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A bloom of bioluminescent phytoplankton has dazzled San Diego residents as the abundance of the algae along the coats lights up the water.

The bloom was cause by a red tide, resulting in a higher level than normal of the plankton in the water. When the small organisms are disturbed, they let off light, making them more visible. 

Red tides can be dangerous as the explosion of algae can release an excess of toxins into the air and water, but most are dispersed by currents and wind before they can become too dangerous 

• 'Incredible' bioluminescence gives California surf an eerie blue glow

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Sturt National Park prepares for an animal release; making the switch from cows to chooks; a disability support group embarks on a mushroom-led recovery; and raw honey straight from the hives.

An unusual algal bloom, known as a red tide, has drawn many to the beach in the hopes of witnessing the stunning spectacle

A dense bloom of bioluminescent algae off the coast of southern California has lit up the Pacific Ocean with an eerie and fantastical neon blue glow, sending photographers and spectators to the beach at night in hopes of witnessing the natural phenomenon.

The algal bloom, also known as a red tide, was observed this week lighting up the waves along a 15-mile stretch of coastline.

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EU carbon prices hit a new seven-year high near €15 on Friday, extending this week's strong gains in thinner holiday trade despite next week’s return to normal auction levels.

Fossil fuel-based projects in developing and eastern European countries have been the largest individual beneficiaries from selling offsets to emitters in the EU ETS since 2014, while more than 75% of the credits came from just two countries.

Average credit prices in California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) in April marched back towards record highs set earlier this year, while data from the Oregon Clean Fuels Program (OCFP) revealed a credit surplus for the state’s clean fuel standard in 2017.

In 62 separate meetings, 13 teams of athletes and advocates made their ask of politicians: protect public lands by supporting funding

Alex Honnold was stuck in traffic.

The world’s most renowned rock climber was due on Capitol Hill for a US Senate reception with other top climbers from around the country, who had descended en masse on Washington to lobby for greater protections for public lands.

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We now use 14,000 of the handy cloths every second - but they are increasingly clogging rivers and putting wildlife at risk. So how can we wean ourselves off them?

On the eighth-floor isolation ward of London’s University College Hospital, nurses have two lines of defence against the spread of life-threatening diseases. First are the airtight double lobbies in every room. Second – and, arguably, more importantly – are the disinfectant wipes they rely on to prevent the spread of germs and viruses.

For nurse consultant Annette Jeanes, the disposable flannels are a godsend that allow her and her staff, not only to protect themselves from superbugs such as C difficile and other viruses, but also to make the most of their time, a crucial factor in the National Health Service.

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The week’s top environment news stories and green events. If you are not already receiving this roundup, sign up here to get the briefing delivered to your inbox

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A nesting stork, a rescued bobcat, and flamingos at sunset are among this week’s pick of images from the natural world

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Below is a table of the closing prices, ranges and volumes for China's regional pilot carbon markets this week. All prices are in RMB, and volumes in tonnes of CO2e. Data sourced from local exchanges.

Nexus seeks a dynamic and driven Senior Investment Manager for our innovative impact funds. They will be responsible for growing and managing the portfolio of investments from the fund called “The Pioneer Facility” as well as supporting our other clean energy and low-carbon investments.

The discovery supports the theory that squirrels may have spread the disease in medieval Europe.

Bromley Council has taken steps to protect a group of mature trackside trees that are likely to be targeted in the rail operator’s plans to fell all ‘leaf-fall’ species

A local authority has imposed preservation orders on trees growing on Network Rail land to stop them being felled by the operator.

Bromley Council said on Friday it had issued two tree preservation orders (TPO) on a group of mature oaks, sycamores and ash trees which grow alongside the railway – many of which are likely to be targeted if the rail operator carries out its “enhanced clearance” plan to reduce delays, as revealed in the Guardian this week.

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Report: A long-term national programme is required to unlock the UK space sector's full potential.

Switzerland has begun talks with several developing nations to test pilot GHG-cutting initiatives, aiming to secure carbon credits that could be eventually used to help meet its Paris Agreement goal.

Nuclear regulator prosecutes waste firm after injury leaves employee open to exposure

Britain’s biggest nuclear waste storage and reprocessing site is facing a potential multimillion-pound fine after an employee was exposed to dangerously high levels of radiation.

The nuclear regulator said its investigation had led it to prosecute Cumbria-based Sellafield Ltd, which handles the waste from the UK’s nuclear power stations as well as spent fuel from Japan and the US.

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Once a bastion of EU carbon trading fraud, France has found almost a fifth of its burgeoning 'white' energy efficiency certificate market to be "problematic" since it relaxed auditing rules, delivering another stark warning over the potential pitfalls of market-based environmental policies.

Over 60,000 forest carbon credits issued by the Guangdong provincial government sold at a 10% premium to allowances in China’s biggest emissions market, the local exchange said.

In my job, I have been stung countless times. But nothing comes close to the pain bullet ants inflict

I carried out my first experiment with a stinging insect when I was seven, picking a honey bee off a dandelion and placing it on the arm of my teacher. My hypothesis was that it might sting her, and it turned out to be correct, much to her dismay.

Where I grew up, in the Appalachian area of the north-east US, we had lots of honey bees and wasps of various sorts. As a kid, I was stung by virtually all of them. I realised that they registered the same sort of pain – the intensity may vary from one to the next, but they were fairly similar. But an accidental run-in with a colony of harvester ants led to a life-changing revelation: they didn’t feel at all as I expected they would. They really hurt.

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