The Green Centre

Welcome to the 2012 Season at the Green Centre

2012-02-03T08:35:00.001-08:00

So, we're out of hibernation and slowly moving into a faster pace of life. New things at the centre this year include;

New Recycling Schemes - pens (all), Kenco Eco Refill pouches, Activia product plastic containers.
New pojects - The Brighton Mile of Potatoes and Eco Club for 8 - 13 yrs
Projects still in development - Eco Tour
Projects awaiting funding - Local Food market

We will be running volunteer days every 4th Saturday of the month - why not come and join us. We are also looking to increase our regular volunteers so if you have a few hours to spare on a Tuesday or Thursday let us know.

Hibernation 29th November 2011 to February 2nd 2012

2011-11-21T12:11:00.000-08:00

The Green Centre closes for its annual hibernation period at 4.30 on Tuesday 29th November. This allows us to reflect the seasons and give our hardworking volunteers a period of rest and renewal before we open next year.

The year has been an excellent one.

Huge thanks go to all our regular volunteers; Melanie, Tony, Stuart, Rob, Kate, Lisette, David, Dan, Mary, Lisa, Chloe, Catherine, Lance, Izzy, Lyndsey, Kerrie, Romany, Laurel, Georgie, Ann, Jennie and Kitty - without them there would be no project. There are of course many others who have lent a helping hand including teams from Brighton & Hove Council Sustainabiltiy Team, Concordia, Coca Cola, The Prince's Trust and American Express. We are bound to have left someone out - we are only human after all -please accept our apologies if we have.

HUGE thanks to all our wonderful supporters who have donated all kinds of everything allowing us to reduce / re-use / recycle throughout the year. We have diverted many tonnes from landfill and raised funds to cover the running costs of the project. THANK YOU.

This year we were very lucky to receive a comprehensive set of eco-lighting to equip the whole centre thanks to a competition run by Light Foot LED which we won! We also have new shelving throughout the centre thanks to Maz Maz of Hove (currently doing fab pizzas) and a mini hob for the kitchen donated by the YMCA.

We have seen the addition of a beautiful wildlife pond in the garden thanks to the fantastic work of Kate & the gang, supported by Thurstan Crockett and the council Sustainability Team. Other additons in the garden include a rather wonderful rainwater harvesting system thanks to the East Brighon Trust, BETRE & Southern Water and a wormery courtesy of Concordia.

Looking forward to next year we have received a grant from Brighton & Hove Council towards our core costs. We have also recently received funding for 2 projects; from Children Can Do to run an Eco Club for 8 -3 year olds and from the Body Shop to create teaching resources to accompany our Eco Tour.

Once again we thank you all for your support and very much look forward to seeing you in the New Year.

Volunteer Day - Saturday November 19th 2011

2011-11-01T11:12:00.000-07:00

This will be our final Saturday volunteering day of the year. We will be working on the Colombia Gold Mine photo petition and may also do some bottle top sorting. The day begins at 10.30 and ends at 4.30. If you stay all day we will provide lunch but you must let us know by 4.30pm on Thursday 17th November - you can call the centre on 01273 687700 and leave your details. If you just want to come for a few hours then we will happily keep you supplied with tea/coffee and biscuits - just turn up :-))

Samhain

2011-10-31T14:13:00.000-07:00

Today is Samhain when we celebrate the power of regeneration, rest & renewal :-))

Volunteer Day Cancelled

2011-10-11T04:12:00.001-07:00

Due to a bereavement among the Green Centre team we have cancelled this Saturday's volunteer day. The next and final volunteer day of 2011 will be Saturday November 19th. Thank you for your continued support.

Volunteer Day - Saturday 17th September

2011-09-16T12:28:00.000-07:00

If you are free for a couple of hours - even one - please drop by and lend a hand. We will be cutting stamps, sorting bottle tops, counting batteries, CDs, gardening, testing toys, etc. All in support of the planet - reducing / re-using / recycling. If you stay the whole day we provide lunch, if not we provide refreshments. We will be there from 10.30am to 4.30pm. We are 39 Manor Hill, BN2 5EL. Call 01273 687700 if you get lost!

Volunteer Day - Saturday August 20th

2011-08-05T08:01:00.000-07:00

Join us for a day of volunteering at the Green Centre on Saturday August 20th 2011 from 10.30am until 4.30pm. We will provide refreshments and if you are staying for the whole day we can provide lunch. Please make sure you let us know a week in advance if you require lunch.

We will spend some time on our bottle top recycling scheme, possibly some work on the fence to go round our wildlife pond and some general catching up on garden jobs.

Please call 01273 687700 to book your place.

Green Centre Summer Fair - 31st July 2011

2011-07-14T12:49:00.000-07:00

You are invited to attend The Green Centre for our Annual Summer Fair on Sunday 31st July 2011 between 11am and 3pm at 39 Manor Hill, Brighton. We look forward to welcoming you with complementary refreshments and hope you'll enjoy doing the the following:

Taking part in our Drumming Workshops (12 - 12.30pm & 12.45 - 1.15pm)
Listening to our Story Teller (2pm)
Perusing our 2nd Hand Market
Reducing landfill with our Massive 10p Bric-a-Brac Sale
Stocking up on reading material at our Bumper Book Sale
Protecting the environment with our Green-Friendly Goodies
Reducing food waste at our Composting Q&A - Please bring a recipe
Learning how to protect wildlife and crops at our Save the Bees Q&A
'Greening-Up' at our Reduce, Re-use, Recycle Q&A
Getting lucky at our Grand Raffle - 1st prize £50
Saying "Cheese" for our Colombian Goldmine Photo Petition
Signing up for the Cravenvale Children's Garden Community Project

PLEASE BRING ANY OF THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WITH YOU FOR RECYCLING TO RAISE FUNDS FOR THE D.E.C. (DISASTERS AND EMERGENCIES COMMITTEE) APPEAL FOR THE AFRICAN DROUGHT: all textiles including clothes, linen, sheets, towels (including items ripped/stained), shoes, belts, bags, soft toys, books, aluminimium foil, aluminium cans, scrap metal including aluminium, brass, copper lead, electrical cable, printer cartridges, mobile phones. All your donations will be recycled immediately and the funds raised will go to the D.E.C.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Green Centre Summer Fair

2011-06-29T12:45:00.001-07:00

The Green Centre Summer Fair is on Sunday 31st July 2011 from 11am to 3pm. Come sit in the garden & enjoy a complimentary cup of tea & biscuits. Cakes for sale too. Browse our 2nd hand market, bumper book sale and 10p bric-a-brac sale. Q & A's include; Reduce / Re-use / Recycle, Bee Keeping and Composting. Workshops include drumming & art. Listen to the tales of our story teller. Find out about the Childrens' allotment project and support the Colombian Gold Mine Campaign. Try your luck in our raffle - 1st Prize gets you £50 in shopping vouchers.

You can bring the following items for our reduce / re-use / recycle project; aluminium foil, batteries, books, used cooking oil, corks, currency (old British & foreign), electrical cable / flex / wire, mobile phones, used postage stamps, printer cartridges, textiles (inc sheets, clothes, household linen, towels - inc ripped or stained) and toys.

If you want to know more call the centre on 01273 687700. We look forward to meeting you.

Market makeover

2011-06-03T10:12:00.000-07:00

We are running a volunteer day on Saturday June 18th from 10.30am to 4.30pm. You can come for a few hours or stay the whole day. We provide refreshments throughout the day and lunch if you are staying the whole day.

The Green Centre 2nd hand market is essential to the project helping give items destined for landfill a new life and raising valuable funds to support the project.

We need to revamp the shop, put new clothes on the rails, test toys are working, price items, make a new window display, etc -if you fancy "playing shop" please come and join us. Contact Melanie Rees on 01273 687700 or mel@thegreencentre.co.uk

Green Centre Makeover

2011-04-23T12:20:00.000-07:00

We are looking for volunteers to help with the Green Centre makeover on Saturday 21st May 2011 from 10.30am till 4.30pm. You can come for a few hours or the whole day. The makeover willl include repairing damage to our shutters, painting front wall, putting up the Green Centre letters, putting up a noticeboard, rubbing down wood work in preparation for painting, weeding around the front of the premises, etc.

We will supply refreshments and lunch. If you would like to help, please call 01273 687700 and leave your details. Thank you.

Wildlife Pond

2011-03-30T11:03:00.000-07:00

The Green Centre is pleased to announce that on April 9th 2011 we will begin work on our wildlife pond. If you would be willing to help we would be most grateful. We will be digging the pond and also running 2 welcome meetings for new volunteers. If you want to get involved e-mail us through our website or call 01273 687700 and leave your details.

2011-01-07T13:36:00.000-08:00

Slowly waking up. Stretching limbs. Gently exercising the brain. Still in very, very slow mode. Just beginning to think about the Green Centre doors opening on February 1st.

Already there is much to be excited about in 2011. The theme: REDUCE ~ REDUCE ~ REDUCE

Having won a recent competition run by local company EcoLit we can look forward to all our strip lighting being replaced by new state of the art eco-lighting, reducing our energy demand and in doing so reducing Co2 and reducing costs.

The East Brighton Trust, Southern Water and Betre have between them agreed to finance a rainwater harvesting installation in the Green Centre garden, reducing our water demand and reducing our costs.

In the community we look forward to an early collaboration with the Bristol Estate community For our part we aim to increase awareness of how to reduce demands for energy, reduce Co2 and reduce costs.

We plan to secure funding to build our community Bee garden in the hope we can reduce their stress levels by providing them with food (flowers) in return for them pollinating 40% of our food.

In the other direction we have recently joined the Facebook & Twitter community, therefore increasing demand for energy through internet use and time spent managing them both.

Finally we invite anyone who cares for the planet to come help us with the day to day demands of running a Green Centre.

We need help in the shop, help in the garden, an E-Bay expert and a Facebook, Twitter, expert to help us on our journey to becoming media darlings.

Check us out in Churchill Square from Monday January 10th 2011.

Hibernation going well!

2010-12-24T07:11:00.000-08:00

Hibernation going well. No travel chaos! Keeping warm! Resting lots! Happy Christmas to all and see you in the New Year . . . . Tuesday February 1st 10am.

The Green Centre begins winter hibernation

2010-12-07T13:46:00.000-08:00

The Green Centre has now entered hibernation. Millions of us enter hibernation mode in the winter, sleeping an extra two and a half hours a night and eating an extra 683 calories a day!

We return on February 1st 2011 at 10am and look forward to welcoming new friends and reconnecting with those of you who visited us this year.

We hope you have an opportunity to slow down and enjoy a spot of rest and relaxation.

Green Centre Sale - 50% off - starts November 23rd

2010-10-26T15:26:00.000-07:00

Re-use! Re-use! Re-use! All stock reduced by 50% - women's clothes starting at 50p, children's clothes 3 for 50p, shoes, toys, bric-a-brac and much more. Everything must go! Sale starts Tuesday November 23rd 10am to 5pm also Thursday 25th 10am to 5pm and Tuesday 30th 10 am to 5pm.

Summer Fair - Sunday August 1st - 12 till 4

2010-06-25T07:10:00.000-07:00

You are invited to attend our Summer Fair. We begin at 12 noon and welcome you with the sounds of a live Brazilian Band - enjoy complimentary refreshments including Fair Trade Tea & Coffee or Juice and a slice of home-made cake (organic & Fair Trade ingredients where available).

Visiting us today is the Climate Connections Photographic Exhibition co-ordinated by Oxfam and Brighton Peace & Environment Centre and featuring The Green Centre. Please come and share your views about Climate Change & Global Warming and learn about what's happening in Brighton & Hove and throughout the world.

Community artists Clowd9 and local artist Jane Hawley are offering free art workshops in the garden - please come and contribute your creative talents to our new "Bee Garden" or if you're feeling energetic you can enjoy a host of garden games.

If you're looking for a bargain, we have plenty of items which need re-using in our 2nd hand market and if you're watching the pennies then just 25p will buy you a ticket in our raffle.

If you have some spare time on your hands then we invite you to sign up as a volunteer and be part of the Green Centre team.

We look forward to welcoming you.

Hi! We're back

2010-02-18T06:35:00.000-08:00

The Green Centre re-opened on Tuesday February 2nd which coincided with Imbolc. . . . . . . Mel, Georgy, Dave, Lisette and Mary are back and already swimming in milk bottle tops!! We have a great program of workshops over the next few months - check out our Green Diary. If you've got a few spare hours please drop in and have a chat about some volunteering - we always appreciate help. Look forward to seeing you.

Green Centre in hibernation

2009-12-22T05:33:00.000-08:00

The centre has now moved into a period of hibernation as we enjoy a much needed rest. We will make a gentle return in the New Year with a basic program of activities in January and will return to a full program in February. Please see our Green Diary for a list of our activities.

Thanks for all your support throughout 2009 and look forward to working with you in 2010.

Christmas Fayre

2009-11-06T08:22:00.000-08:00

We invite you to join us for our Christmas Fayre on Saturday December 12th 2009 from 2pm to 6pm at our Manor Hill site in East Brighton.

You can expect to be welcomed by a complimentary glass of mulled wine and a home-made mince pie . . . those below the legal age for consuming alcohol can enjoy spiced apple juice.

Enjoy a spinning demonstration by Sue Craig, a free art workshop with Trish Leonard (2 - 4pm) for those aged 8 and over and a second free art workshop (4-6pm) for all ages with community art group Clowd9.

Browse around our Christmas Market which will include a range of goods with an environmental theme including local gifts, energy saving gifts, recycled gifts, nearly new gifts, etc.

£1 will buy you 5 tickets for our Christmas raffle, 1st prize is a Luxury Hamper, other prizes include an iced Christmas cake (made locally), bottle of local wine (Breaky Bottom), chocolates, WWF cuddly polar bear and much more.

You can also purchase Gift Vouchers for a range of environmental workshops in the New Year.

We hope to entertain you with local carol singers.

Support the Green Centre and make your contribution to protecting the planet while celebrating Christmas.

Busy! Busy! Busy!

2009-09-17T02:23:00.001-07:00

Well it's a while since The Green Centre has managed a BLOG! There is a very good reason for this. We have been so busy with our re-use project and the garden that we have struggled to find our way to the computer. And now that we have, we simply want to say, please pop in and see us and find out how you can improve your green credentials. If you have a spare hour we would appreciate some help - you can e-mail us through the website or call on 01273 687700. Look forward to hearing from you. Must dash got some customers!

Fat Traps!

2009-05-14T09:06:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy week at The Centre as the local community has visited to help clear a 48ft border of plants so we can start to prepare the soil for growing food.

We have also taken delivery of a large quantity of Fat Traps! What are they I hear you say. Which is exactly what we said here at the centre. Well they let you pour any "fat" from cooking into a little container - when the fat has gone hard you can throw it in the bin rather than down the sink - BETTER STILL - put a piece of string in it (like a candle wick) and some nuts / seeds and you will have a fat ball to feed the birds. Drop by and pick one up - they are free.

Have a lovely weekend!

Launch Success

2009-05-07T03:14:00.000-07:00

The Green Centre was officially launched on Friday May 1st. 50+ people visited the centre to mark the occasion. The sun shone brightly and so afternoon tea was taken in the garden - Fairtrade tea & coffee , Fairtrade / Organic Fruit cake / Fairtrade biscuits and Local Trade biscuits.

Beltane was celebrated with everyone decorating their own stone before placing it in the Beltane spiral. Following on the art theme, Jane Hawley, local artist and artist in residence at the centre, ran a mosaic workshop and decorated a series of plant pots.

The feedback from the day was very positive. Thanks to all who took the time to come and celebrate this special day.

Check out this link for pictures.

Three days to go to our launch!

2009-04-28T08:42:00.000-07:00

Well it's been busy at the centre today - Mary has sorted a whole sack of bottle tops which is a record. Meanwhile Georgie has dug the first third of her veg patch - hard work! We're not sure if she will be able to walk tomorrow. Viv has dropped by to collect a whole batch of Green Task cards to send out to all the schools in Brighton. Our resident artist has been in to organise her exhibition. So it's all trotting along nicely - a great day - and the sun continues to shine!

Spring has Sprung at The Green Centre

2009-04-16T06:10:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung. There are signs of new growth at The Green Centre high on the hill in Whitehawk. The "centre" is being prepared for it's opening day on Beltain / Beltane which is May 1st. We look forward to welcoming all those lovely people who have supported the project since it began back in May 2006. Invitations are forthcoming.

Green Centre hibernation

2008-11-18T04:15:00.000-08:00

We are pleased to announce we have successfully secured a premises to open a Green Centre. We will be preparing the building to open in March 2009 at which time we look forward to welcoming you to the centre.

Meanwhile as we reflect the seasons and enter the hibernation period of the year our activities will decrease. We will continue to maintain our Green A - Z and Green Diary and answer your e-mails.

How Green is our Mayor?

2008-08-28T06:01:00.001-07:00

The mayor is about to hold a fundraising fish and chip supper. Will he serve endangered cod or will he set the tone for a greener Brighton & Hove and serve pollack or whiting as suggested by the Marine Conservation Society. Watch this space!

M & S are celebrating an 80% cut in the number of carrier bags handed out. Congratulations. They plan to launch an advertising campaign to highlight this achievement. I hope they will not wipe out the benefits of less carrier bags with their advertising campaign!

Can we be green and own a car?

2008-08-19T05:21:00.000-07:00

Well I have just recently acquired one - I do share with another so officially I own half a car which is better than owning a full one. To increase greeness we absolutely only use it when necessary. Thanks to Top Tips from my brother, a mechanic, I can adopt the following measures to increase my car -owning green credentials;

Check tyre pressure every week.
Drive with an empty boot otherwise you are carrying a heavy load around needlessly.
Only fill your fuel tank for long journeys otherwise you are carrying a heavy load around needlessly.
If you have fifth gear use this as soon as you can.

Our vehicle is diesel. We hope to get it converted to run on bio-diesel. Watch this space.

p.s. The food growing experiment is still a challenge but green things are still growing!!!

Premises and a bus!!

2008-07-31T03:16:00.000-07:00

We are happy to announce that we are currently in the frame for both a premises and a converted double decker bus to move our project on to the next stage. Both are really great and ideal for our project. We are pursuing both avenues and will keep you informed. Watch this space.

It never rains but it pours!

2008-07-24T07:14:00.000-07:00

As you know we are in the market for a premises or a bus, or both, to take our project to the next level. We have missed out on several buses in the last six months however we now find ourselves in the running for a bus and a premises at the same time! We don't want to get over excited or set our heart on anything BUT nonetheless it is exciting! Watch this space!

Water helps

2008-07-17T06:18:00.002-07:00

I learned an important lesson this week. Plants grow better when you water them regularly! Enough said.

Slugs breach defences

2008-07-10T04:14:00.000-07:00

At 7.30am today a slug and a snail were found to have breached the purple sprouting broccoli defences. They scaled a 9inch wall, traversed a straw moat and ignored the organic slug pellets to reach the green vegetables. I arrived just in time, as they were just about to start munching on my greens!

I did not kill them. I never do. I simply send them on a carbon emission free flight into next doors garden which can only be described as a jungle but is the most popular holiday destination for all my garden intruders.

Vive la broccoli!

Slug Pellets commissioned!

2008-07-03T04:31:00.000-07:00

The food growing saga continues. The purple sprouting broccoli have left the relative safety of their pots and are now in the ground surrounded by organic slug pellets. I am happy to report that they have survived for 5 days without being eaten by anything else. I am conducting daily surveillance and things are looking good but will I keep this up for a year? Who knows.

A thought struck me the other day. You spend a whole year nurturing your broccoli, seeing it through the rough times until it's finally ready to be eaten and then it takes just 5 minutes to shovel it down your throat. I am still trying to get my head round this. Surely broccoli deserves the status of caviar.

Another thought struck me. Mother Earth spends a year fuelling the broccoli with nutrients and goodness and then some people spend 15 minutes boiling the living day lights out of it. What a waste. I am going to eat mine raw.

Growing your own food!

2008-06-24T04:37:00.000-07:00

It's not easy! That doesn't mean you can't try. I am desperately trying to hold on to the last of my remaining purple sprouting broccolli. The slugs chomped merrily on half of the crop. I have about 15 plants left - half of these have been partly munched. Currently they are still in pots, in a crate, surrounded by straw (apparently good to keep the snails and slugs away), covered by netting (apparently the birds like brassicas), and . . . . . . . someone is still munching them!!!

Grwoing my own food is turning into an all out war and I don't like it. I have considered a barbed wire fence, which, let's be fair is verging on the ridiculous. So it's down to slug pellets.

It's a violent game this gardening malarkey!!!

What next?

2008-06-19T02:13:00.001-07:00

Well we initially delivered our project courtesy of a recycled paste table but like a healthy toddler we out grew this and with the baby reigns off we have been searching for the way forward.

We explored taking a premises on George Street in Hove, rent and rates alone would have cost £30,000 a year. We would have spent all our time fund-raising so that was out of the question.

David Rees suggested that we purchase a mobile library. Great idea! When I was a wee lass and living out in the sticks in the heart of Wales, we had a mobile library come to our house and a mobile butcher. I remember them both fondly. Well the butcher less so as I am now a vegetarian!

After consultation with Brighton & Hove Coucil we discovered they only have one mobile library and that has recently been up-dated and the old one long gone. During this conversation another suggestion was offered - a bus.

We decided to talk with Tom Druitt from The Big Lemon who recently acquired buses - after all where does one purchase such an item!! Well we discovered a double decker bus is as cheap as a single decker bus - so a double it is!

Not so simple!!!!!! There is a lot to take into account when owning a bus, particularly a double. How many seats you leave in affects what kind of MOT you need which in turn affects what kind of drivers license you require to drive it. After you have sorted this out then there is the question of where do you park it in order to deliver the project to the residents of Brighton & Hove.

The bus option is still in the mix - we have just enough money to buy one but not much left over to run it! We are re-considering the mobile library avenue and a couple of other options which include smaller vehicles.

If you have any ideas please share them - we are a community project and as you can see we do act on your suggestions.

Happy Solstice for Saturday!!!

Plastic Fantastic

2008-05-15T03:45:00.000-07:00

Looking for some place to recycle your plastics? Tesco's in Hove have a wire cage around the back of the store - it is for recycling carrier bags . . . . . . . . and . . . . . . all other plastics!!!!! That includes the bags your carrotts and potatoes, and all other fruit and veg are packaged in. Also included is the wrapping your cheese comes in. Yoghurt pots. Margarine containers. Fruit punnets. This plastic is recycled along with their own plastics which goes to a company which sorts it and then uses what it can to make recycled carrier bags. It does travel to Germany however this is the only company that offers the service. Pop it all in a carrier bag and take along to Tesco's!

Brighton as Green as they come!!

2008-05-08T06:16:00.000-07:00

Us Brightonians, born and bred or not, are greening it up with the best of them. Check out The Green Diary and see just how many environmentally themed activities are going on in the city. And if you can attend one please do. If you are a "green virgin" and want to find a way to improve your eco credentials then start off by popping in to the Brighton Peace and Environment Centre which has served the city for some 25 years!!! It's opposite Brighton Station so is easy to find.

The thing about developing your eco awareness is that it takes time. A precursor to this is motivation. Once you are motivated to changing your habits then you need to set aside some time. And to achieve this you must give something up - after all there are only 24 hours in a day despite many of us trying to cram 72 hours worth of activities into one day.

What will you give up? I gave up _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ? Can you guess? You could just offer a letter.

Donated bus vandalised!

2008-04-24T07:24:00.000-07:00

We are very fortunate to have been donated a bus for our project. The intention is to convert it into a mobile drop-in and advice centre. We are very unfortunate that before we were able to go and view the bus, somebody broke into the yard where it was kept and vandalised it. Broke all the windows. I would like to express a long list of expletives however this will serve no purpose and will certainly not bring the bus back to life! Some people eh? Got nothing better to do with themselves!

The laptop lives on!

2008-03-26T05:12:00.000-07:00

Well the laptop malfunction continues! Now the return button has finally died making life difficult and frustrating to say the least. The day has come to replace the laptop. Wait! A colleague has come up with a cunning plan ........ just plug in another keyboard! We find one but it will only go in the PS2 port which already has a mouse in it!! Because the laptop mouse is broken. Never fear we put the keyboard in the PS2 port and find a mouse that will fit in the USB port!!! Hurrah a fully functioning laptop!!! Well with lots of bits plugged into it I need a van to transport it home!!! So be it. At least this laptop is not going to laptop heaven and will live to fight another day.

Welcome Bright Sparks!

2008-02-24T08:30:00.000-08:00

Many thanks to all who participated in The Green Workshop at The Brighton Science Festival and particularly those of you who took part in the Peak Oil competition. Here are the results;

Question: Which of the following oil producing countries produces the most oil?

1. USA
2. Venezuela
3. Kuwait
4. Russia
5. Saudi Arabia

Answer: Saudi Arabia

43 people chose Saudi Arabia, 29 people chose Kuwait, 23 people chose Russia, 18 people chose USA, 13 people chose Venezuela.

Here are the statistics on oil reserves;

1. Saudi Arabia - 264 billion barrels
2. Kuwait - 102 billion barrels
3. Russia - 80 billion barrels
4. USA - 30 billion barrels
5. Venezuela - 80 billion barrels

Compare this with the oil reserves of the UK which is 4 billion barrels.

These statistics were taken from the "Statistical Review of World Energy" published by BP on 13th June 2007.

AND FINALLY .......... the winner is Ticket No 19 which belonged to Milo. Milo if you are out there, congratulations on winning the Green Hamper. Please contact mel@thegreencentre.co.uk to arrange to receive your prize.

Your winning ticket was selected by Mr David Rees - volunteer with The Green Centre project.

Oil Gushes to over $100 a barrel

2008-02-21T03:41:00.000-08:00

Crude Oil rose to a record $100.10 a barrel as speculation brewed that OPEC is preparing to cut production when it meets next month. Oil is fast becoming an issue as serious as Gloabal Warming and Climate Change. Those familiar with the term Peak Oil will know that many believe we have used half of the world's oil reserves. With demand increasing it is believed that we see demand outstrip supply leading to further price increases and increased conflict. See P for Peak Oil on The Green Centre A - Z to understand a little mote about the future of oil.

What's new in the world of eco-warrior?

2008-02-14T04:00:00.000-08:00

Viridor are offering £240,000 worth of grants for community and environmental groups based within 10 miles of Horton landfill site near Steyning. Check out their website for details. Magnolias are flowering in Britain earlier than ones in native India - and speaking of India - along with China they have lowered their rice exports because of a global shortage. Prices are up 60% and basmati rice has doubled. Another thing to have increased in price is the London congestion charge. Gas-guzzling vehicles are to be hit with a £25 charge from October 27th 2008. So still time to trade your guzzler in for a sipper !!

Biofuels worsen global warming! But not in Brighton!!

2008-02-12T05:19:00.000-08:00

So what's new in the "green world" today? Well apparently biofuels could do more harm to the planet than good. The effects of the so called "green fuels" worsen global warming!! This was discovered after an examination of the effects of converting natural forests and grassland into biofuel-producing areas. Destruction of these habitats caused more carbon to be released than was saved producing the biofuels. In Brighton we have several schemes whereby used cooking oil is collected and helps run local vehicles. Several schools participate in the "slick schools scheme". These schools will gratefully accept your used cooking oil - please choose C for cooking oil in The Green Diary at www.thegreencentre.co.uk to find out more about this scheme.

Life without a car!

2008-02-05T04:28:00.000-08:00

Well it has been officially confirmed - the car is on it's way to car heaven. Life without a car is OK. I take the bus. It's a bit difficult to manage The Green Centre activities without a car. I am currently looking in to the car-share schemes. So far I am not impressed - it seems to be a lot of money needs paying up front before one can borrow a car. Surviving on lifts - no major problems so far.

Vehicle Malfunction

2008-01-29T04:07:00.000-08:00

Well Tuesday 22nd January was a challenging one for this eco-warrior - following the malfuntioning laptop came the complete destruction of my car following a RTC. On the same day!!!! No longer an RTA I am informed. A Road Traffic Accident suggests it was an accident and it has now been decided that as this is a matter of opinion it will now be called a Road Traffic Collision.

So the collision has rendered me car-less so I am once again faced with do I replace it or not? I am thankful I did not rush out and replace my laptop as I simply removed the "enter button" twiddled around a bit and now it seems to be working again fine. I have failed to repair the "backspace" button however I am managing fine without it. Result! Now the car is not going to be quite as simple as that - no amount of twiddling will rescue Felix the Fiesta from car heaven!

So life without a car! I already use the bus a lot however there are some things which are diffficult without a car - for example transporting The Green Workshop to the Brighton Science Festival. Well my options are - in order of greeness - walk, take a bus, take a taxi, car club, hire a car, buy a car. Watch this space!

Laptop Malfunction

2008-01-22T04:22:00.000-08:00

Dilemma - do I buy a new laptop? It's five years old, the CD / DVD is slightly faulty, the mouse does not work so we are using an external mouse, the letters and numbers have worn off the keys (a,e,o,l,m,n) and while they have been rewritten using tippex and then covered with clear nail varnish - there is a limit to how mant times this can be done. Finally the backspace button and enter button are no longer working following a spillage of tea - this is making life very difficult!! I have managed a morning at work with all these handicaps - in the interest of the environment do I struggle on or do I succumb and buy a new one?

The Green Centre Blog Launched

2008-01-22T02:42:00.000-08:00

The Green Centre Blog is here to keep you informed of stuff