Articles

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 […]

A new book by WWF ‘Meeting Environmental Challenges: The Role of Human Identity’ makes the case for a new kind of campaigning that sees the person behind the behaviour. Pat Thomas is impressed In the last few years the Ecologist has published many articles that sought to shed light on the psychological aspects of environmentalism. […]

Is orange juice as healthy and natural as it claims to be? Can it ever be ‘eco’? Pat Thomas reports Most orange juice manufacturers would have you believe that OJ is purity in a glass; a simple, natural, single-ingredient product. But behind this image of purity is a product that is heavily processed and engineered. […]

In his letter to the founder of Alcoholic’s Anonymous, in 1961, the psychoanalyst Carl Jung noted that the addiction was, at a very deep level, a ‘spiritual thirst of our being for wholeness’. Instead of internalising the search, experiencing it for ourselves, however, the alcoholic looks to the spirit in the bottle to fill the […]

You may think that by avoiding the near-extinct bluefin you’re off the hook and can tuck into other types of tuna. Think again, says Pat Thomas While the powerful new film The End of the Line has sparked a media frenzy of outrage, and pricked the conscience of many people about eating endangered fish, especially tuna, it’s […]

If you are reading this, chances are that you live in a city – one, perhaps, on its way to becoming a megacity with a population that exceeds 10 million or more. If not, it is likely that you, along with most of the world’s population, soon will be. Statistics from UNESCO suggest that 50 […]