Worm Farming Is Clean, Green And Environmentally Friendly. And It’s So Easy That Anyone Can Do It. But What’s More: You Can Earn A Considerate Amount Of Money By Wormfarming. From Only Houshold Waste The Worms Make You The Best Compost You Can Wish For!
Worm Farming: A Green Way To Earn Easy Money.

Copyright (c) 2008 Mervyn Rees

Have you heard about cars that run on peanut oil? Well when Rudolph Diesel invented his engine the ones we now run on what has become known as ‘diesel’ (Named after him) he ran his on peanut oil.

Nowadays all sorts of vegetable oils are being used to replace traditional diesel and, not least, petroleum. In the UK, a few thousand cars are already being run on used chip oil (that’s the oil that fries/chips have been made in), which, on such a small scale, is a good thing. The issue is, recycled cooking oils in the UK, can only produce about 100,000 tons of diesel per year, and that’s no more than 1/380th of the total fuel used through road transport alone. What, you have to wonder, would happen to the rest?

We’d obviously have to grow oil producing crops in order to run our cars on “environmentally friendly” fuel. Shouldn’t be too difficult, should it? Just plant some fields with rape, and before you know it, you’re turning oil into fuel and our air becomes a lot cleaner.

But is it really as easy as that? Let’s look at the specifics around this.

1 hectare of rape will yield an average of 1.5 tonnes of bio-diesel. In order to run the same number of road transport vehicles as there are today in the UK, rape would need to be grown on almost 26 million hectares of land.

Considering that the UK only has a little less than 6 million hectares of arable land available, where on Earth are we going to grow the rest? That’s it, somewhere else on Earth. Once again the 3rd world countries will undoubtedly end up producing the oil we need in order to run our cars in an “environmentally friendly” manner, while those who farm the land can barely afford to eat, let alone run a car. Better for the environment? Maybe, but better for society as a whole: Definitely not.

And while we’re growing oil-seed on so much of the land, where will our food be grown? Can we really produce the amount of oil needed to fuel the number of vehicles that are found on the road today, let alone in the future?

Then there’s the question of the actual production process connected with bio-diesel. Rape seed doesn’t become bio-diesel of its own accord, after all. The seed will need to be transported to processing plants where energy is used to transform it into something more environmentally friendly than gasoline or other petroleum based fuels. But how much gas and/or electricity will be used to run the machinery needed to process the oil? And how much energy will be needed in order to heat and light the processing plants? And where will the plants be built?

Whether so-called “green diesel” will really be better for the environment is anybody’s guess. We know they won’t omit damaging carbon dioxide, but everything has a price. What price can we afford to pay?

P.S. I have some knowledge of another source of Bio-Fuel supplies that could sort it…

But I’m afraid you’ll have to wait for another article to read about it, and my own ideas are perhaps progressing to. . .

Taylor Wimpey says encouraging start to 2010
By Lorraine Turner

Read more on Interactive Investor

The Renewables Obligation (RO), which came into effect in April 2002 (April 2005 in Northern Ireland), is the main support scheme for renewable electricity projects in the UK. It places an obligation on UK suppliers of electricity to source an increasing proportion of their electricity from renewable sources. In the UK, excluding Northern Ireland, the obligation was set at 3% in 2002-03. This has risen to 7.9% for 2007-08, will continue to rise to 9.1% for 2008-09, reaching 15.4% in 2015-16, remaining at this level until 2026-27. The Government intends that suppliers will be subject to a renewables obligation until 31 March 2027.

Companies can meet their obligation by presenting Renewable Obligation Certificates. ROCs are issued to renewable generators for each 1MWh of electricity generated, these are then bought by supply companies. Suppliers can also meet their obligation by paying a buy-out fund contribution per MWh or a combination of the two. Money from the buy-out fund is recycled pro-rata to companies presenting ROCs, hence the value of a ROC = buyout price + money recycled from buy-out fund. The recycling mechanism gives suppliers an additional incentive to invest in renewables and acquire ROCs. ROC value as of July 2008: £35.76/MWh

ROCs can also be sold on EROC – www.e-roc.co.uk – a site run by the non-fossil fuel purchase association (NFPA). Auctions are held four times each year. A track record of ROC sales and prices on EROC can be seen here: http://www.e-roc.co.uk/trackrecord.htm
Under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme – www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk – renewables can qualify for grants when purchased for home / business use. Details of the grants are available and updated here: http://www.lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk/about/hfaqs/
Climate Change Levy (CCL)

The Climate Change Levy (CCL) – www.cclevy.com – was introduced in April 2001. The CCL is an energy tax that adds approximately 15% to typical energy bills of UK businesses.

The CCL adds a tax of 0.456 pence / kWh to the price of electricity generation for businesses. Renewable energies for electricity production allow businesses to avoid this extra tax.

The CCL is applied to electricity, gas, coal and Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG), but is not applied to any domestic supplies. The impact of the CCL upon UK businesses has been helped by a 0.3% reduction in National Insurance contributions. Energy intensive industries are able to join Climate Change Agreements to help further mitigate the effects of this tax.
Wind

A draft plan could allow companies to develop up to a further 25GW of offshore wind by 2020, in addition to the 8GW already planned. In November of 2007, John Hutton, Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, announced that the Government is ready to set aside large parts of the sea bed in English and Welsh territorial waters for the development of wind energy. Currently, there are 7,468 MW onshore in the planning system and 2,149 MW offshore, against a total UK electricity generating capacity of 83 GW.

As with all renewable energies for electricity production, wind power is exempt from the Climate Change Levy.

Biofuels

The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) has, from April 2008, placed an obligation on fuel suppliers to ensure that a certain percentage of their aggregate sales is made up of biofuels, ensuring that 5% (by volume) of their overall fuel sales is from a renewable source by 2010/11, with staged required levels of 2.5% (by volume) for 2008/9 and 3.75% (by volume) in 2009/10 – these are targets from the EU, yet to be fully ratified in the UK. Following the Gallagher review – http://www.renewablefuelsagency.org/reportsandpublications/reviewoftheindirecteffectsofbiofuels.cfm – the RTFO has come under much scrutiny. Ed Gallagher, chair of the RFA (see below), has proposed that the introduction of biofuels should be slowed until effective controls are in place to prevent land use change and higher food prices. The review also proposed that UK’s biofuels target should be reduced to 0.5% increases per year, leading to 5% in 2013/14.

Sources:

* Climate Change Levy personal correspondence
* DEFRA
* EROC (Non-Fossil Purchasing Agency – NFPA)
* OFGEM

Around 70% of the UK land area is farmland and much of our wildlife is found here. Farmland biodiversity in the UK has been in catastrophic decline for the last thirty years. For example, since 1970, skylark populations have fallen by 54%, grey partridges by 86%, corn buntings by 89% and tree sparrows by 94%. Similar fates have been met by mammals, such as the brown hare, as well as insects and farmland plants, many of which are now endangered species.

There is overwhelming evidence that these declines are related to the reduction of food and habitats available within agricultural areas, which have been lost as farming systems have intensified. In its Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food the Government has committed to reversing the decline in farmland wildlife.

Early indications suggest that an increase in the volume of publicly marketed farmland near slough is likely this year. There are a number of reasons for this potential growth in activity including falling profitability in the wake of reduced subsidy payments and weak commodity prices and retirement, which during 2005 accounted for 38% of sales.

Crispin Holborow head of Savills farm sales comments, “We do not expect the national supply to exceed or even reach the levels recorded in the early 1990′s. To reach that sort of level this year an additional 125,000 acres (70%) of land would have to be marketed over and above the volume recorded for 2005.”

In England over a 50-year period, the market has shrunk from about 675,000 acres in 1950 to about 200,000 acres in 2000, a reduction of 70%. Some 75,000 acres are lost from agriculture each year in England to uses including urbanisation, forestry and leisure.

However, many farmers will use the single payment scheme (SPS) as an opportunity to restructure their businesses in order to retain the farm and family home. Also a considerable acreage is owned by non-farming landowners who are relatively unaffected by any pressure put on farm incomes. Demand for farmland is still strong from lifestyle and investment buyers, including those from overseas, many of whom regard UK farmland near slough as cheap compared to their native land prices.

Also in the past two year the buying activity of commercial farmers has increased, a trend which is predicted to continue. Commenting on farmland near slough values, Holborow says, “We expect values to be maintained in 2006 with continued growth in some sectors, namely for properties which have residential or amenity value and good quality, well equipped commercial farms.”

The UK has a lot to offer with a history tracing back to thousands of years and a multicultural society as well as having some of the most breathtaking tourist and countryside destinations in the world. One of the top 5 economies of the globe, the average trend for its economy has been on a rise for several decades. Although historically the housing market has been quite volatile, a lot of residents consider their home as a long-term investment. The country has a net immigration policy that should draw in more prospective home buyers, keeping the demand somewhat high.

Costs

The total feels payable when purchasing a property for sale in the UK are among the lowest globally and sum up between 3 and 5 percent for a property that costs under 250,000 pounds. The average fees for a first-time buyer are about 6,000 pounds, which already involves conveyancing and other solicitor’s fees, stamp duty, survey fee and removals. The majority of fees are computed as a percentage of the cost of a property, thus the more costly a property, the more expensive the fees. Keep in mind that a number of fees are linked to a mortgage and if you’re a cash buyer your fees will be at a reduced cost.

Fees differ widely based on the price. Fees are always paid on the actual price paid, and there is no declared value. If you’re purchasing a property without selling one, you may have to handle a number of fees. These may include solicitor’s fees, stamp duty land tax, valuation, land registry fees, survey, arrangement fees, mortgage indemnity guarantee, building’s insurance, lender’s legal fees, running expenses and removal expenses.

Some Advice On Buying Property For Sale

What’s considered a good location is changing in the country. Don’t let your apprehensions get in the way just because you wouldn’t personally live in a particular area. Going for locations with a strong capital growth is what’s essential for success in the property business.

You should then study and fully comprehend your rental market. The rental market in the country is quite strong, but be cautious if buying in big blocks of apartments exclusively sold to investors. Keep in mind that transaction expenses can considerably cut down your returns. Stamp duty will slash your overall yield, so if you buy under 125,000 pounds, there will be no stamp duty. One of the major advantages for Irish purchasers buying in the UK is the reduced stamp duty.

Obtain short term capital appreciation. If you want to win you need to decide on which portion of the market has the least supply and the most demand. As a rule of thumb you can anticipate 80 percent loan to value when buying a UK property. However don’t let mortgage brokers get to you when they recommend that they can secure more than 80 percent loan to value.

Purchasing a home or property is one of the biggest financial decisions you will be making in your life. There is no ‘right’ strategy when it comes to buying investment property in the United Kingdom. A plan that may be the most ideal is a plan rooted in your long-term aims along with your financial situation.

To read more articles on this topic, visit http://www.iukproperty.co.uk.

This is the right time to invest in property for sale south east England as the demand for housing is rising with each passing day and the availability of housing is simply not able to keep pace. The secret is to buy land that is likely to get planning permission in the near future and reap high rewards when the permission is granted.

As compared to other countries, England has small land area. However, its strategic importance in matters of trade, technology and economic development make it a superpower that is a force to reckon with. As such, the limited amount of property in the major cities has high value and is always in great demand. The density of population in the UK is one of the highest in the world and its population is rising exponentially with the high influx of immigrants. As such both foreign and domestic investors are grabbing land and built-up property for sale south east England in order to make a profit.

Profitable Investment Opportunity

In view of the acute housing shortage in the whole of England, the government is planning to develop a large area of farmland green belt and brown belt land in the years to come. Even small investors are staking their claim to buy land that is on the way to get planning permission. Such investors can reap a handsome profit when the permission is granted.

Reasons For The Current Land Boom 

It is a golden opportunity to invest in property for sale south east England due to the following reasons.

1) Due to the rising population bolstered by excessive immigration, it is estimated that between a quarter of a million to three and a half million new homes are needed in the coming fifteen years. This figure could rise to four and a half million in the next twenty years.
2) First time buyers are not able to afford property in most towns. Moreover, there is an acute shortage of availability of low priced and mid priced housing and most homes in the UK are very old.
3) Whereas the building of new homes has declined by more than fifty percent in the past three decades, the demand has registered an increase of thirty percent, thus widening the gap between supply and demand. The density of new homes being built per hectare has been increased from 25 to 40 in the last 12 years.

Whereas the potential of reaping substantial profit by investing in land is very high in the whole of the UK, investing in property for sale in south east England offers the highest potential returns for investors.

However, before investing in new property for sale south east England, it is necessary to do proper research. Do not get influenced by the sweet talk of developers and salespeople. Most people feel that investing in property for sale south east England or for that matter anywhere in the world is a risky proposition right now. But there is no risk if a proper homework is done and answers to pertinent queries are sought. The most important aspect is the price. You have to make sure that the price is fair and according to the market value. It will be a good idea to check the prices of similar properties in comparable locations. Moreover, the yield that you get should also be computed.

On the whole, investing in property for sale south east England is a promising and viable proposition as long as precautionary investigations are done before buying any property. The worst of the economic recession is over and things are looking up already.

Ever thought about buying a house in Colchester, Essex? Well, the history of this town is long and varied and is well worth factoring in to your perspective property decision making process. Property sales remain buoyant in the town and perhaps that is because it is such a great location.

Colchester has a proud history and is claimed as the oldest recorded town in Britain as it was mentioned by Pliny the Elder in AD77 during the Roman times. Colchester’s Celtic name is Camulodunon and it means ‘the fortress of Camulos’ (who was the war god of the Celts). After the Romans conquered Britain a fortress was built comprising of legionaries. Colchester then served as the Roman Capital of Britain and was very well defended as it was built on a hill.

In 61 AD there was a rebellion by Boudica the famous Rebel General and Colchester’s fortress was overrun and destroyed. After the destruction of Colchester, London became the new capital of the renamed Britannia, but it would still be that the Council of the Provincial natives would still meet at Colchester due to the Temple of the Divine Claudius that served as the seat of the council. Later on, the Roman Force moved North and Colchester became a colony.

Then around 400 AD the Saxons came over to Britain and took over Colchester. They reorganised the defences dramatically and increased security, they also managed to block the Balkerne Gate which was one of the entrances to Colchester in the Roman era, as well as some of the public buildings outside the town were also abandoned. This made the town less susceptible to attack and a lot safer. But in the 9th century the Vikings landed in Britain from Scandinavia and overran the Saxons. It remained in the hands of the Vikings until 920 AD where the British settlers claimed Colchester back with the help of Edward the Elder.

The next major improvement and change to Colchester then came in medieval times where the Normans in the 11th century AD built what is today’s Colchester Castle. The Normans were very clever in the positioning of the castle. It overlooked the whole city and was built a top a large hill, where the vaults of the Roman temple of Claudius were situated. The Normans also built St Johns Abbey and the priory of St Botolph, where ruins of both can be found still around Colchester. You can still see the gateway of the Abbey and the foundations and walls of the priory.

In 1189 a royal charter was granted by King Richard 1 or Richard the Lionheart. The charter was given on the east coast of the UK at Dover where King Richard was embarking on one of his many trips away from England.

Between the 1500′s and the 1600′s a large amount of weavers and clothmakers emigrated from Flanders in Northern France into Colchester and the surrounding area of Essex. They were famous across Europe for making many different types of cloth especially bays and says. Even today there still an area of Modern day Colchester where it is known as the ‘Dutch quarter’, as many of the buildings date from the Tudor period as during this period Colchester was known as one of the most prestigious wool towns in England.

There was also a siege of Colchester during the Second civil war of 1648. A royalist army led by Sir Charles Lucas and Sir George Lisle entered Colchester, closely being pursued by the parliamentary army led by Sir Thomas Fairfax. The parliamentary army besieged the town for eleven and a half weeks before the Royalist army surrendered towards the end of summer. Following the surrender both Lucas and Lisle were executed in the grounds surrounding Colchester castle.

The most notable event of Victorian Colchester was the great earthquake of 1884 which measured 4.7 on the Richter scale. It lasted about 20 seconds and around 1200 buildings were damaged or destroyed. It is said that 3 to 5 people died in the earthquake and there was around 10,000 pounds worth of damage.

With such a dramatic history behind it, is it any wonder that property sales are still a sought after commodity in this town?

A lot of people dream of building their very own house. For a number of people it is a means of owning the ideal home, made and built according to each one’s tastes. Others might look at it as a way of getting accommodation thereby saving money which would otherwise be spent on rent or other alternate accommodation. The first thing that comes to mind when you decide to build your own home is the building plots you will have to choose from. If you are looking to settle down in Kent, you will find there are plenty of building plots Kent that you can choose from.

Each year, you find that about thirteen percent of all new houses built in the UK are so done by the owners themselves. That could be about twenty thousand homes or so. Although the design, finance arrangements, construction type and the quantity of work done by the owner himself will vary from one project to another, what is common among all the projects will be the need for residential building plots on which to build homes.

Let us concentrate on how to get hold of the best building plots Kent. People who are fortunate to have a lot of space surrounding their existing home can easily build a new one in garden space itself. They do not have to worry about searching for building plots and then actually purchasing it. All they need to worry about is getting a license from the planning authorities, the connections for water, electricity, sewage and water, planning restrictions and ground conditions.

There are basically two steps involved in finding your dream building plots:

1. Your requirements:

The first step in finding building plots for sale is to decide on your requirements – how much land you will need which will of course depend on how big a house you want to build and what it’s design is going to be like and of course, the kind of locality you would want it to be. Another issue will be the money you are ready to spend on; what your budget will be.  You can take ideas for designs from magazines or from already built homes. Once you have a fair idea about the kind of house you would like to build, then you can go into more details like the number of bedrooms you would like to have and whether you will need to have a spare one for your guests. You might also need to consider the number of cars your garage will need to house besides other stuff like freezers or lawn mowers. Another thing is whether it’s a bungalow you want to construct. Depending on whether you want your house to be in a village or in a city or in a particular place like Kent, you can search for residential building plots building
plots Kent.

2. Seeking out the right plot

Building plots for sale are sometimes not very easy to find as per your specifications. Some might be too small while other might be too large or they might just not fit into your budget. But you needn’t worry; with the internet, finding your dream building plots Kent might just be a mouse click away. If you register on some of these sites, you will receive an e-mail alert when a plot as per your specification becomes available for sale. Good building plots Kent get sold fast so this will give you an added advantage.

In order to get a lot of choice besides registering online on some sites which deal with building plots Kent, you can also look into other options. Most building plots are sold through real estate agents, so if you want to build your home in Kent, check out the real estate agents there or you might have some in your locality who would put you in touch with their counterparts in Kent. Be very specific about the details like location, size and budget.

There has been much publicised attention on the increasingly popular option of growing your own food; as it is only through making ourselves more self sufficient are we able to strive for increased resilience within our communities; becoming more independent whilst minimising our Carbon Footprint.

However, achieving this self-sufficiency through production of your own food is for many impractical and time consuming; consequently if we are as a society to achieve reduced reliance on governing constraints such as ‘Just in Time’ production strategies, action needs to be taken.

There are a number of options, which you as an individual and homeowner can do; as the personal choices we make now, such as choosing organic to locally sourced food dictate our relationship with food, influencing supply, and thus shaping environmental conditions for future generations to come.

Acquiring our food at locally produced sources will greatly reduce the carbon emissions, as the product has a much lower embodied energy, whereby the total energy which has gone into its production and subsequent transport. Foreign imports, now dominating our supermarket shelves are in effect very high carbon foods, due to substantial miles travelled, predominately by air to get there.

Options for the City dweller

For many, the choices we make about food are greatly dictated by our built environment, in terms of where and how we live. As for many, living in an urban location, the option to grow your own may seem unfeasible, uneconomical and impractical; however although you may not be able to meet all your needs, it is possible to supplement your existing weekly shopping trip with some home grown fruit and vegetables.

If you are living in an urban location; a number of options are available depending on your current circumstances, e.g. type of property, amount of space, availability of private or communal garden.

Use of indoor pot plants – through ‘Hydroponic gardening’  which is simply a pot filled with water, inert material and a combination of differing nutrients essential for growth – these may be bought at most conventional plant stores such as Home base Hanging Baskets – provide an attractive feature outside your home, require minimal maintenance and are great for growing spices and herbs. Green Roofs-  For many with limited floorspace, or whom have recently built a new flat roofed extension or have a garage, there is an option for homeowners to grow food on their roof. This is only applicable to those whom have ownership of their roof fabric; due to significant structural implications/ cost constraints. Those in apartments may need to obtain communal consent to carrying out such a scheme. A number of plants can be grown, which can supplement food bill, may be grown, depending on whether you opt for extensive or intensive roof systems. More information found at Green Roofs Balconies – Those in apartments may benefit from a balcony, which depending on your orientation, as you ideally need 6-7 hours of daylight for growing edible plants. Garden plants – Many plants are suitable and capable of growing in small plots in soils of poor fertility, including even contaminated soils, or those suffering from high levels of leaching. Greenhouses – provide shelter during winter and maximises daylight through a magnifying effect, allows a range of plants to be grown, although more costly and requires sufficient land.

As the UK is increasingly becoming a warmer, more mediterranean climate, the options for growing your own food become much more diverse and varied, allowing a wide array of different and often traditionally associated as tropical crops/ foods to be grown.

To attain complete self sufficiency, we need to combine home grown food with localised electricity production if we are to continue our high energy consumer lifestyle. There are a number of elements which can be implemented into the home to supplement your fuel bills whilst reducing your carbon footprint, including wind turbines to use of solar panels.