Archive | February, 2011

Saving Seeds for next Green Revolution

10. February 2011

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“Suddenly plant breeding is sexy. In recent months, soaring prices of food, coupled with fears of runaway climate change, have brought calls for a renaissance in agricultural research — to boost crop yields and deliver new varieties that can stand the heat and drought of a greenhouse world. The world needs a repeat of the […]

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Spinach shows its true colours

8. February 2011

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Spinach shows its true colours

If you are pondering the delights of growing spinach in your garden this year than you might be interested to  know about  an exciting development concerning this popular plant. Researchers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee have confirmed a system for converting visible light into hydrogen fuel based on using sunlight and spinach. […]

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My Seedy Sunday

6. February 2011

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My Seedy Sunday

Saving and swapping seeds took on a whole new meaning for me today after spending a couple of hours at Seedy Sunday which took place in Hove Town Hall, East Sussex. This is where the campaign to  protect our seed varieties originally began in the UK some 10 years ago and which I can report […]

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Channel 4 on climate change gardening

5. February 2011

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The face of Channel 4 News, RHS member Jon Snow, has reported on the changing climate many times, so  is in a good position to make his own judgement on the issue. http://www.rhs.org.uk/Gardening/Sustainable-gardening/Gardening-in-a-changing-climate/Current-Situation I am sure there would be great interest in a TV programme about how the changing climate  is affecting our gardens .Maybe  […]

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UKs first climate week 21-27 March 2011

3. February 2011

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Climate Week is a new national event that aims to showcase the many positive steps being taken to combat climate change and inspire more. http://www.climateweek.com/about-us/faqs/

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Hardiness zones adapt to climate change?

2. February 2011

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Hardiness zones adapt to climate change?

What defines the “hardiness” of a plant? If you define hardiness as “a plant’s ability to survive  in adverse conditions” then the lowest temperature of an area –  traditionally used as a bench-mark in the UK – is not the only factor which needs to be taken into account . There are a host of other influences that must be […]

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Climate change belief weathers storms

1. February 2011

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The public’s belief in global warming as a man-made danger has weathered the storm of climate controversies and cold weather intact, according to a survey published in the Guardian yesterday. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jan/31/public-belief-climate-change

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