Former Manchester coal plant to house world’s largest battery storage project

Former Manchester coal plant to house world’s largest battery storage project

UK based energy development company Carlton Power has taken an important next step in building what is being touted as the world’s largest battery energy storage project, a 1040MW/2080MWh installation at the site of a former coal-fired power plant.

Carlton Power says it has received planning permission from Trafford Council in Greater Manchester, and -subject to a final investment decision – will build the massive batter at the Trafford Low Carbon Energy Park, no far from the famous Old Trafford home ground of football giants Manchester United.


This information comes from the website of Renew Economy.


 

Nottingham to lead the way in city-centre regeneration

Nottingham to lead the way in city-centre regeneration

Heatherwick Studio has revealed plans to use the remains of the half-demolished 1970s Broadmarsh shopping mall as part of its post-pandemic vision for Nottingham city centre

The proposals by Thomas Heatherwick’s practice for the long-troubled 8ha plot feature a major ‘green space which will permeate the whole site and weave in and out of the [centre’s] frame’.

The vision, drawn up with socially responsible development company Stories, also includes 750 new homes in the shadow of Nottingham Castle, recreating ‘lost street connections’, the overhaul of the city’s cave network, the transformation of the existing Severns House into a hotel and 37,000m² of office and conference space.

The concept, which received initial backing from Nottingham City Council today (7 December), has been billed as a ‘once in many generations’ opportunity for Nottingham to ‘lead the way in city-centre regeneration following the impacts of Covid-19 and online retailing’.

 


Read the whole article in Architects’ Journal.


 

 

 

This British farm went from a ‘biological desert’ to biodiversity hotspot

This British farm went from a ‘biological desert’ to biodiversity hotspot

During the spring and summer months, the birdsong on Knepp estate is a glorious cacophony of sound.

Walking through the scrubland of this 3,500-acre estate in West Sussex in the south of England, it’s hard to believe the tangled thickets and rugged pastures were once orderly arable fields.
The estate, which includes a 19th century castle, has belonged to the Burrell family for over 200 years. Charlie Burrell inherited it in 1985, when he was just 21.
“I came out of agricultural college incredibly enthusiastic about farming,” he says. “We’d been taught that conventional farming can work.”
But by the late 1990s, with the farm producing low yields and costs rising, the estate was facing serious financial trouble.

Burrell realized that the farm occupied “very poor agricultural land” and was destined never to produce high yields.
“I got to the point when I just felt that I couldn’t go on, because we actually were beginning to lose serious money,” says Burrell. “I needed to change and to change radically.”
Burrell and his wife, Isabella Tree, decided to turn to nature for a solution and in 2001, set about “rewilding” the estate. Knepp is now home to an astonishing array of biodiversity and has become a celebrated conservation success story, attracting many rare species and transforming the landscape from English country farm to untamed wilderness.
“We were living in a biological desert,” says Tree. “Now, ecologists are blown away all the time by just the amount of life here.”


Read the whole article by Hazel Pfeifer in CNN.


 

 

The Peace Building

The Peace Building

A place where we can build a global culture of peace.

The Peace Building is set to be the first ever peace museum and education centre in London. It will be a meeting point where all generations can learn about peace builders through history; share stories of peace movements; and remember the countless victims of conflict. It will be a space where we can start to build a global culture of peace. Together.

There are eight war museum in London. We need a peace museum to provide an alternative discourse and champion the power of peace building.

The Peace Building will inspire and equip people of all ages to act peacefully in all aspects of their lives; from the individual level (fostering inner peace) and our relationships with others – to streets and communities (including the global community). We will work hard to become a centre of excellence in peace education through our learning programmes for schools and colleges – both in the centre and through outreach. The centre will also provide public spaces to reflect, relax and explore… Including a cafe, exhibition space, a reference library, studios, meeting rooms, a space for quiet reflection, and an events space for talks, lectures, conferences and concerts.


This information comes from the website of The Peace Building.


The Peaceful Schools

The Peaceful Schools

The Peaceful Schools Movement is a network of schools and organizations putting peace into practice through peace education and the creation of peaceful learning environments. Together we are creating peacebuilders who are bringing peace and harmony to the world.

By peaceful schools we mean peace on four levels: (1) the development of inner peace/peace within each individual within the school, (2) peaceful relationships between pupils, between school staff and between staff and pupils, (3) peaceful ethos/school community and (4) the way the school works for peace in the world. All schools – all phases too i.e. primary and secondary, and special schools of various kinds.


This information comes from the website of The Peaceful Schools.


The Findhorn Foundation – a living model for the future

The Findhorn Foundation – a living model for the future

A spiritual community, an ecovillage and a learning centre – a unique laboratory for change.

The Findhorn Foundation is a dynamic experiment where everyday life is guided by the inner voice of spirit, where we work in co-creation with the intelligence of nature and take inspired action towards our vision of a better world. We share our learning and way of life in experiential workshops, conferences and events that take place within a thriving community and ecovillage.

The Foundation has two main sites. The Park, nestled amidst dunes and forest, bay and beach, is an ecovillage that is home to many of our staff and a larger community of people living with shared values. Cluny Hill is a stately Victorian former hotel, five miles away from The Park, which houses staff and welcomes participants in our workshops and events. Our retreat house on the island of Iona, and the satellite community on the neighbouring island of Erraid, also welcome participants for life-changing experiences on the wild, wind-swept west coast of Scotland.

The Findhorn Foundation is an NGO associated with the United Nations Department of Public Information, holder of UN Habitat Best Practice designation and is co-founder of the Global Ecovillage Network and Holistic Centres Network. The Foundation is at the heart of a community of more than 500 people who every day support and live the vision of creating a better world by starting with themselves.


This information comes from the website of The Findhorn Foundation.


The Equality Trust – Because more equal societies work better for everyone

The Equality Trust – Because more equal societies work better for everyone

People in more equal societies live longer, have better mental health and have better chances for a good education regardless of their background. Community life is stronger where the income gap is narrower, children do better at school and they are less likely to become teenage parents. When inequality is reduced people trust each other more, there is less violence and rates of imprisonment are lower.

If we want to build a better society, it is essential we take action. The Equality Trust is working with others to build a social movement for change. We analyse and disseminate the latest research, promote robust evidence-based arguments and support a dynamic network of campaign groups across the country.


This information comes from the website of The Equality Trust.


The Solution Library – creating a more sustainable world

The Solution Library – creating a more sustainable world

The Solution Library is first of all a directory of solutions. This means that it provides short descriptions of sustainable solutions available on the web, providing links to more information. It is a place where solutions from all over the internet are gathered in one easy-to-browse platform to help create a more sustainable world.

Our understanding of sustainability has five dimensions: Environmental, Social, Economic, Cultural/Worldview and Whole System (which integrates all four other dimensions in one). The SL’s solutions can be browsed by these dimensions through GEN’s signature mandala, and/or by geographic region.

Additionally, the Solution Library provides the possibility to share experiences with solutions, enriching the knowledge available about the solutions in the library.

And the Solution Library creates a global community by enabling members to connect with one another, or with projects where solutions are used. This way the SL facilitates direct knowledge exchange around sustainable solutions, making it easier for people to co-create a more sustainable world.


This information comes from the website of Solution Library.


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