Adventure writer for the Daily Telegraph, Tarquin Cooper, writes about how a growing number of world class athletes are reinventing themselves as adventurers.  Why is this, you may ask yourselves.  Tarquin talks about athletes looking for a bit of variety but we like to think that it is more about athletes wanting to participate in more sporting activities that take part in and highlight the beauty of our natural environment.  To read the full article, courtesy of the Daily Telegraph, please click here.

Teresa, Sport Environment

The Sunday Times features BLUE Ambassador Sam Davies on the front page (Sunday 15 February 2009) after she finished the Vendee Globe - a 96 day ocean sailing battle round the world, single handed.  To see the front page courtesy of the Sunday Times, please click here, and to read the article, please click here.

 
 
The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is proud to announce that the MCS “Campaign for Clean Seas” has won the award for Best Environmental Campaign, announced by Coast Magazine today.

MCS campaigns to reduce pollution at sea were nominated for the award by Coast magazine’s readers, who responded in their hundreds to propose the very best in a number of categories. Nominations with the most votes were then taken before a panel of esteemed, and critical judges.

One of the judges, TV presenter Miranda Krestovnikoff, said “The way MCS engages the community in its beach cleans is fantastic”.

MCS Beachwatch involves over 5,000 volunteers each year in cleaning up and surveying beaches. MCS has also brought plastic bags, balloons, sewage and many other forms of pollution to public and government attention through its Campaign for Clean Seas.

Dr Sue Kinsey, of the MCS pollution team, says “We are absolutely delighted to win this award, which we accept on behalf of the team of volunteers and staff who have worked so hard to bring about change. We’d like to thank Coast magazine’s readers for nominating us, and showing just how much support there is for our vital, often difficult work.”

We’re also delighted to announce that long term MCS corporate supporter Primrose Valley Hotel in St Ives won the Coast award for Hotel of the Year! A well deserved award, reflecting the thoughtful balance they have achieved between pampering their guests whilst caring for the environment too. Well done Andrew & Sue and whole team!
Beachwatch and Adopt-a-Beach are supported by grants from The Crown Estate and Seafrance.

For more info:

Visit http://www.adoptabeach.org.uk/ 
Visit Coast Magazine’s website
Read the MCS press release

The team at MCS would like to thank every Coast reader that wrote in support of our nomination. But most of all, thanks must go to each and every one of you who has taken part in a beach clean and survey with MCS, has gone “plastic bag free”, or simply given us your support through MCS membership. It really makes a difference!

The BLUE Climate and Oceans Project are so pleased that the MCS has been recognised for it’s fantastic work and will continue to support their “Campaign for Clean Seas” by spreading the word and helping with the annual beach cleans - Vikki Cheung, Sport Environment

Samsung is the first mobile phone manufacturer to launch a solar-powered mobile phone.  Called ‘Blue Earth’, the device was unveiled for the first time at the mobile world congress, this week. 

Ideal for developing markets where individuals spend long periods of time without access to electricity, the device is made from recycled plastic water bottles and is capable of measuring your carbon footprint.

A full charge taking 10-14 hours in the sun would offer about four hours of talk time.  The phone can also be plugged in to charge, with the solar panels used to top up the battery to extend power.

The Samsung Blue Earth phone, which has been designed to look like a flat shiny pebble, enabling users to flaunt their environmental credentials, will be launched initially in Europe in the second half of 2009.

This is a great product for any adventure sports men and women or indeed anyone who has limited access to mains electricity, and it’s environmentally friendly too.

Teresa, Sport Environment

For further information, please click here.

Google Inc. today, launched the latest version of Google Earth which provides users with the ability to look more closely at the oceans around the world.  Users can now drop below the ocean surface and explore the seafloor with thousands of data points that include video and images of ocean life.  Google hope that this new version of Google Earth will help users to understand the important role that our oceans play in our global climate and the vital need to protect them.  To read the full article courtesy of Computerworld, please click here.