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The 'world-first' plan to grow food above a Wiltshire landfill
The 'world-first' plan to grow food above a Wiltshire landfill

BBC News

time4 days ago

  • Business
  • BBC News

The 'world-first' plan to grow food above a Wiltshire landfill

Plans have been revealed to grow fruit and vegetables using "cleaned" carbon dioxide in greenhouses above a landfill in what it is claimed will be a "world first".The landfill in Wiltshire is run by Crapper & Sons Ltd, which is currently waiting to get planning permission for the company already captures methane coming off the waste to power its operations and send energy to the national grid, as well as producing now started a community interest company called Sustain Wiltshire, it has said it wants to use the site to grow food for the local area all year round. The plans involve using greenhouses on the site to take advantage of CO2 and heat to produce food such as avocados, which are not usually grown commercially in the produce would then be sold to people living in the local area in towns and villages such as Royal Wootton Bassett, Malmesbury and Brinkworth. Project Director Nick Ash said there are other similar projects across the world but the specific Wiltshire one is a world first."What comes out of the top of the gas engine [the one already generating energy] is quite clean CO2. In Europe, that's already used in greenhouses, so we would get that into our greenhouses."So you'd grow them [vegetables and fruit] in a rich CO2 environment so they'd grow better than in normal air," he explained."They [the plants] will be the using the heat, the light and the power, but they will have no contact with the ground at all."The system at the moment takes the gases from the landfill and extracts the methane for power and cleans the gases - for example, by removing hydrogen sulphide and using bacteria - with cleaner CO2 a by-product of the process. The project will involve flattening a large section of the landfill site to create pits - called "cells" - which will be lined with concrete and have waste put in them to produce gas will then be captured and cleaned so it can be used to produce electricity and pump the CO2 into the greenhouses which will sit above the cells."We plan to totally change the way that we effectively landfill," said Mr Ash."It [waste] would go into fast-reacting gas cells, which would produce gas very quickly, then have the rubbish taken out, then [go into] storage cells that would feed recycling." The company also plans to make the greenhouses portable which will allow the pits underneath to be emptied and have fresh waste put that cannot be recycled right away can have the organic matter rot and produce usable gas, and then that waste can also be processed Ash said that if granted planning permission, the project would change the appearance of the site, with more grass and trees added. The project overall is called the Super Midden, based on midden - a word mostly used by archaeologists to describe ancient rubbish & Sons Ltd said the development could produce 80% of the fruit and vegetable needs of the surrounding area, reducing emissions, food miles and improving food Ash told the BBC he does not think it will fail technically and that the biggest challenge will be "introducing something new".

Chinese team says carbon dioxide can turn to sugar, offering solution to global problems
Chinese team says carbon dioxide can turn to sugar, offering solution to global problems

South China Morning Post

time7 days ago

  • Science
  • South China Morning Post

Chinese team says carbon dioxide can turn to sugar, offering solution to global problems

Chinese scientists have developed a method to turn the alcohol methanol into white sugar, which they say could allow captured carbon dioxide to be converted into food. The team's biotransformation system produces sucrose without the need to grow sugar cane or sugar beets – crops that require large amounts of land and water resources. Their method to convert methanol – which can be derived from industrial waste or made by hydrogenating carbon dioxide – into sucrose using enzymes was also adapted to make other complex carbohydrates, including fructose and starch. 07:58 Why is the Chinese government so concerned about food security? Why is the Chinese government so concerned about food security? 'Artificial conversion of carbon dioxide into food and chemicals offers a promising strategy to address both environmental and population-related challenges while contributing to carbon neutrality,' the team said in a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Science Bulletin in May. Reducing carbon dioxide to less complex molecules has proven successful, though the researchers said that generating long-chain carbohydrates – the most abundant substances in nature – has proven to be a challenge for scientists. 'In vitro biotransformation (ivBT) has emerged as a highly promising platform for sustainable biomanufacturing,' the team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology wrote. 'In this work, we successfully designed and implemented an [ivBT] system for sucrose synthesis from low-carbon molecules'. Sucrose, or white sugar, is mainly obtained from sugar cane grown in warmer climates, such as Southeast Asia. The second major source is sugar beets grown in colder northern regions.

Newly engaged Texas couple killed in freak wine cellar accident at their stunning $2.4 million home
Newly engaged Texas couple killed in freak wine cellar accident at their stunning $2.4 million home

Daily Mail​

time07-07-2025

  • Daily Mail​

Newly engaged Texas couple killed in freak wine cellar accident at their stunning $2.4 million home

A newly engaged couple died in a freak accident at their multimillion-dollar home after breathing fatal fumes released by dry ice they had been storing in their wine cellar. Deborah Putzka Touchy, 67, and Kevin Willis, 68, were found dead on July 4 after neighbors called 911 to their home in the ritzy River Oaks area of Houston. Firefighters noticed the fumes soon after they arrived about 7pm and needed respirators to enter the cellar, where the bodies were discovered. Touchy and Willis were reportedly planning to host a Fourth of July party when they were killed. 'There was dry ice being stored in the wine cellar,' Houston Police Lieutenant Larry said. 'When dry ice melts, it turns into carbon dioxide. Unfortunately, it appears the two people who went into the wine cellar were overcome.' Willis and Touchy got engaged earlier this year and threw an engagement party at the Champion Wine Garden during the Houston Rodeo on March 10. The couple frequently posted photos of themselves at wine tastings and vineyard tours across the country, as well as in France and Italy. Touchy, who described herself as a lawyer and accountant, posted dozens of photos of her wine collection on Facebook and Instagram. Friends took to social media to mourn the couple, who appeared active in the social scene. They were regular attendees of the Houston Rodeo, where they had 'royal seats,' and were members of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs food and wine society. 'She was a light and a delight. So smart and so self deprecating about her smarts and her achievements,' friend Vickie Elizardo wrote on Facebook. 'She has a tight circle of friends that will never be the same without her.' 'The world is a poorer place and has more shadows without her generosity and sparkle.' Another friend, Tara Dahnke, said she read about the couple's death with interest because she didn't know about the dangers of dry ice - before the horror of discovering their identities. 'I still cant believe this is real. I have been in tears all day,' she wrote on Facebook. 'Big personalities that will not be forgotten. They always brought joy, laughter, and a giving spirit.' The local chapter of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs society also paid tribute to two of its regulars. 'Deborah was full of energy and bigger than life in Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, rodeo, and Houston wine scene for many years,' the club wrote online. 'She always lit up the room with a huge smile and a warm hug. 'Kevin was a loving and kind person whose genuineness and caring was evident in each and every conversation. They loved each other dearly.' The couple's ivy-covered home on Avalon Place is surrounded by stunning mansions and historic homes. Touchy and her former husband bought the three-bedroom, four-bathroom home in 2000 for $299,250, records show. The house was last estimates to be worth more than $2.4 million and could be worth as much as 10 times what it was bought for 25 years ago. Dry ice, made of frozen carbon dioxide, is colder than frozen water and is often used to cool small areas like wine cellars. 'Carbon dioxide can replace oxygen in closed spaces, creating an oxygen-deficient environment. This can result in suffocation,' warns the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The medical examiner will confirm the couple's cause of death.

This Portable Air Quality Monitor Will Help Me Track Fourth of July Smoke
This Portable Air Quality Monitor Will Help Me Track Fourth of July Smoke

CNET

time03-07-2025

  • CNET

This Portable Air Quality Monitor Will Help Me Track Fourth of July Smoke

CNET's expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. Switchbot's Meter Pro shows local air quality anywhere you put it and is small enough to fit in a pocket. Tyler Lacoma/CNET From cooking on gas stoves to monitoring air quality during Fourth of July fireworks and summer wildfires, knowing your own home air quality is more important than ever. But it's not always easy, especially without a pricey smart air purifier. But this little tech buddy is going to be my favorite monitor this summer, wherever I want it. The tiny Meter Pro from SwitchBot tracks temps, humidity and most importantly carbon dioxide around my house or my yard, wherever I take it. It works right out of the box, lets me adjust how often it updates, and is available for around $50 with discounts. Here's everything I learned when using it. When I reached out to SwitchBot for a comment, they summed up the Meter Pro handily along with some advice on how to use it, saying, "By tracking CO₂ levels, temperature and humidity, users can make informed decisions about ventilation and indoor temperature and humidity control, leading to better sleep, increased productivity, and overall well-being." As I tested the Meter Pro with carbon dioxide monitoring, I found some air quality surprises in my own home, learned what the app can do and was surprised by how easy the smart meter was to use. Read more: 9 Surprising Things We Learned Monitoring Our Air Quality in 3 Locations A smart air quality monitor for any spot in your home The SwitchBot Meter Pro works well alone or with other smart devices. SwitchBot Switchbot's Meter Pro with carbon dioxide monitoring can work indoors or outdoors (or both with the right add-on), but the carbon dioxide feature makes it a much better indoor option. You can also move it to specific spots where you're worried carbon dioxide may be higher. The monitor works by showing you parts per million, a common method to measure carbon dioxide particles in the air, and updates itself regularly. "The SwitchBot Meter Pro CO₂ Monitor employs Non-Dispersive Infrared (NDIR) technology, utilizing Swiss-made sensors for high-precision CO₂ detection," SwitchBot told me. "It measures CO₂ levels ranging from 400 to 9,000 ppm with an accuracy of ±50 ppm. In addition to CO₂, it monitors temperature and humidity, providing a comprehensive overview of indoor air quality." Those sensor proved accurate, too. And if you're using the standalone device, it's effortless to set up. I unboxed the meter, pulled out the battery tab to activate the battery, and it immediately started displaying nearby air quality. You'll note in my photos that by default the temperature appears in Celsius, but that's no problem. A small button on the top of the meter let me switch between Celsius and Fahrenheit instantly. The hardest part was deciding where to put it. Making sense of air quality numbers SwitchBot's Meter Pro gives you all the details about your room's air quality. Tyler Lacoma/CNET During testing I moved the SwitchBot Meter Pro frequently, positioning it on various counters and tables to see how it changed. I quickly learned the carbon dioxide levels in my home were close to the maximum acceptable level -- anything above 1,000 ppm and it's time to consider making changes like more ventilation or air purification. That's where our lab-tested recommendations can shine. The high numbers weren't entirely surprising. When I tested, we were in the tail end of smoke season here on the West Coast and the air outside was still relatively smoky, something that has a major impact on carbon dioxide levels, even indoors. Also, my home uses natural gas for both fireplace heating and cooking, another factor that bumps up carbon dioxide numbers. As regional fires died down, air quality in my home notably improved, with PPM declining to 600 to 700 ppm. It was even better in some other homes where I brought it for a quick test, indicating there may still be work for me to do to improve air quality. In addition to temperature and carbon dioxide levels, the meter monitors humidity (my ranges in the high desert were pleasantly comfortable during the wetter fall season) and shows you the current weather. That makes it a nice hub for a quick view of what's going into your lungs. Add a mini hub for more control and better battery life SwitchBot's app provides a plethora of information. Tyler Lacoma/CNET Connecting the app via Bluetooth opened a world of possibilities -- well, once I created an account and applied numerous firmware updates, anyway. Using the app, I could adjust how often the meter updates to save on battery life. The battery is rated for around 12 months of use and recharges via USB-C, so it's not a major issue. But I found increasing the frequency of updates let me test air quality more easily with no noticeable drawbacks. You can use the Meter Pro as is, but it gets a sizable functionality boost with the SwitchBot Hub Mini ($40). My model came with one, so I was able to set it up and connect the SwitchBot app. That enabled some of the more advanced features like notifications and remote monitoring, so it's a quality-of-life improvement if you want to spend a bit more. With the hub, the app also lets you set alerts, either via notifications or with sound alarms, based on triggers like when the temperature, humidity or parts per million reaches certain levels. That also lets you do things like get low temperature alerts in rooms (or garages) that are distant from your thermostat so you know when they may need extra heating. Diving into air quality stats, customization and more SwitchBot's preferences allow for lots of readout customization. Tyler Lacoma/CNET The SwitchBot app isn't quite finished yet. As I discovered, you can view the local dew point and vapor-pressure deficit, as well as get weather forecasts if you're willing to provide the app with your address. The app also includes a history chart so you can see patterns over time. Deeper into settings, even more options emerge. You can recalibrate the temperature and humidity settings if they seem a bit off for your climate, then manually adjust your idea of a "comfort" level to control when the monitor warns of a problem. The Hub Mini also provides compatibility with common voice assistants, such as Amazon Alexa. That allows you to set up automations with other Alexa-compatible devices, like a smart thermostat or even a humidifier. While the app does mention the ability to store your long-term air quality data in the cloud for a fee, there's absolutely no need to do this if you are using only the Meter Pro, so subscriptions aren't a concern for this monitor. An air quality monitor for any home SwitchBot's Meter Pro with carbon dioxide monitoring is compact, highly portable and accurately measures air conditions in any part of your home with its Swiss-made sensor. Add the current low cost of $50 to $60 and it's an ideal monitoring solution for anyone who isn't sure what the air is like in their home and wants to keep an eye on air quality this winter. One last note: If you're interested in purchasing this air quality monitor, make sure you're choosing the option with carbon dioxide monitoring. SwitchBot has a similar Meter Pro that does everything but monitor carbon dioxide levels. The new version with carbon dioxide monitoring is a much better package, even with the higher price.

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