News stories from 2008

Last updated: 7 May 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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April 2008

Fri, 18 Apr 2008: Habitat improvements breathe new life into the River Avon: Sluices, ditches and weirs. No, not a firm of solicitors, but some of the vital structures on one of England's best-loved rivers benefiting from a multi-million pound makeover pioneered by the Environment Agency with Natural England.

Tue, 22 Apr 2008: Development of Standards for Shrimp Farming in East Africa and Central America/Mexico Moving Forward: According to WWF, there's encouraging progress in developing responsible shrimp farming.

Fri, 18 Apr 2008: Sewage spilled into River Dee: Scottish Water and SEPA are trying to find out how four wastewater pipelines became blocked.

Thu, 17 Apr 2008: Over Half Of Guernsey's Election Candidates Want Sewage Treatment Improvements: Surfers Against Sewage continue to press Guernsey to clean up its act. 55% of Guernsey's election candidates believe the current system of dumping the island's raw sewage at sea each day to be unsatisfactory and support raising the level of sewage treatment applied. 44% of the island's election candidates go further by supporting a full (tertiary level) sewage treatment policy.

Wed, 16 Apr 2008: River Tweed on alert for parasites: Anglers and others who use the Tweed are being asked to help fight a parasite that could lead to the wipeout of the river's entire fish stocks.

Tue, 15 Apr 2008: Bill Bryson says: "Stop the Drop": Litter is getting worse and authorities not doing enough: tough anti-litter and fly-tipping campaign takes to the streets and the countryside. The President of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), author Bill Bryson, has launched Stop the Drop, the charity's major campaign against the growing blight of litter and fly-tipping in England's countryside.

Tue, 15 Apr 2008: Illegal fishers plunder Arctic waters: WWF-UK warns in a new report that Alaska pollock, a species increasingly being promoted in the UK as an alternative to overfished cod, is at threat from illegal fishing.

Tue, 15 Apr 2008: Make way JR, river cleaners are heading for Dallas: This coming Saturday, volunteers will pick up trash on the banks of the Trinity river in Dallas. Read how American cleanups differ from British ones.

Tue, 15 Apr 2008: Oh Moeritherium! Elephants came from the water: Scientists have traced the ancient amphibious relative of modern elephants.

Mon, 14 Apr 2008: Scottish Water boost for bonnie banks: A stretch of the western banks of Loch Lomond (one of Scotland's most iconic tourist attractions) is set to benefit from a GBP2m project which is due to start in the next few days.

Mon, 14 Apr 2008: Is it time for fish rations?: The Guardian's Leo Hickman asks if it really is time to stop eating fish.

Tue, 15 Apr 2008: River Soar oil spill is "worst for decades": Cleanup officers in Leicestershire say a heating oil spill will have major effects on the river.

Mon, 14 Apr 2008: Really Wild time for Thames Barrier garden visitors: TV presenter and naturalist Nick Baker will lead a bug hunt near the Thames Barrier on Thursday 17 April 2008, at 2pm, to officially open the Thames Barrier Learning Centre's new wildlife garden.

Sat, 12 Apr 2008: "No Catch" organic cod farm collapses in £40m disaster: A high-profile venture to farm organic cod ethically in Scotland has collapsed after three years.

Fri, 11 Apr 2008: Southern Water pleads guilty to sewage pollution of River Medway: Are we back in the 19th century? Another water company is fined for an unnecessary sewage spill.

Wed, 9 Apr 2008: Huge increase in flood defence spending for Yorkshire: The Environment Agency today announced a 20% increase in flood funding for the Yorkshire region, rising from £35 million last year to over £42 million for 2008/09.

Wed, 9 Apr 2008: Rush to beat paving legislation could prove disastrous for wildlife: Homeowners must spare a thought for wildlife before rushing into paving over front gardens ahead of new planning regulations, urges the RSPB. Numbers of song thrushes, house sparrows and starlings have all plummeted over the last 30 years, and the RSPB fears people who rush into paving over front gardens ahead of the permission scheme may make matters worse.

Wed, 9 Apr 2008: Northern Ireland Water under investigation: The NI Water company faces a probe over how it handled water charges.

Tue, 8 Apr 2008: Huge fine for Severn Trent Water: The Midlands water company is fined £35 million for poor service.

Tue, 8 Apr 2008: Bob Nudd at Coaching Day for Young People: The Environment Agency, with Cottenham Village College, has organised a fishing coaching day with four times World Champion Bob Nudd on 18th April at Leyland Water, Waterbeach, Cambridge.

Tue, 8 Apr 2008: Biowaste challenges and opportunities in the coming decade: Facing up to the challenges of dealing with biowastes over the next decade will need the right balance of controls and incentives to encourage the reuse of waste while protecting the environment and human health, according to the Environment Agency.

Tue, 8 Mar 2008: Forth Wars Success: Good news and a campaign victory from Scotland! Following pressure from several environmental groups, including Surfers Against Sewage, Forth Ports have made the decision not to allow Russian tankers to transfer oil in the Firth of Forth.

Mon, 7 Apr 2008: Plans for major offshore wind farm welcomed: Friends of the Earth has welcomed plans for a new wind farm off the Yorkshire Coast. The Humber Gateway wind farm will help tap into the abundant clean green energy resources we have in the UK.

Thu, 3 Apr 2008: "Eco-towns: right idea, wrong place", say CPRE: Countryside campaigners CPRE expressed deep disappointment at the Government's shortlist of proposed eco town schemes. CPRE senior planner Kate Gordon said: "Our main worry is the proposed location of many of these schemes. We fully support the Government’s aspirations for achieving the highest standards in terms of sustainability and affordability. But achieving high environmental standards on site is not enough if the development is in the wrong place to begin with."

Thu, 3 Apr 2008: Marine Bill needed for all of UK: The draft Marine Bill published today by the Government includes encouraging measures to protect our marine environment, but its effectiveness will be limited unless it is implemented throughout the UK, said experts at WWF-UK.

Tue, 1 Apr 2008: £400 fine for dumping six rubbish bags: Fly-tipping just six bags of household waste cost one Ashington resident over £400 at South East Northumberland Magistrates Court on Monday 31 March.

Tue, 1 Apr 2008: Health benefits of green spaces and tree-lined streets: Great inroads could be made into urban ill health if just a fraction of the NHS annual budget for preventative health was spent on the natural environment in our towns and cities, says Natural England.

March 2008

Mon, 31 Mar 2008: Public says Britain not yet prepared for climate change impacts: Nearly 70% of people think the UK is not prepared to deal with the potential impacts of climate change, a survey by the Environment Agency revealed today.

Mon, 31 Mar 2008: Action needed to reduce democratic deficit in regional planning: Regional planning suffers from a serious democratic deficit. If Regional Development Agencies are to have planning responsibilities from 2010 new arrangements must ensure that decisions are not left to unelected quangos. The Agencies must also evolve beyond their current focus on economic growth.

Mon, 31 Mar 2008: Sustainable homes: not just DIY: The UK's poorly insulated, energy inefficient housing stock could be easily transformed into cheaper to run, low carbon homes by the end of the next decade. But a new report by WWF-UK shows that without a radical shift in Government policy the UK is set to miss out on the biggest opportunity to cut household energy bills, and reduce CO2 emissions.

Fri, 28 Mar 2008: Fined for turning river orange: A mineral extraction company and its director have been fined for allowing a high level of sediment to enter Tongwell Brook at Newport Pagnell, turning it orange and potentially having a serious effect on the spawning ground of Dace and Barbel.

Fri, 28 Mar 2008: Otters return to Bristol city centre: Otters make a welcome return to one of Britain's busiest river cities after being driven out by pollution more than half a century ago.

Thu, 27 Mar 2008: Astraction reporting changes will 'streamline system': New rules for recording and reporting how much water is taken from rivers or underground sources by water companies and other abstractors will help better manage water resources, protect the environment and cut red tape, according to the Environment Agency.

Thu, 27 Mar 2008: Fall in UK carbon dioxide emissions welcomed: Commenting on provisional 2007 estimates of UK greenhouse gas emissions published today by the Government, Friends of the Earth's energy campaigner, Robin Webster, said; "It's good news that carbon dioxide emissions were lower in 2007 than 2006, although the suspicion is that this is down to good luck rather than good judgement. But Labour still isn't delivering the kind of climate action we need - on energy, on transport, or on housing."

Thu, 27 Mar 2008: Save River Severn boat graveyard: A marine archaeologist has launched a petition to save wrecked wooden boats along the banks of the Severn.

Thu, 27 Mar 2008: Oceans face new plastic peril: BBC reporter David Shukman describes new research showing how plastics concentrate toxins.

Wed, 26 Mar 2008: Environment Agency launches flood awareness guides: With climate change likely to increase the risk of extreme weather events and floods, the Environment Agency has launched three simple flooding guides that offer crucial advice on how to protect your home and family - before, during and after flooding.

Wed, 26 Mar 2008: New nuclear stations are "a distraction": According to Friends of the Earth's nuclear campaigner, Neil Crumpton: "The Government is misleading the public about nuclear power. A replacement nuclear programme is not an effective solution to climate change as it would only generate between 4 and 5% of our energy needs."

Wed, 26 Mar 2008: Big decline in garden birds say RSPB: The RSPB's 2008 Big Garden Birdwatch results show the average number of birds seen in each garden has declined by a fifth since 2004, however four species of finch, which spend the winter in the UK, have increased.

Wed, 26 Mar 2008: Dolphins use branches and weeds to charm opposite sex: The South American river dolphin has some unlikely courtship rituals, according to a new report in Biology Letters.

Tue, 25 Mar 2008: Ipswich flood defences get go ahead: A £40 million-plus solution to Ipswich's flood fears has moved a big step closer with the announcement by the Environment Agency that the first phase of funding is secure. A tidal surge barrier across the River Orwell is the main part of the proposals put forward by partners behind the Ipswich Flood Defence Management Strategy, including Ipswich Borough Council.

Tue, 25 Mar 2008: Water: Mexico will clean up its act: Mexico will invest in water projects to try to guarantee that at least 95% of the population has access to clean drinking water by 2012.

Tue, 25 Mar 2008: Government helps farmers who want to go organic: Defra today launched a free national information and advice service for farmers thinking of converting to organic production methods. The new advisory service will provide conventional farmers with free and impartial information and advice on the principles and mechanics of organic production to help them decide whether conversion is appropriate for their enterprise.

Sun, 23 Mar 2008: River Severn tourism bid launched: Advantage West Midlands is trying to restore tourism to areas hit by flooding in Shropshire last year.

Sat, 22 Mar 2008: Scientists find giant sea life in Antarctica: Some big new creatures have turned up in the chilly southern waters!

Fri, 21 Mar 2008: Stanley Mill to be preserved on banks of River Tay: A historic mill on the River Tay is to be preserved under new plans.

Thu, 20 Mar 2008: Fish are key to reef survival: Coral reef communities are developing strategies for coping with climate change.

Thu, 20 Mar 2008: It's World Water Day!: World Water Day 2008 will be celebrated by the UN on Thursday, 20 March. In 2008 the day will highlight issues on sanitation in accordance with the International Year of Sanitation 2008. People around the world are encouraged to celebrate the day to draw attention to the world's sanitation challenge.

Wed, 19 Mar 2008: Five miles of trees to be cut along the Thames: Campaigners are trying to stop what they say will be a hugely destructive tree felling.

Wed, 19 Mar 2008: UN Secretary General speaks about World Water Day: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reminds us of our disgraceful progress in tackling the world water crisis: "Every 20 seconds, a child dies as a result of the abysmal sanitation conditions endured by some 2.6 billion people globally. That adds up to an unconscionable 1.5 million young lives cut short by a cause we know well how to prevent. Leaders who adopted the Millennium Development Goals in 2000 envisioned halving the proportion of people living without access to basic sanitation by the year 2015, but we are nowhere near on pace to achieve that Goal. Experts predict that, by 2015, 2.1 billion people will still lack basic sanitation. At the present rate, sub-Saharan Africa will not reach the target until 2076."

Wed, 19 Mar 2008: Don't be an an Angling April Fool: remember your rod licence: Although the coarse fishing on rivers closed season started on March 15, there are still plenty of canals, stillwaters and fisheries where anglers can try their luck. But one place not to try your luck is the local magistrates court, just because you forgot to buy a new rod licence. The Environment Agency is reminding anglers licences expire on March 31.

Wed, 19 Mar 2008: New nuclear power stations move a step nearer: Nuclear regulators, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and the Environment Agency (EA), today announced that the first step of "Generic Design Assessment" (GDA) carried out on four designs submitted for new nuclear power stations had found no shortfalls at this stage - in terms of safety, security or the environment - that would prevent any of them from ultimately being constructed on licensed sites in the UK. But we still oppose the plan with our No New Nukes campaign.

Wed, 19 Mar 2008: Think, don't sink: advice for driving in a flood: Just six inches of fast-moving flood water can knock you off your feet and two feet of water can sweep a vehicle off a road. The Environment Agency has teamed up with Devon County Council and Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service to raise awareness of the dangers of driving through flood water and fords.

Wed, 19 Mar 2008: Thames Barrier: good for many years yet: The Thames Barrier will still be protecting London till at least 2030, according to experts.

Tue, 18 Mar 2008: City councillors give River Ness hydro-scheme the green light: A feasibility study to investigate re-instating a 32-year-old hydro-scheme on the River Ness, Inverness has been given the go-ahead from members of The Highland Council's Inverness City Committee. A site on the River Ness near Whin Park is the location that will be investigated for the re-instatement of a mini hydro-scheme which was decommissioned in 1976.

Tue, 18 Mar 2008: Anyone can be a green volunter: Environmental volunteering is for everyone, not just the knowledgeable few, says Natural England.

Tue, 18 Mar 2008: New Heathrow terminal is bad news, say Friends of the Earth: Green group FoE remind us of why expanding so many airports is such a bad idea.

Fri, 14 Mar 2008: Oil and gas threat to dolphins: WWF-UK is urging the government not to grant licenses for oil and gas activities in Scotland and Wales, near Britain's two main protected areas for bottlenose dolphins. "Bottlenose dolphins are a national treasure, adored by many and vital to our oceans. But their ability to feed, breed and communicate could now be seriously disturbed by sounds from oil and gas activities," said Emily Lewis-Brown, Marine Climate Change Officer at WWF-UK.

Sun, 16 Mar 2008: Melting glaciers start countdown to climate chaos: The average rate of melting and thinning of glaciers has more than doubled. Find the full report and data at the World Glacier Monitoring Service.

Wed, 12 Mar 2008: It'll be owlright on the night: An Environment Agency partnership project is proving hugely successful in increasing barn owl numbers on Yorkshire rivers. Working in partnership with the Wildlife Conservation Partnership the project has so far involved putting 44 nest boxes on poles and cutting the amount of mowing on river banks to improve the habitat for the small mammals that owls prey on.

Wed, 12 Mar 2008: So much for bottled water!: A government department charged with supplying Northern Ireland's tap water spent almost GBP180,000 on bottled water in three years. Amazing.

Wed, 12 Mar 2008: Act local on climate change: A new GBP4 million programme to help local authorities tackle climate change has been announced by Environment Minister, Phil Woolas and Local Government Minister, John Healey. The programme will spread existing best practice on climate change among local authorities, and provide training and mentoring to help them reduce emissions and adapt to the already unavoidable effects of climate change.

Tue, 11 Mar 2008: Lessons to be learnt from the best of British salmon rivers: Visitors from one of Norway's top salmon rivers are visiting north east England and the Scottish borders for four days to learn why the area has the best salmon rivers in the UK.

Tue, 11 Mar 2008: Trout in the classroom comes to North Yorkshire school: Schoolchildren at Kettlewell Primary School in North Yorkshire are getting a first hand experience of wildlife, as part of the Environment Agency's Trout in the Classroom project.

Wed, 5 Mar 2008: Children give brown trout a boost: Primary school children from Clackmannanshire and Falkirk have released trout they reared themselves into local rivers. What a great project!

Tue, 11 Mar 2008: Thousands of fish killed in Ballymartin river: There's been a major fish kill on a 12-mile stretch of the Ballymartin River and Six Mile Water in County Antrim.

Tue, 11 Mar 2008: Five nation census to save dolphins: A milestone in the protection of the world's engangered river dolphins has been achieved with the successful completion of an ambitious 13 river, five nation census of South America's river dolphins.

Tue, 11 Mar 2008: Hope for whales: WWF has welcomed signs of a willingness between pro and anti whaling nations to work together to find a way forward at an international meeting in Heathrow, London. "I'm detecting a willingness for governments at least to talk," said Dr Susan Lieberman, Director of the Global Species Programme at WWF.

Mon, 10 Mar 2008: Natural England welcomes consultation to protect marine life and scallop stocks in Falmouth Bay: Damaging fishing methods used to collect scallops has to stop in areas where they might harm habitats and species, says Natural England, at the start of Defra's consultation into closing the Fal and Helford Special Area of Conservation (SAC) to trawls and dredges

Wed, 5 Mar 2008: Antarctic cod "hibernates" for the winter: Scientists from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and the University of Birmingham have discovered an Antarctic fish species that adopts a winter survival strategy similar to hibernation.

Wed, 5 Mar 2008: A new spin on whisky and water: A secret byproduct of whisky manufacture is being used to clean up contaminated water and land.

Tue, 4 Mar 2008: Canoeist dies on the River Calder: A 37-year-old has died after becoming trapped in a weir on the Calder in West Yorkshire.

Tue, 4 Mar 2008: Environment Agency speeding boater prosecution makes waves: A speeding boater was brought to justice thanks to a partnership between the Environment Agency and Surrey Police Force, after the wash from his boat caused damage to property and potential danger to life in Summer 2007.

Tue, 4 Mar 2008: Environment Agency turns to willow spilling to protect river banks: Environment Agency teams are going back to basics and employing a traditional method known as Willow spilling, where a living screen of willow is interwoven into a lattice of soft wooden stakes along the riverbank, forming a solid mass of roots which protects the bank soil being eroded.

Tue, 4 Mar 2008: Time to clean up our act on litter: "Litter is a major environmental problem, and one that is getting worse, not better. Today's figures are a message to those bodies charged with enforcing litter laws that they need to do more to clean up their act." This was the response of Ben Stafford, Head of Campaigns at CPRE to the results of the Local Environmental Quality Survey of England for 2006/07, which shows litter getting worse.

Tue, 4 Mar 2008: Surfers Against Sewage Win 'Best Environmental Campaign' Award: Congratulations to SAS, who have won the first ever Best Environmental Campaign for their anti-marine litter campaigns (Return To Offender and No Butts on The Beach).

Tue, 4 Mar 2008: Controversial Russian oil pipeline defeated: WWF-UK is celebrating the successful culmination of four years of campaigning today, after Sakhalin Energy announced the withdrawal of its request for government backing for its controversial oil and gas project in the Russian Far East, which threatened the critically endangered Western Gray Whale with extinction.

Tue, 4 Mar 2008: Pay as you go motorway lanes will increase traffic: Commenting on Ruth Kelly's plans for extra motorway lanes, Friends of the Earth Transport Campaigner, Tony Bosworth, said: "The additional capacity will encourage more traffic, which may lead to more climate-changing pollution.It's time that UK transport policy went in a different direction."

Sun, 2 Mar 2008: The Prime Minister's green credentials are not in the bag: If the Prime Minister won't even get tough on an issue as trivial as plastic bags, what hope does he have when it comes to infinitely bigger planet-saving challenges like climate change. A thoughtful article from Andrew Rawnsley in The Observer.

Sat, 1 Mar 2008: "Enjoy life while you can": Maverick climate sage James Lovelock says it's much too late for feel-good environmentalism. But there's still much to play for in the longer term.

February 2008

Wed, 27 Feb 2008: Fishy mystery at Abbey Hulton: On Thursday 28 February 2008 Environment Agency Fisheries Officers will be helping anglers from Stoke on Trent Disabled Angling Club, Moorside Fisheries, Abbey Hulton, to solve the mystery of why they are not catching as many fish as they used to.

Wed, 27 Feb 2008: Pollution turns Chinese rivers red: China's Xinglong, Tianguan and Dongjing rivers have turned red after high levels of chemicals leaked into the water.

Tue, 26 Feb 2008: The changing face of Tomorrow's England: The face of the South East of England could change forever within 50 years if opportunities to lessen the impacts of climate change are not taken now, according to a new booklet released by green NGOs. Buckled rail lines, parched golf courses, disappearing wildlife and freak weather delivering alternating flood and drought could be part of a dramatically changed way of life illustrated in the booklet which delivers a stark but simple message: If you love England, act now to save what makes it special.

Tue, 26 Feb 2008: Farming-friendly award for wildlife-friendly farming: The RSPB has a new competition for farmers, the "Nature of Farming Award", which replaces the very successful Operation Lapwing competition that ran in previous years; the difference being, you don't have to have lapwings on your land to enter!

Tue, 26 Feb 2008: Police fees cancel Maidstone river festival: One of the country's most popular and largest free river events, Maidstone River Festival, has been cancelled. In what would have been its 29th year, the event's voluntary committee have been forced into the cancellation following a new directive that the Police now charge for attending Public Events.

Tue, 26 Feb 2008: Tidal wave of interest in London's flood defences: There's a press conference at the Thames Barrier on Tuesday 18 March 2008, between 1:30-4:30pm. This is a rare opportunity to talk to the experts at the Environment Agency and Met Office, and take a tour of the Thames Barrier. You will find out what needs to be done to protect London from flooding over the next 100 years, examining both best and worst case scenarios.

Tue, 26Feb 2008: Record salmon catch on River Tweed welcomed with caution: Over 16,000 fish were landed by rods along the river Tweed in 2007, the most since records began in 1952.

Fri, 22 Feb 2008: Environment Agency entices Brown Trout back to Witham: Volunteers from the Environment Agency and Grantham Angling Association have been improving stretches of the Upper River Witham in a bid to encourage brown trout to thrive.

Fri, 22 Feb 2008: Buglife in court to protect West Thurrock Marshes: Today will see the first legal challenge under recent wildlife protection laws. In the dock at the High Court in London will be Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation, whose decision to allow the development of West Thurrock Marshes threatens to cause irrevocable damage to populations of endangered bees, spiders and beetles.

Thu, 21 Feb 2008: Government promises "£400 million for low-carbon Britain": According to Defra: "Setting out details of Defra's 2008/09 budget settlement, Hilary Benn has announced an increase in funding for clean energy technologies, investments and enterprises to over £400 million over the next three years." So there's the usual spin: that's an increase to £400 million, not an increase of £400 million.

Tue, 19 Feb 2008: Northern Ireland water fined for sewage spill: Another water company dumps poop in our rivers. This time it was the turn of Colin Glen River and the River Lagan in Dunmurry.

Tue, 19 Feb 2008: Baby mussels disrupt Tyne ferry: Shellfish caused the cancellation of the Tyne Ferry this week.

Tue, 19 Feb 2008: Diverted river will keep its course: The Rea Brook in Shewsbury will continue to follow a new course after the Environment Agency found it improved the area.

Tue, 19 Feb 2008: Bulb growers protect River Fal estuary: A new partnership has "blossomed" between one of Cornwall's largest daffodil growers and the Environment Agency.

Tue, 19 Feb 2008: Impacts of Salmon Aquaculture Top Agenda at Dialogue Meeting in Barcelona: The Salmon Aquaculture Dialogue met in Barcelona, Spain this week to discuss new reports about escapes, siting and benthic impacts related to salmon farming.

Mon, 18 Feb 2008: Nine more shark species face extinction: More spark species are on the endangered list due to overfishing and finning.

Mon, 18 Feb 2008: Fish moved from Wedgwoods Main Lake: Environment Agency Fisheries Officers have been overseeing the successful movement of a hundred pounds of roach and bream from Wedgwoods Main Lake to restock the Top Lake in Stoke on Trent, in freezing conditions.

Fri, 15 Feb 2008: SAS's Spring Beach Cleaning At Porthtowan: Arh, spring is in the air. The sun has been doing its best and the beach is back on the list of places to go to. However, since you were last there, winter storms, big waves and strong South Westerly winds have driven millions more pieces of marine litter onto our beaches.

Thu, 14 Feb 2008: Volunteer frog detectives help to track frightful fungus: To help save England's frogs, toads and newts, amateur amphibian aficionados from across the country are being trained to track a potentially deadly disease that could have a devastating effect on amphibians.

Wed, 13 Feb 2008: True scale of shipping emissions revealed: A leaked UN report shows that international shipping accounts for 4.5 percent of global emissions of carbon dioxide.

Wed, 13 Feb 2008: Ocean Map Charts Path of Human Destruction: A stark warning published at today's meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science: "Human activity has left a mark on nearly every square kilometer of sea, severely compromising ecosystems in over 40 percent of waters."

Wed, 13 Feb 2008: Scotland in the grip of flooding misery: Are new flood defence plans too little and too late? BBC News explores above the border.

Wed, 13 Feb 2008: USA: Colorado River crisis looming: Reservoirs fed by the Colorado River could run dry within 13 years, according to a new US study.

Tue, 12 Feb 2008: New Thames River tunnel for Kent?: A business consortium called Metrotidal has submitted plans for a multi-billion pound tunnel under the Thames between Medway and Canvey Island.

Tue, 12 Feb 2008: Venetians urged to give up bottled water for Lent: The patriarch of Venice has asked Catholics to give up bottled water for Lent and give their money to water supply projects in developing countries instead.

Mon, 11 Feb 2008: Hot planet seeks solid relationship with tough Climate Change Law: Surfers Against Sewage are asking for your help this Valentine's Day: "It's your planet that's getting hotter. But you can play Cupid and cool it down before it's too late by sending a Valentines card to your local MP. We've even made the card for you."

Mon, 11 Feb 2008: Why construction work doesn't have to wreck rivers: Construction and maintenance companies who work in or near watercourses are being reminded today that pollution incidents are avoidable by careful planning.

Mon, 11 Feb 2008: Environment Agency seeks committee members in the South West: The Environment Agency is looking for new members to join two Regional Committees in the South West. Both committees are statutory and provide advice and direction, linking the Environment Agency with people affected by its work.

Fri, 8 Feb 2008: New hope for warming coral: An "ocean thermostat" could protect coral threatened by climate change, according to new research in the western Pacific Ocean.

Thu, 7 Feb 2008: Water metering needed 'sooner rather than later': The Environment Agency has welcomed publication of the Government's Water Strategy for England but said that compulsory water metering is needed sooner rather than later.

Thu, 7 Feb 2008: US Arctic oil plans threat to polar bear: WWF warns that the US government's plan to auction nearly 30 million acres of prime polar bear habitat in the Chukchi Sea in Alaska for the extraction of oil and gas is a serious threat to the lives of polar bears in the region.

Wed, 6 Feb 2008: Northern farmers invited to help save rare river species: Farmers are being asked to get involved and help to save rare species in Northumbrian rivers. As part of the process they're invited to an event on Wednesday 13 February at Wallington Hall, Cambo, Morpeth.

Wed, 6 Feb 2008: Cain Valley celebrates its community river: Llanfyllin, Llanfechain and surrounding communities of the Cain Valley in Mid Wales are embracing a new initiative to raise awareness about their local river, the Afon Cain. To help celebrate the project local children are helping to hatch Atlantic Salmon in the Llanfyllin community centre.

Wed, 6 Feb 2008: London's Low Emission Zone Welcomed: London Mayor Ken Livingstone's introduction of a capital-wide Low Emission Zone (LEZ) has been welcomed today by Friends of the Earth.

Tue, 5 Feb 2008: Living it up at the East River Spa: If luxury's your thing, you might enjoy a visit to one of London's newest riverside attractions, reviewed here in The Times.

Tue, 5 Feb 2008: WWF in Tanzania: reefs, banks and pearls: The Tanzanian president, Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete has praised WWF's coastal resources management and sustainable livelihoods programmes in the country, during his official visit to fishing villages in Kilwa to donate internationally-donated equipment.

Mon, 4 Feb 2008: Bangladeshi divers pioneer low-tech scuba: Amateur divers in Bangladesh are exploring with incredibly basic technology.

Wed, 6 Feb 2008: Government urged to help bottlenose dolphins: Cornish dolphin numbers have fallen by almost two thirds in 20 years.

Sat, 2 Feb 2008: Turning the tide for wetland in the Wash: The most important wetland site in the UK, home to waterbirds such as redshank, oystercatcher and avocet, is back in good condition for the first time in a decade marking a major environmental achievement for World Wetland Day 2008, Natural England, Eastern Sea Fisheries Joint Committee (ESFJC) and Wash fishermen have announced.

Fri, 1 Feb 2008: Hugh F-W opens salmon season on the Dee: The TV chef was first to cast off this year.

January 2008

Thu, 31 Jan 2007: Send a quick email to improve the new Bathing Water Legislation in England, Wales and Scotland: After a decade of campaigning, Surfers Against Sewage welcomed the EU's revision of the Bathing Water Directive in 2006 and now look forward to a strengthened Directive that should better protect the health of recreational water users in the UK. They need your help urgently with a special email action.

Thu, 31 Jan 2008: Caversham Lock Island to Get New Lease of Life: Caversham Lock Island will be given a new lease of life over the next few years, and Reading Borough Council and the Environment Agency are looking for a partner to help achieve this.

Thu, 31 Jan 2008: UK still cooking emissions books: The British government continues to insist emissions are falling and even goes so far as to claim: "The economy grew another 2.9 per cent in 2006, meaning that the UK is continuing to break the historic link between economic growth and growth in emissions." Maybe the fact that we're exporting more and more manufacturing to China could have something to do with it? A report late last year by Dieter Helm found more unreported emissions.

Tue, 29 Jan 2008: Special project aims to put the sparkle back into the River Clyst: Its name means 'clear', but in recent years the River Clyst has been anything but clean and clear. Monitoring by the Environment Agency has revealed a disturbing loss of wildlife and decline in fish numbers in this important Devon river.

Tue, 29 Jan 2008: Why has the River Deer turned orange?: The Environment Agency is investigating a mystery colouring of the Devon river.

Tue, 29 Jan 2008: Rare fish are good news for Cornish rivers: Some rare fish have turned up in Cornish estuaries.

Mon, 28 Jan 2008: Bangladesh dolphins at risk: The majestic dolphins of Bangladesh are under threat from over-fishing, a shortage of prey, pollution and declining freshwater supplies.

Mon, 28 Jan 2008: Greenpeace whale protest runs out of steam: The BBC's aptly named Jonah Fisher has been posting a month-long diary of his voyage with the whale watchers.

Tue, 29 Jan 2008: We must avoid sacrificing our countryside to fuel our cars: We must do what we can to address climate change responsibly. But rigid targets for biofuels could put the car before the harvest. This was CPRE's reaction to Government announcement on the proposed targets the UK has been set for biofuels as part of the EU's plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Thu, 24 Jan 2008: Greenpeace whale protest runs out of steam: WWF applauds the Cuban government's decision to ban the hunting of all marine turtle species and products from its beaches and seas for an indefinite period.

Wed, 23 Jan 2008: China will divert Yellow River for Olympics: No country is messing with its rivers quite so much as China, which has just announced a massive diversion of the Yellow River toward Beijing to boost supplies for the Olympic games.

Wed, 23 Jan 2008: WWF critical of EU's draft law on climate change: WWF is critical of the European Commission draft laws to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Europe by only 20% per cent by 2020, compared to 1990 levels. WWF believes that the target could have been more ambitious and should have aimed at a 30% reduction, in line with what was decided at the European Council of March 2007 and with the EU's objective of keeping global average temperature from rising by more than two degrees.

Wed, 23 Jan 2008: Pond weed threat to broads: The Broads Authority and Environment Agency need the public's help in reporting invasive garden pond plants which are threatening to choke the Broads waterways.

Wed, 23 Jan 2008: Natural England says it's time to sink or swim to save our seas: On the fifth anniversary of Lundy (England's only Marine Nature Reserve and "No Take Zone") Natural England has published the views of national and international marine experts and scientists who believe that political will and leadership is key to safeguarding life beneath our waves through a network of sites like Lundy.

Wed, 23 Jan 2008: Fingers pointed over Manx scallops: A Manx minister who pointed out a superabundance of scallops defends his actions now the bed has been plundered by fishing boats.

Mon, 21 Jan 2008: England's neglected heathlands: The poor condition of lowland heathland across England is putting stone curlews, nightjars and sand lizards and other endangered species of animals and plants in even greater danger of extinction, warns Natural England.

Mon, 21 Jan 2008: Beach Litter returned to source in Holland by SAS: A Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) campaigner has returned to Cornwall from the Netherlands having shown a Dutch Shipping Company the medical bags that SAS believe were lost from their boat the MV Endeavor and which have been washing up on Cornish and Devon beaches throughout January.

Mon, 21 Jan 2008: 4shores project to create more wildlife habitat: Almost 100 metres of floodbank is about to removed from the coastal defences at Alnmouth as work begins on Phase 2 of the 4shores project. From 28 January, the defences one mile north of Alnmouth, upstream of Duchess bridge will be taken down. This will allow high tides to flood into six fields covering some 40 hectares which nature will reclaim to create natural flood defences such as saltmarsh.

Thu, 17 Jan 2008: China: Drought hits the Yangtze: Parts of the River Yangtze are at their lowest level for 142 years.

Wed, 16 Jan 2008: Fears of new floods in Oxford: The university city is just one of the places in the UK braced for a possible repeat of last year's flooding.

Wed, 16 Jan 2008: Fishing boats win new access to Helford River: Fishing boats will have a new jetty and access road on the Lizard Peninsula after a 20-year battle with conservationists.

Mon, 14 Jan 2008: Sea Shepherd Crew Remain Hostages On The Japanese Whaling Ship: Two anti-whaling activists, Sea Shepherd crew members Giles Lane from the U.K. and Benjamin Potts from Australia, remain hostages on a Japanese whaling vessel they boarded as part of a protest.

Wed, 16 Jan 2008: Climate change has growing impact on UK coasts: The latest findings of the Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership (MCCIP) point to ever-more violent seas causing coastal erosion and flooding.

Wed, 16 Jan 2008: Write to your MP on Ship-to-Ship oil transfers: Surfers Against Sewage are supporting a Private Member's Bill, introduced by Edinburgh MP Mark Lazarowicz, which will require the Secretary of State for Transport to introduce regulations governing the transfer of cargos at sea, including oil. Importantly, the Private Member's Bill also specifies that ship-to-ship transfers must meet environmental protection standards, and be treated in the same way as ship-to-shore operations.

Tue, 15 Jan 2008: Anglers urged to help River Tay salmon: Release the first fish you catch to increase the number of fish that can spawn, The Tay District Salmon Fisheries Board is asking.

Tue, 15 Jan 2008: UK braced for flooding: Strong winds and heavy rains are prompting fears of more floods. The Environment Agency website has the latest flood warnings in force.

Mon, 14 Jan 2008: Defra publishes public attitudes research: Defra has today published a framework to encourage environmentally friendly behaviour among individuals and communities. The report pulls together evidence on public understanding, attitudes and behaviours and draws conclusions on the potential for behaviour change among members of the public.

Mon, 14 Jan 2008: Turtles' endangered status is an advantage to traders: An increasing demand for exotic freshwater turtles and tortoises in South-east Asia is fuelling rampant illegal trade in the pet markets of Indonesia, according to a report released by TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, a joint initiative between WWF and IUCN.

Thu, 10 Jan 2008: Watch out for wind-blown turtles: The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is urging British beach walkers to look out for stranded marine turtles after three of the endangered reptiles washed up on beaches in Wales and Scotland since the end of December. Strong south-westerly winds forecast for Scotland, Wales and the South West this week may bring in more turtles, which, if found alive, can be rescued and rehabilitated back to full health.

Wed, 9 Jan 2008: Flood forum does good work: The National Flood Forum continues to help communities recover from the trauma of flooding. Forthcoming sessions include one in Newbury, West Berkshire, whose flood risk has increased significantly following the construction of the controversial (and unnecessary) bypass across the River Kennet floodplain in the mid-1990s.

Wed, 9 Jan 2008: What do you think of the proposed new marine havens?: Government advisers have started a public consultation about seven new proposed marine special areas of conservation (SACs). Note how tiny they are.

Wed, 9 Jan 2008: Can you solve climate change?: The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) is launching the Big Green Challenge, a competition to encourage people across the UK to think of practical idea to tackle climate change. Or rather, practical ideas to stop our politicians climate change even worse with all their new roads, airports, housing developments, and nuclear power stations.

Wed, 9 Jan 2008: Ship to shore: SAS return beach litter: Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) campaigners spent yesterday afternoon recovering 80 Baxters medical bags that have been washing up at Sennen Cove, Cornwall. The bags have also been reported on beaches on the Isles of Scilly, Marazion and Flushing, near Falmouth. The bags will be returned to their owners in protest.

Wed, 2 Jan 2008: USA: Gordon County river groups warn of river damage : Two community groups in Gordon County are holding clean water workshops to draw attention to the effects of constuction work on their rivers.

Tue, 8 Jan 2008: Online survey to look at future of North East salmon stocks: As the start of the new salmon fishing season approaches on 1 February fisheries experts are asking anglers to go online and tell them about the main issues affecting salmon in Northumberland and County Durham rivers.

Tue, 8 Jan 2007: Brecon village aims for carbon neutral: Residents and villagers in Talybont-on-Usk near Brecon are measuring their emissions in a bid to make their entire community carbon neutral.

Tue, 8 Jan 2008: North Devon and Somerset coastline: have your say on coastal flood and erosion risk: People who live along the North Devon and Somerset coastline between Hartland Point and Weston-super-Mare are invited to take part as stakeholders in a public consultation on the future of shoreline management in the area. The Environment Agency is running the consultation on behalf of the North Devon and Somerset Coastal Authorities Group (NDASCAG).

Tue, 8 Jan 2008: New look Abbey Weir unveiling: A new scheme to improve the ecology and sustainability of the River Tavy is to be officially opened by the Mayor of Tavistock at 11am on Friday 11 January. The River Tavy is a key habitat for migrating salmon and is protected by a salmon action plan, which helps the Environment Agency decide how best to boost fish numbers. The Tavy feeds Mary Tavy and Morwellham hydro power stations, two of South West Water's most productive sources of green renewable energy in the region.

Sun, 6 Jan 2008: 1.8 million hits, 310,000 pages, 151,163 people: The numbers are in. Almost a decade old now, our website gets a little bit more popular each year. By the end of 2007, we were knocking on the door of 2 million hits a year from over 150,000 "unique visitors" a year. We like to think that the 150,000 people who visited our website in 2007 like rivers a little bit more than they did before and have a few more reasons to help us look after them. Please spread the word about our website and help us do even better in 2008.

Thu, 3 Jan 2008: Garden waste: recycle it -- don't dump it: The Alnwick Garden recycles its organic waste by creating compost and appeals to other people to do the same. This plea came from The Duchess of Northumberland, who has given her support to the Environment Agency's long-running "Dump-it and Leg-it" anti fly-tipping campaign.

Thu, 3 Jan 2008: New River Tyne bridge attracts cyclists: Around 90,000 people a year are using a new cycle bridge over the Tyne in Gateshead.

Thu, 3 Jan 2008: Cotswold Company furnished with a fine for not recycling: Leading furniture retailer, The Cotswold Company, has had to pay GBP18,464 after failing to recover and recycle more than 320 tons of packaging waste.

Thu, 3 Jan 2008: River Thames gets new speed limit: The Port of London Authority (PLA) has set a top speed of 12 knots for passenger vessels operating near Greenwich and in central London.

Wed, 2 Jan 2008: Japan: Salmon under threat from global warming: New reports suggest salmon could vanish from warming Japanese rivers by the end of this century.

Wed, 2 Jan 2008: Otters upset Anglian anglers: Most people like the idea of otter reintroduction, but anglers are having their doubts.

Tue, 1 Jan 2008: 2008 is International Year of Sanitation: It's a seemingly mundane thing that most people in the developed world take for granted. But at least 2.6 billion people (some 41 percent of the global population) do not have access to latrines or any sort of basic sanitation facilities. As a result millions suffer from a wide range of preventable illnesses, such as diarrhoea, which claim thousands of lives each day, primarily young children.