Two million trees for London
August 2nd, 2009London is planning to plant two million trees by 2025, increasing greenery by 5%, in an effort to combat rises in summer temperature during this century. Temperatures could rise by 3.9C by 2080, with the hottest days soaring to 6C to 10C above the present records. London suffers from the “urban heat island effect” in which buildings absorb and release heat, maintaining a higher temperature in cities than surrounding areas, and so it will be more affected by global warming than the South-east. However, research done in Manchester suggests that a 10% increase in trees in a city can offset the higher temperatures predicted. Other plans involve green roofs and featuring waterproofing and drainage layers topped with soil and plants. The Guardian
See also Leading to a Greener London pdf ( Boris Johnson propoganda?)
Fears about the impact of last December’s severe weather, the coldest in 100 years, were unfounded. The drop in small bird populations witnessed in the 
The oldest osprey of the UK – and probably the world – has returned to her eyrie in the Scottish highlands. When she left for West Africa at the end of last summer, no one expected her to return. At 26 she’s lived 3 times longer than most female ospreys. In her life she’s laid 58 eggs and hatched 48 chicks, a massive individual contribution to the survival of ospreys in Scotland, where there are still only about 200 breeding pairs. The questions now are if her mate will return and if she is still fertile. Events can be followed on the 
The construction company currently finishing off the Shard building in London, which will be the UK’s tallest skyscraper, recently had to call the council to remove a squatter from the 72nd floor: a young fox. He was surviving on scraps left by builders. After a check-up at the Riverside Animal Centre, the fox has been released on the streets of Bermondsey, having shown the type of curiosity we associate with cats. 
Otters, water voles and fish are all benefitting from the improved quality of the UK’s waterways, now described as the cleanest since the industrial revolution. Since almost disappearing from the wild in the 1970s, otters are thriving, particularly in the south west of England, Cumbria and Northumberland. The population of water voles, highly precarious in the 1990s, is also beginning to recover. The good results of stricter pollution controls and extensive conservation work are set to continue in the new year with the introduction of new European water quality directives. 
