News stories from 2007

Last updated: 16 January 2008.

Since newspapers are constantly rearranging their archives, some of the links on this page may now be broken. If you're interested in a particular story and you can't reach it from the link here, try copying the name of the story and pasting it into Google.

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December 2007

Mon, 31 Dec 2007: Tamar bridge goes tagging: The long-established toll system on the River Tamar will switch to electronic tagging from March.

Mon, 31 Dec 2007: Swimmers take a festive dip: Water's good for you, whatever the weather, as river, lake, and sea swimmers around the UK have discovered this festive season.

Sun, 30 Dec 2007: Muddy river race raises thousands for charity: Over 180 people have taken place in the annual Maldon Mud Race across the River Blackwater.

Sat, 29 Dec 2007: New Year's resolutions: Go green for a great 2008!: Save cash and save the planet by taking up some of Friends of the Earth's suggestions for green New Year's resolutions.

Fri, 28 Dec 2007: 15 major projects to boost the Medway: The Environment Agency is planning two million pounds of projects for Kent's major boating river, including a refurbishment of Hampstead Lock.

Fri, 28 Dec 2007: Worst year for red kite poisoning since 2001: The illegal killing of red kites in Scotland has had a devastating impact on the species, according to shocking new statistics that reveal a major rise in poisoning.

Fri, 28 Dec 2007: New Year resolutions for how to save the planet: Forget the usual New Year's resolutions to lose weight or stop smoking - make one which will really make a difference by pledging to help save the planet in 2008. "No-one can go green overnight but by taking on a couple of our New Year's resolutions you know that you will be part of a global movement to tackle climate change," said Colin Butfield, head of campaigns at WWF.

Fri, 28 Dec 2007: Lydd airport stopped by... nuclear power?: There's been an ironic twist in the campaign against the expansion of Lydd Airport on Romney Marsh Kent, which RSPB and others are opposing. British Energy has now objected, presumably because the airport plans threaten a possible new nuclear power station in the same area.

Fri, 28 Dec 2007: China tunnels through Yellow River for massive water diversion project: China began digging a tunnel on Friday beneath the Yellow River in eastern Shandong Province as part of the massive south-to-north water diversion project. The 7,870-meter tunnel would annually divert 442 million cubic meters of water from the Yangtze River to the northern banks of the Yellow River, said Zhang Jirao, director of the South-North Water Diversion Project Office of the State Council.

Thu, 27 Dec 2007: A walk is for life, not for Christmas: Natural England, the champion for the natural environment, wants those heading off on Boxing Day walks and setting New Year resolutions to be more active and make use of England's great outdoors by joining the 'Outdoor Gym' in 2008.

Thu, 27 Dec 2007: Recharge your batteries and save money: Rechargeable batteries have up to 32 times less impact on the environment than disposable batteries according to research from battery manufacturer, Uniross. "In the UK, 75 million batteries are bought each year and 95% of these are disposable-cumulatively that's an enormous amount of batteries heading straight to landfill, releasing damaging chemicals into the environment. It's wasteful and unnecessary," said Colin Butfield of WWF-UK.

Thu, 27 Dec 2007: UN launches International Year of Sanitation: BBC correspondent Jonah Fisher is posting a diary as he travels with Greenpeace in an attempt to foil a Japanese whaling operation.

Thu, 20 Dec 2007: Survey discovers salmon in lower River Aire: More evidence that salmon are beginning to return to the River Aire has been uncovered during a survey carried out by the Environment Agency. During a routine fishery survey, designed to assess the fish population at the survey point, two salmon of around three pounds were caught at Chapel Haddlesey weir, which is at the tidal limit of the Aire, near Eggborough and off the M62.

Thu, 20 Dec 2007: Be a river warden in South Yorkshire: Flood wardens are needed in South Yorkshire to join teams protecting their communities against river flooding. The Environment Agency is asking for help from people living in areas of high flood risk, who can support other residents and provide on-the-ground information about rising water levels. It follows the devastating summer floods in the county.

Tue, 18 Dec 2007: UN launches International Year of Sanitation: Next year, 2008, is International Year of Sanitation (IYS), which aims to accelerate progress towards providing adequate basic sanitation for the 2.6 billion people worldwide who lack access to this fundamental human right. Access to sanitation is vital for ensuring health, dignity and sustainable social and economic development for the world's poorest citizens.

Tue, 18 Dec 2007: EU pushes greener cars: On Wednesday December 19th, the European Commission is expected to publish its legislative proposals for reducing carbon dioxide emission from new cars. Decisions taken over the next 18 months could set standards for all new cars sold in the EU until 2020 and would thus have a impact on carbon dioxide emissions until around 2030. The decision will be a key test of the EU's commitment to tackling climate change.

Mon, 17 Dec 2007: New prize for farmers helping wildlife: The RSPB has joined forces with BBC Countryfile magazine to launch a ground-breaking UK-wide competition to highlight the work that farmers are doing for wildlife. The 'Nature of Farming Award' will reward farmers for providing the "big three" essentials farmland birds need to thrive: nesting sites, food in Winter and food in Spring and Summer.

Mon, 17 Dec 2007: Decision time for cod: WWF reveals in a new briefing paper today called Hook, Line and Sinker that declining cod stocks have been badly managed in the past in both Europe and in Canada. In both cases, decision-makers ignored scientific advice and chose to cash-in on the early signs of recovery, with the result of further deterioration of the stocks.

Mon, 17 Dec 2007: Children raise flood awareness: With 2007 drawing to a close, Environment Agency Wales is raising flood awareness across Wales with its 2008 Flood Warning calendar. The calendar features paintings of rivers during the course of a year as seen through the eyes of local children.

Mon, 17 Dec 2007: Climate change is affecting the River Usk: Climate change and the spread of invasive species are the two major issues affecting the quality of the River Usk, according to a conference hosted by the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW).

Sun, 16 Dec 2007: New River Ray tunnel lets fish swim free: A new fish pass at Swindon could improve fish movements.

Sat, 15 Dec 2007: American shrimp swimming in Manx waters: The Isle of Man is the new home for a river shrimp from North America.

Fri, 14 Dec 2007: New bridge arrives in Boscastle: Engineers are to lower Boscastle's new bridge, a key part of the flood defence scheme, into place on Tuesday December 18. The installation will depend on the completion of preliminary works in the river and weather conditions on the day.

Thu, 13 Dec 2007: Canadian wild salmon faces extinction threat: Parasites from fish farm are threatening wild salmon, a new study claims.

Thu, 13 Dec 2007: North Pole could defrost in just five years: A new model suggests Arctic summer sea ice could entirely vanish by 2013, possibly even sooner. Until now, climate scientists thought the ice might survive for much of this century.

Wed, 12 Dec 2007: Wooden fish pass is more sustainable: The Environment Agency has just built a fish pass on the River Bran from Welsh oak to reduce environmental impact.

Tue, 11 Dec 2007: Happy 10th birthday Kyoto: On the 10th anniversary of the agreement of the Kyoto Protocol, Friends of the Earth International urged industrialised countries to celebrate by announcing a commitment to agree further cuts in greenhouse gas emissions of at least 40 per cent by 2020. The environmental group also warned that attempts by some countries to remove reduction targets from the current negotiations here in Bali could pose a serious threat to the future success of the talks.

Tue, 11 Dec 2007: Penguins in peril: WWF revealed today in a new report how the Antarctic penguins are under pressure from global warming. "As the ice melts, these icons of the Antarctic will have to face an extremely tough battle to survive," said Emily Lewis-Brown, Marine and Climate Change Officer at WWF-UK.

Tue, 11 Dec 2007: Christmas is coming, the drains are getting fat: South West Water says there's 25% more fat flushed down our drains at Christmas. Why not bag it and bin it, feed it to the birds, or turn it into an attractive present for your mother-in-law instead?

Tue, 11 Dec 2007: Fisherman fined for using illegal net in exclusive yachting marina: A Dorset man was today ordered to pay GBP1,307 in fines and costs after he set an illegal gill net at the Royal Motor Yacht Club on the exclusive Sandbanks peninsula. The case was brought by the Environment Agency.

Tue, 11 Dec 2007: New flood defences proposed for River Ness: There's a new exhibition of proposed flood defences for the Ness.

Tue, 11 Dec 2007: River Wensum gets a barbel boost: The River Wensum has long been renowned for its great angling and a recent study by the Environment Agency shows that the river supports sustainable populations of both barbel and roach.

Mon, 10 Dec 2007: Britain cooks climate books: Britain has been been producing hundreds of millions more tonnes of CO2 emissions than official figures admit, according to a new report from a team of economists led by Oxford University's Dieter Helm.

Sun, 9 Dec 2007: Derby's River Derwent could get hydro plant: Derby City Council has plans to build a small hydrolectric plant near its offices.

Fri, 7 Dec 2007: River Wey gets an early stocking this Christmas: Christmas came early on the River Wey this year as the Environment Agency delivered a stocking packed with 100 barbel. The batch of 12-month-old fish were released at a site near Godalming in Surrey as part of an Environment Agency project to give the barbel population a boost.

Wed, 5 Dec 2007: Natural England shows support for a 21st century South Downs National Park: Nearly a quarter of the original South Downs National Park, proposed by Natural England as worthy of designation, could be left unprotected if a revised boundary is accepted by Government.

Wed, 5 Dec 2007: 13,000 fish kill costs Tredegar company over £30,000: A Tredegar company has had to pay over £30,000 after pleading guilty to polluting the Nant y Bwch and River Sirhowy in June 2007, which killed 13,000 fish, aquatic insects and a kingfisher. After polluting both rivers with glycerine and fatty acids.

Tue, 4 Dec 2007: Environment Agency gives nature a helping hand on the Wandle: Environment Agency fisheries officers will release nearly 5,000 juvenile fish into the River Wandle on Thursday 6 December 2007, in an attempt to rejuvenate the river devastated by a pollution incident earlier this year.

Tue, 4 Dec 2007: Insurers call for 25-year flood management strategy: Insurers have called on the Government to develop a 25-year strategy to manage Britain's growing flood risk. (Link to PDF of the new ABI report)

Tue, 4 Dec 2007: Bangladesh: Shelter boxes bring hope: Photographer Mark Pearson has reported back on the work of the Shelterbox charity in this BBC report.

Tue, 4 Dec 2007: Falkirk reservoir drained for safety: Little Denny Reservoir has been drained followed safety fears.

Mon, 3 Dec 2007: WWF: Record-breaking year for climate is nothing to celebrate: A new report from the WWF global conservation organization, "Breaking Records in 2007: Climate Change", shows record lows for sea ice cover in the Arctic, some of the worst forest fires ever seen and record floods.

Mon, 3 Dec 2007: Breich Water foot bridge to be demolished: A footbridge over Breich Water in West Lothian is to be demolished for public safety.

November 2007

Fri, 30 Nov 2007: Airlines go the extra mile to harm the climate: A BBC investigation has revealed air firms including Thomas Cook and Monarch flying extra distances to dodge air traffic control charges, regardless of the climate damage they do.

Fri, 30 Nov 2007: Migrants warned against poaching: John Roberts, from the Shropshire Angling Federation, has welcomed new signs warning eastern Europeans against poaching fish.

Fri, 30 Nov 2007: How Riverford cuts food miles and emissions: In this interesting little piece, Riverford Organic's Guy Watson explains how the company takes pains to cut emissions when it's forced to buy food from abroad.

Fri, 30 Nov 2007: China: Three Gorges dam concerns mount: The BBC's Michael Bristow looks at fears that the new dam will have disastrous environmental consequences.

Thu, 29 Nov 2007: Brazilian bishop goes on hunger strike to stop Sao Francisco river diversion: Far from benefiting 12 million poor people, as the government claims, Bishop Luiz Flavio Cappio says Brazil's proposed river diversion will cause major environmental damage and benefit mainly large agribusiness interests and builders.

Thu, 29 Nov 2007: Housing plans based on uncertain evidence: Countryside campaigners, the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), fear the increase in new housing proposed by the Government for Yorkshire and the Humber based on unproven, aspirational economic growth forecasts will put a huge strain on the region, posing a threat to the environment and quality of life.

Wed, 28 Nov 2007: Government 'must try harder' on water: According to RSPB: "Government must try harder to tackle problems such as flooding, pollution and waste, with the coming year offering a real opportunity to change the way we value, manage and invest in water. It is a year since the Blueprint for Water coalition (supported by more than six million people) handed Ministers a 10-step plan for improving the water environment for people and wildlife by 2015."

Wed, 28 Nov 2007: UK Government: appalling on sewage, waste and water: WWF-UK is less kind about the blueprint for water. It says: "sewage, water pollution and the restoration of rivers and floodplains over the last 12 months have seen little or no progress".

Wed, 28 Nov 2007: Bard of Barking Billy Bragg joins Stone Walk ceremony: Poet, punk and protester Billy Bragg joined members of the Creekmouth Preservation Society as they put the finishing touches to the £290,000 Environment Agency project. The regeneration work (which started in 2005) has seen the Environment Agency work in partnership with local charity the Creekmouth Preservation Society to transform disused land at the Barking Barrier into a green space.

Mon, 26 Nov 2007: Is eczema linked to hard water?: More than 300 homes in eastern England will take part in a new study.

Mon, 26 Nov 2007: Thames barrier closes for third time in a month: In future, the Environment Agency says the barrier will close more often and a new flooding plan for the Thames Estuary is set to be announced in 2008.

Mon, 26 Nov 2007: New Harnham flood plan for Salisbury rivers: There's a new consultation about flood defences measures in the Salisbury suburbs.

Mon, 26 Nov 2007: North Sea gets new fisheries protection boat: A new fisheries protection boat will soon be patrolling off the east coast of northern England.

Thu, 22 Nov 2007: Rossport: Another Season of Resistance: Since 2000 the small rural community of Rossport, County Mayo, Ireland have been engaged in an epic battle trying to prevent Shell from building a potentially devastating onshore gas refinery and high pressure pipeline in their remote and environmentally sensitive region. Despite Shell's status as one of the world's largest multinationals and its enjoyment of the full support of the Irish state, the spirited and effective resistance of the local community means that four years after the refinery was intended to be fully operational, the project is still in its infancy.

Wed, 21 Nov 2007: Brown rivers are natural: A new study says the trend toward browner rivers is a sign that they're returning to a pre-industrial state, thanks to cuts in acid rain pollution.

Wed, 21 Nov 2007: Giant sea scorpion was bigger than a man: A newly discovered prehistoric bug would certainly have put you off going near rivers.

Wed, 21 Nov 2007: Rare lampreys found in Manx waters: Brook lampreys have turned up in the Isle of Man.

Tue, 23 Oct 2007: Fisheries must stop discarding dead: According to WWF: "Fishermen, ministers, and scientists agreed today that the current practice of dumping thousands of tonnes of dead fish back into the sea is immoral and must stop."

Tue, 20 Nov 2007: Local stores can be greenest grocers: Independent local shops and street markets have the potential to be the UK's greenest grocers, despite intensive PR from supermarkets highlighting their environmental credentials, delegates at a Friends of the Earth sustainable food seminar will be told today.

Mon, 19 Nov 2007: Better bogs create carbon sinks" says Natural England: "We must protect and enhance our upland peat bogs - they are the UK's most important and vulnerable carbon store" is the message from Natural England at this year's Moors for the Future conference in the Peak District on Monday 19 November. Over 10 billion tonnes of carbon is estimated to be stored in UK soils, over half of which is in peat, equivalent to around a year and a half of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Mon, 19 Nov 2007: Cruising for a Crucian: Over 800 Rare Crucian Carp are being stocked in three fisheries in Cheshire and Tameside this week to help revive this endangered species in the wild. Paul Bennett, Environment Agency Fisheries Officer, said: "By stocking these fish we hope that their numbers will once again begin to thrive in the wild."

Mon, 19 Nov 2007: Lincolnshire rivers get ready for winter: Work teams from the Environment Agency are out in force across Lincolnshire repairing, dredging and weed cutting in watercourses hit by the summer floods.

Mon, 19 Nov 2007: Falling bathing water quality is a sign of things to come: The Environment Agency has been putting a brave face on declining bathing water quality caused by summer storms and floods, but the problem seems certain to get worse as climate change bites.

Mon, 19 Nov 2007: It's world toilet day!: Monday 19th November is World Toilet Day, when we remember that 2.6 billion people (40 per cent of Earth's population) still lack proper sanitation. Find out some things you can do to help WaterAid in their quest to tackle the problem. How about, for example, skipping lunch and sending them a donation for the amount you save?.

Sat, 17 Nov 2007: River Taff Salmon under threat from poachers: Poachers are threatening a resurgence of salmon in the Taff.

Fri, 16 Nov 2007: 14,000 more fish for Staffordshire rivers: Great news for Midlands anglers! The Environment Agency has been topping up the rivers Churnet, Sow, and Trent with thousands of baby salmon, chub, dace, barbel, and roach.

Fri, 16 Nov 2007: Government must find flooding cash: Local authorities tell the government it must increase funding in flood defences.

Wed, 13 Nov 2007: Shell pump toxic aluminium into Mayo water: You must watch this great little 10-minute video from County Mayo's Shell to Sea campaign. Marvel as the police batons crunch against the helpless locals. Watch toxic aluminium seep from Shell's Corrib gas refinery and pipeline into local watercourses at up to 8.5 times the permitted WHO limit.

Wed, 14 Nov 2007: Booming barn owls in Shropshire: Barn owls along rivers and wetlands in the West of the Shropshire have received a timely boost this year with 21 chicks fledging from nest boxes installed by the Environment Agency in the Baggy Moor area of the River Perry. But this year’s bumper crop of chicks led to a barn owl housing shortage.

Wed, 14 Nov 2007: West Midlands: Environment Agency seeks summer flood information: Week commencing 12 November 2007, the Environment Agency will be visiting or writing to a thousand West Midlands households asking them for help in putting together information about this summer’s flooding.

Wed, 14 Nov 2007: Belfast river project scoops lottery jackpot: A new riverside park in east Belfast has scooped £23.5 million from the lottery.

Tue, 13 Nov 2007: China: Flood season kills 600 in Yangtze River reaches: If you think our flooding was bad, spare a thought for the Chinese. Floods and other natural disasters killed 600 people in the reaches of the Yangtze River in its May-October flood season, according to water authorities. About 90 million people in 812 counties along the country's longest river were affected and 440,000 houses were brought down by disasters, said Hu Jiajun, spokesman for the Yangtze River Water Resources Commission.

Tue, 13 Nov 2007: Welsh Water has "decade of failures": Dwr Cymru (Welsh Water) has been heavily criticized for almost ten years of failures including an outbreak of cryptospiridium that left 231 people ill.

Tue, 13 Nov 2007: WWF: Eyewitness to climate change: WWF has launched a Climate Witness Programme for people to share how climate change is directly affecting them. "Climate change is still viewed by some as an abstract and distant threat," said Hans Verolme, Director of WWF's Global Climate Change Programme. "But the Climate Witness Programme shows that it's something that's happening now and affecting the lives of people around the globe," he added.

Mon, 12 Nov 2007: IPCC forget hurricanes, glaciers and ocean warming: WWF believe that key scientific findings about global warming have been forgotten in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) latest policy report. "There is a contrast between the immense wealth of the IPCC's work and the politically inspired trimming back in this report," says Hans Verolme, Director of WWF's Global Climate Change Programme.

Mon, 12 Nov 2007: World toilet day is almost upon us: Next Monday is World Toilet Day! Once again, those fine folk at WaterAid will be highlighting the appalling fact that 2.6 billion people (40% of the world's population) still lack access to decent sanitation. Find out what you can do to help..

Fri, 9 Nov 2007: Surfers Against Sewage wins two campaigning awards: Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) is celebrating this week having picked up two high profile awards that celebrates its campaigns for clean, safe recreational water for everyone.

Fri, 9 Nov 2007: Action needed to help wetland birds weather the storm: The breeding grounds for some of the UK's rarest birds narrowly escaped the storm surge that swept down the coast of East Anglia last week. In the wake of the surge, the RSPB has called for urgent Government action to create large areas of important habitat like reedbeds further inland to prepare for the day when the sea claims large areas of the English coast.

Fri, 9 Nov 2007: Aliens in the Thames: Scientists are studying invasive alien species in the Thames in London, including the notorious mitten crabs from China.

Thu, 8 Nov 2007: Major tidal surge threatens eastern England flooding: Residents along the east coast of England may be at grave risk from a storm tide, high winds, and spring tides.

Wed, 7 Nov 2007: Third time lucky for River Slea?: The Environment Agency is restocking the Slea with thousands of rudd, roach, bream and dace in an attempt to reverse damage from a pollution spill.

Wed, 7 Nov 2007: All the fun of the (flood) fair: Following the recent flooding in Oxfordshire, at the request of local residents, the Environment Agency and the National Flood Forum have organised two Flood Protection Products Fairs in Oxford and Witney. The events will bring together a variety of flood protection ideas, products and services as well as help and information for those people who have been affected by, or are at risk of flooding. The first Flood Fair is being held at the Kings Centre, Osney Mead, Oxford, between 3-8pm on 15 November 2007 and entrance is free.

Tue, 6 Nov 2007: 30 years since the great North West flood: On the 11 November 1977 the North West coast experienced its worst coastal flooding event. Over 5000 properties and 7900 acres of agricultural land was flooded. The flooding was caused by a Force 10 storm, gusting to Force 12, over the Irish sea which caused tides to reach a level of 24ft. The flooding was extensive with homes, businesses, public buildings, water treatment works, roads and electricity all affected. Thankfully, there was no loss of life and no serious injury despite flooding reaching ceiling levels in some basements flats.

Tue, 6 Nov 2007: Grants available for Cotswold conservation work: Community projects that benefit Cotswold Water Park could earn grants of £500.

Mon, 5 Nov 2007: Minister praises Tweed river group's alien-invader flight: Giant Hogweed has been successfully tackled by the Tweed Forum, earning them the praise of environment minister Michael Russell.

Mon, 5 Nov 2007: UK can meet an 80 per cent CO2 target: The UK can cut its CO2 emissions by 80 per cent by 2050 according to a new report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr), WWF and the RSPB.

Sat, 3 Nov 2007: High praise for Manx rivers: The Isle of Man's rivers are among the cleanest in Britain, a new survey finds.

Sat, 3 Nov 2007: SAS Surf Zombies come within a whisker of seeing full sewage treatment in Guernsey: Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) campaigners came within a whisker yesterday of seeing the States of Guernsey pledge to bring full sewage treatment to the island. Keep going SAS—victory is certain!

Fri, 2 Nov 2007: Tyneside river development turned down: Plans by George Wimpey to develop land close to the Free Trade Inn have been thwarted.

Fri, 2 Nov 2007: Easy access fishing platforms recognized by top angling charity: Brand new angling platforms built by the Environment Agency at Wyberton High Bridge, Boston have been recognised for their excellence by a top angling charity. The accessible platforms, which were officially opened in August this year, are managed by Boston and District Angling Association, who were given a Gold Award by the British Disabled Angling Association at the Dreamstore Active Awards.

Sat, 3 Nov 2007: National Trust to fight wholesale housing plans: Britain's landscape and history conservation charity is going to the front lines to tackle unacceptable new housing developments.

Thu, 1 Nov 2007: World's "poor people are getting trampled" in biofuels rush: Oxfam has hit out against biofuels in a new report.

October 2007

Wed, 31 Oct 2007: Award for Glasgow's "squinty" bridge: A £20 million skew bridge over the River Clyde has won an award from The Saltire Society.

Wed, 31 Oct 2007: Water butts in every garden by 2010: More distracting double-think from the government: "Water butts to collect rainwater and patios with permeable surfaces must become standard features of gardens within a few years, Environment Minister Phil Woolas said today, noting that the impacts of increased development and climate change demanded a shift in thinking." Of course saving water is important, but enough trivia and greenwash. What about a shift in thinking on expanding airports, building roads, and constructing nuclear power stations?

Wed, 31 Oct 2007: Local authorities make big steps in cutting biodegradable waste: England is making good progress towards meeting its first tough EU targets to send less biodegradable household waste to landfill, according to a report on the second year of the Landfill Allowances and Trading Scheme (LATS) published today (Wednesday) by the Environment Agency.

Wed, 31 Oct 2007: Dorset Stour fish stocks to get a boost: Local angling clubs, the Barbel Society and the Environment Agency are coming together to improve the river habitat and fish stocks in the Dorset Stour. The Stour between Blandford Forum and Wimborne has long been considered to have poor fish stocks mainly as a result of extensive river dredging that occurred in the 1970's and 80's.

Tue, 30 Oct 2007: Eco-towns: greenwash or real solution?: Government plans for a series of "eco-towns" will fail unless they are well integrated with existing settlements and agreed with, not imposed on, local communities, say countryside campaigners, the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE).

Tue, 30 Oct 2007: Londoners keen on fictional flood: The DVD of fictional movie "Flood", starring Robert Carlyle, launches this week.

Mon, 29 Oct 2007: Waterways are the way to transport: According to Amy Reed, writing on BBC News, London's waterways could make a big difference to the Olympics.

Mon, 29 Oct 2007: Surfers air concerns over water quality before Lowestoft sewage treatment turnoff: Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) are concerned that there will be an inevitable reduction in water quality after Lowestoft's secondary level treatment process is turned off next week, posing an increased health risk for recreational water users over the winter months.

Mon, 29 Oct 2007: Climate change on the rivers of Bangladesh: BBC journalist Ben Sutherland is writing a daily diary of his trip along Bangladeshi rivers to monitor global warming impacts.

Sun, 28 Oct 2007: River Twyver gets an autumn clean: The Environment Agency is working on a major cleanup of the Gloucestershire river this week.

Fri, 26 Oct 2007: Planet's Tougher Problems Persist, UN Report Warns: The United Nations Environment Programme says that major threats to the planet such as climate change, the rate of extinction of species, and the challenge of feeding a growing population are among the many that remain unresolved, and all of them put humanity at risk.

Wed, 24 Oct 2007: Waste vegetable oil to stimulate biodiesel industry: With almost 75,000 tonnes of waste vegetable oil being transformed into biodiesel each year, proposals launched today by the Environment Agency and WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) are aiming to cut regulatory red-tape so that waste vegetable oil from places like chip shops can be processed and used in engines more easily.

Wed, 24 Oct 2007: Driving down pollution from car washes: Car washing businesses will now have no excuse for allowing run-off to pollute waterways after the Environment Agency published new good-practice guidance.

Wed, 24 Oct 2007: Fishing: from hunting to farming: BBC correspondent Richard Black looks at the transformation of fishing into a kind of farming: aquaculture.

Tue, 23 Oct 2007: Bleak future for Baltic cod: According to WWF: "European Fisheries Ministers have seriously hindered the prospect of recovery for cod in the Baltic Sea, by agreeing fishing quotas that are too high. Instead of taking a responsible stance and closing the fishery for 2008, Ministers agreed on a compromise that will effectively end up removing 19,221 tonnes of cod from the western stock and 38,765 tonnes from the eastern stock, the most threatened population. The Council of Ministers has surrendered to the pressure of the fishing industry lobby and agreed on a quota that is far too high, against scientific advice... The future for Baltic cod looks bleak."

Tue, 23 Oct 2007: New Canvey Island group fights for Essex river: The recently formed Canvey Island Wildlife Conservation Group is trying to tackle problems from pollution and jet skis in Tewkes and Benfleet Creeks.

Tue, 23 Oct 2007: Anger at Government change on direction on renewable energy: Friends of the Earth reacted with anger today to a leaked Government document revealing that the Government is planning to effectively abolish its EU commitments to the expansion of renewable energy.

Tue, 23 Oct 2007: UK minister "presents priorities" at EU fishing meeting: UK Fisheries Minister Jonathan Shaw said: "It is essential to seek fishing opportunities for next year that are consistent with the scientific advice that stocks are improving, and that reflect the reality of what fishermen are finding. We want to work to improve genuine fishing opportunities but also to reduce discards. That is the way to achieve a sustainable fishery."

Mon, 22 Oct 2007: Getting families hooked on fishing: Bob McMahon of Fun2Fish is working hard to get the local community hooked on fishing. For his latest event he is encouraging the whole family to give angling a go at a week of free angling days at Orchard Lakes in the New Forest starting on 22 October 2007.

Mon, 22 Oct 2007: Get into fishing and out of trouble: A BBC review of the superb Get Hooked on Fishing scheme, which aims to keep young people out of trouble.

Sat, 20 Oct 2007: Protesters disrupt biofuels conference: This week Europe's largest Biofuels event took place in Nottinghamshire amid growing concerns about severe impacts on climate, biodiversity and food production. The exhibition was quickly thrown into chaos when a number of people dressed in suits marched onto the stage to protest at the catastrophic effects of replacing climate-stabilising ecosystems with arable crops for biofuel feedstocks.

Fri, 19 Oct 2007: Ships produce "twice as much CO2 as planes": A new report suggests tankers, freighters, and other ships have produced a sharp rise in emissions in the last six years.

Fri, 19 Oct 2007: Suprise otter sighting in Edinburgh river: A student has taken important video evidence of otter activity in the Water of Leith, in the heart of Edinburgh.

Thu, 18 Oct 2007: Farmland birds reach their lowest point in England: According to RSPB, the latest figures published by the UK government on wild bird populations in the UK show that the index of birds counted breeding on England's farmland has tumbled to its lowest point since recording began in the 1960s.

Wed, 17 Oct 2007: 300,000 people call for a marine bill: The call for a Marine Act (giving greater protection to the UK's marine wildlife) came to London today when a 300,000-strong petition (comprising supporters from The RSPB, The Wildlife Trusts, Marine Conservation Society and WWF) was delivered to Downing Street by four children representing future generations.

Wed, 17 Oct 2007: Severn Trent Water fined for polluting Lydney Canal: Severn Trent has been fined for polluting yet another inland waterway with raw sewage in October last year.

Wed, 17 Oct 2007: Trout in the classroom: The Environment Agency is looking for three primary schools in Bolton to take part in the free Trout in the Classroom project, which gives pupils the opportunity to learn about life-cycles, food chains, habitat and conservation as they rear fish from eggs to young fish in specially designed tanks within the school.

Wed, 17 Oct 2007: WWF calls for support to protect Antarctic wilderness: WWF has gathered international diplomats, environmentalists and scientists to seek global support in identifying and designating a network of marine protected areas to safeguard one of the world's last great wildernesses: Antarctica and the Southern Ocean.

Wed, 17 Oct 2007: Blue-fin tuna heading for extinction?: BBC environment correspondent Richard Black asks whether it's time to read the last rites.

Tue, 16 Oct 2007: Monster salmon disqualified from record books: A fish thought to be the biggest salmon ever caught has been disqualified from the record books because it wasn't weighed properly.

Tue, 16 Oct 2007: Europe will help to clean up Chinese rivers: A lucrative new deal between China and the European Union aims to clean up parts of the Yellow and Yangtze rivers.

Tue, 16 Oct 2007: River Tay fishing rights: a snap at £1.55 million: Your chance to own a set of exclusive fishing rights in Perthshire, but it doesn't come cheap!

Mon, 15 Oct 2007: Monster salmon caught in River Ness: It may not be the Loch Ness Monster, but it could break the 64lb (29kg) record set 85 years ago.

Sat, 13 Oct 2007: Rivertime Boat Trust seeks £20,000 to take disabled children up the river: Please help this wonderful charity find the last chunk of money it needs to help disabled and disadvantaged children to enjoy the River Thames.

Fri, 12 Oct 2007: New government biodiversity strategy launched: A new approach to conserving the UK's wildlife and habitats has been published today by the Government. The new framework called "Conserving Biodiversity: The UK Approach", calls for joined up working across the public, voluntary and business sectors in the UK on a variety of agreed goals and priorities for the greater good of biodiversity.

Thu, 11 Oct 2007: River Frome fish pass scheme on hold: A project to help fish such as salmon migrate up the River Frome has been delayed due to poor weather and difficult ground conditions. The project is to construct a fish pass on a weir at Louds Mill in Dorchester. At the moment fish have extreme difficulty in jumping over the weir to reach better spawning grounds, important for their survival in the Frome.

Wed, 10 Oct 2007: New fishing website for Lincolnshire anglers: A new website launched by the Lincolnshire Waterways Partnership is helping local and visiting anglers to find the best places to fish in Lincolnshire. The website has been developed by the REEL (Recreation and Environmental Enhancements in Lincolnshire) project and aims to provide anglers with a comprehensive guide to fishing in the county, from where to catch the biggest pike to where to buy tackle and bait.

Wed, 10 Oct 2007: Sailing through the Northwest passage: BBC correspondent David Shukman is posting a day-by-day diary of his voyage through the newly opened (melted!) Northwest passage.

Wed, 10 Oct 2007: County Durham river crossing to be closed for safety: Stanhope Ford will be closed to prevent a danger to motorists this winter.

Wed, 10 Oct 2007: Time for a greener green belt, says Natural England : Natural England's Board today agreed the need for a housing policy that puts green space at the heart of all new development. Sir Martin Doughty, Natural England’s Chair, said: "The time has come for a greener green belt. We need a 21st century solution to England's housing needs which puts in place a network of green wedges, gaps and corridors, linking the natural environment and people."

Tue, 9 Oct 2007: USA: Develop Tulsa's river? No thanks: This interesting polemic argues against a major river development in Tulsa.

Mon, 8 Oct 2007: Prehistoric sea monster fossil found in Northern Ireland river: A 144-million-year-old fossil has been found in a river in west Belfast.

Mon, 8 Oct 2007: Digital CCTV technology used to monitor fish migration: Experts from the Environment Agency are making use of CCTV technology in a bid to monitor migrating fish numbers in a Cambridgeshire river. At Dog in a Doublet Fish pass on the River Nene near Peterborough, fisheries staff have mounted a small digital camera underwater, which monitors all the fish travelling through the pass. The data is then recorded and hours of footage can be downloaded from the computer on site. Environment Agency staff then have the laborious task of watching the footage and noting down each fish that goes past.

Mon, 8 Oct 2007: Oil spill exercise in River Teifi: A day-long oil spill practice has just been held in Wales.

Thu, 4 Oct 2007: Surfers take a tearful message to the British Plastic Federation: Campaigners from Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) have attended a British Plastics Federation (BPF) seminar in London, calling on delegates attending a BPF biopolymer and biodegradable plastics seminar to urgently address the problems of plastics littering UK beaches.

Thu, 4 Oct 2007: Surf Nation by Alex Wade: A great new review of British and Irish surf spots is available now at The Surfing Museum (a website and touring exhibition that aims to open a real-life surfing museum in the UK by 2010).

Wed, 3 Oct 2007: Growing more rice with less water: A new method of growing rice that could save hundreds of billions of cubic metres of water and increase food security, was released in a report by WWF today. The 'rice intensification' method (SRI) has helped increase yields by over 30 per cent while using 40 per cent less water than conventional methods.

Wed, 3 Oct 2007: Trent Rivers Trust launches appeal for salmon ladders: A Midlands rivers trust is launching a £300,000 fundraising appeal to bring salmon back to East Midlands rivers, including the Trent and Derwent.

Wed, 3 Oct 2007: Work starts on Coleham Head flood defences: This week, the Environment Agency begins work on a new flood alleviation scheme at Coleham Head in Shrewsbury.

Tue, 2 Oct 2007: Scuba divers join Essex river cleanup: Chelmsford Council is organizing a major river cleanup for 13 October.

Tue, 2 Oct 2007: Government launches 20-year vision for sustainable fisheries: A 20-year vision to help fishing communities and businesses prosper, safeguard fish stocks and protect the marine environment has been unveiled. Fisheries 2027 is the government's long-term vision for a sustainable fisheries sector, which will optimise economic and social benefits for society from commercial fishing and recreational angling while protecting marine life and habitats.

Mon, 1 Oct 2007: 10,000 baby salmon find new home in River Chrnet: The Environment Agency has just released another 10,000 baby salmon into the River Churnet at Consall Forge, near Leek and Cheadle, following evidence that fish now thrive in the once-polluted river.

Mon, 1 Oct 2007: Green groups fall out over Severn Barrage: Environmental pressure group Friends of the Earth has expressed alarm at pro-Severn Barrage recommendations published by the Sustainable Development Commission.

Mon, 1 Oct 2007: Guernsey sewage plans disappoint: Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) say they are disappointed by Guernsey's failure to recommend a future policy of full sewage treatment.

Mon, 1 Oct 2007: What is the call of the wild?: Tim Egan asks why we feel drawn to wilderness areas.

September 2007

Fri, 28 Sep 2007: Lundy lobsters are thriving: Following the news that lobsters are thriving in the marine protection zone around Lundy, Natural England has renewed its call for "a Marine Bill to deliver a coherent network of Marine Protected Areas and much-needed better protection for our precious marine environment".

Thu, 27 Sep 2007: Thames recreational water users at risk from sewage: Yes folks, we still have sewage entering rivers and putting anglers, rowers, canoeists, swimmers, and others at risk.

Thu, 27 Sep 2007: CPRE: South East could face massive water shortages: South East England could be short of water by up to a billion litres a day within 20 years, the countryside campaign group have claimed.

Wed, 26 Sep 2007: Warming world? Cool the oceans, says Lovelock: James Lovelock, one of Britain's best-known environmental scientists, has proposed a new ocean-cooling invention to tackle global warming.

Wed, 26 Sep 2007: Chinese admit Yangtze dam is disaster waiting to happen: Officials in China have issued an unprecedented warning about the possible future environmental impacts of the highly controversial Three Gorges dam.

Wed, 26 Sep 2007: New York: Team work is the way to boost river health: The U.S. Forest Service has been working with a river watchdog group to improve the health of Eagle River. This article includes a case study about their work to tackle sediment pollution that may interest British river groups.

Wed, 26 Sep 2007: Autumn spring clean for Birmingham brook: Washwood Heath Brook, once one of the most polluted brooks in Birmingham, has been given a facelift. The clean up is part of the Misconnections Project, run in partnership by the Environment Agency, Birmingham City Council, Severn Trent Water and CSV Environment, who are working together to clean up the brook and make sure it does not get into that state again.

Wed, 26 Sep 2007: WWF: Ban Ki-Moon shows real climate leadership: The UN high-level climate change meeting in New York has declared that an ambitious comprehensive climate agreement will be negotiated within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, building on the Kyoto Protocol, by no later than 2009.

Tue, 25 Sep 2007: RSPB attacks new interest in River Severn barrage: According to RSPB: "Thousands of birds, spawning salmon and other fish will be put at risk if a huge and costly barrage is built across the Severn, despite the claim of government minister John Hutton that the proposal would be 'truly visionary'."

Mon, 24 Sep 2007: Pink salmon caught in River Camel!: The Environment Agency is investigating what is believed to be the first record of a rod-caught Pacific pink salmon in England. The 4 lb fish, with its distinctive humpback, was landed by a local angler, Ivan Harris, on the River Camel near Wadebridge who, using his mobile phone, photographed his unusual-looking catch before returning it to the water.

Mon, 24 Sep 2007: Youngsters find fishing REEL good fun: Children from two special needs schools in Lincoln have been invited to a "have a go" fishing day at Fen Lake Fisheries, Metheringham, on 28th September.

Fri, 21 Sep 2007: Bugs from the River Cam can beat infections: Medical researchers are using bacteria-killing viruses hauled from the famous Cambridge river in a new effort to tackle diseases such as MRSA.

Fri, 21 Sep 2007: Africa: 1.5 million now affected by floods: People in a swathe of countries across Africa are struggling to cope with the worst flooding for decades.

Thu, 20 Sep 2007: Environment Agency assesses pollution damage to River Wandle: Following the recent devastating fish kill on the River Wandle, officers from the Environment Agency's fisheries and ecology team will be electrofishing to investigate the effects of a recent pollution incident. The spillage has killed at least 2,000 fish along a 5km stretch of the River Wandle.

Thu, 20 Sep 2007: RSPB reports Bittern "boom": Britain's leading bird charity reports: "The recovery of the bittern (one of Britain's most threatened birds) has taken a tentative step forward in 2007 as male bitterns were recorded at more sites than any other year since 1990."

Wed, 19 Sep 2007: Europe's fragmented landscapes need rebuilding say researchers: In the UK, Hampshire's coastline will be squeezed by rising sea levels while butterflies like the Adonis blue will run out of space in Kent and may become extinct.

Wed, 19 Sep 2007: China: Urgent action needed to save the Yangtze: It's official: China's great river could be in terminal decline and needs swift action to turn it around.

Wed, 19 Sep 2007: Welsh Water fined for pollution of River Ewenny tributary in Bridgend: Dwr Cymru Welsh Water has been fined £6,000 after pleading guilty to causing polluting matter (raw untreated sewage and sewage debris) to enter the Nant Crymlyn, a tributary of the River Ewenny in Bridgend.

Wed, 19 Sep 2007: River Wandle pollution kills over 2000 fish: Officers from the Environment Agency are investigating reports of a pollution incident that has killed at least 2,000 fish along a 5km stretch of the River Wandle in south London.

Tue, 18 Sep 2007: "Hotter than I should be": It's fashion-aid time again. WWF has launched an exclusive, limited edition t-shirt to highlight its global campaign to combat climate change.

Tue, 18 Sep 2007: Cornish wave farm to go ahead: Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) has welcomed the news that Wave hub has received its planning approval from the Government and look forward to the prospect of clean and safe energy being generated from Cornwall's waves in 2009.

Tue, 18 Sep 2007: Australia: Calls to protect sharks in the Coral Sea: Conservationists want the Coral Sea to become a marine park to save its hugely abundant population of sharks.

Mon, 17 Sep 2007: Massive new port on River Tees moves nearer: A huge new terminal on Teeside looks likely to go ahead with another objection being dropped.

Sun, 16 Sep 2007: Water-cleaning bottle offers hope to disaster victims: A British inventor has developed a mini-filtration system built in a bottle.

Sun, 16 Sep 2007: 10th Thames Festival a great success: The 10th annual festival on London's Thames has been another stunning celebration of rivers and their importance to the life of great cities.

Sat, 15 Sep 2007: Africa: More rain brings flood misery to a million Africans: Many have died, hundreds of thousands have been left homeless in the latest floods.

Fri, 14 Sep 2007: Consultation on changes to abstraction licence charges: A new charging scheme for licence holders who take water from rivers or underground sources will help reduce unsustainable levels of abstraction, prevent the loss of certain river and wetland habitats and protect rare and endangered species from extinction, such as the native white-clawed crayfish, according to the Environment Agency.

Thu, 13 Sep 2007: Cod: huge catches thrown back: The problems of our unsustainable fishing industry continue to intensify. In this article, Anne-Marie Bullock of the BBC's Costing the Earth looks at the huge quantities of cod that are caught and returned to the sea because they don't meet fishing criteria.

Thu, 13 Sep 2007: River Thames cleaning boats set sail: Two expensive new Dutch boats are being deployed to skim rubbish from the Thames.

Wed, 12 Sep 2007: Micro-camera set to unveil the mystery of the elver: The Environment Agency is using microscopic CCTV cameras to study how elvers migrate on the River Parrett.

Tue, 11 Sep 2007: Friends of the Earth highlights biofuels concern: Friends of the Earth has called on the EU to scrap its ten per cent target for using plant-based bio-fuels for transport, after a leaked paper revealed that the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development OECD's has grave concerns about their social and environmental effects.

Tue, 11 Sep 2007: South Asia: Flood problems in South Asia get worse: The number of people made homeless by the recent South Asian floods has risen to 1.5 million.

Mon, 10 Sep 2007: 100,000 homes at risk of flooding in Scotland: The Scottish government has published an alarming map of properties at risk of flooding.

Mon, 10 Sep 2007: SAS Remind Beach Users to 'Think Before You Flush': This Saturday on Porthtowan beach, SAS campaigners will unveil a toilet filled with sanitary products including tampon applicators, sanitary towels and even syringes found on Porthtowan to highlight the link between flushing these products down the toilet and finding these products on our beaches.

Mon, 10 Sep 2007: Undisturbed countryside could be lost within a lifetime: At current rates of loss, countryside free from major disturbance could all but disappear in most regions of England well before the end of the century. Startling new maps published by countryside campaigners CPRE show that currently 50% of England is disturbed by the sight and sound of nearby roads, urban areas and other major infrastructure.

Sat, 8 Sep 2007: Severn Trent pollutes River Teme SSSI with sewage: The Midlands water company has been fined £34,000 for polluting another river.

Sat, 8 Sep 2007: Thames anglers asked to stay alert for ailing carp sightings: The Environment Agency has received a number of reports from anglers and the public in recent weeks regarding large dead carp in the Thames between Molesey and Tower Bridge.

Sat, 8 Sep 2007: Volunteers shift rubbish from the River Medway: Teams of volunteers have removed lots of rubbish from Kent's main river.

Fri, 7 Sep 2007: British seas 'a wasteland compared with 100 years ago': The Telegraph's Charles Clover reviews "The Unnatural History of the Sea: The Past and Future of Humanity and Fishing". There's also a long sample extract from the book here you can read.

Fri, 7 Sep 2007: Red-throated divers on the rise: RSPB is "delighted" but puzzled by sudden increases in a rare wetland bird in Scotland.

Thu, 6 Sep 2007: India: Arsenic is 50 times over safe level: New measurements of arsenic in drinking water in the Indian state of Bihar have revealed levels of 500 parts per billion (ppb), which exceeds the World Health Organisation's safe level by more than 50 times.

Thu, 6 Sep 2007: USA: River restocking used the wrong trout for 20 years: Attempts to restock the waterways of Colorado with trout have failed for 20 years because conservationists have been using the wrong fish.

Wed, 5 Sep 2007: Residents take on Thames Water over sewage smell: Residents in Isleworth, London are taking Thames Water to court in an attempt to stop odour and mosquito problems at its Mogden sewage works. Over 1000 people have made a claim against the water company so far.

Wed, 5 Sep 2007: BBC drops climate special: Environmental groups are outraged by the BBC's decision to axe a telethon-style special on climate change. Friends of the Earth's Tony Juniper said: "This is a very disappointing decision considering the huge potential for the BBC in helping us more quickly make the shift toward a low carbon society. The science of climate change is very clear and if approached in the right way taking up this very serious issue would not compromise the BBC's impartiality. After all, the corporation has worked in a similar manner to that intended for Planet Relief on child welfare, international development and wildlife protection. We urge the BBC to press ahead with a major feature on climate change and to think through how best it can serve its public interest purpose by encouraging greener behaviour".

Wed, 5 Sep 2007: Talking Rubbish Over Bacon Butties: Jewson's and the Environment Agency are inviting tradespeople in Birkinhead along for a bacon butty and a chat about how they can be environmentally friendly and manage their waste properly. Hmmm, how environmentally friendly are bacon butties? Let's hope it's ethically reared organic bacon...

Wed, 5 Sep 2007: Making clothes sustainable: Defra is trying to persuade the textile industry to go green, though with 90 percent of British-bought clothes now manufactured overseas, they may have a tough time of it.

Wed, 5 Sep 2007: Cornish fisherman catches Caribbean fish: Fisherman Phil Trebilcock has hooked a rare Alamo Jack off the coast of Newquay.

Tue, 4 Sep 2007: Lampreys on the rise in Devon: Record numbers of lampreys have been found in Devon's River Tamar, suggesting water quality is particularly good.

Tue, 4 Sep 2007: Environment Agency clear up flushes out 27,000kg of rubbish from Lewisham stream: A choked waterway in Lewisham has been transformed into a clear-flowing stream after more than 27,000kgs of rubbish were removed from the Chuddley Brook, a small urban channel of water. Restoring the waterway to its former natural state took a six-strong team of Environment Agency staff seven weeks, as years of abuse had seen the channel filled to overflowing with discarded items.

Tue, 4 Sep 2007: No s**t Guernsey: Surfers don't give up!: Campaigners from Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) today held very visual actions at Weymouth and Poole ports to lobby Guernsey-bound travellers concerning the ongoing discharge of raw sewage around the island's coastline. The actions coincide with the Guernsey Regatta, a 10 day-long sea-themed celebration on the island. Much of the event's activities will be based on the water, but many people will be surprised to learn that the raw sewage from 60,000 people on the island is each day, routinely dumped in the sea off Guernsey, primarily in the very area where people are to compete throughout the Festival.

Sat, 1 Sep 2007: Peatlands face stress in warming world: Bogs and peatlands in northern Britain store over 1.5 billion tonnes of carbon but severe erosion and climate change are in danger of releasing this into the atmosphere and contributing to global warming, according to the Royal Geographical Society and the Institute of British Geographers.

August 2007

Thu, 30 Aug 2007: Arsenic poisoning threatens 137 million: Arsenic in drinking water is a global threat to health affecting more than 70 countries and 137 million people, according to new research presented to the annual conference at the Royal Geographical Society. Bangladesh is the country worst affected, where hundreds of thousands of people are likely to die from arsenic causing fatal cancers of the lung, bladder and skin.

Thu, 30 Aug 2007: USA: Hudson River could become world's largest environmental monitoring site: After 30 years of chronic chemical pollution, New York's Hudson River has become a giant scientific experiment.

Wed, 29 Aug 2007: China: Rare dolphin back from the dead?: Shortly after it was pronounced extinct, a rare river dolphin has apparently been spotted in China's Yangtze river.

Wed, 29 Aug 2007: Full Thames barrier closure in September: The latest disaster movie to hit the big screens, "Flood" starring Robert Carlyle, shows London overwhelmed by a dangerous cocktail of storm conditions and spring tides sweeping over the Thames Barrier. But on Sunday 9 September 2007, Londoners will be able to see just how well protected they are from tidal flooding, as the Thames Barrier performs a full test closure over high spring tides.

Wed, 29 Aug 2007: Traffic returns to River Cart: Regeneration of a river in the west of Scotland has progressed to the extent that barges can now sail down it again.

Tue, 28 Aug 2007: Defra publishes latest river quality results: The annual measurements of British river quality have been published, apparently showing continued improvements in most places. But all is not as it seems.

Tue, 28 Aug 2007: The death of Ratty: England's iconic rivers and lakes being wrecked, says WWF: The iconic river and lakeside scenery that has defined England's beauty through the ages in music, art and literature—from Handel to Turner to Dickens—is being destroyed by our careless use of water and disregard for freshwater habitats. Conservation groups have identified six iconic English waterways that are severely at risk from Britain's lack of care for its rivers and lakes. They have joined forced to call on the government to adopt the Blueprint for Water, which outlines a comprehensive approach to preserving our vital and much-loved water resources.

Tue, 28 Aug 2007: A fifth of all British birds now need conservation help: Teams of experts from a range of organisations, including the RSPB, have compiled an updated list of priority species and habitats that will guide future conservation action across the UK, which comprises 1,149 species and 65 habitats. The list will be the basis for conservation action under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. According to the bird charity: "The fact that the bird list now includes more than a fifth of all of the UK's regularly occurring birds is a cause of alarm."

Sun, 26 Aug 2007: Festival-goers cause 8-inch drop in River Thames!: The Environment Agency has revealed that it helped the Reading Festival to proceed this year by lowering the Thames to reduce the after-effects of flooding on the Thamesmead site.

Fri, 24 Aug 2007: Louds Mill fish pass on Dorset's River Frome improves the life of the salmon: Work has started on installing a fish pass at the Crump gauging weir at Louds Mill on the Dorset Frome to allow passage of salmon and sea trout. The weir is a serious obstacle to upstream migration of salmon and a complete barrier to upstream movement of smaller fish. The new fish pass will be built adjacent to the main weir which will allow the fish free passage across a wide range of water flows.

Fri, 24 Aug 2007: Fish killed in pollution on the River Stour: The Environment Agency is investigating the death of approximately 15,000 fish on the River Stour following a pollution incident. The Agency first received reports of dead fish last Wednesday and sent officers to investigate the river at Sturminster Mill upsteam of Hinton St Mary where they found several dead and dying fish including roach, chub and pike. Current estimates suggest that more than 15,000 coarse fish (predominantly chub, roach and perch) have died. Work is underway to recover and dispose of these fish.

Thu, 23 Aug 2007: Christo to wrap Arkansas river: Artist Christo and his wife Jeanne-Claude have submitted detailed plans to canopy the Arkansas River in Colorado to the US department of interior.

Thu, 23 Aug 2007: Seeds of Change for Sante Fe river rebirth: Organic food company Seeds of Change is helping to restore the Sante Fe river in New Mexico this week.

Wed, 22 Aug 2007: Don't forget the rod licence, Agency says: Environment Agency officers will be out in force over the bank holiday weekend patrolling river banks and lakes looking for anglers trying to slip under the rod licence net. According to a spokesman: "The rod licence fees are essential: all money raised goes back into improving and maintaining our fisheries. We are doing some fantastic work... whether it's the enforcement action that leads to prosecutions, helping teach youngsters to fish or responding to reports of fish in distress. All this is possible because of the money we receive from rod licence sales. Our enforcement officers are out there checking for those who try to cheat the system."

Wed, 22 Aug 2007: River Parrett Trail under threat: South Somerset District Council is reviewing use of the popular 80-km (50-mile) river trail after "external funding" was withdrawn.

Tue, 21 Aug 2007: Impressive new swing bridge for River Hull: Council officials are studying plans for an "iconic" 300-tonne steel swing bridge in Hull.

Tue, 21 Aug 2007: Agency continues to monitor otters: Environment Agency staff are appealing for people to tell them if they find a dead otter so that information can be collected for a national project which is monitoring the health of the population. The Newcastle-based team collect the bodies of dead otters and send them off to Cardiff University for a post-mortem. This confirms how the otter died and reveals how healthy it was, its diet, and the levels of chemicals in the body.

Tue, 21 Aug 2007: Up to 1000 fish killed by soap in River Brett: Soap powder from a tank at a disused Lavenham industrial site in Suffolk has been washed into the Lavenham Brook, a tributary of the River Brett, causing the deaths of a large number of fish. The River Brett was affected for about 2-3km and along this stretch stone loach, sticklebacks and minnows were wiped out. The estimate for the numbers killed is between 100 to 1,000.

Mon, 20 Aug 2007: Carbon offsetting is a red herring, say red herrings: The offices of high-profile carbon offset companies in two different cities (the Carbon Neutral Company in London and Climate Care in Oxford) have been disrupted by environmental protests. According to the protestors, who are colourfully dressed as red herrings: "Carbon offset schemes are corrupting the climate change debate, taking attention away from effective responses to the threat of climate change and conning the general public".

Fri, 17 Aug 2007: New report highlights climate change impact on UK's wintering birds: A new report examining bird population trends has highlighted a doubling of the overall numbers of 39 species of waterbirds, ducks, geese, swans and wading birds spending the winter in the UK in the last three decades. However, the State of the UK's Birds 2006 also shows that the wintering populations of some species are declining, principally, it is suggested, because of climate change.

Fri, 17 Aug 2007: WWF says new rules needed for Arctic: New and better rules are urgently needed to counter the current rush for Arctic territories and resources, according to WWF. Without improved international cooperation between Arctic nations, one of the world's most fragile regions, which also plays a critical role in stabilising the planet's climate, could face irreparable damage.

Thu, 16 Aug 2007: Defra says compulsory watering metering on the cards: Water companies in areas of serious water stress will be able to seek compulsory water metering as part of their 25 year forward plans, Environment Minister Phil Woolas has announced. The proposal, developed by the Water Saving Group, adds metering to the existing raft of options for companies (alongside developing new resources) for ensuring long term security of supply.

Thu, 16 Aug 2007: Huge boating festival heads for St Ives, Cambs: Despite liberal lashings of rain, swollen rivers and a soggy festival site, staff at the Environment Agency are determined to make this year's IWA Festival a success. Some 500 boats and 30,000 visitors are expected to descend on the Cambridgeshire town of St Ives over the August bank holiday weekend, for the largest annual inland waterways event in the country.

Thu, 16 Aug 2007: Low-impact living at the climate camp: Forget the silly stories you read in the news. The reality of the climate camp is about thousands of people wanting to do something positive to stop climate change.

Thu, 16 Aug 2007: RSPB: Last hope for Cambodia's parachuting bird: In a last ditch attempt to save it from extinction, one of the world's rarest birds, the Bengal florican, is to be championed at the British Birdwatching Fair, which takes place 17-19 August. The Bengal florican (the rarest of the globe's 27 bustards) is amongst 189 critically endangered birds being targeted by an initiative to find companies and individuals who will highlight each species' plight and contribute funds towards helping them.

Wed, 15 Jul 2007: Search is on for new Scottish water: Scottish Water is looking for an environmentally friendly source of water for the people of Strathspey, which won't disrupt the superb Cairngorms environment.

Wed, 15 Aug 2007: Boscastle bridge to go ahead: The Environment Agency has permission to press ahead with its £4.6 million flood defence scheme at Boscastle after planners today approved the replacement Lower Bridge which is a key part of the project.

Wed, 15 Aug 2007: Some good news! Amazon deforestation rates significantly down: According to WWF, deforestation rates in the Brazilian Amazon have dropped by 25 per cent.

Wed, 15 Aug 2007: Indian flood diary: Oxfam's Ian Bray presents his diary of trying to help out during the Indian monsoon floods.

Wed, 15 Aug 2007: River Ouse reopens in Ely: The waterway beneath a damaged bridge near Ely has been reopened after a train rerailment in June.

Mon, 13 Aug 2007: Salmon breeding grounds get makeover on rivers Balder and Lune: Staff at the Environment Agency are using 2,500 tonnes of gravel to increase the number of salmon in Teesdale's rivers by making it easier for them to breed. The rivers Lune and Balder are important tributaries of the Tees but do not contain sufficient amounts, or the right type of gravel for salmon to breed.

Tue, 14 Aug 2007: What do people think about the environment?: The regular government survey of people's attitudes to the environment has just been published and is very interesting, but largely misses the point in terms of directing future government policies. Yes, it's important to know what people think about flying—but why not ask them what they think about huge government plans for airport expansion? Yes, we discover that the "environment and pollution" is people's fourth biggest concern after crime, health, and education—but you didn't ask about "climate change" specifically. How about asking people specifically what they think about environmentally destructive government policies?

Tue, 14 Aug 2007: The homemade homemaker: Do you really need to spend a fortune on polluting household chemicals and cleaning products? A new series in The Guardian will help you make your own: "In this new regular column, we'll bring you recipes for everything from toilet cleaner to toothpaste". Why not give it a go? Let's kick more chemicals out of the water cycle.

Wed, 8 Aug 2007: Coral reefs disappear twice as fast as rainforests: The Indian and Pacific oceans contain 75% of the world's coral reefs, but the reefs are now disappearing faster than ever.

Wed, 8 Aug 2007: Go back to school green: Those dreaded words "back to school" have prompted 10 tips from WWF on the greenest ways to organize your school life.

Wed, 8 Aug 2007: Hampshire and Surrey get new flood warning system: Residents in parts of Hampshire and Surrey will now receive flood warnings targeted more specifically to their community, following developments to the Environment Agency's flood warning service.

Wed, 8 Aug 2007: Anglers: please report cruel and illegal set-lines: Fisheries experts at the Environment Agency are urging people to report in if they notice anyone using, carrying or assembling illegal 'set lines'. Set lines are baited hooks fastened to strong lines or powerful elastic that are tethered to the bank, thrown into the water and left unattended. The line, which can stretch across the width of the water often carries several baited hooks. It takes a few minutes to deploy or recover such lines. The victim fish are frequently found alive, but with no chance of recovery, as the hook has made its way into the fish's stomach. This barbaric practice is widely condemned by the angling community who fish for sport, but is used by some people who want to remove fish for the table.

Wed, 8 Aug 2007: China: Rare river dolphin may be extinct: A six week survey of the Yagntze river has failed to find traces of a rare dolphin, prompting fears that unregulated fishing has driven it to extinction.

Mon, 6 Aug 2007: Businesses get helpful new waste website: Businesses are being encouraged to share their hints, tips and best practice in dealing with waste on a new and improved website relaunched today, which covers issues such as preventing and dealing with fly-tipping, advice on reducing waste and expert advice from regulators like the Environment Agency on waste legislation.

Fri, 3 Aug 2007: Borneo: Local people are the losers in biofuel scramble: This BBC article looks at the plight of local people whose land is being snatched from them to grow biofuels.

Fri, 3 Aug 2007: South Asia: Millions hit by flooding: If you thought flooding in England was bad, spare a thought for the people of Bangladesh, India, and Nepal. So far 150 people have died and almost 20 million have been forced from their homes, which puts our own troubles into a bit of perspective.

Fri, 3 Aug 2007: New map highlights new planning battlegrounds: An online map highlighting the location of over one hundred new developments that could be forced through if the Government gets its way over changes to the planning system has been launched. The map was developed by The Planning Disaster Coalition and includes information on new nuclear power stations, incinerators and roads.

Fri, 3 Aug 2007: Pakistan: Over-abstraction threatens Pakistan's deltas: This BBC report looks at how local people in Pakistan are losing their livelihoods as rising tides wipe out low-lying deltas.

Thu, 2 Aug 2007: A year of UK climate action: It's nearly a year since the climate camp at Drax Power Station last year. As plans advance for this year's camp near Heathrow, Indymedia reviews a year of climate actions from around the UK.

Thu, 2 Aug 2007: Tewkesbury fights back from the flood: This optimistic BBC article looks at how quickly and positively the residents of Tewkesbury have responded in the aftermath of last week's devastating floods.

Wed, 1 Aug 2007: Poland: Court threat halts wetland destruction: According to RSPB: "The threat of court action has forced the Polish government to halt work on a controversial highway that would irreparably damage one of Europe's most pristine wildlife sites. Construction workers were due to resume work on the Via Baltica highway through the ancient Rospuda Valley today, but have been ordered to stop by Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski under pressure from the European Commission."

Wed, 1 Aug 2007: Look good, feel good, and help to clean our seas and raise money: The Surfers Against Sewage Autumn range of 100% organic cotton clothes (printed with eco-friendly vegetable inks) is out now. Buy some of their clothes and you'll not only help their campaign for clean seas—you'll be directly keeping pollution out of the ground, because ordinary cotton is one of the world's most polluting products.

Wed, 1 Aug 2007: New crossing for Great Yarmouth's River Yare?: Norfolk County Council is looking for a site for its new river bridge.

Wed, 1 Aug 2007: South West home owners urged to sign up to automatic flood warning system: The South West has so far managed to avoid the worst of the 2007 floods but the Environment Agency has today renewed its appeal for people to sign-up to the free Flood Warnings Direct system. "Flood Warnings Direct automatically alerts people to rising rivers and possible flooding, giving people the vital hours they need to protect their homes and belongings," said Richard Horrocks, Regional Flood Risk Manager for the Environment Agency in the South West.

Wed, 1 Aug 2007: Indonesia: Fisherman catches "living fossil": An Indonesian fisherman has hooked an incredibly rare coelacanth, only the second ever to have been captured in Asia.

July 2007

Mon, 30 Jul 2007: Have your say on the Humber: Staff from the Environment Agency are urging people to have their say on a consultation which looks at how we can better manage the rivers and coastal waters from the North Yorks Moors to Birmingham. The area, called the Humber River Basin, includes all the rivers, ground water and coastal waters within 26,000 square kilometres—most of which drain into the Humber Estuary.

Mon, 30 Jul 2007: Environment Agency advice for those affected by recent floods: Householders, businesses and farmers have been warned today to be as aware of the actions to take in dealing with the aftermath of flooding, as they should be in preparing for flooding. The warning comes as the Environment Agency issues guidance to help householders, businesses and farmers dealing with the aftermath of last week's flooding incidents.

Mon, 30 Jul 2007: Water slowly restored to flooded homes: People in Gloucestershire affected by last week's flood are slowly having water supplies restored—but the water is still not fit for drinking.

Thu, 26 Jul 2007: Inspector recommends rejection of Thames Gateway Bridge—but Government re-opens inquiry: The Government should have followed the Inspector's recommendation and rejected plans to build a new six lane road bridge across the Thames in London, Friends of the Earth and Transport 2000 said today. The Government announced today that the Public Inquiry into the Thames Gateway bridge should be re-opened. Fudge anyone?

Thu, 26 Jul 2007: Shell to Sea campaign intensifies as work on refinery begins: This summer has seen the Shell to Sea campaign gain increasing momentum as construction of the proposed onshore gas refinery in County Mayo, Ireland, begins. The planned refinery and the high pressure pipeline, which would supply it with unprocessed gas from the offshore Corrib gas field, have been bitterly opposed by local residents and their many national and international supporters, since it was first proposed in 2000. Shell and their partners Statoil and Marathon had hoped to have the facility in operation by 2003, but massive local resistance has meant that four years on, the development is still in its infancy.

Thu, 26 Jul 2007: Humans are affecting global rainfall: A new study reported in Nature shows that human-caused climate change has led to more intense rainfall in northern and southern parts of the world.

Thu, 26 Jul 2007: Floods at a glance: The BBC is maintaining this informal photo/map showing the latest flood situation.

Thu, 26 Jul 2007: Bottled water racketeers take advantage of flood misery: People are selling bottled water at inflated prices in towns hit by flooding and clean water shortages.

Wed, 25 Jul 2007: Natural flood defence is the way forward: In this interesting article, the BBC's Sarah Mukherjee looks at how intelligent use of small-scale systems like reed beds and garden tanks could help to tackle floods in future.

Wed, 25 Jul 2007: Newspapers attack over flooding: As thousands continue to suffer, the press are attacking the lack of preparedness on the part of the government and its agencies.

Wed, 25 Jul 2007: Heathrow 3rd Runway: Flying in the face of public opinion: Are the floods linked to global warming and climate change? If so, why are we planning to expand airports that will make the problem worse, asks this article on Indymedia.

Wed, 25 Jul 2007: People urged to have say on the Northumbria river system: Staff from the Environment Agency are urging people to have their say on a consultation which looks at how we can better manage the rivers, groundwater and coastal waters from North Northumberland to the south of the Tees. The area, called the Northumbria River Basin, includes all the rivers, ground water and coastal waters within 9,000 square kilometres which stretches across the country from the Pennines to the North Sea.

Tue, 24 Jul 2007: Reeling 'em in: free fishing taster days on offer in August: Wannabe anglers are being reeled in to take part in free fly-fishing taster sessions next month in Ponteland and Seaham. As part of its commitment to introduce new anglers to the sport, the Environment Agency has organised two more taster days in August so that people can have a go, supervised by qualified coaches.

Tue, 24 Jul 2007: Floods highlight need for "better freshwater management" says WWF: WWF has issued a statement on the floods: "WWF extends its sympathy to all of those affected and calls on government to take steps to reduce the likelihood and severity of future flooding incidents. This should be done by undertaking a series of important measures to improve Britain's management of its freshwater systems and dramatically reducing its carbon emissions. WWF and a coalition of leading environmental organisations representing some six million people have produced a Blueprint for Water, calling on the government to act now."

Tue, 24 Jul 2007: 1000-mile River Tay survey to improve fishing: A huge stretch of the Tay is to be surveyed by the Tay Ghillies Association, the Tay Liaison Committee and charity Scottish Native Woods to improve the health of the river and the fish it supports.

Tue, 24 Jul 2007: What should flood victims do next?: BBC News has this summary of advice on how to cope with floods—though it's unlikely most flood victims will be sitting at their computers reading it. Our sympathies go to everyone suffering the effects of the flooding.

Thu, 19 Jul 2007: Get hooked on fishing in Berkshire this weekend: Berkshire youngsters will have the chance to get hooked on fishing next weekend, Saturday 21 July 2007, at Maiden Erlegh Lake, off Instow Road in Earley. This is the first family angling day of activities in the town, hosted by The Environment Agency, Earley Town Council and the National Federation of Anglers (NFA). It will offer young people the opportunity to take up angling, as well as increasing their awareness of the environment.

Thu, 19 Jul 2007: Bioenergy: more harm than good?: A new report from RSPB and its partners looks at whether the costs of bioenergy outweigh the benefits. You can download the report "Bioenergy in the UK - turning green promises into environmental reality" from RSPB's website.

Wed, 18 Jul 2007: WWF says London doesn't need desalination plant: The conservation group WWF is extremely disappointed with the government's decision to allow a desalination plant to be built on the Thames: "The plant is a 'sticking plaster' solution to the water crisis in the south-east. It does not address the real problem of the UK's poor water management, and will contribute to climate change." The plant in Beckton, east London, will start producing water sometime in 2009, in times of drought or low rainfall.

Wed, 18 Jul 2007: Save those gardens!: Thinking of paving your garden? Think again! The UK's leading wildlife and horticultural organisations have joined Natural England in signing a wildlife gardening manifesto to save the nation's gardens, particularly those in towns and cities. Sir Martin Doughty, Chair of Natural England said: "The gardens of England are under threat. In London, front gardens with an area 22 times the size of Hyde Park are now paved over and lost, reducing havens for wildlife, increasing the impact of flash flooding and contributing to climate change."

Wed, 18 Jul 2007: Giant flood made Britain: New sonar seabed research suggests Britain may have separated from continental Europe when a rush of flood water cut it free.

Wed, 18 Jul 2007: Swans rescued on River Kennet: Sixty swans have been rescued from a cooking oil spill in Berkshire.

Wed, 18 Jul 2007: USA: Gulf of Mexico dead zone to be biggest ever: Arguably the world's most spectacular demonstration of water pollution is just about to brea