Farming should not only sustain people with healthy food, writes Jigmi Y. Thinley. If humans are to survive on Earth, it must also revitalise nature and sustain vital planetary systems, instead of poisoning and over-exploiting them. And to do that farming must be organic.
Earth's vitality and the power of happiness Jigmi Y. Thinley | 19th June 2014 Activism Food Farming Oceans Climate Change Water broad-beans-cut.jpg Farming should not only sustain people with healthy …
As millions join in climate marches and other actions around the world, writes Ronnie Cummins, the 'mainstream' focus on energy is missing the 55% of emissions that come from mismanaged land and destroyed forests. The key is to replace industrial agriculture worldwide with productive, regenerative organic farming that puts carbon back in the soil.
… no hope. We, the members of the regenerative organics movement, invite you to educate … yourself about the good news of regenerative organics and natural carbon sequestration. … . We, the members of the regenerative organics movement, invite you to educate …
On current trends the world will contain 33 billion tonnes of plastic by 20150, writes Mae Wan Ho, and much of it will litter the oceans, concentrating toxins and damaging marine life throughout the food chain. The alternative is to classify the most toxic plastics as 'hazardous waste', and for all plastics to be reused and recycled in 'closed loop' systems.
Fighting the plastic plague in our oceans Dr Mae-Wan Ho | 13th February 2015 News Oceans Waste Toxics Recycling beach-plastic-qr-mexico-cut.jpg On current trends the world will contain 33 billion …
The Food Forest Project provides healthy, organic food for local communities and habitats for wildlife.
Food forests Joe St Clair | 19th July 2019 News Food And Farming Forests Resurgence & Ecologist screenshot_2019-07-19_at_01.12.00.png The Food Forest Project provides healthy, organic food for local …
Orcas from Puget Sound and the Strait of Georgia are under threat,in large part due to toxic organic compounds in the marine food chain, writes Sierra Rayne. To give them a fighting chance, the nearby community of Victoria, British Columbia must install advanced sewage treatment - rather than just dump its wastewater largely untreated into the orcas' ocean home.
… working on the environmental fate of toxic organics such as PBDEs and dioxins in the …
Rising levels of carbon dioxide don't just cause global warming, writes Jason Hall-Spencer. Another consequence is acidifying oceans - which promises to disrupt marine ecology around the world, killing off oysters and corals, while boosting 'nuisance species' like stinging jellyfish.
Attack of the stinging jellyfish: the winners of ocean acidification Jason Hall-Spencer Plymouth University | 16th December 2015 Comment Oceans Climate Change COP21 Ecology Fishing jellyfish-cut.jpg …
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization's definition of 'forest' includes commercial plantations of fast growing trees - often replacing biodiverse native forests relied on by local communities. FAO must stop using this mis-definition to claim that forests are expanding, when the reverse is the case.
FAO - a plantation is not a forest! Via Campesina many more | 26th December 2014 Comment Forests Indigenous Peoples Farming Land Grabs Un eucalyptus-sa-cut.jpg The UN Food and Agriculture …
For long periods animals in ancient oceans could live only in shallow surface waters, above vast 'dead zones' inhabited only by anoxic bacteria, writes Richard Pancost. Human activity is now creating immense new dead zones, and global warming could be helping as it reduces vertical mixing of waters. Could this be the beginning of something big?
Ancient 'dead seas' offer a stark warning for our own future Richard Pancost University of Bristol | 29th January 2016 Comment Oceans Ecology Geology Pollution plesiosaur-cut.jpg For long periods …
Oxygen levels in our oceans are falling, writes Lee Bryant, producing growing 'dead zones' where only the hardiest organisms can survive. The causes are simple: pollution with nutrient-rich wastes, and global warming. But the only solution is to stop it happening - or wait for 1,000 years.
Ocean 'dead zones' are spreading - and that spells disaster for fish Lee Bryant | 9th April 2015 News Oceans Pollution Farming Waste red-tide-dead-fish-cut.jpg Oxygen levels in our oceans are …
Beijing is to plant trees over an area 200 times the size of Central Park in the city's latest effort to neutralise its choking pollution. But Jun Yang asks - how much will the trees really help, unless accompanied by drastic reductions in emissions?
Beijing's $5bn tree project - will it cut pollution? Jun Yang | 16th March 2014 Comment China Pollution Forests Cities beijing-tree-smog.png Beijing is to plant trees over an area 200 times the size …
Increased atmospheric CO2 is doing much more than warming the Earth, writes Tony Juniper - it's also acidifying oceans, something that is already having major impacts on ocean ecology in the Southern Ocean and the North Atlantic. Likely effects: more CO2 in the atmosphere, more jellyfish.
COP21 warned on global warming's evil twin - acidifying oceans Tony Juniper | 3rd December 2015 News Oceans Climate Change Ecology Science coccolith-cut.jpg Increased atmospheric CO2 is doing much …
Plastic pollution in the oceans is impacting every level of marine life, writes Kate Rawles, from micro-plankton to whales. And here is your chance to do something about it - join a research expedition to the Azores next month to study the problem and develop solutions!
Microplastic ocean pollution - will you join our research voyage? Kate Rawles | 5th August 2014 Comment Oceans Pollution Consumerism Toxics Oil Science rozalia-fishing-plastic-ceri-lewis-cut.jpg …
High levels of toxins mercury and cadmium have been found in all organs of the whales recently beached on Scotland's North Sea coast, including the brain. The research shows that rising mercury levels in the oceans leads to toxic stress in the long-lived marine mammals.
Heavy metal poisoning in Scotland's beached whales The Ecologist | 15th February 2016 News Oceans Cetaeans UK Scotland Pollution Toxics Health pilot-whale-cut.jpg High levels of toxins mercury and …
The entire marine food chain is in danger of collapse because of a decline in tiny phytoplankton, which scientists are linking to climate change and rising ocean surface temperatures.
Marine food chain hit by ocean global warming The Ecologist | 29th July 2010 News Marine Oceans Natural World Climate Change Fishing plankton.jpg The entire marine food chain is in danger of collapse …
How do you solve a problem like deforestation? By a change of diet, writes Laura Kehoe. Scientists have discovered that we can feed the world and stop destroying forests by eating less meat. If we all went vegetarian that would reduce deforestation by 94%. And if we went the whole way to veganism enough land would be freed up for a new forest the size of the Amazon, and allow a widespread shift to organic farming systems.
Eat less meat to reforest the Earth! Laura Kehoe | 27th April 2016 Comment Farming Food Amazon Forests Climate Change amazon cattle ranch.jpg How do you solve a problem like deforestation? By a …
Forest communities are fighting increasing incursions onto their land by US oil companies. Now the Belizean government is seeking to reverse a court ruling preventing them allowing oil exploration, logging or mining. Robin Llewellyn reports from Belize
Mayan people battle oil giants as Belize's rainforests threatened Robin Llewellyn | 10th February 2012 News Politics And Economics Oil Forests Investigations dscf8889.jpg Forest communities are …
Is the species that dwells peacefully within its habitat with respect for the rights of other species the one that is inferior? Or is it the species that wages a holy war against its habitat, destroying all species that irritate it? Paul Watson questions man's monopoly on advanced brain power, and finds a planet suffused with a far deeper intelligence than our own.
The cetacean brain and hominid perceptions of cetacean intelligence Captain Paul Watson | 22nd August 2014 Comment Oceans Ecology whale-shark-diver-cut.jpg Is the species that dwells peacefully …
It's not just people, animals and trees that suffer from radiation at Chernobyl, writes Rachel Nuwer, but also decomposer fungi and microbes. And with the buildup of dead wood comes the risk of catastrophic fire - which could spread radiation far and wide.
Chernobyl's forests - dead wood and leaves preserved by radiation Rachel Nuwer Smithsonian | 24th March 2014 News Forests Ukraine Nuclear Power Radiation Health chernobyl-radiation-map.png It's not …
Since 1948 the UN's Food and Agriculture has been clinging to an outmoded definition of 'forests' that includes industrial wood plantations, writes WRM in this Open Letter for delivery to the FAO today, International Forests Day. This mis-definition seriously harms real forests and forest peoples as it justifies the clearance of real forests and their replacement with cash crops of trees.
FAO: Plantations are not forests! World Rainforest Movement | 21st March 2017 Comment Forests Un Campaigning Indigenous Peoples eucalyptus_plantation_in_final_stages.jpg Since 1948 the UN's Food and …
The world's mussel population could be under threat as rising CO2 levels in atmosphere and oceans makes their shells weaker and more brittle shells - making them more vulnerable to stormy seas, and predation.
Carbon dioxide threat to mussels' shells The Ecologist | 24th December 2014 News Climate Change Oceans mussels-cut.jpg The world's mussel population could be under threat as rising CO2 levels in …
A coalition of fishing, consumer, and environmental groups are suing the FDA for its 'unlawful' approval of Aquabounty's GM salmon, as it relied on treating the fish as an 'animal drug' under a 1938 law, and ignored serious risks to wild salmon and fishing communities.
FDA sued for 'unlawful' approval of GMO salmon The Ecologist | 1st April 2016 News GMOs Fishing Oceans Law Regulation Ecology USA Panama atlantic-salmon-cut.jpg A coalition of fishing, consumer, and …
The oceans are awash with plastic, write Magnus Johnson & Melanie Coull, with dire effects on marine wildlife mistaking it for food. But it's not just big animals like basking sharks, turtles and albatrosses that suffer. The very worst damage may be caused by particles too small for the eye to see, and the toxic chemicals that cling to them.
Over 268,000 tonnes of ocean plastic - neglect it at our peril Magnus Johnson Melanie Coull | 11th December 2014 Comment Oceans Waste Toxics Natural World garbage-laden-beach-of-anchado-cut.jpg The …
An encounter with a Colombian shaman led Peter Bunyard on a spiritual journey into and beyond the living, breathing, transpiring Amazon rainforest, providing key insights into the essential role of the great tropical forests in the workings of Gaia. He emerged re-energised from his visions - and inspired to redouble his efforts to save our wondrous planet.
The Shaman's cure: a Gaian awakening Peter Bunyard | 2nd March 2016 Comment Amazon Climate Change Rainforest Gaia Ecocide Forests Water Religion dream-jaguar-cut.jpg An encounter with a Colombian …
By keeping marine herbivores in check, predators from sharks to crabs are essential to keep the oceanic 'carbon pump' working - with seaweed and plankton fixing atmospheric carbon and bearing it down to deep waters and sediments before getting munched. It's time to give ocean predators the protection they deserve, for climate's sake.
Predators keep the oceans' carbon pump ticking Peter Macreadie Euan Ritchie Graeme Hays Trisha B Atwood | 29th September 2015 Comment Oceans Climate Change Science Ecology killer-whales-cut.jpg By …