March 2008 Volume 13 Number 3

Dig it.

The Royal Horticultural Society is so concerned about the depletion of front gardens that they have published a pamphlet to encourage gardeners to make choices that both meet practical requirements (parking) and encourage biodiversity.

In addition, the EU is seeking to ban the use of patio-heaters due to the vast amount of carbon-emissions that they produce unnecessarily.

It seems that TV garden makeovers have taken us up a wrong path. The notion of 'outdoor rooms' has made us forget what green space is for. Go across the Channel and you won't have to look far before you'll come across a gate, flagged with lilac, leading to a garden packed with all manner of vegetables.

Shamefully, 40 percent of the food waste thrown away in the UK is fruit and vegetables, many of which have been flown across the world, used scare water resources and been packaged in plastic.

It's time to get back to earth and learn to appreciate the value of fresh fruit and vegetables. Demand has never been higher for allotment space and community gardens. After all, what better way could there be to improve the nation's health than by getting out there and working the soil, and being rewarded with great tasting, cheap, healthy food.

To get you inspired, 'Green Fingers' on page 20 showcases all manner of green things, from gardening courses to natural pools.

Looking globally, Nick Reeves, considers the threat of violence over depleted natural resources on page four and Emily Doyle questions the future of the Inuit people on page ten. Chen Xuefei highlights the fate of migrant rural workers in China's cities on page 14 and Nigel Read tells how MWH is helping Iraq to get back on its feet on page 17.

I welcome your comments.

Erika Yarrow, Editor, WEM (Water & Environment Magazine) wemeditor@ciwem.org This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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