[News] from [guardian.co.uk]
[Environment]
Stingless wasp species discovered in Kent
Lewis Smith
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 18 October 2009 00.34 BST Article history
A new type of wasp has been discovered living quietly in Sevenoaks, Kent, and, rather than being a foreign invader, it has been identified as a reclusive British native.
The wasp does not sting, but is a parasite which lays its eggs in the live bodies of whitefly that can plague maple trees. The eggs hatch inside the whitefly and the larvae eat the host insect from within until they are ready to pupate and emerge as adult wasps.
"It's a bit of a John Hurt Alien scenario," said Dr Andrew Polaszek, of the Natural History Museum in London, who discovered the species. "But it's an effective form of pest control."
He found the wasp, Encarsia aleurochitonis, after taking samples of whitefly from trees near his home.Parasitoid wasps are seen as being an ideal form of biological control because they only attack one host species or a handful of closely related hosts. Being host specific prevents the wasps from getting out of control and becoming a pest itself as happened with the cane toad when it was introduced to combat a crop pest in Australia.
[Environment > Climate change]
Protesters and police in violent clashes at Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station
> Police officer airlifted to hospital after clashes
> Demonstrators try to invade coal-fired plant
James Orr, Mark Townsend and Adam Vaughan
guardian.co.uk, Saturday 17 October 2009 17.05 BST Article history
A police officer has been airlifted to hospital after being hurt during violent scuffles with activists at Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station in Nottinghamshire.
Witnesses said one protester was also treated by ambulance crews at the site following a volatile stand-off with authorities.
A total of 21 people have been arrested after sections of the fence surrounding the station were torn down by protesters.
The violence broke out as lines of police attempted to push back the activists outside the fence.
Muray Smith, a spokesman for Camp for Climate Action, one of the groups that organised the demonstration, said: "Protesters pulled down two sections of fence and police are trying to restrict them getting through and are trying to move people back."
Some activists managed to enter the site and were arrested, he added.
Earlier, 10 people were held by police on suspicion of conspiracy to commit aggravated trespass. Nine were from Manchester and one from West Yorkshire. They were aged between 19 and 53.
About 1,000 protesters are understood to have gathered at the site. Groups including Camp for Climate Action are demanding that coal-fired stations be decommissioned in favour of more environmentally friendly options.
A spokeswoman from Nottinghamshire police said: "Throughout the day officers have been assaulted but police remain in control of the site.
"We have one officer who sustained head injuries at the protest. He was airlifted to Derbyshire Royal Infirmary where he is being treated. His wife has been made aware but we have no update on his condition.
"One protester also received treatment on site by police officers and was taken away by ambulance. His condition is unknown.
"Officers are using appropriate force to stop protesters but are not trying to contain them, all are free to move away from the perimeter. The breach of the fence line has now been secured."
The A453 has been closed between junction 24 of the M1 and the A52 and diversions have been put in place.
[Environment > Activism]
Environmental activist arrested ahead of coal-fired power station protest
Campaigners claim police have stepped up intimidation in week in which four activists were detained on way to Copenhagen
Adam Vaughan
guardian.co.uk, Friday 16 October 2009 13.04 BST Article history
An environmental activist has been arrested in advance of a protest planned at a Nottinghamshire coal power station this weekend. As the unnamed campaigner was arrested yesterday on suspicion of conspiracy to commit criminal damage, it also emerged that a total of four climate activists have been detained this week attempting to travel to Copenhagen.
Climate activists including members of campaigning groups Climate Camp and Plane Stupid have pledged to shut down the Ratcliffe-on-Soar coal power station run by German energy giant E.ON. The arrests follow an injunction taken out by E.ON against protesters that will allow police to arrest anyone who enters the plant's grounds. A large police and private security presence is expected at the site, which has upped its security measures, including the erection of a new electric fence.
The campaigner charged yesterday has been released and bailed to return to a police station on Saturday, when the power station protests are due to take place. On Tuesday this week, 31-year-old office worker Chris Kitchen was prevented from travelling to Copenhagen to take part in events around the UN climate talks this December. Three other activists are now understood to have been detained and searched this week while attempting to travel to Copenhagen, though they have subsequently completed their journeys.
Activists for Plane Stupid also claimed they were phoned yesterday by Nottinghamshire police and told "they would be arrested" if they came to Ratcliffe-on-Soar. Tracy Singh from Plane Stupid said "the police are acting like hoodlums. We are absolutely disgusted." A press spokesperson for Nottinghamshire police said it would be facilitating lawful protest around the power station and denied activists would be arrested simply by coming to the site.
Richard Bernard, a spokesperson for Climate Camp, added: "They're threatening and arresting people for just thinking and talking about taking meaningful action. This is clear intimidation — they're just trying to scare us. But what's really scary is climate change, and that's why we're going to take control of Ratcliffe on Saturday."
E.ON has responded to the planned protest by placing a series of videos on its YouTube channel with comments from its press team, the power station manager and protestors.
A spokeswoman for E.ON, said: "We respect the right of people to have their say as long as it's peaceful and lawful. [The planned action] is incredibly dangerous and irresponsible. What I would say is by all means come, but don't try to break into the power station."
Activists have been sharing satellite maps and photos of the power station online, which they plan to travel to by train and bus. The Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station emits 12.8m tonnes of CO2 a year and is Britain's third largest source of direct greenhouse gas emissions. E.ON says it is one of the UK's most efficient coal power stations.
In April this year, 114 people were arrested at a Nottingham school on suspicion of planning a direct action on the power station. At least 25 of the activsts have been subsequently charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated trespass, a charge which places restrictions on communications with friends and family and potentially carries a sentence of six months.
E.ON has also been the subject of an ongoing campaign by climate activists for its plans to build a new coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth in Kent. Last week the company said Kingsnorth had been postponed because of the global recession, an annoucement that campaigners viewed as a victory for the climate movement.
[Environment]
Stingless wasp species discovered in Kent
Lewis Smith
guardian.co.uk, Sunday 18 October 2009 00.34 BST Article history
A new type of wasp has been discovered living quietly in Sevenoaks, Kent, and, rather than being a foreign invader, it has been identified as a reclusive British native.
The wasp does not sting, but is a parasite which lays its eggs in the live bodies of whitefly that can plague maple trees. The eggs hatch inside the whitefly and the larvae eat the host insect from within until they are ready to pupate and emerge as adult wasps.
"It's a bit of a John Hurt Alien scenario," said Dr Andrew Polaszek, of the Natural History Museum in London, who discovered the species. "But it's an effective form of pest control."
He found the wasp, Encarsia aleurochitonis, after taking samples of whitefly from trees near his home.Parasitoid wasps are seen as being an ideal form of biological control because they only attack one host species or a handful of closely related hosts. Being host specific prevents the wasps from getting out of control and becoming a pest itself as happened with the cane toad when it was introduced to combat a crop pest in Australia.
[Environment > Climate change]
Protesters and police in violent clashes at Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station
> Police officer airlifted to hospital after clashes
> Demonstrators try to invade coal-fired plant
James Orr, Mark Townsend and Adam Vaughan
guardian.co.uk, Saturday 17 October 2009 17.05 BST Article history
A police officer has been airlifted to hospital after being hurt during violent scuffles with activists at Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station in Nottinghamshire.
Witnesses said one protester was also treated by ambulance crews at the site following a volatile stand-off with authorities.
A total of 21 people have been arrested after sections of the fence surrounding the station were torn down by protesters.
The violence broke out as lines of police attempted to push back the activists outside the fence.
Muray Smith, a spokesman for Camp for Climate Action, one of the groups that organised the demonstration, said: "Protesters pulled down two sections of fence and police are trying to restrict them getting through and are trying to move people back."
Some activists managed to enter the site and were arrested, he added.
Earlier, 10 people were held by police on suspicion of conspiracy to commit aggravated trespass. Nine were from Manchester and one from West Yorkshire. They were aged between 19 and 53.
About 1,000 protesters are understood to have gathered at the site. Groups including Camp for Climate Action are demanding that coal-fired stations be decommissioned in favour of more environmentally friendly options.
A spokeswoman from Nottinghamshire police said: "Throughout the day officers have been assaulted but police remain in control of the site.
"We have one officer who sustained head injuries at the protest. He was airlifted to Derbyshire Royal Infirmary where he is being treated. His wife has been made aware but we have no update on his condition.
"One protester also received treatment on site by police officers and was taken away by ambulance. His condition is unknown.
"Officers are using appropriate force to stop protesters but are not trying to contain them, all are free to move away from the perimeter. The breach of the fence line has now been secured."
The A453 has been closed between junction 24 of the M1 and the A52 and diversions have been put in place.
[Environment > Activism]
Environmental activist arrested ahead of coal-fired power station protest
Campaigners claim police have stepped up intimidation in week in which four activists were detained on way to Copenhagen
Adam Vaughan
guardian.co.uk, Friday 16 October 2009 13.04 BST Article history
An environmental activist has been arrested in advance of a protest planned at a Nottinghamshire coal power station this weekend. As the unnamed campaigner was arrested yesterday on suspicion of conspiracy to commit criminal damage, it also emerged that a total of four climate activists have been detained this week attempting to travel to Copenhagen.
Climate activists including members of campaigning groups Climate Camp and Plane Stupid have pledged to shut down the Ratcliffe-on-Soar coal power station run by German energy giant E.ON. The arrests follow an injunction taken out by E.ON against protesters that will allow police to arrest anyone who enters the plant's grounds. A large police and private security presence is expected at the site, which has upped its security measures, including the erection of a new electric fence.
The campaigner charged yesterday has been released and bailed to return to a police station on Saturday, when the power station protests are due to take place. On Tuesday this week, 31-year-old office worker Chris Kitchen was prevented from travelling to Copenhagen to take part in events around the UN climate talks this December. Three other activists are now understood to have been detained and searched this week while attempting to travel to Copenhagen, though they have subsequently completed their journeys.
Activists for Plane Stupid also claimed they were phoned yesterday by Nottinghamshire police and told "they would be arrested" if they came to Ratcliffe-on-Soar. Tracy Singh from Plane Stupid said "the police are acting like hoodlums. We are absolutely disgusted." A press spokesperson for Nottinghamshire police said it would be facilitating lawful protest around the power station and denied activists would be arrested simply by coming to the site.
Richard Bernard, a spokesperson for Climate Camp, added: "They're threatening and arresting people for just thinking and talking about taking meaningful action. This is clear intimidation — they're just trying to scare us. But what's really scary is climate change, and that's why we're going to take control of Ratcliffe on Saturday."
E.ON has responded to the planned protest by placing a series of videos on its YouTube channel with comments from its press team, the power station manager and protestors.
A spokeswoman for E.ON, said: "We respect the right of people to have their say as long as it's peaceful and lawful. [The planned action] is incredibly dangerous and irresponsible. What I would say is by all means come, but don't try to break into the power station."
Activists have been sharing satellite maps and photos of the power station online, which they plan to travel to by train and bus. The Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station emits 12.8m tonnes of CO2 a year and is Britain's third largest source of direct greenhouse gas emissions. E.ON says it is one of the UK's most efficient coal power stations.
In April this year, 114 people were arrested at a Nottingham school on suspicion of planning a direct action on the power station. At least 25 of the activsts have been subsequently charged with conspiracy to commit aggravated trespass, a charge which places restrictions on communications with friends and family and potentially carries a sentence of six months.
E.ON has also been the subject of an ongoing campaign by climate activists for its plans to build a new coal-fired power station at Kingsnorth in Kent. Last week the company said Kingsnorth had been postponed because of the global recession, an annoucement that campaigners viewed as a victory for the climate movement.
※コメント投稿者のブログIDはブログ作成者のみに通知されます