NOTTINGHAM CITY ALLOTMENTS

When I was in Nottingham just before Christmas I spent a day in the city allotments. These plots of land were put aside during rationing in the second world war and rented out to people who had limited space in there own gardens to grow fruit and vegetable. The allotments were neglected for years as people found less time to tend to them and of course there is the easy availability of buying convenience food down at the supermarkets. Over the years the allotments matured into a wonderful nature reserve. These valuable plots of land were under threat of being developed, so local community organizations have moved in and taken over. One organization has taken over an area covering about two acres and planted up a community orchard. When the trees have matured a bit, anyone from the area will be able to go with their baskets and collect as many of the apples as they wish. Most of the trees will be laden with the types of apples that are grown for their taste, so the odd blemish on them is to be expected, at least they can be assured they haven’t been sprayed with any chemicals or fed with sugared water for sweetness.

Paul took me to his project that has been set up by the health authority, caring for people with learning difficulties and mental health problems. The area again covers about two acres and is split into ten totally different growing areas. Most areas have a large shed or greenhouse on the site left there by the old occupiers, so there’s no shortage of places to hide when the weather gets bad! Everything is recycled, old freezers have been used for growing spuds in and even old sun bed frames are used as an effective fence. There is a communal dumping area on the land where you can tip all your unwanted organic rubbish and you can guarantee whatever is put there will be used for something.

The local council also has a tree-recycling centre, they shred the wood and bark and deliver it free of charge to the allotments to be used as mulch.

The visit has certainly given me some good ideas to put into action now that I’m back home.

Horticultural.

CARE OF CORDYLINES

Cold weather can seriously damage Cordylines, as the frost gets into the soft new growth at the centre of the crown, water collected in there can also rot the new growth. If you have a young plant or have a larger plant in an exposed area then you could protect it by wrapping the leaves with fleece or an old sack. I have a five year old Cordyline in my garden and last year the frost got it .The centre of the plant died, but loads of side shoots have appeared and the plant is looking better than ever. So don’t despair or dig up your plant if yours starts to die back there’s a strong chance it will pick up again.

Horticultural.

OSTEOSPERMUM CASUALTY

Last weeks cold and frosty weather was a great excuse for me to ignore the jobs to do in the garden and perfect the art of sledging down steep hills on an empty compost bag. I did let my children have a few turns as well and I’m slowly coming to terms with the fact that I’m not as bendy as I was, but there’s still a few good years in me yet before I hang up my bag and give my kids a free run.
When the snow and frost cleared there were a few plant casualties in the garden. The Osteospermum that flower all summer had died down to ground level. Some Osteospermum are frost hardy, but the deep purple ones that I have are best grown as annuals, so I’m happy that cuttings had been taken earlier on in the month and are alive and well in the tunnel. Frost did get into the tunnel though and my Cineraria plants that were in there have been destroyed. I was under the impression that they were frost hardy, but I’ve been proved wrong, thankfully, everything else in there didn’t suffer.

Horticultural.

ICY START

GETTING HITCHED IS PUT ON ICE

Global warming has seen a lot more icebergs off of the coast of New Zealand. And as usual someone had a brainwave to capitalise on the event. A New Zealand couple had the hot idea for a cool wedding. To tie the knot on an iceberg. Unfortunately for them it has had to be put on ice.

Lawyer Bridget Byers and builder Donald Wyatt had planned to marry on one of the many icebergs floating off the east coast of the South Island. But helicopter pilot Richard "Hannibal" Hayes, who was due to fly the pair and a marriage celebrant to one of the bergs, said plans were on hold because the job was too risky. The slow thaw of the icebergs as they moved north meant they were constantly shedding ice, and it was difficult to find a safe haven for the lovebirds to land on. It seems also that in a legal sense the pair were skating on thin ice. New Zealand law required that people had to be within 12 nautical miles of the coast to be married legally, and the closest iceberg has been at least twice that distance from the coast.

Byers would not discuss the nuptials saying talks were under way with a woman's magazine over rights to cover the ceremony. But it remained unclear whether the couple would proceed with their plans.

Environmental.

HUMAN BATTERIES

In the near future, you might be an alternative fuel source. Scientists in the Asian country of Singapore have created a battery, powered by urine! Handy for powering all of those Christmas toys that are running out of power! The scientists were making computer "biochips" to test for diseases like diabetes, but they did not have a battery small enough to power the chips. Then they realised that the substance being tested with the chips—urine—could power the devices. Urine can power the battery because it contains negatively charged electronic particles called ions.

The battery consists of a piece of paper soaked in a chemical called copper chloride and sandwiched by strips of copper and magnesium. A coating of see-through plastic protects the battery. When urine enters the battery through a small slit, a chemical reaction starts that generates electricity. The battery creates the same energy as a standard AA battery (1.5 volts) and can run for about 90 minutes. The same technology can use other body fluids to create power. Ki Bang Lee, one of the inventors of the urine battery, said it could also run on tears, blood, and saliva. Lee gave an example of the possibility of powering a cell phone with saliva to make a call during an emergency. Daniel Kammen of the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory at the University of California-Berkley said that the battery technology "can do all kinds of things". Soon they could be powering laptop computers, MP3 players, televisions, and even cars! Kammen says the wide number of applications for cheap and efficient biofluid-powered batteries illustrates the value of basic research. "Investigation leads to innovation," he said.


FLY POWER
Robots usually run on batteries, right? Well not all of them. Scientists in England have built a series of small robots that get their energy from dead flies, rotten apples, or sugar. One robot, called Slugbot, was even designed to hunt garden slugs for dinner! Scientists at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory want to invent robots that can operate for long periods of time in dark, dirty, or dangerous places. Many of those spots, like the seafloor or Antarctica, don't have electrical sockets. So inventor Chris Melhuish came up with a better idea: Build robots that get their energy just like animals do—by hunting and eating food from their environment. The robots digest their grub in a series of stomach-like devices called microbial fuel cells that are full of bacteria The bacteria do the real eating, munching dead flies or other food fed into the fuel cells. As the bacteria chew, they release electrons. Electrons are charged particles that flow to form electricity. One robot, called Ecobot II, could run for 12 days on a diet of eight flies! (You'd still get a lot more power from one AA battery, though.) Melhuish says his team is now working on a new and improved robot, called Ecobot III, which will have a better digestion system. It seems that after an eight-fly dinner, Ecobot II couldn't get rid of the leftover "waste."

Environmental.

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ON A ROLL

Photo: Some people will go to great lengths to protect their loo roll.

WHAT A PONG
There was a serious pollution issue recently in Buncrana. People fishing along the shore near Swan Park were forced to cut their evening short because of the stink coming from the water. One man said he even had to wash out his fishing line when he got home because the smell was still on it. The reason for this unfortunate event was that the sewage treatment plant appeared to have dumped some effluent into the water on the coastline, which apparently they are allowed to do under certain circumstances. Arguments are ongoing. Some comment that there is no point carrying on with the development of the housing estates in the town if the infrastructure isn’t in place to cope with it. I don’t know about you but it makes me a bit wary of either swimming or eating fish that is caught and one or two tourists on the park were beating a hasty retreat as they couldn’t stand the pong either! This brings me nicely to this weeks topic…toilet rolls.

TOILET ROLLS
The World Wildlife Fund say that manufacturers of toilet paper are not doing enough to save native trees and forests The global conservation organization says this clearly contributes to the wasteful use of forests, at a time when they are threatened worldwide. The report analysed the practices of the five largest European tissue manufacturers – Procter and Gamble, SCA, Kimberly Clark, Metsa Tissue, and Georgia Pacific – which together supply about 70 per cent of the European market. It found that the vast majority of tissue products these companies are selling to European households contain alarmingly low levels of recycled fibres. As a result high-quality virgin fibres are taken directly from natural forests and plantations around the world, including Latin America, Canada, the US, South Africa, Russia, Asia and Europe, and end up as waste without the consumer’s knowledge. The European tissue business is worth around €8.5 billion annually and accounts for 26 per cent of global tissue consumption, with each European using 13kg – the equivalent of approximately 22 billion rolls of toilet paper. Everyday about 270,000 trees are effectively flushed down the toilet or end up as rubbish around the world. Toilet paper and towels in offices, schools and hotels are mostly made out of recycled fibres, and there is no reason why it should be any different for the same products that are sold in supermarkets, WWF says. Manufacturers argue that retailers mainly want non-recycled products because this is what consumers are asking for. I find that very hard to believe myself as we all know that recycled products are just as good as the new.

According to WWF, the companies also need to better inform consumers about the recycled content of their products. Consumers should not be misled by recycling symbols on tissue packaging, which often only refer to the wrapping paper, and not to the product itself. WWF recommends that consumers look and ask for the few recycled tissue brands currently produced by the five major manufacturers as well as brands from smaller companies for which recycled products are a niche market. Consumers should also ask shops and supermarkets to stock recycled tissues. The report also warns that unsustainable timber harvesting; illegal logging and land right conflicts still exist in many of the countries from where the virgin fibres are sourced. Pressure on the manufacturer seems to be working and all of the mentioned companies say that they are concentrating more effort into recycled products. Keep a look out on the toilet rolls you buy and make sure it says 100% recycled. That should speed things up a bit!

SEED DISTRIBUTION
An Australian company have come up with an ingenious way to help save the environment. Enviro-roll is an environmentally friendly and hygienic toilet paper made from recycled paper impregnated with native seed. The seeds are grown specifically in the country where the rolls will be sold. Therefore in Ireland the content will be totally different to the ones in any other country, I just hope they use small, soft seeds! The company are developing regional, and ecosystem specific seed mixes for each country. Indigenous, endemic and non-invasive are the key words, which is just as well. Money generated from every roll sold worldwide will be placed into an environmental fund so that environmental groups worldwide may apply for funding to restore river systems/watercourses and to clean up and repair toxic and denuded soils worldwide. The R.S.P.C.A. are to receive funding as well.

Environmental.

REVIEW OF THE FIRST INISHOWEN SUMMER GATHERING

INISHOWEN SUMMER GATHERING WAS A BREATH OF FRESH AIR

(Click on the title for a link to the Inishowen Summer Gathering website)

The Inishowen Summer Gathering took place at Doagh Island this weekend near to the Famine Museum- (http://www.doaghfaminevillage.com/village.html.) On Friday night a community of at least one hundred campers and camper vans set up on the grass covered sand dunes. The weather stayed dry and was positively glorious on Sunday, as well over a thousand visitors (throughout the week-end) enjoyed a wide range of demonstrations, exhibits, talks and activities soaking up the atmosphere, catching up with and making new friends and enjoy the stunning scenery of the area. Traditional skills were well represented. The Foyle Beekepers association had an observational beehive, which attracted a lot of attention. Alison Fitzgerald demonstrated basket making and the Coppice Association demonstrated how to make hurdle fences and wattle and daub walls using lime free plaster. There was also weaving, pottery, woodwork and Jean Gamble and Mary Lafferty gave a wonderful demonstration on butter churning and the results, like a lot of things at the event, were given away free at the end of the display.

Structures at the event were made from willow and hazel and there were a couple of large domes that were supported by the frames from polythene tunnels. One area was put up to cater for people eating food. This had straw bales supporting wooden planks to make makeshift seats and tables. The children on Friday night had other ideas about the area. During the course of their play the youngsters managed to untie the straw bales and started doing what comes naturally with straw, they threw it at one another and buried themselves in it. The organisers just took away the planks and let the kids get on with it. This area proved to be one on of the biggest attractions for the kids during the weekend, although there were lots of other activities for them. Some were organised, such as painting and drum-making, in the Parents Information Network tent, and making their own mallets out of hazel with the use of traditional hand built woodturning devices. More spontaneous activities included fun making swords with willow sticks and building dams on the beach.

A wide range of slide shows and talks were held throughout the weekend in the theatre including talks on renewable energy, sustainable communities and voice workshops. This building had been put together using straw bales, which meant that it was suitably dark. Power for the shows came from a small solar panel and wind turbine that were fitted to a battery. Energy from the sun and wind powered this battery which stored the energy so it could be used when needed. Other structures included a healing and relaxation tent, which offered Indian head massage and reflexology and a market which had a wide variety of stalls including a bike operated smoothie maker!

LITTER FREE
Litter was not a problem throughout the weekend as there had been some thought gone in to controlling it. Hazel baskets were made to hold bin bags. There was a bin for plastic, paper and tins. Everyone, including the children respected the fact that they were not to drop rubbish and used the bins. This made the event feel very clean and of course you didn’t sit in someone’s left over waste when you sat on the grass! There was very little in the way of sugar available so the youngsters managed to avoid being hyperactive and disruptive. The sugar that was available was natural and came from fresh apples supplied free from the Parents Information Network tent. The toilet cubicles were a major source of entertainment for some. They consisted of a seat, and a hole in the ground. Sand and wood shavings were put down the hole occasionally to keep the pong to a minimum and when the weekend finished it was covered over, leaving friendly bacteria to do its stuff.

A campfire in the evenings provided a focal point for stories, songs and general craic with amongst other Jimmy Mc Bride and Tony Cuckson. Paddy McCartney from Greencastle gave a few songs and jokes and there was very little over indulgence in alcohol which kept the atmosphere light. The busy Sunday afternoon crowds were entertained by the Henry Girls unplugged who performed a relaxed and lively set. Spontaneous drumming, banjo playing and fiddling happened throughout the weekend.

WHOLESOME COOKING
The food was great, -simple fare but very tasty such as spuds, onions and cabbage with lentil stew and salad. All of the food was organic and GM free. The cost was minimal and the free date and coconut pudding topped off a very pleasant eating experience. The group are called Bitchin Kitchen and came up from Rossport in Co Mayo for the weekend. (If you are not familiar with the issue at Rossport then turn to the Clean and Green article to get the full report.) The waste food was put straight into a hole in the ground where it will decay in no time at all. For coffee lovers the Pachamama stall provided coffee from the Amazon rainforests. Pachamama is the Peruvian word for Mother Earth and a large proportion of the profits from selling the drink are paid to the local producers, which they invest in preserving the vital flora that makes up the forest. Cormac and his partner just got fed up talking about the world’s problems and decided to do something pro-active so they set up the trading network. They have also started to buy endangered areas of Ireland to turn them into nature reserves and places of special interest for the benefit of everyone.
The organisers’ did a fantastic job and hope to see the event become a regular feature in the Inishowen calendar. The dedicated volunteers have put in more that 1000 hours of unpaid labour to make the event happen. There was no entrance charge and most of the workshops as well as other treats such as scones and organic lamb chops were given for a voluntary donation. They should be very pleased with themselves for bringing something so well organised, new and fresh to the Inishowen Area. The Gathering was a stimulating, relaxing, enjoyable, sociable and environmentally friendly event. Words and pictures can’t do it the justice it deserves as there was just so much on offer and all participants will bring away their own unique memories of the inaugural Inishowen Summer Gathering.

Environmental.