23 May 2012 Last updated at 10:12 ET The cult of lawn By Lucy Townsend BBC News Magazine Thousands are thronging Chelsea Flower Show, but for many people all their garden dreams are summed up in the form of a small, manicured, neat-edged patch of grass. They are adherents to the cult of the lawn. For some, satisfaction is a perfect stripe. Others find happiness in the smell of cut grass, or the pleasant springy feeling that comes from walking on perfect, 3cm-deep turf. "A striped lawn reminds us of lovely things like cricket and bowls," says Mike Seaton, editor of the lawn advice website Grass Clippings. "I grew up with a large back garden and I was weaned into lawn mowing from a very ... Continue reading →

An outstanding investigation show how chemical companies preserve a toxic cash cow A tremendous Chicago Tribune investigation into flame-retardant chemical manufacturers shows how they push their poisons on an unsuspecting public despite repeated findings that their products do nothing to prevent or delay fires. It’s a sordid tale of powerful corporations, paid shills, and legislative and regulatory impotence—one of the best examples I’ve seen of how private special interests dominate the public interest. The Trib’s series is a devastating piece of muckraking that shows how the chemical industry misleads lawmakers and the public to protect a cash cow. This is how newspaper journalism ought to be done. The paper hits the chemical industry and the folks on its payroll hard, comes to a clear conclusion, ... Continue reading →