how to run a green restaurant

Acorn House Restaurant features in 100% Design Show

首間環保海鮮餐廳上菜 響應WWF指引 以「環保海鮮」材料入餚

明報 2008年3月16日

【明報專訊】世界自然基金會(WWF)去年為保護海洋生態而推出的「海鮮選擇指引」，終獲首間餐廳響應。該餐廳目前推出7款選用「環保海鮮」為材料的菜式，並取消包括藍鰭吞拿等名菜。WWF承認，要食肆跟隨指引不是「開燈熄燈」般容易，但這個例子證明並非不可能，故會繼續向更多食肆推廣。

每款菜式售228至428元

成為首間跟隨「海鮮選擇指引」的是位於中環太子大廈的高級餐廳Dot Cod Seafood Restaurant & Oyster Bar，該餐廳市務及項目經理Wendy表示，該餐廳由去年10月開始籌備跟隨指引，包括要求海鮮供應商確保食物來自以環保方法飼養或捕撈的類別，並設計相應餐單。目前，該餐廳共有7款屬環保海鮮的菜式，包括來自阿拉斯加的三文魚、北美的銀鱈魚等，預計本月底再增加3款，每款菜式售228至428元不等。

北美銀鱈魚 曾一天售80碟

該餐廳的新菜式推出以來反應不俗，目前有近半數顧客食用，更曾在一天內售出80碟北美捕撈銀鱈魚製作的菜式。她說，已向WWF表明無法即時完全跟隨指引，但會逐漸跟隨，早前已將金獅魚、藍鰭吞拿魚及紅斑等3款被列為「避免食用」的海鮮剔走。她坦言，這些是餐廳的「招牌菜」之一，「不時仍有顧客會查問」，目前餐牌上並沒有指引中建議「避免食用」的海鮮提供。

WWF於去年3月推出有關指引，將60多款海鮮，按其現有數目、飼養或捕撈方法等，分成「建議」、「想清楚」及「避免」3個食用類別。

推出一年 首間響應

對於指引推出近1年才有首間食肆響應，WWF高級環境保護主任 (海洋環保)朱炳盛承認，要食肆改變並不容易，但證明並非不可行。他說，建議食用的海鮮無論在價錢及味道上，與避免食用的海鮮並沒太大差別，只是食肆習慣了以往的做法，不願意改變，該會將繼續向不同的中西式食肆推廣。

________________________________________________

today's green lime - see how acorn house restaurant in london practise eco-friendly dining http://www.acornhouserestaurant.com/

green house by FCB architects

Click the above image to read the article

Greenhouse is a pilot project for sustainable construction in London.

To know more, visit its official web at http://www.greenhouseweb.org/

merry christmas & happy new year!

bring you more green news in 2008~!

members of parliament to act as role models for green energy

The UK Parliament in Westminster on the north bank of Thames (right)
____________________________________________________________________

The londonpaper today reports that the UK parliament are studying how to run the parliament building by more sustainable energy and reduce its carbon footprint. The following is an extract of the article by Widiane Moussa -

£20m Plan to Cut Emissions
Winds of Change for Westminster

Parliament could be powered by wind turbines & tides in a bid to cut its carbon footprint by almost a third. The Palace of Westminster uses enough electricity to power 6500 households & it would take a forest of more than 2500 trees to soak up the C02 output. Its environmental impact including 2252 tonnes of rubbish has angered MPs who want to improve freen creditials.

A study into the greening of the parliamentary estate commissioned by MPs shows how the buildings could be partly powered by a 35m-high wind turbine on the neighbouring Victoria Gardens & a field of tidal turbines in the Thames, next to the members' terraces. Double glazing could be fitted to draughty windows & officials are even toying with the idea of installing miniature power stations in the cellars, which will take the palace partly "off-grids".

According to the plans, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, the project will cost at least £20 million. "We can't afford to do nothing and tha is exactly what Parliament has done for too long" said Norman Baker, Liberal Democrat MP for Lewes, who has calculated that electricity consumption in the Commons has risen 86% since 1997.

-END-
______________________________________________________________________

What has our honourable Legislative Councillors in Hongkong done on their new home in Tamar? Have they really carried out studies on the energy consumption of the existing monumental LegCo building or ask the government to set reduction target for the new LegCo building? If the Thames could have tidal turbines to generate electricity, Tamar could have tubrines in Victoria Harbour to do the same.

It is time we demand these councillors to really work their bit to get their salary review justified.

today's fresh lime -

A video showing the technology of tidal turbines for next generation energy source -
http://video.on.nytimes.com/?fr_story=a16561a2d9322a0e5953813fd7c930aa6fd8e41e

eurostar - restart from london st. pancras

The new eurostar London terminal at St Pancras would commence its service from 14-11-2007. It is claimed the journey would be completely carbon neutral, compared to massive carbon emissions if you take a plane from london to paris.

today's fresh lime -

More on re-invented eurostar from St Pancras and the benefits of railway to planes on the environment at http://fortomorrow.eurostar.com/?cat=5

start from today -

Stop charging your mobile phones, ipods, palms, etc. overnight - surverys indicate that people simply overcharge their gadgets in the fear of running out of battery, but the truth is just by plugging-in them cause a waste of energy consumption and lead to excess carbon emissions that is required to generate the electricity eventually. Usually 2 hours charge is enough for most appliances.

monday green page in metro london & the london paper

If every newspaper in hongkong has a green page at least once a week and report on various issues from big to small, local & global; that would make a huge impact on the social awareness of its citizens towards sustainable development and environmental protection.

And here in london, the green page is not just once a week. And not just one paper has green page. Both papers shown here are free papers. So they repay some of their debt of printing millions of copies every week. (The newspaper union or so claims that most of the paper used for news print is recycled)