Some of the biggest NSW waste companies broke rules meant to keep contamination out of landscaping products
The dirt files
We tested landscaping soil on sale in Sydney stores for asbestos – it came back positive
UK public invited to dance for worms to help assess soil health
‘Pesticides by stealth’: garden soil conditioners killing worms, experts fear
April 2024
Nature destruction will cause bigger economic slump in UK than 2008 crisis, experts warn
Soundscapes
Crunching worms, squeaking voles, drumming ants: how scientists are learning to eavesdrop on the sounds of soil
There’s no such thing as a benign beef farm – so beware the ‘eco-friendly’ new film straight out of a storybook
George Monbiot
America's dirty divide
‘Solar-powered vacuum cleaners’: the native plants that could clean toxic soil
UK invertebrate of the year
Earthworm – the soil-maker, without whom we’d struggle to feed ourselves
Rare truffle find in Scottish spruce forest sends fungi experts on alien species hunt
UK invertebrate of the year
‘Vital for looking after the soil’: fears as UK earthworm population declines
The rural network
Australia’s soil to become net carbon emitter and threat to climate goals, report says
February 2024
The age of extinction
Prehistoric peatland plants and bugs found in UK ‘time capsule’
Frozen snapshot could help revive ancient Exmoor woodland and protect against ravages of climate change
December 2023
‘Act out of love not anger’: green trailblazer calls for unity in movement
Whisky and peat go back a long way together. But is it time to put planet before palate?
November 2023
The age of extinction
Food, soil, water: how the extinction of insects would transform our planet
A new study doubles the number of species at risk of extinction to 2m, driven by the latest data on insects. Losing these tiny creatures would have huge implications for life on Earth
October 2023
Fall at your feet: five easy and affordable autumn gardening tasks
‘I’ve gone through bereavement’: HS2 bought this man’s land, and for what?
September 2023
The age of extinction
Earthworms help produce as much grain as Russia, say researchers
The humble creatures – which break down organic matter and aerate soils – contribute to as much as 6.5% of the world’s grain harvests
August 2023
Global heating likely to hit world food supply before 1.5C, says UN expert
Water scarcity threatening agriculture faster than expected, warns Cop15 desertification president
