Environment News
Glastonbury: Sir David Attenborough hails plastic ban
Sir David Attenborough has taken to the stage at Glastonbury to thank festival-goers for cutting their plastic use. The naturalist appeared shortly before Kylie Minogue’s set, and previewed some of his new TV series Seven Continents, One Planet, which is due to air on BBC One later this year. Thousands of people had gathered for …
Europe heatwave: Why are temperatures on the continent soaring?
Image copyright AFP Image caption Countries across Europe are sweltering under the heat France has recorded its all-time hottest temperature amid a European heatwave that has prompted governments to issue health alerts, urging people to keep cool. Several people have lost their lives amid the soaring temperatures. The heatwave has also caused flash floods and …
Japan whaling: Commercial hunts to resume despite outcry
Image copyright Barcroft Media Japan is about to resume catching whales for profit, in defiance of international criticism. Its last commercial hunt was in 1986, but Japan has never really stopped whaling – it has been conducting instead what it says are research missions which catch hundreds of whales annually. But Japan has now withdrawn …
‘Destroyed’ Trump golf course dunes to lose special status
Image copyright Reuters Image caption Donald Trump teed off at the opening of his controversial Aberdeenshire golf course in 2012 The sand dunes at Donald Trump’s Aberdeenshire golf resort are expected to lose their status as a nationally-important protected environment. Government watchdog Scottish Natural Heritage has recommended that Menie links be removed from an existing …
Dragonfly: Drone helicopter to fly on Saturn’s moon, Titan
Image copyright NASA Image caption Nasa says visiting Titan could revolutionise what we known about life in the Universe Nasa will fly a drone helicopter worth $1bn (£800,000) on Saturn’s moon, Titan, in the 2030s. The rotorcraft will visit dozens of promising locations on Titan to investigate the chemistry that could lead to life. Titan …
Revealed: The secret life of the spittlebug
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Frothy ‘cuckoo spit’ made by the spittlebug Citizen scientists have provided a wealth of new data on a curious insect that makes blobs of spittle on plants. More than 11,000 sightings of the spittlebug, or froghopper, have been recorded across the UK, with the south of England proving a …
UN climate talks: Delegates back IPCC report without targets
Image copyright KIARA WORTH/IISD/ENB Image caption The small island states accused Saudi Arabia and others of denialism UN delegates in climate talks have agreed a “compromise” on how to include a key scientific report after two weeks of talks in Bonn, Germany. Negotiators decided the report represented the “best available science”. But they have not …
Attempts to ‘erase the science’ at UN climate talks
Image copyright KIARA WORTH/IISD/ENB Oil producing countries are trying to “erase the science” on keeping the world’s temperatures below 1.5C, say some delegates at UN talks in Bonn. The chair of the Alliance of Small Island States said Saudi Arabia and others were trying to pretend a key scientific report didn’t exist. Small island states …
Tory hopefuls told not to squander UK science progress
Image copyright TEK IMAGE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY Image caption Will the next prime minister support efforts to create a high-skills, high-technology strategy? The Conservative leadership candidates have been urged to make a pledge to put scientific research at the heart of their economic policy. Scientific bodies have called on Jeremy Hunt and Boris Johnson to set …
Bats benefit from protected farmland hedgerows
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Undisturbed hedgerows provide an important habitat for numerous bat species and their insect prey Leaving hedgerows untouched can offer an important lifeline for night-time biodiversity, such as bats. A study says schemes designed to make farming more wildlife-friendly often failed to offer any real benefits. Populations of insect-eating bats …
