Is the farmer’s job to produce more and more food?

The idea for writing this particular blog post sprouted from an article on Farmers Weekly by Matthew Naylor available here. The article encourages debate on what the role of the farmer actually is. Naylor writes: ''Decades of discussion about grain mountains, subsidies, biodiversity, diffuse pollution and food flavour have obscured the main function of aContinue reading "Is the farmer’s job to produce more and more food?"

Do we need to reinvigorate Environmental History?

‘‘Many people believe that the humanities are retreating, that they are irrelevant, and students—especially in the emerging world—are encouraged to study subjects that are considered to be more useful for the labour market. The task of the humanities, according to Wilfrid McClay, is to be distinctive from the natural and social sciences, by grasping ‘humanContinue reading "Do we need to reinvigorate Environmental History?"

The Sustainability Experiment

This article was written for InterMission online magazine and is about living a sustainable life as a student. I like to think that I am a pretty environmentally conscious person. I recycle, volunteer with the university conservation group, am an active supporter of organic farming methods, walk to and from uni (and everywhere in Bristol comeContinue reading "The Sustainability Experiment"

Climate Change and Global Change

I am writing this post in response to a couple of articles I have been reading this evening; articles that I came across through links on twitter. The first is from the Guardian and is regarding Nigel Lawson's climate change sceptic (or as I prefer to see them, denier) group the 'Global Warming Policy Foundation' (GWPF).Continue reading "Climate Change and Global Change"

Concreting over our National Parks

I admit that the title to this post is somewhat over the top but it is the vision that springs to the minds of many people I have spoken to about UK Environment Secretary Owen Paterson's plans to increase development in England's ten National Parks including the Lake District, the Peak District and Dartmoor. NowContinue reading "Concreting over our National Parks"