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.'
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
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'
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.
'The highest minimum temperature is 23.9 (75 degrees Fahrenheit), that was recorded in Brighton on 3rd August 1990,' a Met Office spokeswoman told CNN. 'Potentially Tuesday night into Wednesday, we're looking at possibly temperatures not going down to much below 24 degrees.'
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
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...
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.
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The real name of a 'ghost' rainbow, the first ever omnishambles, and golf on the moon: Country Life Quiz of the Day 20 February 2025Some real brainteasers for you in our Quiz of the Day. Good luck!
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Tom Parker Bowles's favourite recipe: French onion soupThis dish is no mere Gallic broth, rather pure bonhomie in a bowl — a boozy, beefy, allium-scented masterpiece that cries out for the chill depths of winter
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The brilliant tractor tribute to the NHS from a group of Warwickshire farmersPeople around Britain have been paying tribute to the efforts of our NHS workers at the time of the coronavirus pandemic — but few have been as creative and clever as this one.
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London's iconic red bus at risk and 6,000 year old chewing gum gives clues into our DNA historyCuts to industry subsidies and an increase in fares has left bus use at its lowest point ever, while DNA extracted from ancient 'chewing gum' allows scientists to decipher the genetic code of a Stone Age woman.
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90-million-year-old 'swimming dinosaur' skeleton found by dogs out walking in Somerset, and the nonchalant moths who don't bother fleeing enemiesA superbly intact dinosaur skeleton — described as being 'museum quality' — has been discovered on a beach in Somerset.
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Battle to ban 4x4s from the idyllic Lake District spot bequeathed by Beatrix Potter, eagle fights octopus and the 'snail's pace' climate talksThis morning we look at Little Langdale's fight for peace, reflect on the climate change talks in Madrid and discover the soundtrack for Brexit.
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Country Life Today: How Greta Thunberg shifted the dial on climate change — and the backlash shows just how muchThis morning we ponder whether Greta Thunberg is the Joan of Arc for the environmental movement, look at a key election — one from 19 years ago — and ponder the marvel of 'dad tidying'.
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Country Life Today: Great news for those who love our great country pubs — the years of decline are overThere is a great sign of health in the pub industry, we look back at Edward VIII's abdication message and fret about Greenland's melting ice.
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Country Life Today: Spain accused of being 'a deplorable choice' for UN climate conferenceA no-holds-barred assault on the Spanish fishing industry, Banksy raising awareness of the homeless and the woes of the Christmas jumper are in today's news round-up.
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Country Life Today: 'This is perhaps the ultimate wake-up call from the uncontrolled experiment humanity is unleashing on the world’s oceans'In today's round up, we examine why oxygen loss is putting oceans at risk, discover that action to cut air pollution brings almost immediate benefits to human health and find out which bird's arrival marks the start of winter in Gloucestershire.
