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Exclusive: London has highest level yet recorded but health impacts of breathing particles are unknown

Microplastic pollution is raining down on city dwellers, with research revealing that London has the highest levels yet recorded.

The health impacts of breathing or consuming the tiny plastic particles are unknown, and experts say urgent research is needed to assess the risks.

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In the Danube delta, removing dams and bringing back native species have restored ecosystems

A battered old military truck and rusting Belarusian tractor are perched on the edge of degraded wetland in the heart of the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve. They have been hastily deployed in a desperate attempt to save an excavator from being swallowed by the squelching earth beside the obsolete Soviet dam it is trying to demolish.

In the 1970s, 11 earth dams were built on the Sarata and Kogilnik rivers as a crude alternative to footbridges to access the area’s aquifers.

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A mission to launch thousands of satellites is about to begin, but scientists say this could affect astronomy.

Drop comes as usage in Europe and the US declines and China tightens use of imported coal

Australian coal exporters have experienced the biggest annual drop in thermal coal prices in more than a decade during 2019, raising doubts about industry projections that demand will continue to grow.

The spot price of thermal coal, which is burned to generate electricity, was US$66.20 ($95) last week, down more than a third from US$100.73 ($145) a year earlier.

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The National Trust says it's been a good year for migrant butterflies but not for water voles.

Scientists in the Seychelles have started the world's first large scale coral reef restoration project.

Environment secretary seeks another review, as flood victims promised further £1m

Ministers have ordered yet another review into why some flood-hit homes cannot get insurance and promised another £1m to help those affected after around 100 homes were hit over Christmas.

Theresa Villiers, the environment secretary, said she was commissioning an inquiry into why some flooded communities were unable to get sufficient insurance, despite an agreement between insurers and the government in 2015 that was supposed to mean everyone would have access to affordable cover.

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National Trust reports influx of species in 2019 but says climate is putting native wildlife at risk

Volatile weather led to an influx of exciting migrant species in 2019 but is putting pressure on some homegrown flora and fauna, according to an annual audit of the UK’s environment.

Many unusual birds and butterflies ended up on UK soil over the past 12 months, whisked in by high winds or attracted by unseasonably hot spells, and there was good news for native grey seals, dragonflies and wildflowers, the survey from the National Trust reveals.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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