Road to COP26

Environment

Everyone Thinks Organic Eggs Are Greener – This Study Says the Opposite

A new study has highlighted a growing challenge in egg production. Researchers argue that the transition from conventional cage systems to free-range and organic farming, often viewed as a positive development for animal welfare, may entail substantial environmental costs. The findings underscore a complex trade-off that is drawing increasing attention from scientists and policymakers alike. An international team worked on the study. It includes researchers from Oxford University's Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment. They looked closely at data from UK egg production. Their main goal was to compare different farming methods and measure their effects side by side. The...
Environment

New Research Reveals How Traffic Is Harming Hedgehog Populations

Senuri Vithanage -
A new study has found that traffic kills a large number of hedgehogs every year. Between 15% and 29% of local hedgehogs die on roads annually. The research involved the University of Cambridge, along with three other UK universities. The study appears in the journal Animal Conservation. The study looked at how road deaths affect hedgehog populations of different sizes. It also looked at what might happen to these populations...
Environment

How Hot Winter Weather Could Be Affecting Your Mental Wellbeing

Senuri Vithanage -
Warmer winter days may be having a greater effect on the mental health of children and young adults than many people expect, according to new Australian research. Researchers found that unusually high temperatures during winter were linked to more hospital visits for mental health conditions among people aged from birth to 24 years. They also warned that these health impacts could become more common as climate change continues to...
Environment

Canada’s Record Wildfires Made Dozens of New York Bird Species Harder to Detect, Study Reveals

S De Silva -
Environment (Commonwealth Union) – Wildfires are well known to cause environmental hazards well across there local boundaries. Singapore has been frequently impacted by wildfires from Indonesia and Malaysia. Recently the flames were hundreds of miles away, wildfires in Canada have become a recurring disruption for New York State. The effects have included air quality warnings and increased hospital visits linked to asthma-related problems. Now, researchers at the University at Buffalo (UB) have...
Environment

How Rising Temperatures Are Affecting Milk Quality and Supply

Senuri Vithanage -
Hot weather does more than reduce the amount of milk cows produce; it also lowers the milk's nutritional quality by decreasing its fat and protein content, according to a new study published in the journal Environmental Research Letters. This is a fresh angle on how climate change hits dairy farms. The study shows that money lost from weaker milk quality is roughly as large as money lost from lower milk...
Environment

Could the UK Face Its Worst Flooding Yet? New Study Warns

Senuri Vithanage -
A new study warns that coastal flooding will threaten many more people in the UK over the coming decades. By the year 2100, at least half a million extra people could be at risk. That is a jump of about 25% compared with today. The research comes from the Met Office and the University of Bristol. It is the first study to work out, in detail, how many people across...
Environment

Bumblebees May Be Taking in Far More Toxic Metal Than Honeybees

Senuri Vithanage -
New research from the University of Cambridge has found something surprising. Bumblebees soak up much more toxic heavy metal than honeybees. This happens even when both bees feed in the exact same area. In some cases, bumblebees carry up to seven times more metal than honeybees. This exposure can hurt bees in many ways. It can affect how well they search for food. It can also affect their ability...