Blog Post

Plant A Tree  Week

  • by Paul Jackson
  • 27 Nov, 2019

Go on, get your boots on....plant a tree

This week is Plant a Tree Week and during a recent meeting I learned about both the local ideas to get engaged with this initiative, as well as grants that are available and free tree schemes such as TCV https://www.tcv.org.uk/ or the Woodlandtrust #freetrees

One great example is at Cuttermoon Lodge  https://www.cuttermoonlodge.com/ #cuttermoon , a beautiful, remote country lodge in the Worcestershire countryside.  Here the owners have ambitions to develop their neighbouring field by planting trees and developing a wooded area to enhance the wildlife and aesthetic nature of their lodge - a simple but effective contribution to the planet #ExtinctionRebellion #CPRE
by Paul Jackson 28 November 2019
These three hibay fittings in a local sports-centre had three colours of lamp and just look poor, but worse they give a different frequency of light increasing risk of migraine or epilepsy - pick one colour and stick with it!
by Paul Jackson 9 November 2019
The Wembley Arch is over 130 metres tall and  has a 315 metre span but what is it for.  Allegedly, it was the longest lead-time item which needed to be procured as it was required in the construction  and support of the stadium roof however as the cost of the stadium increased and spiraled out of control, the roof size and thus weight reduced suggesting by some that the arch was somewhat over-engineered.  With such items, it is essential that the procurement team identify what is fit-for-purpose, and make sure that such aspects are not over-engineered and meet the budget set out in the original business case,   Its evolution into the iconic symbol of Wembley has of course now justified its multi-million pound investment for many, though the enormity of the investment in the new Wembley stadium will often be questioned by those who thought a simpler more affordable design would have been a better use of funds for a stadium not in constant use.

Also, as separate point, please can we turn the lights off during the day to save cash and carbon!!!!
by Paul Jackson 9 November 2019
The challenges of Lithium Battery explosions, ignitions and discharge events has dropped off the radar a little in recent months however the changes in legislation, logistical requirements, packaging and labeling are making shipment of product more and more problematic.  Make sure your battery initiatives and strategy are reviewed regularly, it is becoming one of the biggest headaches for organisations with batteries particularly after an incident.  Product recalls are not uncommon, however getting product back to the factory can be a huge challenge, something LithiumBatteryRecall.com - a sister company to Vidblinqz - is heavily involved with.
by Paul Jackson 9 November 2019
Really impressed by the Kent Fire & Rescue Multi-Million Pound Road Safety Experience designed to highlight to drivers the consequences of their driving actions on themselves, on others and on the Fire Service.  This effort to generate more understanding is intended to help reduce the demand on the Fire Service and make them more efficient...an investment in education can help smooth the Supply Chain's demand profile.
by Paul Jackson 31 October 2019
You can easily get hold of toilet hippos from your local water provider.  This one is from Northern Ireland Water and fits inside old toilet cisterns to reduce the amount of water in each flush.  Up until 1992, the flush rate required by law was 1.5 litres per second, after that time, it became 1 litre per second.....every little helps
by Paul Jackson 31 October 2019
This is the Rima River Valley in the Sahara Desert in Northern Nigeria - due to the construction of the Rima River Dam near Sokoto, an extensive focus on irrigation, sustainable fertilization and efficient composting, a 400 mile long strip of desert has been transformed into lush and fertile farming land......a success story in water and land management coupled with sustainable thinking and a chunk of World Bank funding.
by Paul Jackson 31 October 2019
There are of course some areas in the world where there is a distinct lack of water - read about the demise of the Aral Sea in central Asia on the BBC website, water was diverted south during the Soviet era to furnish the cotton plantations and the sea just dried up!
by Paul Jackson 31 October 2019
In Papendrecht in the  Netherlands, giant corkscrews churn 24 hours a day to pump water out of the city and prevent it flooding.  The city lies below sea level so without these pumps there would be no city, in years gone by, windmills performed this task, but these are much more effective, though not sure what will happen if sea levels rise substantially!!!!   The countrry has however delivered a contingency plan to prevent flooding
by Paul Jackson 31 October 2019
When the weather forecast for your area looks like this, its not difficult to forecast flooding as a consequence!!!!!!
by Paul Jackson 31 October 2019
I thought I would share with you a picture of the flooding in my local town of Worcester.... In Procurement & Supply Chain Management the issue of Force Majeure (or Act of God) incidents can have a huge and sometimes devastating impact on the delivery of goods and services on time and budget.  Whilst it is recognised that some factors are in theory outside of a organisation's control, this does little to ease the angst of the customer.  Wherever possible, effective risk analysis and the availability of contingency plans can help alleviate such circumstances, but underpinning this is the need for the professional Procurement and Supply Chain management person to forecast effectively and to be prepared.
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