Around The Web

Some predators thrive after fires, other wilt – and one bird even starts them on purpose. Euan Ritchie, Associate Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University Ayesha Tulloch, DECRA Research Fellow, University of Sydney Dale Nimmo, Associate professor/ARC DECRA fellow, Charles Sturt University Tim Doherty, Alfred Deakin Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Deakin University William Geary, Deakin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Needing no soil or sun, an underground farm in Liverpool challenges traditional methods

Beautifully arranged rows of bok choi, parsley, tarragon and basil alongside dozens of variety of lettuce grow together in harmony under the pink glow of an LED light in a former sugar factory.

Water infused with nutrients trickles on to the green towers, keeping the rosettes hydrated and fed. This is a technically advanced indoor vertical farm buried deep in a basement at a former Tate & Lyle warehouse and now the Liverpool Life Sciences UTC.

Continue reading...

Event may need to be played at night or in shoulder season as climate crisis exposes players and fans to unprecedented levels of extreme heat

The Melbourne Boxing Day Test may have to be played at night or moved away from Christmas to November or March as the number of extreme heat days rises over coming decades, a new report says.

The analysis by the Monash Climate Change Communication Research Hub says the climate crisis is already disrupting Australian cricket, citing the cancellation of club matches on hot days and the abandonment of a Big Bash game in Canberra after bushfire smoke reduced air quality and visibility.

Continue reading...

With stocks rebounding, regulators have reopened a groundfish habitat off the west coast – with environmentalists’ support

A rare environmental success story is unfolding in waters off the US west coast.

After years of fear and uncertainty, bottom trawler fishermen – those who use nets to catch rockfish, bocaccio, sole, Pacific Ocean perch and other deep-dwelling fish – are making a comeback here, reinventing themselves as a sustainable industry less than two decades after authorities closed huge stretches of the Pacific Ocean because of the species’ depletion.

Continue reading...

Crowds have gathered to watch the 'once in a lifetime' eclipse in a number of countries.

New poll shows climate and environment the top priority for 14% of voters, raising prospect of large turnout for green issues

A growing share of voters list climate and the environment as their top priority, according to a new poll from the Environmental Voter Project.

Of the registered voters surveyed, 14% named “addressing climate change and protecting the environment” their No 1 priority over all other issues, compared with 2% to 6% before the 2016 presidential election.

Continue reading...

We look back at some of the major stories of the year in science and the environment.

Magpies have such good hearing, they can hear the very faint sound of grass roots being chewed. Gisela Kaplan, Emeritus Professor in Animal Behaviour, University of New England Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The creatures have thrived for 450 million years and possess some remarkable characteristics

The common starfish, Asterias rubens, is inedible, useless as bait and has zero commercial value. Such is the damning verdict of shoreline anglers on a species that has been thriving for 450 million years. After winter storms they are often seen stranded on beaches but otherwise in summer are found by delighted children in rock pools around British coasts. Also known as sea stars because of their five arms, specimens are usually orange or brown and grow to 10 to 30cm (11.8 inches) across, although sometimes larger depending on the food supply.

They are strange creatures, spiny on top and able to move around on small bumpy tubes on their underside. They have cells that “smell” prey and detect light. Chop them up and each piece will regrow into new starfish provided a part of the central core remains in each piece. But perhaps their most remarkable feature is the ability to turn their stomachs inside out through the mouth to absorb prey and then suck the stomach back into the body.

Continue reading...

Kate Barker on a blueprint to boost flood resilience across the country, Roger Abbott on a simple fact about rivers that seems to be consistently ignored and Pete Dorey on residents’ suffering

The call by leaders from the north and Midlands for an overhaul of how flood defence activity is funded and organised (Report, 23 December) will strike a chord with many across the country. Currently, 1m homes in the UK have a higher than 1% chance of flooding in any given year, and recent months have shown the devastating impact of flooding on households and businesses.

Looking beyond what the effective emergency response is, we must do more to plan how to adapt to climate change and not continue with the current cycle of reactive funding that typically follows floods.

Continue reading...

Mini, Vauxhall Corsa and Fiat 5oo will join rapidly expanding European EV market

Europe’s carmakers are gearing up to make 2020 the year of the electric car, according to automotive analysts, with a wave of new models launching as the world’s biggest manufacturers scramble to lower the carbon dioxide emissions of their products.

Previous electric models have mostly been targeted at niche markets, but 2020 will see the launch of flagship electric models with familiar names, such as the Mini, the Vauxhall Corsa and the Fiat 500.

Continue reading...

Hundreds of people affected by severe flooding four years ago have sought mental health support.

More than a million birds are trapped every year in the British Isles by volunteers.

Nasa wants to send humans to Mars one day, but do we have the engines to get us there?

People tend to pay attention when things get personal, so you need to know how climate change is damaging things in your life. Rod Lamberts, Deputy Director, Australian National Centre for Public Awareness of Science, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

California regulator ARB doled out some 855,700 offsets last week on a flurry of credits from ozone-depleting substance (ODS) projects, with the total number of California Carbon Offsets (CCOs) issued in 2019 having fallen by more than half compared to the previous year, according to state data published Tuesday.

Even if you avoid industrial farm produce it’s likely that your veggies will have been grown with the help of manure and other animal products

Will Bonsall is a homesteader and 45-year vegan living in rural Maine with a message for Americans – your vegetables are “very un-vegan”.

Related: A birthday candle in a banana: why fruit is by far the most offensive vegan dessert

Continue reading...

A barge carrying 2,000 litres of diesel has sunk at a dock on San Cristóbal Island in the Galápagos archipelago. The incident occurred as workers attempted to load a container on a barge with the crane and both somehow tipped, destabilising the vessel which turned on its side. Barge workers began to jump into the water to escape the sinking vessel. A clean-up operation has begun and environmental impact is unclear

Continue reading...

The saving of fire-threatened animals from koalas to kangaroos reflects some of the small acts of heroism occurring during the fires

As Australia’s bushfire crisis continues, millions of hectares have been lost, with a tragic impact on wildlife and flora.

Among the destruction, the efforts of volunteer firefighters, residents and animal rescuers have stood out, with small acts of heroism that have saved many animal lives. A few have become emblematic images of this year’s terrible fire season.

Continue reading...

A study attempts to assess the devastation caused by the invasive emerald ash borer in US forests.