Ticks in a changing climate
My first venture into the world of blogging, nearly two years ago now, discussed tickborne diseases in the UK, and mentioned that as ticks flourish in warm wet climates, climate change might increase the risk of such diseases. A colleague recently drew my attention to a review article1 about the effects of climate change on…
What is recycled organic waste used for? and other eco questions – Part 4
Continuing from the previous blogs I posted in the past few days, here are three more eco questions and answers:
Can I save the planet by staying slim? and other eco questions – Part 3
Continuing from the previous blog I posted yesterday, here are three more eco questions and answers:
Gamburtsev mountain range mapped
It’s old news that there’s a mountain range under the Antarctic ice, but what’s new is that scientists have now mapped it. Named after a Soviet geophysicist, the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains were discovered in 1957, but the size and shape of them remained unknown until now. In The Guardian last week, it was reported that…
Eco questions and answers – Part 2
This blog is a continuation of my last blog on eco questions. I thought I would tackle 3 transport questions today. Does switching from bus to bike have a real effect on the environment? Especially when considering cyclists are not totally carbon neutral, as they need to eat to fuel their legs. You are much…
What is the single most effective thing we can do for the environment?
An article in the New Scientist issue number 2682 gave answers to the question above and many other eco questions, e.g. why can't the machines in my gym be used to generate electricity? or How clean does the pizza box have to be for it to be recyclable? Are laminated juice cartons recyclable? and 22…
Coming soon: biofuel from forestry waste
As you will have noticed from our previous blog articles, sources of biofuels are a hot topic. There is an ongoing battle to find sources that have a minimal environmental impact. The popularity of food crops such as corn, sugar and vegetable oils, as a source has decreased recently as governments have become more aware…
Who can predict the fate of the Amazon rainforest?
Modellers around the world are trying to predict the fate of the Amazon rainforest under future conditions of climate change. It seems a tiny change in model parameters leads to regular new headlines contradicting previous predictions. The latest of these headlines is that the Amazon forest will survive warming, becoming seasonal forests rather than savannahs,…
Medicinal plants threatened by changing climates
An article (full text here) warning that climate change is affecting medicinal and aromatic plants around the world and could ultimately lead to losses of some key species, was recently published in HerbalGram the journal of the American Botanical Council. The authors note that species endemic to regions or ecosystems that are especially vulnerable to…
A Lot of Land
Last week, The National Trust announced that it would be making land available for 1,000 allotments over the next 3 years. This apparently equates to an estimated 2.6 million lettuces per year, 50,000 sacks of potatoes or £1.5 million worth of mixed produce1. With the increased popularity of growing-your-own, this will be welcome news to…