Toxic molecule
may help birds 'see' north and south
Researchers at the University of Illinois report that a toxic
molecule known to damage cells and cause disease may also play a pivotal role
in bird migration.
Just days after the first fin whale sighting of the season, RNLI
crews successfully free a humpback whale entangled in lobster pot lines of Hook
Head, Co. Wexford.
Divers
from Cornwall, Devon and the Isles of Scilly have spent a week surveying the reefs
and tidal channels around the Isles of Scilly including sites that had never previously
been dived.
The country's biggest farming body says fears over exotic diseases
is a key reason why it could not support the controversial re-introduction of
beavers in the Westcountry.
Comma butterflies are emerging and warming their wings in the
sunshine. They are the first of the large colourful butterflies, including peacocks
and small tortoiseshells, that make their appearance in high summer.
Study finds "no evidence" that badgers give TB to cattle
The Badger Trust strongly challenges claims by the Scottish Agricultural
College (SAC) that "TB could be passed from badgers to cattle" through contact
between cattle and badgers in the field.
Inspector shortage
threatens to delay nuclear ambitions
The
government's ambitious timetable for a new wave of nuclear reactors to begin operation
from 2017 could face delays as a result of a shortage of qualified safety inspectors,
according to a confidential report from the government's chief nuclear inspector.
A Local Nature Reserve which
has hundreds of species of wildflowers, grasses, trees and shrubs and is a ground-nesting
site for skylarks and meadow pipits, has a serious problem with thistles.
The scale of safety problems inside Britain's nuclear power stations
has been revealed for the first time in a secret report obtained by the Observer
that shows more than 1,750 leaks, breakdowns or other "events" over the past seven
years.
The annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC)
has opened, with compromise talks between pro- and anti-whaling bloc delicately
poised.
Sea turtles have to battle humans hungry for their meat or eggs
and fungal infections to survive, but in Thailand, the endangered species have
the navy on their side.
Sustainable forest management increases local income one hundred-fold
A Tanzanian group supported by The Conservation Leadership Programme
(CLP) has helped two local communities to become fully-certified sustainable forest
managers. “This is a first for Africa”, said CLP project leader Steve Ball.
Committee
finds no mining around Goa's wildlife sanctuaries
A high-level committee on mining affairs in Goa has said that
it did not find any exploration activity within or around the state's wildlife
sanctuaries.
Study highlights massive imbalances in
global fertilizer use
Synthetic fertilizers
have dramatically increased food production worldwide. But the unintended costs
to the environment and human health have been substantial.
Industrial
nations' CO2 targets too weak - experts
Pledges
by industrialised nations to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 fall far short
of the deep cuts widely advocated for tackling global warming, experts said on
Monday.
Japan, Germany agree to cooperate on new climate treaty
Japan and Germany on Monday agreed to cooperate in urging major
emitters of greenhouse gases, such as the United States, China and India to take
part in a new climate treaty, the foreign ministry said.
Swiss glaciers melting faster
than ever before: study
Switzerland's
glaciers shrank by 12 percent over the past decade, melting at their fastest rate
due to rising temperatures and lighter snowfalls, a study by the Swiss university
ETH showed Monday.
National Parks could lead the way following latest climate change
projections
The Welsh Association
of National Park Authorities has today called upon National and Local Government
to recognise the importance of Wales’ National Parks as climate change figures
released by the UK Climate Impact Programme indicate a dramatically worsening
climate.
