Friday November 21 2008
Bees gather around a honeycomb. Photograph: Rex Features
Bees were last night declared the most invaluable species on the planet at the annual Earthwatch debate. The audience heard from five eminent scientists who battled it out for fungi, bats, plankton, primates and bees. Continue reading...
Is this the first step towards forest-protection carbon credits? Photograph: Paul A Souders/Corbis
Three US governors join forces with Indonesia and Brazil to keep carbon locked up in endangered tropical forests
Continue reading...Thursday November 20 2008
Genetically modified oilseed rape, one of the four main commercial GM crops. Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty
At the Soil Association's annual conference in Bristol this week, delegates had the pleasure of the Right Honourable Hilary Benn's company. Not in person, you understand – the secretary of state's planned visit was foiled by important Commons business – but over the phone at least.
Benn came on the line to participate in a debate about the best way to feed Britain. Audience and panel members were able to grill him, and his replies were broadcast live around the conference hall.
A question about GM food generated the most controversy. Phillip Lowery, director of the Real Food Festival, asked Benn what the government's view of GM was in light of last week's IFPRI report.
Benn replied that only two questions needed answering in relation to GM food. One, is it safe to grow; and two, is it safe to eat? Continue reading...
Wednesday November 19 2008
Tuesday November 18 2008
Monday November 17 2008
This time two years ago all anyone cared about was whether you were switching off your standby, or riding your bicycle, or changing your lightbulbs. These days that all seems very 2006: many people now seem to have signed up for the idea that actually change will need to come from above - from shops, corporations, governmental organisations.
Which leaves us, actually, with a giant headache. While we're happily shrugging off our responsibilities, who is assuming them? Can we really believe that the government is going to deal with all this? The fact that campaigners now have the climate bill they wanted, the fact that many businesses are running high-profile campaigns about how green they are, do these things mean that you can stop wearing jumpers and turn all your radiators up high?
Continue reading...
Today's top green stories from websites around the world
Continue reading...Friday November 14 2008
Plankton, bats, primates, fungi and bees - which species would have the greatest impact on our planet if it were lost? Five scientists argue their case
Continue reading...
Thursday November 13 2008
Activists from the Plane Stupid campaign unveil banners from the rooftop of the UK parliament building protesting against a third runway at Heathrow. Photograph: Getty
OK, so the courts may have found Plane Stupid guilty of trespass, but the anti-aviation lobby are not relaxing even for a second. Plane Stupid are trying to instigate a criminal investigation into the government, while MP John McDonnell is planning to demand an independent public inquiry into the public consultation process into Heathrow's third runway. The government must be wishing this whole business was just over and done with but no such luck. Continue reading...
Wednesday November 12 2008
