Category Archives: Sustainability
Sustainable Lifestyles: Great Theory, Impossible Practice?
Pressure on the worlds resources means we are increasingly encouraged to consume less power, water, even food. But few of us make more than a minimal effort to change our behaviour. Is a sustainable lifestyle great in theory but impossible … Continue reading
UN reinforces Rio+20′s call for stronger science in policy-making
Echoing the call for better interchange between scientists and policy makers made in the draft agenda for the upcoming Rio+20 conference, a UN report published last week stresses that a strong scientific basis is critical in political decisions, particularly in … Continue reading
Earth Debate – Ecosystem Services: can we put a price on nature?
The first of four webcast Earth Debates in advance of Rio+20 will happen at 19.00 on Wednesday 25 January. Ecosystem services – can we put a price on nature? will be chaired by BBC Environment correspondent Richard Black. The panellists … Continue reading
Challenges for Scotland’s Biodiversity: From the Soils to the Skies
Interested in discussing the challenges facing Scotland’s biodiversity to 2020 and helping to inform the development of Scotland’s draft Biodiversity Strategy? Come along to a meeting in Edinburgh on 8th – 9th March 2012. BES members can attend for FREE … Continue reading
‘Social capital’ reaps benefits for sustainable agriculture
Professor Jules Pretty gave a fascinating and wide-ranging insight into the sustainable intensification of agriculture on Tuesday afternoon at the BES Annual Meeting; this year’s BES Lecture. Prof. Pretty suggested that there was an ‘emerging consensus’ around the necessity of … Continue reading
The UK National Ecosystem Assessment
The UK National Ecosystem Assessment has been released today, and is the first independent, peer reviewed, in detail assessment of the state and value of the UK’s natural environment and ecosystem services. Both scientists and economists were involved in the … Continue reading
Sustainable Eel Group Develops New Standard
Sustainable eel fishing may start to increase in the European Union following the development of a new labelling scheme by the Sustainable Eel Group. The group, whose members include scientists, NGOs and policymakers, have developed a new standard (the Sustainable … Continue reading
New Government Report on Palm Oil Use Identifies Possible Policy Options
A new government report titled Mapping and Understanding UK Palm Oil Use has identified possible policy options to increase the volume of sustainable palm oil used in the UK. The use of by-products of the palm oil industry in animal … Continue reading
The true cost of nitrogen pollution
The European Nitrogen Assessment (ENA), a major new investigation, today released its findings revealing the environmental and economic cost of nitrogen pollution in Europe. The ENA, conducted by over 200 international experts, estimated that nitrogen pollution is already costing Europeans … Continue reading
The Big Fish Fight is on
Half of all fish caught in the North Sea are thrown back dead. This is due to strict fishing quotas set out by the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) that limit the number of fish landed each day. Although these … Continue reading