September 2010 printable subscriber newsletter

Ecologist

27th August 2010

In this month's newsletter we ask lots of timely questions: Just what is the UN's Codex Alimentarius and what does it mean for our food and health? Can consuming insects really provide a solution to the world's meat problems? Have the ecological impacts of solar power technologies been overlooked in our rush to embrace this 'green' solution? We also hear about the new generation of eco-friendly taxis and get the low-down on the newest book on the block dealing with eco-homes... To access this exclusive content, log in and scroll down to the bottom of the page

This is my last editorial at the helm of the Ecologist. After four years here – and a little over twelve months in the hot seat – the time has come for me to take my leave. During those four years the Ecologist has tackled some extraordinarily thorny stories: GM crops; so-called sustainable biofuels; aviation; the toxic waste dumping scandal courtesy of Monsanto at Brofiscin quarry in Wales... the list goes on (and is available in our online archive).

The Ecologist hasn’t always been easy reading, even for those for whom it seemed like a natural choice – our meat issue in particular aroused a storm of controversy. But I firmly believe that part of being an environmentalist should mean repeatedly questioning your own beliefs too – in a world in which new research and updated information comes as thick and fast as we now expect it to, nothing but the most basic principles of ecology should be held sacrosanct.

And so it is that I hope you will allow yourself to be challenged by Kurt Hollander’s overview of the impacts of eating insects in this month’s issue. Let’s be honest with ourselves –for most westerners, it’s not an...

To view the rest of this article - you must be a paying subscriber and Login