Matthew Sparkes
Latest Stories from Matthew Sparkes
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Did the Congestion Charge Drive us to Cycling?
In 2003, London implemented a congestion charge - if you wanted to drive in Central London, you had to pay. New York, or more specifically, Mayor Bloomberg, now wants to do the same. He came to London this week in order to get a feel for how it's going
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Clever Advert on Bridge in Amsterdam
This clever advert gives drivers something to think about when waiting for the bridge to lower. The car is a lot rarer in Amsterdam than most cities, and it's great to see that, despite that, they still run campaigns like this. ::Wooster
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Greenwash Watch: Carbon-Neutral Olympic Torch
Apparently, the 2012 Olympic flame is going to carbon neutral. Does that strike anyone else as bonkers? The 2012 Olympics is going to be a huge, polluting event, with thousands of people flying all over the world to attend and compete. Making a carbon
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M&S; Packaging not as Green as Competition
Marks & Spencer has made a large effort to reduce their carbon footprint. Their Plan A project has seen many incremental steps move the chain towards a more sustainable model.
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Environmental Campaigner Jailed
A campaigner who highlighted heavy pollution in Lake Tai, China, has been arrested and detained by the Chinese government. The New York Times has a fascinating feature on how politics comes into play in environmental issues in China, occasionally
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Virgin Atlantic testing Bio-fuel on Jumbo Jet
Virgin boss, Richard Branson, has announced that not only will his company begin producing bio-fuels, but that he is going to test them out on one of his own 747s. Would you want to be on this maiden flight?
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Tesla founder says previous electric cars "Pieces of Crap"
Martin Eberhard, the Tesla co-founder who recently stepped down as the CEO, has apparently made some very frank statements about the reasons why some previous electric car companies have failed. In a video interview he is apparently quoted as having
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Protesters Take Over Power Plant
Protesters have claimed to have taken over a power plant in Kent, UK. The radical move is claimed to be a protest against the approval of new coal plants in the UK. None have been built for 30 years, but coal mining has recently resumed in some areas
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England to Get Slightly Smaller
Part of the UK is going to be flooded in order to make a wildlife reserve, making my little island that little bit smaller. The area was drained 500 years ago by Dutch settlers though, so is simply returning to its natural state. "Wallasea will become
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World's Largest Windfarm Gets Approval
A new wind farm, 90 square miles large, has been approved for construction off the coast of the UK. If built, it will become the largest offshore wind farm in the world, which should make all UK Tree Huggers proud. It will hopefully be built off the
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David Byrne Talks Cycling
The New Yorker festival is being held this weekend, and Matt Seaton, the Guardian's resident cyclist, had the good fortune to run into David Byrne and ask him about cycling in New York. Byrne was there to host an evening that claimed to be "dedicated
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Electric vehicles dangerous for the blind?
It's a topic that's been recycled so many times; that hybrid and electric vehicles are silent, which may mean that people step out in front of them without seeing them. Some say that it's a danger; others say that people will simply learn to be more
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Cutting Out 'Mystery Machines' Could Save Power
Recently there has been a raft of green IT solutions, including home PCs, but particularly for larger, power-hungry data centres. While home PCs can be as inefficient as to waste 50% of power in making noise and heat, the sheer size of data centres
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Bike Charity Awarded a $100,000 Grant
Outdoor equipment retailer, Recreational Equipment, has pledged a $100,000 grant to the Bikes Belong Foundation. The money will go towards supporting a series of grant awards to projects that aim to make US cities more friendly for cyclists.
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Tesla Announce Latest Production Schedule
If you're waiting for a Tesla Roadster, then read on.
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New Solar Panels Produced at Less Than $1 Per Watt
Solar panels that cost less than $1 per watt to produce are on their way, as Colorado State University's new method for low-cost, high-efficiency solar panels looks set to begin mass production. The panels will be made by AVA Solar, and production should
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Teen Creates Electric 1971 VW Beetle
Bart Grabman, a senior at an Alaskan high school, has converted his 1971 VW Beetle to electric power, in order to save gas money and investigate ways to cut down on emissions. "We have a class called Passages, and in that course everyone's supposed
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Diesel Motorbike Speed Record Smashed
The DIE Moto, the diesel-engined motorbike which we have covered before, has broken the land speed record for a diesel motorbike, with a speed of 130mph.
