News in brief: 16th - 22nd November 2020

Banning petrol cars by 2030
As part of the UK's move to become more carbon neutral, the government announced that it plans to ban the sale of petrol cars by 2030 meaning that electric cars will dominate the market; this is great news for the environment but there are concerns around ensuring that there is enough infrastructure to cope with the numbers of cars and vehicles that will need regular recharging

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Oil pollution in the Arctic

New rules around shipping in the Arctic have been recently brought in to protect it from oil pollution which can threaten wildlife; it appears, however, that some of these rules don't go far enough as there are several loopholes that allow ships from Arctic coastal states to sail around which will mean that some oil will still enter the waters

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New global map of bees

Bees play a hugely important role in pollinating plants which helps to keep our ecosystems thriving; scientists have created a new map which shows the distribution of all 20,000 bee species and this will help inform further efforts to conserve bees and ensure their survival

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News in brief: 19th - 25th October 2020

Saving ancient forest from HS2

Many areas of forest, some incredibly ancient, are being cut down to make way for the high speed rail link HS2; the company behind the tree cutting is attempting to move the rich woodland soils, saplings and small animal species to other sites so that the biodiversity of these areas is not lost, however scientists are doubting the efficacy of the project

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Arctic ice refreeze uncertain

Each year, the Arctic ice goes through a cycle of melting and refreezing, but this year the data shows that the ice has not started refreezing when it should; warming air and warming waters in Siberia are thought to be the cause of the delay in refreezing as this area has seen a protracted spell of warm weather conditions over summer and into the autumn

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Norway publishes rainforest maps

Norway is continuing to pave the way with forest conservation by creating and publishing a satellite dataset on the world's tropical rainforests for free; the data is available to anyone who wishes to view it and offers a realtime understanding of how much deforestation is occurring rather than counting how much has been lost at the end of a period of time

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Losing the Great Barrier Reef

Scientists have been monitoring the Great Barrier Reef for several decades. The phenomenon of coral bleaching is now widely known as a devastating impact of the warming oceans that they live in.  This is a stress response by the coral that causes them to expel the algae that live inside them, resulting in the coral losing the bright colours that the algae give them and returning them to their white skeletal colour. 

The warming seas are a direct result of climate change.  When the earth's atmosphere warms, the water warms with it. Marine life such as coral are extremely sensitive to these changes and cannot tolerate even a small rise in temperature.   The coral starts to die and this has a knock on effect on the species and organisms that feed on and live off the coral.  

Australia's Great Barrier Reef is now thought to have lost around half of all its coral since 1995. This has occurred across all types and sizes of coral, and we are now seeing reduction in the sealife that use the coral as a habitat too. 

The warming has also contributed to the growth of other organisms that thrive in warmer waters and this is changing the balance of the ecosystems.  So what can be done?  The main answer would be to halt the rise in global temperatures.  This is a difficult challenge and can only be done by committing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and investing in renewable energies.  We can also try to limit our plastic pollution as this can also harm the wildlife that live in this delicate ecosystem.  Scientists are also looking at ways to restore coral reefs and grow it back by creating coral nurseries.  This looks to be a successful option but will take time to establish and will only be sustainable if temperatures don't continue to rise.

To find out more and get involved, click on the links below:

🐚 The WWF

🐚 The Coral Reef Alliance 

🐚 The United Nations 

News in brief: 5th - 11th October 2020

UK to invest more in wind power
Boris Johnson is to pledge to increase wind power for the whole of the UK with the intention that every home will be powered by wind within the next decade; this push towards green energy will form part of the government's plan to invest in a green future and create thousands of new green jobs, particularly as there will be a rise in unemployment due to coronavirus

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Threat of extinction to whales

A letter has been signed by hundreds of scientists and conservationists calling for the protection of whales, dolphins and porpoises; although saving whales has been an issue since the 1970s and 1980s, the issues around overfishing and illegal fishing have not been resolved and more action is needed to ensure that these species don't become extinct in the near future

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New 'Earthshot' Prize to encourage environmental innovation

A new Earthshot Prize has been announced by Prince William and Sir David Attenborough which offers five awards of £1million a year for ten years to the best environmental solutions or strategies to help save our planet; the goals are centred around protecting nature, cleaning our air, reviving our oceans, building a waste free world and fixing our climate

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The future of wind power

There has been a lot in the news this week about the future of wind power.  Britain is looking to invest more money than ever in new offshore wind farms in order to make this the main source of energy for homes and businesses.  This is a good move as it will make our energy cleaner and more sustainable, and it will reduce our reliance on importing energy and being subject to sudden changes in oil and gas prices.  

The government is proposing to spend £160 million on building turbines and updating existing facilities, and in the process will create 2,000 new jobs. This will generate more security in the green economy and should hopefully make a good base to support more green jobs in the future. 

The main benefit of investing in wind power is that it will reduce the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that are pumped into our atmosphere every day.  This will help the UK reach its climate change goals for 2050 and will contribute to the global effort to minimise the impacts of climate change.  If carbon emissions were to continue at the current rate, we would start to see even more extreme weather events such as floods and wildfires, and our oceans would be at risk from increased warming.  This endangers all wildlife on land and in the sea and so it is vital that we don't let our ecosystems deteriorate any further. 

The investment in clean energy is part of what is being called the 'green recovery' from the recession caused by the coronavirus pandemic.  Making sure we 'build back greener' is essential to ensuring we meet climate targets, become independent in our energy generation, and ultimately protect our planet so that we don't interfere and damage any further the wilderness areas. 

To find out more about wind power, click on the following links:

♻ Renewable UK

♻ Energy Saving Trust

♻ BBC News

News in brief: 28th September - 4th October 2020

Trees felled due to ash die back
Ash die back is a fungus that affects ash trees and has been spreading throughout the UK for some years; more ash trees than ever will be felled this year as the dry spring conditions and lockdown delays have allowed the fungus to grow and spread

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Plastic straws now officially banned

A ban on single-use plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds has now come into force in England; it is hoped that the ban will save the use of 4.7 billion plastic straws, 316 million plastic stirrers and 1.8 billion plastic-stemmed cotton buds every year 

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Air pollution falls in London

The air quality in London has significantly improved since 2016 due to the banning of high-pollution vehicles in central London and the introduction of cleaner vehicles, particularly clean buses on the most polluted routes; thousands of people were thought to have been dying early due to high levels of pollution, and although improvements have been made there is still more progess to be made in the capital 

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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: 24th - 30th August 2020

Storm Francis causes widespread flooding

Strong winds and heavy rain brought by Storm Francis has caused widespread flooding across large parts of the UK and particularly Wales; the Met Office put out extreme weather warnings and evacuated people from some areas as wind speeds reached up to 75mph

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Poor wheat harvest pushes up bread prices

The price of bread may rise after the worst wheat harvest in the UK in 40 years; extreme weather has affected crop growth, with flooding causing problems with sowing last autumn and dry spells in the summer limiting nutrient uptake

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Protest over Mauritius oil spill

Thousands of people have gathered to march in protect about the large oil spill off the coast of Mauritius last month; it is thought that around 1,000 tonnes of oil have been spilt into a precious wildlife area, and that the government has done little to clean up the spill or prevent it from happening in the first place
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A good season for butterflies

All the warm weather over spring and summer this year has made it an excellent season for a number of butterfly species; lots of British native species have been seen in abundance although there are still several that are in decline overall
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News in brief: 17th - 23rd August 2020

California wildfires at critical level

Wildfires have been sweeping across the state of California as a result of a heatwave and lower than average rainfall; President Trump has now declared the area as a major disaster zone with nearly 1 million acres of land now burnt

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Record-breaking ice loss in Greenland
Greenland lost an unprecedented amount of ice by melting in 2019; changing weather systems have meant that it has experienced longer periods of high air pressure which increases melt rates and contributes to sea level rise

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Dams limit sea level rise

It is now though that large scale dams have helped to limit sea level rise in some areas over recent decades; despite increased overland flow from melting glaciers and river floods, the amount of water reaching the sea is about 12% lower than it might have been because of the dams

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Drilling for Arctic oil

Many parts of the Arctic have been drilled for oil over recent decades. The rock beneath the ice and snow holds a wealth of natural fossil fuels which various governments and corporations have sought to exploit in order to benefit from the profits and industrial development that such a resource brings.

This week, it has come to light that the US government is now going to allow a new plan to go ahead to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.  This is an area in north-east Alaska which is home to many different animals including reindeer and polar bears and many other mammals and birds. It sits above millions of barrels of oil which can be extracted by drilling deep down into the ground.

The government say that drilling for oil will provide jobs for hundreds of Alaskan people and generate large amounts of income for the area.  However, we have already seen from other projects like this that the environment is usually destroyed to the point of no return and animals have to migrate elsewhere which disrupts the balance of the ecosystem.  

Many people also feel (now more strongly than ever) that there is no room for these kinds of projects with the current impacts of climate change hitting almost every corner of the globe.  They believe money should be being invested into green alternative energies, and not finite fossil fuels whose reserves will quickly be used up. There is no need that is great enough to risk having the oil spills, habitat destruction, noise pollution, and the increased greenhouse gas emissions that would result from another oil refinery.  

Arctic areas are seeing the impacts of global warming more than ever, with ice melting at an increasing rate and more and more risk to polar bears who rely on the ice for fishing and migrating.  It seems, illogical, therefore, to go ahead with such an outdated and dirty fossil fuel extraction project in an area that it trying to cling on to its status as a pristine wilderness. 

To find out more, click here:

BBC News

National Geographic 

Greenpeace

News in brief: 10 - 16 August 2020

Mauritius oil spill worsens
The Japanese bulk carrier that began spilling oil last week has now broken into two pieces; hundreds of tonnes of oil have spilt into the area since the end of July and large numbers of volunteers have now stepped up to help with the clean up effort

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Plans for renewable heat networks

Two projects have been given extra funding to supply buildings in south Wales with waste heat generated from industrial sites; a system of underground pipes will transfer the heat from the site to the buildings, and this will help to save both carbon emissions and costs of heating

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Arctic ice shelves breaking up

New satellite photos from the Plant-Earth observation company have shown a worrying break in the Milne Ice Shelf in the Arctic; this is one in a series of many break-up events over the last 15-20 years and as such is yet more evidence of the rapidly warming climate

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Fires in the Amazon

The Amazon Rainforest in Brazil is already seeing an alarming increase in the number of fires it usually experiences, and it is only the start of the new fire season. Around 10,000 fires have been spotted within the first 10 days of August which is a rise of 17% on last year.  To many people who know the value of the Amazon and want to protect it, this is not good news.

Rainforests such as the Amazon are huge stores of carbon, and as such are vitally important in the fight against climate change.  Organisations in Brazil are aware of this and are trying to protect the trees from fires that not only destroy the trees and habitat for wildlife, but also release tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere at the same time.  

Unfortunately, it seems that although Brazil's government have made agreements to protect the Amazon, not enough has been done on the ground to prevent these fires from being started.  Many people, both local villages and large scale companies, are keen to burn vegetation to make way for farmland as this is much more profitable.  However, it will take far too long for the trees to grow back into the complex network they were once in, and for the wildlife and ecosystem processes to return.  Many believe that with a changing climate, the rainforest may end up lost forever with only dry or temperate grasslands in its place.

To find out more and how to help, click here:

🌳 BBC news report
🌳 WWF - Things you can do to help the Amazon

🌳 Greenpeace

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: 9 March - 15 March 2020

Coronavirus pandemic
The global spread of the coronavirus has led to worldwide panic and recent lockdowns of major cities  in Europe; many flights are being cancelled and people are being barred from entering foreign countries

Pressure to plant more trees
The government has promised to plant 30 million trees a year in a bid to become greener and take carbon dioxide out of the environment; however, it is important that tree planting is done responsibly as new saplings need to be cared for and there may be conflict with landowners who want to use the land for a different purpose

Sea ice melting faster than ever
Records show that Greenland and Antarctica are losing mass six times faster than they were in the 1990s, losing 6.4 trillion tonnes of ice between 1992 and 2017; this has implications for sea level rise around the world which could cause catastrophic flooding

Allowing the roadsides to grow wild
Modern farming methods have reduced the number of wild flower species what grow alongside the edges of fields or beside roads; new projects that are encouraging the growth of wild flowers are seeing a substantial increase in the number of plant, animal and insect species that are growing in these areas and are raising the general biodiversity level

Could Coronavirus help fight climate change?
It appears that the changes we are making as a result of the coronavirus could be having a positive knock-on effect on carbon emissions; with people self-isolating and not going into work, traffic pollution and emissions from industry have lowered, with significantly decreased air pollution being recorded in Italy and China 

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

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

News in brief - Monday 21st October

Acidification of the oceans will cause mass extinction
A new report has shown that acidification of the oceans from carbon dioxide absorption will significantly reduce the amount of wildlife that can be sustained within it; scientists are warning of an 'ecological collapse' which could occur if species such as coral and phytoplankton were to die out

Promising future of solar power
Growth in the use of solar power could mean that the solar power industry will grow by 50% in the next 25 years; this would bring an end to the rise in use of fossil fuels such as coal and oil

News in brief - Wednesday 16th October

Humpback whale population recovering
The number of humpback whales in the southwest Atlantic has risen back up to 25,000, around 90% of its total original level before commercial whale hunting and fishing began; in the 1920s, the number of whales was so low that hunters went after different species and humpback whales were given protected status

Summer temperature records broken
During the summer of 2019, almost 400 temperature records were broken in the northern hemisphere; most of the record highs were in Germany, France and the Netherlands, and many scientists believe that this is trend that is set to continue