I’ve never been to New Zealand but I’d love to go; but, if I were to go it sounds as if I’d just have to live there. New Zealand is experiencing and influx of immigrants that are moving there for only environmental reasons.

Liam Clifford, a director of London-based GlobalVisas, writes on the company’s website that while some eco-migrants are from low-lying island nations, many are wealthy Americans and Europeans choosing to start a new life in New Zealand.

“It is seen as a country with a temperate climate that will escape extreme weather. It has a superior environmental record and is developing renewable fuels, and is shielded from conflicts by the Pacific Ocean.”

…
John Zamick chose New Zealand as a new home for his family for entirely environmental reasons.

In the UK rising temperatures and sea levels threatened to turn the “semi-arid” East Anglia region into a desert - if the low-lying plains are not swamped by rising seas instead.

The businessman, who now co-directs a biodiesel company in Nelson, saw the writing on the wall when he studied the droughts and other long-term environmental effects of global warming in Europe and North Africa.

Surfing is fun, and now surfing can be green and stylish thanks to the Eden Project.

The ultimate in sustainable surfboards is made from more environmentally-friendly materials than those used in conventional board production.
The board’s national launch this week is the result of a five-year collaboration between the Eden Project and three other Cornwall-based companies, Homeblown, Sustainable Composites and, more recently, Laminations.
At last we’re able to offer surfers the chance to own one of the most sustainable surfboards in the world, available right here in the UK.
This is a real Cornish success story, the Eden team championing the idea, local companies developing innovative technology and then being able to sell it at a very competitive price.

A Canadian study has looked at how much carbon per capita a person living in Canada produces and the conclusion is that if you live in a city you produce less carbon. Once more it’s proven that living in an urban centre with high density is better for the environment than urban sprawl.

When it comes to climate change pollutants, Toronto residents are among the greenest in Canada, says a new study.

The report, published in the April issue of the journal Environment and Urbanization, says metropolises, commonly denigrated as big, dirty places, are in fact spewing fewer greenhouse gases per capita than the rest of their countries.

“Blaming cities for climate change is far too simplistic,” said author David Dodman, a researcher at the International Institute for Environment and Development in London, England. “There are a lot of economies of scale associated with energy use in cities. If you’re an urban dweller, particularly in an affluent country like Canada or the U.K., you’re likely to be more efficient in your use of heating fuel and in your use of energy for transportation.”

Dodman found that the average Canadian is responsible for 24 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions each year, while Torontonians just 8.2 tonnes.

Radiant heating is so great that it seems that it’s too great for us to have in every home. Essentially, it’s a system to heat your house using heating tubes under the floor. Here’s a blog post on the coolness of a hot floor.

Perhaps the most appealing aspect of the radiant floor heating is that it creates not just a warm room, but an entire warm floor. The heat still rises, but it’s rising uniformly from ground zero instead of from a single fixture or a couple of vents. The result is often that rare anomaly, barefoot comfort in the dead of winter. Such systems are particularly good for homes with high ceilings, where forced-air heat often ends up where it is least needed unless the homeowner is endowed with the agility of a bat.
Not only are radiant-heat floors warm, but the system does without unsightly and space-hogging ductwork in the home. Lacking vents to keep uncovered, you can place your furniture and doodads wherever. There’s no blasting faux-desert wind wreaking havoc on the hairdo. The system is silent, and in this noise-prone day and age, that is golden. It also works well with tile and wood floors, in addition to concrete.
Not only does the home look nicer, but so do the energy bills. Because of the even heating generated by a radiant floor heating system, its thermostat may be set 2-4 degrees lower than that of a forced-air heating system. This in turn can reduce energy costs by 10-40%. (Check with your local utility company to get an estimate of how much a 2-4 degree decrease would save you).

Of course biking and other physical activity is a healthy thing, and that’s obviously good. What’s really good now is that there are now economic reasons for employers to encourage their employees to commute on a bicycle. The Dutch (no surprise there) love their bikes so much they did an economic study on how much money can be saved by companies that have employees bike to work: 27 million Euros (PDF link).

Main conclusions
• Employees who cycle regularly to work have less sickness-related
absenteeism than non-cyclists.
• The higher the frequency and longer the distance cycled, the lower the
rate of absenteeism.
• The potential benefit of cycling to work is considerable. It could mean
annual savings of around 27 million euros.

Recommendations
• More government measures to promote cycling and cooperation with
organizations that currently promote cycling can help convince employers
to begin or increase investments in a cycling policy.
• To develop successful programmes that promote cycling to work, more
understanding is needed of what actually convinces employees to use a
bicycle in their daily travel to work.