Why the best world-changing ideas begin in your neighbourhood

John-Paul Flintoff

22nd May, 2012

Your ideas for changing the world may be desperately important. But if you can't find a way to engage the interests of the people around you they may never take off, argues John-Paul Flintoff more...

Ireland's 'Grow it Yourself' self-help food growing community coming to the UK

Rebecca Campbell

16th May, 2012

Grow It Yourself is a popular community organisation with a vision of bringing people together in a sustainable and healthier way through organic food growing. Now it has plans to launch further afield in the UK more...

TAKE ACTION to start a British clean energy revolution

Mark Briggs

11th May, 2012

Friends of the Earth are calling on Prime Minister David Cameron, and Energy Secretary Ed Davey to wean the UK off fossil fuels and create a 'Clean British Energy Revolution' more...

Paraguay's small farmers defend livelihoods against industrial soya production

Grace Philip

8th May, 2012

A new film, Raising Resistance, gives a telling account of how Paraguay's small farmers are suffering social and environmental ills from the country's meteoric rise in soya farming more...

A midwife's manifesta on how to have a fearless birth

Laura Sevier

4th May, 2012

Birth Matters, a new book by pioneering midwife Ina May Gaskin aims to empower women to gain control over their bodies in order to have the kind of birth they want more...

Meat matters: London restaurants gear up for ‘nose-to-tail' fortnight

Mark Briggs

1st May, 2012

Chefs aim to prevent good food going to waste by serving up offal and other rare meat cuts during the 'nose to tail' fortnight organised by Sustain more...

TAKE ACTION to connect the dots on climate change

Mark Briggs

27th April, 2012

Take action with campaign group 350.org to ‘connect the dots' of climate change and extreme weather more...

How solar power came to a Brixton council estate

Mark Briggs

25th April, 2012

Following a successful share issue, the UK's first 100 per cent community owned inner-city social housing solar power project went live last month. Mark Briggs visited to find out more more...

TAKE ACTION to end cosmetic testing on animals

Mark Briggs

24th April, 2012

Lush Cosmetics have teamed up with the Humane Society International to launch a campaign to ensure long-awaited proposals banning products tested on animals outside the EU are fully enforced more...

How to start a co-operative in five steps

Giles Simon

20th April, 2012

From artisan bakers to green energy schemes, co-operative businesses, owned and run by members, are enjoying a renaissance. Here the co-operative trade association offers a practical guide to creating your own more...

Six reasons to become an urban beekeeper

Zion Lights

19th April, 2012

Urban beekeeping will help boost the UK's declining bee population. Here are six reasons to get involved more...

EIA: 'Anti-corruption activists need help bringing iIlegal loggers to justice'

Faith Doherty

17th April, 2012

The Environmental Investigation Agency's forestry campaigner Faith Doherty welcomes a new report by the World Bank calling for stronger action to stop forestry corruption, but says more support is needed to help activists follow the money trail more...

CAMPAIGN HERO: Martín von Hildebrand on indigenous rights in the Colombian Amazon

Mark Briggs

13th April. 2012

The veteran campaigner talks to the Ecologist about the ongoing struggle to secure indigenous land rights and how he successfully took the Colombian government to court more...

TAKE ACTION: Support Friends of the Earth's National Bee Action Plan

Mark Briggs

11th April, 2012

In China, pear trees have had to be pollinated by hand after bees were wiped out by industrial farming. Now FOE have launched a petition to get the UK government to help halt the decline in Britain's own bee population more...

TAKE ACTION to protect 'free from' labelling on skincare products

Mark Briggs

10th April, 2012

Knowing what isn't in a beauty product can be as important as knowing what is. New EU legislation threatens to restrict the 'free from' term on skincare labels but Neal's Yard Remedies say this penalises those that go out of their way to ensure products are safe more...

10 ways to save money on food without compromising your principles

Joanna Blythman

3rd April, 2012

In an extract from her new book What to Eat, investigative journalist Joanna Blythman offers top tips on how to make your food pound go further without scrimping on what you believe in more...

Why communal living is the 21st century answer to low carbon life

Zoe Foster

30th March, 2012

When Zoe Foster went with her family to live in a intentional cohousing community she didn't know what to expect. Five months in and she has discovered that it's not about what you give up, but what you give that is so enriching more...

Why jeans buck the fast-fashion phenomenon

Sophie Woodward

28th March, 2012

Denim has been in fashion since the early 19th century, which is why it is in the ultimate 'slow fashion' statement. Wear yours worn and ragged, and the older the better argues Sophie Woodward more...

RESPONSE: The flawed arguments behind biomass

Robert Palgrave

27th March, 2012

Is biomass really a low-carbon, sustainable energy source? Industry group Back Biomass say yes while watchdog group Biofuelwatch says no more...

Occupy World Street: a call to action for the '99 per cent'

Matilda Lee

21st March, 2012

The Ecologist speaks to author, activist and former businessman Ross Jackson about his idea for a roadmap for radical economic and political reform more...

Charity donations: how to spot the most effective good causes

Caroline Fiennes

21st March, 2012

Many of us support charities which work on some of the biggest environmental issues of our time. But which are the good ones, and how can we really help? Caroline Fiennes, author of 'It ain't what you give, it's the way that you give it', finds out more...

Ethical fashion: learning how to clean up the clothing industry

Priyanka Mogul

20th March, 2012

From cotton seeds to high street clothing racks, the Fair Wear Foundation's new film links the myriad processes in the clothing chain and shows how you can make a difference in supporting a more ethical clothing industry more...

TAKE ACTION: tell George Osborne to promote economic recovery through green growth

Rebecca Campbell

16th March, 2012

Ahead of next week's budget, the RSPB is calling on you to remind the Chancellor not to forsake the environment on the road to economic recovery more...

Climate Week's Kevin Steele: 'We must focus on solutions, not problems'

Matilda Lee

13th March, 2012

This week thousands of groups and communities will ACT on climate change as part of Climate Week. Founder Kevin Steele speaks to the Ecologist about what it takes to maximise momentum in the climate movement more...

Climate justice: Scotland pioneers new fund to help poor countries with adaptation

Chris Hegarty

13th March, 2012

After leading the way on climate legislation with the 2009 Climate Change Act, the Scottish government are now putting their money where their mouth is with the creation of the Climate Justice Fund to pay for developing country adaption projects more...