Changing weather patterns are affecting planting and pose a threat to a variety of species, says head of development
Rising temperatures in the spring and unpredictable autumns are making the huge task of restoring the UK’s lost meadows even more challenging, the National Wildflower Centre (NWC) has warned.
The centre, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary next month, champions projects aimed at reviving wildflower-rich meadows, 97% of which have been lost in the past 80 years.
Continue reading...
Breaking Waves: Ocean News
08/21/2025 - 06:27
08/21/2025 - 04:34
Suspension of soy moratorium could open up area of rainforest the size of Portugal to destruction
One of the key agreements for Amazon rainforest protection – the soy moratorium – has been suspended by Brazilian authorities, potentially opening up an area the size of Portugal to destruction by farmers.
Coming less than three months before Brazil hosts the Cop30 climate summit in Belém, the news has shocked conservation groups, who say it is now more important than ever that consumers, supermarkets and traders stand up against Brazilian agribusiness groups that are using their growing political power to reverse past environmental gains.
Continue reading...
08/21/2025 - 01:01
In Glass Mountain, Michael Lundgren captures remote American landscapes with a haunting stillness, revealing the hidden rhythms and enthralling mystery of the natural world
Continue reading...
08/21/2025 - 00:32
Industrial forests, packed with evenly spaced trees, face nearly 50% higher odds of megafires than public lands. A lidar-powered study of California’s Sierra Nevada reveals how dense plantations feed fire severity, but also shows that proactive thinning could prevent forests from collapsing into shrubland ecosystems.
08/21/2025 - 00:00
Exclusive: Campaigners complain no environmental assessment made for 90MW Buckinghamshire facility
The deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, has been hit with a legal challenge after she overruled a local council to approve a hyperscale datacentre on green belt land by the M25 in Buckinghamshire.
Campaigners bringing the action are complaining that no environmental impact assessment was made for the 90MW datacentre, which was approved as part of the Labour government’s push to turn the UK into an AI powerhouse by trebling computing capacity to meet rising demand amid what it terms “a global race” as AI usage takes off.
Continue reading...
08/21/2025 - 00:00
The demilitarised zone between North and South Korea has become an ecological oasis with nearly 6,000 species documented, including rare cranes, deer and bears
Standing on top of a small mountain, Kim Seung-ho gazes out over an expanse of paddy fields glowing in their autumn gold, the ripening grains swaying gently in the wind. In the distance, North Korea stretches beyond the horizon.
“It’s so peaceful,” says the director of the DMZ Ecology Research Institute. “Over there, it used to be an artillery range, but since they stopped firing, the nature has become so beautiful.”
Continue reading...
08/20/2025 - 23:34
Planting more trees can help cool the planet and reduce fire risk—but where they are planted matters. According to UC Riverside researchers, tropical regions provide the most powerful climate benefits because trees there grow year-round, absorb more carbon dioxide, and cool the air through processes like evapotranspiration, or “tree sweating.”
08/20/2025 - 21:00
Helen Pidd grew up in Morecambe, and life in seaside towns has only got harder since she was a teenager. She went back to find out why
As a teenager, the Today in Focus presenter Helen Pidd could not wait to leave her home town on the Lancashire coast. But today she looks back with fondness at her time spent at the fairground or misbehaving on the beachfront, and watching bands at the local music venue.
She returned this summer to find out what life was like for young people today – and found things were not as she remembered. All of her old haunts had shut down and young people spoke about a town in which they had nothing to do.
Continue reading...
08/20/2025 - 14:12
Temperatures are expected to spike with a trio of heat, thunderstorms and fire risks compounding dangers
Californians are bracing for the first major heatwave of the year, a multiday scorcher that could bring triple-digit temperatures, pose significant threats to public health and sharply heighten wildfire risks.
After a notably cooler summer, temperatures are expected to spike across the American south-west starting on Wednesday and extending through the weekend, as severe conditions expand north along the coast into British Columbia by the end of the week.
Continue reading...
08/20/2025 - 10:18
North Carolina anticipates the most brutal surf conditions after storm reportedly rebuilds inner eye wall
Hurricane Erin’s arrival is being felt all along the east coast, where higher tides and powerful surf have triggered expanded warnings for flooding and tropical storm conditions.
Coastal residents are bracing for the possibility of a dangerous storm surge reaching up to 4ft (1.2 metres), along with severe beach erosion. The hurricane is expected to generate “life-threatening” waves ranging from 15 to 20ft, with North Carolina beaches anticipating the most brutal waves.
Continue reading...
