News in brief: 14th - 20th September 2020

UK river water quality worsens

The Environment Agency has recently announced that water quality levels in rivers have not improved since the last monitoring figures were released; although water quality has not declined, it is thought that chemicals from farming, sewage discharge, and industries were still higher than desirable and need to be reduced in order to make rivers cleaner for plants and wildlife

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Siberian permafrost thaws out
Areas of Siberian ground that are normally permanently frozen (permafrost) are beginning to thaw out according to scientists who are monitoring the area; as the ground thaws, the soil shifts downwards leaving the landscape covered in lumps and bumps called thermokarsts where water can pool and form lakes

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Greenland ice shelf shatters

A piece of a large ice shelf in Greenland has broken off and shattered into many pieces; the section is thought to be 110 km squared in size and is yet another piece of evidence of rapid climate change in the area which is thought to have warmed by around 3 degrees since 1980

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World's wildlife facing a crisis

If you watched David Attenborough's latest programme called 'Extinction: The Facts' on Sunday night, you will be fully aware of the problems facing the world's wildlife.  Most of these have been caused by our human actions and decisions we have made, often when we are far away from the consequences.  It is only when we see programmes like these that we become fully aware of the bigger picture and the harm that is happening to wildlife and also to people who live in the most poverty-stricken areas of the world. 

Deforestation is a huge issue, and is the most common cause of most loss of wildlife.  This is driven by the need to farm cattle, sheep and goats, or to grow animal feed crops such as soya which requires huge amounts of land, fertiliser and water.  It is usually cheaper to just clear new land than to help recover and reuse previously farmed land.  

Fishing is another problem.  Fish are caught inside huge industrial nets which catch many other fish and sea life, not just the desired species that they are after.  Quotas may be in place but are not monitored or enforced properly.  Many animals each year are entangled in fishing-related equipment or consume plastic items which remain inside their stomachs and cause death if they are unable to feed successfully. 

Animal poaching is a hidden problem that continues to happen without much detection.  Many animals such as rhinos, elephants and pangolins are trapped and killed for their horns, tusks or scales in the belief that they will cure diseases such as cancer, and they can sell for thousands of dollars on the black market.  Animals may also be kept alive in terrible conditions and have very poor quality of life. 

The UN announced in a report yesterday that the world has failed to meet any of its targets set out in Japan in 2010 to protect wildlife and reverse the damage that has already been done.  They have said 'humanity is at a crossroads' and that it is up to us to take the next steps.  Some progress has been taken in some areas, but large areas of vegetation and habitat are still being destroyed and many species are still at risk of extinction particularly in areas such as South America.  

Governments can make decisions that will help put laws in place, but it is also up to us as individuals to take actions that will reduce our impact on the planet.  To find out more visit the links below:

👉 Age of extinction - article

👉 BBC player - Extinction: The Facts

👉 The World Wildlife Fund

👉 Greenpeace

👉 The Wildlife Trusts 

News in brief: 7th - 13th September 2020

Motorways speed limits introduced to cut down air pollution

Sections of four different UK motorways will trial speed limits of 60mph towards the end of this month to see what impact it has on reducing air pollution; nitrogen dioxide is released in car exhaust fumes and is a key contributor to greenhouse gases which are causing climate change

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American wildfires reach Oregon

Wildfires are now extending further out of California and have reached the state of Oregon; two large fires merged near one of the most populated part of Oregon towards the suburbs of Portland and around half a million people are under some kind of evacuation order

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Global wildlife extinction worsens

Sir David Attenborough has spoken more strongly again about the risk of global wildlife extinction; since 1970, all vertebrate animals including birds, mammals and amphibians have decreased by 60% due to habitat destruction, poaching, and the drive for human development

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Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

A selection of the best comedy wildlife photos have been displayed; these light-hearted moments are a fantastic celebration of all that we love about the animal world, and want to protect!

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Zero Waste Week 2020

 This week is Zero Waste Week  ♻

How much waste do you think you produce in a week? What about a month? A year?  How much of it goes to landfill, or are you a super recycler?  If you're like me, you try not to think about it too much as it can feel quite alarming when you add it all up! Zero Waste Week is a time where we can refocus on how much rubbish we produce each week and try to find ways to limit it.  Producing zero waste is quite an ambitious challenge, but if we even halve our waste then that would be amazing progress!

It's important to remember why we need to do this.  We are so far removed from the whole operation of waste disposal that it is easy to forget it even exists once the rubbish lorry has been along and collected it. Plastic continues to be one of the biggest problems in the waste disposal process.  So much plastic is for single-use, and is then dumped back into landfill where it will remain for several hundred years.  Even plastics that can be recycled and not always put through this process and end up in landfill too.  

Plastic pollution in our oceans is a major cause for concern.  As plastic is so light, it can float and travel long distances and is very hard to retrieve.  Around 8 million tonnes of plastic are dumped into our oceans every year and over 90% of bird species are thought to have plastic in their stomachs.  Some of the biggest culprits are plastic bags, plastic drinks bottles, and any kind of plastic packaging (this accounts for 40% of all plastic produced).  

So what can we do?  Any action is better than no action, and although making different choices can sometimes be more expensive, we need to think about what damaging plastic is costing the planet:

💚 Visit a local green grocers

Lots of greengrocers sell produce loose or in paper bags which can be easily composted

💚 Shop second-hand

Lots of clothes are made from polyester or viscose which are a kind of plastic; buying second hand is cheaper and avoids new plastic being made

💚 Buy from a refill shop

If you have one nearby, take some containers along and fill up on a few items from the refill shop.  Look to see what other plastic free items they have as well

💚 Get a compost bin

You can easily buy or make a compost bin.  This saves your food scraps from going to waste and is amazing for the garden!

💚 Buy less

We tend to generally buy a lot more than we need!  Challenge yourself to see if you can go for a week (or even a month!) without buying the things you absolutely need such as food and toiletries

Find out more at https://www.zerowasteweek.co.uk 

News in brief: 31st August - 6th September 2020

Badger culling to continue

Around 60,000 badgers may be killed in England as part of a plan to control their population and reduce the risk of spreading TB to cattle herds; groups have campaigned against this practice as it is cruel to animals and may unbalance the nature ecosystem

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Protests against HS2

The High Speed rail link proposal has been in the headlines again as protesters have tried to raise their concerns about the project;  although the railway is intended to reduce carbon emissions and take cars off the road, many feel that it is too costly and will destroy valuable patches of ecosystem in the wake of its construction

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Increasing organic food and drink consumption

During lockdown, it was noticed that consumption of organic food and drink increased; this is a positive move as organic produce is better for the environment as it uses far less pesticides and fertilisers which can do a lot of harm and damage to the environment if introduced in large quantities

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Next week....

It is Zero Waste Week!  Why not start by watching the BBC programme 'War on Plastic' to get an idea of some of the problems and what you can do to help

Click here to watch...

Amazon Day - 5 September 2020

Today is Amazon Day! This is a day celebrated in Brazil to commemorate the wonder that is the Amazon Rainforest and all the fantastic wildlife that lives there.  

The Amazon Rainforest covers around 5 million square kilometres and extends into nine different countries in South America. It is thought that around 33 million people live within the Amazon river basin area and it is also home to an infinite number of different plant and animal species.  The Amazon is a vital resource for cleaning the atmosphere, cycling water and nutrients, and storing carbon in its stems and leaves.  Without the rainforest, our climate would become unregulated and the earth would be much warmer than it is today.

Sadly, deforestation is endangering the Amazon Rainforest.  Trees are cut down to make way for farmland to graze cattle and grow monoculture crops such as maize, soya and palm oil.  The land is also rich with minerals and coal which are mined out of the ground, destroying thousands of trees in the process.  Large scale projects also involve building lots of roads to connect areas together, and this leads to further deforestation and soil erosion.

So what can we do?  Amazon Day is all about celebrating the wonderful things that the Amazon Rainforest gives us but it also raises awareness of how we can protect it.  Here are some things you can do to help look after the rainforest:

🌳 Avoid palm oil - it is in many more products than you might think including fast food, confectionary and toiletries... always check the label!

🌳 Meat-free Mondays - reducing your meat intake may help protect the Amazon as sometimes the meat or even the cattle or chicken feed may come from the Amazon... try to buy British or local!

🌳 Use your voice - the UK government is considering new laws that would ban imported wood from areas such as the Amazon.... look for campaigns or sign petitions to be heard! 

🌳 Plant a tree - there are hundreds of tree planting charities both in the UK and around the world... find a charity that you feel happy donating to, some of them only ask for £1 to plant a tree!

🌳 Follow campaigns - Greenpeace and the WWF are always campaigning for environmental protection of the Amazon.... sign up to receive updates about what is happening and how you can help