Science and Hollywood: An Inconvenient Truth
I wonder how many of us have watched Al Gore’s film An Inconvenient Truth and thought "wow, that really is terrifying, I’d better start making a few changes". And more to the point, how many of us have then done something about it. If you’re like Sarah and you’ve started cycling to the supermarket, well…
Every frog has its day
As I flicked through the latest issue of the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust magazine ‘On the edge’ I came a cross an article on the mountain chicken, a large endangered frog that unfortunately happens to taste a bit, well, a bit like chicken. Now I’m not the greatest fan of amphibians but I couldn’t help…
Easier being green…
Last Saturday, I cycled to Tesco’s*. It’s around five miles away from where I live, so wasn’t a huge effort and, to be fair, I could use the extra exercise. I stress this because I’m about to mention the environment. Before you head off to the ‘post comment’ box below, I must stress that my…
Can the world cope with more tourists?
The environment was the focus at the annual summit of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) at Dubai this week, with an emphasis on the need to promote the tourism industry’s green credentials. Meanwhile, at the XII United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Accra, Ghana, the UNWTO has presented a message…
Earth Day – What’s Your Story?
Fuel shortages, Famine, Disease, Extinction, Floods, Drought…So this is ‘Earth Day’. Hardly something to look forward to is it? At CABI, we work tirelessly under the assumption that most people we’re likely to come across believe that ‘saving the planet’ is a Good Thing. But what are we really trying to save? Are we saving…
April is the cruellest month…
I wonder if T.S. Eliot1 was suffering from diarrhoea when he wrote this line? I believe English literary history generally has him down as recuperating from a nervous breakdown at the time, but who knows?2 So what is the tenuous link between T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land and diarrhoea? It’s not necessarily what you’re thinking…
Apricots and cyanide: the bitter truth.
I recently came across a case report of cattle being poisoned by apricot kernels, a reminder of the fact that the seeds (and sometimes leaves) from fruits such as apricots, peaches, and other members of the Prunus genus contain glycosides such as amygdalin that can release the deadly gas hydrogen cyanide. This fact is well…
It’s official – referees do favour the home team
While CABI is best known for its involvement in agriculture and the environment, the CAB Abstracts database also covers a range of other subjects, including leisure, tourism and sport. As one of the editors covering this subject area, from time to time I come across papers on subjects close to my heart. Most recently, football,…
NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
The sound of despondent Handpicked bloggers rang through the air at CABI this morning. The corridors were reverberating in despair at the New Zealand Herald‘s frightening headline ‘Climate change could see pubs run dry‘. Streuth! Pedants among you who have checked the link will have noted that the story appeared in last week’s Herald, but…
Greener can be Healthier
Climate change is the theme for National Public Health Week (NPHW) this week. It was the theme of World Health Day this year as well – a reflection of the increased attention health is getting in relation to climate change. Climate change is probably the biggest current threat to the public’s health so its time…