CABI caught on camera – natural pesticides and Himalayan balsam
CABI has produced two YouTube videos highlighting the work of our scientists: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3viXZSvd84&hl=nl&fs=1] Following in Darwin’s footsteps: unearthing Chile’s hidden worldTwo crop protection scientists from CABI embark upon a journey to extreme environments in Chile. They are on a mission to find fungi and nematodes that could be used to make natural pesticides. [youtube…
Flying somewhere on holiday this weekend? If you offset your flights, can you fly as much as you want? – Some more eco-questions
Read on for the answer for the above question and two other eco-questions…
Environmental impacts of Bt crops – on target or non-target?
Genetically modified crops containing a toxin gene from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis have been used by farmers for 11 years now. These Bt crops were designed to give the plants resistance to important pests. But might they also be harming non-target invertebrates? A study by Steven Naranjo of the US Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research…
Is it worth recycling when stuff gets shipped to China and back in the process? Some more eco-questions – part 6
I thought it’s about time I posted other three eco-questions here, after another long pause. I had to catch up with journals production for the database, which involves a lot of work, among other work we do here at Cabi. Read on to find out also how you should charge your laptop’s battery, and whether…
What would catastrophic climate change involve?
We are quite used to hearing warnings of 'catastrophic climate change' if we don't reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, but how many of us have a clear idea of what this might mean? An article published in New Scientist a few weeks ago looked at this issue, and it made me feel quite nostalgic for…
From old to new: the story of National Parks
South Downs, West Sussex – Image courtesy of Tourism South East My favourite television viewing over the last few weeks has been a three-part series on the environment and wildlife of Yellowstone National Park. Established in 1872 by a bill signed by the then U.S. President Grant, the Yellowstone region became the world's first National…
Sri Lankan coconut farmers predict yields for future climates
Millions of people in the tropics depend on coconuts for food, raw materials and livelihood. Coconuts are also a high value commercial crop. But like any crop, coconuts are at risk of drought and other prolonged events. By using climate science and better agricultural forecast models, the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI)…
Hygienic Honeybees to Save Hives
Back in November 2008, avid followers of hand picked……..and carefully sorted will remember my blog about how Rowse Honey were investing £100,000 in honeybee (Apis mellifera) health research, to be undertaken by Britain’s only professor of apiculture, Francis Ratnieks. Well, after months of research it seems that significant headway has been made to breed hygienic…
How can plant scientists change the world?
By identifying the top 100 questions facing plant science and addressing them. Inspired by a study which identified 100 ecological questions of high policy relevance in the UK, experts at the University of Bristol launched a website to identify the most important and urgent questions in global plant science. Plant science is helping to address…
Joined at the hip
2 news items this morning on BBC Radio 4 struck home: secondary school canteen providers are up in arms declaring that meeting the new food quality regulations for the meals they deliver, will reduce variety and the children will go elsewhere. [Over a 3 week period school meals will have to reach a certain level…