Tag: environment

Say it with British flowers

Posted on February 14, 2018 by - Press release

A passion for sustainable supply chains and the desire to do something useful, brought Becky Swinn to Lancaster University.

Now her research project comparing the carbon footprint of British, Dutch and Kenyan cut flowers has won the prize for the Best Collaborative Project at the Lancaster Environment Centre. But, like many others, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do when she finished her first degree. After spending two years doing a series of jobs she got asked to work on a project encouraging people to reduce the amount of food they throw away.

Workshop series brings together African researchers, businesses and policy maker

Posted on January 20, 2018 by - Press release

A series of workshops is bringing together African researchers, businesses and policy makers to explore how knowledge exchange could help provide safe, sustainable water.

Lancaster University staff delivered the first of five week-long Knowledge Exchange workshops, to initiate the start of the £7M RECIRCULATE project, supported by the UK Government’s Global Challenges Research Fund.

RECIRCULATE aims to build capacity within Africa to carry out and translate high quality research into the new products, processes and services needed to solve the continent’s water crisis.

Waitrose products will be black plastic packaging free by end of 2019

Posted on January 19, 2018 by - Press release

…And black plastic will not be used for Waitrose meat, fish, fruit and veg by end of this year.

Waitrose has pledged to not sell any own label food in black plastic beyond 2019 – this is the earliest date a supermarket has committed to removing black plastic from its shelves.

Reducing the use of plastics is a top priority for Waitrose, which has already removed 65% of black plastic from its fruit and vegetable packaging. The retailer will stop using black plastic for meat, fish, fruit and vegetables by the end of 2018.

Last year the warmest year on record without an El Niño

Posted on January 18, 2018 by - Press release

Provisional figures for global average near-surface temperatures confirm that last year, 2017, was the warmest year on record without the influence of warming from El Niño.

When viewed alongside 2015 and 2016 – both of which were dominated by a significant El Niño – last year was the second- or third-warmest year for annual global temperatures since 1850.

Scientists at the Met Office Hadley Centre and the University of East Anglia‘s (UEA) Climatic Research Unit produce the HadCRUT4 dataset, which is used to estimate global temperature.

Scientists react as Government launches Environment plan

Posted on January 11, 2018 by - Press release

The Government has today launched its 25 Year Environment Plan, pledging to improve the natural environment by 2042.

Many headlines have been made by the pledge to eradicate avoidable plastic waste, but the plan also considers sustainable land management, nature enhancement and reducing pollution, among other things.

Leading environmental scientists at the University of Reading have reacted to the government’s plan.

Harmony and collaboration for better food and farming

Posted on July 31, 2017 by - Press release

© Public domainA leading advocate of organic farming is urging proponents of sustainable agriculture to come together with research scientists to establish a joint strategy group that could present a united front to benefit food production and the environment.