Articles (Ecologist)

Bird flu has been raging through Asia for more than a decade. But it is only recently that most of us have started to pay attention to the story. Pat Thomas separates fact from fiction and asks whether this is a random act of nature or yet another man-made disaster. The words ‘bird flu’ strike […]

Do you like to freshen up your house with a good squirt of air freshener or get your elbow behind some spray polish? Beware, that waft of scent can mask a multitude of harmful ingredients. Not all labels are easy to look behind. Household products such as cleaners, polishes and air fresheners are not obliged […]

Warning! Kissable lips may endanger your health. By Pat Thomas. Lip balm is a year-round product. For every season there is a reason – winter cold, autumn dryness, spring and summer sun – to smear it on several times a day. Chances are you know someone with a lip balm habit. In fact, more than half […]

If we truly knew about flu, and the lack of effectiveness of the vaccine being offered as protection, would we really be so obedient about getting the jab? It’s flu season again. The posters are up in the clinics, your GP has a stack of NHS information leaflets and advertisements and articles are appearing in […]

A little mouthwash to make your tongue and gums feel fresh and clean? Beware, you may be swilling a mouthful of chemicals that will give you more to worry about than bad breath. Pat Thomas reports. We all know that brushing and flossing keep teeth and gums healthy. Nevertheless, in the pursuit of the perfect […]

Britons spend millions on dubious acne treatments every year. By Pat Thomas. The social stigma attached to pimples has meant that for years manufacturers have had a ready-made market of anxious and not very savvy young consumers willing to shell out vast sums of cash on products that promise to get rid of them. In […]

Aspartame should never have reached the marketplace. But even if the authorities were to remove it from sale tomorrow, how much faith should consumers place in the other artificial sweeteners on the market? There is not a single artificial sweetener on the market that can claim, beyond all reasonable doubt, to be safe for humans […]

Aspartame is the most controversial food additive in history. The most recent evidence, linking it to leukaemia and lymphoma, has added substantial fuel to the ongoing protests of doctors, scientists and consumer groups who allege that this artificial sweetener should never have been released onto the market and that allowing it to remain in the […]

Panicked into avoiding sunlight by the experts, we are now at unprecedented risk of diseases linked to deficiencies of vitamin D, including cancers, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, depression and high blood pressure. The time has come to let the sunshine in, says Pat Thomas Slip. Slap. Slop. We all know the drill. Avoid the dangers of […]

Don’t give germs a helping hand by Pat Thomas Nobody washes their hands anymore – the escalation of MRSA in hospitals is just one testimony to that fact. Instead, when we are feeling a little grimy, in a car or on a plane, during a summer picnic or at the office, we reach for a […]