Kew Gardens opens exhibition focused on supporting the planet
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said visitors with a ticket to Kew Gardens can enter the garden at no extra cost and will see a colourful display of plants reflecting the dramatic rise in average global temperatures over time.There is a fungi-inspired pavilion in the centre of the garden, with a sloping canopy directing rainwater into the rain garden and sheltered space to host school visits and community activities.A feature also shows layers of soil, a rocky outcrop and a layer of coal in the Earth's crust with fossilised plants revealing the hidden world of carbon underground, the LDRS added.Richard Wilford, designer of the Carbon Garden and manager of garden design at Kew, said: "The Carbon Garden offers a unique opportunity to showcase our ongoing research, combining scientific insight with thoughtful design and beautiful planting to highlight the role of carbon in our lives, how it moves through the environment and how plants and fungi can help us tackle climate change."We hope the Carbon Garden inspires visitors to act and join us in shaping a more sustainable, resilient future for life on our planet."
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The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Urgent warning issued over spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that could reach UK
An urgent warning has been issued over the spread of antibiotic -resistant bacteria that has the potential to reach the UK. Antimicrobial resistant bacteria is spreading rapidly among children being treated for severe malnutrition in a hospital facility in Niger, a new study has found. The researchers described the concerning findings as an 'early warning' to the world and a 'stark reminder of how fast antimicrobial resistance can spread', including to Britain. Antibiotics are life-saving medicines that are becoming ineffective due to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) – a process in which bacteria, fungi and parasites have developed the ability to resist the action of medicines. Professor Owen B Spiller, head of medical microbiology at Cardiff University and co-author of the new paper, told The Independent: 'Due to increased international travel, antibiotic-resistant bacteria can and do reach the UK. 'What we're seeing in Niger is a stark reminder of how fast antimicrobial resistance can spread when surveillance projects are under-resourced. AMR surveillance isn't just about tracking bacteria locally, it's a global early warning system. Without it, we're flying blind as these superbugs evolve and cross borders. 'The UK government needs to sustain investment in monitoring resistance, not only to protect vulnerable populations in places like Niger, but to safeguard public health here in the UK.' A UK government spokesperson said it recognises AMR as a 'major threat' and is committed to urgently tackling its spread, with progress already made, including on reducing antibiotic use in meat. Professor Spiller also said the new research on malnourished children 'provides stark evidence that humanitarian crises amplify the silent pandemic of antimicrobial resistance'. Globally, 45 million children under the age of five are estimated to be severely malnourished, according to the International Rescue Committee (IRC), with these children also at a higher risk of developing life-threatening infections like tuberculosis, or sepsis due to their weakened immune systems. There is currently a worsening starvation crisis in Gaza. Medics there say dozens have died of malnutrition in recent days as hunger sets in, after Israel cut off all supplies to the enclave for nearly three months from March-May, and restricted supplies since. Professor Spiller called on the international community to take action to prevent vulnerable children from dying from infections that should be easy to treat. He said: 'Without coordinated international action, combining antimicrobial stewardship, surveillance, and improved hygiene infrastructure, resistant bacteria will continue to spread unchecked. We urgently need global investment to safeguard antibiotics for children facing severe malnutrition in resource-limited settings.' The new study, led by the Ineos Oxford Institute for antimicrobial research (IOI) with Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), involved analysing over 3,000 rectal swabs from 1,371 children under the age of five being treated for severe malnutrition between 2016 and 2017. Their findings, published in Nature Communications on Friday, showed that more than three-quarters (76 per cent) of children carried bacteria with extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) genes, which can break down many commonly used antibiotics. One in four children carried bacteria with carbapenemase genes like blaNDM, which can cause resistance to some of the most powerful and last-resort antibiotics called carbapenems. More than two-thirds (69 per cent) of children who did not carry bacteria that was resistant to this strong class of antibiotics upon admission were found to carry them when they were discharged. If antibiotic-resistant bacteria remain in the gut, these children could be at risk in the future of developing infections such as pneumonia, sepsis, diarrhoea and urinary tract infections that do not respond to antibiotic treatment, warned the researchers. Dr Kirsty Sands, scientific lead at IOI and lead author, said: 'These are some of the most vulnerable children in the world, and we're seeing them pick up bacteria that don't respond to life-saving antibiotics. 'While our study was focused in one treatment facility in Niger, this situation is likely mirrored in many more hospitals around the world. As AMR continues to increase globally, concurrent humanitarian crises such as wars and climate change are exacerbating malnutrition, leading to overcrowded treatment centres.' Dr Céline Langendorf, a lab coordinator at MSF, added: 'Our latest findings highlight the urgent need to prioritise infection prevention and control measures in hospitals to protect the most vulnerable patients. In crowded hospitals with limited resources, these bacteria can spread easily from child to child. Without urgent action, more children could die from infections that used to be easy to treat.' A UK government spokesperson said: 'Our 10 Year Health Plan recognises antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a major threat and commits to urgently tackle its spread, including through new vaccines. "We have made important progress – reducing antibiotic use in meat and pioneering a world-first subscription model to incentivise the development of new treatments. We also continue to work closely with international partners to influence global efforts to limit the spread of AMR.' They said the government's 2024-29 UK AMR National Action Plan includes commitments to strengthen surveillance to improve the UK's capabilities to measure, predict, and mitigate the evolution and transmission of drug-resistant infections, locally, nationally and internationally. They added that the government has galvanised global support at the UN, including the agreement of a political declaration on AMR, which included targets to reduce AMR deaths by 10 per cent by 2030.
BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Invasive species spotted in Tees estuary oyster pots
An invasive species has been spotted in an oyster pot being used by a conservation group to monitor river Tees Rivers Trust had set up an oyster nursery in the Tees estuary to help restore marine habitats and bring back spawning fish to the the latest pot inspection a leathery sea squirt was spotted and reported before being disposed manager Judy Power said "it was an important reminder to look for invasive species in all habitats". Ms Power said: "There was one species this month that we were less pleased to see - a leathery sea squirt."We have reported it and got rid of it."Leathery sea squirt, or styela clava, pose a threat to oyster and mussel farming by out-competing shellfish for food and space. However, she said there were positive finds during the inspection including the "amazing growth" of the oysters and other marine life."Apart from the oysters, we found six fish, including a scorpionfish and butterfish, the tiniest baby scallop we've ever seen, a little, long clawed porcelain crab which we rarely see and lots of squat lobsters and prawns," Ms Powers said. Seagrass and oysters were once present in the estuary but were lost due to a combination of over exploitation and deteriorating water quality.A single oyster can filter 150 litres of water a day through its gills helping to remove contaminants while seagrass can absorb carbon from water and provide small fish with valuable feeding believe the two species would form a coastal defence, with oyster reefs and seagrass meadows helping to keep sediment stable and prevent coastal the longer term, conservationists hope to use stones, gravel and broken scallop shells - known as "cultch" - to line the river bed and provide the right habitat for oysters. Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Replica of Glenfield cauldron sheds light on Iron Age life
A replica of a 2,400-year-old cauldron has been forged to help archaeologists shed light on how people lived during the Iron said the vessel, made from copper alloy and iron, was a near-perfect copy of ancient cauldrons dug up in an excavation of a prehistoric site at Glenfield Park near remains of 11 fragile and corroded cauldrons were among a treasure trove of metalwork, including a sword, pins and a brooch, found by a team from the University of Leicester in who unveiled the replica cauldron on Thursday, said its creation had shed light on the feasting habits and metalworking skills of people who lived nearly two-and-a-half millennia ago. Delicate fragments of the cauldrons were examined in painstaking detail by a specialist from the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) to help with forging the senior conservator Liz Barham said: "The conservation of the Glenfield Park cauldrons through detailed recording, sampling and integration with scientific analysis has revealed many new insights into their manufacture, repair and use in their working life, building on work with earlier cauldron discoveries. "Despite their crushed and corroded condition, conservators have been able to identify many details to contribute to research, to inform the making of a replica, and perhaps provide a glimpse of the Iron Age communities that made, used, and finally discarded them."She said the conservation and scientific work uncovered revealed the use of sophisticated techniques to shape the original thin copper also said patches on the cauldrons showed mishaps occurred during their production, but also that once in use, they were carefully maintained and had long lives, indicating their importance to the community that used them. University of Leicester Archaeological Services deputy director John Thomas said: "Cauldrons are substantial vessels associated with large gatherings and feasts, and the Glenfield examples are no exception, with capacities ranging between 15 and 57 litres, they could have catered for several hundred people if all used at the same time. "They must have been an important part of the feasting activities associated with this settlement, but after a long period of use, they were eventually buried in areas across the site for unknown reasons. "This is the first time we have discovered such clear evidence for ancient feasting in Leicestershire, and the results of the project will be important for understanding the social aspects of Iron Age communities in the Midlands and beyond.'' Archaeological ironworker Hector Cole was commissioned to forge the replica cauldron."The forging of the cauldrons was a steep learning curve for me to put myself into the minds of the people who made the original cauldrons," he technical skills they used were of the highest order and, in my opinion, they were specialist cauldron makers of their time. "Today it is so easy to mechanically punch or drill holes to a particular diameter, and yet they were doing the same in bronze and iron with great precision. "They were also fully aware of the fact that 'creep' needs to be taken into consideration when putting the two main parts together with so many rivets."Do it in the wrong order and you end up with a distorted shape that cannot be corrected. I was fortunate enough to know the correct technique to enable me to put the cauldrons together with no mistakes. "I have great respect for the Iron Age metalworkers and would like to think that my efforts came up to their standards of workmanship.'' The replica cauldron has been put on display at the Jewry Wall, which opened in July.
