Bird populations in arable landscapes could be damaged by certain types of genetically-modified crops, according to Professor Ken Norris, Director, Centre for Agri-Environmental Research, University of Reading , who is giving a seminar on the topic at The Macaulay Institute this Wednesday, 2 March. [continue reading ... ]

At this week’s Macaulay Institute seminar, ‘Risk, precaution and participation – beyond the barricades!’, Dr Andy Stirling, Senior Fellow at the Science and Technology Policy Research Unit (SPRU) at the University of Sussex will take a look at whether decisions on risk should be based on ’sound science’, the ‘precautionary principle’ or public participation – or whether we can have the best of all worlds. [continue reading ... ]

The role of soil carbon on climate change was the topic of this week’s Macaulay Institute seminar. Soils play a major part in the global carbon cycle and contain three times more carbon than is in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, so small losses of carbon from soils to the atmosphere could have profound negative effects on climate change. [continue reading ... ]

Eastern Scotland is experiencing more frequent and larger extreme rainfall events, which could have serious implications for local communities, including an increased risk of flooding. This will be the main message of a Macaulay Institute seminar being given next Wednesday (9 February) by Dr Hayley Fowler, Senior Research Fellow at Newcastle University’s School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences. [continue reading ... ]