Green Creation 

I've just come back from a 5-week assignment in Pakistan supporting the humanitarian response to the devastating floods (focusing on grant management and reporting to my day employer's numerous donors, running into the millions GBP, thanks to people's and institutions' generosity). Haven't had much chance for much else (would have loved to get in touch with Pakistan-based environmentalists!), though did keep up with my OU work on Islam and Environment courses. Anyone else wondering whether the floods damage and misery is all due to the rain, but our logging (with PK having high international debts, selling off assets is means to generate hard currency and saying 'our logging' as we're creating the demand) and mixed up other priorities, means the poor in Pakistan are suffering from more than poverty...

$5,000,000,000,000: The cost each year of vanishing rainforest
British researchers set out the economic impact of species destruction - and their findings are changing world's approach to global warming (well I hope so!) - is money the only language that talks loud enough to be heard? Perhaps the UN Biodiversity Chief, Mr Ahmed Djoghlaf, can add his answer to this question when he comes on The Guardian on 4 October?

BTW: An insecticide used in genetically modified (GM) crops grown extensively in the US and other parts of the world has leached into the water of the surrounding environment according to a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

Sorry if the above doesn't sound terribly organised... arrived back with heavy cold and wanted to put up some of my thoughts - both for any readers to know I'm still around and also for me to get some issues off my chest...