conservation

Use of glyphosate is demanded by farmers but detested by conservationists

Glyphosate-based herbicides are “absolutely fine” according to Britain’s environment secretary. Are they?

Therese Coffey said that glyphosate-based herbicides are perfectly fine. The commercially available herbicide called Roundup contains a glyphosate-based herbicide and the product is known to be dangerous to wildlife. It seems to me that Therese Coffey has decided that intensive farmers should be supported over wildlife. She prefers to protect farmers than wildlife. Therese Coffey …

Glyphosate-based herbicides are “absolutely fine” according to Britain’s environment secretary. Are they? Read More »

Seal pup on a beach where they should be left alone

Woman picks up baby seal on beach and it dies of shock

NEWS AND OPINION: Against the advice of an expert, a woman picked up a baby seal on a beach near Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, UK, and wrapped the animal in her coat, I presume in attempt to rescue the animal, but it died of shock. Inadvertently, therefore, she killed this baby seal. She must be distraught. …

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GnRH plays a key role in reproduction.

Immuno-contraception by oral vaccination of feral cats in Australia

Why don’t the Australian authorities use immuno-contraception (IC) by vaccination to control the population feral cats in Australia which prey on native species and which annoy the Australian authorities so much? The vaccination could be given orally. And it seems to me that theoretically it could be given orally using the device that the clever …

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Logo of the Wagner group

Mercenary private armies are bad for animal welfare and they are marching to global power

It is likely that you have not missed the story about the Wagner group and its former leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who it is believed has died in his private jet when it fell to the ground in flames missing a wing, probably destroyed by one of Putin’s agents who planted a bomb in the landing …

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Emperor penguins are disappearing with the Antartica ice

Ice is disappearing from Antarctica and so are the emperor penguins

Emperor penguins need ice on which to live. Emperor penguin colonies live on ice. They lay their eggs on ice and feed their chicks on ice. Scientists tell us that this vital element of the emperor penguin’s habitat is disappearing from parts of Antarctica which removes the possibility for the Emperor Penguin to survive. Scientists …

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99 bears and 5 wolves shot to protect caribou in Alaska

The Alaska Wildlife Alliance has filed a lawsuit against the Board of Game and the Department of Fish and Game because they culled 99 bears and 5 wolves to protect caribou without allegedly properly consulting experts and the public. The bears and wolves were hunted from helicopters and planes over a period of 19 days …

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Water vole conservation

Water vole conservation in the Lake District 2023

In the UK, the water vole population has declined over the past hundred years from about 8 million to only 132,000. This small mammal has disappeared from 94% of the areas where it once lived. And now, in a strong conservation programme, 365 captive-bred water voles have been reintroduced this week in an area of …

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Self-discipline is missing in 21st century Britain

12 million in the UK to go on a weight-loss drug to side-step the need for self-discipline

An effective weight-loss drug sidesteps the need for self-discipline to eat less and therefore promotes more self-indulgence. I see Wegovy as being a step in the wrong direction as it will also discourage daily walking as a form or exercise and to improve mental health. Michael Broad NEWS AND VIEWS – UK: The lack of …

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Contrails are responsible for the equivalent of 2% of humanity's entire contribution to climate change

Aircraft contrails account for 2% of humanity’s contribution to climate change

Contrails are responsible for the equivalent of 2% of humanity’s entire contribution to climate change. To put that another way, contrails are responsible for 60% of the aircraft industry’s greenhouse effect i.e. the aircraft industry’s contribution to climate change. I bet you didn’t know that those pretty contrails trailing behind airliners high in the sky …

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Greta Thunberg

Unlike politicians Greta Thunberg walks the walk on climate change

“Don’t talk the talk unless you can walk the walk” is the well-used phrase. For the sake of clarity is means that people should do what they say they are going to do and not just talk about it. And I have immense admiration for Greta Thunberg for walking the walk in her campaign to …

Unlike politicians Greta Thunberg walks the walk on climate change Read More »

Climate change is blamed as the oceans become greener and it is frightening

Oceans are turning green due to global warming

My title is slightly exaggerated because when you look at the oceans today, they still look blue and the change to a greener hue cannot be detected by the human eye because it is too subtle but the change has taken place over the past 20 years. This has been shown by satellite data and …

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Sperm whale ambergris

At $24,000 per pound this sperm whale grease is 16 times more valuable than gold

It is mysteriously called ‘ambergris’. It is very rare hence its value. It is also called ‘ambergrease’ or ‘grey amber’. It is solid, waxy and flammable and it resides in 1-5% of the digestive tracts of sperm whales. It is formed by the secretion of bile from the whale’s intestines. It is believed that the …

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The cuckoo

Cuckoos are out of sync with their victims’ nesting clocks due to global warming

Cuckoos travelling to the UK are out of sync with their victims’ nesting clocks due to global warming which is bringing spring earlier. Scientific American reported last year that spring in the UK arrived a month earlier than in the 1980s and that the trend was revealed in 250 years of records. They also state …

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Dehorned rhino is protected

Removing a rhino’s horn to protect them makes them anti-social and anxious

When I think about it, the results of this study are pretty much common sense. If you remove a vital part of an animals defensive anatomy you are going to alter the mentality of that animal negatively. It is the same with declawing cats about which I know a hell of a lot! It changes …

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Ban trophy hunting imports. The UK wants it to happen now.

The Lords of England are against a ban on the importation of hunting trophies

NEWS AND VIEWS: This genuinely irritates me to my core. The UK government is trying to pass a law which bans the importation of hunting trophies as trophy hunting is cruel and an activity which is of a bygone age. It negatively impacts conservation in my view. There is no place for it in 20th …

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Two useful tags. Click either to see the articles: Speciesism - 'them and us' | Cruelty - always shameful

Note: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified.