Uncategorized – Page 25

Farming Today and the Floods

Farming Today and the FloodsFarming Today this week follows the tragic story of the farmers, the floods and the Levels. Really worth a listen to understand the people (and animal) situation more acutely. This is an absolute disaster for these farmers. Animals are stressed, crops are drowned, people are homeless and there is no endContinueContinue reading “Farming Today and the Floods”

Climate, Surveillance and Sustainability

Last week I attended several events here at the University outside of my normal remit of study (although all related to my wider interests). The first was an evening lecture by Professor Richard Aldrich of Nottingham University on ‘the Future of Surveillance’, the second a lunchtime lecture from Steve Smith of the Climate Change CommitteeContinueContinue reading “Climate, Surveillance and Sustainability”

Small is Beautiful – four aims for positive land management

I have recently been re-reading E.F. Schumacher’s classic work, first published in 1973, Small is Beautiful. It is a book that remains relevant for the Western world and, I would hasten to guess, will remain increasingly relevant as time marches on this century. Rather than carry out an elongated review or synthesis of ideas contained inContinueContinue reading “Small is Beautiful – four aims for positive land management”

Flooding continues on the Levels

The Somerset Levels have now been under water for weeks. In fact, it is difficult to remember a time when one did not turn on the UK news to be confronted with images of villagers traveling from place to place by boat, livestock stranded on the few ‘high’ areas of farms and, more than anything,ContinueContinue reading “Flooding continues on the Levels”

A focus on soil

A focus on soilhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03s645l BBC Farming Today this week focused last week on arguably our most precious resource: soil. Soil isn’t a single substance but a vastly complex combination of organisms which all need to be cared for properly. If a soil is too wet, too dry or too compact it will not function as wellContinueContinue reading “A focus on soil”