‘We do go a bit mad in the sun’

· Britons struggle to keep cool in 36° temperatures · Hunt for shade becomes the new national pastime

Keep your cool

This could be the hottest day ever recorded in Britain. But how can you escape the heat without turning on the air conditioning - and warming the planet even more? Dominic Murphy offers some tips on how to stay chilled with a clear conscience.

Think before you drink

As Britain staggers through another long, hot summer, our consumption of mineral water is set to break all records. We do need a lot of water to stay healthy - but does it have to come out of a bottle? Aida Edemariam reports

New food poisoning outbreak leaves 83 ill

· Twice as many females hit by rare salmonella · Health alert comes two weeks after Cadbury scare

How a tobacco farm in Kent could provide a life-saving drug for millions

· Genetic tweak allows HIV drug to be harvested · Environmentalists fear cross-contamination

How can I make my baby greener?

Little can be done to scale down the nappy mountain, but kids can play their green card by reusing toys, says Lucy Siegle.

Study looks at pesticide link with Parkinson’s

Scientists have begun a three-year study aimed at establishing whether pesticides can cause Parkinson's disease as part of an attempt to assess the extent of long-term health risks from the chemicals.

Wrong choice of brand can double salt intake

· Food watchdogs urge parents to check labels· Fat levels vary wildly in products for children

Mass medication with Omega 3 would wipe out global fish stocks

Our children need their fatty acids, but after we have fed our stocks to cattle and pigs there simply aren't enough left, says George Monbiot

Yellow clouds on the horizon

Hayfever sufferers in the east of England have been watching anxiously as a huge dust cloud heads their way, writes Mark Oliver.