A reader's digest of the latest climate and ecological news from this week, focussing on major news stories, globally, and locally- both fundamental and obscure, as recommended by the climateX team.

Latest climate and ecological news.... week ending 4th May 2007

As we reflect on the hottest April in the UK on record, we are also aware of the beauty of Spring blossoming around us, and the arrival of new birds from their winter holiday trees to these shores...On the global stage the third part of the 'Fourth Assessment Report' (AR4...) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has been released today, focussing on 'mitigation solutions' to climate change. Solutions may be mandated at a global level, but we are aware that the force for change lies with the individual choice and local action- and much is going on around Oxfordshire to prove that we have the inspiration and desire to act.

The top ten links for this week are.....

From the global community...Latest IPCC release..

The findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group III, of the fourth assessment report have been released today, 4/5/07, from Bangkok, Thailand. Working Group III has  focussed on the potential for mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions as a global community, in the short and medium term to 2030, and over the longer term beyond 2030 http://www.ipcc.ch/SPM040507.pdf

Sustrans UK Travel: our reponse to the IPCC's report

To coincide with the release of the IPCC's thrid chapter of AR4, Sustrans released on 4th May a 'Low Carbon Travel Information Sheet', giving suggestions as to how the UK can use policy and fiscal measures to cut emissions from our travel. 13% of our total UK emissions of carbon dioxide originate from road transport alone. Download the new fact sheet at: http://www.sustrans.org.uk/webfiles/Info%20sheets/ff44.pdf

International Polar Year, March 2007-2009

Two hundred scientific projects will be focussed on the Arctic and Antartic, in the fourth 'international polar year' of the International Council for Science and the World Meteorological Organisation. This site gives you access to information about our Polar regions, about their ice, atmosphere, peoples and oceans.. and lets you monitor what is going on with the scientific projects. http://www.ipy.org/

UKs hottest April

Met Office confirms that Britain has just experienced her hottest April since records began in 1659. Read about this in the news: http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/article2494241.ece and from the Met Office: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/corporate/pressoffice/2007/pr20070502.html  

Local action and inspiration

The Wolvercote Low-carbon village campaign got off to a great start this week. The community is working together to reduce energy and waste in Wolvercote. The campaign benefits from the enthusiasm and involvement of Mark Lynas, journalist and author of Six Degrees, a book detailing the impacts expected as we heat up the planet degree by degree. Read his blog here. You could comment and ask if he will post a wolvercote blog! http://www.marklynas.org/blog. You can read about this on the climateX site too, at http://climatex.org/articles/lo-carb-communities/wolvercote-low-carbon-village/

The wonder and diversity of nature...Springwatch...

Have you spotted a swift yet, as it migrates from Africa and Europe to breed here? Or a swallow? Apparently swallows are here already, and swifts have reached London but are not yet in Oxfordshire. When will the first swift arrive in Oxfordshire and who will be the first to see it? If you want to send your recordings of nature to help a national assessment of Britain's ecology, you can send them to Springwatch, a BBC programme at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/wildbritain/springwatch/record/

 and the RSPB species guide

If you aren't sure what a swift looks like, or what the difference is between a swallow and a house martin, you can look at the excellent guide by the RSPB, http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/a/index.asp where you can search by bird name etc and find out all about what they look like, where they have come from, what they feed on, how they are threatened and much more.

The most exciting UK news this week, in our opinion:

Plastic bags have disappeared in Modbury, Devon, in the UK's first ban, coordinated by marine photographer Rebecca Hosking. This is causing lots of interest around the UK. Could an Oxfordshire village follow in their footsteps? The article contains some quite shocking facts about plastic and its effects on marine life. Did you know for example that 100 million tonnes of plastic litters the seas, devastating wildlife and entering food chains. Read the whole article: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1717476.ece We also have this as a scanned newspaper- contact us if you'd like a copy.

Meanwhile, the 'I'm not a plastic bag' bag caused waves of excitement among the trendily ecological. Much mention of this in the press, with some revelations about the bags less exciting origins in China. http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/news/article.html?in_article_id=419792&in_page_id=2&ct=5

Transition towns is a growing movement in the UK, of towns, village and areas that are making the transition towards a future without dependence on oil. Some really exciting developments have taken place in Wales recently, with unanimous political support across all the parties. Read the press release about these developments: http://www.soilassociation.org/web/sa/saweb.nsf/Library?OpenForm&Cat=_Press_Releases_2007 and visit the Transition Towns website: http://www.transitiontowns.org/