by Anne MacLennan Plastic is a problem and there is a lot of it about. Invented (as Bakelite) in 1907, production had reached 2.3m tons annually by 1950, 448 tons in 2015, and is set to at least double by mid-century. The plastic lifecycle aggravates climate change...
by Anne MacLennan In his new book, A Climate of Truth Mike Berners-Lee (author of There is no Planet B) points out that we are in a polycrisis, faced with interactive crises in climate, biodiversity, pollution, energy, food, disease and population. We’ve known about...
Dr Jane Goodall is a primatologist, anthropologist and environmental advocate, known for her lifetime of study with wild chimpanzee societies. Her Earth Day message speaks of the harm we are doing to nature, why she nevertheless has hope for the future and how we can...
by Anne MacLennan Global heating continues to worsen, even accelerate. Why is this when we know the causes, the unwanted consequences – and the solutions? One obstacle to progress is the increasing use of Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation or SLAPPs,...
by Anne MacLennan We currently live in a capitalist society, ‘an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit’. Capitalism encourages private property, capital accumulation, competitive markets,...
by Anne MacLennan In November, the ReRoot film club watched Until the end of the World, a disturbing look at fish farming and its impacts in Europe, Africa and Antarctica. The film maker visited farms, feed-processing facilities and local communities. He discovered...
The international negotiations in Busan, South Korea, to set up a legally binding treaty on plastic pollution are due to conclude on 1st December. 102 nations have banded together to demand that a cap on plastic production is included, in order to reduce at source the...
A big reduction in plastic production is the only way we can start to tackle the plastic crisis. Last month, the UK took a major step forward in signing the Bridge to Busan declaration. This is a statement signed by 40 countries at the United Nations affirming the...
by Anne MacLennan A fascinating study by Everyday Plastic and the Environmental Investigation Agency tracked 40 bundles of soft plastic packaging deposited at English supermarket recycling collection points. The tracked bundles travelled more than 25,000 km through a...
by Anne MacLennan Recent reports highlight the huge problem of perverse incentives with big corporations subsidised to persist in, and expand, destructive climate, environmental and social practices. At least £2 trillion a year (2.5% global GDP) is spent to support...