The eco guide to fairer phones | Lucy Siegle
Given the murky supply chains involved, is it possible to get a mobile phone that is conflict free? The slick exterior of your smartphone gives few clues to the chaotic supply chains that make up its innards. Some 30 to 40 minerals make it tick, including tantalum, derived from the ore coltan, typically from Congolese […]
Energy-efficient homes could worsen asthma, warns study
Lack of ventilation caused by better insulation could create spike in indoor pollutants, research warns The number of Britons with asthma could almost double by 2050 because the air inside homes is becoming more polluted as they become more energy-efficient, a new report warns. The trend towards airtight houses could also worsen allergies as well […]
The countryside still offers many joys even as autumn arrives
With summer officially ending on Wednesday, and reports last week of El Niño bringing wet winters to Britain, Tobias Jones celebrates the many ways in which rural life retains its magic – even as the days start to close in and the holiday visitors flee back to their cities Autumn can be a grim time […]
Francis is a shrewd reformer – and this US visit could define his papacy | Peter Stanford
The pope arrives in Washington this week on a landmark visit that, given his radical agenda, comes at a crucial moment for Catholicism The one thing you could depend on when Pope John Paul II made one of his high-profile overseas trips was that he would hammer home in the most uncompromising terms Catholicism’s opposition […]
Let there be no complacency over fracking gas dangers | letters
Radon gas levels rise significantly when fracking takes place I was very surprised to read such an experienced and successful businessman as Jim Ratcliffe of Ineos make such an ill-informed comment as: “In the US they have drilled a million wells and not had an environmental incident for six years.” (“‘Fracking can be done safely. A […]
Our seas are being degraded. Fish are dying, but human life is threatened too | Callum Roberts
A definitive study released last week found that the amount of wildlife in our oceans has fallen by half in 45 years. Academic and marine expert Callum Roberts says there is still time to reverse this decline by closing areas to fishing Sardines were once extraordinarily abundant in the south-west of England, leading one 19th-century […]
Feathered friends: your best birdwatching photographs
We asked you for your birdwatching photographs from around the world. Here is a selection of our favourites You can views all the contributions here Continue reading… Source: Guardian Environment
World's first smog filtering tower goes on tour
A seven metre tall tower designed by Daan Roosegaarde filters dirty air, releasing bubbles of smog free air. Does it detract from tackling causes of air pollution? The Dutch city of Rotterdam has opened the world’s first smog-free tower. Co-designed by Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde, the seven-metre high tower sucks in dirty air like a […]
In north-west Pakistan, big cats are more feared than global terrorists
‘Man-eating leopards’ have been reported around Abbottabad – Osama bin Laden’s last redoubt – as wildlife officials struggle to reassure public Osama bin Laden hid out here for months, if not years. But in the hills surrounding Abbottabad in north-western Pakistan, residents say they face a far scarier menace than terrorists. With descriptive stories that […]
Spider at the fair
Frogham, New Forest This spider was both beautiful and docile, but not to be taken for granted As spiders go, this one certainly has wow factor. It’s mid-afternoon at the annual Frogham Fair. The lilt of Irish folk music drifts across as crowds line the arena to watch dogs and their handlers show off their […]