Devon is firmly on the map, after Neil Parish MP showed his support for the humble spud by potato printing onto a UK map to demonstrate his commitment to the UK Potato Industry. The event on Wednesday 9th October in Parliament organised by the Potato Council was part of celebrations to mark this year’s Potato Week (7-13 October). Neil Parish MP, who is also a member of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee, was quizzed at the event to test his knowledge of the health, economic and environmental benefits of potatoes before given hints and tips on how to achieve the best...
We are looking for public support to build a fossil-free environment in Devon.
Where the air is clean and there is no pollution.
A green clean environment with clean energy that is free, mobile phones that never need to be plugged in ever again, Windows that create free energy for life. Houses built that are totally self sufficient from the national grid.
Vehicles that are a true hybrid that will run on solar and methane gas creating zero emissions into the air we breath.
A world where you can use your own bio-degradable waste and whereby creating free...
Bottled water epitomises the destructive, extravagant and wasteful nature of our modern society. In comparative terms it is very expensive, not necessary for good health and its packaging and distribution have enormous negative effects on the environment.
Bottled water can be 500 times more expensive than tap water. For example when I checked today (15 Aug 13) a 500ml bottle of Buxton from a nearby motorway services cost £2.29. That’s £4.58 a litre, three times the price of petrol at the same location! I couldn’t find the local price per litre of tap water however I do have a...
Exeter communities are set to benefit from an initiative launched by the University of Exeter Students’ Guild. The Guild is proud to announce the launch of the Students’ Green Unit which will be established this month after the Guild won a £300,000 funding boost from the NUS (National Union of Students) Green Fund.
The Students’ Green Unit will provide a framework for students to develop and lead sustainability initiatives locally, nationally and internationally. The Students’ Guild prides itself on successful reduction of its environmental impact and pursuit of sustainability, and...
Teignbridge District Council has submitted its 20-year homes, jobs and environment blueprint to an independent Government Inspector. After years of work with local people, communities, partner organisations and authorities and potential developers, Teignbridge has today (Thursday June 20 2013) submitted its Local Plan – commonly known as Plan Teignbridge – to the inspector for public scrutiny.
The important document – which sets the tone for the long-term economic success of the district - is expected to be the subject of a public examination in October, if not earlier. The...
It is sad to note that as we may enjoy the sights and sounds of Spring around us, our natural history is in serious trouble. That is the conclusion of the recent State of Nature report published by a coalition of leading British conservation and research organisations.
Scientists working side-by-side from 25 wildlife organisations have compiled a stock take of our native species – the first of its kind in the UK. The report reveals that 60% of the species studied have declined over recent decades. More than one in ten of all the species assessed are under threat of disappearing...
We are over two months into the Government's Green Deal loan scheme. Is it an affordable way for householders to improve the energy efficiency of their homes and save money or will it be a bureaucratic white elephant?
The Green Deal is a government initiative to encourage home owners to install energy-saving measures in their homes. These loans are paid back through the savings made on your energy bills over a maximum of 25 years. The Green Deal loan is attached to your property so if you move before the loan has been paid off; it will pass on to the new owner or tenant.
Three consultants, all experts in their fields, have joined the Exeter office of leading environmental firm, SLR Consulting. The move helps to extend the company’s capabilities to clients across the South West – especially on flood-related environmental issues – an area that has seen significant increase following last year’s floods.
Chartered Civil Engineer Ian Walton has joined the hydrology and hydrogeology team as a Technical Director. Ian has over 30 years’ experience and is tasked with further developing the company’s hydrology service offering.
Tropical rainforests are often called the “lungs of the planet” because they generally draw in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen. But the amount of carbon dioxide that rainforests absorb, or produce, varies hugely with year-to-year variations in the climate. In a paper published online this week (6th Feb 2013) by the journal Nature , a team of climate scientists from the University of Exeter, the Met Office-Hadley Centre and the NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, has shown that these variations reveal how vulnerable the rainforest is to climate change.
Sleeping away from the family home is linked to health risks for badgers, new research by the University of Exeter and the Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) has revealed.
Scientists found that badgers which strayed away from the family burrow in favour of sleeping in outlying dens were more likely to carry TB.
The 12-month study of 40 wild badgers was funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and could have implications for the management of bovine TB in parts of the UK.
The behaviour of individual animals is thought to be a...
