Saturday, 22 February 2020

In pictures - Fireflies are on the decline

Fireflies are dying out in forests around the world (Image credit: Getting Images)
>> Why are insect species like fireflies on the decline in forests around the world?  What could be happening to their habitat?

News in brief: 17 February - 23 February 2020

Flooding worries continue
The UK is not experiencing any let up in flooding concerns as heavy rain and wind continues to sweep across the country; heavy overnight rain has meant that residents of towns in the Yorkshire Dales had to be evacuated from their homes overnight

Controversy over domestic fuels
The UK is introducing a ban on coal and wet wood (wood that has not been seasoned or dried for 1-2 years) being used in homes for domestic fires; the trend for log burners in homes is leading to a reduction in air quality and it is thought by controlling the type of fuel used it may make it more environmentally friendly

Rise in blue whale population
The number of blue whales spotted near Antarctica has risen dramatically according to recent observations; a 23-day survey carried out recorded seeing 55 animals, an amazing number considering the area was an epicentre for whaling in the early 20th century

Greta Thunberg to visit Bristol
The Swedish environmental activist is to visit Bristol next week for a youth climate protest; Bristol has previously received an award for being a European Green Capital in 2015 and has backed a commitment to being carbon neutral by 2030

Is spring arriving early?
Weather watchers and nature lovers are noticing that spring has arrived incredibly early this year with daffodils and snowdrops flowering as early as the end of January; in some places, flowers are coming out all at once instead of being staggered throughout the spring

Sunday, 16 February 2020

In pictures - Storm Dennis

The River Ouse bursts its banks due to heavy rainfall from Storm Dennis (Image credit: AFP)
>> What can be done to prepare better for floods? Do you think they are preventable or a result of our changing climate?

News in brief: 10 February - 16 February 2020

Storm Dennis hits the UK
The UK has suffered further high wind speeds and extremely heavy rainfall especially in some areas asa result of Storm Dennis; people have had to evacuate their homes in parts of south Wales and Herefordshire due to rapidly rising floodwaters

Coronavirus continues to spread
China reported a rapid increase in the number of cases of coronavirus this week, although this seems to have plateaued over the last couple of days; current figures now state that 68,470 are infected with 1,663 dead and 9,326 recovered

Antarctica is warming
Antarctica's temperature has been recorded as above 20 degrees celsius for the first time; scientists have described this as being incredibly abnormal and that it is a worrying indicator of what is happening to climate around the world

Sydney bushfire concert
A large concert has been held in Sydney, Australia to raise money to help communities that have been devastated by the recent bushfires; the concert aimed to raise around A$10 million which will go towards supporting rural fire services and wildlife that have been affected

The UK leads the fight against illegal logging
As part of UN climate talks later this year, the UK will lead the way in addressing the issue of illegal logging and deforestation; cutting timber down is a significant source of carbon emissions and also destroys the habitats of the wildlife that live within it