Graham Lawton, New Scientist

Graham Lawton

New Scientist

United Kingdom

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Recent:
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Past:
  • New Scientist

Past articles by Graham:

Elderflora review: A history of ancient trees is excellent in parts

A tour round the world's oldest trees is a brilliant idea for a book, but its delivery can be pretty uneven → Read More

How rivers are vital for everything from biodiversity to mental health

The UK's 200,000 kilometres of waterway are in crisis. New Scientist's Save Britain's Rivers campaign reveals how crucial they are for the nation's health, wealth and resilience → Read More

The push to grant legal rights to nature is gaining momentum

The movement to give trees, rivers and ecosystems the legal right to exist, thrive and regenerate has been bubbling under for decades, but it has just scored a very welcome win, says Graham Lawton → Read More

How we finally tracked European eels all the way to the Sargasso Sea

Where European eels start and end their lives was long a mystery, but an audacious expedition has finally revealed the last details of their incredible migration → Read More

This was a terrible year for me, but spending time in nature helped

My mental health cratered this year after the death of my wife, Clare. Getting out into the natural world has helped me to cope, says Graham Lawton → Read More

We are only just beginning to understand what causes nociplastic pain

This new kind of pain is poorly understood, as there is often no sign of injury, but as Graham Lawton explains in this personal account, we are finally starting to make inroads → Read More

I am planning my wife's woodland burial, but green funerals are costly

My late wife was an environmentalist and wanted an eco-friendly funeral. I have seen to her wishes, but a woodland burial isn't possible for all those who would like one, writes Graham Lawton → Read More

A longevity diet that hacks cell ageing could add years to your life

A new diet based on research into the body's ageing process suggests you can increase your life expectancy by up to 20 years by changing what, when and how much you eat → Read More

How climate change is knocking natural events wildly out of sync

Climate change is throwing off the timing of key events in the natural world, from the flowering of plants to the migrations of birds and mammals. Now, ecologists are warning that this could spiral out of control and cause whole ecosystems to break down → Read More

Sustainable fashion: How to cut the environmental cost of your clothes

From renting clothes to ditching the tumble drier, there are plenty of things you can do to reduce the environmental price tag of your wardrobe → Read More

Plague never went away – now it could re-emerge in drug-resistant form

Plague may seem like an ancient disease, but the bacterium that causes it persists in rodents and fleas around the world. Researchers are warning that it could resurface in a form that our antibiotics can't treat and cause another pandemic → Read More

The Black Death: How many people really died of plague in Europe?

The history books say the infamous plague pandemic of the 14th century killed at least half of the population of Europe. But recent scientific investigations have called that figure into question → Read More

How many people died due to the Black Death in Europe?

The history books say the infamous plague pandemic of the 14th century killed at least half of the population of Europe. But recent scientific investigations have called that figure into question → Read More

How many people died of the Black Death in Europe?

The history books say the infamous plague pandemic of the 14th century killed at least half of the population of Europe. But recent scientific investigations have called that figure into question → Read More

Rich countries must pay for the environmental damage they have wreaked

There is a historical obligation for higher-income countries to transfer some of their vast and ill-gotten wealth to lower-income ones to compensate them for the damage they have done to the environment, writes Graham Lawton → Read More

How the ‘blue acceleration’ is supercharging ocean exploitation

From deep-sea mining to industrial-scale fishing, human activities in the oceans are expanding massively in a realm where few rules apply. Only now are we grappling with how to regulate the rush to plunder the seas → Read More

30 by 30: The conservation breakthrough we need to save biodiversity

Negotiators are hammering out a bold plan to set aside 30 per cent of global land and sea area for nature by the end of the decade. But can they succeed – and will it work? → Read More

Russian tanks are devastating an idyllic Ukrainian wetland wilderness

The invasion of Ukraine is first and foremost a humanitarian catastrophe, but the environmental consequences of Putin's war will also be dire, writes Graham Lawton → Read More

Are we on the verge of a global initiative to clean up ocean plastics?

A global summit on clearing up the oceans has produced big promises – is it just blah, blah, blah, or can we make the future of plastic fantastic, asks Graham Lawton → Read More

How our environment is making us sick – and what we can do about it

From air pollutants to pesticides in food and cosmetic additives, modern life means constant exposure to environmental chemicals. Picking apart the effects will help us boost the health of humans and the planet → Read More