pub. Penguin 2005 
Subtitled 'How they live and why they matter', this book is a veritable treasure-trove of information. Written in very readable style, it highlights the amazing diversity of our planet's trees, woodlands and forests, and gives warning of the dangers of their wanton destruction. A must-read. VG
pub. Penguin 2005
Subtitled 'How they live and why they matter', this book is a veritable treasure-trove of information. Written in very readable style, it highlights the amazing diversity of our planet's trees, woodlands and forests, and gives warning of the dangers of their wanton destruction. A must-read. VG
Donations can be made in euros, pounds sterling, US and Australian dollars and Swiss francs. All donations, however small, are very welcome. We acknowledge donations by email if we have the donor's address. Please let us know if you require a formal paper receipt.
Books Books on the Environment THE SECRET LIFE OF TREES by Colin Tudge
As US reneges on climate breakdown pledges, China’s response to crisis will shape geopolitics and our future
Continue reading...
From fracking to North Sea drilling, party’s leaders and members give climate solutions the cold shoulder at conference
“Climate change is happening,” said Herbert Crossman, a pensioner from Harrow. “I don’t think we need to bring the country to its knees to stop it, though.”
Twelve thousand people are supposed to be attending Reform UK’s party conference in Birmingham over three days this week (according to Reform at least), and Crossman is one of them. Their leader, Nigel Farage, has said it is “ridiculous” to refer to carbon dioxide as a pollutant and added: “I can’t tell you whether CO2 is leading to warming or not”. The party deputy, Richard Tice, has said it is “absolute garbage” to claim that human activity is the main cause of the climate crisis.
Continue reading...
These wildfires tend to burn in more remote areas and grow larger faster, posing a higher risk to public safety and health
The climate crisis will continue making lightning-sparked wildfires more frequent for decades to come, which could produce cascading effects and worsen public safety and public health, experts and new research suggest.
Lightning-caused fires tend to burn in more remote areas and therefore usually grow into larger fires than human-caused fires. That means a trend toward more lightning-caused fires is also probably making wildfires more deadly by producing more wildfire smoke and helping to drive a surge in air quality issues from coast to coast, especially over the past several years.
Continue reading...
Maureen Gilbert, 83, was discovered drowned in her home after river in Chesterfield overflowed
The son of an 83-year-old woman who died during Storm Babet has called for more money to be invested in protecting homes from flooding.
An inquest at Chesterfield coroner’s court heard on Friday that Maureen Gilbert drowned in her home in Chesterfield after the River Rother overflowed on 21 October 2023 during the storm.
Continue reading...
More habitat has been given up legally in 2025 so far than any other year since the animals were listed as threatened, analysis shows
NSW locks in great koala national park and brings in immediate ban on logging
Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast
More clearing of koala habitat has been approved under Australia’s nature laws in 2025 so far than in any other year since the marsupial was listed as a threatened species, according to an analysis by the Australian Conservation Foundation.
The destruction of 3,958 ha of bush approved across eight projects, including a coalmine in Queensland, equates to about four Sydney airports’ worth of clearing.
Continue reading...
Parents question if synthetic fabrics, one of the most significant environmental pollutants, are suitable for children
Hugo Keane’s investigation into polyester began at home. He had just started year 7 but, thanks to Covid, he was stuck knocking about at home in Camden, north London.
“It was kind of a family pandemic project,” said his mother, Alexandra Milenov. “He sat down with my husband and did the calculations on the microplastic release of three items of his uniform: the blazer, the PE T-shirt and the shorts.”
Continue reading...
Rather than leave unwanted paint to go to waste, Community RePaint is using it to transform local communities
It’s a rare household that does not have a rusting tin of paint sitting around in a dark cupboard somewhere. About 55m litres of paint go to waste in the UK every year, which is why one organisation is trying to create a circular paint economy by recycling it.
Community RePaint is a UK-wide paint reuse network that collects leftover paint from drop-off points and redistributes it to individuals and groups in the community. They started in 1992 as a research project in Leeds called the Waste Wagon, led by a consortium of waste and recycling organisations and set up in response to concern from the local authority about the high cost of paint disposal and issues around household hazardous waste. The goal was to find out how many homes had paint to dispose of, and how much.
Continue reading...
Sam Shoemaker’s record-setting voyage shows the promise – and limits – of fungi as a plastic alternative
On a clear, still morning in early August, Sam Shoemaker launched his kayak into the waters off Catalina Island and began paddling. His goal: to traverse the open ocean to San Pedro, just south of Los Angeles, some 26.4 miles away.
But upon a closer look, Shoemaker’s kayak was no ordinary kayak. Brown-ish yellow and bumpy in texture, it had been made – or rather, grown – entirely from mushrooms. His journey, if successful, would mark the world’s longest open-water journey in a kayak built from this unique material.
Continue reading...
We’re beyond Mel Gibson’s Mad Max era. We no longer need oil to make it through the apocalypse
As I write these words, the No 1 trending story on the Guardian is titled: “The history and future of societal collapse”. It is an account of a study by a Cambridge expert who works at something ominously called the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk; he concludes that “we can’t put a date on Doomsday, but by looking at the 5,000 years of [civilisation], we can understand the trajectories we face today – and self-termination is most likely”.
I can’t claim to have done a study, though I have been at work on climate change for almost 40 years and I gotta say: seems about right. So it’s maybe not the worst moment for a bit of worry about how you would fare in the case of a temporary breakdown of our civilization. Perhaps you have noticed that extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and violent. Or you read the stories that Donald Trump was shutting down the Federal Emergency Management Agency and surmised you’ll have to take care of yourself going forward. Or hey, maybe you think a cabal of pedophiles might try and use black helicopters to herd you into a 15-minute city where a communist mayor will make you spend the rest of your life riding a scary subway.
Continue reading...
Rise in cases south of the border prompts concern over US livestock as Trump budget cuts hit research and foreign aid
A patient in Maryland was diagnosed in August with New World screwworm, a parasitic fly, after traveling to El Salvador. Doctors and veterinarians say the case poses very low risks for human health in the US, but it comes after an increase of cases in South and Central America and the Caribbean in recent years. It also highlights the importance of international cooperation on research and prevention.
For decades, the fight against the screwworm was a success story of scientific innovation and collaboration with other countries. There were devastating outbreaks of the parasite in the US in the first half of the 20th century until an ambitious program pushed it south, all the way to Panama.
Continue reading...Errors by diabetes analysis machines mean at least 55,000 people in England will need further hospital tests.
The EU has new rules regarding gel nail polish and its ingredients
The number of children being admitted to hospital with constipation is at a 10-year high.
The presidents of China and Russia were overheard discussing transplants as a way to prolong life.
Neil Hopper claimed that injuries to his legs were the result of sepsis and not self-inflicted.
Hundreds of patients have been helped by rule, which makes it easier to get an urgent second opinion.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said he was acting on concerns for children's health.
People with learning disabilities and autism die almost 20 years younger than the rest of the population.
Eight areas in the North East and Cumbria have seen a slight or moderate increase in MMR jab rates.
The new technology could be a "game-changer" resulting in patients being treated sooner, experts say.
In a grueling and delicate dance, a team led by Conservation International removes a massive undersea killer.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. These pictures might be worth even more. An initiative featuring the work of some of the world’s best nature photographers raises money for environmental conservation.
In a fishing community in Peru, a small group of fishermen carry on a tradition that dates back to the Incas. But an environmental disaster and modern fishing practices threaten this way of life.
A project from Conservation International and a Mexican university offers a glimmer of hope for the critically endangered axolotl.
As global temperatures rise, wildlife around the world are on the move, a new protected corridor in one of the planet’s most biodiverse countries aims to help.
The world’s appetite for shrimp has surged — and environmental destruction has followed in its wake. A new program from Conservation International has a solution.
A new Conservation International study is shedding light on an unsung group and their relationship with nature.
Despite risks, AI has ‘enormous potential’ for good, a Conservation International expert says.
It’s indisputable: Around the world, seas are rising at a faster rate than at any time in recorded history. But there’s more to this story than you might realize.
A Conservation International study finds key detail on restoring the world’s mangroves: a price tag.
