Landscape Juice

Full IARC glyphosate report released

Here is an extract from a post by Andrew Porterfield on Genetic Literacy Project site. Full IARC glyphosate report released; Anti-GMO target may have health benefits It’s either the darling of GMO-loving Big Ag or the demon imperiling small-farmers and organic growers worldwide (or both!). It’s glyphosate (formerly patented and branded as Roundup), and it’s the most widely used pesticide in the world. Although it was introduced in 1974, more than 20 years before the introduction of GMOs, much of its increased use is because it can kill weeds without killing crops that have been genetically modified to resist glyphosate.... Read more →

Food waste to energy HORSE crowdfunding project

I love this concept, having worked on protoype ideas of my own way back in 1990. The thought of making use of every bit of scrap and waste that mankind generates is an exciting prospect. Never, in my view, should any form of organic waste find its way into a landfill site. US company Impact Bioenergy is looking for funding to get its HORSE project off the ground. The HORSE converts food waste into fertiliser & fuel. What they say: 61% of what we throw away is biodegradable (food, landscape waste, paper, wood) and the solution is within our reach... Read more →

Permable concrete that drinks 4,000 litres a minute

Topmix Permeable concrete is a a super-absorbent surface covering that allows water to seep through it rather than sitting on top in an attempt to combat flooding. The video below shows 4,000 litres of water (880 gallons) being poured onto the surface of a car park only to disappear into the sub-layers, almost instantly. Read more →

Yorkshire Water appeals over slug pellet contamination

Yorkshire Water is calling on local farmers based on catchment land near the River Hull to carefully manage the use of slug control pesticides in a bid to reduce the impact they have on drinking water. River Hull at Hempholme LockThe pellets’ active ingredient, metaldehyde, commonly seeps from farmland into water courses. It cannot be removed from water by conventional treatment processes, meaning the chemical is finding its way into drinking water. Water companies fear that UK waters could fail to meet EU water safety thresholds as a result of this contamination. The River Hull is one of the region’s... Read more →

Compostable electronics could ease the e-waste problem

Some day soon your obsolete gadgets could be as compostable as banana peels and spent coffee grounds. Researchers from the Young Investigator Network at Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT) in Germany are developing printed electronics from natural and compostable materials that could help make a dent in the millions of tons of electronic waste piling up worldwide each year. Instead of silicon, heavy metals and other elements that can stick around for a while, even potentially creating toxic hazards as they break down in landfills, the researchers are working with biodegradable materials including semiconductors and dyes made of plant extracts... Read more →

Cities are starting to put pedestrians and cyclists before motorists

AT 6am on a sweltering Sunday the centre of Gurgaon, a city in northern India, is abuzz. Children queue for free bicycles to ride on a 4km stretch of road that will be cordoned off from traffic for the next five hours. Teenagers pedal about, taking selfies; middle-aged men and women jog by. On a stage, a black-belt demonstrates karate; yoga practice is on a quieter patch down the street. Weaving through the crowd dispensing road-safety tips is a traffic cop with a majestic moustache. Gurgaon’s weekly jamboree is called Raahgiri (“reclaim your streets”). Amit Bhatt of EMBARQ, a green... Read more →

How should we value nature?

UK-based conservationist Miles King will be asking ‘How should we value nature?’ on Wednesday 23 September at Knoll Gardens. Miles has worked in nature conservation for 29 years, leading conservation work for Plantlife, The Grasslands Trust and Buglife, as well as Wildlife Trusts, English Nature and Natural England. He recently set up a new charity, ‘People Need Nature’ to promote the importance of nature for its spiritual and inspirational value as well as a source of mental and physical wellbeing. His talk, in the outdoor classroom at Dorset’s Knoll Gardens, will be the first opportunity to hear him speak in... Read more →

Study finds common Cypress could reduce wildfire risk

Cupressus sempervirens, common Cypress is a native or naturalised forest tree species in the Mediterranean area that is able to tolerate prolonged drought and high temperatures. A recent study has found that the common Cypress was able to withstand very high temperatures whilst all around, all other vegetation succumb and was burnt to a cinder. The study findings indicate that cypress is relatively resistant to ignition because of the high ash content and the ability of the leaves to maintain a high water content during the summer. Related: Enigma of the trees that resist wildfires Read more →

Audi produces synthetic diesel from freely available carbon dioxide

The German car manufacturer Audi has successfully created a synthetic diesel fuel from carbon dioxide. Through its project partner Sunfire, Audi says it hopes that it can make a significant contribution to the production of high quality carbon neutral fuel using this method. The only raw materials needed are water and carbon dioxide. The CO2 used is currently supplied by a biogas facility. In addition, initially a portion of the CO2 needed is extracted from the ambient air by means of direct air capturing. Reiner Mangold, Head of Sustainable Product Development at Audi, sees Audi e‑diesel and Audi e‑fuels in... Read more →

Ramblers join the Big Pathwatch to map the British footpath landscape

The Ramblers Association is urging people to get out into the British countryside to survey and map every mile of the British footpath network. Walkers are asked to download an app and highlight any path problems they encounter as well as the wonderful things they see. This information, as well as photos, will be shared via social media. To take part, all you have to do is pick a square on an Ordnance Survey map (they are divided into 1km squares) and then walk every footpath within it. Read more →