An effect of the cold!

Demand for gas in the UK is set to hit a new record on Thursday as people attempt to keep their homes warm through the severely cold weather.
The National Grid estimates usage will reach 455.3 million cubic metres. The current record is 449 million cubic metres, set on 7 January 2003.

Read more at the BBC.

So for those of you staying in by the fire tonight you could always watch Jimmy's Global Harvest on BBC 2 at 8pm - Jimmy Doherty embarks on a four programme mission to see how new farming techniques and technologies will help to feed us in the years to come.

An interesting start to the year

2010 has already been interesting from a geographical point of view:

Many councils have run out of Rock Salt as the big freeze continues - for more information on the salt used on roads why not click this link.

Dubai has seen the opening of the first building over half a mile high. The Burj Dubai Skyscraper is 2625ft (over 800m tall) and has an observation deck on floor 124.
For more details click on to the Burj Dubai website.

Plans to boost food production in Britain and reduce its impact on the environment have been unveiled.
The government's 20-year food strategy includes making land available for people to grow their own food and more healthy cooking courses. Read more at the BBC.

And we are only five days into it!

CAP proposals faulter

France has failed to get unanimous agreement on the future of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) during EU farm ministers' talks in Brussels.
The UK, Sweden and Latvia objected to the final French draft on EU farm policy after 2013.
The CAP farm support scheme is the biggest item of EU spending - absorbing about 55bn euros (£45bn) annually - about 40% of the entire EU budget.

For more information click here.

Africa's Green Revolution

From the begging bowl to the bread basket: in just two years, Malawi has gone from famine to food surplus - according to national statistics.

Smallholder farmers are being given access to new crop breeds; fertilisers; irrigation systems; and new techniques in crop rotation and soil management.

Agro-science is helping families to cope with climate change and helping Malawi to buck the trend in neighbouring African countries.