The draft National Urban Gardens discloses, supports and enhances the experiences of gardens managed by citizens throughout the country. The interest in the land, in fact, comeback among the passions of the Italians it is true that four out of ten are devoted to the care of green gardens, vegetable gardens or terraces. The urban gardens, in particular, are successful because they promote the recovery of the direct relationship with the land and the food you eat, because they become instruments for social gatherings and because they lead to the discovery and appreciation of traditions and customs.

These are usually of small plots of land (between 40 and 65 sqm.) Municipal property, using them for gardens and gardening and leisure assigned loan applicants to the citizens who cultivate for family consumption. They can also be places suitable for the teaching activities for youngsters.

The passion for growing home orchard involves both sexes equally and like to young people, as is practiced by more than one in four of those aged between 25 and 34 years, although the interest increases with 'age and reaches almost half of those over 65.

Taken from: http://www.campagnamica.it/stili-sostenibili/progetto-nazionale-orti-urbani

Click on the link to read the original post and see the pdf with the departure of the ten experiences in various Italian cities.

WIP - WormInProgress is a nonprofit project which, first in Italy, promoting the spread of vermicompostaggio domestic

Image: www.worminprogress.it

providing information, assistance, recommendations, proposals. The vermicompostaggio home is a simple practice and virtuous, clean and hygienic, to turn waste into compost plant, through the action of earthworms. Requires only a tiny space in the apartment or on the balcony, needs no special maintenance. In addition, besides having a high ecological value because it reduces the problems resulting from landfill or incineration, can also become a source of income (with the resale of compost) or savings (with the reduction of the waste tax in regions rates apply "weight").

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The future of Italian grown tobacco, among the best in the world, is linked to the development of research and sustainability of a sector that employs over 60,000 people in Italy who come to 200,000 with the armature (including tobacconists) and However, it also suffers from the impact of European regulations.

They are the key issues addressed today at a conference that was held at Citta di Castello, near Perugia, in Umbria, the third region for tobacco production, with its 17,000 tons per year.

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How many have read, from September 1 the old incandescent bulbs 100w definitely be outlawed.

And 'then allowed to dispose of the remaining retailers, but they can not buy new, instead favoring the spread of energy efficient fluorescent and halogen. The ban on the marketing point of these bulbs is expensive and not very environmentally friendly in 2011, together with that of A class appliances less than A.

Party not so auspiciously due to various legal mess between Berlusconi and the Prodi government in the years 2007-2008-2009, the decree is finally the definitive European, black and white, even in Italy.

All right then? Well, no.

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The Queen Elizabeth II is known for his frugality, which is now confirmed: the Queen has created a small garden in the huge gardens of Buckingham Palace, a 'turf war' that we saw close to your actual walls of the Second World War.

A trend - that of 'grown your vegetables' - that is becoming increasingly popular in Britain affected by the recession. But even an example given by Michelle Obama, the new American first lady with Queen has made an excellent relationship, which in the gardens of the White House for months has planted an organic garden. So beside the lake, heliport and tennis courts where King George VI challenged the champion Fred Perry, the royal guests can now enjoy a box in which real gardeners cultivate beans, green beans, leeks and turnips.

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ROME - More than 200,000 employees worldwide and revenues of 18 billion euros (in 2007). These are the numbers of wind that makes a true record boom in the last 10 years with a growth close to 30%. It is celebrated today, June 15, 2009, the World Day for raw materials, the wind, which will be an opportunity, through a series of events to raise awareness on the issue of climate change and the importance of the choice of energy clean.

The initiative will involve 29 countries with the joint coordination of the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) and the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC). In Italy have already started a series of events organized by the National Association of Wind Energy (Anev), which will extend until June 28. The most important thing is organized in Rome at the Deer Park in Villa Borghese in the space multifunctional shovel-energy association. At Villa Borghese has been set up a wind turbine to allow visitors to learn practically the energy generated by wind.

PROTOCOL FOR WIND POWER - A protocol for the support of the National Association wind energy wind (Anev) and Greenpeace and Legambiente. An agreement reached a few days before the World Day of the wind. The President dell'Anev, Oreste Vigorito, focused on the absence of national regulation of wind energy: "There are no clear rules across the country but each region adopts its own guidelines.

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If we hear about a lot 'of time as an interesting product as a panacea by some and failure of healing by climate other. But is it?

The Biochar, or Agrichar, coal, or agriculture, is the natural product of the pyrolysis (decomposition by heat obtained in the absence of oxygen) of biomass composed of vegetable waste and other organic wastes.
The procedure allows to obtain a material similar to end charcoal very rich in organic carbon, combined with coal, condensed of bio-oils, ash and tar.

What is it?

The special composition makes it suitable for the absorption of CO2 and greenhouse gases, which are literally extracted from the atmosphere and fixed to the ground in a stable manner.
The captured CO2 is retained, helping to make Biochar a nutrient substrate that reduces fertilizer requirements, improves the yield of the soil and makes it more efficient traditional crops.
In summary, the Biochar increases crop yields, improve soil quality and reduces the environmental impact of agriculture.

Why have not saved the world?

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It was concluded in April, the Climate Change Challenge sponsored by the Financial Times, with interesting results.

The challenge was to find commercially viable ideas to reduce harmful emissions and combat climate change caused by pollution.
Among the finalists are also some solutions for saving energy that leave quite perplexed: let 's see what popped up.

With the evocative name of Black Phantom is presented a machine capable of transforming the biomass into charcoal, a form very stable of coal.

The machinery is transportable and consists in a sort of enormous microwave able to convert various scraps of agricultural production and processing of wood in combustible material.

In reality the process was already known, it is not a real invention, but rather a rediscovery in key updating.
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Interview with Agnes Codignola

What is this thing I'm eating? And where the hell it come from? It all started from these two (seemingly) simple questions. Result: a publishing perhaps unprecedented, given the topic, hundreds of thousands of copies sold around the world and the urgent request of a second bet from thousands of readers. This is from 'The Omnivore's Dilemma', the cult book dedicated to food, out in Italy with Adelphi June 4, written by Michael Pollan, award-winning journalist collaborator of 'New York Times', Journalism professor of environmental science and University of Berkeley, which has clearly touched a nerve rather than discovered, namely schizophrenia that sees millions of people at the same time more and more lazy, sick, obese, neurotic but also to research the ideal diet, or food that the power to save. And he did it with the eye of the naturalist on a journey including physical, not just cultural, in four-type meals, bringing really disconcerting to discover, often tragicomic, which led him ultimately to impeach all we eat. The book's success shows the shock of us all before what he calls 'The Omnivore's Dilemma': the more we enrich, we eat more evil than we get sick. Yeah, but readers were not satisfied by an allegation, even argued and comprehensive. And they have been clamoring for a solution to the dilemma that, in recent weeks, Pollan has published under the title 'In Defense of Food - an Eater Manifesto', which is already among the ten best-selling books in the United States. What is the solution? We asked.

Michael Pollan, let's start from the dilemma: what's so strange in the goods for sale at the supermarket?

"Nothing, apparently, quite the contrary. If we look at the immense biodiversity present in that environment so perfect, where smells are banned, the goods look attractive and fresh, we can not but think, satisfied with progress made in recent decades. However, if we try to know better what is offered, the situation changes radically. To understand how, just read the labels, with their own jargon for the initiated and the endless lists of chemicals in foods even easier, and with the indication of origin, which often leads to products located thousands of miles. Read more ...

of M.Bruna Zolin
University of Venice, Faculty of Economics
Crops without soil

The farmer is defined in Article 2135 of the Civil Code (as amended by the "law on" Leg: May 18, 2001, n, 228), as one who carries out an activity with the cultivation of the soil, forestry, livestock farming and related activities to the previous year. For cultivation of the soil for forestry and livestock activities are directed to the care and development of a biological cycle or a necessary phase of the cycle, whether vegetable or animal, that use or may use the fund, the woodland or freshwater, brackish or marine. The introduction of the current legislation "... may use the bottom ..." means that the once inseparable bond between the farmer and the fund has now failed. Read more ...