Today's news round-up explains why Britain going to the bogs could help us all; anticipates the hottest night in Britain's history; and chuckles at the best vegetable puns you'll see this week.
Why we need more bogs
The BBC’s environment analyst Roger Harrabin brings news of an Office of National Statistics report claiming that restoring Britain’s peat bogs could prove the simplest and most cost-effective way of tackling the nation’s carbon emissions.
‘Wet peat bogs store carbon that’s been sucked from the air by plants, but many bogs have been drained for farming,’ he explains. ‘As drained peat dries, CO2 is produced.’
British peat bogs an overlooked part of the UK’s climate footprint & a big part of the solution. Interesting report from @RHarrabin https://t.co/I1rzAGLZoR
— Joss Garman (@jossgarman) July 22, 2019
Blocking up drainage ditches and returning vegetation would cost somewhere between £8bn and £22bn, according to the ONS, but ‘this is dwarfed by the predicted savings of £109bn in terms of reduced carbon emissions.’
On This Day… the Hale-Bopp comet is discovered
The comet discovered on July 23, 1995, by Alan Hale and Thomas Bopp
On 23 July 1995, Alan Hale and Thomas Bopp — working separately and with no link between them — both discovered a comet speeding towards earth. It would be a year before it became visible to the naked eye, but Hale-Bopp was a feature of the night sky for 18 months.
The two spotters couldn’t have been more different. Alan Hale was a dedicated comet spotter who had spent countless hours looking for them; Thomas Bopp didn’t even own a telescope, but was out with some friends in a field one night.
Britain set for ‘hottest night on record’
The rising sun shines across the River Thurne on the Broads National Park at Thurne.
Get ready for a sticky, sleepless night: overnight temperatures in Britain will be a record 24 degrees celsius on Tuesday — the highest-ever night time temperatures recorded in the country — according to the Met Office.
With a blazing heatwave on its way the heat will continue to build all week. Thursday could see 37 degrees or more in and around London. The British record of 38.5 degrees (101.3 Fahrenheit), set in Faversham in 2003, could be exceeded in places.
Gold medal award for Duchy of Cornwall’s head forester
HRH The Prince of Wales with Geraint Richards. Credit: Charles Sainsbury-Plaice
The Royal Forestry Society has recognised the work of Geraint Richards, head forester for the Duchy of Cornwall, by presenting him with a gold medal, its highest honour. Mr Richards has worked for the Duchy since 1996, and is responsible for the management of over 5,000acres of trees, woodlands and forests across south west England and Herefordshire.
He is only the 40th person to be awarded the accolade since it was introduced in 1960. ‘I can scarcely believe that my name can be added to such a distinguished list,’ said Mr Richards after being presented the award by HRH Prince Charles. ‘Many of my forestry heroes are included there and it means more to me than you can imagine to join their ranks.’
And finally… the prize for the best vegetable-related pun of the year goes to…
Jodie Comer made of cabbage. My vote for #LambethCountryShow veg competition pic.twitter.com/O4sSuYCkD5
— Leon Watson ♛ (@LeonWatson) July 21, 2019
Genius on display in the vegetable tent at the Lambeth Country Show.
The runners-up were pretty good too — many thanks to and @LeonWatson and @lateofthepete for sharing these with the world.
