Trial announced as Keir Starmer arrives in Washington to meet Donald Trump, a longtime critic of windfarms
Offshore windfarms are to be painted black in an effort to reduce the number of birds that die after flying into them.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has launched a four-year trial to paint the wind turbines after officials raised concerns that the government’s plan to increase turbine numbers in the North Sea could spell danger for seabirds. Limited research has been conducted on the number of birds killed this way, but estimates range from four to 18 per turbine per year.
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Breaking Waves: Ocean News
02/27/2025 - 11:25
Airports want new runways that would allow them to massively increase the number of flights in and out of capital
Minister ‘sets path’ to allow Gatwick to open second runway
The government has signalled its backing for expansion at UK airports. But what are the next steps for the two biggest, London’s Gatwick and Heathrow?
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02/27/2025 - 10:00
Trial-monitoring committee in Dakota Access lawsuit have shared concerns of judicial bias and due-process violations
More than half the jurors selected to hear a case brought by a major energy company against Greenpeace have ties to the fossil fuel industry, and most had negative views of anti-pipeline protests or groups that oppose the use of fossil fuels.
The closely watched trial against Greenpeace in Mandan, North Dakota, showcased the difficulty in seating a jury in oil country, where many make their living in the industry. Greenpeace again on Wednesday sought to move the trial to another venue in the state.
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02/27/2025 - 10:00
Snap helps more than 42 million people, and is considered the country’s most effective tool to fight hunger
During a recent grocery store visit, Audrey Gwenyth spent $159.01 on items such as eggs, Greek yogurt, edamame snaps, bagels, chia seeds, brownie mix, oatmeal, milk, cilantro rice and pork sausage. The entire bill was paid via her electronic benefit transfer, or EBT, card, which is how recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap), pay for groceries at participating stores, farmers markets and restaurants.
“Because I’m a single mom and I don’t receive child support, I don’t have a lot of help in the world,” said Gwenyth, a mother of two toddlers, whose food budget is around $100 per week. She shares many of her EBT purchases on social media to help others make the most of their benefits. “I could not pay for food if it wasn’t for EBT. It’s been a lifesaver.”
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02/27/2025 - 09:00
Seeds of 177 species from across Africa to be stored in Norway to preserve crop diversity in case of disaster
More than 100,000 seeds from across Africa have been deposited in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, the world’s repository for specimens intended to preserve crop diversity in the event of disaster.
Among the latest additions are seeds critical to building climate resilience, such as the tree Faidherbia albida, which turns nitrogen into ammonia and nitrates, and Cordia africana, the Sudan teak, a tree renowned for its strength and durability.
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02/27/2025 - 05:10
Transport secretary backs £2.2bn airport plan but final decision delayed to October
What are the next steps for expansion at London Gatwick and Heathrow?
Business live – latest updates
Gatwick has been given a qualified green light to operate a second runway after the government “set out a path to expansion” for London’s second biggest airport.
The deadline for the government to make a final decision has been extended to late October, but the transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, has issued a “minded to approve” letter to Gatwick for the £2.2bn expansion scheme. The project could allow more than 100,000 extra flights a year at the West Sussex airport.
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02/27/2025 - 00:00
Bumblebees declined by almost a quarter compared with the 2010-2023 average, according to conservation charity
Figures show 2024 was the worst year for bumblebees in the UK since records began.
Bumblebee numbers declined by almost a quarter compared with the 2010-2023 average, according to data from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. The researchers said the drop was probably due to the cold and wet conditions in the UK last spring.
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02/26/2025 - 19:01
University announces new BA, after survey found most 14- to 18-year-olds want more rigorous climate change education
The University of Sussex will introduce what it says is the UK’s first undergraduate degree focused on climate justice.
The BA course, called “climate justice, sustainability and development”, will begin in 2026. The university says it will equip students with a blend of expertise in climate politics, activism and environmental human rights.
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02/26/2025 - 11:00
Climate scientists caution, however, that even weakened currents would cause profound harm to humanity
Vital Atlantic Ocean currents are unlikely to completely collapse this century, according to a study, but scientists say a severe weakening remains probable and would still have disastrous impacts on billions of people.
The Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (Amoc) is a system of currents that plays a crucial role in the global climate. The climate crisis is weakening the complex system, but determining if and when it will collapse is difficult.
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02/26/2025 - 10:29
It’s chaos as small jobs become big jobs, tools disappear and distractions lead to furious frustration. Then you spot spring’s first flower ...
There’s no such thing as gardener’s block, I once read. This from, I believe, a famous writer who was making the point that if you’ve got writer’s block, you should just go and do something else for a bit. Point taken. There is no such thing as gardener’s block because if you get stuck doing one job, even in the smallest garden, there are roughly 10m other jobs you can be cracking on with. Which is quite right. And this is what makes gardening either the worst thing for you if – like me – you have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or possibly the best.
I stride into the garden full of purpose and ambition, with a smile on my face. Invariably, several hours later, I stagger out of there, aching all over, scratched, bloodied, filthy and demoralised, having dug, scraped, cursed and carried myself to physical and mental exhaustion. The clarity of purpose I have at the outset vanishes very quickly, along with my secateurs. In its place, as things that need doing proliferate around me like Japanese knotweed, there comes a confusion of purpose. Lots gets done a little bit, but nothing gets done properly. Nothing is finished. And it all looks a right bloody mess.
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