20 h. ago Shocking state of Britain’s waters revealed as bathing spots with potentially deadly bacteria double

Surge in coastlines, rivers and lakes with unsafe levels of E. coli and intestinal enterococci due to sewage spills

Events

4 d. ago Clay, silty or sandy? Testing your soil type is an essential part of becoming a good gardener

Loamy soil is the holy grail, but all types can be improved by adding organic matterI often mention my veg patch’s clay soil in this column, and that’s because soil type affects what we grow and how. Getting to know your soil is an essential part of becoming a great grower of edible plants. Soil type is determined by the size of the soil’s particles which, in turn, determine its characteristics.Sandy soil has the largest particles, which means it is light, easy to work, lets water drain through it freely and warms up quickly in spring. This also means that sandy soil dries out easily, isn’t as water retentive as other types and tends to be low in nutrients as they wash through it. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Streams of medicines: what’s hiding in the UK’s waterways? – podcast

The UK is known for its national parks: areas of outstanding natural beauty with rolling hills and crystal-clear streams and lakes. But research has shown that England’s most protected rivers are full of pharmaceuticals.In episode one of a two-part series, biodiversity reporter Phoebe Weston tells Madeleine Finlay about the problem of chemical pollution in our waterways, and how it could be contributing to what the World Health Organization has described as ‘the silent pandemic’ – antimicrobial resistance.‘Rivers you think are pristine are not’: how drug pollution flooded the UK’s waterways – and put human health at riskSupport the Guardian: theguardian.com/sciencepod Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago 10 best inflatable kayaks for exploring rivers, lakes and the sea

Get pumped for your next adventure out on the water

Politics

3 w. ago Earth’s storage of water in soil, lakes and rivers is dwindling. And it’s especially bad for farming

New research finds that global warming has significantly reduced the amount of water that’s being stored around the world in soil, lakes, rivers, snow and other places on land

Politics

3 w. ago England's sewage crisis is the worst it's ever been: Waste poured into rivers, lakes and coastlines for a record 3.6million hours in 2024

The latest figures were branded as 'disgraceful' by Environment Secretary Steve Reed.

Events

4 w. ago Gardener's 'effective' trick to transform waterlogged lawns into healthy grass

A green-fingered guru has shared a simple trick for effectively draining your lawn, which can be left waterlogged after rainfall, especially when the water drains away slowly due to heavy or compacted soil

Society

4 w. ago In Canada, I saw how Trump is ripping North America apart – and how hard its bond will be to repair | Andy Beckett

With the US president now warmer to Moscow than to Ottawa, it’s little surprise Canadians I met rolled their eyes at the decline of the special relationshipAs wealthy but lightly defended countries have often learned, being close to a much more powerful state – geographically or diplomatically – can be a precarious existence. All it takes is an aggressive new government in the stronger state and a relatively equal relationship of economic and military cooperation can suddenly turn exploitative, even threatening.Since Donald Trump’s second inauguration, this realisation has been dawning across the west, but nowhere more disconcertingly than in Canada. Its border with the US is the longest in the world: 5,525 miles of often empty and hard to defend land, lakes and rivers. Canada’s two biggest cities, Toronto and Montreal, are only a few hours to the north, were you to approach them in a US army tank.Andy Beckett is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

Politics