category: blog

Budget 2020: enough cash for trees and soil?

Visit the University of Derby blog for this article I wrote about the new UK budget in March 2020. It’s just over a week since the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak unleashed his ambitious ’spending spree’ budget, marking an end to austerity as a UK economic policy. Instead there …

Touch-free packaging for chicken

I was interviewed by BBC radio Derby to comment on new touch-free packaging for chicken being introduced by Sainsbury’s. In short I think it’s a good idea so long as it does not lead to extra plastic waste, but I also find it is normally possible to handle standard packages …

2,500 km with the Schuberth E1

Due to change of job I am in the happy position to be able to commute more often by motorcycle than has been the case for the last few years, so I finally decided to buy a new crash helmet to replace my 1998 vintage Nolan N81. I had been contemplating the …

Environmental cost of fieldwork

Students and teachers alike are concerned for the environment, but the environmental cost of fieldwork is a seldom discussed and uncomfortable irony. Following a rare discussion on the subject with colleagues during a research field trip I decided to investigate to see if we can make more informed choices when planning and …