News in brief - Wednesday 6th March

The role of wetlands in climate change
Researchers have identified coastal wetlands as being potential stores of huge amounts of carbon; as plants die, they decompose and the carbon becomes trapped in the mud rather than releasing it into the atmosphere, making it an excellent carbon store as sea levels rise

Policy review on fracking
The UK's High Court has found that the government's policy on fracking does not reflect what the latest scientific evidence shows; fracking has become a frequently controversial issue due to its high cost and environmental impacts

Wolves to tackle US moose population
The growing moose population in Michigan has become a problem since wolves have not been able to migrate into the area due to melting ice bridges; four wolves have been relocated from Ontario in Canada to a Michigan national park to try and control the number of moose in the area

In pictures - Australia's Great Barrier Reef

The ecology of Australia's Great Barrier Reef is facing a new threat of marine heatwaves (Image credit: CNN)

>> What is coral reef?  What is it made of and why is it so sensitive to temperature change?

News in brief - 5th March

Impact of farming and forestry on bird species
The number of bird species going extinct has risen dramatically over the last ten years; this loss of wildlife is being attributed to farming (particularly for soy and palm oil) and forestry practices which destroy the habitats of certain birds, leaving them with no where to live

Extreme weather events on the rise in California
With rising temperatures and shifts in climate patterns, California is experiencing increasingly dry winters which are resulting in more intense summer forest fires; scientists have been monitoring rainfall patterns and are recommending that fire management strategies are developed to limit loss of life and property

Heatwaves in the oceans
High pressure weather systems over Australian waters are having a warming effect on the ocean water beneath; the delicate marine organisms that live there have a very small temperature tolerance range and are not able to survive in increasing warm water, putting the whole marine ecology in that area at risk

In pictures - devastating tornado rips through Alabama

A series of Category 3 tornadoes have caused catastrophic damage in Lee County, Alabama (Image credit: Fox News)

>> What would it be like to experience a tornado? Write down what you might SEE, FEEL & HEAR

News in brief - Monday 4th March

Deforestation in Europe
Large parts of Europe, particularly Poland, are deforesting huge areas of woodland in an effort to make energy from biomass rather than fossil fuels; although more environmentally friendly in some ways, this energy source will still contribute to carbon emissions and(perhaps more worryingly) will upset the ecological balance of some areas making it harder for forest to grow back

Tornadoes strike in Alabama, USA
A series of powerful tornadoes have swept through Lee County in Alabama, leaving a trail of devastation in their wake; wind speeds of over 165mph were recorded and at least 23 people are thought to have died

Wildfires in Victoria, Australia
Lightning strikes in Bunyip State Park have started a fire that has burnt more than 10,000 hectares of land; despite the cooler conditions, 2,000 firefights are working to control the blaze both at ground level and from the air with helicopters dropping water on the worst affected areas

Focus: World Wildlife Day - 3rd March 2019

Today marks the annual celebration of 'World Wildlife Day'.  This is a day designated by the United Nations General Assembly to celebrate and raise awareness of the world's plants and animals.  This year's theme is "Life below water: for people and planet".  It aims to bring attention to the dangers that coastal and marine habitats are facing, particularly from pollution, overfishing and flooding.

Many marine species are under threat from human activities. Many people as well rely on coastal habitats as their means of making a living through fishing or tourism.  The more we pollute and destroy our marine habitats, the more we are putting both wildlife and people's livelihoods at risk.

Plastic pollution is one of the greatest threats.  Recent research has shown that the ocean is full of micro-plastics; these are tiny particles of plastic that can travel long distances in ocean currents and end up in the digestive systems of different animals.  The other major threat is global warming, or more specifically for the oceans, rising sea temperatures. When water warms, it takes up more space (thermal expansion) meaning that coastal areas are likely to flood.  Warm water also increases the rate of ice melt, meaning that the volume of water being added to the oceans is growing.  Furthermore, delicate organisms like coral and phytoplankton are very sensitive to changes in temperature. As the oceans warm, these creatures will die, and this will have a catastrophic impact on the ocean's ecosystem.

What can you do?
We can all make small changes in our lives to reduce our energy use and recycle more.  Think about your day to day life and what small changes you can make.  Be conscious of how much electricity you are using when around the house. Try to choose food in the supermarket which has minimal plastic packaging.  If we all make a little change, it can have a big difference.

Find out more at: https://www.wildlifeday.org/about 

In pictures - wildfires on Saddleworth Moor

Wildfires on Saddleworth Moor rage as temperatures soar in February (Image credit: BBC)

>> Why do you think this is happening more often? What is the impact on the ecosystem? 

New in brief - 2nd/3rd March

UK's temperature changes linked to climate change
Temperatures in February in the UK this year were so high that meteorologists are being forced to look again at climate change models; the unseasonably high temperatures (in contrast to last year's freezing cold temperatures) are thought to be part of a wider climate change pattern linked to carbon emissions

Tree removal putting insects under threat
A large number of mature trees have been chopped down and removed in Ireland this week; locals and conservationists are concerned of the impact this may have on the ecosystem as the trees support a vast number of insects who will disappear now the trees have gone

Climate change protests in Germany
On Friday, thousands of students marched through Hamburg to protest against climate change and its impacts; some teachers were critical of students skipping school but the German Chancellor Angela Merkel was supportive of the move

In pictures - the British Antarctic Survey Station

Halley VI closes again due to uncertainty over ice melt (Image credit: The British Antarctic Survey)

>> What do you imagine it would be like to live here?

News in brief - Friday 1st March

British Antarctic Base closes again
The UK's Halley base in Antartica has closed again with scientists having to leave their ongoing experiments behind; the closure is due to uncertainty about nearby ice (the station sits on the Brunt ice shelf) which is starting to break up and may cause a safety issue in the future

Heathrow expansion threatens environment
Plans for a third runway at Heathrow Airport in London have raised significant concerns over the damage that might be caused by new flights paths; the planes would fly over south-west London disturbing animals that live in areas like Richmond Park, as well as creating noise pollution for people who live there

Rising emissions in Australia
As steel and aluminium production in Australia continues to grow, the energy requirements needed to match this production are also on the rise; although energy use in other sectors such as agriculture has dropped, the production of liquified natural gas has grown by 7.3% which is adding to the country's carbon emissions and not helping it achieve it's greenhouse gas emissions goal

In pictures - destruction in the Amazon

Illegal mining damages large areas of the Amazon every year (Image credit: Dan Collyns)

>> How are you linked to deforestation of the rainforest?

News in brief - Thursday 18th October

Unexpected cherry blossoms
Some of Japan's famous cherry trees have bloomed unexpectedly this month; the trees normally bloom in the spring but it is thought that recent strong typhoons may have affected the tree's hormone levels

Investigations into the UK's recycling industry 
Several firms involved in dealing with the UK's recyclable waste are being investigated for fraudulent and illegal activity; among the allegations are concerns that waste is being left to leak into rivers, waste is being shipping illegally to foreign destinations, and claims are being made for tonnes of waste that do not exist

Reforesting the Amazon 
Illegal mining has done a lot of damage to huge swathes of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil; however, a new species of hardy tree is successfully growing in abandoned mining areas and it is hoped that reforestation can help restore large areas of the rainforest 

In pictures - Fall in the US

Rich autumn colours in the USA as the leaves start to turn (Image credit: BBC)

>> Find out: why do the leaves turn these colours at this time of year?

News in brief - Wednesday 17th October

Warnings of mass extinction
Researchers have suggested that humans are doing so much damage to the planet's biodiversity that it will take around 3-5 million years for it to recover; the International Union for the Conservation of Nature predict that 99.9% of critically endangered species will be lost within the next 100 years

Anti-fracking protestors sentences reduced
Three anti-fracking protestors who had been given lengthy sentences for their protests on a fracking site have been freed; they had been given sentences of around 15-16 months but this was significantly reduced as it was deemed inappropriate in relation to their actions

Antarctic wildlife reserve
The UK government has shown its support with helping to create a giant Antarctic environmental sanctuary for wildlife; this would cover parts of the Weddell Sea and protect penguins, killer whales, leopard seals, and blue whales

In pictures - Storm Callum

A sea wall being pummelled by wind and waves from Storm Callum (Image credit: BBC)

>> What do you think the environmental, social and economic effects of this flood will be?

News in brief - Tuesday 16th October

Famine threatens in Yemen
The worst famine in 100 years is threatening the lives of around 13 million people in Yemen; the area is facing troubles following conflict and thousands of people being displaced

Wasted food
Around 900,000 uneaten meals end up in the UK's bins every day; a food waste app called 'Too good to go' is helping people to rescue meals and buy them at reduced prices

Climate change doubts?
Donald Trump has stated that he believes climate change scientists may have a political agenda in raising the issue of man-made global warming; Trump believes that temperatures may well reduce again after some time, and that he is reluctant to lose out on business and spend money looking at more environmentally forms of energy and technology 

News in brief - Friday 12th October

Fracking restarts in UK
Fracking for shale gas has been given the go ahead for the first time since 2011; campaigners had tried to block further progress but lost out in their last-minute challenge

Landslides in Uganda
Heavy rains have triggered landslides that killed around 40 people; hundreds of people have lost homes and livestock after a local river burst its banks

Longest non-stop flight
A Singapore Airlines craft has travelled 15,000km from Singapore to New York in a time of 17 hours 52 minutes; the airline has relaunched the service after a five year break when it became to expensive to run

In pictures - Hurricane Michael

Hurricane Michael brings strong winds and flooding to north-west Florida (Image: credit: Getty Images)

>> Research: find out three primary and three secondary impacts of this hurricane

News in brief - Thursday 11th October

Weather warnings ahead of Storm Callum
Storm Callum is set to bring severe gales and rain to parts of Ireland over the weekend; travel is expected to be disrupted with several Flyby flights already cancelled and trains operating under speed restrictions

Earthquakes shake South-East Asia
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the islands of Papua New Guinea in the early hours of Thursday morning and a magnitude 6.0 earthquake also shook the island of Bali; a tsunami warning was issued but has since been cancelled

Hurricane Michael causes widespread devastation
One of the strongest hurricanes to hit the USA in recent years has caused flash floods, fallen power lines and landslides; the category 4 hurricane had sustained wind speeds of 155mph and continued intensifying even when it moved inland

In pictures - cattle farming in the Amazon

Cattle farming is being blamed as a key culprit in climate change and the rise of greenhouse gases (Image credit: Greenpeace)

>> Research: how many hectares of land are estimated to be used for cattle farming in the world?