Conservation groups join those who helped plant woodland in opposing expansion of bottling plant
Harrogate Spring Water, which is owned by the multinational Danone, is planning to cut down a wood planted by schoolchildren in order to expand its bottling factory in the North Yorkshire town.
Two primary schools, along with other local volunteers, helped to plant 450 trees in a project aimed at fighting climate breakdown organised by the Rotary Club of Harrogate almost 20 years ago.
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Breaking Waves: Ocean News
12/09/2024 - 07:42
12/09/2024 - 03:00
An area nearly a third larger than India turned permanently arid in past three decades, research shows
An area of land nearly a third larger than India has turned from humid conditions to dryland – arid areas where agriculture is difficult – in the past three decades, research has found.
Drylands now make up 40% of all land on Earth, excluding Antarctica. Three-quarters of the world’s land suffered drier conditions in the past 30 years, which is likely to be permanent, according to the study by the UN Science Policy Interface, a body of scientists convened by the United Nations.
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12/09/2024 - 01:00
For every £1 spent on renewable energy projects, only 25p was invested in connecting them to grid, report finds
The UK is lagging behind in the race to rewire the world’s power grids by investing four times more on renewable energy projects than on the electricity cables needed to connect them to the grid and consumers, according to a new report.
For every pound the UK has spent on renewables it has spent only 25p on the cables and power lines, claims the report by Bloomberg NEF, which placed the UK eighth in an index of the world’s 10 biggest energy markets.
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12/09/2024 - 00:00
Social media sites have become crucial tools for the sale of endangered species and platforms should do more to combat it, say experts
When the baby parrots were delivered to Alice Soares de Oliveira’s desk they had no feathers and could barely open their eyes. Housed in a dirty cardboard box, the pair were barely a month old, and showed signs of underfeeding.
The parrots – along with a pair of young toucans that arrived just under a month later – were victims of wildlife traffickers. Snatched by poachers, perhaps from their mother’s nest, they were all advertised for sale on social media.
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12/08/2024 - 22:00
Average global temperature in November was 1.62C above preindustrial levels, bringing average for the year to 1.60C
This year is now almost certain to be the hottest year on record, data shows. It will also be the first to have an average temperature of more than 1.5C above preindustrial levels, marking a further escalation of the climate crisis.
Data for November from the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) found the average global surface temperature for the month was 1.62C above the level before the mass burning of fossil fuels drove up global heating. With data for 11 months of 2024 now available, scientists said the average for the year is expected to be 1.60C, exceeding the record set in 2023 of 1.48C.
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12/08/2024 - 08:01
National science agency dismisses argument nuclear’s economics have not been adequately considered in new draft report
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The CSIRO has rejected Coalition arguments that nuclear power plants could be developed in Australia in less than 15 years and that their long operating life would make them cheaper than other options.
Instead, it has again found that “firmed” solar and wind are the cheapest new electricity options.
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12/08/2024 - 04:21
Drivers killed when vehicles were hit by falling trees, while quarter of a million people had power cut
Storm Darragh – live updates
A cleanup operation is under way across the UK as communities survey the damage brought by Storm Darragh, which killed two people over the weekend.
Sunday evening brings an end to severe weather warnings for wind and rain in place since Friday, which resulted in chaos on roads and rail in many parts of the country and severe flooding.
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Female footballers have shown us how – let’s build a sport free of fossil fuel deals | David Wheeler
12/08/2024 - 03:00
Male players must step up and add their voice to the campaign to stop our sport being sold out to the big polluters causing climate change
At the Cop29 climate conference last month Sofie Junge Pedersen and Katie Rood again called for Fifa to drop its sponsorship deal with the Saudi Arabian state oil company Aramco. They were among more than 130 female players who signed an open letter in October that described the partnership as a “middle finger to women’s football” that will do real damage to people and our planet.
After the letter was published, I spoke out in support of their initiative. I hoped other professional male players would join me. The women were widely applauded for speaking out but their male counterparts have not followed suit. On Wednesday, Fifa is poised to confirm Saudi Arabia as the host of the 2034 men’s World Cup.
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12/07/2024 - 15:00
PM vows to overrule local authority heads who resist housing revolution amid concerns from wildlife groups and Labour-run administrations
• On wokeness, patriotism and change, Kamala Harris’s defeat has lessons for Starmer
Keir Starmer has warned local leaders that he will not hesitate to overrule them if they attempt to “dodge their responsibilities” in approving new homes, amid growing concerns among wildlife groups and councils over his plans for a housing revolution.
The prime minister has placed a pledge to build 1.5m new homes in England by the next election at the heart of his government’s plans.
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12/07/2024 - 14:00
Hot, dry conditions bring numerous species into contact with people and pets, and not just in the bush. It’s good to know which is which
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The quickest way to tell the difference between an eastern brown snake and a copperhead is to nearly step on it. If it strikes, it’s an eastern brown. If it stays still as you jump back, it’s a copperhead.
Thankfully, the snake I nearly stood on this week as I walked distractedly through the horse yard was a copperhead. Lowland copperheads are the seventh most venomous snake in Australia, but they are also shy and only bite when severely provoked. They are pretty common here in the Macedon Ranges. This is the second time I’ve nearly stepped on this particular snake. I also didn’t see it when carrying washing out to the line last month. Both times it skedaddled.
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