US moves to sell gene-edited mushrooms fuel doubts over British ban on GM imports
Approval for modified crops in America adds to confusion in UK on new-tech foodstuffs American regulators have allowed the cultivation and sale of two crops modified with the gene-editing technique known as Crispr. The crops – a white button mushroom and a form of corn – are the first Crispr plants to be permitted for […]
Black hikers breaking the 'green ceiling' and clearing a path for enthusiasts
African Americans make up just 7% of people venturing to national parks while white visitors make up 78% – but Outdoor Afro is training leaders to change that David McCullough often gets sideways glances while he is hiking near Philadelphia. There is nothing immediately startling about McCullough, a museum educator with a studious look and […]
London mayor race: Zac Goldsmith is being slippery about the green belt
The Conservative candidate is misrepresenting his Labour rival’s views on green belt as part of his wider scaremongering strategy One of the less publicised aspects of Zac Goldsmith and the Conservative Party’s poisonous campaign to win the London mayoralty has been their scaremongering about the capital’s green belt. The supposedly “principled” Goldsmith was at it […]
The annotated picture: climbing Nelson’s column
Luke Jones and Ali Garrigan climbed the monument in Trafalgar Square on Monday to protest about air pollution Luke Jones, a 30-year-old former rope-access technician who now works for Greenpeace full-time, has previously climbed on to the roofs of Parliament and the National Gallery. He is currently on bail after being arrested on suspicion of […]
Why it makes sense to burn ivory stockpiles
On 30 April Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta will set fire to 105 to tonnes of ivory in Nairobi National Park. This article explains why it’s the right thing to do By burning almost its entire ivory stockpile, Kenya is sending out the message that it will never to benefit from illegal ivory it captured from […]
Revealed: nearly all new diesel cars exceed official pollution limits
Health experts lambast ‘deceitful’ carmakers as data suggests 97% of vehicles fail to meet NOx emissions standards in real-world conditions Ninety-seven percent of all modern diesel cars emit more toxic nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution on the road than the official limit, according to the most comprehensive set of data yet published, with a quarter producing […]
Gas goes green as suppliers opt for carbon neutral sources
Electricity has long led the green energy market, but now both utilities are coming under the eco umbrella Many of us have signed up with energy companies that offer 100% renewable electricity, so why not switch to a gas tariff that also promises to be carbon neutral? Energy firm Good Energy is hoping to tempt […]
Ask Alys: I have small mysterious holes all over my lawn. What's causing them?
The population of long-tailed field mice can explode quickly, but they are an important source of food for barn owls All over my lawn, I have holes that are 1-2 inches across but appear to lead into tunnels. What is making these holes? They are not big enough for rats or rabbits.I went to see […]
The air is alive with harmless hirundines
Loch Flemington, Highlands The mute swan is asleep on her nest, while the swallows are wheeling and criss-crossing each other in flight As I sat on the extreme western end of the loch, two scenes unfolded before me, one tranquil and the other hectic. In the former a female mute swan, the pen, was asleep […]
Climate deal won't stop Great Barrier Reef from getting 'cooked', say Greens
Australia’s lack of action on pollution reduction targets has made the country a laughing stock on the international stage, according to senator Larissa Waters Australia’s lack of follow-through on climate change will leave the Great Barrier Reef “completely cooked” despite it signing the Paris climate deal, the Greens say. The federal environmental minister, Greg Hunt, […]