March 2010
Links and references to articles by the leading UK news providers covering subjects that are of interest to those living and working in rural England and Wales.
How we'll keep the lights on, by Tories
Conervatives' energy plan created to ensure supply is always above peak demand.
Daily Telegraph - 19 March 2010 - 10
Kingfisher sightings take a dive after winter takes it toll
Kingfishers are the latest victims of the harsh winter and numbers appear to be in sharp decline, say conservationists.
The Times - 19 March 2010 - 24
Kingfishers 'at risk' after harsh winter
The harsh winter may have significantly reduced numbers of kingfishers on Britain's rivers and canals, British Waterways said as it launched its annual wildlife poll.
Daily Telegraph - 19 March 2010 - 11
Letter to the Editor: Taxing green fuel from Director of Corporate Affaris at Wm Morrison supermarkets
The cost of petrol is about to hit a new high (report, March 16). Green-minded motorists are also about to be penalised for choosing biofuels. Unless the Chancellor intervenes next Wednesday, the removal of the duty differential for biofuels will lead to the pump price going up by 20p per litre.
Morrisons has already withdrawn B30 biodiesel from forecourts. The high- ethanol blend, E85, will soon follow.
This month, the Netherlands cut duty on E85 by 27 per cent. Our Government is going in the other direction. It will kill the market for a proven product that helps reduce carbon emissions and could be critical to the development of hybrid electric vehicles.
Daily Telegraph - 19 March 2010 - 25
MPs support tax relief for planting trees
Farmers who plant forests should be exempt from inheritance tax, a committee of MPs has suggested.
Daily Telegraph - 19 March 2010 - 11
Tory carbon tax
A Conservative government would impose a carbon tax on electricity generation to foster investment in renewables and nuclear power, David Cameron will say today as he sets out his party's energy strategy.
Finanicial Times - 19 March 2010 - 1
Energy policy 'nowhere near' ready
Energy policy is "nowhere near" having the right framework in place to deliver the investment and job creation that will be needed to hit government targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, a group of leading academics backed by the Royal Academy of Engineering warns.
Financial Times - 18 March 2010 - 4
How Britain must live to hit climate targets
All cars need to be electric and most homes will need solar panels, while 10,000 onshore wind turbines and 40 new low-carbon power stations will also be required for the Government to stand a chance of meeting climate change targets, it has been claimed.
Daily Telegraph - 18 March 2010 - 13
Shoots 'forced to rely on French pheasants'
British shoots will be forced to rely on French pheasants in future following a ban on battery cages for raising game birds, it has been claimed.
Daily Telegraph - 16 March 2010 - 11
Egg boss jailed for 'free range' fraud
Around 100m mislabelled eggs sold by Keith Owen ended up on the shelves of supermarkets including Sainsbury's and Tesco. That the fraud was able to carry on for two years while he made a £3m profit raises questions for the food industry about the provenance of goods.
The Guardian - 12 March 2010 - 3
The 100m free-range and organic egg scam
A company director of Heart of England Eggs Unlimited, has been jailed for three years for his part in a fraud in which tens of millions of eggs were falsely sold as free-range.
Daily Telegraph - 12 March 2010 - 11
Dog curbs are barking up the wrong tree
Opinion from Roy Hattersley who says this new legislation will penalise the elderly but do nothing to stop the real culprits.
The Times - 10 March 2010 - 22
Tax could fund faster broadband
One in three households could be unable to access super fast broadband in the future, a major Government report has warned. The Country Land and Business Association has launched a new campaign calling on the Government to roll out broadband to the "final third" of the country that still has problems accessing the service.
Daily Telegraph - 5 March 2010 - 6
Grow your own veg in a skip...or at the hospital
Gardeners will be able to grow cabbages in skips on building sites and tomatoes in hospital car parks under government plans to increase the amount of land available for grow-your-own vegetables.
Daily Telegraph - 4 March 2010 - 10
Call for deer cull to be extended
The Scottish Wildlife Trust yesterday called for the annual cull of deer across Scotland to be extended to avoid them starving during the unusally harsh winter.
Financial Times - 2 March 2010 - 5