Living Beyond Our Means: The Declining Aral Sea

Stephen recently spotted this horrific story on the European Space Agency (ESA) website, a clear example of humans living beyond our means and creating extreme environmental degredation in the process. The Aral sea (once the world's forth largest) has been effectively 'mined' for its water for 50+ years, and the result has been a drying inland sea with sandstorms and land poisoned by salt intrusion. The image at http://www.esa.int/esaEO/SEMGVT6CTWF_index_0.html shows the retreat of water between 2006 and 2009 - worth seeing.

Thanks to Dr Howard Lee!

Many thanks to Dr Howard Lee, from Hadlow College, on a fascinating talk on food production in the UK! The Millmead Offices were packed for the talk last night, showing the ever-increasing interest in "grow your own".

If you would like to get involved in growing your own food within Guildford, or want to help others do the same, then you can email us at e.white@surrey.ac.uk

Dr Howard Lee - "Grow Your Own or Starve!"

Dr Howard Lee, from Hadlow College for land-based industries in Kent, is coming to speak to the Guildford Environmental Forum and Transition Guildford on Monday 13 July on "Grow Your Own or Starve! The potential for Grower Groups". Dr Lee, who is a lecturer and the Sustainability Champion at Hadlow College, will cover examples from around the UK of community initiatives to grow food in public spaces, community supported agriculture, landshare, garden-share and other responses by local people to provide themselves with fresh food grown locally in every kind of space conceivable. This is a response to several factors including rising food prices, increasing concerns about our food security and the desire for fresh organically grown food.

The talk is in committee room 1 at GBC's Millmead offices at 1900, with refreshments from 1830.

All welcome... See you there!