Drone footage captures 70 sharks feasting on whale in Australia – video
Drone footage shows around 70 tiger sharks eating a whale in the aptly named Shark Bay, around 500 miles north of Perth, Western Australia. The video was posted to the Eco Abrolhos Facebook page, which operates cruises to nearby islands. Continue reading… Source: Guardian Environment
India's record-breaking heatwave – in pictures
Temperatures in a city in the desert state of Rajasthan have hit 51C (123.8F) – the highest on record in India. A drought has left many villages and towns without regular water. Schools have closed, some hospitals have stopped performing surgery, and in some regions daytime cooking has been banned due to the fire risk […]
Tens of countries sign up to shut pirate fishers out of their ports
The first of its kind, a new international treaty obliges signatories to intercept pirate fishers before they can sell their catch In March, the Argentinian coast guard shot at and sank a Chinese vessel that was alleged to be fishing illegally in Argentinian waters (the crew were all rescued). While it’s unclear whether the boat […]
Protesters urge North Yorkshire councillors to vote against fracking
A vote allowing Third Energy to frack for shale gas could pave way for technique to be used across England, critics say North Yorkshire councillors have been urged not to turn the region into “the fracking capital of the UK” before a crucial vote that could pave the way for the technique to be used […]
Biodegradable plastic 'false solution' for ocean waste problem
UN’s top environmental scientist warns bottles and bags do not break down easily and sink, as report highlights the ubiquity of plastic debris in oceans Biodegradable plastic water bottles and shopping bags are a false solution to the ubiquitous problem of litter in the oceans, the UN’s top environmental scientist has warned. Most plastic is […]
Bayer bids $62bn for GM seed giant Monsanto
Takeover would create world’s largest agricultural supplier in the biggest deal ever by a German firm German drug and chemicals group Bayer has offered to buy the American GM seed pioneer Monsanto for $62bn (£43bn) in a deal that would create the world’s biggest agricultural supplier. The offer of $122 a share in cash values […]
Climate denial arguments fail a blind test | Dana Nuccitelli
In a ‘Pepsi challenge’ test, economist and statisticians find mainstream climate arguments accurate and contrarian arguments wrong and misleading As we saw in the recent legal ruling against Peabody coal, arguments and myths that are based in denial of the reality of human-caused global warming rarely withstand scientific scrutiny. In a new study published in […]
Revealed: the dangerous wild animals kept on UK private property
Councils have issued licences for thousands of animals, research shows, including lions, wolves and crocodiles Lions, wolves and deadly venomous snakes are among thousands of dangerous animals being kept on private properties across the UK, figures have revealed. Big cats including 13 tigers, two lions, eight leopards, seven cheetahs and nine pumas are prowling behind […]
Blossom and bulls on a walk to Bucknell Wood
Abthorpe, Northamptonshire Blue-purple columns of bugle and the crimped leaves of betony abound “Do you ever get over to the Silverstone area?” queried John in his first email to me. I don’t, but when he then enthused that the rustic parish of Abthorpe “seemed to be a relic of a long disappeared countryside”, he had […]
Australia’s worst invasive plant species available for import on Amazon and eBay
Internet trading sites host ads for prohibited weeds, with Invasive Species Council warning postal system a ‘big gap’ in quarantine system Amazon and eBay have been exposed as weak points in Australia’s quarantine system, with the internet trading sites hosting dozens of offers to import the nation’s most dangerous weeds. Any Australian with a credit […]