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Following a miserable spring, Britons can look forward to a spell of summery heat this weekend as a weather pattern called an African plume brings soaring temperatures as high as 30°C. This warm weather provides the perfect opportunity to gather friends and family and fire up the barbecue. But before lighting the grill, it’s worth considering the impact your meal could have on the environment.
Remarkably, a typical barbecue is responsible for the release of more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than a 170-mile car journey – mainly due to what’s on the menu and how it is cooked. However, according to Sarah Bridle from the University of York, you reduce your barbecue’s environmental footprint by following a few simple tips. The good news for beer lovers is that one of them is to get a keg.
Plus, we explain the recent discovery of a virgin birth, not invovling a deity but rather an American crocodile that’s been in isolation for 16 years. And here’s what the recent Ukraine dam breach means for the country’s long-awaited
counteroffensive.
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Sam Phelps
Commissioning Editor, Environment
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Before you fire up for barbecue season, make sure to consider the environmental impact of your meal.
Milan Ilic Photographer/Shutterstock
Sarah Bridle, University of York
Everyone loves a barbecue – here’s how to enjoy it while being mindful of our planet.
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LuckyStep/Shutterstock
Louise Gentle, Nottingham Trent University
Virgin motherhood is no myth – sharks, birds and lizards can hatch from unfertilised eggs.
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The destruction of the dam has caused massive flooding of nearby villages and in Kherson.
Nicolas Cleuet/Le Pictorium/Alamy
Christopher Morris, University of Portsmouth
Ground flooded by the Nova Kakhovka dam’s destruction may struggle to bear the weight of tanks and artillery.
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Alexandree/Shutterstock
Richard Washington, University of Oxford
Heatwaves are often the result of these bursts of warm, southerly air.
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kryzhov/Shutterstock
Amy Brown, Swansea University
Child development is always more complex than whether a baby is breastfed or not, as multiple factors affect our health.
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Dr Alan Grant (Sam Neill) tries to lure a T. rex away from the kids trapped inside an overturned Jeep.
Everett Collection Inc/Alamy
Peter Hodges, University of South Wales
Jurassic Park was released on the big screen in June 1993 and changed cinema for good.
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Politics + Society
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Louise Thompson, University of Manchester
As the only Green parliamentarian, Lucas has served as a constituency MP but also as a representative of the hundreds of thousands of other people who vote for her party.
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Marcel Plichta, University of St Andrews; Mateja Peter, University of St Andrews
China’s involvement in Sudan is more financial than military, and favours stability.
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Max Mauro, Bournemouth University; Raúl Martínez-Corcuera, Universitat de Vic – Universitat Central de Catalunya
The extent of the abuse suffered by Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior shows how enduringly unresponsive the country’s legal system, sporting officials and media have been.
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Jonathan Este, The Conversation
A selection of the best of our coverage of the conflict from the past fortnight.
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Arts + Culture
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'H' Patten, Goldsmiths, University of London
Nights out dancing! How African and Caribbean music and dance have shaped British culture.
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Business + Economy
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Anna Plassart, The Open University
The Scottish economist dedicated his life’s work to understanding the consequences – moral, social and political – of capitalism. Both neoliberals and leftwingers claim his legacy.
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Environment
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Robert Patchett, University of St Andrews
Researchers tracked 2,300 wild mammals during the strict 2020 lockdowns and found they moved 73% further than in the previous year.
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Piers Forster, University of Leeds
Our annual reports will update the world on the climate’s vital signs.
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Dirk-Jan van de Ven, BC3 - Basque Centre for Climate Change; Ajay Gambhir, Imperial College London; Alexandros Nikas, National Technical University of Athens; Shivika Mittal, Imperial College London
Study suggests that current national climate commitments could be enough to stabilise global warming within the century. But mitigation action needs to be turbocharged.
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Health
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Christopher T. Migliaccio, University of Montana
Fires in Canada have sent smoke across several US states, leaving cities including New York, Detroit and Denver at one point with some of the worst air quality in the world – even far from the flames.
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Science + Technology
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Asress Adimi Gikay, Brunel University London
With fine-tuning, the approach correctly balances the risks with the need to encourage innovation.
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Podcasts
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Nehal El-Hadi, The Conversation; Daniel Merino, The Conversation
Being beautiful can improve a person’s quality of life and emotional wellbeing. But sometimes, there is a risk of harm — from exposure to cancer-causing UV light, to cheap cosmetic procedures.
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10 June 2023
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Manchester
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15 - 16 June 2023
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Reading
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3 - 4 July 2023
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Reading
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