25 Sep 2024

Analysis by the Pesticides Action Network has revealed that the Conservative government attacked pesticide residue safety limits on a range of common GB food items including blackberries, grapes, onions and potatoes. Between 2022 and 2024, safety limits were weakened for 115 types of produce. While most of the food types affected are fruit and vegetables, […]

25 Sep 2024

Rock-hugging river jelly lichen (Lathagrium dichotomum) has been found thriving along the River Sprint, marking a significant boost for local water quality. River jelly lichen is a species that won’t compromise on habitat conditions, and they will only live in the cleanest of waters. The discovery, made by teams from the Environment Agency during a […]

25 Sep 2024

The project at Chellow Dene Wetlands, near Bradford, took three months to complete and includes improvements to a wetland area to help slow the flow of water during heavy rain. It’s been delivered by Aire Rivers Trust working together with the Environment Agency, West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Britvic, City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, the […]

25 Sep 2024

The Worshipful Company of Water Conservators and the Society for the Environment  have signed a concordat to work together. Both organisations are proud to have members with a passion for the environment. Plus, both recognise the need for competent, level headed, ethical, science-based contributions to environmental conservation. To build on these shared positions, collaboration will […]

18 Sep 2024

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Steve Reed has convened a new Floods Resilience Taskforce to turbocharge the development of flood defences and bolster the nation’s resilience to extreme weather. The Taskforce brings together the Secretary of State and Floods Minister Emma Hardy with representatives from Defra, MHCLG, Home Office, Cabinet Office, […]

18 Sep 2024

Following last week’s publication of the Water (Special Measures) Bill, the government has given a clearer indication of the importance of water sector investment in the delivery of growth and job creation. The Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed and Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Lord Livermore hosted a roundtable […]

18 Sep 2024

By Michelle Jackson, associate professor of freshwater/marine ecology at the University of Oxford Public outrage over river pollution has been heartening to see. Over the past few years, stories about sewage contamination in rivers have captured public attention, and prompted campaigns and protests, such as the forthcoming River Action UK march for clean water on […]

18 Sep 2024

An investigation by the Environment Agency into Severn Trent Water revealed that raw sewage from a blocked sewer had been discharged into a brook near Gloucester – impacting about 1.7km of the watercourse. The case has ended in the water company agreeing an Enforcement Undertaking (EU) with the Environment Agency and giving Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust […]