Environment News
Everest deaths: Four reasons why this climbing season went wrong
Image copyright Reuters Image caption Climbers pay a premium in order to climb the mountain Over the past two decades, the average annual death rate of climbers on Mount Everest has remained at about six. But this spring, at least 10 people have already been reported dead or missing on the world’s highest peak. This …
Scientists close in on hidden Scottish meteorite crater
Image copyright Thinkstock Image caption Artwork: If confirmed it would be the biggest impact recorded on what is now the British Isles Scientists think the time has come for a full geophysical survey of The Minch, to see if the Scottish strait is hiding an ancient meteorite crater. The idea that such a structure lies …
‘Pumping heart patch’ ready for human use
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media captionHeart breakthrough could save thousands of lives A “pumping” patch containing millions of living, beating stem cells could help repair the damage caused by a heart attack, according to researchers. Sewn on to the heart, the 3cm (1in) by 2cm patch, grown in a lab from a …
‘Fear’ of killer shrimp may threaten rivers
Image copyright Michal Grabowski / Uni Lodz An invasive “killer shrimp” that has reached UK rivers could be altering the behaviour of other species through fear alone. A study shows that the mere presence of the “alien” crustacean can make other species less effective at the tasks they perform in aquatic ecosystems. The invasive animal …
Investment offer to take Cornwall and Virgin into orbit
Image copyright Virgin Orbit Image caption Some technical and regulatory hurdles will need to be cleared first The UK government and Cornwall Council are prepared to invest up to £20m into Newquay airport (Spaceport Cornwall) to make it a base for Virgin Orbit. Orbit is the satellite launch system currently being developed in the US …
Zero-waste: The women in Asia who gave up plastic
China, Indonesia and Vietnam are amoung the worst ocean plastic polluters in the world, according to a 2015 Ocean Conservancy report. But it’s not just their own waste they are swamped with. At its height in January 2017, the UK was exporting 28,000 tonnes of waste to China in just one month alone. Following China’s …
The RAF weathermen who helped save D-Day
Image caption The 518 squadron flew missions from Tiree almost every day no matter what the weather D-Day could have been one of the biggest disasters in military history were it not for the decisions of a Scottish weatherman and data from an RAF squadron based on a small island off Scotland’s west coast. Group …
Trump says ‘climate change goes both ways’
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Mr Trump said he was moved by Prince Charles’ passion, but the conversation did not change his views President Donald Trump has said he believes climate change “goes both ways” following a 90-minute discussion with environmentalist Prince Charles. “I believe that there’s a change in weather and I think …
Nuclear: Energy bills ‘used to subsidise submarines’
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Experts say the government should be frank about the inter-dependence of civilian and military nuclear Energy bills in the UK are inflated partly because households are subsidising nuclear submarines, MPs have been told. Experts think one government motive for backing civilian nuclear power is to cross-subsidise the defence industry. …
Cat declawing: Should it be banned, and why does it happen in the US?
Image copyright Getty Images New York might become the first US state to ban cat declawing. In a bipartisan move on Tuesday, lawmakers voted to make the procedure illegal, except where it is medically necessary for the cat. The governor, Andrew Cuomo, needs to review and sign the bill before it becomes law. Critics say …
