The green revolution has not passed the agriculture industry by. Farmers are increasingly turning to eco-friendly pesticides to tend their crops – pesticides which have low toxicity and high efficacy. Termed bio-pesticides, they are a recent development in the fields of biotechnology and molecular biology.

Bio-chemicals and microbials are two types of bio-pesticides. Bio-chemicals are non-toxic and are similar to naturally occurring substances in their structure and functionality. Biochemical pesticides control pests without toxins, unlike most traditional pesticides that kill the pests. Microbial pesticides are genetically modified organisms such as bacteria, fungi, protozoans or viruses. Microbial pesticides stop pest by causing a disease to the pest, or by producing a toxin specific to the pest.

When upgrading your PC, there are several things you can look at in a bid to own a more environmentally friendly PC.

Processor
If you are on the lookout for an environmentally friendly processor, go for one with a low thermal design power (sometimes known as thermal dissipation power). The TDP is the meximum amount of power that a processor will consume and therefore dissipate as heat - this means that a processor with a low thermal design power will use up less electricity than one with a high design thermal design power.

Asad are the first UK supermarket to stock ‘Green CDs’. These environmentally friendly CDs give customers the chance to purchase their favourite artists’ music in fully compostable packaging. ASDA have chosen to go for a more eco-friendly product after research indicated that up to 25% of all plastic music covers get thrown away within 12 months of purchase.

The range, named ‘Ecopac’, is manufactured by Universal Music and is made from 100% recycled and recyclable paper-foam. Asda’s parent company Wal-Mart have already had sold more than 2 million CDs using the Ecopac material since it’s debut in their stores 6 months ago.

A survey of 2,000 people across five countries in Europe by research firm Canalys has shown that the majority of European consumers are happy to pay a small premium for environmentally friendly technology.

The research found that 55% of consumers interviewed agree or agreed strongly with the statement ‘I would pay up to a 10% premium for electronic products that were manufactured in a more environmentally conscious way.’ The survey also showed that there was little variation in attitudes between the genders, income groups, or different education levels. Researchers have said this is probably down to the increased media coverage of environment and green issues over the last year which has helped raise the profile of eco-friendly goods across all social groups.

Taking advantage of the latest fashion to ‘go green’, Schroders are offering investors the chance to invest in green shares through their climate change fund. Named the ‘Schroders Global Climate Change Fund’, it offers investors the opportunity to invest in companies who are actively looking to reduce their carbon dependency.

The fund will be launched in September 2007 and will be co-managed by Simon Webber and Matthew Franklin. It is expected that there will be between 50 and 80 stocks.

Desert Wonder

A German architect is behind the latest architectural wonders to be built in Dubai and Bahrain - the office towers are to be the first office towers in the world that produce all their own energy.

The Middle East is currently leading the way in cutting edge architecture, so it comes as no surprise that the latest innovation in buildings is heading their way. With the green issue at the forefront of many nation’s minds, buildings should not just be about beauty, they should also be pushing the frontiers of science and technology. And this is where Eckhard Gerber’s vision comes in.