The country's first ever retrospective EIA finds that eight five-storey accommodation blocks built by Oxford University caused 'substantial' damage to historic views of the City's dreaming spires, writes Matthew Sherrington. Planners and University want to 'learn lessons' and move on - but campaigners are determined to cut the carbuncles down to size ...
Oxford University must put right the damage it has caused Matthew Sherrington | 14th November 2014 Activism Cities Development before-and-after.jpg The country's first ever retrospective EIA finds …
Tatyana Novikova has been fighting an unsafe nuclear power plant right on the country's border with Lithuania. She spoke to Chris Garrard about her campaign, the official persecution of anti-nuclear activists, and her invocation of the Aarhus Convention to the anti-nuclear cause.
Belarus - fighting nuclear power in the shadow of Chernobyl Chris Garrard | 28th July 2014 Comment Nuclear Power Belarus Russia EU Human Rights Lithuania tatiana-aarhus-cut.jpg Tatyana Novikova has …
In a radical departure from it's 'pro free speech' rhetoric, Australia's 'Liberal' government wants to ban environmental boycotts. But as Bill Laurance writes, eco-boycotts are not only an effective tool for reining in corporate excesses - they are also a key democratic right.
… its old-growth wood products . Environmental campaigns such as this one have become an … people trying to make a living off the land. Campaigns and boycotts get the attention of … said the move would be aimed at "dishonest campaigns" , singling out the campaign …
Oregon's 'Yes on 92' GMO labeling supporters are just 809 votes from winning, forcing a recount in which they are confident of prevailing - despite being hugely outspent by a corporate 'no' campaign that received nearly $5 million from Monsanto alone.
… and provided legal and grassroots support to campaigns in Oregon to ban the planting of GE … In all, companies funding anti-labeling campaigns have spent over $100 million in just …
Every now and then I am sent a book to review that is an absolute pleasure to read from cover to cover, writes Virginia Moffatt. This marvellous collection of interviews and essays by world-changing women activists is precisely one such book.
Here We Stand - women changing the world Virginia Moffatt | 28th August 2014 Reviews Campaigning Climate Change WMD angie-zelter-cut.jpg Every now and then I am sent a book to review that is an …
Ellie Harrison explains how her concerns about climate change led to her founding two dynamic campaigns to make Britain's vital national infrastructure publicly owned and accountable once more.
… change led to her founding two dynamic campaigns to make Britain's vital national …
After a two year celebrity-backed campaign, Brazil is finally expelling invaders from the ancestral rainforests of the Awa Indians - just in time to avoid embarrassing World Cup protests.
Amazon: loggers, ranchers expelled from Awa lands The Ecologist | 26th February 2014 News Forests Brazil Indigenous Peoples awa-logging-camp.png After a two year celebrity-backed campaign, Brazil is …
A company bidding to undertake 'underground coal gasification (UGC) - a notoriously hazardous and polluting process - in the UK has threatened a Scottish clean energy campaigner: shut up or get sued. Paul Mobbs reports ...
Coal gas company warns - stop campaigning or we will sue Paul Mobbs | 18th May 2014 News Fossil Fuels UK UGC Corporations Law ugc-process-cut.png A company bidding to undertake 'underground coal …
This day 20 years ago one of Britain's most committed and effective environmental campaigners died trying to save a coastal forest in southern Madagascar from mining, writes Yvonne Orengo. The world has been a poorer place without Andrew Lees - and his fears for the Petriky forest and local indigenous communities have been proved all too close to the mark.
… paint, and sunscreen. At the time, Andrew was Campaigns Director at Friends of the Earth UK … his home. One of his first successful campaigns was to protect the Halvergate … He went on to fight many high profile campaigns, including toxic waste dumping in …
The essential first lesson for an animal rescuer: you are unimportant. It's the animals that matter. Sophie Morlin-Yron meets Jan Creamer - effective, courageous and seemingly selfless campaigner against animal cruelty worldwide, from Bolivia to Zambia, from circuses to factory farms.
… and Bogota, Creamer's non-profit organisation campaigns across the globe, largely against … insists. The reason behind the success of the campaigns against animals in entertainment, …
Thousands of wounded Gazans are awaiting medical treatment, writes Veronica Vickery, with many of Gaza's hospitals damaged or destroyed. Meanwhile a health crisis looms with the coming winter, amid a failing water and sewage system. One way the UK can help: send our hospital ship RFA Argus to provide essential medical aid.
Britain's hospital ship to Gaza! Veronica Vickery | 23rd September 2014 Comment Middle East Health rfa-argus-cut.jpg Thousands of wounded Gazans are awaiting medical treatment, writes Veronica …
Daniel Raven-Ellison is a man with a big idea - making London the world's first 'National Park City' to safeguard, and promote the enjoyment of London's myriad natural treasures, writes Lucy Anna Scott. Is he bonkers? Probably. But with a growing band of backers getting behind his bold vision, who cares?
'He is bonkers?' Daniel Raven-Ellison on a Greater London National Park Lucy Anna Scott | 7th October 2014 Comment UK Cities Natural World dre.jpg Daniel Raven-Ellison is a man with a big idea - …
First the Government failed to include a Forests Bill in its legislative programme, writes Owen Adams. Next, campaigners spotted that the Infrastructure Bill enables a wholesale selloff of public lands. Just how safe are Britain's public lands and forests?
… HOOF and other members of the national Forest Campaigns Network urged them to show their … is Secretary of Hands Off Our Forest, which campaigns to keep the Forest of Dean public. …
At first it looked like a journalistic coup, writes Neil Crumpton - the BBC's 'scoop' that FOE was no longer opposed to nuclear power. Except that FOE remains firmly anti-nuclear as it has been for decades. The spotlight must now be turned on the BBC itself, and its little-known but shocking links to the nuclear industry
… to nuclear power. It was news to the group's campaigns director, Craig Bennett, who had … limited energy and funding on more winnable campaigns. So any shift regarding 'closure …
A 62-year old pipeline across New England could be used to carry hazardous tar sand crude oil from Canada to the Atlantic, writes Meg Berlin. But communities across Vermont are campaigning to block the project that imperils waters, people and wildlife ...
Vermont stands against the tar sands pipeline Meg Berlin | 31st March 2014 Activism Fossil Fuels Canada USA Water Pollution vt-kalamazoo-rupture.png Lake Memphremagog, Vermont, imperilled by tar …
Those who finance and direct strategic campaigns to undermine the public's ability to develop and voice informed opinions on climate change should - writes Lawrence Rorcello - face criminal penalties.
… Those who finance and direct strategic campaigns to undermine the public's ability to … activities. Those funding climate denial campaigns can reasonably predict the public's …
Lawrence Torcello argued that those who fund climate change denial in order to undermine the public's understanding of science should be held 'criminally and morally negligent'. He was unprepared for the ensuing torrent of misrepresentation and hatred.
… praise from the A long litany of hate campaigns But the treatment meted out to …
Cancer Research UK's slogan is 'Let's beat cancer sooner'. But Georgina Downs wonders why it ignores the role of pesticides sprayed on crop fields - which is a recognised cause of cancer - and why it has spent over £750 million since 2007 on paying its employees.
Pesticides can cause cancer - so why does CRUK ignore them? Georgina Downs | 3rd April 2014 Comment Health Pesticides Farming Society crop-spray.png Cancer Research UK's slogan is 'Let's beat cancer …
After eleven years of campaigning by local people suffering from water shortages, state authorities have closed Coca-Cola's bottling plant at Mehdiganj, Uttar Pradesh - inspiring campaigners at another three Coca Cola sites in India.
India: Coca Cola bottling plant shut down The Ecologist | 19th June 2014 News Corporations India Water Pollution Law Food coca-cola-factory-cut.jpg After eleven years of campaigning by local people …
The US fossil fuel industry has been caught red-handed spying on green activists. But Adam Federman finds it has received poor value for money - and is no closer to tackling the 'existential crisis' it faces.
… profiled activist organizations and their campaigns on everything from energy and … produced successful rallies for presidential campaigns, corporations and interest groups." … third of its 2010 budget - on a series of ad campaigns promoting the energy industry. API's …
Anyone working to protect badgers from culling will know of Dominic Dyer - wildlife advocate and new director of the Badger Trust. Lesley Docksey met him 'on the hoof' at a recent march - and found out just why the badger campaign is so important to him.
Dominic Dyer, badger champion Lesley Docksey | 9th April 2014 Comment Natural World Badgers Campaigning Politics Farming dominic-dyer-exeter.jpg Anyone working to protect badgers from culling will …
No letup in pressure: new consumer campaign builds off recent victory in getting General Mills to remove GMOs from Original Cheerios.
General Mills - get GMOs out of Honey Nut Cheerios! The Ecologist | 22nd January 2014 Activism GMOs Food Farming Gm Food cheerios-honey-nut.png No letup in pressure: new consumer campaign builds off …
Economics claims to be a science - yet it fails to engage with the world's only real economic actors - people, not theorems. It's time to rethink economics, write David Boyle and Andrew Simms, and ask the revolutionary question: 'What if ... ?'
What if ... economics became a science? David Boyle Andrew Simms | 3rd February 2014 Comment Economics Green Economy yam-market-africa.png Economics claims to be a science - yet it fails to engage …
In the lead-up to tonight's Earth Hour one organisation is putting the creative community on the front lines of the battle for climate change. Rebecca Cooke reports on the remarkable series of 29 posters to provoke and intrigue us into climate action.
Tonight's Earth Hour - it's really about what you do next ... Rebecca Cooke | 29th March 2014 Ethical Living Climate Change Arts Energy Transport Farming dtgt-school-run.png In the lead-up to …