Landscape Juice

Fire at River Cottage HQ destroys barn

A fire last night has gutted the events barn at Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall River Cottage Devon HQ.

No one was hurt in the incident but as yet the cause is unknown.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall was not at home at the time. A statement has just been issued from the River Cottage HQ:

A serious fire severely damaged the main barn at Park Farm, River Cottage HQ late last night in Axminster. Thankfully no people, or animals were hurt. The cause is as yet unknown.

The River Cottage team are shocked and upset, and are dealing with the damage today. Hugh is away on a long distance filming trip and will be informed as soon as he can be contacted. We would like to say a big 'thank you' to the Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service, who were on the scene quickly and worked hard to contain the fire.

Our Canteen and Deli, located in the centre of Axminster, is unaffected and remains open today. Cookery School courses will not be running in the short term. Anyone booked on to a course will be contacted by the River Cottage events team as soon as possible. • For more information please contact Dawn Bebe, or Simon Whittam on 0207 873 2316

Keep uptodate with all the latest news about the fire via Twitter: @rivercottage

Livestock industry recognises value of carbon stored in grasslands

Phase three of EBLEX’s Beef and Sheep Roadmap Down to Earth was published today.

The report sets out how the livestock industry is responding to the challenge of reducing its greenhouse gas footprint.

The Grasslands Trust, which has previously highlighted the important role that semi-natural grasslands play as a carbon sink, welcomed EBLEX’s recognition that carbon storage in grassland soils needs to be factored in to any calculations of the carbon footprint of the livestock sector.

Miles King, director of conservation at The Grasslands Trust said “there is increasing evidence of the critical role that grassland soils play in storing carbon. Restoring agricultural grassland to a wildlife-rich state can lead to it storing over three tonnes of extra carbon per hectare per year and this accumulation is on a par with most types of woodland carbon storage.

Bob Flowerdew puts a dent in the anti-peat campaign

Celebrated gardener and organic campaigner Bob Flowerdew has shaken the organic gardening world by declaring that he uses peat.

Flowerdew, who's a member of the BBC Gardeners' Question Time panel, called for a licensing scheme for peat sourced from managed and sustainable sites but says that the use of peat in horticulture should not be banned.

For the die-hard environmentalists, it's akin to the Pope saying that he has tea with the devil on Sundays.

I've already made the point that Horticultural use amounts to 0.0005% of world peat reserves and also argued that peat will always have a role to play in gardening an doubted it will ever be phased out.

Marshalls receives a boost from BRE and the Carbon Trust

Marshalls plc has gained re-certification to the Carbon Trust Standard and certification to BRE Responsible Sourcing scheme for its concrete manufactured products.

Marshalls received re-certification – a national benchmark for the effective monitoring, management and reduction of an organisation’s energy use – after improving its carbon footprint by over 15%

This reaccreditation will improve the organisation’s position in the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme league table over the next two years.

The green algae is normal in the Broads, ecologist says

Green algae has been photographed on the Norfolk Broads turning the normal clear waterways an overall green. However, the Norfolk Broads authority said the algae, seen in Malthouse and Ranworth Broads is not abnormal.

Friends of the Earth warn against growing gas dependency

The UK imported 30% more foreign gas in 2010 than in 2009.

Mike Childs, head of science, policy and research for Friends of the Earth (FoE) said that by making households dependent on imported power supplies, the long-term outlook is not secure and prices are 'rocketing'.

To cut the fuel bills and ensure long-term supplies, the FoE calls for, a reduction in demand by measures like insulating homes and ways of saving energy, as well as support for the UK's developing renewable energy sources.

Marshalls publish 2010 United Nations Global Compact Communication on Progress

Marshalls has published its second Communication on Progress (COP) in-line with its commitment as a signatory of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC.)

The plc's last COP received 'notable' status from the UNGC following a rigorous peer review process. The 'notable' status is the highest form of recognition for progress reports from the UN.

Marshalls is actively seeking broader feedback for its 2010 COP and has already invited a range of stakeholders for their views and comments. Stakeholders invited so far include; employees, non-governmental organisations, consumers, academics, CSR students, suppliers, members of the media and sustainability commentators and authorities.

Download the 2010 Communication on Progress.

Google pumps €3.5m into solar energy plant

Google is known for its investment in clean technologies in the US, now the search giant is heading to Europe to hand over some cash to a solar power project.

But it is not the UK it is looking at, but Germany where it intends to invest €3.5 million in a solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant in Brandenburg an der Havel, near Berlin.

The power plant has a peak capacity of 18.65MWp, which puts it among the largest in Germany, and it should provide clean energy to more than 5,000 households.

If you want to learn more about where Google puts its money to help promote cleaner energy, drop in on Google Green.

Trudy Thompson's teenagers are riding on the wings

Trudy Thompson, former racing driver and founder of Bricks and Bread sustainable living centre works with many teenagers as a chief executive officer or CEO to a highly original management team.

Getting to grips with how her team is innovative and why she runs it the way she does was fascinating.

Trudy Thompson and the rise of Bricks and Bread

Original Video - More videos at TinyPic
There is nothing as topical as the recycling of old parts to make new gadgets. But just as young people bring in new ideas and grow and change them in their own way, so former racing driver, Trudy Thompson is building and crafting something novel using old, known materials.

Rather than trying to fit into a well-worn mould, she and her youthful team have a revolutionary style of running a business and sharing the benefits.

Trudy Thompson has become a youth leader and founder of the social enterprise Bricks and Bread sustainable living centre. At her business, which has a zero carbon footprint, she runs eco-building and waste-recycling courses and organises advice clinics and skills training to help people live sustainably.