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In response to a request from Hvar's registered charity Dignitea, the EC has sent a full explanation of the regulations which should be applied to the proposed oil and gas drilling in the Adriatic.
Exclusive: Commission says alert would trigger coordinated international response that could help avoid millions dying
The climate crisis should be declared a global public health emergency by the World Health Organization, or millions more people will die unnecessarily, leading international experts have said.
The independent pan-European commission on climate and health, which was convened by the WHO, concluded the climate crisis was such a worldwide threat to health that the WHO should declare it “a public health emergency of international concern” (Pheic).
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Climate and transport organisations warn ministers not to ‘sleepwalk into crisis’ amid Iran war oil and gas shortages
Private jets should be banned and the speed limit on UK motorways reduced to 60mph as part of a pre-emptive effort to ease the looming fuel supply crisis, according to leading climate and transport organisations.
The group – including Greenpeace and Transport and Environment – are calling on ministers not to “sleepwalk into a crisis” that could lead to severe shortages of jet fuel and spiralling petrol prices at the pump in the coming months.
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Thames at Ham designated as one of 13 new swimming areas across England to be monitored for water quality
The first designated bathing water area on the River Thames in London will welcome swimmers for the official start of the bathing season on Friday as one of 13 new monitored swimming areas across England.
The Thames at Ham, in south-west London, has been designated as a new river bathing water area after campaigners gathered evidence to show thousands of people use the river for swimming throughout the year.
Canvey Island foreshore, Essex
East Beach at West Bay, Bridport, Dorset
Falcon Meadow, Bungay, Suffolk
Granville Parade Beach, Sandgate, Kent
Little Shore, Amble, Northumberland
New Brighton Beach (east), Merseyside
Newton and Noss Creeks, Devon
Pangbourne Meadow, Berkshire
Queen Elizabeth Gardens, Salisbury, Wiltshire
River Dee at Sandy Lane, Chester, Cheshire
River Fowey in Lostwithiel, Cornwall
River Swale in Richmond, Yorkshire
River Thames at Ham and Kingston, Greater London
Butterfly Conservation poll is open until 7 June with choice of 60 species from small tortoiseshells to purple emperors
Will it be the rapidly disappearing former garden favourite, the small tortoiseshell? Or the poet John Masefield’s “oakwood haunting thing”, the charismatic purple emperor? Or perhaps the brimstone, the ultimate harbinger of spring?
The question of which is Britain’s favourite butterfly is being put to a popular vote for the first time. The charity Butterfly Conservation is running the poll, which runs until 7 June, giving people the chance to choose their favourite from the 60 species that fly around Britain every summer.
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Cranbrook, Kent: The swarm has gathered in a plum tree, looking for a new home. And I have just the place
There comes this moment in May when I’m still anticipating the fresh green of spring, but looking up at the oak see it in a lustreless summer hue. A little rain would renew its sheen, but it’s been dry for weeks and there is no reprieve from this fleeting sense of loss.
Abruptly, there comes a noise, a rising hum almost mechanical in tone, but as I look for the contraption responsible, I see instead a mass of insects flowing over the line of hawthorns. The honeybee swarm swirls in a cloud before the queen, imperceptibly landing, triggering a leisurely implosion. Guided by pheromones, thousands of worker bees join her to form a solid ball, hanging precariously from the twig of a plum tree.
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In this week’s newsletter: The public stranding of a young humpback exposes tensions between animal rights activism and other choices around biodiversity
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Timmy the whale is lost at sea, presumed dead.
In normal circumstances, the loss of a young humpback whale would be a sad yet unremarkable part of the circle of life. Dead whales help sustain thousands of marine species – and are part of the global carbon cycle.
Smuggled in syringes: how Nairobi became a nexus for the black market in giant harvester ants
Labour must fulfil promise to introduce clean air act, charities urge
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This week’s best wildlife photographs from around the world
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While there are still days the Thames is so dirty even dogs avoid it, steps are being taken to restore public waterways
Some people think we are odd for swimming in the Thames. “Isn’t it cold?” they ask with a shiver, like they are the ones who just took the plunge. Er, yes, that’s the whole point. Cold water ignites the central nervous system and reboots the mind.
“Isn’t it dirty?” they ask. Yes, sometimes, particularly when it’s rained. Then we don’t get in the Thames, we get in a rage instead, taking contamination measurements and signing petitions challenging the behaviour of the water company that spews sewage into the river.
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The GoSun Sport-E elevates solar ovens to genuinely useful cooking appliances with a unique hybrid design
Baking Steel v Ooni v Gozney: I tested the three best pizza makers for home in the US
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The term “solar energy” may immediately conjure images of solar panels, but you don’t need to convert sunlight to electricity to harness its power. As a self-professed solar nerd, I’ve played around with a few different alternatives, including a large parabolic mirror that could instantly set paper on fire – and cook a meal. No gas, electricity or even a wood fire needed.
When everything lined up, it almost felt magical. It’s hard to beat the sound and smell of fried potatoes sizzling on a blistering hot cast-iron pan, and I loved putting that bright Arizona sun to good use. But it also revealed some challenges. It was awkward to carry and set up, slight misalignment caused uneven cooking, wind sapped the heat, and a passing cloud could lead to a half-cooked meal.
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Glenn Murcutt pioneered architecture that was sensitive to its environment, and accomodating to changing temperatures and wildlife
The house teaches you things, Lynne Eastaway says. Today, a choir of cicadas fill the scrub with a rhythm that rises and falls. On other days, there may be visits from birds, goannas, echidnas, wombats, wallabies and kangaroos.
“The bush ends, and the house begins,” she says. “You’re not the centre; you’re just part of it. That’s the thing you learn.
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Osobe s Parkinsonovom bolešću mogle bi pronaći olakšanje zahvaljujući novoj tehnici duboke stimulacije mozga koja ne zahtijeva operaciju, pokazuje nova studija. Jedan od najučinkovitijih tretmana za uznapredovalu Parkinsonovu bolest uključuje operaciju implantacije elektroda u mozak, koje isporučuju električne impulse za stimulaciju moždanih regija. No, znanstvenici su sada razvili tehniku koja bi mogla primijeniti istu stimulaciju izvan lubanje, bez potrebe za operacijom mozga.
Rezultati nove studije pokazali su da je kombinacija kolbopasvira i sofosbuvira vrlo učinkovita i sigurna u liječenju kroničnog hepatitisa C, uključujući genotip 3b i pacijente s kompenziranom cirozom jetre ili koinfekcijom hepatitis B virusom (HBV), te se smatra vrijednom opcijom za eliminaciju hepatitis C virusa (HCV).
Analiza bioloških satova u ljudskom tijelu sugerira da premalo sati sna - i previše - može ubrzati starenje mozga, srca, pluća i imunološkog sustava te je povezano sa širokim rasponom bolesti.
Nova studija pokazala je da je biološka dob starija od kronološke dobi povezana s većom vjerojatnošću razvoja demencije, i to posebno vaskularne demencije, te s ranijom dobi početka bolesti kod svih podtipova demencije.
Osteoporoza, koja je vrlo česta kod žena u postmenopauzi, dugo se povezivala s povećanim rizikom od prijeloma. Nova studija sugerira da također može povećati ukupni rizik od smrti kod žena - za čak 47% - posebno unutar specifičnih raspona gustoće minerala kostiju (0,46-0,71 g/cm2 za ukupnu gustoću minerala bedrene kosti).
Izgleda da antitijelo NG101 može potaknuti regeneraciju oštećenog tkiva leđne moždine, pokazuje nova studija provedena u Švicarskoj. Naime, uz poticaj ovog novog antitijela, nova živčana vlakna ponovno formiraju funkcionalne veze, omogućujući pacijentima da postanu samostalniji.
Izraelski znanstvenici su identificirali prethodno neprepoznati obrambeni mehanizam u crijevima, pokazujući da crijevne matične stanice mogu aktivno reagirati na infekciju salmonelom i pomoći u zaštiti crijeva od bakterijske invazije.
Iako dijele slične depresivne i kognitivne simptome, biološki temelji bipolarnog poremećaja i velikog depresivnog poremećaja su različiti. Nova studija, prva je koja identificira klinički relevantne putove koji povezuju metaboličku disfunkciju, strukturu mozga i kogniciju kod poremećaja raspoloženja, s jačim i specifičnijim učincima uočenim kod bipolarnog poremećaja. Ističe potencijal ciljanja metaboličkih putova za poboljšanje kognitivnih simptoma kod bipolarnog poremećaja.
Izgleda da mentalni stres može izravno utjecati na protok krvi u mišićima i finu motoričku kontrolu tijekom jednostavnih fizičkih zadataka, pokazuje nova studija. Naime, stabilnost sile tijekom kontrakcija vrlo niskog intenziteta i vaskularni odgovori uključeni u izvođenje motoričkih zadataka mogu se smanjiti pod kognitivnim stresom.
Znanstvenicii koji prate pacijente s blagim moždanim udarom otkrili su da je abnormalno širenje i iskrivljenje moždanih arterija, a ne tradicionalno sužavanje velikih arterija, najsnažnije povezano s progresivnim oštećenjem mozga malih krvnih žila i lakunarnim moždanim udarom.
