The forest fires in Turkey in the summer of 2021 were a catastrophe. Images of blazing mountainsides were seared across nightly news bulletins. Holidays were cancelled, resorts evacuated and suspects arrested, although as the Turkish fires were only the worst of a series of conflagrations across the Eastern Mediterranean, it was quickly accepted… Continue reading
Browsing Category Environment
Just as we revere old soldiers, let us care about generations yet to come
‘As we venture into an uncertain century, we should be as concerned about the future of our children and grandchildren, as we are respectful of the past of our dead grandfathers.’ ——— We revere the soldiers who died in the First World War. Many villages display the metal silhouette or outline of a soldier with… Continue reading →
Sad countryside silence as the cuckoo moves north
Silence in the countryside is usually a good thing. If that means the absence of road traffic, aircraft noise and man-made bustle allowing us to better appreciate the sounds of nature. But not if silence is a gaping aural void left by something as familiar as the cuckoo. We are too far into the decline… Continue reading →
Now is the time for our leaders to be brave on climate change
“Fossil fuels are a dead end – for our planet, for humanity, and yes, for economies.” UN Secretary-General António Guterres’s message to the Press Conference Launch of IPCC Report, 28 February 2022. https://www.un.org/sg/en/node/262102 – – – – – We know the definition of brave. It’s on display every day in Ukraine, from the president and… Continue reading →
How the drive to push meat off the menu could soon turn into a stampede
Spanish Plant-Based Meat Company Heura launched its latest products this month (September 2021), somewhat provocatively, in the high temple of bovine muscularity, La Monumental, Catalunya’s last bullfighting colosseum still in operation. It was a potent photo opportunity, a “pork” sausage and a chorizo brought to market in a place so deeply imbued with the ritualistic… Continue reading →
In the climate crisis, could Lumo be the ticket to ride to a net zero future?
The worst day of the year for the railways in the UK isn’t when storms, floods or snow do their worst to cripple the network. It’s on that one day in August when the ritual above-inflation rise in fares is announced for the next New Year. By the same token, the best day for motorists… Continue reading →