Environment news

• IOC must 'be better' on climate change - Coventry

  04-02-2026 21:34 via bbc.com
  International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry says it must "be better" on climate change after receiving a petition signed by more than 21,000 people who want to stop fossil fuel companies from sponsoring winter sports.
  
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• John Barkham obituary

  04-02-2026 17:31 via theguardian.com
  My dad, John Barkham, who has died aged 82, was an inspirational teacher of ecology and a lifelong naturalist. As the first ecologist to join the new University of East Anglia in 1969, he taught students over three decades in the pioneering School of Environmental Sciences.After studying the person-centred theories of Carl Rogers, whom he visited in California, John experimented with bold new teaching techniques, one year informing baffled students that they would design their own syllabus and t
  
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• Vast seagrass meadows will shield coastline

  04-02-2026 08:43 via bbc.com
  Trials to restore the saltwater plant to the Humber Estuary are hugely encouraging, experts say.
  
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• Wildlife photographer of the year – people’s choice 2026

  04-02-2026 08:00 via theguardian.com
  A shortlist of 24 images has been selected for the wildlife photographer of the year people’s choice award. You can vote for your favourite image online. The winner will be announced on 25 March and shown from that date as part of the overall wildlife photographer of the year exhibition, which runs until 12 July at the Natural History Museum in London Continue reading...
  
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• Feeling chirpy: how listening to birdsong can boost your wellbeing

  04-02-2026 07:00 via theguardian.com
  Paying attention to the calls of our avian neighbours can reduce stress, find scientists in GermanyFeeling stressed? Try a dose of birdsong to lift the spirits. A new study shows that paying attention to the treetop melodies of our feathered friends can boost wellbeing and bring down stress levels.Previous research has shown that people feel better in bird-rich environments, but Christoph Randler, from the University of Tübingen, and colleagues wanted to see if that warm fuzzy feeling trans
  
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• Country diary: Hay stocks are running low – this is the long tail of last year’s drought | Nicola Chester

  04-02-2026 06:30 via theguardian.com
  Inkpen, Berkshire: We’re paying the price now for a poor grass harvest, and the concern is isn’t a one-off bad yearAt this point in the year, when the growing season seems so far away, last summer’s hay harvest is most remembered, sometimes rued. The hottest summer followed the driest spring in over 100 years in southern England. And although making hay while the sun shines is genuinely crucial, rain is critical to growth. Last year produced a very poor harvest,
  
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• ‘If I think about what this means, I want to cry’: what happens when a city loses its university?

  04-02-2026 06:00 via theguardian.com
  When Essex University’s Southend campus opened, it was a message of hope for a ‘left behind’ UK seaside town. Its closure will be felt far beyond its 800 students, some of whom will not get their degreesThe seaside city of Southend-on-Sea, on England’s east coast, looks grey on a winter afternoon in term-time. Its cobbled high street, bordering the university campus, is sparsely populated with market stalls, vape shops and discount retailers, and feels unusually quiet.&ld
  
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