The weather could also have an adverse effect on a number of other things, including the state of your vehicle. According to a recent news story, the weather has caused a spike in the number of windscreen repairs being carried out. Around 25% more windscreen repairs have been seen and have been directly linked back to the recent weather.

Some people have even found that they have to replace their entire windscreen as a result of the wintery conditions. This could end up costing drivers a huge amount of money, but there is a way to keep on top of issues that may arise because of the cold snap we’re currently experiencing.

In the UK? This site has a guide to the cost of windscreen repair.

It is quite common for people to notice small chips in their windscreen, caused by stones and other things that are stirred up by passing cars on the road. Heavy hail storms can also cause your windscreen to chip. Sadly, nothing can be done to actually prevent these things from happening, which is why being vigilant with immediate repairs is so important.

Once you notice a chip in your windscreen, no matter how small it is, you should get in touch with a specialist windscreen repair service to get things sorted as soon as possible. If you leave a chip to develop, it could expand and turn into a crack before you know it. This can happen when water gets into the crack and then freezes, causing it to expand. Cracks can also appear when you drive over a pothole or bump in the road.

If you have fully comprehensive insurance, you shouldn’t have to pay for windscreen repair. Your insurance policy will likely cover the cost of it so that you can get your repair done for free. Even if you aren’t covered by a fully comprehensive policy, you won’t need to pay that much to get your windscreen repaired.

By opting to repair your windscreen as soon as you notice a chip in it, you can avoid the hassle of having to replace the entire thing.

Useful:

• Heavy snow and icy roads – Take extra care @ Gov.uk
• Cold Weather Driving – Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service

We travel to Ireland usually once a year or more, visiting family and taking in the sites.

We like to travel around for at least a week whilst we are there, and take in a few places.

One of the challenges we have is bringing the dog around with us, specifically find hotels that the dog can stay.

Recently however I found out a DogFriendlyHotelsIreland.ie – a new website for dog friendly hotels in Ireland.

The site has a directory of dog friendly hotels, bed and breakfasts and other types of accomodation in the Ireland.

You can search the directory using a custom search engine, browse the directory, or use a special Google maps tool.

The maps tool is awesome, it shows a geo-coded map of all the hotels listed on the website. Very nice.

So if you are planning a trip, rather than having to look up names in advance, you can use the map to plan a journey across a certain part of the county.

It is really helpful for planning journeys in advance, as well as simply finding places near wherever you are at the time.

Wherever you are in Ireland you should be able to find a hotel not too far away that will take in you and your pooch.

There are electric cars available from many of the main car manufacturers now, including Nissan, Renault, Toyota and an upcoming car from Volvo.

The article also features some smaller electric car manufacturers.

Read the full article here.

“We are pleased to welcome Sustainable Travel International into our alliance of destinations as a strategic partner. This is an important partnership to further our vision of responsible tourism destinations working together,” said Juergen Thomas Steinmetz, Chairman of ICTP.

“Sustainable Travel International is thrilled to join in strategic partnership with the ICTP Alliance,” said STI’s President and CEO, Brian Mullis. “ICTP’s efforts toward socially responsible and sustainable travel align extremely well with our mission, and this partnership will shine a light on our efforts to help destinations worldwide – and the tourism operators that serve them – protect their natural environment, preserve their cultural heritage, and achieve economic viability.”

ABOUT STI

Sustainable Travel International (STI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on effecting systemic change in tourism development since 2002. STI specializes in programs that help travelers, businesses, and destinations implement innovative sustainable tourism initiatives and generate significant “triple bottom line” impacts.

www.sustainabletravel.com

ABOUT ICTP

ICTP is a new global alliance to support and promote destinations with a shared belief in well-managed travel and tourism as a driver of community business, jobs, well being, and happiness.

Membership is open to any country, city, or community that aspires to be a top travel and tourism destination and engages their stakeholders in the process.

The alliance is about sharing resources and increase business for your destination in:

- opening up and maintaining new markets for your destination;
- sharing resources to reach out to primary and secondary markets; and
- sharing resources to reach out to global media, trade, and consumers.

Affiliated membership is open to global tourism stakeholders and tourism professionals in member regions.

ICTP is committed to:

• quality in all aspects of destination management and marketing, and
• green growth that promotes low-carbon and environmentally-sound development.

www.tourismpartners.org

MEDIA CONTACT: Sharham Saber, ICTP, Phone: +1-808-566-9900, Email:supporters@tourismpartners.org

The UK government recently produced its draft National Planning Policy Framework - reducing the existing national policy from over 1,000 pages to just 52 pages.

The government is inviting comments during a 12-week long consultation period.

Defra and the Communities and Local Government department are insisting the draft delivers on the government’s promises set down in the Natural Environment White Paper allowing communities to earmark important local green spaces for special protection.

“[The draft framework] maintains the government’s commitment to protecting the green belt, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Sites of Special Scientific Interest; facilitates a new generation of renewable energy projects; paves the way for green transport of the future – the electric car; re-affirms protections for our nation’s historic and cultural heritage, and for our wildlife and bio-diversity, including new protection for peat bogs; and helps tackle the light pollution affecting the beauty of the night sky.”

Greg Clark

Useful web links:

• http://www.eaem.co.uk/news/governments-planning-policy-questioned-all-sides
• http://www.communities.gov.uk/
• http://www.defra.gov.uk/

Dawn in the remote wilds of Costa Rica

Taken at Lapa Rios on the south end of the Osa Peninsula

www.joiseyshowaa.com

Fifth-generation family winemaker Steve Lubiana creates cool climate, artisan wines from grape to glass in Australia’s island state of Tasmania. Sustainable biodynamic vineyard practices and a modern on-site winery ensure complex New World wines of excellence and distinction that merit comparison with those of the Old World.

Vines approaching harvest at Granton Vineyard in southern Tasmania. The 18ha site is home to the wines of fifth-generation winemaker Steve Lubiana. The Lubiana family creates cool climate, artisan wines from grape to glass in Australia’s picturesque Derwent Valley. Sustainable biodynamic vineyard practices and a state of the art on-site winery ensure complex New World wines of excellence and distinction that merit comparison with those of the Old World.

Customers are becoming more green while on holiday but still fail to take sustainability into account when booking their trip, according to research by the
Travel Foundation and Abta.

The online research, released during Make Holidays Greener Week, found that 80% of the 1,400 holidaymakers surveyed made an effort to purchase food from local cafes and restaurants when abroad. A similar number explored the local area.

Read more

The county council welcomed the Department for Transport’s announcement of its success in the Local Sustainable Transport Fund bid – gaining all the £4.94 million it applied for.

The project aims to ease congestion throughout the county, make better use of the existing network and support growth of the economy.

Read more