Solar panels were blamed for wiping out fields, but birds and insects are now rewriting the story beneath them

OKDiario: Solar panels were blamed for wiping out fields, but birds and insects are now rewriting the story beneath them

Done right, fields where solar panels are now being installed are coming back, healthier, and supporting numerous kinds of wildlife, birds included.

For years, the fear around solar farms has been easy to picture. Rows of dark panels, wide open fields, hot metal under the sun, and barely a bird in sight.

New data from Spain is now pushing back against that image. In several solar plants studied in 2025, researchers found more bird species inside the facilities than in nearby agricultural control areas, suggesting that well-managed solar farms can sometimes become unexpected refuges for wildlife rather than empty industrial spaces.

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Guardian: ‘A point of resistance’: the Normandy village that said ‘non’ to Pete Hegseth

Guardian: ‘A point of resistance’: the Normandy village that said ‘non’ to Pete Hegseth

Bravo. This story is about a small community organisation in a small town trying to keep a racist, sexist, war-mongering white Christian nationalist from speaking at what has always been a solemn ceremony, and succeeding, thanks in large part to him just opening his mouth. Comparing the battle against Fascist forces in Europe in WWII to the forces that drive migration today just shows how loathsome and stupid Hegseth is.

“We found it unbelievable that they could send someone who held views and values contrary to democracy, human rights, peace and Europe,” said resident Chantal Richard. To her, the incongruence felt deeply personal. “We grew up going to D-day ceremonies, some of us had grandparents or parents whose lives were affected by this war.”

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Guardian: Record winter temperatures in Antarctic raise fears over speed of climate breakdown

Guardian: Record winter temperatures in Antarctic raise fears over speed of climate breakdown

These record high temperatures are part of an alarming long-term trend. From the story:

Temperatures in the Antarctic climbed above 15C this month, shattering the previous winter heat record for the usually frozen region and raising concerns about the speed of climate breakdown.

The new winter peak temperature was logged by the Argentinian Esperanza base on the Trinity peninsula on 6 June amid a protracted heatwave, when the maximum daily temperature exceeded zero degrees for three consecutive weeks.

Scientists said the high of 15.4C broke the previous record set at the same station in 1998 by 2C. “This is absolutely crazy,” said Raúl Cordero, an Ecuadorian climate professor at the University of Groningen. “It is also about 20C above normal for this time of the year. That is a huge anomaly.”

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Guardian: ‘My head spins with the heat’ – India’s gig workers battle exhaustion amid soaring temperatures

Guardian: ‘My head spins with the heat’ – India’s gig workers battle exhaustion amid soaring temperatures.

The climate crisis is a serious health crisis. From the report:

Rising temperatures are turning cities across south and south-east Asia into places where workers can no longer recover from the heat. A new report by US-based People’s Courage International (PCI), using research in Delhi, Dhaka, Kathmandu, Jakarta and Quezon City, has found hotter nights, combined with the urban heat island effect – the trapping of heat inside dense cities – are leaving millions of informal workers exhausted before a new workday even begins.

And

The crisis is worsening in south Asia as climate change is predicted to triple the chance of pre-monsoon heatwaves, such as a 15-day one that turned deadly last month. Scientists say night-time temperatures are rising faster than daytime temperatures across much of the region, reducing the hours people once relied on to recover from extreme heat.

Across Asia, the International Labour Organization estimates that more than 70% of the workforce are exposed to excessive heat at some point during their jobs, with informal workers among the most vulnerable. This has a big impact in countries like India, where nearly 90% of workers are employed in the informal economy.

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Le Monde: Heat dome over Europe scorches UK, France, Spain

Le Monde: Heat dome over Europe scorches UK, France, Spain.

All time record highs for the month of May bring in the first European heatwave of 2026. Among those was the UK where temps reached 34.8C, surpassing the previous all-time May peak of 32.8C, reached in 1922 and 1944. From the report:

Temperatures hit record highs for May in the United Kingdom and France on Monday, May 25, as forecasters warned of a prolonged period of extreme heat across Europe throughout the week. A so-called “heat dome” of warm air from northern Africa trapped under a high-pressure system over western Europe is behind the high temperatures not usually seen until high summer.

And

A so-called “heat dome” of warm air from northern Africa trapped under a high-pressure system over western Europe is behind the high temperatures not usually seen until high summer. Restrictions on outdoor work were imposed in parts of Italy, beaches in southwest France filled earlier than usual and farmers reported accelerated harvests as temperatures went beyond 30°C across the region. Scientists say human-driven climate change is amplifying such extremes, with Europe warming faster than the global average and heatwaves growing more frequent and severe.

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Guardian: ‘It’s no longer exceptional’ – Karachi struggles under brutal new reality of extreme heat

Guardian: ‘It’s no longer exceptional’ – Karachi struggles under brutal new reality of extreme heat.

The climate crisis driving a health crisis is rapidly reshaping everyday life. From the report:

An intense and prolonged heatwave has been causing misery for millions across Pakistan and India. In southern Pakistan throughout April and May, temperatures have risen far above seasonal norms. In Sindh, daytime temperatures have frequently crossed 44C to 46C, forcing residents indoors during peak afternoon hours and severely affecting outdoor labourers, transport workers and farming communities.

And

The strain is also becoming visible in local healthcare facilities. Dr Suresh Kumar, who heads the children’s ward at Ibrahim Hyderi government hospital, said the number of children visiting the outpatient department has risen sharply since the last week of April. “On normal days, we would see around 50 to 60 children,” he said. “Now the number has crossed 200 daily.”

And

The World Weather Attribution group has looked at the current extreme heat in Pakistan and India and found that “human-caused climate change approximately tripled the probability of an event like this happening, making it no longer exceptional in today’s climate. The same heat event would have been about 1C cooler in a pre-industrial climate.”

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