Conservation: Reef sharks are in major decline worldwide

Sharks are rarely seen at almost one in five of the world’s coral reefs, a major study has found. The crash in shark numbers, caused largely by over-fishing, could have dire consequences for corals struggling to survive in a changing climate, researchers have said. Sharks are top predators, playing a key role in marine ecosystems.

Plastic pollution to weigh 1.3 billion tonnes by 2040

An estimated 1.3 billion tonnes of plastic is destined for our environment – both on land and in the ocean – by 2040, unless worldwide action is taken.  That’s according to a global model of the scale of the plastic problem over the next 20 years.  Dr Costas Velis from the University of Leeds said the

Climate change Oceans running out of oxygen as temperatures rise

Climate change and nutrient pollution are driving the oxygen from our oceans, and threatening many species of fish. That’s the conclusion of the biggest study of its kind, undertaken by conservation group IUCN. While nutrient run-off has been known for decades, researchers say that climate change is making the lack of oxygen worse.  Around 700

Climate change ‘Bleak’ outlook as carbon emissions gap grows

Countries will have to increase their carbon-cutting ambitions five fold if the world is to avoid warming by more than 1.5C, the UN says. The annual emissions gap report shows that even if all current promises are met, the world will warm by more than double that amount by 2100. Richer countries have failed to

Climate change: Greenhouse gas concentrations again break records

Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases once again reached new highs in 2018. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) says the increase in CO2 was just above the average rise recorded over the last decade.  Levels of other warming gases, such as methane and nitrous oxide, have also surged by above average amounts.  Since 1990

Coal the beginning of the end

The fuel that powered the industrial revolution may be in decline at last. This year looks set to see the largest fall in electricity production from coal on record, according to a new report. The reduction is estimated to be more than the power generated from coal in Germany, Spain and the UK combined.  It