Category Archives: Government
Can governance in the UK Overseas Territories give environmental protection?
Can governance in the UK Overseas Territories give environmental protection? Concerns over environmental protection in the UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs) have been voiced for a number of years, with funding, development and pollution as some of the main issues. The … Continue reading
How well is practical science resourced in schools?
How well is practical science resourced in schools? Practical work is a vital part of scientific teaching and learning. By giving students the opportunity to carry out experiments and assess evidence, the use of practical work in science enables transferable … Continue reading
Badgers: the debate continues
Badgers: the debate continues The threat of bovine TB to cattle is still as great as ever, with the latest statistics release from Defra highlighting its continued presence. The use of badger culling to attempt to reduce the incidence of … Continue reading
Government Office for Science: roles, responsibilities and programmes
Government Office for Science: roles, responsibilities and programmes It was all change at the top of evidence based policy in Government this month, with Sir Mark Walport replacing Sir John Beddington as Government Chief Scientific Adviser (GCSA). This role is … Continue reading
Defra updates Chalara policies
Defra updates Chalara policies With spring finally approaching, the threat of Chalara to ash across the UK is greater than ever. As mentioned in a previous post, the fungus that causes the disease lies dormant over winter, and sporulates in the … Continue reading
Defra programmes and policies: an update
Over the past year, there have been a range of new initiatives from Defra to protect and enhance the natural environment, ranging from biodiversity offsetting to reviewing their public bodies. The all-party parliamentary group on Conservation and Wildlife met on … Continue reading
Assessing the impacts of ash dieback
Spring is almost upon us, and early signs of budburst mean that trees will soon be in leaf. Warmer temperatures and leafing trees will both have implications for ash dieback, the disease found last year in ash trees in the … Continue reading
Environmental Stewardship and farmland birds: the evidence base
Declines in biodiversity have been observed across many habitats in the UK over recent decades. This is especially true in farmland habitats. Changes in practices have led to huge increases in productivity in farms, but this has come at the … Continue reading
Natural England – Science Advisory Committee Members Wanted
Natural England would like to appoint senior academics with national expertise in an area of science key to the delivery of Natural England’s purpose. Applications are welcome from experts across the natural sciences and conservation, including interests such as Ecosystem … Continue reading
The science of science and innovation policy
Nearly £5 billion of public funding is spent on science and innovation in the UK each year. Despite cuts in other sectors, this level of funding was frozen in the 2010 Spending Review, guaranteeing “flat cash” until 2014. Another one-year … Continue reading