Environment

A rare flower that stinks of ROTTING FLESH has bloomed at a prestigious university garden. The Titan Arum - also known as the corpse flower - at Cambridge University's Botanic Garden burst into life on Monday night. Hundreds of people gathered for the occurrence which was happening for the first time in 13 years. The flower emits a rancid stench to attract pollinators and is more pungent at night when it heats up to about 40C. Prof Beverley Glover, director...

A major incident was declared after a huge inferno erupted at an oil and gas factory, sending flames more than 100ft into the air. Around 60 firefighters and 12 engines were called to the blaze, which ignited eight tanks of red diesel and oil and sent massive plumes of smoke into the air just six miles from Gatwick Airport. The massive fire broke out just after 1:15am on Monday morning at the Rowfant Business Park in Crawley Downs, West Sussex....

A vegetarian beef farmer has made the incredible gesture of donating a herd of 59 cows to a vegan sanctuary and is working to convert his farm to a vegan one. Jay Wilde has been farming cows all his life but could no longer accept making money from them and decided to donate the herd to Hillside Animal Sanctuary in Norfolk last Monday. The Ashbourne-based 59-year-old is also in the process of turning his farm vegan with the help of...

Today marks the first ever National Clean Air Day, a chance for the whole country to come together and improve air quality through collective action. Air pollution contributes to 40,000 premature deaths a year in the UK but progress on this issue has been glacially slow. Recently the government was successfully taken to court by NGO Client Earth for failing to meet pledges on air pollution, forcing the publication of a new clean air plan by 31 July. A draft air quality plan for...

This interactive map below features the climate, fracking and environmental issues in your constituency with a breakdown below of where candidates stand on these issues. With the general election upon us, these are the constituencies where candidates’ positions on fracking, energy, air pollution, airport expansion and climate change issues could be decisive if you are looking for an MP who shares your concerns. Research by Mat Hope ,Deputy Editor of Desmog UK.   (View the full interactive map on Google Maps (please note: the link may not...

Aldi and McDonald’s are leading the way for animal welfare, a new study has revealed. Contrary to the common belief that high end supermarkets and restaurants are always synonymous with higher animal welfare Sainsbury’s ranked as number one for RSPCA Assured products followed by Aldi and the Co-op. McDonalds lead the way in the food service industry, with retailers such as Amazon scoring a depressingly low figure. Commenting on this news RSPCA Assured CEO, Clive Brazier, says: “This news flies firmly in the face...

Three minke whales have died and another two are in distress off the coast of the UK. The first sighting of the dead whale, a calf, was spotted on a mudbank in the River Orre, Near Felixstowe, on Saturday afternoon. Another dead adult whale, thought to be the calf's mother, was seen in the water. Officials have sealed off an area of Felixstowe Pier in Suffolk after the 30ft mother whale washed up there. John Cresswell, from the Felixstowe Volunteer...

A flamingo stands on one leg because it takes less effort than using two, according to new research. It is possibly the animal kingdom's most iconic pose and the reason for it has remained one of the greatest mysteries in nature. Now, in the first study of its kind, scientists reckon they have come up with a simple solution. The famous long necked pink bird with stick like legs, which at five feet tall is among the biggest on Earth,...

Shocking pictures show more than 100 tonnes of rubbish - including dangerous asbestos - dumped by flytippers next to a beauty spot. The enormous mound of rubble, containing building materials and even human waste, will cost the taxpayer more than £20,000 to remove. Council workers are currently trawling through the mass of waste to find traces of those responsible before the clean-up can begin. It's been dumped close to the Wat Tyler Country Park near Basildon, Essex, known for its...