Baby white tiger cubs on show at Tokyo zoo

At last the video!

Absolutely lovely these cubs!

RSPB says marine spill is 'one of the worst in decades'

Almost 3,000 seabirds have now been affected by a chemical spill off the south coast of England earlier this year.

The RSPB say the spill of a chemical known as PIB (polyisobutene) is 'one of the worst UK marine pollution incidents in decades'.

PIB is used in ships' engines to help them run more efficiently and it's currently legal to dump it in the water under certain conditions.

But the chemical sticks to birds feathers and makes it hard for them to feed and fly.

New figures released by the charity show almost 2,500 birds have died and at least 500 have been rescued since February.

Animal welfare groups are now calling for the dumping of PIB at sea to be banned.

From CBBC News

Rare white tiger cubs unveiled to public at zoo in Japan

Four newborn white tiger cubs have made their first public appearance at Tobu zoo in Japan.

SO CUTE!

White tigers are incredibly rare with around 100 left in the wild. Actually these tigers hardly survive in the wild because of their colour. In fact, white is a mutation which doesn't provide them any camouflage and leaves them unprotected from predators especially in habitats like India. White tigers are more likely to survive in Siberia because of the snow.

The four cubs - one female and three males - were born 46 days ago.

Up until now the cute animals were hidden away from their enclosure in Saitama, east Japan. We hope to show a video very soon. 

Here is a video from 24th April

Amazon's Invisible Flying Rivers

Let's protect The Amazon! Now!

The Amazon is famous for its mighty river which flows from the heart of South America to the Atlantic Ocean.

The great river has the largest drainage basin in the world and single-handedly accounts for around one-fifth of the world's total river flow.

But there is another little-known river that flies above the canopy which is just as powerful and just as important.

The trees in the Amazon suck up water from the ground and pump out billion of tonnes of water vapour a day into vast “flying rivers”.

In this film Dr Miguel Pinedo-Vasquez, from Columbia University and Cirfor (Center for International Forestry Research), lead scientist with The Nature Conservancy Dr M Sanjayan, ecological economist Dr Trista Patterson and environmental economist Pavan Sukhdev, reveal how this water is carried across Latin America where it falls as rain and nourishes the agricultural economies of these countries.

EU votes for two year ban on pesticides to protect bees

European politicians have voted for a two year ban on pesticides which some people think are harming bees.

The chemicals called Neonicotinoids are used to keep bugs away from plants and are used in many European countries.

Although some people say there isn't enough evidence to prove the chemicals are harmful to the insects there is great concern about the collapse of bee populations.

Fifteen countries voted in favour of a ban but eight including Britain did not want one. As there was no majority for a full ban the European Commission decided the pesticides should be restricted to crops not attractive to bees for two years from December.

Reaction

For

Environmental campaigner Iain Keith welcomed the two year ban but said more needs to be done he said:

"Today's pesticide ban throws Europe's bees a vital lifeline, following a massive campaign backed by 2.6 million people."

"Europe is taking science seriously and must now put the full ban in place, to give bees the breathing space they need."

Against

Farmer Edward Houghton says that science has not proved that the chemicals are harmful to bees and that the ban could hurt the them in a different way.

For example, if farmers aren't allowed to use the pesticide on crops like oil seed rape farmers won't plant it which will mean less pollen for the bees to feed on.

What exactly are Neonicotinoids?

• Neonicotinoid pesticides are new nicotine-like chemicals and act on the nervous systems of insects, with a lower threat to mammals and the environment than many older sprays.
• Nicotine is not just poisonous to humans in the form of cigarettes, but the chemical is also extremely toxic to insects.
• Pesticides made in this way dissolve in water, which means they can be applied to the soil and taken up by the whole plant - they are called "systemic", meaning they turn the plant itself into a poison factory, with toxins coming from roots, leaves, stems and pollen.
• Neonicotinoids are often applied as seed treatments, which means coating the seeds before planting.