Environment

From a charging great white shark to sunlight streaming into a sinkhole these are just some of the amazing prize winning underwater pictures in a worldwide competition. More than 5,000 pictures were entered for the underwaterphotography.com contest across 17 categories - from above water, to wide angle,sharks and even underwater fashion featuring models. Pictures range from a sperm whale with its mouth open warning off a diver to a turtle reflected in another diver's mask on the Great Barrier Reef....

New figures have shown that four million children are affected by poverty. These statistics are a damning indication of the circumstances that large sections of the country find themselves in on a daily basis. The Children’s Society have slammed the figures and said the situation is “clearly getting worse.” The charity has claimed that around a third of children are now living in poverty. In a time when the economy is growing this shows that many are being left behind...

When David Cameron became PM he talked of the “big society,” imagining armies of citizens carrying out good works for free in their spare time. Unfortunately most people have to work long hours to make ends meet and to appease slave driver bosses. It was a nice idea, but in practice it couldn’t work, especially has Cameron also announced austerity measures, that meant that everyone’s finances were tighter than ever before as public series suffered. After Cameron lost the EU...

Go Vegan World  has accused the National Farmers’ Union of “entirely missing the point” in its recent criticism of the campaign which has been appearing across the UK and Ireland on billboards, taxis, motorways and at underground stations as well as full page adverts in national newspapers. The campaign features powerful, highly thought-provoking messages such as Dairy Takes Babies from their Mothers, Humane Milk is a Myth: Don't Buy It and Vegetarianism is Not Enough for male chicks who are...

In today’s Spring Budget, the Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond made no mention of the Government’s plans to change the way Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is awarded in the future. PIP is awarded to cover the extra costs that disabled people face, and is gradually replacing Disability Living Allowance. Recently the courts ruled that people who find it difficult to leave the house because of psychological distress should be able to receive the higher rate of PIP. But two...

Half (50%) of London adults believe women receive fewer opportunities after returning from maternity leave 17% of the respondents from London disagree that their CEO actively strives for gender equality and supports initiatives in the workplace Over half (56%) of adults surveyed in London said they would be ‘much happier’ at work if their employer offered a more flexible working arrangement This International Women’s Day, RICS encourages employers to review diversity initiatives and sign up to its Inclusive Employer Quality...

The result of a two-year investigation has exposed how intensive farming is not only cruel to farm animals, but is having a devastating impact on the world’s most iconic wildlife. Dead Zone: Where the Wild Things Were reveals that in the 50 years since factory farming was widely adopted, half of the world’s wildlife has disappeared, with species loss now happening 1000 times faster than what scientists consider ‘normal’. Wildlife expert Chris Packham called the book “an honest, compelling and...

Shocking news has emerged from the Samaritans that there is a direct link between poverty and suicide, according to their new report. The report, Dying from Inequality, found that in places that suffer from higher levels of poverty and low income also have higher rates of suicide. The report found that the risk of suicide increases during economic decline and recession. As the pressure to make ends meet increases people are pushed into situations they feel they have no way...

There have been countless columns written about pollinators and their importance and impact on our daily lives and why they should not be underestimated. This topic has become more and more imperative as pollinator numbers have seen a dramatic decline. Over the past fifty years we have seen the localised disappearance of the large garden bumblebee, Bombus ruderatus from Devon, Dorset and Cornwall. The first of this year’s busy bees are beginning to emerge, so what can we do in...