Environment news

• Reasons to fear the next UK heatwave

  20-04-2017 22:30
  
  Scientists have warned that, even in moderately warm weather, hospitals and homes can become dangerously hotIt is 14 years since the heatwave of 2003 killed 2,000 people in southern England and the alarm was raised about hot weather being as dangerous for vulnerable people as winter cold.Since then a UK-wide warning system has been put in place that will inform people when the temperature is likely to exceed 30C for a day and a night. Weather forecast warnings of an imminent heatwave ask that vu
  
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• Green Investment Bank sell-off: only time will tell how green it is

  20-04-2017 20:16
  
  The government has secured green ‘commitments’ after the £2.3bn sale. In reality it has secured only ‘good intentions’The charge that Macquarie is a ruthless asset-stripper that, given half a chance, would dismember the Green Investment Bank clearly stung. As the government unveiled the inevitable sale, for £2.3bn, to a consortium led by the Australian finance house, all sides were anxious to emphasise the buyer’s long-term enthusiasm for its new purchas
  
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• What's made Canada's Slims River disappear?

  20-04-2017 17:52 via bbc.co.uk
  
  What's made this river in Canada disappear? Geoscientist Daniel Shugar explains.
  
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• Chris Packham jostled by hunter on Gozo, Malta – video report

  20-04-2017 17:37
  
  Chris Packham has released the video that shows his encounter with a Maltese hunter and police on the island of Gozo, after being cleared of charges of assault by a Maltese judge on Thursday. The video shows Packham filming with his crew before being accosted by the hunter and police, leading to the incident. The judge threw out the case and criticised the police for the charge. Packham has said he will not press chargesChris Packham cleared of assault in Malta after confronting bird hunters
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• Green Investment Bank sell-off dubbed a disaster by critics

  20-04-2017 17:22
  
  Greenpeace says £2.3bn sale to controversial Australian bank Maquarie risks climate targets while Lib Dems says bank was sold too fast and too cheapThe UK government’s decision to sell the Green Investment Bank to Australian bank Macquarie for £2.3bn has been attacked by critics including the Liberal Democrats and Greenpeace as “politically dubious” and a “disaster”.A consortium led by Macquarie, which also includes the bank’s European Infrastructu
  
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• Green Investment Bank sell-off described as a disaster by critics

  20-04-2017 17:22
  
  Greenpeace says £2.3bn sale to controversial Australian bank Maquarie risks climate targets, while Lib Dems say bank was sold too fast and too cheapThe UK government’s decision to sell the Green Investment Bank to Australian bank Macquarie for £2.3bn has been attacked by critics including the Liberal Democrats and Greenpeace as “politically dubious” and a “disaster”.A consortium led by Macquarie, which also includes the bank’s European Infrastructu
  
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• Chris Packham cleared of assault in Malta after confronting bird hunters

  20-04-2017 17:22
  
  BBC wildlife presenter calls on EU to push Malta towards adhering to European birds directive after case against him dismissedThe naturalist and broadcaster Chris Packham has been cleared of two counts of assault in Malta after confronting hunters who had trapped wild birds.A Maltese magistrate dismissed the case against the BBC Springwatch presenter after Packham produced video evidence in court that showed he was jostled by a hunter while filming an interview about the illegal slaughter of bir
  
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• Cut-back crew for ISS launch

  20-04-2017 16:30 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Russia scales back staff on the ISS until a long-delayed space lab is sent to the outpost in 2018.
  
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• It's good to hear cycling to work reduces your risk of dying. But that's not why I do it | Laura Laker

  20-04-2017 16:16
  
  The latest study on the health benefits of cycling suggests it can cut the risk of cancer and heart disease. It’s also the most fun you can have on your daily commuteIt may not be a surprise to see another study suggesting that cycling to work can drastically reduce your chances of getting cancer and heart disease – those who ride bikes for transport already know how good it makes them feel. However, it’s perhaps yet another motivation for those who don’t, to dust off the
  
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• Philips agrees €1bn loan connecting sustainability performance with finance

  20-04-2017 15:45
  
  Philips has agreed a pioneering €1bn loan in collaboration with banking group ING, with an interest rate dependent on the year-on-year advance of the global lighting firm's sustainability performance.
  
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• Philips agrees €1bn loan to connect sustainability performance with finance

  20-04-2017 15:33
  
  Philips has agreed a pioneering €1bn loan in collaboration with banking group ING, with an interest rate dependent on the year-on-year advance of the global lighting firm's sustainability performance.
  
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• How to stop the construction industry choking our cities

  20-04-2017 13:54
  
  Building firms need to start treating diesel emissions in the same way as asbestos, says air pollution expertPoor air quality, with diesel the biggest culprit, is now thought to be the cause of 40,000 deaths in the UK each year. But while cars and lorries have attracted most attention, less reported is the contribution of other polluters to the problem, particularly construction sites.Continue reading...
  
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• Natalie Bennett: Electoral reform is crucial to take back control of our environment

  20-04-2017 13:47
  
  EXCLUSIVE: The 2017 General Election offers an opportunity to campaign against a "hopelessly out-of-date" electoral system and establish a government that makes sensible, long-term green policy decisions, the former leader of the Green Party has claimed.
  
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• Green Alliance: UK energy system unprepared for EV and solar growth

  20-04-2017 13:27
  
  The UK could suffer from an overloaded grid at peak times unless rapid action is taken to design a smarter power system, a new report from thinktank Green Alliance has found.
  
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• New Zealand earthquake gives unexpected benefit

  20-04-2017 12:31 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Raised coastline could end the threat of sea erosion for the time being.
  
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• Are you attending the global March for Science? Tell us why

  20-04-2017 12:25
  
  On 22 April – Earth Day – scientists and champions of their cause around the world will mobilise. We’d like to hear from you if you are taking part
  It started as a small Facebook group in Washington DC but has grown to a global movement that will see scientists from around the world take to the streets on 22 April. Related: Scientists to take to the streets in global march for truthContinue reading...
  
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• Chris Packham 'cleared of assault' in Malta after bird altercation

  20-04-2017 12:18
  
  BBC wildlife presenter, who was making independent film on Malta’s spring hunt, says case against him thrown outBBC Springwatch presenter Chris Packham has said he has been cleared of assault as he filmed a documentary on illegal bird trapping in Malta after the case was thrown out. He appeared in a magistrates court on the Maltese island of Gozo on Thursday charged with two counts of assault.Continue reading...
  
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• Wildflowers in the hill country of Texas – in pictures

  20-04-2017 12:00
  
  Think of Texas and it’s most likely you imagine rocky, red desert. But each spring the hill country of central Texas is awash with a riot of colour, as millions of wildflowers bloom Continue reading...
  
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• Green Investment Bank sold to Macquarie in £2.3bn deal

  20-04-2017 11:29
  
  The UK Government has completed the sale of the Green Investment Bank (GIB) to Australian investment bank Macquarie today (20 April) for a sum of £2.3bn.
  
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• Green Investment Bank sale poised to be completed today

  20-04-2017 11:29
  
  The UK Government will complete the sale of the Green Investment Bank (GIB) to Australian investment bank Macquarie today (20 April) for around £2.3bn, a flurry of reports have claimed.
  
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• Meet the man who watches volcanoes

  20-04-2017 11:13 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Boris Behncke lives near Mount Etna and monitors the volcano.
  
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• Unknown ancient reptile roamed the Pyrenees mountains

  20-04-2017 11:05 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The footprint made by a reptile that lived almost 250 million years ago has been found in the Pyrenees.
  
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• 'Perfect storm' threatens Europe's salamanders

  20-04-2017 10:38 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Scientists call for "amphibian arks" to protect wild salamanders in Europe from a deadly infection.
  
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• Shark inquiry told culling and drum lines would not reduce number of deaths

  20-04-2017 08:31
  
  Surf Life Saving Western Australia rejects accusations from News Corp that mitigation plan is too timidLifesavers in Western Australia say they have seen no evidence that shark culling would be effective in reducing attacks and have hit out at claims their mitigation plan is “timid”.The Senate inquiry into shark deterrence and mitigation began its hearing in Perth on Thursday.Continue reading...
  
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• Green Investment Bank to be sold off in £2.3bn deal

  20-04-2017 08:29
  
  Bank expected to retain offices in London and Edinburgh, as bid from Australia’s Macquarie accepted despite oppositionThe government has agreed a £2.3bn sale of the Green Investment Bank to the Australian bank Macquarie, according to sources close to the process.The privatisation of the bank was expected in January but signoff was delayed in the face of stiff political opposition and wrangling over the final price. Continue reading...
  
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• A decade of award-winning British landscape photography – in pictures

  20-04-2017 08:00
  
  A new book brings together the UK’s greatest landscape photographers, who have captured everything from violent seas to tranquil mountains Continue reading...
  
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• Millions of native oysters to be returned to the Solent

  20-04-2017 07:30
  
  New project aims to restore what was once Europe’s largest oyster fishery, off the south coast of England Millions of native oysters are to be put into the Solent, once the site of Europe’s largest oyster fishery.The five-year project aims first to restore a thriving oyster population to the waters between the south coast and Isle of Wight. Oyster beds provide habitat for many other species and the shellfish filter vast volumes of water – 200 litres per oyster – helping t
  
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• Coastal scrub and grassland alive with birds

  20-04-2017 06:30
  
  Seaham, Durham Impressions of movement, colour, sound and the scents of spring left an abiding sense of wellbeing
  Along the well-worn cliff-edge path from Dawdon to Hawthorn Dene, blackthorn was in full bloom, the air laden with the coconut scent of gorse, and the ground spangled with primroses and dog violets. Continue reading...
  
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• 'Whale cams' reveal humpbacks' habits – video

  20-04-2017 03:20
  
  Scientists have attached cameras to whales to unlock the mysteries of their lives in Antarctica, revealing where, when and how they feed, their social lives, and even how they must blow hard to clear sea ice and allow them to breathe. Vision: WWF Continue reading...
  
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• UK unprepared for surge in electric car use, thinktank warns

  20-04-2017 01:01
  
  Green Alliance says simultaneous charging could potentially damage electronic equipment unless action is taken by 2020The UK’s energy networks are not ready for a surge in electric cars and solar panels that is coming within the next few years, according to a report.Clusters of the battery powered cars could result in 1% of the UK experiencing unplanned drops in voltage – potentially damaging electronic equipment – without action by 2020, the Green Alliance said.Continue readin
  
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• Climate change will fuel terrorism recruitment, report for German foreign office says

  20-04-2017 00:01
  
  Report by Adelphi thinktank warns terrorist groups will exploit natural disasters and water and food shortagesClimate change will fuel acts of terrorism and strengthen recruiting efforts by terrorist groups such as Islamic State and Boko Haram, a report commissioned by the German foreign office has found.Terrorist groups will exploit the natural disasters and water and food shortages expected to result from climate change and allow them to recruit more easily, operate more freely and control civ
  
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