Feed aggregator

Plant Heritage is asking volunteers to grow rare pollinator-friendly plants in their homes or gardens

Keep rare plants in your living room or garden, a horticultural charity has urged people in Britain, because creating a “national collection” can save pollinator-friendly plants from becoming extinct.

Plant Heritage, which works to keep rare garden flowers growing even when they are out of fashion, has started a campaign to protect pollinator-friendly plants and is asking for volunteers to set up a collection.

Astrophytum: With large yellow flowers in late spring and summer, these North American cacti will survive in a cool glasshouse if kept dry. International plant breeders have created many highly ornamental hybrids and cultivars, too.

Campanula: Also known as bellflowers, these distinctive open, bell-shaped flowers can be blue, pink, purple or white. There are about 80 species and 232 cultivars available.

Colocasia: These dramatic foliage plants can be grown outside in a warm, sheltered spot, or in greenhouses or conservatories. There are 19 cultivars available.

Echinacea: Known for attracting bees, birds and other pollinators, these hardy, herbaceous perennials have about 200 cultivars listed on the RHS Plantfinder.

Elaeagnus: There are 45 species and cultivars available in the UK, which either flower in spring and early summer or in the autumn. Some have edible berries.

Erigeron: Related to daisies, Erigeron can be annuals, biennials or perennials. They thrive in sunny spots with some happily growing through the cracks in paving.

Gaura (Oenothera (G)): Known for attracting bees, these drought tolerant, deciduous perennials flower for a long period at the end of summer and into autumn. They are mostly in shades of pink and white.

Knautia: A magnet for bees and butterflies, this plant group can be found growing wild in meadows across the UK and is also a cottage garden favourite.

Lysimachia: From creeping, ground cover plants to stately perennials, this genus can survive in a variety of settings. The UK native species have yellow flowers, but the garden types include whites and deep maroons too.

Osmanthus: These hardy evergreen shrubs with attractive foliage are easy to grow, and thrive in either sun or shade. There are 17 cultivars and 10 species available in the UK.

Phygelius: These are low growing evergreen shrubs but are often treated as perennials. The tubular flowers are held on long stems and come in tones of pink, red and occasionally yellow, and will last from mid-summer into the autumn.

Silene: These wildflowers are also known as campion and catchfly, with many other species found in the UK, from alpines to border perennials. With shades of pink, lilac, white and red, they bloom from late spring through to early summer.

Continue reading...

June hunt in Alaska that killed 99 bears and five wolves prompts activists to renew their call for crackdown on ‘rogue states’

The US federal government has been accused of simultaneously paying to protect endangered species while funding state-organized hunts of large, endangered predators, like gray wolves and grizzly bears, that increase the likelihood of their extinction.

A coalition of more than 35 animal welfare and Indigenous groups in late 2021 formally petitioned the US Department of the Interior to develop rules to withhold money from state agencies that fund the “slaughters”. But the department has not responded to the petition, the groups allege.

Continue reading...

A major oil and natural gas explorer in Japan has teamed up with a local government to back a forest project registered under the J-Credit scheme as part of its sustainability strategy to secure forest offsets at home and abroad, it announced Thursday.

Amid recent calls for the introduction of a European carbon central bank to help regulate the EU ETS beyond 2030 as well as integrate removals into the mechanism, stakeholders have raised concerns both on the feasibility as well the necessity of introducing such a centralised regulatory body.

Beccy Speight says frustration at ‘weaker protections’ prompted criticism of Sunak, Gove and Coffey

• UK politics live – latest updates

The head of the RSPB has apologised after the wildlife charity called Rishi Sunak and other ministers “liars” in a social media post.

Beccy Speight, the chief executive of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, said she did not approve the post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that said the UK prime minister, the levelling-up secretary, Michael Gove, and the environment secretary, Thérèse Coffey, were liars.

Continue reading...

South Korea is planning to provide financial support for the private sector to embark on international emissions reduction projects, laying the foundation for the implementation of such projects to scale up the supply of international credits.

Sites cover less than 1% of planet and although protected are at risk from climate breakdown and human consumption, say experts

A fifth of known life on Earth can be found in Unesco world heritage sites, according to the first survey of the planet’s most important cultural and historical landmarks.

From the Great Barrier Reef to the Kazakh steppe, nearly three-quarters of all recorded bird species, two-thirds of all mammals and more than half of all hard corals have been recorded at world heritage sites even though they cover less than 1% of the planet, according to the new analysis produced by Unesco and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Continue reading...

Transgrid submits environmental impact statement for HumeLink as opponents promise to cause "significant delays" after underground option again dismissed.

The post HumeLink inches ahead as state inquiry rules out putting lines underground appeared first on RenewEconomy.

A state government in India announced this week it will be working with partners to establish a network of smallholders farmers that will be able to earn carbon credits for agricultural innovation.

Australia’s grid will likely get through this angry summer without falling to pieces. But our market operator is worried about the summers after that. Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Associate Director, Commodities & Carbon Sales, is responsible for working with the Executive Directors in Commodities & Carbon and executing the Sales strategy across the Commodities and Carbon business segment with a focus on Australia and New Zealand.

Most people want cleaner air and a better NHS, but partisan politics gets in the way. To bridge the gap, we need citizens’ assemblies

The surprise Conservative victory over Labour in July’s Uxbridge and South Ruislip byelection did not shift the national opinion polls. But Uxbridge was a pivotal event nevertheless. It delivered an enduring warning about the way modern politicians approach environmental change. It highlighted some of the very real political hazards facing those – in this case the London mayor, Sadiq Khan – committed to otherwise popular policies for which, it now turns out, the ground has not been adequately prepared.

In some respects, Khan was simply unlucky. Without the byelection in Boris Johnson’s former seat, Khan’s plan to extend his ultra-low emission zone to outer London might have come into force this week with relatively little fuss. Yes, there would have been some grumbles and protests but, at most, the Ulez expansion would have led the regional bulletins, not the national news.

Continue reading...

A forest rodeo, a hidden stargazer and a mason bee at work are just a few of the awe-inspiring images featured in the 59th wildlife photographer of the year competition.

The Natural History Museum in London will unveil the latest wildlife photographer of the year exhibition showcasing 100 extraordinary photographs from around the world on 13 October 2023.

This year’s competition attracted an astounding 49,957 entries from photographers of all ages and experience levels from 95 countries. Entries were judged on their creativity, originality, and technical excellence by an international panel of industry experts.

The winners of each category, and the prestigious grand title and young grand title awards, will be announced on 10 October 2023 at a ceremony hosted by wildlife television presenters and conservationists Chris Packham and Megan McCubbin

Continue reading...

Mitsubishi’s industrial arm could be producing circular carbon methanol (CCM) at commercial scale by 2030 via carbon capture and utilisation.

Global renewables giant marks milestone 3.3GW of wind, solar and battery storage installed in Australia – hopes to make it 10GW by 2030.

The post “Dedication and audacity:” Neoen sails past 3GW of solar, wind and batteries in Australia appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The cost of building a government-backed new gas plant in NSW has jumped to almost $1bn, with no word on whether green hydrogen will be in the mix when it comes online.

The post Costs jump for controversial new gas plant, with no update on green hydrogen in the mix appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The rare spectacle, not expected again until 2037, lit up the skies - here are the best views from around the world.

ARENA tips more money into RayGen's groundbreaking solar and storage technology as it eyes its first large scale projects.

The post RayGen opens world-leading solar and thermal storage project, lands more federal funds appeared first on RenewEconomy.

A photo of a stargazer fish is one of several highly commended in Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

Federal government confirms huge blowout in costs of Snowy 2.0, with $4.3bn already spent, as Snowy Hydro sets a new path forward for the beleaguered project.

The post Bowen confirms $12bn Snowy 2.0 cost blowout, says pitfalls should have been known appeared first on RenewEconomy.