Category: Uncategorized

GM crops suffer from super weeds

admin /21 April, 2009

From France 24

The gospel of high-tech genetically modified (GM) crops is not sounding quite so sweet in the land of the converted. A new pest, the evil pigweed, is hitting headlines and chomping its way across Sun Belt states, threatening to transform cotton and soybean plots into weed battlefields.

In late 2004, “superweeds” that resisted Monsanto’s iconic “Roundup” herbicide, popped up in GM crops in the county of Macon, Georgia. Monsanto, the US multinational biotech corporation, is the world’s leading producer of Roundup, as well as genetically engineered seeds. Company figures show that nine out of 10 US farmers produce Roundup Ready seeds for their soybean crops.

Superweeds have since alarmingly appeared in other parts of Georgia, as well as South Carolina, North Carolina, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri, according to media reports. Roundup contains the active ingredient glyphosate, which is the most used herbicide in the USA.

GM protesters demonstrate near the French town of Toulouse in March 2008.

James Lovelock

admin /11 April, 2009

Founder of the Gaia hypothesis, the man has obviously contributed enormously to humanity’s understanding of ourselves and our place in the universe. His prognostications on nuclear energy, population control and biochar, however, have had many environmentalists tearing their hair out. 

We ask you to decide, is James Lovelock a Boofhead or hero?

The Honorable Minister for the Environment, Peter Robert Garrett

admin /21 March, 2009

Garrett faces the mediaPeter Garrett led the Australian Conservation Foundation for ten years and stood as a parliamentarian for the Nuclear Disarmament Party, in 2004 he joined the labor party as a high profile candidate ‘parachuted’ into the local branch by the ALP machine. Many environmentally aware labor voters hoped that this would lead to a greening of the ALP. Others feared that he had sold his soul. His comments at the time were of the ‘you can be more effective making change on the inside, that shouting from the outside’ type.

Emissions free car from WA Uni

admin /20 November, 2008

Lotusweb.png

The University of WA REV project launched and emissions free car today, based on a Lotus Elise.

The project chose to build an electric car because it is the most practical of the renewable options today and the Lotus Elise because “for British manufacturer Lotus, high-performance is all about simplicity. A lightweight, stripped-down car with a modest engine is the Lotus ideal — the pure sports car.”

“The new Lotus Elise fits that ideal perfectly. It weighs less than a ton and only has a four-cylinder engine, but it’s fast enough for most and has handling characteristics that more than one automotive magazine has called “telepathic.”

Interviews on the Generator

admin /9 June, 2008

Since November 2005, The Generator has interviewed some of the most important figures in the sustainability movement as well as mainstream figures, such as Dick Smith, who have made significant contributions to the area. Here below, is a smattering of those interviews. The SNIPs are generally 30 second snippets lifted from the interview, ususally because Continue Reading →

4 – Turn off lights at work

admin /28 July, 2007

Are all those lights necessary? Do an experiment. Turn some off. You’ll be amazed how much natural light there is, how noisy fluorescent lights are, and how relaxing dimmer lighting can be. Try using desk lamps.

Sydney lit up at night

If you have not experienced the thrill of being the first person at work, set the alarm real early one morning and get there at the crack of dawn.

No, really!

You may enjoy the privilege of going around and turning on every light in the building.

But hang on, in lots of offices the lights are left on all night!

Mostly when you ask, “Why?” there are no particular reasons. It is just “in case”, “because we always do” or “no-one asked me to turn them off.”

What to do?

There are plenty of companies that have saved thousands of dollars a year on their energy bills as a result of paying attention to all this. Use them as a template for your campaign to your organisation.