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Hundreds of health workers sign letter to General Medical Council calling for halt to suspensions as GP faces jail for activism
Hundreds of health workers have called on the General Medical Council to stop suspending doctors imprisoned for peaceful climate activism ahead of a trial which could see the first jailing of a working GP for a non-violent climate protest in the UK.
Two retired GPs have been suspended by GMC-convened tribunals this year after receiving short sentences for non-violent offences during Just Stop Oil and Insulate Britain protests in 2021 and 2022. The medical regulator did not express concerns about the doctors’ clinical capabilities but said their actions undermined public confidence in the profession.
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The Michelin-starred restaurateur has signed an open letter demanding delivery of £15m to divert produce to food banks and soup kitchens
Chef Tom Kerridge is teaming up with charities to demand delivery of a promised £15m fund to divert fresh but unused food from farms to food banks and soup kitchens across the country.
Repeated promises have been made by former ministers to fund the food waste reduction scheme, which effectively compensates farmers for harvesting, storing and packaging the food that would otherwise head into landfill or animal feed.
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Self-monitoring regime will change to plug loophole that allowed failing sewage plants to pass pollution checks
Water firms “passed” thousands of pollution tests under a self-monitoring regime … yet the tests were never even conducted, the Observer can reveal. The water firms’ own operational data for sewage plants across the country reveals how outflows of effluent had stopped – in some cases for just a few hours – on days that samples were supposed to be taken.
Despite testers being unable to check whether firms were allowing too much pollution to flow into rivers, the Environment Agency rules allowed these “no-flows” to be recorded as compliant with the environmental conditions of their operating permits.
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Researchers criticised and gaslighted after sharing fears with Guardian say acknowledging feelings is critical to their work
Climate scientists who were mocked and gaslighted after speaking up about their fears for the future have said acknowledging strong emotions is vital to their work.
The researchers said these feelings should not be suppressed in an attempt to reach supposed objectivity. Seeing climate experts’ fears and opinions about the climate crisis as irrelevant suggests science is separate from society and ultimately weakens it, they said.
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Threatened species scientific committee is mulling whether to list Australian sandalwood for protection under national environmental laws
Consumers and celebrities around the world covet it for its warm, earthy and musky scent. But Australian sandalwood’s popularity has come at more than just a hefty cost to the wallet, with some scientists warning the species is at risk of extinction in the wild.
“Australian sandalwood’s downfall is that it’s one of the most fragrant species of sandalwood in the world,” said Richard McLellan, an adjunct research fellow at Charles Sturt University.
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Councillor has reportedly suggested using pills to control gulls, but experts say it may not be ethical or practical
Their brazen chip-snatching, swooping and aggressive squawking has earned seagulls a reputation as the scourge of seaside towns, terrorising unsuspecting tourists and enraging residents alike.
And as the marauding birds have ventured inland and established urban colonies, towns have deployed spikes, netting and even birds of prey as deterrents. Now Worcester city councillors appear to be contemplating a new escalation in the battle: bird contraceptives.
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As a new glamping development seeks to open in the region hammered by extreme weather, Mariposa locals are fighting back
Kathleen Armstrong saw the smoke curling above the tree-covered horizon and turned on her scanner with bated breath. Mariposa was on fire again. It was the Fourth of July, a high-risk time in the California mountain town near Yosemite national park that had already seen its fair share of emergency evacuations.
Armstrongand her husband rushed to pack up their four dogs as the sky began to glow red and flames raced toward the back door. “It was traumatizing,” she recalled in a recent interview. “It’s a miracle we are still here.”
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Conham River Park is home to a group devoted to protecting and promoting the use of the river
In a shallow valley populated by reddening ancient oak trees, the River Avon snakes along quietly – the grind of Bristol unknowingly just metres away.
Despite the falling leaves and temperature, a group of women tentatively step into the 12.5C waters of the Conham River Park in the east of the city for a midday swim – a ritual they all insist is not just a hobby but a way of life.
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The Institute for Contemporary Art in San Francisco has curated a show of ‘alchemized’ toothpaste caps, zip ties, broken computer keys and perfume spray tubes
As a young artist, Miguel Arzabe visited art shows around the US to learn from others’ work. But his biggest source of inspiration were the exhibit catalogues. Fascinated by the documents, he decided to make his own work out of the books themselves.
He cut the pages into thin strips and wove them into a large, intricate Andean tapestry called Last Weaving – because the strips would make a timeless and lasting work of art – completed in 2018.
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The dark months make nature harder to access, but these simple activities will help you stay connected to it
As the clocks go back today, it’s worth remembering that even though we may consider ourselves to be a nation of nature lovers, in a recent study people in the UK were found to be more disconnected from the natural world than most of our European neighbours. And the result is a decline not just in nature’s wellbeing but in ours, too. And, though it’s harder to get out and enjoy nature with longer nights and shorter days, the good news is that a new relationship with nature can start very simply, with eight everyday activities close to home. What matters is not the amount of time you spend in nature, but what you do with that time.
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