'Smart' homes to eat their rubbish (Guardian, UK)

[jpak]

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/green/story/0,,1951978,00.html

A new generation of 'smart' buildings, which can consume their own rubbish and power themselves, is needed to help Britain withstand the shock of global warming, the government's chief scientist will warn in a call for an end to a culture of waste.

British temperatures will rise for the next 30 years even if future greenhouse gas emissions are reduced, Sir David King will say in a speech tomorrow. As the damage wrought by existing pollution feeds slowly through the world's ecosystems, it is essential that the public adapts to change, he will argue.

His call comes as the Blairite think-tank, the Institute for Public Policy Research, publishes a report today calling for Britain to become a 'zero waste' country, where rubbish is recycled or reused instead of dumped in landfill sites. It says taxes should be applied to disposable products such as razors and cameras, encouraging people to buy more lasting products. The study argues consumers should learn to repair and reuse items rather than throwing them out, as well as recycling more.

The think-tank report wants manufacturers to be compelled to design durable products that can be reused rather than throwaway plastic that will need regular, and profitable, replacement.

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