Australia's rainforest state, Queensland, is destroying well over 100,000 hectares of native vegetation a year, and rising, write Martine Maron, Bill Laurance & colleagues, including 'at risk' habitats and Koala bear forests. This is more than reversing the entire nation's eco-restoration programs and pushing endangered species ever closer to extinction.
Queensland's land clearance is costing Australia and its wildlife dear Martine Maron Bill Laurance colleagues | 22nd February 2016 Comment Australia Forests Natural World Conservation Extinction …
The fracking boom has caused massive vegetation loss over North America's rangelands, writes Tim Radford, as 3 million hectares have been occupied by oil and gas infrastructure and 34 billion cubic metres of water have been pumped from semi-arid ecosystems.
Future dustbowl? Fracking ravages Great Plains land and water Tim Radford | 4th May 2015 News Fossil Fuels Fracking Oil USA Water Ecology bakken-oil-cut.jpg The fracking boom has caused massive …
Fresh or dried wild seaweed may be on sale in a supermarket near you, writes Fiona Bird. But much better than supporting what may be unsustainable harvesting, gather your own at low tide on rocky shores, picking just enough for your needs. Once a poverty food, seaweed is now a sought after ingredient that expresses the 'fifth taste', umami.
… tangles of storm wrecked seaweed. Growing vegetables on a windswept Isle is a labour of … one supermarket. However the terrestrial vegetables on display often look weary after … a moment of needs-must I turned to the 'sea vegetables' on my local beach. There was no …
Eating wild plants and mushrooms is a pleasure we should all indulge in, believes open air gastronomist Humphrey Birley - and this new edition of 'Wild Food : a complete guide for foragers' is just what's needed to get us exploring woods, hedgerows, meadows and salt marshes in search of edible delicacies.
… for salads, Seaweed and salt marsh plants, Vegetables, leaves and herbs, Fruits, berries, … to the basic treasury of the best vegetables" . Dr Humphrey Birley is an … to the basic treasury of the best vegetables. …
With vast areas decimated by industrial farming, the salad days are over for mass-produced olive oil. Laura Sevier looks at the effect its rise in popularity has had on the European landscape, and at some more sustainable brands.
Drizzle with care Laura Sevier | 7th August 2008 News Olive Oil Oil Industrial Farming Sustainable Farming Agribusiness Organics Natural World Food And Farming Drizzle-with-care_MAIN.jpg With vast …
Soils are naturally alive with complex 'food webs' of micro-organisms that sustain plants with moisture and nutrients, making them good to eat. But once the biota have been blitzed with agro-chemicals under industrial farming regimes, it's our health that suffers. One more reason to grow, and eat, organic!
… no vitamin C at all. A study looking at vegetables from 1930 to 1980, found that iron … Kingdom, from 1940 to 1990, copper content in vegetables fell by 76%, and calcium by 46%. … of plants-trees, flowers, grasses, fruits, vegetables-mixed in with an equally diverse …
Ros Coward reports from Murcia in southern Spain, the driest place in Europe, where tourism and intensive agriculture is draining its meagre water supplies and causing a growing environmental crisis.
… Europe, an endless supply of fresh fruits, vegetables and wine, and as yet unspoilt by … intensive agriculture supplies all-year-round vegetables for UK supermarkets. The … to get the cheapest, most uniform fruit and vegetables available at the expense of local, …
The image of the rancher in the rugged West is one of self-sufficiency and a tough defiance of government, writes George Wuerthner. But the truth is that ranchers, especially those using federal land, depend on a host of generous subsidies, both economic and ecological.
… , where the vast majority of the nation's vegetables and fruits are grown, irrigated … feed ourselves is surprisingly small. All the vegetables grown in this country are produced … - any increase in acres devoted to grains and vegetables would easily be counter balanced by …
Thanks to cheap water and plentiful sunshine, California grows most of the US's fruit, vegetables and nuts, writes Joshua Frank. But with the drought looking ever more permanent, the $40 billion industry is facing a terminal crisis. It's only a matter of time before we have to rely on local produce - so let's make a start now!
… California grows most of the US's fruit, vegetables and nuts, writes Joshua Frank. But … If you've purchased any fresh fruit, nuts or vegetables recently there's nearly a 50% … is grown locally because purchasing fruit and vegetables from California will slowly …
Have you ever heard of – let alone tasted – the Rats Tail radish, the Crookneck squash or the Prince of Prussia pea? We report on what’s being done to save Britain’s rich agricultural heritage.
Cuba is a global exemplar of organic, agroecological farming, taking place on broad swathes of land in and around its cities, write Julia Wright & Emily Morris. These farms cover 14% of the country's agricultural land, employ 350,000 people, and produce half the country's fruit and vegetables. But can they survive exposure to US agribusiness?
… and produce half the country's fruit and vegetables. But can they survive exposure to … is limited by space and mainly provides salad vegetables, some fruits, small animals and … a five-fold rise in consumption of fresh vegetables between 1997 and 2013. The aim is …
Can there be wildlife in our urban jungles? Matilda Lee meets a man campaigning to let nature live on city rooftops
CASE STUDY: installing green roofs Matilda Lee | 29th January 2009 Activism Wildlife Case Study Green Roofs City Development Natural World Conservation Green Lifestyle Urban Living Development …
Palm oil is a key ingredient in everything from cereal, biscuits and margarine to shampoo, lipstick and toothpaste. Unless we curb our desire for it critical forests and wildlife habitat will be gone forever, says Dan Bucknell
Don't turn a blind eye to what's in your food - it could be killing elephants Dan Bucknell | 30th June 2013 News News Natural World Food And Farming Investigations Elephants holding.jpg Palm oil is a …
The key to keeping ecosystems in good health is to maintain or restore populations of large carnivores, argues William Ripple. Yet around the world, these vital species are on the decline.
Restore large carnivores to save struggling ecosystems William Ripple | 10th January 2014 Comment Natural World Predators Ecology tiger.png The key to keeping ecosystems in good health is to maintain …
Among Cuba's greatest achievements is its organic farming sector, writes Miguel Altieri. Developed in the 1990s following the collapse of the Soviet Union, small agroecological farms now employ 300,000 campesinos and provide an abundance of healthy fruit and vegetables. But now US food and agribusiness corporations are eyeing up a multi-billion dollar business opportunity.
… and provide an abundance of healthy fruit and vegetables. But now US food and agribusiness … and producing more than 1.5 million tons of vegetables. The most productive urban farms … supply 50% to 70% or more of all the fresh vegetables consumed in cities such as Havana …
T.C. Boyle’s latest opus might be a bit of a bonkbuster but it makes a serious point about the threat posed by non-native species to the world’s ecosystems
When The Killing’s Done Jeff Holman | 7th April 2011 Reviews Books Ecosystems Biodiversity Novels Reviews Natural World when-the-killings-done.jpg T.C. Boyle’s latest opus might be a bit of a …
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 …
Native species = good; invasive species = bad, right? Not necessarily, says Dr Peter Bridgewater. Try taking a longer term view of ecology...
Invasive species - are they always bad news? Dr Peter Bridgewater | 15th June 2009 Comment Natural World Invasive Species Ecology invasive.jpg Native species = good; invasive species = bad, right? …
The ancestors of America's Indians lived in Beringia - the land exposed during the last ice age that is now the Bering Strait - for millennia, genetic studies have determined. Scott Armstrong Elias reports.
First Americans lived on Beringia for thousands of years Scott Armstrong Elias | 7th March 2014 Comment Indigenous Peoples Climate Change USA Canada Siberia qamutik.png The ancestors of America's …
Why is the dairy industry joining in the legal action against Vermont's GMO labeling law? Could it be because a fifth of US 'cheese' can be vegetable oil and starch from GMO crops, asks Alexis Baden-Mayer - and even more of a 'frozen dairy snack' or 'processed cheese food'?
Why does the dairy industry oppose GMO labels? Alexis Baden-Mayer Organic Consumers Association | 12th February 2015 Comment Food Farming USA GMOs Health triple-cheese-pizza.jpg Why is the dairy …
In an exclusive extract from her new book, Seedbombs: Going Wild with Flowers, author and gardener, Josie Jeffery, explains the seedbomb phenomenon
… 7 days or several seasons away. Fukuoka grew vegetables like wild plants – he called it … to ‘grow up’ with the weeds. He believed that vegetables grown in this way – including …
Transylvania has maintained traditional farming methods for hundreds of years. As it faces the twin threats of intensive agriculture and byzantine EU policies, its model of under-development is attracting the interest of policy makers
… and evening in the courtyards. Fruit and vegetables are eaten fresh from the garden or …