22 April 2009

EARTH DAY TODAY-SHOW YOU CARE!!!!!!



Today we think about our planet.What do you think about your home,do you care ,show you love your planet and celebrate Earth Day.

1 April 2009

UK Government Not Motivating Industry to Reduce Carbon Emissions



Government incentives required to encourage businesses to reduce their carbon footprint


Colchester, UK, April 1st 2009 – A recent carbon accounting survey by Access Accounting has highlighted that the Government is not doing enough to motivate businesses to make carbon-reduction initiatives a priority in the workplace. A staggering 84% of respondents felt that the government needed to do more, while only 5% felt no motivation was needed.

Furthermore, 62% of respondents felt that the Government should incentivise businesses to reduce their carbon footprint by introducing beneficial tax breaks. Over half (57%) felt that greater education and public initiatives were required. As many as 36% of respondents felt that the Government should impose tougher regulations on carbon emissions even during the economic downturn.


Kevin Misselbrook, Customer Services Director for Access Accounting said, “With such a strong majority feeling, I’m surprised that green incentives haven’t been prioritised. The Government is committed to cutting greenhouse-gas emissions by 80% in the UK by the middle of the century, and this would be a big step in the right direction.”

Misselbrook continued, “While the Government needs to do more to encourage carbon-reduction, businesses should look beyond the environmental benefits of going green and understand the cost benefits associated with reducing carbon emissions. By measuring its current carbon footprint, a company can start to understand where carbon-cuts can be made. This might be initiatives to reduce power consumption and waste in the office, or utilising new communication technologies to cut back on unnecessary travelling.

“The real key to reducing carbon emissions is to encourage behavioural changes within the organisation. Businesses may be surprised when they identify their areas of highest carbon consumption and the potential associated cost savings to be made. To gain this understanding it is vital to have the right tools to measure emissions – after all, you can’t manage what you can’t measure.”
John Doyle, Sustainable Development Policy Co-Coordinator, Information Society DG, European Commission said, “The carbon challenges set by governments are virtually unachievable, and the 2020 guidelines are not realistic. However, companies must start acting proactively in understanding their carbon footprints. If more companies measured and reported their carbon emissions, we would be able to get more mileage for carbon reduction.”


In 2009, Access Accounting launched Accounting for Carbon Emissions (ACE), the first practical tool to incorporate carbon emissions in the finance function. It was a landmark change, and now enables businesses to easily measure their footprint at low cost with little complexity. Access Accounting pioneered carbon footprint measurement into the day-to-day accounts function so that reporting on a business’ carbon footprint is now as easy as extracting financial reports.

Doyle continued, “ACE is an enabler, providing a tool that can help organisations manage and gain visibility of their carbon footprint. Eventually tools like ACE will be obligatory for all businesses.”

New system for analysing the risks of climate change by Get Mapping


Getmapping has announced a new enhanced height dataset of Scotland derived directly from its aerial photographic survey of the country. Processing for the rest of the Britain is now underway. The arrival of a new more accurate height model will be welcome coming shortly after scientists at the recent climate change summit in Copenhagen said that earlier UN estimates for sea levels were too low. Height data is used for numerous earth studies including impact assessments for rising sea levels and flood modelling.

In 2006 Getmapping became involved in a DTI co-funded Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with Bath Spa University, Geosense and SCS. The remit was to provide a more accurate nationwide height dataset at lower cost. The result is a new methodology for producing height data from stereo aerial photography. While it has always been possible to create highly accurate height data from vertical aerial photography using photogrammetry it was time consuming and expensive to carry out. However as a result of the KTP project, new workflows and algorithms have refined and speeded up the process to deliver the best possible balance between accuracy and cost. The result is significantly more accurate than Radar (SAR), less costly than LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and provides nationwide coverage.

The new eDEMs (enhanced Digital Elevation Models) consist of a first surface model (DSM) and a digital terrain model (DTM), contours will be added in due course. In open areas accuracy is comparable to LiDAR but out performs it in urban areas by virtue of the ability to extract building detail photogrammetrically. The datasets are considerably enhanced by aerial photography providing the ‘intelligence’ to aid interpretation and risk assessment and opening the way for 3D visualisation. The data is available in one square km tiles and is therefore very cost effective.

“Height data provides the third dimension in a land survey, and is a vital resource for analysing the risks associated with climate change, such as flooding and the threat of attack from the sea. It is also invaluable for use in planning and 3D visualisation,” said Tristram Cary, Managing Director of Getmapping. “This Knowledge Transfer Project is a brilliant example of co-operation between government, academia and the private sector producing what we believe to be the best product for the market,” continued Cary.





About Getmapping Plc

Getmapping Plc is the UK’s leading provider of aerial photography and digital mapping. Based in Hartley Wintney, Hampshire Getmapping was the first company to have up to date nationwide coverage and pioneered online delivery of aerial photography to business and the public and large. A reseller of professional mapping, oblique photography, height data, OS maps and third party aerial photography, Getmapping services a wide variety of markets including press and media, local authorities, property and construction, environmental consultants and the public. It also provides mapping services for specific client needs and has undertaken contracts to provide bespoke image databases. A pioneer of many online products through its website, Getmapping is the only company currently re-flying the whole country at enhanced 12.5cm resolution.


www.getmapping.com