Image copyright IUCN Climate change and nutrient pollution are driving the oxygen from our oceans, and threatening many species of fish. That’s the conclusion of the biggest study of its kind, undertaken by conservation group IUCN. While nutrient run-off has been known for decades, researchers say that climate change is making the lack of oxygen […]
Technology
General election 2019: Labour ‘beats other parties on climate change’
Image copyright Reuters Labour has the strongest policies to protect nature and combat climate change, a Friends of the Earth (FoE) survey suggests. Its election pledges narrowly beat the Green Party and the Liberal Democrats – with the Conservatives far behind. One key climate policy area is aviation, and Labour has now announced plans for […]
Biodiversity: The best plants for attracting insects to gardens
Image copyright RHS/Paul DeboisImage caption A harvestman scurries across seedheads in research beds at Wisley Garden You can do your bit for insects by growing lots of foliage in your garden, a study has found. Ground-dwelling insects, such as beetles, generally benefit from dense vegetation, including evergreens. Spiders, however, prefer a bit of bare earth […]
How to have a more sustainable Christmas
Image caption Alastair and Diane Lucking: Some people rent the same tree each year, says Alastair There’s nothing like 15,000 Christmas trees to get you into the holiday mood, as for many of us, picking out a festive fir signals the start of the holiday season. Unsurprisingly it’s the busiest time of the year for […]
Bloodhound diary: Getting the job done at over 600mph
Image copyright BLOODHOUND LSR/Charlie Sperring A British team is developing a car that will be capable of reaching 1,000mph (1,610km/h). Powered by a rocket bolted to a Eurofighter-Typhoon jet engine, the vehicle aims to show its potential by going progressively faster, year after year. Recent high-speed trials saw Bloodhound hit 628mph (1,010km/h). The next step […]
Sydney Zoo: Does the world still need big zoos?
Image copyright Getty ImagesImage caption There is continuing debate about animal welfare in zoos Sydney’s first new major zoo in more than 100 years will open on Saturday. With such debate about animal welfare these days, can zoos still be a force for good? Gary Nunn reports from Sydney. Zoos have evolved significantly since they […]
US meteorite adds to origins mystery
By Nola Taylor Redd Science writer Image copyright SPLImage caption Artwork: Scientists are trying to work out the likely paths meteorites took as they fell toward Earth In January 2018, a falling meteorite created a bright fireball that arced over the outskirts of Detroit, Michigan, followed by loud sonic booms. The visitor not only dropped […]
Hungry North Pole explorers Horn and Ousland near end of epic trek
Image copyright AFPImage caption The Norwegian research ship Lance is about two days’ trek from the explorers Two explorers are short of food and battling strong winds after trekking hundreds of miles at the North Pole, but they hope to reach safety soon. South African Mike Horn and Norwegian Boerge Ousland have covered about 1,800km […]
Genetics can play key role in saving trees
Image copyright V. SorkImage caption The study found that many trees were already struggling to cope with today’s temperatures Tree conservation strategies based on genetic data are best suited for landscapes affected by a rapidly changing climate, a study suggests. Researchers found using genetic markers of climate resilient traits are more effective than traditional seed-selection […]
Plastic pollution has killed half a million hermit crabs, study says
Image copyright The Trustees of the Natural History MuseumImage caption Researchers said they found 526 hermit crabs had been trapped inside one container An estimated 570,000 hermit crabs have been killed after being trapped in plastic debris, a new study has said. The researchers said piles of plastic on beaches create physical barriers and “deadly […]
Mars rover aims to grab a piece of history
Image caption Adam Camilletti hopes to win a contract from Esa next year to take the design to the next level British engineers have begun testing technologies that will be needed to bring samples of Martian rock to Earth. The Airbus team is training a prototype rover to recognise and pick up small cylinders off […]
Distant star’s vision of our Sun’s future ‘death’
Image copyright ESO / M KornmesserImage caption Artwork: The giant planet is losing its atmosphere to the white dwarf A newly discovered planet offers new insights into the Solar System after the Sun reaches the end of its life in 5-6 billion years. Astronomers observed a giant planet orbiting a white dwarf, the small, dense […]