A selection of news stories from the UK and around the world

From the 9th June, the Environment pages can continue to be read HERE

Extinction Scientists predict hundreds of extinctions this century. This report by the BBC Image by McGill Library	The rainforest is burning The Amazon rainforest is now fighting for its' life. This report details why. Story by The Guardian	Camper mayhem Taynuilt, in Scotland, has been experiencing bad behaviour from visiting campers. This report by The Oban Times
Red Tree Voles A small species of rodent, the Red tree Vole, is in decline. This report by Natural Resouces Defense Centre Image by Sebastian Unrau	Biffa waste fine Waste company Biffa has been fined after being found guilty of exporting contaminated waste to China. This report by The Guardian Image by Kevin Butz	Salmon farmers kill seals Scottish salmon farmers doubled the number of seals legally shot in 2020 ahead of an expected ban on the practice This report by The Ferret Image by Keith Luke
New school timetables When schools in Scotland reopen in August it is likely that the school week may be as short as one or two days. This report by The Scotsman	A Panda named Brian Researchers have been fitting Red Pandas with satellite tracking collars in a bid to monitor their numbers and movements. 10 of the animals have so far been 'collared' and each one given a name. This report by The BBC Image by michael schaffler	Amsterdam's trashing idea Authorities in Amsterdam have come up with a novel way of trying to reduce littering around public trash containers This report by The Guardian Image by Shane Rounce
Futuristic propulsion Ever heard of the EMDrive? It's not science fiction, but a reality - we're just not sure how it works... This report by National Geographic Image by NASA	Oxford statue arguments It could be argued that there are more important things than the fate of a statue - This debate about a statue of Cecil Rhodes first surfaced in 2016 in Oxford Report by The BBC Image by Sidharth Bhatia	Greece on the brink There is anger in Greece at a new energy deregulation law that was passed while in lockdown - it could pave the way for wholesale environmental damage This report by The Guardian
Coal-free energy Britain marks two months of coal-free energy consumption This report by The BBC Image by Juan Encalada	Peatland damage Recent satellite imagery is showing the extent of peat-land drying out in south-east Asia. This report by Science Daily Image by Bre Smith	Masks outnumber jellyfish A French Non-profit organisation is finding an increase in disposable gloves and masks in the Mediterranean. This report by The Guardian
A sad tale A report says that people are littering a Scottish beauty spot, causing damage. One man assaulted. This report by The Scotsman Image by Roan Lavery	Oban cleanup Volunteers find a large haul of rubbish in a woodland area of Oban, Scotland This report by The Oban Times Image by Gunnar Ridderström	Arctic diesel spill 20 thousand tonnes of diesel are spilled into a river system in Russia, prompting a state of emergency from President Putin's government This report from The Guardian
Undiscovered Colombia Despite years of guerilla warfare and loss of habitat due to deforestation, the rainforests of Colombia still contain some of the planet's rarest species This report by the BBC Image by Fernanda Fierro	Aboriginal site destroyed An ore mining company in Australia 'accidentally' destroys a 46,000 year old aboriginal site. This report by The Guardian Image by Simon Maisch	Holiday hopes quelled A previous report that Japan is going to heavily subsidise foreign tourists is quashed by Japan's tourism body. This report by the Japan Times Image by Jérémy Stenuit
Bad beef Do you know where your meat originates? It could just be sourced from deforested land in the Amazon. This report by The Guardian	Media under attack The US media is reporting a worrying surge in attacks on reporters by the police. This report by The Guardian	Singapore grows it alone The world has changed and amid concerns of shortages of certain foods, more and more people are growing their own. This article explores how one couple in Singapore are faring in their urban farm. Report by Channel News Asia
SNH defends geese culling Scottish Natural Heritage plans to start killing greylags in Orkney again later this year, citing 'damage' they are apparently causing. Is this a sensible way of keeping their numbers down or is it just another symptom of humans' inability to live with the natural environment? Report by SNH Image by Arvid Høidahl	Renewables on target Scotland is about to reach 100% renewable electricity. Good news for the environment, but we should not get complacent This report by The Scotsman	Transport changes afoot It is not just social systems that are changing due to the pandemic - The urban environment could see an upsurge in alternative modes of transport as cities review their options This report by The Telegraph
Subsidised trips to Japan? The Japanese government is considering paying people to go on vacation in the country in a bid to restart its' tourism industry. This report by Japan Today	Dolphin watching Charlie Phillips used to spend his time watching and photographing Bottlenose dolphins - the better to understand their behaviour and movements. The lockdown has put this valuable work on hold. Here he describes his job. This report by The BBC	Oxfam pulling out Oxfam, the charity, is pulling its' aid programmes in 18 countries. What does this mean for the people left behind? This report by The Guardian
15 year old cycles 745 miles A young girl cycles 745 miles home with her disabled father as a passenger. An amazing story of endurance. This report by The Guardian Image by Jiri Moonen	School saga The proposed return to lessons is causing a rift. The Seattle Times reports on how the debate is being framed in England. Image by Andy Falconer	Mossmorran plant flaring SEPA are to seek prosecution against the Mossmorran plant in Fife, Scotland, over emergency flaring that has disturbed residents in recent years. This article by The Scotsman
Monster find in Mexico Archaeologists have uncovered a vast deposit of mammoth bones at the site of a new airport in Mexico. This report by Mexico News Daily Image by Tristan Colangelo	Astronauts to launch Two astronauts are set to travel to the International Space Station in the world's first commercial launch. This report by The Telegraph Image by SpaceX	Fire in San Francisco A large fire has destroyed a popular tourist area known as Fishermans Wharf in the city. There are no reports of casualties. This report from The Guardian
Oban Fireman recruit A recruit from Balloch has recently joined the ranks of firefighters in Oban. Jack Lamont completed his training and has taken up his post at Oban fire station. This report by The Oban Times	Argyll schools open August Argyll and Bute council is working on plans to re-open schools by August, but not everything will be back to normal. This report by the Argyllshire Advertiser	Testing in Iceland Iceland plans to test up to a thousand arrivals to the country per day when restrictions ease. This report by the Iceland Monitor
Heating with hydrogen Scottish homes could benefit from using hydrogen gas for heating and cooking. This report by The Scotsman	Perseverence set for launch NASA is still on course to launch Perseverence, an advanced Mars rover, together with its' companion mini helicopter. A new push begins for answers about the red planet's past and the possibility of detecting microbial life. This report by NASA.	Moving Uni work online Universities are increasingly likely to offer online learning, but it must be delivered in the right way. This article by the BBC discusses the issue
New school rules How do you tell a primary school child about social distancing? This report by The Telegraph Image by Ivan Aleksic	Flooding in New Orleans Parts of New Orleans suffers from the ravages of climate change. This report by NOLA.com Image by Rosie Kerr	An end to plastic? A process that uses plant sugars could make 'plastic' bottles that degrade within a year This report by The Guardian
Schools still out Teaching unions in Scotland are cautious about re-opening schools in June. This report from The BBC	A novel idea A household in Greenwood, North-central Seattle, is giving away face masks in exchange for food. This report from The Seattle Times Image by Amanda Snyder	Tourism woes It is not only Scotland that relies on tourism. People in Jordan are suffering the loss of visitors too. This report from The Guardian Image by Brian Kairuz
A lighter moment A video was recently posted of a mother duck and her brood walking down an Edinburgh street. This report by The Scotsman	Stop walking in the road! Police have appealed for sense over some people walking into the road to ensure social distancing. This report from The Telegraph	Scotland to make masks Matt Hancock unveils plans for a Scots firm to make millions of face masks. Report by The Telegraph. Image by Ani Kolleshi
Chlorinated chicken MSPs are to urge a ban on US imported chlorinated chicken. This report from the BBC	Raptor killings on the rise The RSPB is concerned about a sudden rise in the number of birds of prey being found shot. This report from the BBC. Image by Keith Luke	Shipping damage Last month a beached ship in Taiwan devastated local wildlife. This report from Taiwan News Online
East Africa experiences flood Countries in East Africa have faced flooding due to heavy rain which has killed hundreds in Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, Rwanda and Ethiopia. Report by Al Jazeera	Tension in Turkey Turkey has taken on 3.5 million refugees fleeing from war. Report by LE MONDE Diplomatique	Preventing another virus It is believed that Covid-19 originated in wild animals used for human consumption. It's time to look at the implications for these types of market. This report from The Seattle Times
Mask minefield If you are thinking of buying a face mask, read this first Report by The Telegraph	SNH call for help Scottish Natural Heritage has a range of projects that need your help This report from The Scotsman	Uk zoos threatened by covid-19 141 zoos and aquariums are in trouble due to no visitors. The Government is working on a fund to support these zoos but some fear that this may not be enough for them to stay operational. Report by Aljazeera
17 inmates dead in prison riot A prison riot in Venezuela has resulted in 17 death and 9 injuries. The cause of these riots was caused by a ban on visitors giving food to inmates. The prisoners were distressed after not allowed to have any visits or food or water. There may be more dead as assumed by the military. Report by Aljazeera	UK air cleaner than ever Ever since covid-19 occured there are reports of cleaner air all across the UK Report by Sky news	Virgin media Last week's report about Virgin media being down is updated here. Report by The Scotsman
A lesson for Scotland? Tree planting and climate change - A lesson for Forestry and Land Scotland. This report by The Telegraph Image by Madison Nickel	Gardening for survival This is one man's story about greening up his neighbourhood. Report by The Guardian	The secret garden This Guardian report describes a secret garden in the heart of London
Emissions plans on hold Scotland has had to scale back its emissions reduction plans due to the Coronavirus. This report by The Scotsman	Microplastics are sinking deep A recent study of the seafloor has revealed where most of our plastic pollution goes. This report from the BBC	Captain Cook - A celebration? It's 250 years to the day Captain Cook sailed into Botany Bay, but not all are celebrating. Image by Joey Csunyo Report by 9News Australia
Film trailers from Studio Ghibli If you have never watched a Ghibli movie, here's your chance. Image by Matt Popovich Report by the Japan Times	Sense or Censorship? A school in Alaska has censored its reading list. Read why. Report by NBC News	How do you cook? Some chefs describe their approach to cooking in quarantine. This report from Times of India
US releases UFO videos Still not explained... Image by Artem Kovalev Report by the BBC	Free electricity? A new film by Michael Moore seeks to cast doubts on a green future, but not everyone agrees.	More attacks on 5G infrastructure More attacks on 5G infrastructure in Scotland. This report from The Scotsman. Image by Macau Photo Agency
Virgin media reported down Are you affected? Read the latest reports from The Scotsman	Friends as bubbles? The FM may consider allowing you to have friends around - but with caveats...	Good for businesses House builders are gearing up to go back to work. Is it too soon? This report from The Telegraph.
Must we all wear masks? The BMA wants the UK government to ask everyone to wear a mask. This report from The Telegraph.	New rules ahead The FM is deciding our future for us. This report from The Scotsman.	Forest fire blights Dumfries and Galloway More news about recent forest and moorland fires in Scotland. This report from the BBC.
Schools not out! Should schools re-open? If you think 'NO', you are not alone. This report from Deutsche Welle.	Climate change answers Want some easy answers about climate change? This article from the New York Times provides them.	Trash and treasure Scotland is not alone in the diversity of items washed up on our beaches. This report from The Seattle Times. Image by Andrei Ciobanu
A great idea A crowd-sourced spring diary reveals writing talent and a love for nature. This report from The Scotsman.	A fair assessment? The SQA may lower your teacher's overall grade in some circumstances - is this fair? Image by Feliphe Schiarolli	Desert(ed) Islands Canna is just one of the Small Isles navigating difficult waters. This report from The Telegraph.
Daring to be different The FM has said that she may decide to have a different lockdown exit plan to the rest of the UK. This article by The Guardian UK.	Lockdown Find out how the measures differ from country to country in this report from DW News.	Hazardous material in Argyll Argyll and Bute Council are considering storage of hazardous material in Argyll - This report by Helenburgh Advertiser
Trashing Scotland There has been a rise in the amount of fly-tipped waste in Scotland. This report by The Scotsman.	Help for students News of financial support for students affected by Coronavirus.	A long road to recovery? The UK is being urged to publish an exit strategy. Find out what this means for you.
Get involved in decision-making A inspiring blog from a young man in Wales	Rural Youth Project The RYP is getting involved in providing equipment to combat Coronavirus	Rubbish on the Green During the January Storms, rubbish was washed up in Lochgilphead - including a great deal of plastic.
Forestry and Land Scotland Reforesting appears to be happening in the rest of the UK, so why is Scotland still felling?	Animals return There are stories popping up everywhere about animals beginning to take over our urban areas. This one is from the Washington Post	Pollution reduction The 'Coronavirus effect' is having consequences on air pollution. This article from Sky News provides more detail.
Disposable gloves and the problems they pose.	Humans may not be the only species affected by Cororavirus.	Mobile 'phone masts do not transmit viruses!
Will our food supplies be hit? Will the virus affect food supplies?	Self isolating It's a new concept but one that we must stick to. Find out more here...	Watch this video If this video doesn't prove why Argyll needs a skate park, I don't know what does!
Lochgilphead Skate Park It has been forty years in the making...Find out why Lochgilphead skate park is still not built.	Sea Foam You may have noticed our coastline being engulfed in foam recently. This is why...

A selection of news stories from the UK and around the world

Extinction

Scientists predict hundreds of extinctions this century. This report by the BBC Image by McGill Library

The rainforest is burning

The Amazon rainforest is now fighting for its' life. This report details why. Story by The Guardian

Camper mayhem

Taynuilt, in Scotland, has been experiencing bad behaviour from visiting campers. This report by The Oban Times

Red Tree Voles

A small species of rodent, the Red tree Vole, is in decline. This report by Natural Resouces Defense Centre Image by Sebastian Unrau

Biffa waste fine

Waste company Biffa has been fined after being found guilty of exporting contaminated waste to China. This report by The Guardian Image by Kevin Butz

Salmon farmers kill seals

Scottish salmon farmers doubled the number of seals legally shot in 2020 ahead of an expected ban on the practice This report by The Ferret Image by Keith Luke

New school timetables

When schools in Scotland reopen in August it is likely that the school week may be as short as one or two days. This report by The Scotsman

A Panda named Brian

Researchers have been fitting Red Pandas with satellite tracking collars in a bid to monitor their numbers and movements. 10 of the animals have so far been 'collared' and each one given a name. This report by The BBC Image by michael schaffler

Amsterdam's trashing idea

Authorities in Amsterdam have come up with a novel way of trying to reduce littering around public trash containers This report by The Guardian Image by Shane Rounce

Futuristic propulsion

Ever heard of the EMDrive? It's not science fiction, but a reality - we're just not sure how it works... This report by National Geographic Image by NASA

Oxford statue arguments

It could be argued that there are more important things than the fate of a statue - This debate about a statue of Cecil Rhodes first surfaced in 2016 in Oxford Report by The BBC Image by Sidharth Bhatia

Greece on the brink

There is anger in Greece at a new energy deregulation law that was passed while in lockdown - it could pave the way for wholesale environmental damage This report by The Guardian

Coal-free energy

Britain marks two months of coal-free energy consumption This report by The BBC Image by Juan Encalada

Peatland damage

Recent satellite imagery is showing the extent of peat-land drying out in south-east Asia. This report by Science Daily Image by Bre Smith

Masks outnumber jellyfish

A French Non-profit organisation is finding an increase in disposable gloves and masks in the Mediterranean. This report by The Guardian

A sad tale

A report says that people are littering a Scottish beauty spot, causing damage. One man assaulted. This report by The Scotsman Image by Roan Lavery

Oban cleanup

Volunteers find a large haul of rubbish in a woodland area of Oban, Scotland This report by The Oban Times Image by Gunnar Ridderström

Arctic diesel spill

20 thousand tonnes of diesel are spilled into a river system in Russia, prompting a state of emergency from President Putin's government This report from The Guardian

Undiscovered Colombia

Despite years of guerilla warfare and loss of habitat due to deforestation, the rainforests of Colombia still contain some of the planet's rarest species This report by the BBC Image by Fernanda Fierro

Aboriginal site destroyed

An ore mining company in Australia 'accidentally' destroys a 46,000 year old aboriginal site. This report by The Guardian Image by Simon Maisch

Holiday hopes quelled

A previous report that Japan is going to heavily subsidise foreign tourists is quashed by Japan's tourism body. This report by the Japan Times Image by Jérémy Stenuit

Bad beef

Do you know where your meat originates? It could just be sourced from deforested land in the Amazon. This report by The Guardian

Media under attack

The US media is reporting a worrying surge in attacks on reporters by the police. This report by The Guardian

Singapore grows it alone

The world has changed and amid concerns of shortages of certain foods, more and more people are growing their own. This article explores how one couple in Singapore are faring in their urban farm. Report by Channel News Asia

SNH defends geese culling

Renewables on target

Scotland is about to reach 100% renewable electricity. Good news for the environment, but we should not get complacent This report by The Scotsman

Transport changes afoot

It is not just social systems that are changing due to the pandemic - The urban environment could see an upsurge in alternative modes of transport as cities review their options This report by The Telegraph

Subsidised trips to Japan?

The Japanese government is considering paying people to go on vacation in the country in a bid to restart its' tourism industry. This report by Japan Today

Dolphin watching

Charlie Phillips used to spend his time watching and photographing Bottlenose dolphins - the better to understand their behaviour and movements. The lockdown has put this valuable work on hold. Here he describes his job. This report by The BBC

Oxfam pulling out

Oxfam, the charity, is pulling its' aid programmes in 18 countries. What does this mean for the people left behind? This report by The Guardian

15 year old cycles 745 miles

A young girl cycles 745 miles home with her disabled father as a passenger. An amazing story of endurance. This report by The Guardian Image by Jiri Moonen

School saga

The proposed return to lessons is causing a rift. The Seattle Times reports on how the debate is being framed in England. Image by Andy Falconer

Mossmorran plant flaring

SEPA are to seek prosecution against the Mossmorran plant in Fife, Scotland, over emergency flaring that has disturbed residents in recent years. This article by The Scotsman

Monster find in Mexico

Archaeologists have uncovered a vast deposit of mammoth bones at the site of a new airport in Mexico. This report by Mexico News Daily Image by Tristan Colangelo

Astronauts to launch

Two astronauts are set to travel to the International Space Station in the world's first commercial launch. This report by The Telegraph Image by SpaceX

Fire in San Francisco

A large fire has destroyed a popular tourist area known as Fishermans Wharf in the city. There are no reports of casualties. This report from The Guardian

Oban Fireman recruit

A recruit from Balloch has recently joined the ranks of firefighters in Oban. Jack Lamont completed his training and has taken up his post at Oban fire station. This report by The Oban Times

Argyll schools open August

Argyll and Bute council is working on plans to re-open schools by August, but not everything will be back to normal. This report by the Argyllshire Advertiser

Testing in Iceland

Iceland plans to test up to a thousand arrivals to the country per day when restrictions ease. This report by the Iceland Monitor

Heating with hydrogen

Scottish homes could benefit from using hydrogen gas for heating and cooking. This report by The Scotsman