Mews: The truth about pet food labels #infographic

It’s all about labelling tricks

UK’s first ‘poo bus’

UK’s first ‘poo bus’ goes into service between Bristol and Bath

The 40-seat “Bio-Bus” runs on biomethane gas generated through the treatment of sewage and food waste

The UK’s first bus powered entirely by human and food waste has gone into service between Bristol and Bath.

The 40-seat “Bio-Bus” runs on biomethane gas generated through the treatment of sewage and food waste.

The eco-friendly vehicle can travel up to 300km (186 miles) on one tank of gas, which takes the annual waste of about five people to produce.

It is run by tour operator Bath Bus Company and will shuttle people between Bristol Airport and Bath city centre.

The biomethane gas is generated at Bristol sewage treatment works in Avonmouth, which is run by GENeco, a subsidiary of Wessex Water.

GENeco general manager Mohammed Saddiq said: “Gas-powered vehicles have an important role to play in improving air quality in UK cities but the Bio-Bus goes further than that and is actually powered by people living in the local area, including quite possibly those on the bus itself.”

• A single passenger’s annual food and sewage waste would fuel the Bio-Bus for 37 miles (60km)
• Its combustion engine is similar in design to diesel equivalents in conventional buses
• Compressed gas is stored in dome-like tanks on the roof of the Bio-Bus
• The gas is generated through anaerobic digestion – where oxygen starved bacteria breaks down biodegradable material to produce methane-rich biogas
• To power a vehicle, the biogas undergoes “upgrading”, where carbon dioxide is removed and propane added
• Impurities are removed to produce virtually odour free emissions
• Compared to conventional diesel vehicles, up to 30% less carbon dioxide is emitted

Source: BBCNews Read more

If you go down in the woods today….

Instead of Simple Green Ideas today, I found this great story about foraging… which is a simple green idea.

Green Lizard's Blog

…. You’d better not go alone.’

In our case go with a lovely mixture of British ish people, Italians and Dutch. And try to ensure there is a good mix of foraging knowledge among the group so that all items edible can be identified in two to three languages.

Oh, and bring rain gear and an umbrella.

Such was our afternoon.

The rendezvous was scheduled for 14.00 but disaster struck and some prepared foraged foods took a tumble down a stair delaying the start of our walk somewhat.

Our lovely guide Kitty of Kit’s Kitchens arrived soon enough.

Within about fifty metres, we encountered countless edible delicacies. The first was just a few steps from the start.

(Apologies for inaccurate spelling in any language. And please don’t trust my recollections here as any sort of guide. The memories of our wonderful multilingual conversation may be misleading. )

And so the…

View original post 442 more words

Make you Fink on Friday

Brain repair ‘may be boosted by curry spice’

Previous studies have suggested turmeric may have cancer-fighting properties

A spice commonly found in curries may boost the brain’s ability to heal itself, according to a report in the journal Stem Cell Research and Therapy.

The German study suggests a compound found in turmeric could encourage the growth of nerve cells thought to be part of the brain’s repair kit.

Scientists say this work, based in rats, may pave the way for future drugs for strokes and Alzheimer’s disease.

But they say more trials are needed to see whether this applies to humans.

Spice injection

Researchers from the Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine in Julich, Germany, studied the effects of aromatic-turmerone – a compound found naturally in turmeric.

Rats were injected with the compound and their brains were then scanned.

Particular parts of the brain, known to be involved in nerve cell growth, were seen to be more active after the aromatic-turmerone infusion.

Scientists say the compound may encourage a proliferation of brain cells.

Source: BBCNews Read more

‘Good’ mosquitoes

Brazil releases ‘good’ mosquitoes to fight dengue fever

Capture – The BBC’s Julia Carneiro watched as the mosquitoes were released

Brazilian researchers in Rio de Janeiro have released thousands of mosquitoes infected with bacteria that suppress dengue fever.

The hope is they will multiply, breed and become the majority of mosquitoes, thus reducing cases of the disease.

The initiative is part of a programme also taking place in Australia, Vietnam and Indonesia.

The intracellular bacteria, Wolbachia, being introduced cannot be transmitted to humans.

The programme started in 2012 says Luciano Moreira of the Brazilian research institute Fiocruz, who is leading the project in Brazil .

“Our teams performed weekly visits to the four neighbourhoods in Rio being targeted. Mosquitoes were analysed after collection in special traps.

“Transparency and proper information for the households is a priority. ”

Ten thousands mosquitoes will be released each month for four months with the first release in Tubiacanga, in the north of Rio.

‘Good’ bacteria

The bacterium Wolbachia is found in 60% of insects. It acts like a vaccine for the mosquito which carries dengue, Aedes aegypti, stopping the dengue virus multiplying in its body.

Wolbachia also has an effect on reproduction. If a contaminated male fertilises the eggs of a female without the bacteria, these eggs do not turn into larvae.

If the male and female are contaminated or if only a female has the bacteria, all future generations of mosquito will carry Wolbachia.

As a result, Aedes mosquitoes with Wolbachia become predominant without researchers having to constantly release more contaminated insects.

In Australia this happened within 10 weeks on average.

The research on Wolbachia began at the University of Monash in Australia in 2008. The researchers allowed the mosquitoes to feed on their own arms for five years because of concerns at the time Wolbachia could infect humans and domestic animals.

Three more neighbourhoods will be targeted next, and large scale studies to evaluate the effect of the strategy are planned for 2016.

Dengue re-emerged in Brazil in 1981 after an absence of more than 20 years.

Over the next 30 years, seven million cases were reported.

Brazil leads the world in the number of dengue cases, with 3.2 million cases and 800 deaths reported in the 2009-14 period.

Source: BBCNews

Nature Ramble

This is from Papua New Guinea.

I’m going to share a video clip with you.

We’ve all seen photos or clips about volcanoes erupting. But I wager that you, like me, have never seen an eruption start. Watch this, it starts with a bang; you can see the shock wave and later feel it.

Wasn’t that awesome?

Not really into poetry

Well, maybe a little bit.

I saw this yesterday, and reblogged for today.

From:Perspectives on life, universe and everything

Summer, Autumn, Winter

dearest most wonderful
Spring is missing
beautiful sister, prodigal, elusive
mere sight of her bring wide smiles
mother nature grieves, stressed and riles
at her sudden albeit
expected disappearance
flowers have refused to grow
humanity hitting new low
too much CO2 in the air
everyone cries it’s unfair
accelerating departure of
decimated decapitated
guardian angel ozone layer
self destruction continues
who on earth really cares
unable to dodge
piercing Armageddon stares
And still blame Spring for
not visiting home,
when our protective dome
all but annihilated

Brazil dismantles ‘biggest destroyer’ of Amazon rainforest

The group is accused of logging and burning large areas of public land in the Amazon

The authorities in Brazil say they have dismantled a criminal organisation they believe was the “biggest destroyer” of the Amazon rainforest.

The gang is accused of invading, logging and burning large areas of public land and selling these illegally for farming and grazing.

In a statement, Brazilian Federal Police said the group committed crimes worth more than $220m (£134m).

A federal judge has issued 14 arrest warrants for alleged gang members.

Twenty-two search warrants were also issued and four suspects are being called in for questioning.

The police operation covers four Brazilian states, including Sao Paulo.

Five men and a woman have already been arrested in Para state in the north of the country, Globo news reported.

‘Impunity’

The BBC’s Wyre Davies in Rio de Janeiro says details are still sketchy, partly because the police operation is focused on one of the most remote and inaccessible parts of the Amazon region.

Political and police corruption is still rife in Brazil’s interior, our correspondent adds.

That problem coupled with alleged ineptitude on the part of the federal government means that loggers and illegal miners are able to operate with impunity, he says.

The Amazon rainforest is home to half of the planet’s remaining tropical forests

The police announced the operation in a statement: “The Federal Police carried out today Operation Chestnut Tree designed to dismantle a criminal organisation specialising in land grabbing and environmental crimes in the city of Novo Progresso, in the south-western region of Para.

“Those involved in these criminal actions are considered the greatest destroyers of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest.”

‘Fifty years’

The group members face charges of invading public land, theft, environmental crimes, forgery, conspiracy, tax evasion and money laundering.

They could be sentenced to up to 50 years in jail, although the maximum length that can be served by law in a Brazilian prison is 30 years.

Last year, the Brazilian government said the rate of deforestation in the Amazon increased by 28% between August 2012 and July 2013, after years of decline.

It made a commitment in 2009 to reduce Amazon deforestation by 80% by the year 2020.

Brazil is home to the biggest area of Amazon rainforest, a vast region where one in 10 known species on Earth and half of the planet’s remaining tropical forests are found, according to the leading conservation organisation WWF.

Source: BBCNews

West Coast Devastation Continues:

Seals, Oysters, Pelicans, Fish, Squid- All Sick, Dying Or Failing To Breed

“The makings of a mass-level extinction event in the world’s oceans appear disturbingly imminent, as marine species after marine species washes ashore on the Pacific West Coast. Ailing seals, dead fish, missing pelicans and much more are being reported in the media as scientists struggle to figure out what, exactly, is causing entire marine ecosystems to suffer and die, seemingly inexplicably. 

 

Much of the carnage is being reported in California, where baby sea lions in distress have been washing ashore in record numbers. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports that, for the second year in a row, more baby sea lions than ever are having trouble surviving after being abandoned by their mothers, the direct result of a lack of food. 

 

According to reports, a record 367 California sea lions were admitted to the Marine Mammal Center near San Francisco between January and May, which is nearly five times the normal average. In Southern California, more than 600 sea lions, or twice the normal average, have been taken in so far this year. This is on top of the 1,600 that were treated last year. “Sea lions are living and feeding on the same resources as humans are,” stated Shawn Johnson, director of veterinary science at the Marine Mammal Center, to WSJ. “If they are starting to have problems, that shows there could be a problem with the ocean.” 

 

A little further north, orcas and beluga whales are suffering similar fates. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says widespread pollution from oil and gas drilling has caused populations of both species to dwindle significantly throughout the past several decades. Also suffering along the Alaskan coast are Alaskan ice seals, more than 250 of which have developed a mystery disease that often results in death. Experts have postulated that toxic algal growth along coastal waters may be to blame, and this a result of excess sun exposure due to continued ozone depletion. 

 

“In all, the federal government has declared 38 ‘unusual mortality events’ involving marine mammal species since 2003,” wrote Jim Carlton for WSJ. “That is nearly twice the number of events recorded from 1999- when the animals were put under greater federal protection- to 2002.” 

 

Over on the other side of the country, hundreds of manatees and about 80 bottlenose dolphins were discovered stranded in Florida’s Indian River Lagoon between 2012 and 2013. And in South Carolina in 2013, as many as 40,000 menhaden fish, which measure between six and eight inches in length, washed up dead between DeBordieu Beach and Pawleys Island, just one week after thousands of the same type of fish washed up along North Carolina’s Masonboro Island. One year prior, thousands of dead starfish washed up along the same beaches. 

 

Back in California, changing weather patterns that some scientists are attributing to the weather phenomenon known as El Nino are causing fish and whales to appear in unusual places. The first ever yellowfin tuna fish was recently caught in San Diego, as well as the first dorado (Mahi Mahi) fish. These fish types typically do not appear in San Diego. 

 

“We’ve already started to see very unusual fish catches here,” stated Tim Barnett, a marine research emeritus with the San Diego-based Scripps Institute of Oceanography, to KPBS. “The first yellowfin tuna was caught in May- that has never happened before to anybody’s recollection. And the other thing too is the first dorado (mahi-mahi)- first of June. That has never happened before. They really like the warm water and you normally don’t see them here until September.” 

 

Ocean mortality events mark beginning of possible global extinction: Since these types of fish don’t normally live in the colder waters off the coast of California, their fate is basically already sealed like the rest of the dead animals that have previously been discovered. Add to this the millions upon millions of dead sea stars being identified up and down the Pacific West Coast and the world has a real problem on its hands. 

 

“It’s the largest mortality event for marine diseases we’ve seen,” added Drew Harvell, a marine epidemiologist at Cornell University, to KUOW News about the phenomenon. “It affects over twenty species on our coast and it’s been causing catastrophic mortality. My expectation is that within the next month all of the stars will die.” 

 

Whether it’s radiation from Fukushima*, residual oil and chemical pollution from the BP oil spill in the Gulf, changing weather patterns, or some combination of all three, one thing is for sure- the world’s oceans are sick. And based on the way things are going, a global extinction event of epic proportions seems like less a matter of if, and more a matter of when.”

Source: Running ‘Cause I Can’t Fly

Opinion:

What’s happening?

Someone knows, and they’re not telling.

To me, the answer is obvious. This is primarily happening on the west coast of North America, nowhere else on this scale.

You need to ask the question – Where did the radiocative water from Japan come?

To the west coast of North America!

To me that is a pretty big clue.

Change the World Wednesday – 13th Aug

The two trees in memory of loved pets

Sad news first.

Clorinha met her demise under the wheels of a car last Wednesday evening in front of the botequim (bar next door) while I was at work.

She used to take dreadful risks and I’m afraid that was life #9.

She is interred in the praça where she played, next to Herbie the neighbours Fox Terrier who was poisoned a year ago. Herbie has a palm tree, Clorinha has a guava tree; she liked guava, as they fell from the tree she would bat them around the yard.

I am currently struggling with a new WordPress post format. Not by choice, it ws thrust upon me in the blurry hours (1:30am) of this morning. You can read my thoughts on They’ve done it again!

My new chilli bushes are doing well. One has lots of red chillies ready for picking.

Puncutated with red

And the other with lots of little white flowers.

Punctuated with white

Click the banner for the full post

On with this week’s CTWW.

This week it’s about trees and invasive bugs.

This week take 10 minutes to inspect trees on your property, in the area, on a hike, etc. Here’s how: Read the original post for the points

 

OR …

Here are two more activities to help prevent ALB infestation:

• If you are planning to build a fire (campfire, etc.), use only wood from local sources. Do not carry it with you from other areas (for example, from home to a campsite out of state).
• If you are landscaping, plant a wide variety of trees.

OR …

If your area is not threatened by ALB, give your trees a health “check up”. Click HERE for a list of things to consider.

We don’t have this ALB beetle here, or at least I don’t.

I give all my plants, trees, bushes, etc the once over every day.

I believe it’s a stink bug

I do have this little beast. He’s mainly in the tomatoes, but sometimes appears in my acerola (West Indian cherry) bush as well.

My tomatoes also get aphids; and my passion fruit vine leave suffer from the caterpillar of the gulf frutillery butterfly.

They are my only regular pests.

So I keep a daily check on the health on my trees and investigate anything abnormal.