Although this atrticle isn't striclty Herefordshire news, it is certainly of relevance to our county...

"The UK is set to be amongst the best prepared nations for the implications of climate change following publication of a groundbreaking study into the threats the country faces.

The Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA)<http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climate/government/risk-assessment/> highlights the top 100 challenges to the UK and our economy of a changing climate and provides the most compelling evidence yet of the need to increase our resilience. The research confirms the UK as a world-leader in understanding climate risk to ensure we can make robust plans to deal with these threats.

In order to provide a reliable baseline for decisions by Government, local authorities and businesses the research does not take into account any future policies or plans. However, a Government report published alongside the CCRA does highlight the many current and future policies already in place and gives details of plans which will address some of the risks identified.

The Government has also today announced a National Adaptation Programme<http://engage.defra.gov.uk/nap> that will prepare the UK for the effects of climate change, including the risks set out in the CCRA. People are encouraged to give their views through a new website on the action needed to tackle the implications of climate change where they live and work.

Speaking at the launch of the CCRA, Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said:

“This world class research provides the most comprehensive case yet on why we need to take action to adapt the UK and our economy to the impacts of climate change. It shows what life could be like if we stopped our preparations now, and the consequences such a decision would mean for our economic stability.

“The Climate Change Risk Assessment will be vital in helping us to understand what we need to do to stop these threats becoming a reality. In doing so there is also great potential for growth through UK firms developing innovative products and services tailored to meet the global climate challenges.”

Professor Sir Bob Watson, Chief Scientific Adviser at Defra, said:

“The CCRA is ground-breaking research which puts the UK at the forefront of understanding what the projected changes to our climate will really mean for us.

“For the first time it means we can compare a wide range of risks based on their financial, social and environmental implications. This will be invaluable for Government in prioritising the areas for future policies and investment, and it will help businesses assess what they need to do to ensure they are resilient to the changing climate.”

Lord John Krebs, Chair of the Adaptation Sub-Committee of the Committee on Climate Change, said:

“Without an effective plan to prepare for the risks from climate change the country may sleepwalk into disaster. This report represents an important first step in the process and demonstrates why the UK needs to take action to adapt now. The work of my Committee has found that by taking steps to manage these risks, the UK can reduce the costs of climate change in the future.

“The Government’s forthcoming adaptation programme should tackle barriers to adaptation so that local communities, businesses and households can take action to prepare.”

Among the key risks the CCRA identifies, in the unlikely event the UK took no further action, are:

• Hotter summers present significant health risks. The CCRA projects that without measures to reduce the risk, there could be between 580-5,900 additional premature deaths per year by the 2050s. The Department for Health launched a Heatwave Plan in 2004 and update it annually to provide advice and support for people vulnerable to hotter weather.

• Increasing pressure on the UK’s water resources. The CCRA projects that without action to improve water resources, there could be major supply shortages by the 2050s in parts of the north, south and east of England with the greatest challenge in the Thames River basin. Defra published a Water White Paper last year which includes a package of measures to address water supply shortages, and to ensure the water industry is more resilient to future challenges.

• The risks of flooding are projected to increase significantly across the UK. New analysis for England and Wales show that if no further plans were made to adapt to changing flood risks, by the 2080s due the effects of climate change and population growth annual damages to buildings and property could reach between £2.1billion – £12billion, compared to current costs of £1.2billion. Defra has introduced a new method of allocating funding for flood defences so that more communities will benefit from flood protection, and the Department is working with the ABI to ensure that flood insurance remains widely available after the current agreement between Government and insurers expires in 2013. As part of these discussions, Defra is considering whether there are feasible, value for money ways of targeting funding support to those at highest flood risk and less able to pay.

• The number of days in an average year when temperatures rise above 26 degrees C is projected to rise from 18 days to between 27-121 days in London by the 2080s. This could mean greater demand for energy to cool buildings and more heat related illnesses.

• Increases in drought and some pest and diseases could reduce timber yields and quality. Projected drought conditions could mean a drop in timber yields of between 10% and 25% by the 2080s in the south east, driving up timber costs. Pests and diseases, which thrive in warmer conditions, may also pose an increasing threat, such as red band needle blight – which causes loss of foliage and can lead to tree death. Defra has published a Tree and Plant Health Action Plan and committed £7million to further research into plant diseases.

The CCRA also highlights opportunities for the UK that climate change could present, including:

• Opening of Arctic shipping routes. The melting of Arctic sea ice could lead to the opening up of new container shipping routes and improved trade links with Asia and the Pacific.

• Milder winters may result in a major reduction in cold-related deaths and illnesses. Currently, cold weather results in between 26,000 and 57,000 premature deaths each year in the UK. By the 2050s, a reduction in these figures of between 3,900 and 24,000 is projected to occur due to increasing average winter temperatures. This would particularly benefit vulnerable groups, including those with existing health problems.

• Opportunities to improve sustainable food production. Sugar beet yields are projected to increase by 20-70% and wheat yields by 40-140% by the 2050s due to longer growing seasons if water and nutrients remain available. A warmer climate presents opportunities to grow new crops such as soya, sunflowers, peaches, apricots and grapes, while new markets may open up overseas for British grown produce.

The CCRA evidence will be used to develop a National Adaptation Programme (NAP) that will set out timescales for the actions Government will take to meet the challenges of climate change.

The development of the NAP starts today and Caroline Spelman has called on the public to give their views on what the priorities areas for action should be. These views will help shape the final NAP, which will be published in 2013.

Mrs Spelman continued:

“Climate change is a global phenomenon, but its impacts will be felt at a local level and affect people differently depending on where they live. That is why I want people to give us their views to help develop a National Adaption Programme that puts us in the best shape possible to meet climate change head on.”

A new enterprise grant fund designed to boost profits and bring budding ventures to life has been launched.

This fund aims to support 140 existing local businesses and help a further 160 people start up a new one.

The Shropshire and Herefordshire Business Enterprise Fund is supported by £1.1 million from the European Regional Development Fund which is managed by the Department for Communities and Local Government, and matched by the businesses themselves.

Communities Minister Baroness Hanham CBE said: "Taking the first step on the journey of starting up your own business is often the most difficult and keeping existing businesses afloat in the current climate is challenging. With reduced general finance and support available it is vital now more than ever that we are able to help the people and businesses in the local community.

"I am pleased that we are able to offer support to this project that will begin to remove the barriers preventing growth and expansion," she added.

Over the next three years two types of grants worth between £1,500 and £5,000 will be on offer to businesses in Herefordshire who are looking to either get a new business off the ground or improve and boost an existing business.

Councillor Roger Phillips, Herefordshire Council's cabinet member for enterprise and culture at Herefordshire Council said: "Shropshire and Herefordshire have declining rates of new businesses starting up and this was further impacted by the economic downturn where we witnessed more traditional sources of finance for businesses falling sharply.

"Through the new enterprise fund we can really start to help businesses in these areas seeking finance to improve their performance or get moving with new ideas," he added.

Due to European regulations, there are restrictions on the type of businesses that can apply, with retail and land-based sectors ineligible. To find out more about the support on offer, contact Herefordshire Council on 01432 383633 or visit www.herefordshire.gov.uk

For more information follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/#!/erdfwmnews or visit www.communities.gov.uk/erdf or click here

Solar energy installations are likely to remain as popular as ever in Herefordshire despite recent Government proposals to slash the incentive for renewable energy systems by more than half, according to leading renewable energy company Caplor Energy.

The Department of Energy & Climate Change's announcement a fortnight ago to press ahead with a 55% cut in the Feed-in Tariff, is seeing many renewable energy companies work round the clock to get new systems up and running by the 12th December deadline. However, according to Caplor Energy's Business Development Manager Jamie Baldwin, business is still rolling in for new systems after the December deadline.

"This week we had our biggest order to date come in, despite the imminent cut in the Feed-in Tariff. People are realising that even with a much-reduced Feed-in Tariff, solar PV systems still offer a great opportunity to generate your own energy at a time when energy prices are going upwards rapidly, and a steady income over 25 years."

Haygrove – an international horticulture business based in Ledbury – is the latest in a number of clients placing orders at Caplor Energy. Last week the company installed three new commercial systems, including a 50kWp PV system at Wye Valley Metals in Rotherwas, Hereford and a 30kWp community project at Canon Frome, Ledbury.

Whilst the current trend in PV systems looks set to continue after the 12th December deadline, the long-term future of the industry is still in jeopardy according to Mr. Baldwin. "The elephant in the room is that Government has only committed a limited budget to supporting the Feed-in Tariffs, and because of that the long-term future of the UK's role in tackling climate change and energy security through renewable energy is looking bleak. The irony is that the solar industry has created 22,000 jobs in just 18 months, netting £276 million per annum for the Treasury".

Head of Policy at Hereford & Worcester Chamber of Commerce, Gary Woodman says: "The government cuts to the feed in tariff have been unfortunate but not altogether unsurprising. Whilst the private sector is still responding to the recession, the government needs to be targeting measures to encourage sound investments, such as in renewable energy systems, rather than taking away incentives."

The Department of Energy & Climate Change is currently consulting on the proposed changes to the Feed-in Tariff Scheme, which are due to be announced early in the New Year. You can read more about the proposed changes at DECC's website (http://www.decc.gov.uk) and a response to the consultation at Caplor Energy's blog (http://www.caplors-blog.blogspot.com/).

Please contact Jamie Baldwin on 07981 098398 for further information or to arrange an interview. 

Folk Down the Track, which combines train travel, folk music and support for rural pubs and music venues, has been extended to cover the Marches line as well as the Heart of Wales line in the new 2011 winter programme.

The founders, Graham Lambert from Myriad Organics and Les Lumsdon from Ludlow 21, have joined forces with Gary Walters at the Ludlow Brewing Company to zip up the programme to include Ludlow Brewery's venue, The Railway Shed, at Ludlow. Comments Gary:

" The Railway Shed is just two minutes walk from Ludlow railway station and so it is an ideal for Folk Down the Track especially given that it encourages people to travel by train. It also means that people can travel easily from Hereford and Leominster and we welcome Herefordshire folk along to what is a great night out"

However, Folk Down the Track remains true to its original aim of supporting the Heart of Wales line and every other event will be held at The Castle at Knucklas where up to 15 borderland musicians turn up to play for people. Comments Graham Lambert:

" Can you imagine the look on the faces of the train crew arriving at Knucklas station with over seventy people on the platform? It is some sight. The welcome from the village is superb and it has become the firm favourite for folk."

The next event is on Thursday 17th November at 7pm onwards, in Ludlow, where the progressive trio Loxley will be playing. This will be followed by a December gathering at the Castle in Knucklas on Thursday 15th December at 7pm onwards. There's no charge for the folk evening; people are simply asked to make a donation when we pass the hat around. We encourage people to travel by train to the venue as this is half the fun and is good for the environment.

More information is available at slowtraveluk.com or by phoning Graham Lambert on 01584 872665