Today is World Penguin Day!
Our own Amy English became a fan of penguins during her visits to the Falkland Islands, who host a penguin population of over 1 million birds, roughly 333 times the population of Falkland Islanders!
Read more about her love of penguins, the Falkland Islands and conservation in her latest blog post ›
Source: blogs.fco.gov.uk
Art in full flow on Gateshead’s riverside
Gateshead’s growing reputation as a major Centre for the arts was boosted today thanks to the opening of an amazing public installation to celebrate London 2012.
~Flow is piece of public art that turns the movement of the River Tyne into music. The public will be able to board ~Flow all through the summer to play instruments on board which are powered by a watermill.
One of twelve public art commissions funded by the UK Arts Councils as part of the Cultural Olympiad, the project is a collaboration between arts collective Owl Project and music producer Ed Carter. The panel that commissioned the project commented: “By exploring issues of environmental sustainability and the reinvention of a region with a proud history of innovation, we thought it would leave a real legacy.”
Visit the ~Flow website to find out about all the exciting things on offer at the opening day.
Image ©Jill Tate
The Consulate hosted a discussion of Energy Abundance – The Pros and Cons of Shale Gas in the US and UK, involving Dr Liz Kane, First Secretary of Energy from the Embassy. More ›
Foreign Office Minister Henry Bellingham has welcomed the outcome of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 17) which concluded in Durban, South Africa on 11 December.
Mr Bellingham said:
The outcome at Durban has exceeded the expectations of many. We have a renewed commitment to tackling climate change through international law, and to helping the poorest countries respond. I congratulate all that were involved in the UK’s efforts in Durban.
The conference agreed to adopt a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, and to establish the Green Climate Fund to support developing countries in reducing their emissions and adapting to climate change.
The conference also recognised the global gap in ambition between the pledges made to reduce emissions and what is necessary to stay within the agreed target of keeping below 2 degrees of warming, and launched a work programme for increasing global ambition.
More ›
Source: ukinusa.fco.gov.uk
UK International Climate Fund
Climate change is one of the most urgent problems facing the world today. It is a global problem which needs global solutions. In response, the UK Government has set up the £2.9 billion International Climate Fund (ICF) to help developing countries tackle climate change and adapt to the effects of extreme weather conditions. In this video you can see examples of the ICF in action, and hear from people whose livelihoods and communities are affected by climate change.
(video via ukforeignoffice)
Source: youtube.com
Foreign Secretary William Hague with Jonas Gahr Støre, Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs sign a Memorandum of Understanding on UK-Norway co-operation on polar research and cultural heritage.
(Photo via Foreign and Commonwealth Office)
Source: Flickr / foreignoffice
The 2011 UN Climate Summit will be hosted by the Government of South Africa and will bring together representatives of the world’s governments, international organisations and civil society to agree international action on climate change.
You can read daily updates from the UK delegation via our Storify here and follow @2degrelimit on Twitter.
Ambassador Nigel Sheinwald blogs on the Huffington Post about the green gardens at the Ambassador’s residence in Washington.
The British poet Alexander Pope once observed that, “All gardening is landscape-painting.” But today’s gardeners need to be environmental stewards as well as aesthetes. […]
In many ways, gardening has much in common with diplomacy. The seeds you plant take careful care and cultivation to turn out well. Nothing is the same from year to year. You learn from what works — and what doesn’t — to know better what to do the next time. And the end goal of your work is a productive area where all things have a chance to grow and thrive.
From reducing water and chemical use to beekeeping and maintaining a kitchen garden, the British Embassy in Washington is doing its part as a responsible member of the DC community. More ›
Source: The Huffington Post
Top
