Moral case to tackle climate change overwhelming, says Lord Stern
Rome conference speech describes inaction as discrimination that devalues lives of future generations Failing to act on the grave threat posed by climate change devalues the lives of future generations and amounts to unacceptable “discrimination by date of birth”, according to the influential economist Lord Stern. Speaking at an international meeting in Rome on environmental […]
A moment that changed me – looking a sperm whale in the eye | Philip Hoare
I’d always been scared of these great creatures but while filming in the Azores, I jumped into the ocean amid a pod of whales – and met another sentient being I was born and brought up by the sea – indeed, my heavily pregnant mother nearly went into labour on a visit to a submarine […]
Green 'lawfare': voters feel Coalition is trying to silence environment groups
Poll shows voters are sceptical of the Abbott government’s argument that green groups must be stopped from carrying out ‘economic sabotage’ Voters are not buying the Abbott government’s argument that environmental laws must be changed to stop green “sabotage” of job-creating projects, with 62% believing the Coalition is simply trying to silence conservationists to promote […]
Campylobacter: tests fail to show organic chicken has higher infection rate
Food Standards Agency says its focus is on reducing levels of the bug rather than focusing on farming methods Checks on levels of the potentially lethal bug campylobacter in fresh chicken do not show whether birds reared using organic methods were more contaminated that those produced by mass-market systems. Though experts said the organic birds […]
Edible water bottle to cause a splash at EU sustainability awards
Biodegradeable water packaging made from seaweed and new way of dyeing clothes have won joint award for new sustainable products An edible alternative to plastic water bottles made from seaweed has topped the UK round of an EU competition for new, more sustainable products. The new spherical form of packaging, called Ooho and described by […]
Is Bitcoin Facing An Important Decision?
An interesting situation is developing within the Bitcoin currency network. Vox and a number of other leading technology sites are reporting that there is increasing division between two different camps with opposing perspectives on the future of Bitcoin. The nature of the reported dispute might seem minor, but it could have significant consequences for the development […]
UK backs bid by fossil fuel firms to kill new EU fracking controls, letters reveal
Europe’s biggest oil and gas firms try to block environmental controls on fracking, which the government calls ‘unnecessary red tape’ The UK government has added its weight to a behind-the-scenes lobbying drive by oil and gas firms including BP, Chevron, Shell and ExxonMobil to persuade EU leaders to scrap a series of environmental safety measures […]
People love renewable energy, so why don't politicians get it?
From Robin Hood Energy to solar mosques, community energy schemes are hotting up – but so is the fracking scene Robin Hood: one of Britain’s best-loved folk heroes. He speaks to our national love of subverting the rules. Fighting against institutional injustice, he protected the most vulnerable from the predatory practices of a corrupt establishment. […]
Clean and green, but an electric car can give a driver some shocks
California’s ambitious target is a million zero-emission cars; along the way some charging issues need to be sorted out A freeway in California, late afternoon rush hour. Most of the traffic is doing 65mph; I’m in a new electric VW eGolf at the end of a long drive and the dashboard tells me I have […]
Canada's tar sands heartland can't deny climate change, says Alberta minister
Shannon Phillips says ‘great appetite for action’ on carbon emissions exists in Canadian province despite economy relying heavily on fossil fuel extraction The environment minister of Alberta – the province where the tar sands industry is Canada’s fastest growing source of carbon emissions – says the days of denying climate change are over. Related: Revealed: […]