Environment News
Amazon fires: Record number burning in Brazil rainforest – space agency
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media captionOne campaigner called the forest fires a “vicious cycle” Brazil’s Amazon rainforest has seen a record number of fires this year, new space agency data suggests. The National Institute for Space Research (Inpe) said its satellite data showed an 84% increase on the same period in 2018. …
Titanic sub dive reveals parts are being lost to sea
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media captionThe wreck sits 3.8km (2.4 miles) down at the bottom of the Atlantic ocean The first people to dive down to the Titanic in nearly 15 years say some of the wreck is deteriorating rapidly. Over the course of five submersible dives, an international team of deep-sea …
Former Farc rebels become eco-warriors to stop deforestation in the Amazon
Former Farc rebels in Colombia, who spent decades fighting the government over land and power, have reinvented themselves as eco-warriors protecting the Amazon rainforest from illegal logging. According to the government, deforestation in the Colombian Amazon rose by 60% between 2015 and 2018. The rainforest had been a no-go area during the conflict, but illegal …
When an ethical vegan met a sheep farmer…
For the world’s shepherds, shearing sheep is a vital part of caring for their flock. Many vegans however, consider the practice cruel and harmful to animals. In early 2019, an online clothing retailer temporarily stopped selling woollen products and farmers were furious. So who’s right? BBC reporter and former farmer, Gareth Barlow, took ‘ethical vegan’ …
Fracking: UK shale reserves may be smaller than previously estimated
Image copyright Cuadrilla Image caption Cuardrilla have recently resumed fracking for shale gas in Lancashire Previous projections of the potential amount of shale gas under the UK may have been significantly overestimated, according to a new study. Instead of 50 years of gas at the current rate of consumption, this new research suggests there are …
Chandrayaan-2: India spacecraft begins orbiting Moon
Image copyright AFP Image caption The rocket weighs as much as a fully-loaded jumbo jet India’s second lunar exploration mission has entered the Moon’s orbit, nearly a month after blasting off, officials have said. Chandrayaan-2 began its orbit of the Moon at 09:02 local time (04:32 GMT) on Tuesday. The craft completed the manoeuvre in …
Nasa confirms ocean moon mission
Image copyright NASA Image caption Artwork: Europa Clipper will try to determine whether the moon can support biology Scientists working on an audacious mission to the ocean world of Europa can proceed with the final design and construction of the spacecraft, Nasa says. The Europa Clipper mission will target the moon which is considered a …
Elton John defends Harry and Meghan’s use of private jets
Image copyright PA Media Image caption Pop star Sir Elton John is friends with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex Sir Elton John has defended the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s use of private jets – and said he paid to carbon offset their trip to his French home. The singer said he provided Prince …
Five ways UK farmers are tackling climate change
Farmers are on the front line of climate change – vulnerable to changes in temperature and rainfall, as well as increasingly frequent extreme weather events. They also face criticism, in particular over greenhouse gas emissions from the meat and dairy industry, with calls for a move to a more plant-based diet. Agriculture is currently responsible …
Eduard Pernkopf: The Nazi book of anatomy still used by surgeons
Image copyright Erich Lepier Image caption An illustration from the atlas shows a man’s partially dissected cheek When nerve surgeon Dr Susan Mackinnon needed help to finish an operation, she reached, as she often does, for a mid-20th Century book of anatomy. Thanks to the complex hand-drawn illustrations – showing the human body peeled back …
