Solar Impulse 2 completes first ever Atlantic crossing by solar plane
Solar Impulse 2 lands in Seville, four days after setting off from New York, using solar panels and batteries to finish latest leg of its round-the-world journey Solar Impulse 2 has completed the first ever crossing of the Atlantic by a solar-powered aeroplane, landing in Spain early on Thursday morning. The four-day trip, which started […]
A bumblebee with a taste for high living
Sandy, Bedfordshire A queen hit the bullseye – a 2.8cm hole in our nestbox – and there is a clearly active colony of tree bumblebees in residence Since the start of the millennium, a new tune for summer has been spreading north. It was first picked up in Wiltshire; within a decade, it had reached […]
Food waste – what can we do about it?
Wherever you are in the world, if you are running or participating in food waste projects we’d like to hear from you Almost $1 trillion in food is thrown away, lost or wasted every year worldwide – roughly one third of all food produced for human consumption. Food such as fruits and vegetables, plus roots […]
Farmer Ian Turnbull sentenced to 35 years for murder of NSW environment officer
The 81-year-old farmer will die in jail after being handed a minimum 24 year sentence for murder of NSW environment officer Glen Turner in 2014 An 81-year-old farmer who callously gunned down NSW environment officer Glen Turner during a routine departmental visit has been sentenced to 35 years in jail – with a non-parole period […]
66 million dead trees in California could fuel 'catastrophic' wildfires, officials say
Trees are dying at an ‘unprecedented’ rate due to drought, warmer weather and a bark beetle epidemic, prompting the US agriculture secretary’s warning The number of trees in California’s Sierra Nevada forests killed by drought, a bark beetle epidemic and warmer temperatures has dramatically increased since last year, raising fears that they will fuel catastrophic […]
Dutch prototype clean-up boom brings Pacific plastics solution a step closer
If tests of the 100m-long barrier that collects rubbish on the sea’s surface are successful, it could be deployed at a larger scale in the ‘great Pacific garbage patch’ A bid to clear the Pacific of its plastic debris has moved a step closer with the launch of the biggest prototype clean-up boom yet by […]
Leopard's killing of rare African penguins sparks conservation debate
Some conservationists say endangered birds at the South African reserve take priority, but others argue that locally the big cat is rarer A leopard killed dozens of endangered penguins at a nature reserve outside Cape Town earlier this month, prompting a renewed debate about how best to protect South Africa’s threatened species. Ranger Cuan McGeorge […]
Opencast coal mine planned for Northumberland coast
Plans to open a new mine have been criticised by local residents and NGOs for contradicting government commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and phase out coal, reports ENDS A new surface coal mine could be created on the scenic Northumberland coast if an application is approved next month. Banks Mining wants to create a […]
Musk's Tesla makes a bid for Musk's SolarCity energy company
Electric car company attempts to acquire solar panel seller to create a Silicon Valley one-stop-shop for clean energy for car and home Elon Musk’s Tesla electric car company has made an offer to buy Musk’s solar power company, SolarCity, for as much as $2.8bn in stock in an attempt to make a one-stop-shop for cleaner […]
'Zombie corals' pose new threat to world's reefs
Scientists discover corals that look healthy but cannot reproduce, dashing hopes such reefs could repopulate bleached areas Zombie corals, which look healthy but cannot reproduce, have been discovered by researchers, dashing hopes that such reefs could repopulate areas destroyed by bleaching. Scientists have also found that a common ingredient in sunscreen is killing and mutating […]