News stories from 2010

Last updated: 23 July 2010.

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 title of the story and pasting it into Google.

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July 2010

Sat, 17 July 2010: National Fishing Month begins (17 July-15 August)!: There are events happening all over the country for anglers. If you've always fancied trying out the sport, there's never been a better opportunity.

Sat, 17 July 2010: Anglers worry over dwindling rivers: Scottish salmon rivers are disappointing anglers this year, with water levels at their lowest since the 1970s.

Sat, 17 July 2010: Get hooked on fishing this summer!: The Environment Agency is promoting fishing at "get hooked" taster days in Devon and Cornwall over the next few weeks.

Sat, 17 July 2010: Bristol bus users learn wildlife through the window: What a great idea! Avon Wildlife Trust (AWT) is creating a new way for urban people to get closer to nature by launching Britain's first free-to-download podcast introducing bus passengers to the nature points of interest along their route.

Fri, 16 July 2010: Concerns over Christo's river-wrap: Artist Christo's plan to wrap the Arkansas River in cloth are raising eyebrows in the United States, with mounting concerns over the impact on traffic and wildlife.

Sat, 17 July 2010: Was Cameron ever really green?: The Independent's Johann Hari asks whether David Cameron ever sincerely cared about green issues.

Thu, 15 July 2010: How climate change is changing our seas: Rising sea levels and warmer temperatures are just two of the marine impacts of climate change in the UK, a new report from the Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership (MCCIP) explains.

Sun, 11 July 2010: Wild swimmers celebrate the River Witham!: The Outdoor Swimming Society has just celebrated the cleanliness of Lincolnshire's River Witham with a mass swim.

Sun, 11 July 2010: Warming world: hottest June on record: The US NOAA has released the latest signs of the world's warming climate: "This was the 304th consecutive month with a global temperature above the 20th century average."

Mon, 5 July 2010: River Kennet is being overabstracted say ARK: In a long-running campaign, Action for the River Kennet (Ark) have been keeping up the pressure on Thames Water over excessive rates of abstraction to support Wiltshire conurbations like Swindon.

Sat, 3 July 2010: Welsh water shortages cause concern: Welsh Water says changes in lifestyle are taking their toll on reservoirs, now only about 72 percent full following prolonged dry weather.

Fri, 9 July 2010: RSPB says "water your wildlife": We all understand the concepts of drought, water shortages and hosepipe bans. But the thirsty creatures in our gardens are not so au fait with these issues and still need our help being hydrated this summer. The RSPB is urging everyone to ensure they continue to provide fresh water for garden birds and other wildlife, and keep lawns, trees and shrubs green and lush so they provide insect food.

Fri, 9 July 2010: Sibelco fined for polluting Devon stream: Sibelco UK has been fined seven thousand pounds for allowing quarry runoff to pollute Smallhanger Brook near Plymouth.

Fri, 9 July 2010: Wading birds find west Dorset haven: There is cause for celebration at a west Dorset nature reserve, with news of the first ringed plovers to breed in the area.

Fri, 9 July 2010: Lord Redesdale declares war on Ofwat: Lord Rupert Redesdale, a Lib Dem peer, has declared he will "go for the throat of Ofwat as an organisation and very much hope to get rid of it by the end of the year". Speaking to the Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas 2010 exhibition, he criticised the organization's approach to sustainability and tackling climate change.

Thu, 8 July 2010: Environment Agency slammed by National Audit Office: The Environment Agency's approach to tackling diffuse water pollution, such as run-off from agricultural land and roads, has not, to date, proved value for money, according to a report published today by the National Audit Office. According to the new report, "Tackling diffuse water pollution in England", the annual expenditure of £8 million has, to date, had little impact.

Thu, 8 July 2010: Rivers in Devon and Cornwall are drying up: Lack of rainfall has put river levels in parts of the South West at their lowest for 15 years, according to the Met Office.

Thu, 8 July 2010: Student water competition a success: An educational project sponsored by Southern Water and the Design Council to encourage students to identify ways of converving water has been hailed as a great success and should be extended nationally.

Tue, 6 July 2010: Government aims to stop misleading eco-claims: Defra has today published research on claims about environmental performance on products and packaging. The research examined the number and types of claims being made. Environment Minister Lord Henley said: "Marketing and packaging increasingly tell us about the environmental credentials of everything from washing powder to cars. While it's good news that manufacturers are trying to reduce the environmental impact of their products, as consumers we need to know that the claims being made are not misleading, otherwise we will stop using our purchasing power to do the right thing."

Tue, 6 July 2010: Urban wildlife and green spaces get £5.8 million boost: Thanks to new grants from the Access to Nature programme, thousands of people in towns and cities all over England will have the chance to improve green spaces in their area and get closer to nature on their doorsteps. The 29 new projects will work at the heart of communities to provide a host of volunteering opportunities, conservation training, events and group activities, as well as the improvement of often under-used and derelict land in our inner cities.

Fri, 25 June 2010: 60% see bottled water as money down the drain: A new survey by YouGov has found that 60 percent of adults see bottled water as a waste of money, while 71 percent think tap water is just as clean.

Sat, 3 July 2010: Dolphin superpod spotted off Skye: A boatload of eco tourists have spotted a "superpod" of perhaps 1000 dolphins off the north coast of Skye.

Sat, 3 July 2010: Plymouth Blue Mile is a big success!: A one-mile race to highlight threats to the marine world was held in Plymouth this weekend in what organisers hope will be an annual event. Hundreds of swimmers, paddlers, and other competitors raced to cover a mile as fast as they could.

Fri, 2 July 2010: RSPB: North West drought now hitting wildlife: RSPB wetland reserves near the River Dee and the Ribble are suffering from parched conditions and there are warnings that the wildlife they support could suffer unless substantial rain comes soon.

Thu, 1 July 2010: Fish rescued from drying Welsh rivers: After seriously low levels of rainfall in June, Welsh rivers are already proving a challenge for fish.

Fri, 2 July 2010: WWF: Climate target achievable, but only just: The UK's Committee on Climate Change (the government's advisory body on global warming) has concluded that a big step change in policies is needed if the UK is to hit its legal emissions targets under the Climate Change Act. But it says a 42% carbon cut can be achieved by 2020, and WWF is urging the government to adopt this target so the UK can lead the way internationally.

June 2010

Tue, 29 June 2010: Fin porpoises in peril: The rare toothless whales seem to be at greater risk of extincytion than previously supposed, BBC News reports.

Tue, 29 June 2010: Check your flood risk online: The Environment Agency is publishing flood risk data online for over 400 sites in the Thames Valley.

Tue, 29 June 2010: Pay-as-you-go flood protection on the way?: The Environment Agency has suggested local people will need to pay for anti-flood schemes in their areas to cover a shortfall in funding.

Sat, 26 June 2010: Species for the people: name Britain's forgotten wildlife: A host of seemingly forgotten species exist in Britain but many are disappearing fast. Known only to scientists and saddled with obscure Latin names, they lack the common touch and their decline is going unnoticed as a result.

Wed, 23 June 2010: Huge surge in hydropower schemes: Lots more people are making power from rivers, with 31 new licences granted last year alone.

Sat, 26 June 2010: River events for July... and festivals thrive!: Here's our usual monthly roundup of forthcoming UK river events for July, including lots of river festivals in Evesham, Kingston, York, Bedford, Glasgow, Hampshire, and Maidstone, among other places.

Fri, 25 June 2010: Tensions rise over the Nile (again): Journalists are talking up water wars again, which doesn't do much to calm international tensions over dwindling water resources.

Fri, 25 June 2010: Why is there now a hosepipe ban in the North West?: A few months ago, flooded north-west rivers were knocking down bridges; now there'a a hosepipe ban. BBC News magazine writer Elena Egawhary ponders what's happened.

Fri, 25 June 2010: Anglers delight in the start of the season: According to the Angling Time, there have already been some good catches of chub, bream, and barbel as the new coarse fishing season kicks off.

Fri, 25 June 2010: RSPB: Restoring peatlands plays a critical role in reducing carbon emissions: A new report highlights the climate change benefits of work to protect and restore peatbogs in the UK.

Mon, 21 June 2010: It's National Insect Week (21-27 June): National Insect Week (21st to the 27th June, 2010) is organised by the Royal Entomological Society and is supported by Buglife any many other organisations. It is a great way to get interested in insects and to find out how diverse they can be, even in your own garden.

Mon, 21 June 2010: Love insects? Become an entomologist!: The Natural History Museum is using National Insect Week to boost recruitment of future bug hunters!

Mon, 21 June 2010: Drought hit North West asks for more water: United Utilities wants to increase abstraction from rivers and lakes as water levels fall in north-west England, but things don't look too bad elsewhere, so far, according to the Environment Agency.

Mon, 21 June 2010: Lake investment will encourage fish: A new, community-sponsored safe channel near the River Greta is designed to encourage Atlantic salmon, brown trout, eels, and other much needed fish life.

Fri, 18 June 2010: Vandals tip 2000 litres of diesel into the River Almond: The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) is investigating the major pollution incident.

Sun, 20 June 2010: North west rivers and lakes face drought: A run of sorry bad luck continues for Cumbria and the northwest, with news that lakes and rivers are drier than they've been since the 1960s.

Sun, 20 June 2010: Scotland is the new dirty man of Europe: It's official: Scottish beaches are ruined by sewage and other crap.

Fri, 18 June 2010: Hand-drawn maps of London rivers: Thanks to The Londonist (the quirky little London website) for this pointer to John Richardson's lovely maps of London rivers.

Fri, 18 June 2010: The return of the water vole: "Ratty", as the newspapers insist on calling the water vole, is beginning to thrive again in some of our rivers.

Thu, 17 June 2010: How to save water in your garden: As hosepipe bans loom on the horizon, the National Trust reminds us of easy ways to cut water waste in this handy little video guide.

Wed, 16 June 2010: How much water do you waste?: The Energy Saving Trust has an easy-to-use online calculator that will scare you! I'm a water-saving fanatic and even my use came to 30536 litres per year. And that doesn't include all the water in the products and food I buy...

Wed, 16 June 2010: Coarse fishing kicks off!: Anglers across the country are dusting off their tackle for the start of the coarse fishing season on rivers beginning Wednesday 16 June.

Wed, 16 June 2010: New survey of Severn fish stocks: To coincide with the start of open season, the Environment Agency has started a new survey of coarse fish populations in the River Severn between Shrewsbury and Bewdley.

Wed, 16 June 2010: Coalition announces nuclear fudge: The new coalition government will smooth the planning process for nuclear power plants, but not actually subsidize them (or so it says now).

Mon, 14 June 2010: New interactive map of the Celtic Sea launched: The PISCES project has launched a new map to improve how people share their use of the Celtic Sea.

Mon, 14 June 2010: Environment Agency welcomes news of Shad sightings: Environment Agency Wales is calling for help in recording populations of a rare and threatened fish species that appears to be flocking to three Welsh rivers this year.

Mon, 14 June 2010: Afon Ogwen biodiversity set to thrive after river's return to near natural condition: Environment Agency Wales has helped restore the Afon Ogwen to a near natural condition, transforming the habitat to benefit amongst others salmon, otters and water voles.

Mon, 14 June 2010: River Tame fish deaths probe: Hundreds of fish have been killed in the Greater Manchester river.

Mon, 14 June 2010: Eagle project gets the chop: An expensive plan to reintroduce sea eagles to the south of England has fallen victim to government cuts.

Mon, 14 June 2010: 20 years of surfing the sewage: SAS celebrates two decades of busting filth!

Mon, 14 June 2010: My shark's got no nose. How does he smell?: A hammerhead shark from the Natural History Museum is helping scientists to investigate how sharks smell their prey.

Sat, 12 June 2010: Worrying news on migrant birds: The RSPB's summer wildlife survey, Make Your Nature Count, has revealed some worrying results among summer migrant birds in its first few days. Experts monitoring the initial bird results believe the numbers of house martins being recorded are low, with less than 5% of houses having nests. Surveys in 2002 and 2005 found house martins on 6% and 7% of houses respectively.

Sat, 12 June 2010: Save water this week!: It's Water Saving Week and WWF is making it easier for people to save water at home. If everyone pledges to change the way they use water, it will preserve natural resources, reduce carbon emissions, and save everyone money!

Sat, 12 June 2010: Fighting river blindness: Rivers bring pleasure to many; to others they bring the curse of river blindness: the second-largest cause of preventable blindness, worldwide.

Fri, 4 June 2010: Greenpeace boats sunk as environmentalists attempt to save endangered bluefin tuna: Greenpeace campaigners attempted to free endangered bluefin tuna from a fishing net in the Mediterranean Sea this week. Using high-speed inflatable boats, they tried to manoeuvre the net to allow the fish, some of the last remaining bluefin in the ocean, to escape.

Sun, 6 June 2010: Halycon River Diaries Part 4: It's, unfortunately, the final part of this glorious series about a family's efforts to study the wildlife in their local river. Well done to the BBC for its second superb series on British rivers in less than a year.

Sun, 6 June 2010: Relocating wildlife for the London Gateway: The Independent's Sarah Morrison gushes about a huge project to relocate water voles and other wildlife for a new container port on the Thames. There's lots of repetition of PR-company facts and figures and not a lot of questioning of whether it's a good idea or how likely it is to succeed.

Sun, 6 June 2010: Climate South West: 7-11th June: Climate SouthWest (formerly the South West Climate Change Impacts Partnership), a regional partnership, is holding its annual 'Adapting to Climate Change' week from 7th -11th June 2010, featuring a wealth of events to celebrate some of the great work that has been going on in the region, as well as further raise awareness of the impacts of climate change and support actions that can help the region be more resilient.

Sat, 5 June 2010: Award for River Lambourn wildlife project: A huge injection of cash will enable the River Lambourn Community Project to promote river education in and around Newbury.

Thu, 3 June 2010: WWF highlights estuaries on World Environment Day: 5 June is World Environment Day. This year, WWF is using the event to focus attention on the health of estuaries with a new World Estuaries Alliance to step up the protection.

Thu, 3 June 2010: South West Water completes 20-year beach cleanup: South West Water claims its "Operation Clean Sweep" has hugely improved water quality at beaches across the region.

Thu, 3 June 2010: Last call for school wildlife gardens!: Natural England is working with schools to encourage wildlife friendly gardening this Summer with the Big Wildlife Garden - a budding wildlife friendly gardening website. Since the website's launch in September 2009 it has reached over 30,000 children from over 1,000 schools, getting kids outdoors and creating wildlife friendly gardens across the country.

Thu, 3 June 2010: Young wins award for eco-friendly fish: According to this press release from Defra, Young's the fish producer, part of Findus group, was yesterday announced as the winner of the European Business Awards for the Environment for their "Fish for Life" programme for sustainably sourcing fish for their range of products.

Thu, 3 June 2010: America's Most Endangered Rivers 2010: Each year since 1986, American Rivers has released its "America's Most Endangered Rivers" report to spotlight the nation's ten most imperiled rivers.

Tue, 1 June 2010: Exotic pets are ruining our rivers: The Telegraph reports on havoc caused by turtles, terrapins, and other unwanted pets being released into rivers.

May 2010

Sun, 30 May 2010: Halycon River Diaries Part 3: In the third episode of this excellent BBC series, Charlie and Fred find out just how tough life on the river can be when they take possession of an injured baby kingfisher.

Sun, 30 May 2010: BP fails to stop Gulf oil flow: Time for a rethink as BP admits its latest attempt to halt oil flowing into the Gulf of Mexio has failed.

Fri, 28 May 2010: Agency targets Thames boat pollution: Fourteen locks along the Thames are being targetted in an attempt to reduce pollution from boats.

Fri, 28 May 2010: RSPB takes to the streets: The RSPB's Love Nature Week will run from 29th May-5th June and call on members of the public to donate money to raise funds for wildlife all over the UK. The collection is the biggest street fundraising endeavour undertaken by the RSPB and the wildlife charity has asked for people to volunteer just two hours of their time to collect donations to help save threatened creatures and the places they live.

Fri, 28 May 2010: Otters left dead after illegal fishing on nature reserve: Two otters have been left dead after anglers illegally fixed nets in an Environment Agency nature reserve and in the River Hull.

Fri, 28 May 2010: The trashboat adventure: Ever thought about building yourself a little boat from reclaimed junk and rowing it 130 miles up the Thames? Well...

Fri, 28 May 2010: Giant hogweed blitz in Wales: Teams of sprayers are blitzing hogweed on the Lower River Usk from Crickhowell to Newport in Wales.

Fri, 28 May 2010: One year of Scottish beavers: A year ago, Scotland's first wild beavers for over 400 years were released into Knapdale Forest, Mid-Argyll. This marked the start of the Scottish Beaver Trial, a five-year time-limited trial reintroduction and a partnership project between the Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT), the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) and host Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS).

Wed, 26 May 2010: Europe could act over CSO pollution: The European Court of Justice is the latest battleground over sewage discharges from CSO pipes. Britain could find itself in the dock in a matter of weeks.

Wed, 26 May 2010: Drought fear for northern rivers: Seen much rain recently? Thought not. Now there are fears rivers could reach drought status within weeks.

Sun, 23 May 2010: Halycon River Diaries Part 2: Don't forget to catch up the second part of this lovely BBC series!

Sun, 23 May 2010: Thousands of sewage spills pollute beaches: The Sunday Times has done a big piece on this recurring scandal, championed for years by Surfers Against Sewage.

Sat, 22 May 2010: Activities mark biodiversity day: Lots of things have been happening around the country to mark International Biodiversity Day.

Sat, 22 May 2010: Cleaning up the River Ancholme: The River Ancholme in Brigg is currently receiving a make-over in preparation for a busy weekend of activity in the town. Staff from the Environment Agency are removing weeds, bushes and tree growth from the Old Brewery wharf in the centre of the town. The work is taking place to support Brigg Spring Clean weekend which is taking place in the town on Saturday and Sunday.

Sat, 22 May 2010: Action to tackle declining fish on the River Medway: A series of new fish passes on the Medway should make ti easier for salmon and sea trout to swim upstream and spawn.

Sat, 22 May 2010: Guernsey beaches are still poor: Three of Guernsey's beaches have been rated poor for water quality.

Fri, 21 May 2010: Salmon numbers to increase on the River Mole as massive weir is removed: In the first project of its kind in the south west, salmon and sea trout will soon be free to swim up the whole of the River Mole in North Devon. The Environment Agency and Westcountry Rivers Trust have joined forces with anglers and riparian owners to demolish a massive concrete weir at the Kingsnympton Park Estate. Its removal will give migratory fish access to the top of the river and its tributaries.

Thu, 20 May 2010: Kids want to grow their own!: New research commissioned by the National Trust has hit upon what might be the perfect way to get children to eat more fruit and veg: letting them grow it themselves. Frustrated parents everywhere will take heart from the findings which reveal that 72 per cent of children in the UK would like their own space to grow fruit and vegetables and, outside London, 63 per cent of children would rather eat fruit and vegetables they have grown themselves than buy them from a supermarket.

Thu, 20 May 2010: Time To Save Salford's Rainforests!: Controversial plans to extend the peat extraction license at Chat Moss in Salford have been criticised by the Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside, who are calling on people to send letters of objection to Salford City Council. Mosslands like Chat Moss are incredibly important, because the peat stores huge amounts of carbon, helping to fight climate change, while the habitat also provides a home for a host of amazing plants and wildlife.

Thu, 20 May 2010: Latest UK biodiversity indicators: Defra has just published an updated overview of biodiversity in the UK, which provides an insight into the health of our natural environment. This link will download a short report of the latest indicators in PDF format.

Mon, 10 May 2010: Why biodiversity matters: Pro Chris Baines and the RSPB's Mark Avery discuss why biodiversity matters for the future of the planet in this extract from the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

Sun, 16 May 2010: Halcyon River Diaries: A promising new series from BBC One: "Filmed and produced by award-winning wildlife cameraman Charlie Hamilton James, it is an intimate look at the wildlife of a typical English river, as seen through the eyes of a family who live beside it and love it."

Sat, 15 May 2010: Cambodian rivers are being dredged to death: TIME magazine explores why rising exports of sand from Cambodia to Singapore are placing the country's rivers in peril.

Fri, 14 May 2010: Yorkshire gets thousands more eels: Around 50,000 European eels are being released into the Dearne Valley washlands in an attempt to reverse an estimated 95 percent decline in the species.

Thu, 13 May 2010: Climate change is hitting lizards: Will lizards survive in a warming world? Scientists are seriously concerned.

Thu, 13 May 2010: Spawning new opportunities for sea trout on Cambridgeshire river: The Environment Agency has recently completed work to improve the habitat on the River Welland, near Peterborough, as part of the River Welland Sea Trout Project.

Thu, 13 May 2010: Tensions rise over sharing the Nile: Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Ethiopia want a bigger share of the Nile's waters, a move Egypt and Sudan bitterly oppose.

Wed, 12 May 2010: Giant Battersea frogs launch OPAL Water Survey: Giant frogs and dragonflies covered Battersea Power Station in London last night for the launch of the OPAL Water Survey, a national initiative to get people to explore England's lakes and ponds, collecting valuable scientific information along the way.

Tue, 11 May 2010: Balfour Beatty and United Utilities weigh into the Tyne: Twenty volunteers from the two companies have tackled rubbish on the River Tyne this week, as part of the Clean Tyne Project.

Tue, 11 May 2010: Abingdon carbon cutters plan Thames hydropower: A group of green-minded Oxfordshire residents want to make power for 200 homes from the River Thames.

Tue, 11 May 2010: Boosting the beavers: An additional breeding pair of two beavers, one male and one female, has now been released into the wild in Scotland as part of the Scottish Beaver Trial (SBT).

Sun, 9 May 2010: Can I swim in that river?: That's a question I ask myself everytime I sit by the water. Daniel Start's website is a good place to... start!

Sun, 9 May 2010: The dying River Jordan: Abstraction, pollution, and a general lack of care are destroying one of the world's greatest rivers.

Sun, 9 May 2010: Why cabbies are mucking in to save the Ganga: How long before British cabbies follow their example? Don't hold your breath!

Sat, 8 May 2010: Guernsey saves water with new pumping station: Water conservation is the new name of the game, according to Guernsey Water.

Sat, 8 May 2010: WWF: Gulf accident means all drilling should stop: With new oil exploration set to start in the Arctic in July, WWF is pushing for a halt to all drilling until we understand what went wrong in the Gulf of Mexico.

Wed, 5 May 2010: Hung parliament means climate opportunity: The environment came off badly in the election, but may do better in a parliament where politicians have to cooperate.

Wed, 5 May 2010: Fishermen have to work 17 times harder: Plummeting fish stocks mean British fishing fleets are working much harder than sail-powered fleets in the 19th century.

Tue, 4 May 2010: Worldwide biodiversity decline continues: Biodiversity years and other initiatives are great, but the outlook remains bleak.

Tue, 4 May 2010: Toxic household chemicals still a problem: Leo Hickman finds out why toxic chemicals are mentioned less often, with help from the Greenpeace Labs in Exeter.

Sat, 1 May 2010: River events for May 2010: Lots of walks, talks, balsam busts and cleanups happening all over the country this month. Check out our events diary and please, as usual, feel free to add any more events of your own.

Sat, 1 May 2010: Hundreds of fish die on the River Chelt: The Environment Agency is investigating the deaths of over 300 fish (including trout and bullhead) in Cheltenham.

Sat, 1 May 2010: Help Buglife fight pesticides before 4th May!: Buglife, the UK's champions of insect life, are urging us to join in a consulation on pesticide use in the next few days.

April 2010

Fri, 30 Apr 2010: Celebrating fossils on the Dorset coast: Lyme Regis has walks, talks, and all kinds of events celebrating fossils this weekend.

Fri, 30 Apr 2010: Water voles turn carnivorous: Sacrebleu! Voles on the Kennet and Avon canal have started nibbling on frogs legs, apparently.

Fri, 30 Apr 2010: Cloud computing under a cloud: More suggestions that cloud computing has huge, hidden environmental impacts.

Thu, 29 Apr 2010: Northern Ireland's resounding rivers: A new project aims to shed light on rivers hidden under the streets of Belfast.

Thu, 29 Apr 2010: Field crickets find a new home: According to RSPB, conservationists are reintroducing one of the UK's rarest insect species to areas of newly created heathland.

Thu, 29 Apr 2010: Thriving voles and good news for owls: A big rise in Northumberland vole numbers has proved a boost for owls too.

Thu, 29 Apr 2010: UK rivers are drying out, new report suggests: WWF's new report, "Riverside Tales", suggests some of Britain's rivers are under serious threat.

Sun, 25 Apr 2010: The Great River Elbe nuclear protest: Germans do protests in style: 100,000 people have chained themselves symbolically along the Elbe to protect against the state's nuclear energy plans.

Sun, 25 Apr 2010: Move over Jaws, it's River Monsters!: A great preview of Jeremy Wade's monstrous new TV series. Someone import it into the UK, please.

Thu, 22 Apr 2010: Southern Water will charge more in summer: A slightly old story this, but better late than never: another water company has announced it will charge more in summer when water is scarce.

Thu, 22 Apr 2010: Why Amazon hydro is not the answer to climate change: In this letter to the Financial Times, Aviva Imhof from International Rivers spears the argument that Amazon hydropower is a better option than coal.

Wed, 21 Apr 2010: Pesticides plague Californian rivers: If you think pesticide problems are a thing of the past (DDT, for example), think again. Here's news that home pesticides are ending up in Californian rivers at toxic levels.

Thu, 22 Apr 2010: Making the volcano an annual event: CPRE is suggesting we turn volvanic disruption into a blissful opportunity by creating a national quiet day each year.

Thu, 22 Apr 2010: Surfers voice dismay over CSO inaction: Clean water campaigners Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) have announced they're extremely disappointed with a new ruling requiring water companies to make only minor improvements to their 4,000 unregulated Combine Sewer Overflows (CSOs). These minor improvements fall far short of what is needed to protect and improve the environment and SAS feel this has been an opportunity lost.

Thu, 22 Apr 2010: Cutting back on grass cutting: The RSPB is appealing to gardeners to reduce their mowing and keep grass a little longer for wildlife this summer. The distant hum of lawnmowers can be heard constantly again with the warmer weather, but the wildlife charity wants gardeners to know that slightly longer lawns are a valuable home and food source for birds and other creatures.

Wed, 21 Apr 2010: Anti-Tar Sands Protests Gather Momentum: From Indymedia: "This time last year, few people in the UK had even heard of the Alberta Tar Sands. Now they are moving rapidly up the public agenda, thanks largely to a growing grassroots campaign of resistance and international solidarity."

Sun, 18 Apr 2010: Butterflies get a hand in Warwickshire: To help boost the population of rare Grizzled Skipper butterflies in Warwickshire, ecologists and volunteers from Butterfly Conservation have worked with British Waterways contractors to clear an area of land four metres wide and 580 metres long along the Oxford Canal at Fenny Compton.

Sat, 17 Apr 2010: UK runs on imported water: Remember those flowers you bought, the ones that came from Kenya? Well products like that account for the fact that two thirds of UK water consumption is actually imported through water-hungry finished goods such as beef, cotton, fruit, and vegetables.

Sat, 17 Apr 2010: Rolling the rapids of Montreal: Why do canoers, surfers, and kayakers flock to the Lachine rapids of Montreal?

Sat, 17 Apr 2010: Brazil's Belo Monte dam battle continues: Our friends at International Rivers are leading the charge against plans to build the world's third biggest dam, with help from celebrities including James Cameron and Sigourney Weaver.

Sat, 17 Apr 2010: It was THIS big!: How about hooking an 8ft-long catfish? 18-year-old student Simon Field has done just that... and here are the photos to prove it!

Fri, 16 Apr 2010: Shareholders oppose BP over tar sands: WWF reports: "Today a shareholder resolution about BP's involvement in tar sands production was discussed and put to the vote at the company's AGM. Results presented by BP at the meeting show that almost 15% of voters either supported the resolution or abstained despite the board's recommendation to reject it. This is a significant expression of concern about the company's decision to invest in new tar sands projects."

Fri, 16 Apr 2010: Campaign for dark skies continues: With eight out of ten people having their view of the night sky affected by light pollution, CPRE and the British Astronomical Association's Campaign for Dark Skies (CfDS) are calling on councils, businesses and individuals to take steps to cut their light pollution. We also reiterate our call for the Government to introduce long awaited planning guidance to control lighting.

Thu, 15 Apr 2010: Tadpoles scream when they're attacked: Fascinating new research show how tadpoles of the Argentine horned frog screech when they're threatened by predators.

Mon, 12 Apr 2010: Get your spring wildlife fix with RSPB: Are you looking for a walk in a bluebell carpeted wood to inspire you this spring? Or maybe you're hoping to hear the first nightingale song of the year, witness the early emerging butterflies or catch a glimpse of a red squirrel. However you get your wildlife fix it is now easier than ever to find the perfect place to go with the launch of the new online home for the RSPB's reserves network. One of the many new features included is the ability to search more than 200 reserves by key species.

Mon, 12 Apr 2010: New stamps celebrate biodiversity: Royal Mail announces ten new stamps to celebrate the International Year of Biodiversity in 2010, featuring endangered mammals.

Fri, 9 Apr 2010: Flood and water management bill gains Royal Assent: The Flood and Water Management Bill gained Royal Assent yesterday. The Act will implement several key recommendations of Sir Michael Pitt's Review of the Summer 2007 floods, protect water supplies to consumers and protect community groups from excessive charges for surface water drainage.

Mon, 12 Apr 2010: Wild swimming could save lives: Australian Swimming legend Shane Gould turns conventional wisdom on its head: we should teach people to swim in lakes and rivers where it would really save their lives.

Mon, 12 Apr 2010: The new African land grab: Rich countries and speculators are buying up African land for food and water, according to a frightening new story from John Vidal.

Fri, 9 Apr 2010: How a pebble saves water in your shower: A quiet, clever invention from Paul Priestman could help you adapt to using less water when you wash.

Fri, 9 Apr 2010: Environment Agency helps anglers rescue village pond: The Environment Agency has teamed up with Exeter and District Angling Club to breathe new life into a Devon pond. Sampford Peverell Pond, close to Tiverton Parkway Railway Station, has recently suffered two major fish kills caused by de-oxygenation of the water and algal blooms.

Fri, 9 Apr 2010: Giant squid becomes museum star: A colossal squid specimen, Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, has joined the giant squid as one of the exhibits in the Natural History Museum's tours of its spirit collections.

Fri, 9 Apr 2010: Free bird surveys now available for every UK farmer: A pioneering project to survey farmland birds is now open to every farmer in the UK for the first time. The Volunteer and Farmer Alliance (V&FA) has been organising free bird surveys for farmers for eleven years and has finally reached its aim of full UK coverage. The project, run by the RSPB, recently received extra funding from the EU Life + fund to employ new staff allowing it to fill gaps in northern Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and secure coverage in south east England.

Fri, 9 Apr 2010: Cumbrian crayfish under threat: One of the remaining strongholds against the American signal crayfish is now under threat.

Wed, 7 Apr 2010: Drought in the Mekong Basin: The Guardian has a great photo gallery of what's happening in south-west China.

Wed, 7 Apr 2010: Blooming marvellous or a blooming disaster?: Climate change is making plants open faster than at any time for 250 years.

Mon, 29 Mar 2010: Lovelock: Humans won't stop climate change: Jim Lovelock is as pessimistic as ever about human abilities to stop what he calls "global heating".

Sun, 4 Apr 2010: Pollution starts at home: Devon and Cornwall householders have been unwittingly polluting rivers through poorly connected waste pipes.

Sun, 4 Apr 2010: Mekong problems need cooperation: Countries who share the Mekong river resources in South-Eastern Asia must cooperate, experts have insisted.

Sun, 4 Apr 2010: How alien invaders cause problems: A new report from People's Trust for Endangered Species has identified 14 troublesome alien invaders.

Sun, 4 Apr 2010: Rare lichen discovered at Killerton: A rare lichen Micarea parva has been discovered on some damp, shaded volcanic stones on the National Trust Killerton estate in Devon.

Fri, 2 Apr 2010: New carbon scheme ranks big brands: New rules that have just come into force will pitch some of the UK's largest organisations against each other in a drive to cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. For the first time large non-energy intensive organisations, which account for about 10% of UK CO2 emissions, will be legally bound to closely monitor and report their emissions from energy use in preparation for carbon trading.

Thu, 1 Apr 2010: UFOs land on UK beaches: April Fool or not? The new Surfers Against Sewage UFOs campaign of course refers to Unidentified Floating Objects! The campaign calls on the public to help identify persistent marine litter and allows them to upload their own UFOs, in the hope that SAS can trace the polluters and change their damaging industrial practices.

March 2010

Wed, 31 Mar 2010: UK Government to deliver Marine Protected Areas: Defra has today published the Government strategy to deliver a network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) across the United Kingdom. Marine Protected Areas will be vital to protect many species of sea life, from the rare and threatened to the more common, as well as helping ensure our seas and oceans remain healthy and clean.

Tue, 30 Mar 2010: Are roads coming back again?: Rural campaigners were left shocked and angry today after the publication of a new report from the Transport Select Committee, which calls for 900 miles of new dual carriageway as well as a new motorway building and widening programme. It is estimated this would cost at least GBP30 billion, the same as building a new High Speed Rail network.

Tue, 30 Mar 2010: Greenpeace: coal is powering the Internet cloud: Not so fast in the rush to cloud computing. According to Greenpeace, new server farms and data centres are largely being powered by climate-harming coal.

Sat, 27 Mar 2010: River Wye mussels raise concern: Here's another version of that report from last week on the aged freshwater pearl mussels and attempts to make them breed.

Sun, 28 Mar 2010: River events for April 2010: Lots happening all around the UK this month, including several river cleanups in London; courses in pond surveying, reptiles, and water volery; walks along many rivers; and talks about chalk streams and otters. If you fancy a spot of canoeing, you can try your hand at several Go Paddling days.

Fri, 26 Mar 2010: England's coastal path: the journey begins: The way in which the all-England coast path will be created was announced today by Natural England as it published its Coastal Access Scheme. The Scheme has now been approved by government meaning that work to implement the coastal path can now begin in earnest.

Fri, 26 Mar 2010: Buglife calls for massive increase in wild flowers: The UK has lost more than 3 Million hectares of wildflower rich habitat since the second world war, but farming wildlife schemes have only recreated 6,500 ha. Buglife is calling on Government to tackle the issue head on and create a network of wildflower meadows.

Fri, 26 Mar 2010: The growing menace of beach plastic: We seem to have become very adept at moaning about plastic on beaches, and picking it up, but why can't we do anything to reduce it?

Thu, 25 Mar 2010: The great Ethiopian dam rush: Ethiopia is the latest country to get caught up in the promise of electricity from huge and destructive dam-building, to the consternation of long-term opponents such as International Rivers.

Fri, 26 Mar 2010: Agency tempts freshwater pearl mussels to have one more go: Environment Agency Wales is attempting to boost the breeding success of the rare freshwater pearl mussel after discovering a previously unknown population of the species in the River Wye.

Fri, 26 Mar 2010: Last call for the low-carbon economy?: Why climate change is an urgent priority for whoever wins the next election.

Thu, 25 Mar 2010: Put your weapons on the floor for wildlife: The RSPB is appealing to gardeners to stop hedge cutting and be extra careful when they tend to their gardens from now on, as they could injure nesting birds, damage their nests or scare parents away from young birds.

Tue, 23 Mar 2010: Defra tackles greenwash and inaccurate claims—though not its own: New proposals to tackle greenwash and build consumer confidence in environmental claims and labelling have been announced today by Defra. But it's all a bit too token. The same department is still pumping out misleading figures about British contributions to climate change and, elsewhere in government, there's renewed determination to expand airports, build new coal mines, and more.

Tue, 23 Mar 2010: Breath-taking beauty: The Wildlife Trusts' wildflower meadows: After a bitter winter across the UK in 2010, most of us will be eagerly anticipating the coming seasons, and the natural highlights on offer at this time of year are not to be missed. That's why the spring issue of Natural World (The Wildlife Trusts' members' magazine) offers the definitive guide to reserves where you can take in the splendour of our native wildflowers.

Mon, 22 Mar 2010: World Day for Water: Did you turn on the tap this morning and get clean water straight away? Did you flush your toilet as usual? Well today's the annual reminder from the UN that a huge chunk of the world's people still lack clean water and sanitation. Why not do something positive today? You could nip over to the WaterAid website and donate or buy something!

Sun, 21 Mar 2010: Plastiki finally sets sail!: Good luck to David de Rothschild's Plastiki project, which aims to highlight plastic pollution in a boat made from plastic bottles.

Sun, 21 Mar 2010: Government starts planning for peak oil: Well well, some Whitehall action on peak oil. Energy Minister Lord Hunt is calling industrialists in for a chat.

Fri, 19 Mar 2010: Bluefin part#2: Sea Shepherds hint at battles ahead: The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has announced it will take aggressive action against tuna poachers in Southern Europe this summer.

Fri, 19 Mar 2010: Bluefin part#1: the battle continues: So there's still no agreement to pull bluefin back from the brink.

Fri, 19 Mar 2010: Legal battle to protect our rivers: WWF and the Angling Trust have launched a legal challenge aimed at improving government plans for managing rivers in England and Wales. According to WWF, the government's River Basin Management Plans (which were submitted to the EU in December to comply with the Water Framework Directive) don't set high enough targets or clear timescales for cleaning up and protecting our rivers.

Thu, 18 Mar 2010: Marine Act will not protect seabirds: The RSPB has learned the UK Government's new Marine Conservation Zones will offer virtually no protection to seabirds. While other wildlife and their habitats will be protected by law, the waters used by hundreds of thousands of birds will remain at risk from damage and exploitation.

Thu, 18 Mar 2010: Enjoying water in East Anglia: Canoeing, sailing, fishing, walking and of course rowing are just some of the activities based on or around water that a new plan is hoping will increase in the East of England.

Thu, 18 Mar 2010: For peat's sake: nationally important carbon store under threat: Natural England has launched a comprehensive review of the condition of England's peatlands and the vital role they play in combatting climate change. Three quarters of England's deep peatlands are already damaged or degraded.

Wed, 17 Mar 2010: National Trust appeals for help with alien invaders: One of the biggest threats to British wildlife, the spread of non-native invasive plants, is set to be tackled in Plant Invaders Week, a week of action (5-12 June 2010) at more than 60 National Trust sites. Volunteers apply within!

Sun, 14 Mar 2010: River Eden study targets farm pollution: Newcastle University is launching a four-year study of how to cut pollution from agriculture without sacrificing productivity.

Sun, 14 Mar 2010: Cut your carbon emissions with a National Trust UK holiday: Forget those flights abroad. Spend days at the beach, doing a spot of shopping, stretching your legs on wonderful walks or simply enjoying the perfect picnic; choose a National Trust holiday cottage and get the best access to the best holiday activities this summer.

Sat, 13 Mar 2010: Shell to Sea: Solidarity with Pat O'Donnell!: 100 cars gathered today at noon in the fishing village of Porturlin, Pat O'Donnell's home, for a rally to Ballyglass pier on the Mullet peninsula in support of 'the Chief' who has been in Castlerea prison since 10th February.

Fri, 12 Mar 2010: Helping out on the River Wandle: A six-week long Environment Agency project to restore a stretch of the River Wandle at Poulter Park gained some extra pairs of hands last week when a group of Carillion workers, enlisted by the London Wildlife Trust, donated a day to help out.

Fri, 12 Mar 2010: Scientific study launched into iconic Welsh fish's life: A major new 1.8m GBP scientific study, the Celtic Sea Trout Project, has been launched by Elin Jones AM, the Rural Affairs Minister in Bangor, North Wales.

Fri, 12 Mar 2010: British Wildlife Photography Awards 2010: After a successful first year and widely acclaimed photographic exhibition celebrating British wildlife, the BWPA has announced the launch of its second competition, now open for entries.

Thu, 11 Mar 2010: Scotland gets Marine Act: The Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 this week received its Royal Assent. This is the culmination of many years' campaigning by the Scottish Wildlife Trust and a wide coalition of environmental bodies.

Thu, 11 Mar 2010: Will the bluefish tuna be saved?: Delegates from 175 countries are debating plans to restrict the bluefin tuna trade in a last-ditch attempt to save the species.

Thu, 11 Mar 2010: England's lost and threatened species: Natural England has launched the most complete audit of hundreds of years of England's wildlife winners and losers to an audience of leading conservationists at the Zoological Society of London. Farming has been blamed for much of the damage.

Sun, 7 Mar 2010: Water voles to get a boost in Ceredigion: Moves are underfoot to reverse a decline in water voles near Aberystwyth.

Sun, 7 Mar 2010: Call for world's largest marine reserve: According to RSPB, more than 275,000 people and leading scientific and conservation organisations from the UK and around the world have called on the UK government to establish a protected area in the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), which is comprised of the Chagos Islands and its surrounding waters.

Sat, 6 Mar 2010: A trip along the Syr Darya: The BBC takes us on a photo journey along Central Asia's longest river.

Sat, 6 Mar 2010: Could rivers power nearly a million homes?: The Environment Agency is heralding a return to waterpower, but anglers (or, at least, the Anglers Trust) aren't convinced it's the way to go.

Fri, 5 Mar 2010: 90th birthday on a white-water raft: Forget the polite lunch with the family, Gene Hodsdon had better plans!

Sat, 6 Mar 2010: More evidence for human climate change: Climate scientists have presented a new barrage of evidence to confound their doubters.

Fri, 5 Mar 2010: Help your garden spring to life: Now is the ideal time to look at ways in which we can all help wildlife recover from the harshness of Britain's long, cold winter. Gardening in a wildlife-friendly way can considerably increase the diversity of plants and animals and create an oasis for species in decline such as hedgehogs, holly blue butterflies, song thrushes, bumble bees and stag beetles. Natural England's innovative Big Wildlife Garden website is the perfect place to get advice on how to invite wildlife into even the most humble garden this spring.

Fri, 5 Mar 2010: Tackling the pressure on water: The Environment Agency has set out plans to help secure future water supplies and a healthy water environment in England and Wales. Water resources are already under pressure in many parts of England and Wales. In England, some 25 million people live in areas where there is less water available per person than Spain or Morocco. The average person in England and Wales currently uses 148 litres (260 pints) every day.

Thu, 4 Mar 2010: Brown trout thrive at Buxton: Thanks to a new sewage treatment works at Buxton, the River Wye between Buxton and Rowsley now contains more brown trout than virtually any other part of the Trent or its tributaries.

Thu, 4 Mar 2010: Grocery waste sent packing: Grocery manufacturers and retailers have agreed to make significant cuts to food and packaging waste that could save customers and the industry GBP1 billion and cut carbon emissions by three million tonnes, Environment Secretary Hilary Benn has announced..

Wed, 3 Mar 2010: Cleaning the Thames: The Guardian has a short photo feature on this week's Thames 21 cleanup.

Wed, 3 Mar 2010: Buglife celebrates the end of wildlife-destroying sheep dip: Buglife is delighted that finally the Government and manufacturers of Cypermethrin sheep dip have today announced the withdrawal of all relevant product permissions. Synthetic pyrethroids (Cypermethrin) were 1000 times more toxic to wildlife than the pesticides that farmers were previously using to dip sheep. When it was in use it was estimated that about 1.5 billion animals in rivers, streams and ponds were being killed by Cypermethrin sheep dip every year. In addition 400 million litres of waste Cypermethrin was sprayed onto meadows and fields every year, causing untold destruction to butterflies and bees.

Wed, 3 Mar 2010: SAS's Annual Spring Beach Clean: To welcome spring, Surfers Against Sewage have been organising beach cleans around the UK. At Porthtowan in Cornwall there were over 80 volunteers collecting over 150 bags with a weight of 220kgs.

February 2010

Sun, 28 Feb 2010: UK river events for March 2010: The river community is waking up once more, with loads of talks, walks, cleanups, and courses for you to enjoy. Don't forget the World Pooh Stick Championships at the end of the month.

Sun, 28 Feb 2010: Italy: Environmental catastrophe hits the Po: A deliberate spill of diesel oil into Italy's longest river threatens major environmental destruction.

Sun, 28 Feb 2010: Kenya: At the watering hole: A preview of fantastic wildlife photos by Greg du Toit, taken at a watering hole in the Great Rift Valley.

Thu, 25 Feb 2010: New life for Lancs rivers?: According to United Utilities: "Two rivers in east Lancashire flowing through Blackburn and Darwen are to undergo a multi-million clean-up breathing new life into them. United Utilities is currently submitting planning applications for the work, due to start in May and lasting five years which involves building a number of new underground storage tanks and upgraded miles of sewer pipes across the borough. The rivers Blakewater and Darwen, will be transformed and see new habitats for wildlife and significant environmental improvements to the Fylde Coast bathing water. Shellfish beds located within the Ribble Estuary will also benefit as both rivers eventually makes their way out to sea."

Thu, 25 Feb 2010: Smith: UK industry should develop new technologies to flood-proof homes: UK industry should develop more products to help builders and property owners make the 5.5 million properties at flood risk in England and Wales more resistant and resilient to flooding, Environment Agency Chairman Lord Chris Smith has said.

Thu, 25 Feb 2010: Spiny eels go live: The National History Museum has published the first images of four new spiny eels from Myanmar and India, which were identified by ichthyologist (fish expert) Dr Ralf Britz last month.

Wed, 24 Feb 2010: Smith: Farming must adapt to changing climes: GM crops and new technologies to support 'precision farming' could both have a role to play in helping the UK cope with climate change, Environment Agency Chairman Lord Smith has told the National Farmers Union.

Wed, 24 Feb 2010: Is your pond a threat to wildlife?: Aquatic plants, imported from overseas and sold for use in gardens and ponds, can spread into wild areas where they don’t occur naturally and wreak havoc, threatening some of our most precious wildlife sites across the UK, including many nature reserves.

Wed, 24 Feb 2010: River Derwent gravel removal begins: Work has begun on removing thousands of tons of gravel deposited in the Derwent during last November's floods.

Wed, 24 Feb 2010: Latest from the Shell to Shore campaign: Last week in Castlebar circuit court, appeals involving Shell to Sea campaigners were concluded or deferred, with no further prison sentences being handed out. This follows the jailing on Wednesday of local fisherman Pat O'Donnell, who was sentenced to 7 months in jail for convictions of 'breach of the peace' and of 'obstructing a Garda'.

Mon, 22 Feb 2010: India risks new dam battle with Pakistan: India is beginning preparations for a huge dam on the River Chenab, which runs through Jammu and Kashmir state into Pakistan.

Sun, 21 Feb 2010: Goole renaissance plan launched: A public exhibition of a major redevelopment of the Humberside port runs until 11 March.

Sun, 21 Feb 2010: Brighton's urban shepherd: Sam Baldock is grazing Sussex chalk grassland on the very edges of Brighton.

Sun, 21 Feb 2010: How do you feed a piranha?: Very carefully, and with gloves and long-handled pincers, according to Newquay's Blue Reef Aquarium.

Sat, 20 Feb 2010: Battle of the Asian carp: American rivers are gearing up in the battle to fight invasive Asian carp, but opinions are divided on how to fight the fish.

Sat, 20 Feb 2010: Environment Agency investigates grey fungus outbreak in River Crane: Environment Agency officers have been out investigating the cause of the fungus and have taken a number of samples and water quality readings from the river. Officers have identified the outbreak as a grey fungus, which grows on the river bed when the right nutrients are there to feed it.

Sat, 20 Feb 2010: Cleaning up after world trade: How can we make corporations absorb the cost of the environmental damage they do?

Sun, 21 Feb 2010: Thames Water successfully appeals against Wandle pollution: The unfortunate water company has had its GBP125,000 fine more than halved after a High Court appeal.

Sun, 21 Feb 2010: New report reveals the ups and downs of Britain's waterbirds: Each winter Britain sees the arrival of millions of waterbirds of many different species from the Arctic and northern Europe. A new report (Waterbirds in the UK 2007/08) highlights some startling changes in the fortunes of these visitors over the last decade.

Sun, 21 Feb 2010: UK premiere of Dirty Oil: WWF is inviting us to attend the UK premiere of the much anticipated film Dirty Oil. It's a powerful documentary about the devastating impact of tar sands developments on the environment and local communities in Alberta, Canada and the implications for the world as a whole.

Mon, 15 Feb 2010: Ocean acidity highest for tens of millions of years: Soaring ocean acidity, apparently caused by climate change, is a huge concern.

Mon, 15 Feb 2010: Environment Agency outlines flood investment plans: The Environment Agency has announced how over £745m of Defra, Welsh Assembly Government, Local Authority and European Union funding will be allocated to reduce the risk of flood and coastal erosion in England and Wales for the year to March 2011.

Fri, 12 Feb 2010: World's smallest eel-loach discovered: The world's smallest species of eel-loach fish has been discovered by a Natural History Museum scientist and his colleague this month and is featured on the Museum's Species of the day.

Thu, 11 Feb 2010: RSPB: Barrage would be a disaster for the Severn: Increased flooding is just one of the disastrous effects a barrage across the Severn Estuary could cause. An official Dutch report obtained by the RSPB details the flood risk as well as the devastating impacts for wildlife, fishing, tourism and shipping from the construction of a storm surge barrier across the Oosterschelde estuary in the 1980s.

Thu, 11 Feb 2010: Britain is getting tidier new research shows: New figures from Keep Britain Tidy show some improvement in the amount of litter found in Britain's streets, parks and public spaces but there is still more work to do. The Local Environmental Quality Survey England (LEQSE), funded by Defra, showed that in the last year the number of sites where non-alcoholic drinks cans and bottles were found was down from 57% of areas surveyed to 51%, with small decreases in the number of sites with cigarette ends, fast food litter, broken glass and discarded food.

Wed, 10 Feb 2010: World heading towards an oil crunch on par with financial crisis: A new warning by the UK Industry Taskforce on Peak Oil and Energy Security (ITPOES) suggests the the world could be heading towards an "oil crunch" that will match the financial crisis within five years,

Wed, 10 Feb 2010: National Trust encourages us to take to our heels: More than 250,000 downloadable walking guides, almost one every two minutes, were downloaded from the National Trust website in the last year.

Wed, 10 Feb 2010: Recreational water users included in the Scottish Marine Bill: Clean water campaigners Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) are celebrating the Scottish Government recognising recreational water users' need for a voice on Regional Planning Partnerships within the Scottish Marine Bill after another SAS action at Holyrood!

Sun, 7 Feb 2010: Legal push to save eels: New laws could help eels survive by forcing the construction of eel passes and screens in rivers.

Sun, 7 Feb 2010: Snap the splendour of the seas!: Corals, kelp, corkwing wrasse and a kaleidoscope of underwater creatures are calling for their close-up, and entrants to the annual British Society of Underwater Photographers (BSoUP) print competition need to focus as the competition closes on Monday 22 February. The Wildlife Trusts will judge entries in the British and Irish category which has a "Living Seas" theme.

Mon, 8 Feb 2010: Twice as many Welsh get free flood warnings: The number of people entitled to free flood warnings will rise from 47,000 to 90,000 in a bid to cut flood damage.

Mon, 8 Feb 2010: Butterflies prefer hills: Hilly areas with a mixture of habitats are generally better for butterflies, new research has found.

Sun, 7 Feb 2010: Anglers help monitor stocks in the Tyne: The Environment Agency is calling on anglers to help collect scales from salmon and sea trout to assess the health of fish in the River Tyne.

Thu, 4 Feb 2010: Britain's wildlife ponds are in a 'terrible state': A report published by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and Pond Conservation shows that 80% of ponds in England and Wales are in a 'poor' or 'very poor' condition.

Thu, 4 Feb 2010: Studying flooding: The Environment Agency shows off its huge new flood test tank to Guardian correspondent Alok Jha. Read more from the Environment Agency.

Wed, 3 Feb 2010: Government publishes UK Marine Science Strategy:The Government has today published a 15 year strategy to deliver world class marine science which will inform decisions on food and energy security, managing the seas sustainably and climate change. Key features include understanding how the marine ecosystem functions; responding to climate change and its interaction with the marine environment; and sustaining and increasing ecosystem benefits.

Wed, 3 Feb 2010: Cornish flood meadow restoration a success for wildlife: A variety of wildlife including otter, kingfisher, lapwing and curlew have benefited from a habitat restoration project on the Camel estuary in Cornwall.

Tue, 2 Feb 2010: Help raise funds for bugs!: Do a fun run, hold a cake-bake, do a sponsored skip, run a half-marathon! This is the International Year of Biodiversity and as we celebrate wildlife across the UK, Buglife is asking us to do something fun, sporty, creative or just plain silly to help conserve bugs.

Tue, 2 Feb 2010: Don't pull the plug on world's wetlands: World Wetlands Day highlights the bonds between wetlands, biodiversity and climate change. "Caring for wetlands is part of the solution to climate change", said Melanie Heath, Senior Advisor on Climate Change at BirdLife. "If we manage them well, wetland ecosystems and their biodiversity have a vital role to play in mitigating against, and adapting to, climate change".

January 2010

Thu, 28 Jan 2010: Celebs and architects launch competition to design Heathrow fortress: Britain's leading architects are being invited by Greenpeace to enter a competition to design an impenetrable fortress to be built on the land earmarked for a third runway at Heathrow. The fortress will be constructed at the centre of the site in west London where airport operator BAA hopes to construct a £7bn runway and sixth terminal.

Mon, 1 Feb 2010: Shops must now collect batteries for recycling: Good news for polluted waterways: shops selling more than a certain number of batteries each year will now be obliged to collect old ones for recycling. Hopefully that means a bit less mercury, cadmium, and all the rest leaching into the ground.

Mon, 1 Feb 2010: Supermarket fridges: another eco-nightmare: The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) has helpfully pointed out another whopping eco mistake: in switching fridges and freezers away from ozone-depleting chemicals, we introduced new refrigerant gases with thousands of times more global warming impact per tonne than carbon dioxide.

Mon, 1 Feb 2010: How water shapes the Great Rift Valley: Seven more days to watch this great BBC programme on the iPlayer: "The Great Rift Valley channels a huge diversity of waterways--rivers, lakes, waterfalls, caustic springs and coral seas--spanning from Egypt to Mozambique. Some lake and ocean deeps harbour previously unseen life-forms, while caustic waters challenge life to the extreme. But where volcanic minerals enrich the Great Rift's waterways, they provide the most spectacular concentrations of birds, mammals and fish in all Africa".

Sun, 31 Jan 2010: Cruising the rivers of Europe: If you like appreciating your rivers the relaxed way, this review of European river cruises might interest you. It comes from the Brisbane Times (Australians can't get enough of European rivers, apparently).

Fri, 29 Jan 2010: New plan to improve Anglian water quality: A new plan to improve water quality in rivers, lakes, coastal waters and groundwater in the East of England has been launched by the Environment Agency.

Fri, 29 Jan 2010: Fishy boost for the River Leadon: The Environment Agency has just completed work on the River Leadon at Ledbury to help fish, such as salmon and trout, migrate up the river to reproduce.

Thu, 28 Jan 2010: Rare caddis fly larva found on the Isle of Wight: A rare caddis fly larva has been found in Horringford on the Eastern Yar. Caddis fly larvae have never been found on the island before.

Thu, 28 Jan 2010: Only four per cent of imported biofuels are environmentally sustainable: Friends of the Earth comment on a new report published by the Renewable Fuels Agency (RFA), which shows just four per cent of biofuel imported for use in the UK meets the environmental sustainability standard set by the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RFTO).

Thu, 28 Jan 2010: Young wildlife enthusiasts recognised: A group of young naturalists has received a special award from The Wildlife Trusts. Paxton Pits has been named Watch Group of the Year 2009. Wildlife Watch is The Wildlife Trusts' branch for junior members, and the Watch Group of the Year Award aims to recognise and celebrate the activity of Wildlife Watch groups across the UK.

Tue, 26 Jan 2010: Are you Britain's most wildlife friendly farmer?: There's one month to go to get nominations in for this year's Nature of Farming Award. The award aims to find the farmer who has put in the most work for nature on their land and is supported by the RSPB, Butterfly Conservation, Plantlife and BBC Countryfile Magazine.

Mon, 25 Jan 2010: Climate science in crisis?: The BBC's Roger Harrabin looks at recent allegations of dodgy science fuelled by climate sceptics.

Mon, 25 Jan 2010: Georgina takes pesticide protest to Europe: The rollercoaster-ride of Georgina Downs' campaign against pesticides is set to continue in Europe.

Mon, 25 Jan 2010: Fish numbers in River Culm set to rise thanks to new fish pass: Using the latest technology, the Environment Agency is building a series special structures to help salmon, sea trout, eels and lamprey gain access to the upper reaches of Culm. Until recently fish were unable to swim beyond Silverton Paper Mill where a large weir prevented them from heading upstream. The new £180,000 fish pass will remove this major obstacle and open up new stretches of the river to migratory species.

Fri, 22 Jan 2010: Funding opportunity for wild fishing in Wales!: More people are set to enjoy wild fishing by having better access to a network of river fishing beats and still waters as Environment Agency Wales launches its second round of funding for Wild Fishing Wales.

Thu, 21 Jan 2010: Water Companies Appealing? Appalling!: Clean water campaigners Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) were on hand to greet water company executives with the walk of shame as they entered an appeal hearing today. 6 water companies are trying to defend the indefensible, by appealing against designated discharge consents for 4,000 combined sewer overflows (CSOs). SAS were armed with a giant 6ft by 4ft photo of a CSO clogged full of sanitary towels, condoms, cotton buds sticks and more. The appeal is expected to last for 4 days.

Fri, 22 Jan 2010: Eels are vanishing from the River Thames: Eel populations in the River Thames have crashed to alarmingly low levels, conservationists have revealed. Over the last five years Zoological Society of London scientists have recorded a 98 per cent drop in the number of European eels returning to the River Thames.

Wed, 20 Jan 2010: Wildlife sites threatened by planning shake-up for ports: A shake-up of the way ports are planned in the UK could threaten some of the country's best wildlife sites. RSPB is urging the Transport Select Committee not to support proposed rules that would sacrifice the environment in a rush to build new ports the country does not need.

Tue, 19 Jan 2010: Wildlife Trusts: Give seas a chance!: Living Seas, The Wildlife Trusts' vision for the UK's marine environment (where wildlife thrives from the depths of the ocean to the coastal shallows; where rocky reefs are bursting with brightly coloured fish, corals and sponges, and dolphins and seals dart among the waves) has been launched in the House of Commons.

Tue, 19 Jan 2010: More otters head for Wales: Otters are on the up in and around Wrexham and the north of Wales.

Mon, 18 Jan 2010: Boost for Dorset Stour Barbel Populations: A partnership project between the Environment Agency, the Barbel Society and local angling clubs is helping boost barbel numbers on the Dorset Stour, which have been relatively low for a number of years.

Mon, 18 Jan 2010: Wales rivers in line for major cleanup: Environment Agency Wales and the Welsh Assembly Government have announced their intention to improve all waterways by 2015 and get them to "near natural" condition by 2027.

Sat, 16 Jan 2010: Climate change means a whole new way of life: We need a complete rethink of consumption culture argues Jonathan Owen.

Fri, 15 Jan 2010: Cities could be reinvented by climate change: A positive spin on rising seas suggests coastal cities like Portsmouth could use climate change as an opportunity for reinvention.

Fri, 15 Jan 2010: Oil spill natural disaster narrowly avoided in snow: Natural disaster was narrowly avoided during the recent artic conditions after a lorry crashed on M20, spilling more than 600 litres of diesel into local waterways.

Thu, 14 Jan 2010: Ten species to watch in 2010: WWF offers its countdown of world species in urgent need of protection during the UN's official Year of Biodiversity.

Tue, 12 Jan 2010: Reservoir safety to be improved: The safety of communities near large reservoirs would be improved under plans just set out by Defra, which would require owners or operators of all large reservoirs to produce a detailed flood plan.

Tue, 12 Jan 2010: Lundy is first marine conservation zone: Lundy Island, one of England's most spectacular marine habitats, has today become England’s first Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ). Its new status establishes it as the first example of the new approach to marine protection being taken under the Marine and Coastal Access Act, which will contribute towards the creation of the network of ecologically coherent and well-managed marine protected areas by 2012.

Mon, 11 Jan 2010: Seven foot sea-level rise?: Just what are the implications of accelerated melting of the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets?

Mon, 11 Jan 2010: India: Celebrating the world's biggest river festival: Millions of people will flock to the Ganges for this year's month-long celebration. Enjoy these pictures from the BBC.

Mon, 11 Jan 2010: International Year of Biodiversity 2010: Let's hope it puts some much-needed focus on the planet's dwindling habitats and species.

Mon, 11 Jan 2010: Fishing for clues in Colombia: Another thought-provoking piece putting rivers in global context: here's an article about a Columbian woman who's devoted her life to salvaging the bodies of murdered victims from the Cauca River.

Sun, 10 Jan 2010: Are nuclear health fears misplaced?: Retired Oxford physicist Wade Allison is challenging a consensus of conventional fears about the safety of nuclear power.

Tue, 5 Jan 2010: Amazon's giant Arapaima river fish faces extinction: Another remarkable river species, which can grows to be longer and heavier than a person, is at risk from overfishing.

Tue, 5 Jan 2010: Pollution warning over China's yellow river: A broken oil pipe in northern China threatens water supplies for millions.

Tue, 5 Jan 2010: Anti-mining activist murdered in El Salvador: It's sobering for British environmental campaigners to read about the risks activists run in other countries. On 26th December, Dora Alicia Recinos Sorto was murdered in the Cabanas Region of El Salvador, where protests continue against a reopened gold mine.