[MAIPC] Japanese knotweed

Sun Oct 31 06:41:18 PDT 2021

From: aliens-l-request at list.auckland.ac.nz <aliens-l-request at list.auckland.ac.nz> On Behalf Of Marc Imlay
Sent: Saturday, October 30, 2021 9:26 PM
To: aliens-l at list.auckland.ac.nz
Cc: 'Debika Ray' <debika at debikaray.com>
Subject: RE: [Aliens-L] Article about invasive plant species

Use of invasive species as materials for design and architecture and other uses has been discussed previously and consensus was that it is a good idea if we do not become dependent on the invasive species. When it is eradicated, switch to a non-invasive substitute, Do not plant it.

Marc Imlay

Maryland Sierra Club

Mid-Atlantic Invasive Plant Council

From: aliens-l-request at list.auckland.ac.nz <mailto:aliens-l-request at list.auckland.ac.nz>  <aliens-l-request at list.auckland.ac.nz <mailto:aliens-l-request at list.auckland.ac.nz> > On Behalf Of Shyama Pagad
Sent: Saturday, October 30, 2021 7:06 PM
To: 'aliens-l Mailing List' <aliens-l at list.auckland.ac.nz <mailto:aliens-l at list.auckland.ac.nz> >
Cc: Debika Ray <debika at debikaray.com <mailto:debika at debikaray.com> >
Subject: Re: [Aliens-L] Article about invasive plant species

FYI

I’m a UK-based journalist and I’m researching an article about the potential use of invasive species as materials for design and architecture – for example, using Japanese knotweed to make furniture (some examples in the links below). As well as speaking to the designers themselves, I need to consult experts who can comment from an ecologist/biological/legal perspective on the risks, challenges and opportunities of working with such materials. If you have any knowledge of this area, I’d be happy to hear from you on debika at debikaray.com <mailto:debika at debikaray.com> . Thanks!

https://www.atelier-luma.org/en/projects/invasive-plants-club
https://www.atelier-luma.org/en/stories/une-semaine-dans-les-atelier-de-tedac-valoriser-la-renouee-du-japon
https://leibal.com/furniture/3kg-bench/
https://www.dezeen.com/2021/04/16/researchers-create-bio-concrete-from-invasive-plant-and-animal-species/
https://notweedpaper.com/

Debika Ray

website: debikaray.com <https://www.debikaray.com/> 

instagram: @debikaray <https://www.instagram.com/debikaray/> 

twitter: @debikaray <https://twitter.com/debikaray> 

On 28 Oct 2021, at 10:16, Shyama Pagad <s.pagad at auckland.ac.nz <mailto:s.pagad at auckland.ac.nz> > wrote:

Dear Debika

Happy to post but you will need to write a message with details and send it to me with a request to Aliens-L members to respond and I can post it copying you

Regards

Shyama

From: Debika Ray <debika at debikaray.com <mailto:debika at debikaray.com> > 
Sent: Thursday, 28 October 2021 9:42 PM
To: Shyama Pagad <s.pagad at auckland.ac.nz <mailto:s.pagad at auckland.ac.nz> >
Cc: Piero Genovesi <piero.genovesi at isprambiente.it <mailto:piero.genovesi at isprambiente.it> >; Riccardo Scalera <scalera.riccardo at gmail.com <mailto:scalera.riccardo at gmail.com> >
Subject: Re: Article about invasive plant species

Hi Shyama,

Thanks for getting back to me so quickly. I’ll certainly be getting in touch with a Knotweed focused management group in the UK, but I was also looking for two other experts: someone who can talk about these plans from a biological/scientific/ecological perspective (e.g. unintended consequences, challenges of handling these materials and their potential – ideally from an international standpoint, rather than being specifically UK focused) and someone who can outline the legal challenges associated with them. 

I’d be very grateful if you could post on the Aliens-L list for me – thanks for offering. I’m guessing it’s more likely that I’ll get responses from the former group of people (biologists/ecologists) there? To clarify, at the moment, I’m gathering preliminary research for my editor before she agrees for me to go ahead with the article, so I’m really just looking for names of potential experts commentators at this stage, rather than doing any interviews.

Many thanks,

Debika

Debika Ray

website: debikaray.com <https://www.debikaray.com/> 

instagram: @debikaray <https://www.instagram.com/debikaray/> 

twitter: @debikaray <https://twitter.com/debikaray> 

On 27 Oct 2021, at 23:52, Shyama Pagad <s.pagad at auckland.ac.nz <mailto:s.pagad at auckland.ac.nz> > wrote:

Greetings Debika

Thank you for you message. Based in the UK I am aware of many Knotweed focused management groups. They may be the best persons to contact.

You could post a message on our Aliens-L list with a request. I can post it on your behalf and copy you in if you like. It reaches over 1500 subscribers across the world.

Kind regards

SHyama

From: Debika Ray <debika at debikaray.com <mailto:debika at debikaray.com> > 
Sent: Wednesday, 27 October 2021 11:31 PM
To: Piero.Genovesi at isprambiente.it <mailto:Piero.Genovesi at isprambiente.it> ; Shyama Pagad <s.pagad at auckland.ac.nz <mailto:s.pagad at auckland.ac.nz> >; Scalera.Riccardo at gmail.com <mailto:Scalera.Riccardo at gmail.com> 
Subject: Article about invasive plant species

Hi Piero, Shyama and Riccardo,

I hope you are well. I’m a journalist based in London specialising in design and architecture, and I’m researching an potential article about whether invasive plant species such as Japanese knotweed could be used as materials in the context of design - e.g. to make furniture or other objects (some examples below):

https://www.atelier-luma.org/en/projects/invasive-plants-club

https://www.atelier-luma.org/en/stories/une-semaine-dans-les-atelier-de-tedac-valoriser-la-renouee-du-japon

https://leibal.com/furniture/3kg-bench/

https://www.dezeen.com/2021/04/16/researchers-create-bio-concrete-from-invasive-plant-and-animal-species/

https://notweedpaper.com/

I was hoping you could suggest some experts who I might be able to consult on the risks (both environmental and legal) and opportunities of these proposals and the practical viability of scaling up such solutions?

Many thanks,

Debika

Debika Ray

website: debikaray.com <https://www.debikaray.com/> 

instagram: @debikaray <https://www.instagram.com/debikaray/> 

twitter: @debikaray <https://twitter.com/debikaray> 

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