In 2001, the Roadless Area Conservation Rule was adopted by the U.S. Forest Service, protecting approximately 58.5 million acres of the nation’s remaining wild-lands. Under this rule, protected areas are safe from logging, mining, and other practices that damage the integrity of conservation land. Though there are access roads interspersed throughout these areas, allowing for multiple recreational activities, the rule keeps areas safe from the construction of splinter roads and highways, which can lead to erosion, pollution, and the loss of native species. Still, visitors are able to go hiking, sightseeing, fishing, and more amidst the unrivaled backdrop of unspoilt… read more

As the search for further energy in Europe escalates, the United Kingdom report concludes that £850 billion may be needed in investment in order to prevent Europe descending into an energy deficit. The report, lasting eight months, was aimed at analyzing the infrastructure and consequent availability of European energy sources. The report commented that investors were lukewarm about injecting cash due to a lack of cohesive energy policy at European Union level. Trading in emissions was also criticized as not having enough backing by European countries. The committee producing the energy report looked at fishing, farming, general ecology and sources of energy and invited… read more

Pesticides aren’t popular in the UK at the moment, particularly with bees, after researchers showed a significant link between pesticides and a dramatic reduction in numbers of bees. The European Union isn’t in consensus with data but no one doubts that the population of bees is falling significantly. The UK was vastly outnumbered in an EU vote to ban a specific pesticide that is thought to harm and kill bees, but those in favour did not a secure a majority win. EU regulations now dictate that legislation be brought in and strongly regulate the chemical’s use – from this the… read more

Swaziland is home to many different species of wild land animals. One such species is the black mamba snake. This is one of the most fascinating snakes in the world, boasting venom potent enough to kill an adult person in less than an hour. The attitude towards snakes in Swaziland has been that if you should come across a snake, do whatever you can to get it killed. Fortunately, a lady by the name of Thea Litchka-Koen is changing perceptions and saving snakes, in particular the black mamba, from systemic annihilation. Snakes have been vilified from time immemorial, religion has… read more

What started as a friendly contest between two Colorado cities has now become a documentary on the hazards of using plastic bags. In October last year, I attended a film screening at Oregon State University.  All in attendance learned something new that day and left a little more aware of why not to use plastic bags. The film screening was for “Bag-It: The Movie”.  It follows an average Colorado man named Jeb Berrier, who makes a pledge to stop using plastic bags.  This decision leads Berrier to start being more conscientious of plastic bag consumption, how the bags are made,… read more

Were the British government to continue with current carbon limits around 80% of fossil fuels could be classed as unusable. The problem here is that mining and gas companies have spent an extortionate amount on extracting these resources and dumping them in favor of renewables may well have a sizable and negative impact on the UK’s energy economy. Over four trillion British pounds could be wasted if government changes continue, resulting in massive losses for oil, coal, and gas firms. London is the fossil fuel center of the world in terms of market investment and capital. Government changes, by way… read more

We live in an era where the politics of environment has become an expected component of any government manifesto and thousands of organisations exist in the practice of furthering the solutions to environmental concerns. The world’s nations are attempting, albeit sluggishly, to come to some form of global direction. It is remarkable, therefore, considering how hot an issue climate change has become, that no official definition of environmental ‘justice’ exists. Definitions of the term have been offered by activists and political bodies, yet there is no consensus on what justice means in the context of saving the planet and how we… read more

More effective solar energy, cars that pollute less, fuels that are friendly to the environment – the technical aspects involved in climate change are abundant. Science and engineering are tools against damage to the planet. Yet, this is the ‘how’, and not the ‘why’. The practical elements of green living are relatively easy to improve and measure in comparison with the ethical reckoning that underpins the entire enterprise of environmental policy. Whereas science conforms to the boundaries and predictabilities of natural law, ethics is a subjective and challenging discourse not so easily defined or agreed upon. It is helpful to… read more

The majority of modern environmental policy in the United Kingdom stems from membership of the European Union (EU). Before joining the EU, Britain’s environmental policy was fragmented and varied across different sectors of industry, with no overarching directive to police and prosecute environmental aims. Industry was in constant battle with government over policy direction, with many environmental responsibilities being allocated to the third sector. This mosaic of varying policy came to an end with the introduction of environmental protection legislation in 1990, which pushed into statute the requirement for all industry to be held to account under one legal framework… read more

Often stated by President George W. Bush, 9/11 was, for the rest of the world, a ‘bad day’ – for America it was a swift and decided change in attitude. The most clearly significant change represented in a hard and, arguably, pre-emptive foreign policy. Yet, the attacks on September 11th 2001 signalled more than the need for a more pro-active military position, this – a priori – being the first reasonable response. The US missed opportunities to more deeply change its dependence on Middle Eastern oil; failing to recognise that such a change might remove commercial links with dictatorships branded… read more