Greenwatch

By David Green

WHILE I welcome any initiative to reduce the emissions that are causing global warming, it is important they achieve a real difference, not just massage figures to give a public relations gloss.

So good luck to the Suffolk - Creating the Greenest County project and I hope that real targets result in real progress.

It is the idea of the Suffolk Strategic Partnership and these partners - including the county and district councils - must be seen to be taking a lead.

Well done also to Ipswich Town Football Club for cutting its carbon emissions by 20.1% so far and its encouragement to supporters to reduce their carbon emissions.

Whether part-reliance on un-audited supporters' efforts will really succeed in convincing any intelligent person that Ipswich Town has become the first carbon neutral professional football club is doubtful.

It is like saying that I have become the first carbon neutral environmental correspondent because, in addition to my own efforts, I persuaded readers to make cuts.

I look forward to the day when Ipswich Town will become carbon neutral by meeting its own goals.

The club 's measures already include the installation of energy efficient bulbs in the floodlights and a switch to a “green” electricity tariff.

ON THE subject of “green” tariffs, some of Britain's biggest energy companies are being investigated by the regulator, Ofgem, over the way they operate these schemes.

The suspicion is that consumers paying a premium to get “new” renewable energy are being sold the renewable energy the companies are forced to purchase by law.

So while thousands of people believe they are helping the environment by paying more for “green” energy, it may be that no extra renewable energy is produced as a result.

I WATCHED a fishing boat coming in to the beach at Aldeburgh the other day as hundreds of gulls strutted their stuff on the shingle near the Moot Hall.

A queue of customers was already waiting at the shack where the fish (you can't buy it any fresher) was soon to be landed.

As the boat got nearer the shore the gulls soon left the beach and circled it in the hope of a free lunch.

Many of them plunged down to a spot in the sea where, I assume, the innards from the gutting process had just been dumped.

Dumping the innards of fish at sea has always been the practice of fishing boat crews and it provides welcome food for many birds - especially in the harsh winter months.

With the demise the east coast fishing fleets and better management of landfill rubbish tips, gulls have been moving into towns more often - to pick up discarded food.

It just occurred to me that if the people of Aldeburgh really want to rid themselves of a gull menace then it will not just be down to residents and visitors heeding the signs: “Please do not feed the gulls”.

Perhaps such notices also have to be pasted to the fishing boats?

david.green@eadt.co.uk