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Grey plaque scheme highlights NO2 pollution in London

The Guardian - Mon, 2017-05-15 03:18

London’s Choking initiative aims to draw attention to areas where nitrogen dioxide pollution threatens public health

They take their inspiration from the well-known signs linking people from the past with the buildings they once inhabited, but the symbols now appearing across London are to highlight a different connection.

In the last week grey plaques – direct copies of the English Heritage blue plaques identifying the homes of the dead and famous – have been put up on buildings across the capital to identify streets and houses in areas where air pollution threatens public health.

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April cold weather could cause a shortage of British fruit, say farmers

The Guardian - Mon, 2017-05-15 00:19

National Farmers’ Union warns of ‘waiting game’ on apples, pears and plums after last month’s Arctic blast

Cold weather in April could lead to a shortage of British apples, pears and plums, farmers have warned.

Alison Capper, chairman of the National Farmers’ Union horticulture board, said she feared her own apple harvest, which includes varieties such as Gala, Braeburn and Red Windsor apples, could drop by 70-80% as a result of the cold snap.

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The eco guide to green lawns

The Guardian - Sun, 2017-05-14 15:00

Manicured grass comes at a heavy cost in terms of pollution from pesticides. We need better legislation, and wildflowers happily mixed with the turf

As contenders for the 12th Britain’s Best Lawn competition will know, with a great lawn comes great responsibility. Despite the fact that the winner receives a lithium-ion-battery, self-propelled lawnmower (far more eco than a petrol version), lawn-keeping typically involves a shed-load of pesticides and herbicides.

The Mormon temple in LA let its famous lawn dry out in the sun

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Peril of the deep – the killer poison that lingers unseen in British waters

The Guardian - Sun, 2017-05-14 09:05

The discovery of alarming levels of PCBs, a type of chemical banned 40 years ago, has led scientists to call for an urgent clean-up

The body of Lulu the killer whale was found on jagged rocks on the Isle of Tiree in the Inner Hebrides last year. A member of the only pod found in British waters, she died after getting entangled in fishing lines.

It was a sad discovery, especially as a postmortem revealed Lulu had never had a calf. But a recent autopsy also revealed something else that is alarming marine experts and offers a bleak, damning judgment on the state of Britain’s coastal waters. Lulu’s body had some of the highest levels of a particular type of manmade chemical ever recorded – more than 100 times above the level that scientists say will have biological consequences for a species.

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Race is on to rid UK oceans of PCBs after toxic pollutants found in killer whale

The Guardian - Sun, 2017-05-14 09:03

Scientists say more must be done to eliminate the chemicals, which have a devastating impact on marine life and can end up in the food chain

The body of Lulu the killer whale was found on jagged rocks on the Isle of Tiree in the Inner Hebrides. A member of the only pod found in British waters, she had died last year after getting entangled in fishing lines.

It was a sad discovery, especially as a post-mortem revealed Lulu had never produced a calf. But the recent autopsy also revealed something else; something that is alarming marine experts and which offers a bleak, damning judgment on the state of Britain’s coastal waters. Lulu’s body contained among the highest levels of a particular type of man-made chemicals ever recorded – more than 100 times above the level that scientists say will have biological consequences for a species.

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Can riverbank wildlife cope with another summer of drought?

The Guardian - Sun, 2017-05-14 09:03
Water levels are low after a dry winter and mammals and birds could be at risk

Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire, famous for its abbey, the Wars of the Roses battle in 1471 and the floods that ravaged the town in 2007, might seem an unlikely place to look for evidence of impending drought. But stroll along the riverbank at Abbey Mill Gate and the signs are there: the mud is cracked and dry, the reeds brown and withering, and the water is starting to form pools.

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Sweet-scented scurvy-grass is a spring tonic in every sense

The Guardian - Sat, 2017-05-13 14:30

South Uist The bitter leaves of this hardy little plant once provided a welcome dose of vitamin C after a hard winter

Scurvy-grass is usually found in coastal regions, where its high tolerance of saline conditions enables it to flourish where other plants fail to thrive. It is an early flowerer and will grow abundantly on steep cliffs, sometimes forming sizeable, rather untidy clumps of stemmed white flowers.

There is something endearing about this unassuming yet resilient plant, whose presence here is so linked to the beginning of a fresh new season. Strangely, its scent is not mentioned in most of the plant identification guides, yet springtime walks with a warm breeze lifting and carrying up with it the sweet fragrance of the profusion of flowers unseen on the rocky faces below have always been a delight.

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Viruses: ubiquitous, not always pathogenic and often beneficial

ABC Environment - Sat, 2017-05-13 12:48
They are found with all organisms, sometimes in curious and unique combinations.
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The formation of cyclones

ABC Environment - Sat, 2017-05-13 12:27
Physicist Helen Czerski describes some of the processes which lead to the formation of cyclones and the types of storms which are experienced in Scotland.
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John Church: Grim assessment of climate and CSIRO leadership

ABC Environment - Sat, 2017-05-13 12:12
John Church worked in climate research at CSIRO from 1978 until 2016. He studied how oceans transport heat, and worked on projections of sea level. He says our greenhouse emissions targets are inadequate and questions leadership at CSIRO.
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Could Dutch 'aquatecture' be a viable solution for affordable housing in Australia?

ABC Environment - Sat, 2017-05-13 10:05
Architects in the UK, US and The Netherlands are experimenting in floating, water-based buildings as a solution to increasing urbanisation. Can we expect to see this in the future of Australia's cities? And what affect might that have on our public waterways?
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Thomas Woltz and reimagining landscape

ABC Environment - Sat, 2017-05-13 09:32
Looking to the past to reinterpret modern landscape design.
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The Arnavon Islands: turtle breeding ground becomes first national park for Solomon Islands

ABC Environment - Sat, 2017-05-13 08:35
The Arnavon Islands are the largest rookery for the critically endangered hawksbill turtle in the South Pacific.
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Free water from the bar tap? Get the app | Letters

The Guardian - Sat, 2017-05-13 04:04
Guy Hodgson has a tech solution for reducing the amount of plastic drinking bottles we use

I can quite understand why people feel awkward asking for tap water without making a purchase (British embarrassment over asking for tap water in bars fuels plastic bottle waste – survey, 11 May). Fortunately, the Refill app from refill.org.uk will help direct people to all sorts of lovely businesses who have made clear their commitment to plastic waste reduction. They will refill with no obligation to buy anything. If there are any businesses who would like to join, they can do so within the app, and together we can provide a robust alternative to plastic drinking bottles.
Guy Hodgson
Bath

• Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com

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Cockney sparrows living the high life | Brief letters

The Guardian - Sat, 2017-05-13 04:04
Kelvin MacKenzie and Ross Barkley | Return of the sparrows | Management speak | Kings killed in battle | Grandparents’ names | 35mm film canisters

Kelvin MacKenzie loses his job over “racial slurs” (Report, 10 May). Are we to infer that the nasty abuse of Ross Barkley would have been fine had his grandparents all been indigenous English or European? Is there no need to care about respecting other people and their feelings, so long as no racial or sexual orientation or religious elements lurk somewhere?
Peter Cave
London

• I regularly have sparrows on the balcony of my seventh-floor Barbican flat (Patrick Barkham, Notebook, 9 May). They are from the colony which has lived in Fortune Street Park for several years. The sparrows don’t get on with the goldfinches which inhabit the estate’s wildlife garden. Alas all these birds and small mammals are prey to the resident peregrines. Who needs to live in Norfolk?
Joanna Rodgers
London

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Locals dismayed as Trump's EPA gives new life to controversial Alaska mine

The Guardian - Sat, 2017-05-13 03:03
  • Pebble Ltd Partnership allowed to seek permit to build mine near Bristol Bay
  • Environmental activists say gold and copper mine threatens local community

Further legal battles and protesters “standing in front of bulldozers” could be in store in Alaska, after the Trump administration on Friday settled a lawsuit over the proposed development of a massive gold and copper mine at the headwaters of one of the state’s main salmon fisheries.

Related: Slow-freezing Alaska soil driving surge in carbon dioxide emissions

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Lack of dust makes China's air pollution much worse

BBC - Sat, 2017-05-13 01:47
New research suggests that less dust means means more dirty air in major Chinese population centres.
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Why does Belgium shine so brightly?

BBC - Sat, 2017-05-13 01:39
Tens of thousands of people marvel over shots of brightly lit Belgium taken from space.
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Disappearing glaciers, orangutans and solar power – green news roundup

The Guardian - Sat, 2017-05-13 01:26

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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US signs treaty to protect Arctic, giving some hope for Paris agreement

The Guardian - Sat, 2017-05-13 00:48

Secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, signs a commitment to curb greenhouse gas emissions and to extend scientific cooperation in the Arctic region

Environmental campaigners were given some hope that the US may stick to its commitments under the Paris climate change treaty when Rex Tillerson, the US secretary of state, signed a commitment to protect the Arctic and extend scientific co-operation.

He was speaking at the end of a meeting of the eight-nation Arctic Council in Alaska, a consultative body dedicated to sustaining the Arctic.

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