Articles

Is it healthy? Is it 
organic? Is it fairly traded? How far has it travelled? At times, making informed choices can feel like a full-time job. Here is a pocket guide to buying food from the new book Stuffed More than anything else, the new interest in ethical shopping indicates a break away from a […]

Pat Thomas addresses the pressures of dwindling food and water supplies, increasing prices and an expanding population Every era has a defining issue: in the twenty-first century, that issue will likely be global food security. A complex intersection of challenges unique to our time is at work – peak oil, climate change, declining water supplies […]

Faced with an itchy young head full of nits, it’s all too easy to reach for a bottle of potent chemicals. But is smothering your child’s hair in pesticides really the best solution? By Pat Thomas Of the common childhood disorders, few are met with such revulsion in adults as head lice (Pediculus hummus capitis), […]

For whatever reason you choose to chew it, this plastic, potentially toxic mish-mash of ingredients is bad for the environment and bad for us. Pat Thomas reports Football managers chew it to keep their nerves and emotions under control. Lovers chew it to keep their teeth white and their breath kissing fresh. Kids chew it […]

It may look pretty, but the unmistakable odour of nail polish betrays a cocktail of toxic ingredients. Pat Thomas reports Should you find yourself browsing through the astonishingly large selection of nail polishes in the beauty section of any store you’ll likely find a lot of enticing colours with yummy sounding names like Red Caviar, […]

The season of flu (and fear of swine flu) is upon us. But before you reach for this sticky pink cocktail dished out by doctors and parents as a cure-all for children, think again… Practically speaking, swine flu is not all that different from seasonal flu in symptoms and treatment. And children aren’t at any […]

The powerful antibacterial nanosilver can now be found in everything from air fresheners and food packaging to babies’ bottles and bandages. But has anyone looked at the risks? The Ecologist has long been sceptical of the necessity and safety of antibacterial toiletries and household cleaners. In spite of the fact that they are widely used in a variety […]

Marketed as the ultimate quick food fix, 240 Pot Noodles are eaten every minute in Britain. But what exactly is in the ‘slag of all snacks’? Pat Thomas on fats, salt and flavour enhancers The best defence, as any sportsperson will tell you, is offence. So it was that Pot Noodle – the instant snack […]

It’s the popular, over-the-counter diet drug that’s now been linked to liver damage. But popping a ‘weight loss’ pill is not going to solve the obesity crisis – especially with health concerns like these – says Pat Thomas Science has long been on the trail of a magic pill that will make the obesity crisis […]

What’s the real price of your bouquet? Pat Thomas dishes the dirt on cut flower production in less-industrialised countries In 2007, just in time for Valentine’s Day, then UK minister for International Development Hilary Benn told consumers to buy flowers flown in from Kenya, rather than European hothouse flowers. ‘People want to buy ethically and […]