British Veterinary Association president tells MPs surge in cases putting farmers under severe pressure and stress The worst bluetongue season on record has been a major animal welfare crisis in Great Britain, MPs have been told, putting farmers under “severe emotional stress”. Bluetongue, a viral disease that affects sheep, cattle and goats, can cause fever, lesions, stillbirths and death. The…
Exclusive: Garden Climate Assessment Tool will allow users to predict a plant’s response to the projected climate in a given location “In the 20th century, we could pretty much grow the same things with confidence, we could learn from previous generations,” said Prof Sam Brockington, a curator at Cambridge University Botanic Garden. “But now we’re moving into climate scenarios that we just don’t…
Cop30 host sets out steps to break link with coal, oil and gas as it aims to move focus from negotiating to implementing All countries can start to break their dependence on fossil fuels now without needing to wait for new technologies or economic changes, Brazil’s government has said ahead of a global climate summit. Brazil, the host of last year’s UN climate conference, set out the world’s…
There is a popular metaphor that says frogs will boil to death if their environment warms so slowly they don’t notice. Scientifically, it is considered a myth, but columnist James Woodford finds evidence to the contrary in his own backyard
A watchdog has criticised the lack of progress made by organisations in tackling climate change.
The government is launching the first study to measure PFAS in the UK population to understand the risks.
It says over-foraging, particularly in protected areas, damages habitats and wildlife.
Researchers have detected signals from the smallest distances ever probed.
Guardian and Mongabay reveal approaches to officials and MPs on behalf of Vantara zoo ahead of UK-chaired Cites meeting on endangered animal imports British government ministers were told not to engage formally with Vantara, the controversial mega-zoo run by the Indian billionaire Anant Ambani, after lobbying efforts by the private animal sanctuary in the run-up to a UK-chaired meeting on the…
Greenpeace drops nine large rocks to create a barrier to bottom-trawling fishing vessels.
Geoff and Delwyn Ballantyne went out for an evening coffee last week. When they returned they found Hex admiring himself in the mirror Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A peacock that seemingly fell hopelessly in love with himself in a bathroom mirror after breaking into a Brisbane house remains on the run after being evicted. Geoff and Delwyn Ballantyne left their…
When the water in Flint, Michigan, became contaminated with dangerous levels of lead, Dr Siddhartha Roy, then a third year PhD student, was part of the team of scientists who publicly contradicted state and federal claims that it was safe. He became a local hero until a new piece of research challenged the idea that children in Flint had been left permanently brain damaged by the crisis. His…
The men and women who rummage through commercial bins to take clothes and other items.
Analysis of the hair and fingernails of eight mummified Inca children reveals that they were given cocaine and alcohol prior to being sacrificed high on Andean mountain peaks
Calls are being made for the defence of the Shetland Isles to be strengthened after increased sightings of Russian trawlers off the coast of Scotland.
Chemical tests on Aratasaurus bone identify presence of heme, the organic compound that allows haemoglobin in blood to carry oxygen around body It could be the opening of a Jurassic Park rip-off: scientists examining ancient dinosaur bones find what appear to be fossilised red blood cells, and traces of the molecule that gives the beast’s blood its distinctive crimson hue. But that is what…
Stimulating a part of the brain linked to mental effort boosts performance in demanding tasks, but also leads to greater mental fatigue afterwards
A bit of leg bone from an Aratasaurus dinosaur fossil collected in Brazil has preserved abundant 3D red blood cells in stunning detail
Patroclo and Achille’s interspecies affair sheds new light on social and sexual relations between animals, scientists say In ancient myth, Achilles and Patroclus were two Greek heroes of the Trojan war whose intense bond was believed by some to have turned into a sexual relationship. In modern science, they are a bull, Achille, and a donkey, Patroclo, whose tender interspecies affair has helped…
Humans never evolved to read and write, and around 10 per cent of us are dyslexic. Now, we are uncovering the pathways underlying the condition, opening up new ways to support people who struggle to read
The chemical-free decoys are used while clearing riverside vegetation.
Devon nature reserve says ‘reckless’ theft of narrow-headed ant colony sets back years of conservation work A nest containing up to 5,000 of England’s rarest ant species has been stolen from a nature reserve, a conservation charity has said. Devon Wildlife Trust (DWT) said a nest of narrow-headed ants had been dug up and taken from Chudleigh Knighton Heath nature reserve in south Devon, which is…
I thought the explanation I’d given about black holes was family-friendly; but after what she had said, I had to rethink my examples Read more in the a job that changed me series In the first year of my science degree, I was fortunate to land a job as an astronomy guide at the Sydney Observatory. In my role, I would lead tour groups of about 20 people. We’d look at stars and planets through…
Action taken to prevent bottom trawling in the marine protected area and conserve porpoise populations Greenpeace activists have dropped boulders in the North Sea to snag the dragnets of industrial trawlers fishing in a marine protected area. Activists onboard the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise dropped the giant stones to form an underwater barrier around the Southern North Sea marine protected…
Despite coming after a year of dangerous weather and signs that global warming is accelerating, COP31 is unlikely to deliver dramatic progress on climate action