Wildlife-friendly gardens may be more deadly to birds, report shows
New research shows that more birds die from collisions with windows in gardens that provide better bird habitat, reports Conservation Collisions with windows are a serious source of mortality for birds: hundreds of millions die from window strikes each year in the US alone. Most attention to this problem has focused on high-rise buildings, because […]
New research shows penguins will suffer in a warming world | John Abraham
Penguin population declines are found to occur in hotter years We know the world is warming, and we know humans are the main reason. But so what? The thing we’d really like to know is, what will the impacts be on our planet, its biodiversity, our society, our economies? It is only through understanding the […]
What's in the water? Pollution fears taint Rio's picturesque bay ahead of Olympics
Untreated sewage and viruses in Guanabara Bay have led UN to advise athletes to spend as little time in the water as possible There can be few more beautiful city sights in the world than that from the Marina da Gloria, where the Rio 2016 Olympic sailing events will be launched this weekend. Look out […]
Britain shouts about immigration but is silent on one of the root causes: climate change | Andrew Simms
The Brexit campaign pivoted around migration but its politicians are sceptical of action on global warming that is a key driver of displacement What happens as large-scale migration becomes inevitable due to a combination of environmental, economic and humanitarian reasons? Do we tackle the drivers and help the displaced, or worsen conditions causing the displacement […]
Scottish windfarms have 'no effect' on tourism, report finds
BusinessGreen: New study concludes there is ‘no overall relationship’ between tourism employment in an area and the deployment of onshore windfarms “Repels tourists” can now be added to the long list of criticism levelled at onshore windfarms that has been shown to be unfounded. A new report by consultancy BiGGAR Economics, which analysed the impact […]
Cliffs and teeming clefts in the coastal landscape
Aberaeron, Ceredigion The route was almost deserted, so the sensation of being watched was unexpected Even on the open slopes above the cliff, the air was hot and humid, making the steeper sections of the coast path seem more of a trudge than usual. South of Aberaeron, in west Wales, the route was almost deserted […]
Wealthier homes contain more bugs, research shows
US study overturns perceptions about poorer homes by showing higher income houses host up to 200 different species of flies, spiders, beetles and ants Homes in wealthier areas harbour more bugs, containing up to 200 different species of flies, spiders, beetles and ants, according to new research. The vast majority are not pests although dust […]
Turn that brown upside down: avocado 'time-machine' stops fruit browning
An Australian company may have cracked this ticking time bomb of freshness with a machine that ‘switches off’ the enzyme responsible for discoloration As anyone who has ever bought avocados will know, the ripeness window for the fruit is around 17 minutes. Before that, it’s solid and nutty. After, brown and mushy. So-called “ripe and […]
When nature puts on a happy face: Hawaiian volcano erupts into smile
The Kilauea volcano’s lava looked like a smiley face but stars, craters and spiders have also resembled the popular symbol for happiness An erupting volcano in Hawaii was all smiles last week – and no, it wasn’t a Disney animation. The lava of Kilauea, a shield volcano on Hawaii’s biggest island, appeared to form a […]
Environmental records shattered as climate change 'plays out before us'
Temperatures, sea levels and carbon dioxide all hit milestones amid extreme weather in 2015, major international ‘state of the climate’ report finds The world is careening towards an environment never experienced before by humans, with the temperature of the air and oceans breaking records, sea levels reaching historic highs and carbon dioxide surpassing a key […]