Category Archives: Environment

Launch of ‘Landscapes of the Future’

‘Landscapes of the Future’ the new Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology POSTnote written by the current BES POST fellow Eleanor Kean was launched today. ‘Landscapes of the Future’ focuses on the benefits that we derive from our landscapes, and … Continue reading

Posted in BES, Ecology, Ecosystem Services, Environment, Event, Government, Land use, Parliament, Planning, POST Fellowship, Science Policy, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Plans announced for the Green Investment Bank

Vince Cable yesterday announced more detailed plans for the green investment bank, including some indication of the type of projects that will be financed. The bank will be the first of its kind in the world, specifically designed to fund … Continue reading

Posted in Carbon, Climate Change, Economy, Emissions, Energy, Environment, Government, Green Investment Bank, Renewable Energy | Leave a comment

National Trust commence Badger TB vaccination programme

The announcement of a badger TB vaccination trial on the National Trust’s Killerton Estate has been welcomed by both farmers and local environmental groups. The four year programme which will commence this May aims to show that vaccination is a … Continue reading

Posted in Agriculture, Badgers and bTB, Defra, England, Environment, Wildlife Disease, Wildlife Management | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jonathon Porritt discusses “The Growth Fetish and the Death of Environmentalism”

Yesterday evening, Jonathon Porritt, founder of Forum for the Future and chair of the Sustainable Development Commission, spoke at the annual Burntwood lecture, hosted by Institution of Environmental Science. In a dynamic talk, Porritt described the so-called “growth fetish” of … Continue reading

Posted in Carbon, Development, Economics, Emissions, Energy, Environment, Green Technology, Renewable Energy, Sustainability | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Royal Society Seeks Nominations for New Environment and Energy Medal

The Royal Society is seeking nominations for a new prize, the Kavli Medal, which seeks to reward outstanding achievement in all fields of science and engineering relevant to the environment and energy. The prize – a medal, lecture and £500 … Continue reading

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UN climate change summit kicks off in Cancún

The latest round of UN climate change negotiations (COP16) begins today in Cancún, Mexico. Representatives from 193 countries will meet over the next fortnight, in hopes of securing an international deal on climate change. Several world leaders including the US … Continue reading

Posted in Climate Change, Conference, Emissions, Environment, Government, International, Sustainability, UK, UNFCCC | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

BES responds to Defra’s ‘Invitation to shape the nature of England’

The Policy Team has today submitted its response to Defra’s consultation on the forthcoming White Paper on the Natural Environment. The Department’s discussion document published earlier this summer, asked a series of questions about the current system of nature protection … Continue reading

Posted in Biodiversity, Conservation, Consultation, Defra, England, Environment, Government, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Government set to sell off Britain’s forests

Up to 150,000 hectares of state-owned forests and land could be sold to private investors, under a new government strategy to raise funds towards decreasing the Budget deficit. The Environment Secretary, Caroline Spelman is expected to announce details of the … Continue reading

Posted in Defra, Environment, Forests, Government, UK | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Energy Secretary ‘scraps’ £30 billion Severn Barrage project

The Secretary of State for Energy, Chris Huhne announced on Monday that the government will abandon its plans to invest in the controversial Cardiff-Weston Barrage project, in a bid to save between £10-30 billion of taxpayers money. If the project … Continue reading

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Lawton Review Published Today

Defra has today published the Lawton Review of England’s protected areas and ecological network. Professor Sir John Lawton, who led the review, is a past-President of the BES. From the Defra press release: An independent review of England’s wildlife sites … Continue reading

Posted in Defra, England, Environment | Tagged , | 7 Comments