Ten island schools compete in Little Green Fingers Schools’ project

May 15th, 2012 by Bedell Group

Bedell Group volunteers enhance planting beds at The Link Centre (click image to expand - ©Chris George)

Ten of the island’s schools are taking part in this year’s Little Green Fingers Schools’ Project Competition – sponsored by Bedell in association with Floral Guernsey.

The competition, launched by BBC Gardeners’ World presenter Alys Fowler, aims to help Bailiwick children to understand environmental issues and experience gardening at school.

The schools gardening competition runs for a year and winners will be announced in July 2012.

‘The competition provides an opportunity for the children and staff at all participating schools to focus on the progress of their garden and record it as they go,’ said Ann Wragg, Floral Guernsey Schools’ Coordinator. Continue reading

Free Guernsey Tree Warden training on 16 and 19 May 2012

May 14th, 2012 by Events

Andrew McCutcheon measuring the height of a tree during a Guernsey Tree Warden course (click image to expand - ©RLLord)

Andrew McCutcheon, Guernsey Tree Warden Scheme coordinator, offers instruction on Tree Warden skills at Les Cotils, St Peter Port on Wednesday 16 May 2012 from 12.15 pm to 1.30 pm and again on Saturday 19 May 2012 from 1o am to 11.15 am.

During the training session new tree wardens will learn how to measure trees for height and girth to determine their age, how Continue reading

Guernsey’s architectual prowess on show at Guernsey Design Awards

May 14th, 2012 by Hamilton Brooke

The Guernsey Design Awards produced two overall winners for two residential properties.

Etoile du Nord and Les Prevosts Farm were chosen to receive the award jointly after the panel of judges were equally impressed with their designs.

Etoile du Nord was remodelled from an existing bungalow on the hillside overlooking Vazon bay, by architects Jamie Falla and Caroline Shortt at BAS Mooarc Ltd. The residential property nestles into the hillside, and its stepped form, layered use of local materials, and partial green roof are designed to merge into the landscape.

Etoile du Nord designed by Jamie Falla and Caroline Shortt of BAS Mooarc Ltd. won the Guernsey Design Awards 2012 (click image to expand - image courtesy of Bas Mooarc Ltd.)

The judges were particularly impressed by the locally sourced Continue reading

British Gas trialling Nissan electric NV200 test van

May 13th, 2012 by Nissan Motor Company

The Nissan e-NV200 test van in British Gas livery (click image to expand - image courtesy of Nissan ©Paul Marriott Photography)

Nissan’s e-NV200 test car has played its part in helping British Gas kick-start its ambition of switching 10% of its 14,000 light commercial vehicle (LCV) fleet to electric over the next three years.

British Gas has been trialling a Nissan e-NV200 test car for a few weeks at its Leicester and Newbury depots, the first OEM van of its kind ever to grace the fleet.

Its job has been to help British Gas determine which of its 14,000 drivers’ daily travel patterns are most suited to an electric van’s typical working range, including getting to and from work.

The van was run at maximum gross vehicle weight during the trial which shadowed drivers from British Gas’ national network of trained engineers as they carried out their daily Continue reading

World Migratory Bird Day celebrated on 12 and 13 May 2012

May 13th, 2012 by United Nations Environment Programme

Migratory birds undertake some of the most daring journeys in the animal kingdom, often covering thousands of kilometers to migrate. And the growing fan base of these winged adventurers is now presenting economic opportunities through sustainable tourism.

On 12-13 May 2012, the economic benefits of supporting the world’s migratory bird species will be one of the key themes of celebrations to mark World Migratory Bird Day 2012 (WMBD).

Under the slogan Migratory birds and people – together through time, WMBD will emphasize the important cultural and environmental role played by birds.

Many regions are now recognizing the economic potential of bird-related tourism in response to an increasing interest from the wider public. Continue reading

Growing concern over endocrine disrupting chemicals in daily life

May 11th, 2012 by European Environment Agency

Chemicals which disrupt the hormone system – also known as ‘endocrine disrupting chemicals‘ (EDCs) – may be a contributing factor behind the significant increases in cancers, diabetes and obesity, falling fertility, and an increased number of neurological development problems in both humans and animals, according to a review of recent scientific literature commissioned by the European Environment Agency (EEA).

Chemicals which can potentially disrupt the endocrine system can be found in food, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, household products and cosmetics.

In recent decades, there has been a significant growth in many human diseases and disorders including breast and prostate cancer, male infertility and diabetes.

Many scientists think that this growth is connected to the rising levels of exposure to mixtures of some chemicals in widespread use.

“Scientific research gathered over the last few decades shows us that endocrine disruption is a real problem, with serious effects on wildlife, and possibly people”, EEA Executive Director Jacqueline McGlade said.

“It would be prudent to take a precautionary approach to many of these chemicals until their effects are more fully understood.” Continue reading

Top ten bicycle maintenance tips

May 11th, 2012 by Bike Week

Helen Pidd, author of ‘Bicycle – The Complete Guide to Everyday Cycling‘ offers the following ten bicycle maintenance tips.

1. Keep it clean. If there is one thing you can do to prolong the life of your bike, it is keeping it clean. Tedious, but true. No fancy cleaning kit required – a bucket of soapy water, a sponge and an old toothbrush is all you need, though a proper degreaser will help break down the oil and grit in the chain and gear sprockets.

2. Keep your tyres inflated properly. Poorly inflated tyres are prone to punctures. Forget flimsy hand pumps – you need a standing track pump with a pressure gauge to do the job. Nice bike shops will let you borrow theirs. Look on the side of your tyre for a number followed by the letters PSI. That tells you how much air to put in.

3. Check your brake pads. Worn brake pads equal rubbish brakes. You can tell they are worn if you can hardly see the grooves any more. Fitting new brake pads is a very cheap and easy fix and any number of websites can show you how. You just need a set of Allen keys and some patience. Continue reading

Bike Week from 16 to 24 June 2012 encourages everyday bicycling

May 11th, 2012 by Events

Bike Week from 16 to 24 June 2012 is Britain’s biggest mass participation cycling event.

Last year almost half a million people participated in events across Great Britain.

Bike week demonstrates the social, health and environmental benefits of cycling, and shows how bicycling can easily be part of everyday life by encouraging ‘everyday cycling for everyone’.

There are events all over the British Isles, offering something for families, schools, and companies, and seasoned cyclists, and those who have never cycled before.

Take part by hosting a Guernsey Bike Week event for friends and colleagues, and inform the Guernsey Bicycle Group.

Or take part by joining a Bike Week 2012 event near you.

(please click on Bike Week 2012 logo to go to Bike Week website)

Popularity of Cycle to Work scheme

May 11th, 2012 by Cycle to Work Alliance

The UK Government supported Cycle to Work Scheme has seen a 9% increase in take-up during the first quarter of 2012 compared to 2011.

Members of the Cycle to Work Alliance (Cyclescheme, Cycle Solutions, Evans Cycles and Halfords), have seen a growth in the number of UK employees signing up to the scheme, reversing recent trends.

From January to March 2012, over 23,400 UK employees signed-up to the scheme through members of the Alliance, indicating that 2012 is set to be a very popular year for cycling. Continue reading

Science academies ask G8 to tackle global environmental challenges

May 11th, 2012 by US National Academy of Sciences

National science academies from 15 countries issued joint statements on 10 May 2012 calling on world leaders who are about to meet at the upcoming G8 Summit and other international gatherings this year to give greater consideration to the vital role science and technology could play in addressing some of the planet’s most pressing challenges.

The “G-Science” statements recommend that governments engage the international research community in developing systematic, innovative solutions to three global dilemmas:

• how to simultaneously meet water and energy needs;
• how to build resilience to natural and technological disasters;
• and how to more accurately gauge countries’ greenhouse gas emissions to verify progress toward national goals or international commitments. Continue reading