News in brief: 3 - 9 August 2020

Oil spill in the Indian Ocean
A ship has begun leaking fuel off the coast of Mauritius after running aground on a coral reef; Mauritius has now declared a state of emergency with thousands of sealife at risk which may affect both the animal and human populations in the area

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Beavers in England

A group of beavers have been allowed to remain on the River Otter in east Devon after a five-year reintroduction trial; beavers are a great help to the environment as they build dams which helps to slow flooding and they can also boost local wildlife populations

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Rising risk of extreme droughts 

Climate change is increasing the risk of extreme droughts across central Europe which will have a significant impact on crop production; central Euope suffered the biggest droughts in 2018 and 2019 which caused rivers to dry up, crops to be ruined and more frequent wildfires than normal

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Climate change affecting UK's weather

The UK is seeing an increasing number of warm spells with temperatures now regularly reaching above 30 degrees.  Last week, the UK recorded its third warmest day ever and another wave of high air pressure is set to bring soaring temperatures again next weekend.  This is all part of a pattern of increasing extreme weather that the UK is seeing, with more flooding events and warmer winters than ever before.

Scientists believe that these weather patterns are a direct result of climate change, and if actions are not taken then we will continue to see increasingly unpredictable weather events.  This not only causes problems for people living in flood risk areas, but it also puts farming livelihoods at risk which could make food production a problem.  Ecology and local ecosystems could become unbalanced with wildlife struggling to adapt to the changes.  

We are seeing efforts made towards becoming more carbon neutral.  The UK is now hardly dependent on coal as a fuel source, with most coal power stations now shut down.  However, more needs to be done both at government level and individual level to reduce the amount of carbon emissions we produce. 

Read this government report to find out what the UK is doing to build a green and healthy future. 

News in brief - Thursday 3rd October

UK animals face threat of extinction
A new report shows that around a quarter of UK mammals are facing extinction; moths and butterflies are also disappearing along with lichens and fungi

Tuna industry puts fish stocks at risk
A boom in the tuna industry is reducing the level of fish stocks at an alarming rate; scientists are warning that the current rate of fishing is unsustainable and that global fish catches have risen by 1000% in the last 60 years

News in brief - Thursday 5th September

Hurricane Dorian moves north up the US coast
As Hurricane Dorian leaves the Bahamas behind, it heads for the US East coast bringing with it the risk of dangerous storm surges and flooding; the storm is set to move through the Carolinas bringing heavy rainfall and waters that could rise up to 2.4m above the ground

Heather crisis in the UK
A loss of heather is turning the UK's hillsides from beautiful purple shades into a muddy landscape; climate change is thought to be to blame for the higher temperatures and lower rainfall that make it hard for heather to thrive

Food producers are failing to take responsibility for global warming
Researchers are saying that the world's producers of meat, fish and dairy need to take more responsibility for the impact their industry is having on the environment; they suggest it is down to big retailers such as Walmart to monitor their demand and try to offset any carbon emissions produced 

News in brief - Wednesday 20th March

Cumbrian coal mine goes ahead
Despite protests by conservationists, a new coal mine has been given the go ahead in Cumbria, north-west England; the Woodhouse Colliery was approved as it will bring much needed jobs to the area but it will offset its pollution by building a solar farm nearby to provide for its energy needs

Suffering in Mozambique continues
The chaos caused by Cyclone Idai is resulting in a huge amount of suffering for the survivors living in Mozambique; people are desperate for food, water, clothing and shelter, and are having to bury the dead quickly and often without identifying the bodies first

Pesticides linger on US fruit and veg
Recent analysis has shown that much of the fruit and veg sold in America still contains pesticide residues despite being washed; around 70% of fresh produce sold was found to contain pesticides with kale holding the most

News in brief - 10th/11th March

Cracks appearing in Scottish nuclear reactor
Hairline fractures have appeared in the bricks of a nuclear reactor in Ayrshire, south-west Scotland; the owners of the power plant (EDF Energy) are seeking permission to restart the reactor, following a safety inspection

Health concerns over use of the herbicide 'Roundup'
Farmers in the USA who have used the herbicide 'Roundup' for decades are now facing serious health issues; the weed-killing manufacturer is being charged with a series of court cases from people who have been diagnosed with various cancers and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, claiming they were not aware of the carcinogenic properties of the chemical before using it on their crops

Oil spill in the Solomon Islands
An oil tanker has run aground on the Kongobainiu reef near Rennell Island in the south of the Solomon Islands, turning the waters black and killing many of the fish; the locals are left with no livelihood as they cannot go fishing in the oily sea and many have no access to clean drinking water either 

News in brief - Friday 8th March

Ash dieback continues to spread
The deadly tree fungus 'ash dieback' is spreading quickly across the United Kingdom; Wales has been particularly badly affected with 80% of woodland now at risk and trees near buildings, roads and railways having to be cut down

Recycling grapes to make gin
Supermarket giant Tesco has found a way to transform grapes (which would otherwise be discarded) into a new brand of gin; the aim is to cut down on food waste as millions of punnet of grapes are sent to landfill everywhere because they either haven't sold or have gone off during transport to supermarket shelves

Saving America's red wolves
Only around 30 red wolves still live in the wild in North Carolina, USA; numbers have dwindled due to people trapping, poaching and shooting these wild animals, and recent plans by the Trump administration state that protected areas will become smaller and there will be no repercussions for shooting wolves on private land in the future

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 

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?

News in brief - Wednesday 10th October

Hurricane Michael heads for Florida
A category 4 hurricane has made landfall on Florida's coast causing severe flooding; some have evacuated but those who have chosen to stay have been told to stay put in their homes to avoid getting caught up in any further incidents

Flash floods in Majorca
Sudden floods on the Spanish island of Majorca have caused 10 deaths and washed vehicles away after heavy rainfall; emergency teams are now looking for people who may still be trapped in buildings or cars

Reduction of meat consumption necessary for climate change
Research in the journal 'Nature' has implied that a worldwide reduction in consumption of beef is needed to have an impact on reducing climate change; the study suggests that replacing beef with more vegetables, beans and pulses will have a positive impact on deforestation rates and water usage

News in brief - Wednesday 3rd October

A ban on fishing in the Arctic
A new agreement to be signed in Greenland will ban fishing in much of the Arctic's waters; this new agreement is thought to be necessary as climate change is melting large volumes of ice which is opening up potential for new fishing grounds

Waiting for help
The victims of Indonesia's tsunami are still waiting for help in some remote parts of Sulawesi; collapsed bridges and broken communications are thought to be the main culprits in preventing aid from getting through

Closing Thailand's famous beach
Maya Bay in Thailand is to be closed indefinitely to allow it to recover from the damage caused by the 5,000 tourists who visit daily; the area was made famous by the film 'The Beach', but the beauty of the area has since been lost as tourists bring litter and rubbish and 80% of the coral has now been destroyed

News in brief - Thursday 27th September

Anti-fracking protesters jailed
Three protestors have been sent to prison for staging an anti-fracking protest at a site near Blackpool in July 2017; the climbed onto lorries that were bringing drilling equipment to the site in order to prevent any fracking work being carried out as they believed this would only contribute more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere causing climate change

Air pollution at London's new cruise ship terminal
Campaigners are concerned that a huge new cruise ship terminal in London could significantly add to air pollution already in the city; if it were to go ahead, it would receive 55 cruise ships a year who would dock without turning their engines off, contributing the same amount of nitrogen oxide as 700 continuously running lorries

Climate changing affecting Brazil's harvests

The World Wildlife Fund has reported that intense droughts and changes to rainfall patterns are affecting Brazil's ability to grow and harvest Brazil nuts; instead, the Açaí berry (popular as a new healthy super food) which can handle drier conditions may become the more popular crop and replace the Brazil nut as a source of income

National Refill Day
National Refill Day is a day all about raising awareness of our wasteful use of plastic, particularly water bottles; this plastic can often end up in our oceans causing problems for wildlife and damaging ecosystems

News in brief - Monday 24th September

America's climate refugees
Increasing rains, storms and floods in the USA is forcing people to consider moving permanently away from their homes; the worsening weather brought on by climate change may result in 13 million people moving by the end of the century

Organic farming in India
Farmers in the state of Sikkim (India) have trialled a chemical-free method of farming in order to reduce the amount of pesticides getting into the soil, air, water, and potentially causing harm to people as well as the ecosystem; after some initial poor harvest, the crops are now thriving and the area is experiencing a significant rise in tourism

Decline of the small tortoiseshell butterfly
It is feared that, despite the unusual summer heatwave, the number of small tortoiseshell butterflies is still decreasing; it is thought it could be yet another symptom of climate change or use of pesticides on the land

News in brief - Thursday 20th September

Storm Ali clear-up
Nearly 10,000 homes are still without power after Storm Ali swept across N. Ireland yesterday; a number of roads are still closed due to fallen trees, debris or power cables causing a danger to travellers

Race to reach vehicles emissions targets
In order to meet the Paris Agreement's climate change targets, it is reckoned that the last new petrol and diesel car sales in Europe must happen before 2030; there must then be a greater push on sales of low-emissions vehicles as well as encouragement for people to walk, cycle, and use public transport to get around

Landslides in the Philippines
A landslide in Cebu has buried 24 homes and rescuers are frantically trying to find and pull out survivors; the city was not directly hit by Typhoon Mangkhut but the whole area has received a high amount of rainfall in recent days, loosening the ground

Strawberry needles forever?
Tonnes of strawberries (as well as other fruits) are now going to waste in Australia after several incidences of needles being hidden in the fruit occurred across the country; strawberry growers are concerned about losing income (the strawberry industry is worth A$130 million a year) as well as there being large amounts of unnecessary food waste

News in brief - Wednesday 19th September

Storm Ali
The met office has issued an amber 'be prepared' warning at Storm Ali begins to sweep across Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern England; 80mph winds are expected causing some public areas to be closed and travel to be disrupted

Saving the UK's wildlife
Presenter Chris Packham has written a document called 'People's Manifesto for Wildlife', which calls for more to be done to protect the UK's wildlife; some of the measures called for include replanting hedgerows, creating wildlife ponds in industrial estates, and - controversially - banning dogs from nature reserves

Famine in the Yemen
Ongoing conflict in the Yemen has resulted in rising food prices; combined with a fall in the value of Yemeni currency, it is now estimated that 5.2 million children in the Yemen now face famine

Spread of microplastics
A study has shown that plastic can now escape from polluted water into the sky via flying insects; mosquito larvae were fed micro plastics which were found to remain inside them as they transformed into flying adults