Environment news

• Wild sharks off Brazil coast test positive for cocaine, scientists say

  23-07-2024 20:38
  
  Latest research shows how illegal drug consumption by humans is harming marine lifeWild sharks off the coast of Brazil have tested positive for cocaine, according to new study by Brazilian scientists, in the latest research to demonstrate how illegal drug consumption by humans is harming marine life.According to a study entitled Cocaine Shark and published in the journal Science of the Total Environment, scientists dissected the bodies of 13 sharpnose sharks (Rhizoprionodon lalandii) caught in f
  
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• Supporters of arrested Sea Shepherd founder say parallels with Julian Assange are ‘disturbing’

  23-07-2024 19:24
  Allies of the 73-year-old anti-whaling activist Paul Watson have said that prison time would amount to a ‘life sentence’The arrest of the anti-whaling activist Paul Watson in Greenland – where he could face extradition to Japan – has been condemned as “politically motivated” by supporters, who compared the case to the detention of the WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange.“The parallels are disturbing,” said Omar Todd, chief executive and co-founder of
  
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• UK government faces claim over alleged failure to protect people in climate crisis

  23-07-2024 16:21
  
  High court hears case brought by claimants who say rights have been breached as result of adaptation planIn December, council officials ordered Kevin Jordan to leave his home, warning him it was at risk of falling into the sea at any moment.On Tuesday, he had his day in court, accusing the government of failing to do enough to adapt to the changes the UK is facing as a result of climate breakdown. Continue reading...
  
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• Cocaine sharks: why sea creatures are swimming in drug-tainted waters

  23-07-2024 15:23
  Waste from illegal labs and untreated sewage laced with pharmaceuticals is contaminating the seas off Rio de Janeiro. It’s far from the only place to be affectedName: Cocaine sharks.Age: Juvenile and upwards. Continue reading...
  
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• Giraffe relocation in Kenya – in pictures

  23-07-2024 12:28
  
  In western Kenya, wild giraffes are being relocated to the Ruko Conservancy to maintain peace between the Pokot and Ilchamus communities. Since the first giraffe’s arrival to the reserve in 2011, poaching has ceased, and community relations have improved, creating jobs and regional stability. Before a giraffe’s arrival, an intercommunal welcoming ceremony with dancing and singing is held for them, an inconceivable scene in the mid-2000s Continue reading...
  
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• I deeply regret riding an elephant on holiday. This year, we should all make the ethical choice | Chris Packham

  23-07-2024 11:00
  
  The suffering of animals in the tourism sector is depressingly common. But we can all help shut down such cruel tradesIt won’t surprise anyone to know that I’m not the sort of person who’d choose to go to tourist attractions that keep animals in captivity for human entertainment. But like many of us, when it comes to interacting with animals while on holiday, there are things I look back on that I would do differently now.Tourist attractions such as dolphin parks and tiger temp
  
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• ‘They eat all sorts of things’: why foraging for food is killing Kenya’s donkeys

  23-07-2024 09:00
  
  On the car-free island of Lamu the animals are vital for transport. But with little grass for grazing, donkeys are rummaging through rubbish – and eating deadly plasticThe smell of sea water and fresh dung fill the oceanfront air on the Kenyan island of Lamu, as donkeys plod along the town’s dock, ferrying residents and cargo. Lamu Old Town is a Unesco world heritage site, known for preserving its Swahili culture. With no cars but nearly 3,000 donkeys on the island, residents rely he
  
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• Donkeys in Kenya are dying with stomachs full of plastic – and other animals are at risk

  23-07-2024 09:00
  With little grass for grazing on the island of Lamu, donkeys are rummaging through rubbish – and scientists now fear it is a global problem affecting many speciesThe smell of sea water and fresh dung fill the oceanfront air on the Kenyan island of Lamu, as donkeys plod along the town’s dock, ferrying residents and cargo. Lamu Old Town is a Unesco world heritage site, known for preserving its Swahili culture. With no cars but nearly 3,000 donkeys on the island, residents rely heavily
  
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• Country Diary: Is my magpie friend using ant acid to get high? | Claire Stares

  23-07-2024 06:30
  
  Langstone, Havant: This curious behaviour is one I witnessed this week in my gardenOver the past few weeks, a young magpie has become a regular visitor to my garden. While many froglets have already emerged from the pond, taking up residence in the long grass and stands of purple and yellow loosestrife, this clever corvid has realised that it can wade into the shallows and feast on the squirming late-hatched tadpoles. One afternoon, appetite satiated, the magpie hopped on to my raised
  
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• UK may need new gas-fired power stations to decarbonise grid

  23-07-2024 06:00
  Report says new nuclear capacity will not be ready in time to provide required increase in baseload electricityLabour is likely to have to approve new gas-fired power stations in its attempt to decarbonise the UK’s electricity systems by 2030, in what would be a tricky decision for the new government.Keeping the lights on for the rest of the decade, and beyond, will require some additional baseload power, and new nuclear power stations will not be built in time, according to a report from
  
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• George Monbiot on the record jail terms given to Just Stop Oil activists – podcast

  23-07-2024 06:00
  
  Last week, five supporters of the Just Stop Oil climate campaign who conspired to cause gridlock on London’s orbital motorway were sentenced to lengthy jail terms by a judge who told them they had ‘crossed the line from concerned campaigner to fanatic’. Columnist and campaigner George Monbiot tells Ian Sample why the sentences are so significant, how they fit into a crackdown on protest in the UK in recent years, and what impact they could have on future climate activism in the
  
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• Chimps share humans' 'snappy' conversational style

  23-07-2024 01:34 via bbc.com
  
  Wild chimpanzees, like humans, take fast-paced turns in conversation, and often interrupt each other.
  
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