MPs will be lobbied today by wildlife supporters desperately concerned at the declining state of Britain's nature, writes Martin Harper. Despite clear warnings that both 'protected' sites and threatened species are faring badly, politicians find it all too easy to look the other way. Hence the need for a Nature and Wellbeing Act.
Rallying for wildlife - we need a Nature and Wellbeing Act Martin Harper RSPB | 9th December 2014 Comment UK Natural World Law Politics snakeshead-fs-cut.jpg MPs will be lobbied today by wildlife …
A new report on the Channel's fisheries is a timely reminder of the ecological trend to 'simplification' as whole trophic levels are stripped away by over-exploitation, writes Horatio Morpurgo. Yet the government's profit-focused vision of 'sustainability' is missing the essential element - allowing the recovery of marine ecosystems.
Simplifying the sea - ecocide in the English Channel Horatio Morpurgo | 25th July 2014 News UK Fishing Ecology Natural World History Regulation Ecocide …
George Osborne's announcement last week of £15 billion for English road schemes may have played well with frustrated drivers, writes Daniel Newman. But all the road spending will achieve is to lock us more deeply into an unsustainable, unhealthy and deeply dissatisfying way of life.
More roads, more traffic, more misery - how commuting is killing us Daniel Newman | 8th December 2014 Comment Transport Health Society UK m5-traffic-paul-townsend-cut.jpg George Osborne's …
Setting aside her fondness for meaty delicacies, Mitra Wicks decided to follow the celebrity vegan trend. Buoyed along by the gastronomic pleasures of London's finest vegan restaurants, she declares the change a success - in terms of health, wellbeing, beauty ... and reducing the exploitation of animals in industrial farming.
Virtuous veganism for health, beauty and pleasure Mitra Wicks | 15th November 2014 Ethical Living Food Health UK mitra-wicks-cut.jpg Cherry blossom salad from Soulmate Food. Setting aside her …
The Greens are now running at 12% in the polls - 2% more than the LibDems, and up 3% in as many days - in the run up to Thursday's elections, reports Elise Benjamin. And their policies are the most popular of all the UK's parties. The Greens are breaking through!
Green policies top UK polls Elise Benjamin | 20th May 2014 Comment Politics UK EU public-services-cut.jpg The Greens are now running at 12% in the polls - 2% more than the LibDems, and up 3% in as …
Intensive grouse shooting on England's uplands is doing huge damage to fragile ecosystems, writes Martin Harper - and to the 'protected' hen harrier. It's high time to bring this industry under control with a new licencing system.
The grouse shooting industry is out of control - it must be regulated Martin Harper RSPB | 27th June 2014 Activism Hunting Birds Ecology UK Regulation hen-harrier-altai-cut.jpg Hen Harrier (Circus …
Published in Nature today, a new cattle herd model shows how bTB infects cattle and how to halt its spread, writes Matt Keeling. Most effective is the slaughter of entire herds with even a single TB infection detected. Culling badgers has very little impact.
… the model is able to accurately capture the trends of infection over time and the …
Toshiba, the 60% owner of NuGen, has announced it will build 3 AP1000 reactors at Moorside, England - much faster and cheaper than Hinkley C. But the whole proposition, writes David Toke, is seriously implausible.
Toshiba's nuclear project - cheaper than Hinkley C? David Toke | 17th January 2014 Comment Nuclear Power UK USA Energy vogtle.png Toshiba, the 60% owner of NuGen, has announced it will build 3 AP1000 …
Consumers around the world want their electricity to come from renewable sources, writes Paul Brown. Yet governments from the UK to Australia are defying the popular will as they push for fossil fuels and nuclear power. The good news? Renewable energy is surging ahead regardless.
While governments back fossil fuels and nuclear, popular renewables boom Paul Brown | 6th September 2014 News Energy Renewables UK Australia India Germany Solar Wind westmill-cut.jpg Consumers around …
How did Germany do it? No, not its World Cup victory - how did Germany engineer Europe's highest penetration of renewable energy, plus fast-dropping electricity prices? Keith Barnham explains - and says the UK could do the same, and better!
Germany's renewable revolution shows the way Keith Barnham | 26th July 2014 Comment Germany UK Energy Renewables Wind Solar Climate Change de-solar-parking-cut.jpg How did Germany do it? No, not its …
Seeds are essential to our food and our entire lives, writes Rowan Phillimore. So join in celebrating and sharing them at a series of events this month in London, Bristol, Devon, Oxford, Lancaster, Herts - and begin the fightback against corporate domination of seeds and oppressive government regulation.
Celebrate the seeds that feed us! Rowan Phillimore | 3rd October 2014 Ethical Living Food Farming UK Corporations Regulation poppy-seed-cut.jpg Trillions of ripe poppy seeds awaiting harvest near …
There is one glaringly obvious solution to the UK's energy problems, says Andrew Cumbers: re-nationalise the profiteering, under-investing energy companies that have created the mess.
Energy: Public ownership is the rational solution Andrew Cumbers | 9th January 2014 Comment UK Energy power-4-the-people.png There is one glaringly obvious solution to the UK's energy problems, says …
Now we know - the pilot badger culls have inflicted unacceptable cruelty on wild animals and failed to meet their key objective. They may even have spread bovine TB into new areas. Lesley Docksey concludes - its time to call the whole thing off!
We know enough - the badger cull must stop! Lesley Docksey | 28th February 2014 Comment Natural World UK Politics badger-case-clear.png Now we know - the pilot badger culls have inflicted …
Plans to create a market in nature itself are fraught with danger, writes Alex Scrivener. Biodiversity offsetting could allow the fate of our forests, rivers, meadows and wildlife species, and the people who depend on them, to be determined by the whims of multinational corporations and speculative investors.
Nature as an 'asset class' - the free market's final frontier? Alex Scrivener | 14th September 2014 Comment Natural World Finance UK ashridge-forest-cut.jpg Plans to create a market in nature itself …
HS2, the UK's £50bn+ high-speed rail project to speed travel between London and Birmingham - and eventually Manchester and beyond is colossal waste of money, writes Rupert Read. The resources should be used to fund sustainable local and regional transport schemes.
HS2 is a disastrous white elephant Rupert Read | 12th May 2014 Comment Transport UK Economics Politics hs2-no10-cut.jpg HS2, the UK's £50bn+ high-speed rail project to speed travel between London and …
Farming today is well on the way to becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of the agro-chemical-biotech industry, writes Colin Tudge. Defra and the European Commission are all too keen to make it so, reflecting the interests of an agro-oligarchy obsessed with profits and growth at all costs. But there is an alternative. Join the 'real farming' agrarian renaissance ...
… agroforestry, one of the few encouraging trends in modern agriculture. Faced with such …
The UK's massive use of antibiotics on farms is breeding lethal drug resistance into bacteria.
Antibiotics: British lives must come before factory farm profits Zac Goldsmith | 24th July 2014 Comment Recycled Health UK Farming EU Politics zac-farm-cut.jpg The UK's massive use of antibiotics on …
Elevated urban highways epitomise the dark side of vehicular mobility - polluting, visually brutal, noisy, and contributing to local 'heat islands', writes Marco Picardi. So let's re-engineer them for people and create imaginative urban spaces we can all enjoy!
Greening London's motorways Marco Picardi | 22nd May 2014 Activism Transport London UK Pollution Cities under-m-way-glasgow-2-cut.jpg Elevated urban highways epitomise the dark side of vehicular …
Speaking in Stroud this week, Huw Irrancas-Davies MP delivered a withering attack on the Government's badger cull policy - and firmly committed a future Labour government to ending the badger cull, using measures to control bovine TB that are safe, effective, and humane.
Labour will tackle bovine TB - without the mass killing of badgers Huw Irranca-Davies | 18th September 2014 Comment Badgers Farming Natural World Health UK Politics badger-peter-trimming-cut.jpg …
Last night's speech on Britain's energy choices by former environment secretary Owen Paterson's caused widespread outrage long before it was delivered. But what exactly did he say on the night? Read on, and be surprised to discover that it makes excellent sense - in parts.
… Davey recently confirmed, if current approval trends in the planning system continue, the UK …