Environment

Warming global temperatures could see an explosion of life in the Antarctic Ocean. Increases of just 1°C or 2°C, which are predicted over the next century, could lead to rapid increases in the populations of some species at the expense of others. Researchers from the British Antarctic Survey and the US's Smithsonian Environmental Centre made the discovery after warming an area of the seabed around their research facility. The findings reported in the Current Biology journal showed the effects of...

This week media across the world has focused its cameras on devastating floods in Texas while natural disasters in Bangladesh, India and Nepal have gone unreported. At least 1,200 people have been killed and millions have been left homeless following devastating floods that have hit South Asia in one of the worst flooding disasters to have affected the region in years. International aid agencies said thousands of villages have been cut off by flooding with people being deprived of food and...

A litter picker who is walking across the UK on a five-year mission to Keep Britain Tidy has collected around 42 TONNES of rubbish - in 6,000 BAGS. Wayne Dixon's remarkable quest has taken him through outlying parts of Scotland and along the coast of Wales with his dog. The 45-year-old has clocked over 2,000 miles - walking between counties carrying a 60lb kit bag and living off £50 a week, He carries a tent, sleeping bag, waterproofs, a stove...

Renewable energy could entirely power 139 of the world's industrialised countries by 2050 - including Britain, according to new research. By using 100 per cent wind, water and solar energy, 24 million jobs could be created and many deaths from air pollution prevented, the scientists claim. The plans for a 100 per cent renewable energy future, by scientists at Stanford University in the United States, outline the infrastructure changes needed. They said the transition could mean less global energy consumption...

These rare photographs show the Northern Lights and the Milky Way in one awe-inspiring frame. In one star-filled image, you can see the billions of stars that make up the galaxy, along side the purple and green hues known around the world as the Aurora. Photographer Maciej Winiarczyk, 44, watched the fascinating display from his window. He said: "On that particular night, I went out and I thought, 'I hope to catch Aurora.' "The spot is five minutes drive from...

Penguins with video cameras strapped to their backs have been discovered 'talking' to each other while diving for food. Scientists managed to obtain 80 hours of remarkable recordings showing the 'functional role' of their sounds as they foraged in the sea. After producing the calls in waters off the coast of Antarctica the behaviour of the Gentoo penguins changed as they undertook shallower, shorter dives. They also travelled to a new area to devour krill, their favourite food, and other...

Farmers can grow bigger, juicier tomatoes - thanks to a gene mutation, according to new research. When humans first began cultivating the wild tomato in the Andean mountain regions of Ecuador and Northern Peru, they continually selected plants that produced larger fruits. Now, thousands of years later, tomatoes on the market can weigh 1,000 times more than the fruits of their ancestors. In the new study, researchers investigated a gene they named Cell Size Regulator, or CSR, that boosts fruit...

Previously used for agricultural applications, geomats are now becoming more common for industrial, corporate and residential purposes. These mats are known as the future of ground design and layout due to their extended bi-oriented polyethylene construction. The three-dimensional design of geomats is manufactured with water permeable synthetic materials such as polymer and polypropylene. A mixture of both can also be used for manufacturing the mats. The layers of geomats are adjoined with thermal technology which enhances their life and weather...

An extinct rainforest tree has been identified from its beautiful flowers - dislodged by a rampaging dinosaur 100 million years ago. A Triceratops or Tyrannosaurus rex could have been crashing its way through a pine forest when it knocked off the blooms, which then became trapped in chunks of amber. It's the first time seven complete flowers this old have been found together. They are tiny - ranging from 3.4 to 5 millimetres in diameter - but so well-preserved they...