This photo, taken by Katya Evdokimova, won the category of ‘Changing Climates’, called After The Floods.

More than 55,000 properties were flooded in England in the summer of 2007 and £3bn worth of assets damaged. More rainfall is expected in the future as a result of human-induced global warming, deforestation and over development.

Over 70 images from the competition will be on show in London from September 17th.

Nick Clegg, leader of the Liberal Democrats, recently addressed the government’s plans for new coal and nuclear power plants.

“The government has spooked everyone into thinking that we need nuclear by saying: ‘There’s going to be a terrible energy gap. The lights are going to go out in the middle of the next decade.’

There’s actually no evidence that that is the case at all. They have raised the wrong problem in order to push the wrong solution.

The real problem is that our energy mix is not green enough and that we are overdependent - as many people now realise because of the crisis in Georgia - on oil and gas from parts of the world that aren’t very reliable.

I think it is a question of political will. If we have been able to put a man on the moon, been able to create the welfare state, we could revolutionise the way in which we produce energy.”

Coal definitely is the (out of) flavour of the summer.

First at the Australian Climate Camp, then outside the proposed site for the first of eight new coal-fired power stations in the UK, Kingsnorth - and now Colorado is on the clean energy map too!

Traditionally a mining center, this state is now demonstrating how to move to a new economy. A major utility company announced it would shut down two coal-fired power plants and in their place build one of the world’s largest utility-scale solar power plants.

Good news all round, especially since they’re also adding wind power to the game!

Full story here.

This is how it’s presented: now that people are watching their money a little more closely, they aren’t going to buy that organic salad anymore.

Well, that may be - but nor are they buying the ten flat screens and three electric hat stands. As Nyree Ambarchian writes in her column ‘Shades of Green’ in the Peterborough Evening Telegraph…

‘Supermarkets are recording a slump in the sale of ready meals with more customers choosing to cook rather than ‘ping’ their evening meal. Sales of teddy bears and spinning tops are up with parents favouring longer lasting toys. UK camp sites are enjoying a 10% increase in bookings as holidays abroad are substituted for the simple pleasures of the great outdoors. People are also taking the greener, cheaper option when it comes to transport with 14% flying less and 6% driving less. Even the amount of junk mail we are receiving through the letter box is decreasing, particularly items from credit card companies.

All this is great news for the environment! We are all doing less of the things that are really damaging (shopping, driving, flying) and doing more of the things that are greener and healthier (cooking from scratch, cycling, enjoying nature).

And really this is all we need to do - a bit less, a bit slower. The credit crunch might have shunted the environment off the front page, but it’s doing wonders for changing the way we live; making us greener, healthier and, dare I say it, happier.’

True dat.

I’ve talked before about Colleen Patrick-Goudreau and Compassionate Cooks, but I thought I’d share this little clip from a BBQ cooking show. Notice how it talks about the deliciousness of the food, the fun and friends, the health benefits and, oh, by the way, it’s vegan.

Make it cool and desirable, and people will want it. My mouth is watering!

By the way - Colleen later talked about the experience and it turned out, one of the camera men was thinking of going for a vegetarian diet, and after seeing Colleen at work - he went for it!