Open Days scheme...

The two week online consultation run by the UK-GBC on greening the existing housing stock has now closed, but a further chance to contribute to the debate and review the submissions received so far will be available on Monday September 8th, with an interactive online webinair. The webinar from 2.30 – 3.30pm on the 8th will feature presentations on the results of the consultation and an interactive...

New research from the Energy Saving Trust shows that energy efficient homes are more likely to sell despite the general slump. The study reveals that half of UK homeowners believe homes with greener features are easier to sell in the current market and 53% of all householders say they would be willing to pay extra for them. The research suggests however, that estate agents could be under...