The UK government is about to deregulate gene editing – so what just happened?
… Genetically Modified Organisms GMs Gm DEFRA Editor’s Picks … the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (Defra) launched a public consultation on its … researchers and institutions need only notify Defra of their intention to conduct a trial. …
Lack of government action on waste crime could see rise in fly-tipping, illegal waste sites, and evasion of landfill tax, a new report reveals.
… Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said the Defra was not doing enough to support councils … in 2007/08, the report said. It warned that: “Defra, if it is serious about eliminating … Fly-tipping The report urged Defra, the Environment Agency and HM Revenue …
MP's report leaves environmentalists facing a dilemma, should they allow GM crop trials or not?
… addressed,' said Efra chairman Michael Jack. 'Defra should help broker more trials to allow … and Bunge. Land-grabbing MPs criticised Defra for not taking seriously the issue of … In giving evidence to MPs earlier this year, Defra secretary of state Hilary Benn had said …
Current 'dump it or burn it' mindset can only be resolved by moving away from incineration and landfill and aiming for a zero waste policy, say campaigners
… as Energy from Waste (EfW). In response to a Defra consultation on the future of waste, … said UKWIN national coordinator Shlomo Dowen. Defra's consultation closes on October 7th … potential household waste incineration sites Defra guide to incineration READ MORE... …
Whether it’s plastic bottles or old magazines, Valentina Jovanovski has a creative way to turn it into something entirely new
… towards reuse was emphasised by a recent DEFRA report, which revealed that a shocking … seem like an obvious one but, according to DEFRA, the UK produces 7 million tonnes of …
Biogas - a methane-rich fuel made from rotting food waste or sewage - has huge potential as a clean, green fuel for the UK. But a perverse web of subsidies, rules and contracts could mean UK councils are about to kiss goodbye to the real power of waste...
… Utilities and National Grid won £4.3m from Defra to fund a pilot project at the Davyhulme … your waste - interactive graphic source: Defra website Of course, AD cannot process … legal and technical advisors, banks, Defra – pushes councils towards big …
Can organic farming feed the world? Ed Hamer and Mark Anslow say yes, but we must farm and eat differently
… for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) over the past three years have shown … 1,000 miles from plot to plate. 18 In 2005, Defra released a comprehensive report on food … 19 Defra (2005) The Validity of Food Miles as an …
Mel Poluck visits a flagship environmental project that rescues, reuses and recycles tonnes of wood destined for landfills, doing much the same for those it employs
… for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Meanwhile, the Brighton and Hove Wood …
Rates of recycling in England and Wales differ markedly from region to region, with some city areas faring particularly badly, according to new figures.
… of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) show that North Kesteven District …
In August 2006, German chemicals company BASF applied to start GM potato field trials
in Cambridge and Derbyshire as early as next spring. The GM industry is making many
claims about this product, but are these based on the truth? Andy Rees investigates
… a previous year’s dropped tubers or seed); Defra itself has acknowledged this problem. … and GM grass pollen 21km. Meanwhile, good ol’ Defra is once again paving the way for the …
Recent reports of catastrophic declines in bee populations have had scientists buzzing around looking for a plausible explanation. Is it mites? Is it GM crops? Is it mobile phones or habitat loss? It's all of these things, says Pat Thomas, but it's also so much more than that.
… What needs to happen next? Defra spends just over a million pounds a year … colony losses of up to 90 per cent this year, Defra insists that no definite conclusions can … it have to go on, before we also take action? Defra must take the plight of our bees …
As UK supermarkets scramble to reduce packaging in the face of growing legislation and consumer demand, Aimee Steen talks exclusively to those tackling the problem at high street stores and asks what role customers have to play
… for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the UK met the last target in 2008 … be set following consultation. Bodies such as Defra and the Waste and Resources Action …
Member of steering group resigns claiming the Food Standard Agency's (FSA) £500,000 public dialogue on genetically modified (GM) food is ignoring key issues about GM feed and labelling
… for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) or the Department for Business, …
The global use of glyphosate has rocketed over the last decade thanks to the introduction of 'Roundup ready' GM crops, writes Vanessa Amaral-Rogers. But since IARC classified the chemical a 'probable carcinogen', and with the spread of resistant superweeds, the tide may finally be turning.
… in up to 30% of samples tested by the Defra committee on Pesticide Residues in Food …
Calls to bring forward ban on recyclable material sent to landfill increase, as reports emerge of big increases in the quantity of textile waste being dumped
… Hate Waste ' campaign since November 2007 and Defra has also announced plans to reform …
Our growing demand for cheap feed to produce cheap meat is exacting a terrible human and environmental price. But the solutions are clear, and are within our reach
… for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) published a new report promising a …
After a week of events throughout the UK aimed at highlighting the health risks of eating genetically modified foods, Pat Thomas highlights a key health message that many of us have missed.....
… campaign director at GM Freeze argues that Defra are cherry picking their science to fit …
Workers are dying in Bangladesh’s shipyards because the west's shipping industry - including UK companies - is not taking responsibility for the disposal of ageing vessels
… for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said that brokers were advising …
In the past decade, the sales pitch of the biotech companies has shifted with the climate of public opinion. Public scepticism has remained high, but politicians seem to have bought enthusiastically into the GM ‘solution’. In many ways this encapsulates where science has gone wrong – by inventing technologies without first deciding what problems need addressing. If GM crops are the answer, what exactly is the problem?
… available and four more in the pipeline. More Defra research and development funding would …
Charities, including Oxfam and Traid, which rely on donations of unwanted clothes are facing an escalating theft problem - which could undermine public confidence in recycling and increase clothing waste, reports Louise Hunt