Environment
“Largest destruction of a protected species in living memory” 42,000 badgers to be culled
The badger cull in the UK is to be expanded to 10 new areas, and it is likely up to 42,000 will now be shot, an increase from 32,500 who were killed last year. The cull is supposed to stem the spread of TB in cattle. The total culling cost to date is estimated at about £40m. The cost to taxpayers was around £1,000 per badger. It is thought vaccination would be far less costly. The Badger Trust said the...
Clothing made of synthetic fibres releases up to 700,000 microplastic fibres into the sea when washed
Man-made fibres are entering food chain
Compassion in World Farming slam Gove over back tracking
Compassion in World Farming is concerned UK Government may be back tracking on live export commitment. The environmental organisation welcomed the publication of the Agricultural Bill but are concerned that Gove appears to be back tracking on his live export commitment. James West, Senior Policy Manager at Compassion in World Farming, said: “Compassion in World Farming welcome the publication of the Agriculture Bill, with its focus on using public money to support public goods, such as high environmental standards. “One of the main pillars of these payments must be support for high animal...
“It’s appalling to place all responsibility on unwell people” Corbyn highlights Universal Credit issues in PMQs
Today (Wednesday 12 September 2018) in Prime Minister’s Questions Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn mentioned mental health charity Mind while talking about Government plans to move more than 2 million people on existing benefits over to Universal Credit. Under these proposals disabled people currently getting ESA (Employment and Support Allowance) will receive a letter informing them that their benefits will be stopped and asking them to make a new claim to Universal Credit. The proposals suggest people will be given between one and...
New plant species discovered in museum ‘already extinct’
The stunning flower is an especially rare discovery as it belongs to a group called mycoheterotrophs
Switzerland ‘running out of snow – due to global warming’
Art satellite data suggests the popular ski destination, featuring the spectacular Swiss Alps, is melting - and has lost almost 20 per cent of its snow
Why keeping honeybees might not be always be a good idea
The fashion for having a hive in the garden or on rooftops has done "more harm than good" because honeybees are less efficient pollinators than wild bees
Legislation on increasing flexible working ‘has failed’
Researchers found no significant overall increase in the number of employees working flexibly since the changes came into effect four years ago
Michael Gove backpedals on Brexit animal welfare vows & denies plot to oust Theresa May
Michael Gove this morning denied that fellow hard Brexit Tories are plotting to oust their party leader. Talking to the BBC’s Today programme Mr Gove insisted that "loose talk" of a leadership challenge could "undermine" Brexit negotiations, despite reports that 50 of his colleagues met last night to discuss ditching Theresa May. A Tory leadership coup could be just days away with members of the Hard Brexit shadowy Tory ‘government within a government’ the ERG meeting to plot ditching the...