Beer saving the planet
Camra has lavished praise on a number of craft brewers who are making a contribution to combating global warming and reducing carbon emissions.
In its latest Good Beer Guide, the campaign group highlights several breweries that have pioneered eco-friendly brewing.
Good Beer Guide editor and MA columnist Roger Protz said: "At a time when beer is blamed - wrongly - for most of the problems of society, it's good to praise brewers who believe strongly in their local communities and combating global warming and carbon emissions."
Pride of place goes to Adnams, the family-owned brewery based in Southwold, Suffolk. Its brewhouse has an Energy Recovery System that recycles 100% of the steam created during the brewing process and uses it to heat 90% of the following brew.
The brewery uses less glass in its bottles - down by 34% -- and in total Adnams has reduced its CO2 emissions by 415 tonnes a year.
A new warehouse has been designed so that most of the buildings are below road level. The roofs have grass on top and rain water is collected for washing the buildings and is even used for employees' showers. Adnams sources most of its grain from local farmers to further reduce carbon output and it helps in the regular cleaning of Southwold's beaches.
Also mentioned are FREEMINER: Forest of Dean, WESTERHAM: Kent.Both the Freeminer Brewery in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire and the Westerham Brewery in Kent have launched the first Free Trade beers in Britain.
BUNTINGFORD: Royston, Herts, Which uses Warminster grain as part of the "From Field to Firkin" scheme. The brewery is based on a conservation farm where all brewery waste liquid is treated in a reedbed.
CITY OF CAMBRIDGE, Chittering, Cambs: Disposes of liquid waste in surrounding reedbeds.
ORKNEY, Stromness, Orkney: All beer is brewed along strict ecological lines. It uses its own water supply, and all waste is treated through two lakes, which support fish and Mallard ducks.
