Bernard Ginns: The search is on to find the region’s green champions

there has been a lot of hype in the renewables sector, not all of it matched by reality.

But at last it seems that investor appetite is catching up, with plenty of projects finding the backing and getting off the ground here in Yorkshire.

The factory for offshore wind turbines in Hull is a good case in point. That initial investment by Siemens could have enormous benefits for companies in the supply chain, securing new skilled jobs for the future and creating a hub of manufacturing excellence.

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Companies in the Humber area have a real opportunity to become known as world leaders in offshore wind power technology and might soon be exporting their knowledge and capability to all corners of the world.

It is this kind of expertise that the Yorkshire Post Environment Awards seek to celebrate. Now entering their third year, the awards have grown to become the premier event for recognising the best environmental work being undertaken across Yorkshire and the Humber. The awards, launched at the weekend, will honour Best Environmental Business, Innovation, Manufacturer of the Best Green Product, Climate Change and Green Champion.

There are also categories recognising the projects in the built environment and work carried out by young people and countryside groups.

Our sponsors include Asda, Grant Thornton, InterfaceFLOR, Logistik, Northern Gas Networks, Science City York and Yorkshire Water.

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Britain aims to become a low-carbon economy in the future. I know that there are many companies in Yorkshire making great strides in contributing to this national cause. I urge them to enter our awards so we can showcase their examples to the wider region, the country at large and the rest of the world.

To enter the awards is easy. Visit www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/environmentawards for details. All entries must be in by Friday, April 1. Best of luck.

n Ask any doctor about the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption and he or she will provide you with real-life examples of the devastating impact that drinking can have on physical and mental health.

Similarly, ask any policeman about the effect that binge drinking has on social order he or she will tell you about the typically high number of alcohol-related arrests over the weekend and the inevitable glassings and stamped-on heads.

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Or speak to any social worker and ask him or her about the role that alcohol plays in family breakdown.

In short, alcohol destroys lives. This is hardly a new message, but it is one that has gained some amplification this week with a group of health experts accusing the Government of pandering to the drinks industry.

The academics warn that current plans to tackle the problem of excessive drinking, which include banning the sale of alcohol below cost price and increasing duty on high-strength beer, are “inconsequential”.

“How many more people have to die from alcohol-related conditions, and how many more families devastated by the consequences before the Government takes the situation as seriously as it took the dangers of tobacco?” said Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, past president of the Royal College of Physicians and one of the authors of the Lancet report.

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“We already know from the international evidence that the main ways to reduce alcohol consumption are to increase the price and reduce the availability of alcohol, yet the Government continues to discuss implementing marginal measures while ignoring this evidence.”

Retailers are in a difficult position, with alcohol sales representing a significant proportion of their business. That is why they constitute such a powerful lobby.

The Lancet report claimed retailers are “reliant on people risking their health to provide profits” and noted that, according to the Department of Health, three-quarters of alcohol is consumed by hazardous and harmful drinkers.

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association, a lobby group, hit back, saying the report took no account of the most recent Government data showing a continued fall in consumption of alcohol and a decline in the number of deaths from alcohol-related illnesses.

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“The drinks industry is rightly playing a constructive role in discussions with other stakeholders as part of the Government’s public health responsibility deal,” it added.

Individuals, of course, must be responsible for their own actions. But businesses, too, must be aware of the society in which they operate. It’s no good selling cheap booze and then claiming no responsibility for the appalling consequences.