This blog may help people explore some of the 'hidden' issues involved in certain media treatments of environmental and scientific issues. Using personal digital images, it's also intended to emphasise seasonal (and other) changes in natural history of the Swansea (South Wales) area. The material should help participants in field-based modules and people generally interested in the natural world. The views are wholly those of the author.
Saturday 2 April 2011
Mother's Day Tributes?
There has been considerable debate about the environmental and economic impacts of flower growing for the European market in Kenya (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/02/ethical-investment-flower-power-editorial?INTCMP=SRCH ). The original concerns related to the water requirement for flower production (it resulted in shortages for humans and local wildlife) as well as the very low wages that some of the workers growing and packing the flowers received. As a consequence of 'ethical investment', progress on these issues has clearly been made. Problems remain, however, about the diverting of efforts from local food production, the land use and the very large carbon 'footprint' associated with transporting the flowers to market.
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Plants We Used to Use 439. Sun spurge
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