FEATURES
22 The Forest King Can one chicken save the planet? Well, maybe not, but it can make life a whole lot easier for Indian smallholders. Andrew Wasley of the Ecologist Film Unit reports
24 Drizzle with care Squirted liberally by chefs the world over, olive oil is now a Western kitchen staple. But much of it is produced in a way which is less than palatable. Laura Sevier reports
31 Moth balls A million-dollar chemical war against a harmless moth is claiming human casualties. Claire Robinson reveals the Californian communities deluged with sprays
36 Tree thieves China is making great efforts towards reforestation, but it doesn’t seem to care two hoots about the legality of the timber crossing its borders. Steve Kemper reports on a thorny problem
42 Robotic children SATS, Key Stages, GCSEs… If we need a generation of children who can really think, asks Nick Kettles, why do our schools more closely resemble factories?
48 All hands to the plough Intensive farming is coming apart at the seams. So what next? Ed Hamer profiles Community Supported Agriculture
COMMENTS
14 Think sorting your recycling is helping the planet? Think again, says Martin O’Brien • Change we can believe in? Joss Garman hopes Barack Obama will make good on his green promises • We’ll pay a price for making money appear and disappear at the click of a mouse, says James Bruges • Peak oil is a welcome friend in tackling climate change, says Richard Heinberg • Plankton have more spine than our new Marine Bill, worries Haris Livas-Dawes • Businesses are queuing up for knowledge of our bodies’ microbial population, says Jim Thomas |
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REGULARS
6 Letters A regular forum for readers’ views
8 News UK’s emissions higher than we think; re-evaluating comfort; solar power; food stock
12 News focus Is there an alternative to the Severn barrage? Mark Anslow and Peter Clark report
20 Behind the label Curb your enthusiasm for soya-based foods, says Pat Thomas: healthy they ain’t
88 Reviews The Food Maze; A Women’s Guide to Saving the World; The Green Food Bible; The Age of Stupid; Last Words
90 How to be free Tom Hodgkinson has gone all horticultural. Does the answer to society’s ills really lie at the bottom of the garden?
GREEN PAGES
56 In season Tune into trees, cycle in comfort, enjoy organic fortnight and make plum jam – all in September. By Rachel Clode
59 Local Hero: Louise Amos, shepherd Dixe Wills meets the shepherd on a mission to transform the British countryside
64 Marauder to order Is foraging for restaurants really sustainable? Fergus Drennan thinks not
66 Guerrillas in our midst Beware guerrillas armed with… trowels and compost? Olly Zanetti meets the no-holds-barred gardeners
69 Hemp on the high street The potential of hemp fabrics is huge – so why isn’t it everywhere, asks Laura Sevier
74 Homage to hemp Forget hair shirts, says Laura Sevier, and check out this selection of hemp hoodies, towels, salad oils and cosmetics instead
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