Environment news

• Treasury threatens Defra with £4bn bill if Thames Water nationalised

  03-05-2025 17:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Exclusive: Treasury threat an example of ‘scare tactics’ to help force through private sector deal, sources suggestWhitehall officials have been at loggerheads over the fate of Thames Water since the Treasury told the environment department that it would have to meet the cost of a multibillion pound temporary nationalisation.Britain’s biggest water company recently came within days of running out of money. Thames is in a desperate race to find a buyer willing to inject cash, wi
  
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• A grizzly bear comeback in California? An old dream gets new legs

  03-05-2025 17:00 via theguardian.com
  
  A feasibility report using historical maps and ecological data is raising excitement: ‘It would be a slow process’On the eve of the gold rush, California was teeming with grizzly bears – as many as 10,000 of them. They were so popular that the Bear Flag Republic – a short-lived attempt by a group of US settlers to break away from Mexico in 1846 – used the animals as their mascot; an image that still adorns California’s flag.But by the mid-1920s, the bears were
  
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• ‘You get attached to them’: nesting ospreys get villagers excited in Wales

  03-05-2025 12:00 via theguardian.com
  Webcam set up to monitor egg-bearing nest atop oak tree guarded by dozens of volunteers in Usk valleyAt 9.15am the male bird took off and soared towards the reservoir in search of a meal. Sixty minutes later he was back, and over the next hour or so he and his mate took turns sharing the fish he had caught and sitting on their three eggs.The appearance of these two ospreys on farmland in the Usk valley in mid-Wales is seen as a milestone in the recovery of the species. Continue reading...
  
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• 'Unparalleled' snake antivenom made from man bitten 200 times

  03-05-2025 08:29 via bbc.com
  Scientists hope to make a universal antivenom from the extraordinary blood of a man exposed to snake venom for decades.
  
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• Happy birthday, David Attenborough! 99 ways he has inspired us, by Barack Obama, Billie Eilish, Morgan Freeman – and many more

  03-05-2025 07:00 via theguardian.com
  
  This week the presenter turns 99. To celebrate, we asked 99 nature lovers – including Margaret Atwood, Jane Fonda, Bono, Kate Winslet and Michael Palin – how he has helped us see the world with fresh eyesPresenter, nature activist
  It’s all about truth. Ask yourself, “Has David ever knowingly lied to me?” No, never. He may have told us things 40 years ago that science has updated, but he’s always told us the truth. In an age when it’s hard to trust anyone
  
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• Country diary: Lambing season is in full swing | Andrea Meanwell

  03-05-2025 06:30 via theguardian.com
  
  Tebay, Cumbria: It’s a job that makes me feel truly part of the ecosystem – and with 79 yows lambed already, we’re nearly halfway thereLambing each spring is a time when I find myself going round and round in circles. At least three times a day I do a lap of the farm, checking on the yows and lambs, making notes about which have lambed and how many lambs they have had. I’m also troubleshooting; looking out for lambs that are cold, hungry or inactive, and for yows on the v
  
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• Science meets shape-throwing in 'Dance your PhD' contest

  03-05-2025 03:22 via bbc.com
  Could you explain "insights into oral chemesthetic perception" using dance moves?
  
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• How to avoid ‘fast furniture’ and deck out your home with goods that will last

  03-05-2025 02:00 via theguardian.com
  That distinctive ‘new furniture smell’ is a sign that harmful compounds are being released. Here are ways to sidestep the environmental and health risks of cheap furnitureChange by Degrees offers life hacks and sustainable living tips each Saturday to help reduce your household’s carbon footprintGot a question or tip for reducing household emissions? Email us at [email protected]’ve heard of fast fashion – but what about fast furniture?It’s th
  
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