Environment

In recent years, people have started cutting down on plastic consumption, as we have realised the effects plastic can have on the environment and our oceans. But although most people know that plastic cannot be absorbed back into the environment, there are many that are unaware just how much plastic ends up in our oceans - and how detrimental this can be. In addition to being bad for the environment, the amount of plastic in the ocean continues to grow - affecting wildlife and humans alike. How much plastic is in the ocean? Although it is difficult to identify exactly how much plastic is in the ocean due to micro-particles and the amount that has sunk to the bottom, most scientists estimate that eight million metric tons of plastic end up in our oceans each year - adding to the estimated 150 million metric tons currently circulating our oceans. To put that number into perspective, the amount is equivalent to a garbage truck full of plastic dumping plastic into the … [Read more...] about Why is plastic bad for the environment and how much is in the ocean?

Strains of a "superpower" bacteria that could cause the world's next deadly pandemic have been discovered by scientists in Antarctica. Researchers found that the bacteria have a built-in resistance to antibiotics that could make current treatments useless. The Chilean researchers made the discovery during research into how climate change could affect the spread of bacteria that had been frozen in ice for thousands of years. They warned that climate change means the bacteria will have the potential to spread beyond polar regions, with potentially catastrophic consequences. Researcher Andres Marcoleta of the University of Chile headed the study published in the journal Science of the Total Environment in March. He said mobile DNA fragments contain "superpowers" that evolved to resist extreme conditions and can easily be transferred to other bacteria. Marcoleta said: "We know that the soils of the Antarctic Peninsula, one of the polar areas most impacted by melting ice, host … [Read more...] about How climate change could release world-ending super bacteria

Energy: for the last few weeks, the word has been uncomfortably ubiquitous across our headlines and in our inboxes. Thanks to the new increased price cap, the average household bill will jump to Destination Earth, launched last week, is the EU’s plan for interactive simulations of the planet that will allow everyone from scientists to energy companies to explore the impacts of climate change and how we adapt to them. The €140million project is an ambitious endeavour that has been years in the making, and could usher in a new level of local detail so governments can better prepare for renewable energy schemes and extreme weather events such as So what exactly is it? Early days, that’s what. The digital twins are being built by what is effectively a start-up operation based in Bonn, Germany, and – after it has crunched a lot of numbers – will initially be focused on replicating how extreme weather changes as global average temperatures rise to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels … [Read more...] about How this virtual Planet Earth might help save the real world from climate change

By Roger Harrabin Published 8 June 2013 Share close Share page Copy link About sharing North Sea cod stocks are on the road to sustainability, according to Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) research. The body, which certifies whether fish are caught through good practice, says it is too soon to tell exactly when the North Sea fishery will meet its mark. But a spokesman said on current trends, it would be ready for certification within years rather than decades. Stocks would still be in recovery then, James Simpson said, but they would have passed an acceptable level. MSC certification is determined by the state of the stocks, the environmental impact of the fishery, and if there is a management system in place to maintain sustainability if circumstances change. The latter two were already in place, Mr Simpson said. "This is really great news," he said. "We have done an … [Read more...] about North Sea cod stocks ‘on road to sustainability’

It may have won the best show garden at the Chelsea Flower Show , but Monty Don has questioned whether Rewilding Britain’s beaver-themed exhibit was a “real garden”. The installation - designed by Adam Hunt and Lulu Urquhart, first-time Chelsea exhibitors - was an unexpected winner of the top prize on Tuesday, beating long-time show garden designers including Andy Sturgeon and Sarah Eberle. The decision has divided audiences at the prestigious flower show, including Joe Swift and Monty Don, presenters of the BBC’s Gardeners’ World programme . Referring to Mr Sturgeon’s more traditional mental health-themed Mind Garden, Mr Don said: “I think they’re both fantastic. The question it raises to me - Rewilding Britain was beautifully done - was it a garden? “It is a show garden and therefore has a right to win, whether it is a real garden or not, I’m not sure.” Mr Swift added: “Andy Sturgeon’s is a beautiful garden. The other one - to me it’s a landscape, a recreation. … [Read more...] about Monty Don asks: Was Chelsea Flower Show winner a ‘real garden’?

Technology companies are living through a market rout not seen since the embers of the dotcom crash. The Nasdaq has fallen for seven consecutive weeks, the longest losing streak since 2002, and is down 30pc this year. Investment bankers who were busier than ever this time last year during the Spac frenzy are twiddling their thumbs. Bitcoin, once marketed as a hedge against inflation, has crashed too. Elon Musk’s $44bn (£35bn) agreement to buy Twitter a month ago is looking more ill-timed by the day . The superstars at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week are not youthful internet entrepreneurs but nonagenarian diplomats and financiers. A combination of a global inflationary crisis and the subsequent rise in interest rates has been a sharp rejoinder to any tech worker under the age of 35, who has only ever experienced their employers becoming richer and more powerful. Such an environment is starting to take its toll on most. This week, Snapchat’s parent company warned … [Read more...] about Inflation crisis will give tech titans even more power

Live Updates As Russia's invasion continues for a 57th day, President Joe Biden announced an additional $800 million in security assistance to Ukraine and established a new program to streamline Ukrainians seeking to enter the U.S. Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin has failed to achieve his "grand ambitions" as Ukraine continues to fight. Putin reportedly canceled an assault on the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, where hundreds of civilians were sheltering, over concerns of Russian casualties. Ukraine is calling for "urgent" humanitarian corridors to evacuate civilians who remain in the besieged Mariupol, describing the situation as "desperate." While 79 people were able to evacuate Mariupol to Zaporizhia Thursday, Ukraine Deputy Prime Minister said "everything is going very slowly." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has asked foreign allies for more weapons as Ukrainian forces continue to defend their cities against Russian bombardment. … [Read more...] about Ukraine War: Pentagon details Phoenix Ghost drones sent to Ukraine

Hapless council contractors went to mow, went to mow a meadow – they just didn’t realise it was an award-winning community space. Leaving brambles and dandelions untouched, the workmen ignored warning signs and laid waste to the pretty patch of wildflowers. Gareth Hurd, 36, turned the ‘waste ground’ next to his home in Alton, Hampshire, into the Butts Community Garden last year. Neighbours adored the ‘beautiful’ meadow, watching in delight as the flowers bloomed in spring, attracting bees and other pollinators. But all of Mr Hurd’s hard work was ironically blitzed during the council’s ‘No Mow May’ initiative, which urged homeowners not to cut their grass throughout spring. The conservation worker said it has set him back five years’ worth of progress. ‘The space is intended to show what you can do in your garden which is more environmentally friendly,’ he said. ‘But the side that is good for the environment was flattened. ‘It’s an understandable mistake from a … [Read more...] about Award-winning wildflower garden destroyed by council contractors

Ellen DeGeneres walked out for her final talk show fighting back tears, with a newly released clip showing the host preparing for her last hurrah. The star has hosted The Ellen DeGeneres Show since 2003, and the long-running series will come to an end on Thursday when its last episode airs after a turbulent time amid the ‘toxic workplace’ scandal . In a teaser clip for the last show, Ellen, 64, emerges from behind a screen to a cheering audience, including her wife Portia de Rossi and brother Vance DeGeneres in the front row. Fighting back tears, Ellen holds a hand to her chest, saying, ‘Thank you’, with Portia also looking teary. For the final episode, Ellen will be joined by Jennifer Aniston, almost 20 years after the Friends star became the first ever guest on the show. It will be her 20th appearance on Ellen. There will also be appearances from musicians Pink and Billie Eilish. The final episode was filmed in April , with Ellen penning a message about how … [Read more...] about Ellen DeGeneres fights back tears as she walks out for final show after 19 years

Anyone who has ever chucked a tennis ball in the general vicinity of a border collie knows that some animals take play very seriously—the intense stare, the tremble of anticipation, the apparent joy with every bounce, all in pursuit of inedible prey that tastes like the backyard. Dogs are far from the only animals that devote considerable time and energy to play. Juvenile wasps wrestle with hive mates, otters toss rocks between their paws, and human children around the world go to great lengths to avoid make-believe lava on the living-room floor. When a dog chases a ball or a child adjudicates relationship disputes in doll-land, something important and meaningful is clearly happening in their minds, says Laura Schulz, a cognitive scientist at MIT. “Play has a lot of peculiar and fascinating properties,” she says. “It’s totally fundamental to learning and human intelligence.” Scientists take play seriously too. For decades, psychologists, evolutionary biologists, and animal … [Read more...] about So What’s the Point of Playtime?