Around The Web

Elm leaf-eating pest has gradually travelled across Europe from Japan, leaving mark reminiscent of that by Zorro’s sword

A pest which leaves a signature trail of destruction on elm leaves reminiscent of the mark of the fictional sword-wielding hero Zorro appears to have arrived in the UK, experts have warned.

The zigzag elm sawfly, originally found in Japan, feeds only on elm leaves and has been progressing steadily through Europe.

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Tests show drug causes eels to become hyperactive and damages their muscles, possibly hindering their ability to migrate

Tiny amounts of cocaine flushed into rivers cause eels to become not only hyperactive but to suffer from muscle wastage, impaired gills and hormonal changes, a study has found.

The impact of traces of cocaine on the physiology of European eels could be hindering their epic migrations through the oceans to reproduce, according to researchers who examined the impact of the drug.

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The Support Unit is seeking a consultant to conduct desk research and consultations with 5-8 member countries and representatives of the partnership to inform an analysis of the challenges and opportunities around mainstreaming climate change.

Switzerland has announced the dates for its next two carbon allowance auctions in what could be among the market's final sales before it links with the EU ETS.

Koko is said to have been able to communicate thoughts and feelings using more than 1,000 hand signs.

AEMO says record rollout of wind and solar has eased the dependence on gas, freeing up more supplies and reducing prices.

Cli-fi has been hailed as the new sci-fi, but could this new literary genre help save the world?

Campaigners hail court verdict, which bans trapping of several species of the bird

Malta has broken EU law by allowing the hunting and trapping of several finch species, the European court has ruled.

The Mediterranean island will face potentially substantial fines unless it ends a derogation it introduced in 2014 allowing the songbirds to be captured.

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Europe’s highest court on Thursday rejected Poland’s lawsuit seeking to annul the EU’s decision to introduce the supply-curbing Market Stability Reserve (MSR) under the bloc’s carbon market.

Ontario has indicated that it will withdraw from Canada’s national climate change plan, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Wednesday, meaning the province will likely forgo hundreds of millions in federal low-carbon funding.

Swifts are one of the most recognisable birds of summer, returning to the UK to breed in early May each year. But in the last 20 years, the breeding population has halved, with a lack of nest sites and declining insects among the causes. This week marks the first UK Swift Awareness week, which aims to highlight the plight of swifts and the rescue efforts to save them

• Why we should care about the vanishing of the swifts

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Australia’s Carbon Market Institute has published a code of conduct for the nation’s carbon industry, which it hopes can help guarantee the quality of emission reductions projects and the accountability of market participants.

Research in Maasai Mara linked areas with high density of vehicles to lower numbers of cubs raised to independence

High levels of tourism can lead to a dramatic reduction in the number of cheetahs able to raise their young to independence, new research has found.

A study in Kenya’s Maasai Mara savannah found that in areas with a high density of tourist vehicles, the average number of cubs a mother cheetah raised to independence was just 0.2 cubs per litter – less than a tenth of the 2.3 cubs per litter expected in areas with low tourism.

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Scientists are celebrating the birth 70 years ago of a machine that kick-started the modern computer age.

Coalition of environmental groups put forward Charter for Parks as ‘crisis point’ declared following years of budget cuts

A coalition of countryside groups and environmentalists are calling on the government to protect the UK’s parks and green spaces which are at “crisis point” following years of swingeing budget cuts.

The group has today put forward a “Charter for Parks”which calls on ministers in England, Wales and Scotland to make it a legal requirement for all parks and green spaces to be maintained and managed to a “good standard.”

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India's energy minister flags massive solar tender of 100GW - by far the biggest in the world. Wake up Australia.

Report forecasts moderate policy intervention could see EV sales at 615,000 a year by 2030, put EVs at 90% of cars on roads by 2050.

The first turbine has now been switched on and the blades have started turning, generating the first megawatts of renewable energy at ACCIONA’s Mt Gellibrand wind farm in Victoria.

NEG's low-ball target for electricity means burden falls on other sectors, and makes no economic or engineering sense.

Sightings of toads have fallen by nearly a third and frogs by 17% since 2014, RSPB survey finds

People with gardens are being urged to create simple ponds or areas of long grass because sightings of frogs and toads in gardens are drying up.

Reports of toads in gardens have fallen by nearly a third since 2014, while sightings of frogs have dropped by 17% over the same period, according to the Big Garden Birdwatch, the RSPB’s wildlife survey.

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