Scientists use people power to find disease-resistant ash trees
Walkers and other members of the public will be asked to help create new generation of healthy plants A £1.2m project to recruit thousands of walkers and other members of the public to help save Britain’s ash trees is to be launched on Monday. The aim of the AshTag project is to use “citizen science” […]
Working-class actors can always extend their range
High costs keep the less affluent out of drama schools and careers, but surely acting is about transcending background, not being confined by it? As somebody from a working-class background, I have considerable sympathy for those who feel they are excluded by the private-school dominance that seems to permeate society even more thoroughly than in […]
15 years on, our love affair with food is deepening…so are our problems
15 years on, our love affair with food is deepening…so are our problems In the 15 years since the launch of Observer Food Monthly, the British food scene has changed beyond recognition. Artisan coffee shops are now a feature of many high streets; gastropubs, not just white-linen dining establishments, are awarded Michelin stars. Supermarket shelves […]
It’s silly to assume all research funded by corporations is bent | Tracey Brown
If the work is properly monitored, there is no reason not to trust the results Corporate funding of multiple vaccine research was “exposed” again recently. This time it was in the latest round of MMR-causes-autism allegations, which we exported to the US. We’ve seen the same “exposés” in the UK, on fracking, on genetically modified […]
In the timeless Yorkshire moors of my childhood, the frackers are poised to start drilling
Villages in Ryedale, North Yorkshire, hope a landmark ruling this week will save them from the disruption of the shale revolution Kirby Misperton, like many other villages in North Yorkshire, has enjoyed its obscurity for centuries. At this time of year, it has all the characteristic features of rural Ryedale: the medieval church that stands […]
Packed beaches and gridlock loom large as tourists swap terrorism hotspots for Spain
Record numbers of cruise ships, airport capacity pushed to the limit and on the roads. But the Balearics find welcome cash also brings headaches The beaches are not yet packed on a windy weekend in the Balearic islands and few have ventured into the brusque waves. But even though the summer season is just under […]
Former UN climate change chief to face trial for sexual harassment of employees
Two more women file claims against Rajendra Pachauri after 29-year-old colleague from Energy and Resources Institute speaks out A court in Delhi has ruled that Rajendra Pachauri, the former chairman of a Nobel prize-winning UN panel on climate change, will stand trial on charges of stalking and sexual harassment of a former employee. A 29-year-old […]
UK accused of trying to undermine EU air pollution targets
Leaked papers reveal that Tory MEPs were told to support a ‘get-out clause’ in proposed new Europe-wide laws The British government has been accused of trying to secretly undermine new EU air pollution targets in favour of big business, as leaked papers reveal that Conservative MEPs were told to support a “get-out clause” in proposed […]
'Smog is our best advertising': pollution has an upside for some | Oliver Milman
For companies who bottle pure mountain air, like one in Canada, plummeting air quality is a business opportunity. For the rest of us, it’s a killer For one company, at least, the world’s escalating air pollution crisis has an upside. While billions of people live amid a fog of harmful airborne particles each day, Vitality […]
Gardens: what to do this week
Sow your veg patch with pollinator-friendly flowers, thin out waterlilies, plant diascias A few rows of annual flowers criss-crossing your veg patch doesn’t just look pretty – it lures in beneficial insects such as lacewings and hoverflies (whose larvae hoover up aphids), and bees and butterflies to pollinate crops. Sow pot marigolds, nigella, poached egg […]