Environment news

• Large hydropower dams 'not sustainable' in the developing world

  05-11-2018 23:09 via bbc.co.uk
  A new study says that big hydro electricity projects in Europe and the US have been disastrous for the environment.
  
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• Specieswatch: beavers chip in to boost Yorkshire flood defences

  05-11-2018 22:30
  Forestry Commission enlists dam-building rodents to slow water flows on North York MoorsBeavers are being enlisted by the Forestry Commission to help prevent rivers from flooding. Up to eight microchipped beavers will be introduced to Cropton Forest on the North York Moors in the hope that they will build dams to slow down any surges of water from big rainfalls, helping prevent flooding downstream in places such as Pickering. In another project, beavers were introduced this summer to the Forest
  
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• Ozone layer finally healing after damage caused by aerosols, UN says

  05-11-2018 20:39
  Upper layer above northern hemisphere should be completely repaired in 2030sThe ozone layer is showing signs of continuing recovery from man-made damage and is likely to heal fully by 2060, new evidence shows.The measures taken to repair the damage will also have an important beneficial effect on climate change, as some of the gases that caused the ozone layer to thin and in places disappear also contribute to warming the atmosphere. Phasing them out could avoid as much as 0.5C (0.9F) of warming
  
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• Royal College of Physicians achieves Carbon Trust Standard certification

  05-11-2018 19:06
  The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has been recognised for recording a 30% reduction in its carbon footprint over a three-year period by becoming the first royal college to receive the Carbon Trust Standard certification.
  
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• Mick Rhodes obituary

  05-11-2018 18:28
  Director, producer and head of the BBC’s Natural History Unit best known for Life on Earth, Badger Watch and Wildlife on OneWhen Mick Rhodes, who has died aged 83, arrived in Bristol in the autumn of 1972 to take over as head of the BBC’s Natural History Unit he knew that, back in London, a great deal was expected of him, and that his task was going make him unpopular with practically everyone. He was the new broom brought in from the BBC science series Horizon over the heads of the
  
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• Sighting of sperm whales in Arctic a sign of changing ecosystem, say scientists

  05-11-2018 18:03
  Rare sighting in the Canadian Arctic as a growing number of species expand their range into warming waters A rare sighting of sperm whales in the Canadian Arctic is the latest sign of a quickly changing ecosystem, say scientists, as a growing number of species expand their range into warming Arctic waters.Brandon Laforest, a marine biologist with the World Wildlife Fund, and guide Titus Allooloo were working on a project monitoring the effect of marine traffic on the region’s narwhal popul
  
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• Energy cost of 'mining' bitcoin more than twice that of copper or gold

  05-11-2018 17:00
  New research reveals that cryptocurrencies require far more electricity per-dollar than it takes to mine most real metalsThe amount of energy required to “mine” one dollar’s worth of bitcoin is more than twice that required to mine the same value of copper, gold or platinum, according to a new paper, suggesting that the virtual work that underpins bitcoin, ethereum and similar projects is more similar to real mining than anyone intended.One dollar’s worth of bitcoin takes
  
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• Do animals have a sixth sense that detects the current in railway tracks?

  05-11-2018 17:00
  The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific conceptsAlthough the borders of railway lines are teeming with wildlife, you rarely see dead animals lying beside the electrified third rail. Do animals have a sixth sense that detects the electric current and tells them to keep away, which we humans tragically appear to lack?Graham Larkbey, London E17 Continue reading...
  
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• Dinosaur world 'more colourful than we thought'

  05-11-2018 15:56 via bbc.co.uk
  Coloured eggs evolved millions of years ago in the dinosaurs and may have functioned as camouflage.
  
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• M&S unveils reusable bags made with 75% 'ocean-bound' plastic

  05-11-2018 12:38
  Retail giant Marks and Spencer (M&S) has unveiled a new range of reusable carrier bags made with 75% post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic in a bid to boost consumer awareness around plastic pollution and raise money for recycling infrastructure.
  
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• London City Corporation to launch capital's first low-emission street

  05-11-2018 12:08
  With the Mayor of London's Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) scheme set to be rolled out across the capital next year, the City of London Corporation has unveiled plans to create what it claims is the city's first low-emission street.
  
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• Floating wind capacity could reach 20GW by 2050

  05-11-2018 12:05
  Floating offshore windfarms could provide up to 20GW of generation capacity by the middle of the century, a study commissioned by the Crown Estate Scotland has found.
  
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• Environment department accused of Brexit ‘panic’ after urgent staff demand

  05-11-2018 11:46
  Leaked memo shows managers were given 24 hours to name 75 staff to be redeployed to work on a no-deal scenarioThe environment department has been accused of “panic” over Brexit after a leaked document revealed the emergency redeployment of staff to prepare for a no-deal scenario.Managers at the Environment Agency (EA) were given just 24 hours to name 75 staff to be sent to the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). In September, the National Audit Office said Mich
  
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• British Wildlife Photography Awards 2018, the winners – in pictures

  05-11-2018 11:27
  From a bat’s hunting flight to a mountain hare in a storm, this year’s winning images capture the behaviour and variety of our wildlife Continue reading...
  
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• Scottish Government seeking advice on net-zero carbon target

  05-11-2018 11:26
  Scotland's climate change minister Roseanna Cunningham has confirmed that the Scottish Government will set a net-zero emissions goal if the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) can set out a "pathway" for the nation to achieve carbon neutrality.
  
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• Revealed: The secret of the poet's daffodil

  05-11-2018 10:56 via bbc.co.uk
  The DNA secrets of a flower thought to have inspired a Greek legend have been cracked by scientists.
  
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• Lion poaching: the brutal new threat to Africa’s prides

  05-11-2018 07:00
  The big cats are horribly easy to kill with poisoned meat, allowing poachers to hack off their faces and paws – but rangers are now on their trail• Warning: this article includes graphic images some readers may find disturbing
  “That’s fresh, just a few hours old,” says Kris Everatt, pointing at a clear print of a lion’s paw in the hot dust. “It’s the ghost pride.”The print is female. A bigger male print is soon spotted, also leading towards a
  
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• Country diary: only the adolescent seals still hang out here

  05-11-2018 06:30
  Hilbre Islands, Wirral: Visitors hoping to glimpse grey seals will find only a few stragglers. The rest are off to their breeding groundsThe Hilbre Islands may be small but they demand attention. The diminutive archipelago encompassing Little Eye, Middle Eye and Hilbre (pronounced locally like a mound of soft French cheese) sits a mile or so from the shore of West Kirby and Red Rocks. But anyone wishing to visit must pay attention to the tide and the route. The islands are accessible when the ti
  
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• For us to tackle climate change, companies need to pay their tax | Wayne Swan

  05-11-2018 05:23
  Less fiscal revenue means less money for vital infrastructure and less money to prepare for the effects of natural disastersIt’s been a year of natural disasters. After Irma, Maria, Harvey, hurricane Florence left a devastating landscape in the Caribbean. Extreme temperatures across the northern hemisphere have caused devastating fires from Europe to the US. Dozens have been killed in the Philippines after typhoon Mangkhut triggered landslides.And the worst consequences of climate change a
  
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• Scottish researchers create 'crystal maze' for light

  05-11-2018 02:16 via bbc.co.uk
  A team at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh create a "crystal maze" to control how light spreads.
  
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• Morbid exhibits of UCL's Pathology Museum

  05-11-2018 01:32 via bbc.co.uk
  Christa Larwood visits the UCL Pathology Museum usually reserved for the eyes of medical students.
  
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