Cheaper oil could damage renewable energies, says Richard Branson
Entrepreneur claims Saudi Arabia is encouraging collapse in oil price in bid to undermine fracking and clean energy
Environment
World’s beaches being washed away due to coastal development
From Florida to the Costa del Sol, costly sea defences are accelerating beach erosion and will ultimately fail to protect coastal towns and cities from rising tides, say experts
Earth faces sixth ‘great extinction’ with 41% of amphibians set to go the way of the dodo
Analysis for prestigious Nature magazine sounds alarm on the way that human activity, from overfishing to agriculture, is forcing a vast number of species to vanish from the wild
• Northern white rhino’s death leaves just five left in the world
Full scale of plastic in the world’s oceans revealed for first time
Over five trillion pieces of plastic are floating in our oceans says most comprehensive study to date on plastic pollution around the world
Should I worry about cheap cashmere?
Just about every clothing supplier out there is offering deals on cashmere, including the cheap ones. Should I be concerned?
If you have an ethical dilemma, email Lucy at lucy.siegle@observer.co.uk
Eating less meat essential to curb climate change, says report
Global livestock industry produces more greenhouse gas emissions than transport but fear of a consumer backlash is preventing action, says Chatham House report