London politics
fromwww.theguardian.com
2 days agoContractor that cut back ancient oak in London park identified
The unauthorized felling of a 500-year-old oak in London raises questions about safety claims and contractor transparency.
'Our results show that the next 20 years are critical,' lead author Dr Rob Cooke told the Daily Mail. 'By around 2050, we reach a point where the choices we make on emissions and land use will largely determine whether Britain moves towards a much more degraded or a much more nature‑positive future.'
The early morning sun is bursting around the dark corners of High Dodd and Sleet Fell, sending a flush of light across the golden bracken and on to the hammered silver of the lake.
Please do enjoy walking around the site, but just give them some space. We're asking people to remember that these are not pets - they are conservation grazers doing an important job. Jessica Allam, Senior Wilder Grazing Ranger at Kent Wildlife Trust, emphasizes the need for visitors to respect the animals' boundaries and understand their conservation role.
They're special on a world stage, 85% of chalk streams are in England. They're wonderful habitats, they're great for people as well, people really enjoy them, whether it's areas like this where you can find kingfishers and grey wagtails and it's just a unique resource that we really should steward properly.
This declaration establishes a much-needed green lung for this part of the borough. Our charity launched this campaign back in January 2021. At that time, we were emerging from Covid lockdown, and people were discovering the wonders of nature and wildlife on their doorstep in the Brent River Park.
While the data shows 80% of people live within walking distance of green or blue spaces such as a river, park or woodland, it also reveals a disparity between rural and poorer urban areas. In some areas of local authorities, fewer than 20% of residents live close to these spaces, according to data released by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on Wednesday.
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Italian scientists documented something interesting: in areas with more trees per capita, the number and severity of COVID-19 cases were lower than in places with fewer trees, even when accounting for differences in human population density. This work is part of a growing body of research around the world investigating whether time spent in forests and nature can provide protection from infections, such as COVID-19 and pneumonia; inflammatory conditions, such as asthma, emphysema and bronchitis; and even cancer.
The massive project, known as the Rhydycar West development, will also include both indoor and outdoor activity centers, up to 418 hotel rooms, possibly 30 woodland lodge units, around 830 car parking spaces, and a large water park. Councilor Andrew Barry brought up that the council's main reasoning for moving forward with the project is the welfare of the local community. In a statement to the local council, Barry stated: "We need positive economic solutions."
The body is a shifting landscape transformed by surfaces and sensations. Each look captures a different tactile world: the heat of blood, the cool weight of metal, the yielding drift of water. The result is a sculptural study of how the elements carve, shield, and release the self. The materials we embody become the emotions we carry, and the body becomes a materialised exhibition of our emotions, from the pulse of Blood to the discipline of Metal to the surrender of Water.
Confirmation that the Whitewebbs Oak was alive at the time of its felling felt inevitable. I visited the tree in the aftermath and there was absolutely no doubt in my mind the tree was very much alive. There were still green shoots and healthy buds and, in fact, just before the felling, tree VETcert-qualified consultants found the tree was in good health with a full crown.
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
It was a Saturday in February 2020 when the flood came. It had been a wet winter, so wet it seemed that before the month was out, the brown trout of the River Taff might be washed clean out into Cardiff Bay before the fishing season had even begun. But this is Wales. People are used to a spot of rain.
Conservationists have now persuaded landowners to cut hedges in a more gentle rotation, with sections left uncut for up to three years, to enable more eggs to survive over winter. The caterpillars emerge with the foliage in spring and hatch into adult butterflies in July. The brown hairstreak is difficult to spot as a butterfly but every winter volunteers assess its populations by counting its minuscule cream-coloured eggs, which with careful searching are visible on the bare branches of blackthorn.
Hampstead Heath is one of London's most treasured parks. It's home to one of the best views of the London skyline, a Grade-II listed lido, three of the city's most beloved bathing ponds, a zoo, a grand manor house and acres of glorious woodland. And over the next five years, there are big plans to introduce even more attractions and conservation schemes to the space.