As reform of the EU's agriculture policy gets underway, Miles King of the Grassland Trust tells Matilda Lee how intensive farming has all but destroyed England's 'rainforests' and why it's time we started asking for more from our farmers
… tonnes of carbon, nearly as much as in the UK's entire forest carbon store. ‘Globally … farming practices in the country. Since the UK adopted the CAP on entering the European … King. The Grasslands Trust lobby both in the UK and in Brussels through the Wildlife and …
With mountainous regions under threat from global warming, is the winter sports business doing enough to protect the delicate eco-system in its care?
… million skiers take to the slopes from the UK alone, while a staggering five million … and ski lifts catering for 85 per cent of the UK’s skiers. But what impact does the annual … pastimes suit the changing demographic of UK skiers, many of whom were sold the ski …
Filling your garden with wildflowers helps honeybees and butterflies, and creates a relaxed mood. And, from the Easton Walled Garden to Sissinghurst, there's plenty of inspiration
Why bees & biodiversity benefit from indigenous wildflowers Hazel Sillver | 20th March 2012 Ethical Living Wildflowers Biodiversity Gardening Bees Butterflies Green Living Natural World holding.jpg …
From boosting biodiversity to gardens that are helping to tackle climate change, Chelsea Flower Show 2012 will be green in more ways than one. Rebecca Campbell went behind the scenes
… Research Agency (FERA), Groundwork UK and Architecture Sans Frontières . Among … RHS Environment and tickets, see www.rhs.org.uk READ MORE... GREEN LIVING How to handle …
Making the most of the UK’s bountiful flora, Union’s four fragrances are an olfactory celebration of the British countryside, says Ruth Styles
… Living Perfume Beauty Health And Beauty UK Britain Ireland Union Selfridges Bluebells … quince.jpg Making the most of the UK’s bountiful flora, Union’s four fragrances … contains ingredients that come entirely from UK shores – but according to Donovan, to say …
Tackling the population explosion is critical to avoiding environmental disaster
Get a grip! Population growth impacts biodiversity Jonathon Porritt | 17th September 2012 News Population Sustainability Developing World Biodiversity ascheffler1.jpg Tackling the population …
Butterfly populations are an important gauge of the health of local habitats and wider climate change. Faye Dobson explains what population changes mean, and how you can get involved in helping monitor them.
… years, and 54 per cent have decreased in the UK. Even the abundance of common garden … as the Common Blue to rarities such as the Duke of Burgundy.” A decline in butterflies … Since 2010, ‘citizen scientists’ across the UK have been taking part in the Big Butterfly …
Ecologist writer Luke Dale-Harris questions the ability of Natura 2000 to work as an effective environmental regulator
… conservation costs of renewable energy Luke Dale-Harris | 27th March 2013 Comment … protection it promised Ecologist writer Luke Dale-Harris questions the ability of … energy, they will continue to do so. Luke Dale-Harris is a freelance journalist and …
As the UK government gives the go ahead for the country's first Biodiversity Offsetting (BO) scheme, Lorna Howarth explains why it will be a disaster for the nation's already declining wildlife
… of Nightingales found there. As the UK government gives the go ahead for the … he said. "It seems in the overcrowded UK, biodiversity offsetting is just another … are already practicing BO. Worryingly, the UK government is pushing forward the concept …
Yasuní National Park in the Ecuadorian Amazon is home to a record number of species. Now that the Yasuni-ITT Initiative has failed the future of those species hangs in the balance.....
Threatened biodiversity of Yasuni The Ecologist | 10th September 2013 News Biodiversity Amazon Oil shutterstock_129036062.jpg Oil exploration inevitably leads to road development and habitat …
The UK Government plans to allow biodiversity destroyed by development to be recreated elsewhere. Hannah Mowat of FERN believes the idea is both wrong and dangerous. The official consultation ends on 7th November 2013.
… Biodiversity m3-twyford-down.png The UK Government plans to allow biodiversity … sins. It is with this positive spin that the UK government has launched a public … inconsistent." One example in the UK: after the M3 motorway ripped a wide …
Owen Paterson has done it again - offering up ancient woodland for development via 'biodiversity offsetting' - planting new trees elsewhere. Trouble is, says Austin Brady, ancient woods are centuries in the making.
… 2014 Comment Forests Biodiversity Offsetting UK Ancient Woodland … always said that all ancient woodland in the UK should be protected and that ancient … cost'. Ancient woodland covers only 2% of the UK, so we do not believe the public will buy …
A 'microbat' that has remained unrecorded since 1890 has been discovered in Papua New Guinea. But with the country's forests under growing pressure from logging and for conversion to plantations, this and thousands of other biological treasures are at risk.
… after 120 years in the wilderness Luke Leung Julie Broken-Brow Catherine Hughes | … might be gone before we can find them. Luke Leung is Senior Lecturer at the University …
The EU's farming policy is being touted as 'greener than ever' - but it's no such thing, write Lynn Dicks & Tim Benton. The 'green reforms' pay farmers for actions (and often inactions) that do not benefit wildlife, and contain no real or effective measures to help.
… the reality. Shades of green In the UK, the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA)'s …
Already 56,000 people have pledged to support a global 'internet seed swap' initiative promoted by Avaaz, writes Julian Rose. Trouble is, the plans are deeply flawed, and have been developed without consultation with major seed saving groups worldwide.
… Exchange . Julian Rose is an early pioneer of UK organic farming, international activist and …
Recent decades have seen a hardening global clampdown on the rights of farmers to use, save, develop, share, swap and distribute the seeds that produce the food we all eat, writes Andrew Kimbrell - and which constitute an essential common heritage of mankind. Here's his plan to fight back against the seed monopolists ...
Building an International Seed Savers Exchange Andrew Kimbrell Center for Food Safety | 19th July 2014 Activism Food Farming Biodiversity Technology Commons heirloom-potatoes-cut.jpg Recent decades …
A Pennsylvania seed library stands accused of 'agri-terrorism' over alleged breaches of the Seed Act 2004, reports a bemused Kevin Carson. Have USDA and state agriculture departments become the enforcement branch of the agribusiness crime syndicate?
Agri-terrorists accuse seed bank of 'agri-terrorism' Kevin Carson | 13th August 2014 Comment Farming Biodiversity USA Law Regulation Corporations seedlibrary-cut.jpg A Pennsylvania seed library …
A string of events earlier this year provided a sobering snapshot of a global climate system out of whack, writes Peter Fisher. Could it represent the end of a rare 10,000 year island of stability in global climate? If so, we had better get used to it. The Earth may never be so comfortable again ...
The 'pre-Holocene' climate is returning - and it won't be fun Peter Fisher | 16th August 2014 Comment Climate Change Biodiversity Natural World niagara-frozen-epa-rick-warne-cut.jpg A string of …
We know that Australia's dry bush has co-evolved with fire, so that means regular planned burning is a good thing? Up to a point ... some increasingly rare species depend on 'old growth' bush up to 100 years old, and over-frequent burning is putting them under long-term threat.
Over-burning could be damaging Australia's wildlife for 100 years Dale Nimmo Andrew Bennett Michael Clarke | 29th August 2014 Comment Australia Natural World Birds Reptiles Biodiversity …
Patented and 'indentured' seeds are fast taking over the world's food supply, write Jack Kloppenburg & Irwin Goldman, terminating farmers' and gardeners' ancient right to develop new varieties, and forcing them to buy seed anew for every crop. Enter the Open Source Seed Initiative ...
Free the seeds to feed the world! Jack Kloppenburg Irwin Goldman | 20th August 2014 Comment Food Farming Commons USA Biodiversity lettuce-christopher-porter-cut.jpg Patented and 'indentured' seeds …
Mussels, crabs, hornets and ... racoons? Future invasive species are not what you might expect, write Jodey Peyton & Helen Roy. In particular, we have to beware of 'ecosystem engineers' that can transform the environment they inhabit, creating ecological havoc for other species.
Confronting the threat of invasive 'ecosystem engineers' Jodey Peyton Helen Roy | 26th August 2014 Comment Ecology Biodiversity asian-hornet-cut.jpg Mussels, crabs, hornets and ... racoons? Future …