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Science Gallery – Green Machines

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Today I visited the Science Gallery for the launch of The Green Machines Exhibition.

Whilst there I met with exhibitions manager and show designer Rob Warren. I spoke to Rob about just what, why and how you as visitor can get the most from kick starting the revolution.

Led by fellow team member Ian Brunswick I was walked through the exhibition and as mindful experiences go… this is up there with the very, very best.

It is mind blowing, engaging, mind challenging, eye opening and yet delightfully refreshing to see.

I absolutely loved it.

My advice. Do visit the coffee shop. Don’t be in a rush. The gift shop, if you could call it that – is an Aladdin’s Cave – so much so I’m going to cover that in a seperate post.  I absolutely loved every second of it. I will go there again.

I could have stayed there all day. I did 2 videos [see below]. Also I’m going to see if I can get the lads on the Sodcast Podcast next Thursday.

View my images of The Science Gallery – Green Machines Exhibition

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I liked this:

really makes me wonder what green parties [?] are actually dreaming of…

I loved this:

It comes with the tagline ‘why are computers so hard to take apart…’

Thank you Science Gallery.

Eye opener is an understatement.

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All Posts Peter Donegan in the Media

Irish Mail On Sunday 23rd May 2010

Yesterday, Eugene Higgins of The Irish Mail On Sunday did a great Piece on The Garden Group with the tagline How a Bloom maverick is taking bloggers on tours of our ‘secret’ gardens and titled it A www.walk on the wild side

The main picture is of Dena [@curlydena], Mom Vena [@VenaW] and Dad Andrew Walker. [And to think I spent so long brushing my hair that day 😀 ] The other two images are courtesy Jennifer Farley Photography [@laughing_lion]. I’ve asked Eugene for the main text of the piece and will post it below as soon as I get it. For now…..

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Basil – Ocimum basilicum

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The Ocimum [labiatae/ lamiaceae] are a genus of about 365 species of aromatic annuals and evergreen herbs. But – this is not lavender we are discussing. This is the herb we know as basil. With that in mind I am only interested in one type.

There are other varieties, but I have chose what I regard a the more common basil [to me] or what is know commercially as sweet basil. It is an annual and therefore completes its life cycle in one season.

Either or the entire of the ocimum basilicum’s are renowned as either short lived perennials or annuals. They are tender little things that, horticulture aside most people have very little, or less luck with. Any deviation from that truth and your pants are on fire or you work for NASA – and yes they can hear you. Back to the herbs…

For me, I prefer to grow mine from seed and there literally is no major secret [there is of course 😉 ] to doing so. Simply fill a jam jar with compost. Firm slightly and place on the kitchen window ledge. Add a little patience and play the waiting game. Some say, sow them in rediculous rows 8″ apart – but I like to scatter a few across the top and stuff the rule book. Its more fun as well.

The scent from them is amazing. I chose not to feed them either. Its just me and food crops. And if I end up with too much from cropping…. I freeze them to get me through the winter. Next year, I’ll start all over again. As a btw, you should get about 300 seeds in a pack… use what you must and put the rest [in the packet] in the freezer.

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Irish Independent March 3rd 2010

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Wednesday 3rd March was a nice day. I’d had a really great chat with Susan Daly over the phone last week and awoke to a clatter of texts and messages all singing Carly Simon on the answering machine 😉 Great to have humorous friends…

I must say it is a great article. Extremely well written by Susan and it was an absolute honour to speak with her. One of life’s really nice people.

For those that didn’t get to do so, one can read the article in full here. Apart from a sexy gardener erm….. 😆 also featured are two more of lifes really nice people kieran Murphy and Pat O’Mahony.

Thanks also to John Mc Williams for the photograph used above.

‘People ask why I don’t charge for my expertise — where’s the fun in that?

Wednesday March 03 2010

“I’m not stupid with the euro in my pocket, but some of the things I most enjoy I do for free. “Recently I took a group of people around the war memorial gardens in Islandbridge. “My wife made country apple pie and we had coffee in flasks, and we have another trip coming up to Ireland’s Eye. “But what people kept bouncing back to me afterwards was: Why didn’t you charge for it?

“I don’t get that. I competed at the Irish Conker Championships last year just for fun. “It’s like I won’t put a shop on my blog (doneganlandscaping.com), because that’s not why I do it.

“I’d say 50pc of the phone calls I get are for free gardening advice, and I’ve been on the garden side of things on the Niall Mellon trips. “I’m going to sound like a martyr, but for me, it’s just not the point of life to always have to tie in everything you do to paying the bills.”

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The Guardian Newspaper – The New Carbon Hypocrites…?

Today I got a message noting the guardians coverage of a nice story

World’s coral reefs could disintegrate by 2100

Researchers at Carnegie Institution say corals are being overwhelmed by rising carbon dioxide in the atmosphere

This is the original post for The Guardian by Ian Sample, science correspondent, in San Diego…. It even has some lovely photos 😉

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I read the piece. And a fine written article it is if I may say so. I was impressed. That was until I saw their ads for their online shopping parked right beside it…..

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Yes that’s right…. you can read about the CO2 destruction of the coral reefs whilst drinking your coffee from a mug that has been posted and delivered to you from the UK…. ? Aparently….

It reveals the worlds most severe carbon footprint offenders

Erm…………? What’s the word I’m looking for……?

I live in Ballyboughal. So it’s plane to Dublin Airport. Then to the sorting office…somewhere…. then to Balbriggan and then to my house…… ?

I’ve spoke about green ethics here before… but this one simply stinks of anything that’ll make a few bob being very honest…. that is unless the guardian are going to have an organic corn fed carrier pidgeon deliver this mug right to my door….. ?

Wouldn’t it be nice if the Guardian Eco section simply had a sign there saying buy local as possible…. ?

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