Category: Sustainable Settlement and Agriculture

The Generator is founded on the simple premise that we should leave the world in better condition than we found it. The news items in this category outline the attempts people have made to do this. They are mainly concerned with our food supply and settlement patterns. The impact that the human race has on the planet.

UK’s first ‘island’ micro grid goes live in Wales

admin /13 September, 2009

UK’s first ‘island’ micro grid goes live in Wales

From the Ecologist, part of the Guardian Environment Network

Electricity pylons

Electricity pylons ususally plug energy gaps when renewable sources such as wind and solar go down. Photographer: Graham Turner/Guardian

Renewable energy created on-site can now be used instead of being exported to the national grid.

Elimination of food waste could lift 1 bn out of hunger , say campaigners/

admin /9 September, 2009

 

Elimination of food waste could lift 1bn out of hunger, say campaigners

Excessive consumption in rich countries ‘takes food out of mouths of poor’ by inflating food prices on global market

 
Food waste: Surplus tomatoes are dumped on farmland in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

Surplus tomatoes are dumped on farmland in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. Photograph: Sally A. Morgan/Ecoscene/Corbis

Eliminating the millions of tonnes of food thrown away annually in the US and UK could lift more than a billion people out of hunger worldwide, experts claim.

Government officials, food experts and representatives of the retail trade brought together by the Food Ethics Council argue that excessive consumption of food in rich countries inflates food prices in the developing world. Buying food, which is then often wasted, reduces overall supply and pushes up the price of food, making grain less affordable for poor and undernourished people in other parts of the world. Food waste also costs UK consumers £10.2bn a year and when production, transportation and storage are factored in, it is responsible for 5% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Greens & Greenpeace urge new diplomatic effort to stop whaling

admin /8 September, 2009

Greens & Greenpeace urge new diplomatic effort to stop whalingTuesday 8th September 2009 The Australian Greens today called on the Federal Government tovigorously pursue negotiations with the incoming Japanese Governmentover continued whaling operations in the Southern Ocean. “Although diplomatic efforts undertaken by Minister Peter Garrett havethus far been rather unproductive, we now have a fresh Continue Reading →

Gunns says market remains difficult

admin /31 August, 2009

Gunns says market remains difficult Monday August 31, 2009, 6:47 pm Woodchipper Gunns Ltd has booked a virtually flat annual net profit and says the market for forest products remains difficult. Gunns also says it is still negotiating the financing of its $2.2 billion pulp mill project at Bell Bay in Tasmania. As it released Continue Reading →

Vale Geoff Moxham

admin /30 August, 2009

Advocater for biochar and inventor, Geoff Moxham, died in a freak forest accident on Thursday 27th August. It is believed that Moxham was killed while cutting rafters for a new biochar facility when a tree entangled by vines with another tree that he felled was pulled onto him. A long term proponent of the efficacy Continue Reading →

China’s spiralling consumption is fuelling waste and pollution

admin /22 August, 2009

China’s spiralling consumption is fuelling waste and pollution China’s government and the domestic market are calling for greater spending. Economic growth may be maintained, writes Huo Weiya, but US-style living may mean we need another two Earths. From ChinaDialogue, part of the Guardian Environment Network From ChinaDialogue, part of the Guardian Environment Network guardian.co.uk, Friday Continue Reading →