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Because of the human cycles of production and consumption, our food, energy and environment are intricately linked. According to the projected growth of the world population (9.1 billion people by 2050) and consistent global development, it is increasingly difficult to satisfy our world with sufficient food and energy. BFS blue...

Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) outlines the importance of effective waste management Conserving and protecting the world’s natural resources is vital, and effective waste management is an important step in reducing the amount of waste we produce. The Scottish Government has a vision for the management of waste, where it is...

Tom Sauer joined the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) as a Research Associate at the National Soil Tilth Laboratory (NSTL) in Ames, Iowa in the fall of 1993. He had just obtained his PhD in environmental biophysics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison under the direction of...

Dr Thomas J. Sauer, Research Leader at the National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment, U.S. Department of Agriculture details the importance of agroforestry for the environment Agroforestry is a land-use practice that involves growing perennial woody vegetation (trees, shrubs, or hedges) integrated with forages, crops, fruits, berries and nuts, herbs,...

Miles McEvoy, Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Organic Program outlines the importance of organic farming for the U.S The organic sector is one of the fastest-growing segments of U.S. agriculture, and consumer demand continues to increase. Today, there are more than 19,000 certified organic farms and...

Arthropods are characterised by the presence of an exoskeleton and articulated legs. The phylum Arthropoda includes more than 80% of the known species with many of these being important agricultural pests. Arthropods, such as insects and mites, inflict billions of dollars in damage worldwide every year. Tons of pesticides...

EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Phil Hogan believes rural areas hold many of the solutions for 21st Century challenges, and EU programmes are making this a reality Rural areas cover some 80% of the EU’s territory and are home to about half of our 500 million citizens. The...

Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, environmental contaminants have been transported from temperate latitudes to the Arctic via the atmosphere, ocean currents and river systems Research and monitoring in the Arctic have revealed how pesticides, industrial chemicals, metals, and also radionuclides, have found their way into animals and human...

Polymers & Biopolymers Since World War II and with advances in chemistry, technological progress and the growth of material science, a new class of synthesised or manmade materials, called polymers or plastics, has been introduced. Due to their remarkable performances, polymers or plastics are everywhere in our world and used...

Open Access Government outlines how DCMS and the Museums Association help to encourage local communities to engage with the culture and heritage sector Museums and galleries play an integral role in our local communities. As well as preserving local history and heritage, they also help to educate. Heritage and culture...

David Smith, Export Manager and FIRESA Council Secretary at the Fire Industry Association explains the Fire Safety Order and asks if you know who is legally responsible for fire protection in your premises? The Regulatory Reform Order, usually referred to as simply the Fire Safety Order , was enacted in...

Prof. Dr Bernhard Elsener from ETH Zurich, Institute for Building Materials details how civil engineering must evolve with a changing society Civil engineering is traditionally focused on construction – bridges crossing valleys, tunnels under the mountains, high skyscrapers, but also the less spectacular but essential infrastructure for society. Concrete and...

The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development of the Republic of Latvia details the importance of small and medium-sized urban areas in the context of the EU Urban Agenda Approximately 70% of Europeans live in cities and towns. They play a significant role in territorial development of the EU, and...

The city of Toronto is a massive never-ending blur of concrete. The immense redevelopment of the waterfront consists of apartment towers as far as one can see. Looking at the city from the Sky-tower the outskirts have a green look, but don’t let the image fool you: down at...

In the context of a Project of Cooperation and Innovation (PCI) launched by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI), the Universities of Fribourg and Zürich coordinated research activities on non-human primates in the academic domain by creating a “Swiss Primate Competence Centre for Research” (SPCCR), with...

A research group at DTU Chemistry shows, that zeolite recrystallization allows synthesis of extremely efficient gold nanoparticle catalysts This latest research from DTU Chemistry could revive one of the oldest processes in the chemical industry, namely production of acetaldehyde from ethanol. This principle has the potential to apply to a...

Lora Ruth Wogu, CEO and Founder of Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Ireland, outlines what sickle cell disease and thalassaemia are and why screening in Ireland is fundamental Sickle cell anaemia and thalassaemia disease are 2 of the major genetic blood disorders that affect the red blood cells. Sickle cell disease...

OAG highlights the work being done by the European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education to help remove education barriers for vulnerable and disabled people In 2012 the European Commission reported that around 45 million EU citizens of working age have a disability, and 15 million children have special educational...

European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Vytenis Andriukaitis spoke at eHealth week in Riga about how digital applications are integral to tackling today’s health challenges in Europe When I started as a practising medical doctor, we kept handwritten health records and had face to face consultations. There was no...

Tom Stansfeld, Health Information Officer at Cancer Research UK gives an overview of breast cancer and how survival has improved… Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK with more than 50,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Over the last 40 years breast cancer incidence rates have gone...