Protecting water and promoting farmland biodiversity high on the agenda on MP visit to Research Farm
Angela Smith, Member of Parliament for Penistone and Stocksbridge, visited Bayer CropScience’s research farm near Cambridge this week to discuss the key topics of protecting water courses and promoting farmland biodiversity. Ms Smith MP, who is the Shadow Water, Fisheries and Animal Welfare Minister met with Alice Johnston and Dr Julian Little from Bayer CropScience, […]
Australia’s “best” wind farm gains planning approval
Construction on Australia’s “best” wind farm project will commence next year following development approval. The $250 million Hornsdale wind farm, to be developed by French company Neoen, will be located in the Mid North of South Australia, around the town of Jamestown. Hornsdale is touted as Australia’s “best” wind farm project due to its high capacity […]
Farming sector leads 40% surge in electricity from biogas
The Department for Energy & Climate Change (DECC) yesterday released their annual Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics (DUKES), demonstrating a surge in AD capacity outside of the water industry from 164MW in 2013 to 216MW (32 per cent) in 2014. ADBA’s own analysis shows that these plants generated 40 per cent more electricity in […]
Cutting edge visit for Oxford University students
Second-year engineering undergraduate students from Oxford University, studying Engineering Science, had a recent tour of the Ariens Company factory in Great Haseley, Oxfordshire. The visit offered students the opportunity to see the manufacture of Countax and Westwood ride-on garden tractors through all the processes. The tour was arranged by Paul Bailey from Oxford University’s Department […]
Second-generation strand woven bamboo technology allows any type of timber to be used
The Flinders Centre for NanoScale Science & Technology in South Australia is working with the Australian company 3RT to advance the concept of strand woven bamboo (itself an Australian invention), which is now a common flooring material around the world. 3RT was formed to commercialise the research and the South Australian Government has provided $1 […]
Friends of the Earth takes first legal steps on pesticides decision
Friends of the Earth has taken the first formal legal steps over the Government’s decision to permit the use of bee-harming pesticides in England despite a Europe-wide ban. The group has written a judicial review pre-action letter to Secretary of State for the Environment, Liz Truss MP, as the prospective defendant. The action has been […]
Solar Feed-in Tariff data: commercial continues to underperform
The Department of Energy and Climate Change has today published its monthly statistics on how much solar is being deployed under the Feed-in Tariff and how that is going to affect tariff levels going forwards. The numbers show the following: A very slight increase in deployment in the smallest systems, generally on domestic homes (0-10kW), […]
Big commercial solar roofs and farms face major cut in support
The Department of Energy and Climate Change has today published proposals to reduce Renewables Obligation support for solar on both roofs and in solar farms. The proposals cover both the Renewables Obligation for bigger projects, and changes to rules on the Feed-in Tariff for smaller projects. The Renewables Obligation, which currently supports rooftop and solar […]
Wildflower attraction boosts pollinator numbers
Farmers are making a huge contribution to increasing pollinator populations with new Operation Pollinator seed mixtures for field margins and pollinator habitats. The new areas established are already delivering a greater diversity of wildflower food sources, and supporting important pollinating insects. With Pollinator Awareness Week events occurring across Europe this week (13-19 July 2015), leading […]
