Hungarian Toxic Sludge

A major spill of toxic red sludge from an industrial plant in western Hungary has spilled in to the Danube. The sludge has so far killed 7 people.

Read more at the BBC.

Or take a look at Sky News

River Trent polluted

The deadly chemical cyanide and a quantity of sewage have leaked into a 30-mile stretch of the River Trent in Staffordshire.
Thousands of fish have died and people were being warned to stay away from the river while the incident is controlled.

To read more click this link.

Has the worm turned?

The global recession and a range of government policies are likely to bring the biggest annual fall in the world's carbon dioxide emissions in 40 years.

For more information click this link to the BBC.

Alternatively, go direct to the International Energy Agency website.

It's rubbish!

Just in case we have the weather this Easter holiday to go to the seaside (Some hope?!) have a read of this before you go.

The most recent Marine Conservation Society (MCS) report has indicated that the amount of rubbish found on British beaches is at an all time high. To,find out more go to the MCS website by clicking this link.

A blast from the past!

For us oldies who remember this......

It is 20 years since the Exxon Valdez supertanker ran aground in Alaska, spilling 38,000 tonnes of crude oil into the sheltered waters of a picturesque sound. It wasn't the biggest oil spill recorded but it was, arguably, the most iconic.

What lessons have we learnt from this oil disaster? To find out read this article on the BBC

Population Crisis?

The balance of resources and population is a concern, or at least a matter of study, for us all. Geographers and non geogrpahers alike might be interested in this site when considering the stresses we create for our world. Globalis is an interactive world atlas where you decide what is to be displayed on the map. Globalis aims to create an understanding for similarities and differences in human societies, as well as how we influence life on the planet. This is primarily done using visual means.

Big chunk of ice!

A large chunk of an Arctic ice shelf has broken free of the northern Canadian coast, scientists say.

Nearly 20 sq km (eight sq miles) of ice from the Ward Hunt shelf has split away from Ellesmere Island, according to satellite pictures.

It is thought to be the biggest piece of ice shed in the region since 60 sq km of the nearby Ayles Ice Shelf broke away in 2005.

Scientists say further splitting could occur during the Arctic summer melt.

Coral's under threat

A third of the world's reef-building coral species are facing extinction.
That is the stark conclusion from the first global study to assess the extinction risks of corals.
Writing in the journal Science, researchers say climate change, coastal development, overfishing, and pollution are the major threats.

Protesters storm a coal train

A train carrying coal to one of Britain's largest power stations was stopped by protestors and boarded this morning.

Thirty members of the group "Leave it in the Ground" stopped the train with a red flag and boarded it at Rawcliffe on the boundary between north and east Yorkshire. The train was carrying coal to Drax Power Station.

Leave it in the Ground is an organisation which protests against open cast mining.

Drax Power Station the largest coal fired station in the Uk claims to be the cleanest and most efficient power station in the UK.

Look at the two site and see what you think?

Methane on the up?

Higher atmospheric levels of the greenhouse gas methane noted last year are probably related to emissions from wetlands, especially around the Arctic.
Scientists have found indications that extra amounts of the gas in the Arctic region are of biological origin.
Global levels of methane had been roughly stable for almost a decade.
Rising levels in the Arctic could mean that some of the methane stored away in permafrost is being released, which would have major climatic implications.
The gas is about 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas, though it survives for a shorter time in the atmosphere before being broken down by natural chemical processes.

To understand the Greenhouse Effect check this animation from the BBC.

Half Term Hols

Yes it's another week off! Years 7 and 8 have finished their exams and can enjoy a relaxing week, but do they dare go to a British beach?

Today the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) announced that, due to last year's storms, of the 779 beaches that were tested for water quality 443 got the top rating with the remainder failing to make the grade.

The MCS claim that the 2007 summer storms washed raw sewage and animal waste into rivers and coastal waters and that has affected the quality of water.

So if you are going to a UK beach check out the Good Beach Guide to see if you risk the chance of stomach upsets or eye infections.

Happy holidays!

Can you here yourself think?

Residents in 23 towns and cities in England are to be given the chance to monitor noise levels in their area using interactive maps.
Part of the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) website shows the level of environmental noise from road and rail networks in the areas.
Users can search by postcode to monitor noise levels. The 23 areas include London, Manchester and Sheffield.

You can check out the Noise mapping website and see how badly your area is affected.