The Covid pandemic was a reminder that localised networks give our food system resilience during disruption, but also that they pay farmers fairly to produce… Read More »How is local food doing in the Sid Valley?

“Not all milk and meat is the same. Extensive, often mobile, pastoral systems – of the sort commonly seen across the African continent, as well… Read More »A nuanced debate around livestock and greenhouse gases

“But the reasons for the decline are clear and we know conservation actions deliver results for nature. We have never had a better understanding of… Read More »Nature-depletion: State of Nature report 2023

“We will be carrying out a repeat survey next year to assess how the treescape has changed. Would you like to be one of our… Read More »Calling all volunteers: updating the Arboretum’s 2014 Tree Survey

“The power of local economies.” “Rural communities could actually have the ability to make real livelihoods.” [Sir Tim Smit] . The Blue Earth Summit returns… Read More »Muscular localism

The latest from the Devonshire Dialect Dictionary… and Sidmouthian dialect . The Devonshire Dialect Dictionary is quite a feast of oral heritage – and today… Read More »Devon dialect alive and very well

“The money is there – world leaders must have the courage to call on it.” [Gordon Brown] . Earlier in the year, the government put… Read More »The polluter pays?

From Manchester and the South West to Luxembourg and Germany… . Today we learnt from former Transport Secretary Grant Shapps says it would be‘outside reality’… Read More »How to improve our public transport

“Our commitment to energy efficiency has not changed one iota” [Treasury] . Unfortunately, the debate around insulating homes has become somewhat politicised, with the Sun congratulating… Read More »Why the energy efficiency taskforce is being scrapped

From the last twenty-four hours on Twitter . Here’s a selection from the latest stories around the climate – where we are and what we… Read More »Climate action stories

Calling for people to keep an ‘open mind’ during the trial period [Devon Live] . Demonstrations have been held against the new ‘low-traffic neighbourhoods’ in… Read More »How are we going to decarbonise Exeter’s streets? Cycling and walking?

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” [Facebook comment] . In August 2020, there were complaints about areas of the Sidmouth Cemetery gone wild. This… Read More »Managing wildlife in Sidmouth Cemetery – three years on

“When people are asked whether they support specific policies, taking into account the effect on their personal finances, they answer very differently.” [Ross Clarke, The Spectator]… Read More »The future of net-zero

Cornish Lithium secures funding to open the first mine for lithium in the UK [Guardian]  And launches a crowdfunding campaign to build a sustainable, battery-grade lithium… Read More »Cornwall ‘looks to become a global hub for sourcing’ lithium

From upland sheep-farming to food from factories to a short history of meat-eating… . Alan Spedding provides “unbiased briefings about farming and rural life and… Read More »‘Animal source foods’ and their alternatives