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Lucy Myers, проспект Степана Бандери, 11A, Kyiv (2024)

10/04/2024

Morocco drought: Satellite images show vital Al Massira reservoir is shrinking

Morocco's second-largest reservoir that serves some of its major cities and has been central to farm irrigation is drying up, according to satellite images analysed by the BBC.

Al Massira Dam, which sits around halfway between Casablanca and Marrakesh, contains just 3% of the average amount of water that was there nine years ago, figures show.

Six consecutive years of drought and climate change, which causes record temperatures that lead to more evaporation, have threatened water supplies across the North African nation and hit agriculture and the economy in general.

The satellite images that the BBC looked at were taken in the same month, March, over successive years from 2018 to 2024.

They show a stark transformation in the landscape, with areas that are normally green becoming parched and beige.

The images also "clearly depict a rapid change in the reservoir's surface area", Prof Brian Thomas, a hydrogeologist who has analysed satellite images for Nasa, said.

The appearance of the water had also changed, he added, indicating shifts in land use and the flow of the river feeding the reservoir.

But the impact of the drought is not confined to the area around Al Massira - it stretches across the country.

Agriculture accounts for just under 90% of water consumption in Morocco, according to World Bank data from 2020, and farmers have been suffering.

Abdelmajid El Wardi cultivates cotton and wheat, as well as rearing sheep and goats, on his land to the east of Ain Aouda, near the capital, Rabat.

But he has reaped little in recent years.

"The most difficult drought we have experienced in history is this year," Mr Wardi said.

"For me, the current agricultural year is lost."

His ewes had stillbirths because of the lack of water and food available to sheep during the drought.

Even the nearby wells fed by groundwater had little left in them, he said.

A short drive to a nearby valley and the broader issue becomes visible as a river clearly affected by the drought comes into view.

Mr Wardi said he thought that around just 30% of another reservoir sitting behind the Sidi Mohammed bin Abdullah dam - located further upstream - remained.

The farmer has been forced to sell sheep and turn to agricultural loans in an effort to support himself and his family. He said the state had provided some help but it was not enough.

27/03/2024

Nature recovery: Dorset landowners and farmers join talks

Landowners, farmers and organisations have been meeting to discuss how to protect and restore nature in Dorset.

In June last year, Dorset Council was tasked with leading a government-funded nature recovery strategy.

About 50 similar projects have been set up across England to support the government's target of protecting 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030.

Project leaders said there had already been "huge strides" in restoring nature but more work was needed.

Dorset boasts some of the country's most important wildlife habitats, including Poole Harbour and large areas of heathland, which support rare and threatened species.

Dorset Council is working alongside Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council and Natural England, and hundreds of people have attended events to learn about the scheme and contribute ideas.

Martin Whitchurch, BCP Council's greenspace and conservation strategic lead, said: "We've been hearing from people and projects that are already making huge strides in protecting and restoring nature in our county.

"Dorset's Local Nature Recovery Strategy will help join this work up, showing where efforts are succeeding and where more work is still needed."

Existing projects include rewilding at Wild Woodbury by Dorset Wildlife Trust which has led to the return of seven red-list bird species.

Dorset Peat Partnership is also restoring 16 peatlands to help species such as bog hoverflies, raft spiders, skylarks and nightjars.

Bridget Betts, Dorset Council's environment policy manager, said the events were an "exciting opportunity" for communities to set "shared priorities" for nature.

14/03/2024

Endangered eel spotted swimming in Dorset puddle by postman

An endangered eel that was spotted swimming in a puddle in a road is thought to have been stranded by a flood, according to a nature group.

The creature, believed to be a European eel, was caught on camera by a postman on Ringwood Road in Verwood, Dorset, on 23 February.

Richard Holgate snapped the photos while on his post round.

Dorset Wildlife Trust said the animal was usually found in freshwater, like rivers and ditches.

Upon noticing the creature slithering in the puddle, a fisherman who happened to be nearby helped Mr Holgate catch it in a Royal Mail tray.

He said it was then released into a lake near the road.

Dorset Wildlife Trust identified the species as a European eel, which has been classed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species.

"[They are] capable of wriggling through wet grass to reach other areas of water, so presumably it has been stranded by a flood situation from the lakes and recent weather at Moors Valley," the charity said.

22/02/2024

Farming: Backlash fear for supporting Wales' payment changes

Farmers who back overhauling subsidies to help the environment say they feel too "intimidated" to speak out because they fear a backlash from colleagues.

Plans for a greener funding scheme, branded "unworkable" by farming unions, have sparked protests across Wales.

Carmarthenshire farmer Hywel Morgan said he had even been accused of working for the Welsh government.

But the Nature Friendly Farming Network said sticking to "business as usual" would not help the industry succeed.

The Welsh government has urged people to respond to the consultation on its Sustainable Farming Scheme, which is set to be introduced from next year.

The scheme replaces EU-era subsidies which paid farmers mainly based on how much land they have.

In future, farms will have to commit to a checklist designed to reward sustainable farming practices, including - most controversially - having trees on 10% of their land.

Farmer uses sheep milk to make vodka
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Mr Morgan, a sheep and cattle farmer from Myddfai who is chairman of the 500-member group, said those who supported change "feel like they can't shout out and say I'm happy because there's so much anger and backlash".

He added: "We have to be careful we don't upset the public - we want their support, we want the public's taxes to fund our farms.

"Nobody really likes change but we have to adapt if we want public money."

Mr Morgan said he had been preparing his farm for the changes for years, and urged farmers to "look at trees as a benefit to your farming business".

He feels his woodland is a "priceless" asset as it provides shelter for his livestock, a source of timber and a wildlife habitat.

Many of the scheme's requirements were about deterring non-farming landowners from claiming a payment, he suggested, so funding went to actual farmers.

At a recent meeting to discuss the proposals he said a farmer stood up, pointed at him and asked if he worked for Welsh government.

While he said there are aspects of the scheme he is not 100% happy with, he urged farmers to "come up with solutions rather than just say no" and expressed concern about calls for the consultation to be paused.

"We've been talking about this since 2016 - we're in a climate and nature emergency and pausing now only makes it worse."

09/02/2024

Photographer spots yawning seal on riverbank

A photographer had his dreams fulfilled when he captured a seal "resting up" in a more unlikely area of Lincolnshire.

Lee Enderby spotted the seal at Baston Fen Nature Reserve on 27 January when he was on the lookout for otters.

He snapped photos of the animal resting on the riverbank between Baston Fen and Kates Bridge, while walking along the River Glen.

Mr Enderby, from Bourne, said he captured some "interesting behaviour" from the seal, including it sitting up and yawning.

Mr Enderby, who described the nature reserve as a "good birdwatching site", had visited the area several times before he saw the seal.

He said he "noticed something moving" and discovered the seal resting in water about 10ft (3m) deep.

"As I got nearer I realised that it was a common seal, which I never in my wildest dreams expected to see in a relatively narrow body of water," he added.

The seal was described by the photographer as looking "healthy and well-fed".

Despite returning to the location twice after the sighting, Mr Enderby has not caught sight of the animal again.

'Inquisitive nature'
A spokesperson for the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust said it was "not that unusual" to spot seals in rivers due to their "inquisitive nature".

They said there was "likely to be fish" for the seal to feed on in the river, which is why it may have made its way to Baston Fen Nature Reserve.

It is likely it made its own way back out to sea once the food source started to run out, the spokesperson explained.

26/01/2024

Hertfordshire County Council funds anti-wood burning campaign

A campaign highlighting the environmental damage of wood burners is reaching its conclusion on Wednesday night.

The Global Action Plan's Clean Air Night, funded by Hertfordshire County Council, will share a series of videos on the topic online.

The group said wood burning creates "more harmful CO2 emissions compared [with] other forms of heating".

St Albans City and District Council is also supporting the initiative.

"The uncomfortable truth is that lighting fires in our homes has become the largest source of small particle air pollution in the UK," said Raj Visram, the Liberal Democrat lead for climate at the council.

An estimated 1.5 million homes use wood for fuel across the UK.

Domestic combustion is believed to account for 27% of the UK's fine particulate matter emissions (PM2.5), the majority of which comes from burning wood and coal in open fires and stoves.

Tessa Bartholomew-Good, head of campaigns at the Clean Air Programmes at Global Action Plan said: "The uncomfortable truth is lighting fires in our homes is the largest source of small particle air pollution in the UK, causing serious harm to our lung, heart and brain health.

"On top of this, burning wood produces more carbon dioxide than coal or gas."

The group said wood burners were also a more expensive form of heating.

Matthew Clark, programme manager for air quality at the county council, said: "Local authorities are uniquely placed to to take action on this growing issue and protect the health of our residents.

"That's why Hertfordshire County Council is proud to be supporting the first-ever Clean Air Night campaign, and we encourage other councils and organisations to join us in starting a national conversation on the harms of wood burning."

The council, which has funded the campaign, said it was working with the environmental charity because the campaign aligned with the council's vision for a "cleaner, greener, healthier Hertfordshire".

08/01/2024

School minibus children pulled from deep flood water

A mobile mechanic has described the moment he rescued children from a school minibus who were trapped by "waist-high" flood water.

Sam Knipes, a 4x4 driver, was called to Hallsford Bridge in Ongar, Essex, on Friday morning.

He helped to pull a stranded minibus to safety which had seven pupils from The Ongar Academy on board.

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said it also rescued "dozens of people and a dog" from flooded roads

Mr Knipes said he was initially called to Ongar after being tagged by a number of "distressed" parents on Facebook.

"I went down there to find a minibus in waist-high water," he told BBC Essex.

"I put my waders on, went into the water, hooked it up to the towing eye and pulled it out."

Essex County Council told Everything Epping Forest, external that the seven pupils were "safely transported to school" in another vehicle.

Mr Knipes said he had been surviving on "five hours' kip" due to being in such high demand over the past few days.

On Friday, the fire service said it received about 100 flood-related calls, with "dozens" involving people trapped in cars.

It urged motorists who considered driving through flood water to "turn around and find another safe route".

"We know it's frustrating when your route is blocked and you just want to get to your destination," a statement on social media said.

"It will take far less time to turn around than it would waiting for us to rescue you and then for a recovery company to pull your vehicle out."

26/12/2023

How to avoid frostbitten lemurs and skidding giraffes

Zoos and other animal attractions are preparing for new year wintry weather with heat lamps, warm drinks and lots of hay.

Icy conditions are among concerns and West Midland Safari Park in Worcestershire said animals such as giraffes may have to stay indoors.

The winter also brings extra energy costs, with Telford's Exotic Zoo saying it was "more important than ever" it attracted visitors to make ends meet.

And in Dudley Zoo, sledges are on hand.

It is a precaution in case staff need to move animal feed about the site in snow.

Manager Matt Lewis said many of the attraction's indoor dens were heated, insulated and kept at a constant temperature, but food itself was a source of warmth.

For instance, orangutans, he said, enjoyed sugar-free squash made with warm water and the red pandas had a type of cake served warm.

Additional heat lamps could also be brought in if temperatures dropped, Mr Lewis said, adding it was particularly important for primates and lemurs, which could get frostbite in extreme cold.

Angela Potter, head of wildlife at West Midland Safari Park, said because its animals came from all around the world, it already had in place "well-insulated and heated housing".

Extra care had to be taken with some animals, she said, if they wanted to venture outdoors during wintry blasts, but giraffes may have to be kept inside if there was a danger of them slipping.

Ms Potter added other species such as the red panda were "naturally equipped to tolerate colder conditions" and their activity actually increased in the winter.

She said they particularly enjoyed playing in snow.

04/12/2023

Mount Marapi: Eleven hikers killed as volcano erupts in Indonesia

Eleven hikers have been found dead near the crater of Indonesia's Mount Marapi volcano after it erupted over the weekend, rescuers say.

Twelve others are missing and the search was suspended on Monday after another, smaller eruption.

There were 75 hikers in the area during the main eruption on Sunday but most were safely evacuated.

Marapi spewed a 3km (9,800ft) ash cloud into the air, dimming the sky and blanketing surrounding villages in ash.

It is among the most active of Indonesia's 127 volcanoes and is also popular among hikers. Some trails reopened only last June due to ash eruptions from January to February. Marapi's deadliest eruption occurred in 1979, when 60 people died.

Three people were rescued near the crater on Monday before the search was suspended. They were "weak and had some burns", said Abdul Malik, head of the Padang Search and Rescue Agency.

Forty-nine climbers were evacuated from the area earlier in the day, many of whom also suffered burns.

Authorities did not immediately release the identities of the hikers.

20/10/2023

Nasa's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) recently detected tantalising hints at life on a planet outside our Solar System - and it has many more worlds in its sights.

Numerous missions that are either under way or about to begin mark a new space race for the biggest scientific discovery of all time.

"We live in an infinite Universe, with infinite stars and planets. And it's been obvious to many of us that we can't be the only intelligent life out there," says Prof Catherine Heymans, Scotland's Astronomer Royal.

09/10/2023

Dr Ashley King from London's Natural History Museum (NHM) will be one of the very first scientists to get his gloves on the material. He is part of the "quick look" team that will do the initial analysis.

"Bringing back samples from an asteroid - we don't do that very often. So you want to do those first measurements, and you want to do them really well," he says. "It's incredibly exciting."

06/10/2023

He has the ability to align two pictures of a subject taken from slightly different angles to give a sense of perspective - making a 3D view of a scene. He and collaborator Claudia Manzoni did this for the shortlist of possible sample sites on Bennu. They established the safest places to approach.

"I always say you need art as well as science," Sir Brian told BBC News. "You need to feel the terrain to know if the spaceship is likely to fall over or if it will hit this 'rock of doom' that was right on the edge of the eventual chosen site, called Nightingale. If that had happened it would have been disastrous."

Lucy Myers

10/04/2024

27/03/2024

14/03/2024

22/02/2024

09/02/2024

26/01/2024

08/01/2024

26/12/2023

04/12/2023

20/10/2023

09/10/2023

06/10/2023

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