Wildfires are a frequent summer fixture in western America. While they actually support biodiversity in areas that have evolved with fire, in recent years they have become both more common and more intense. The two largest ever recorded fires in California both occurred in the last year, as did the six most destructive fires. Read more...
Gastonbury: UK government’s six-week festival of climate disregard
Despite its claims of climate leadership, in the last six weeks the UK government has laid on a festival of environmental malice for its citizens. Gove, Clark, Perry and co, until now masking the scent of methane and fumes by swimming in a pool of fragrant environmental rhetoric, have revealed their true colours – and green isn’t among them. Read more...
More heatwaves are coming - but UK government isn’t ready for them
Regardless of the degree to which future greenhouse gas emissions are limited, changes in the UK’s climate are locked in for the next few decades. Due to lag in the climate system, a sea level rise of 1m by 2100 is plausible, and we can expect more volatile extremes in both seasonal temperatures and rainfall. Read more...
Campaign launched against ‘anti-science laws’ on magic mushrooms
A psychedelic advocacy group are calling on the Government to change the regulations on psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) so that it can be made available to millions of people suffering from mental health problems.
Psilocybin is a non-addictive, non-toxic and naturally-occurring compound found in hundreds of species of mushrooms across the world. Read more...
Our electronics are made in sweatshops - here’s how to take action
Workers’ rights abuses in the electronics industry are slowly coming to light. Campaigns backed by students and workers themselves are taking place worldwide, and buyers are developing a growing interest in where their electronics come from and in demanding a better deal for workers, with workers. Read more...
UK climate change targets continue to fall short of Paris accord
The UK’s climate gains have thus far been a result of short-termist policies, while the window of opportunity for the government to hit Paris targets shuts.
Back in 2008, the UK took a global lead in efforts to tackle climate change by setting a legally binding target to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. Read more...
UK continues to ignore tidal lagoon potential in energy transition
The UK government’s continued support for oil and gas extraction and disregard for the stagnant tidal lagoon power industry overshadows the positives of its energy transition policies.
As the UK works to meet the Paris Agreement goal of limiting warming to well below 2°C, it must tackle emissions on two key fronts – where its energy comes from, and how much it uses. Read more...
No clear vision for food, agriculture or environment in post-Brexit Britain.
The UK cannot continue lagging behind in the formation and implementation of meaningful policy change on the environment.
With the announcement of DEFRA’s 25-year environment plan in January of this year, Michael Gove is pushing for a ‘Green Brexit’. This is good, but of course Brexit should be green. Read more...
No consequences for Tory links to Cambridge Analytica
For a group who were incredibly boastful about their clandestine nature during the recent excellent Channel 4 expose, Cambridge Analytica really don’t seem to have done a good job of covering their links to various facets of the British establishment.
In fact, they are merely exuding the sort of laissez-faire attitude one would expect from those born into the anachronistic privilege we seem to mass produce in this country. Read more...
UK gets bottle deposit return scheme - but where’s everything else?
March 27 saw UK environment secretary Michael Gove give the green light to a deposit return scheme in England, which will provide a small cash sum for each bottle or can that consumers return for recycling. While a welcome move, its important to keep in mind that this is the first significant tangible policy announcement since January’s year-late publication of the 25 Year Environment Plan. Read more...