2020-03-28_The_Week_Junior_UserUpload.Net

Home news

28 March 2020•The Week Junior 5

REX SHUTTERSTOCK

·ALAMY

·GETTY IMAGES

·NASA/JPL-CALTECH

S

ummer 2019was the best seasonfor British

butterfliesin22years, accordingtotheresultsof

an annual survey.Morethan half of Britain’sbutterfly

species increased their population numbers.

TheUKButterflyMonitoring Scheme (UKBMS) is

an annual survey of butterfly populationnumbers in

the UK.Itstartedin1 976 ,andreliesonthe work of

thousands of volunteers. Last year,morethan 3,

sites across the UK werestudied, whichwasanew

recordfor the survey.

Thesurveyresults show thatabutterflyspecies

calledthe marbled whitehad itsbestyearsince the

survey began, and its numbers increased by 66%.The

marbled white isablack-and-whitebutterflyfound in

southernEnglandandWales. Meanwhile,

the ringletbutterflyhad itssecond

best year onrecord,witharise

of 23%, and the dark green

fritillary had its third-bestyear,

witharise of 51%. Another

success storywasthe Lulworth

skipper, whichisarare

speciesofbutterfly found in

Dorset, England. The species had

beenindecline since1992, but lastyearthere wasan

increaseof138%.

Butterfly populations have surged because of

conservation effortsandhot weather.Last summer

saw the highest temperature everrecorded in the

UK–asweltering 38.7°CinCambridge, England –

and 2019wasoneof thewarmest years onrecord.

Scientistssaythatclimate changehas increasedthe

likelihood of such high temperatures across Europe.

Climate change is the long-termchangeinworld

weather patterns, including risingtemperatures,

largelycaused by human activities.

ProfessorTomBrereton, who works for thecharity

ButterflyConservation, said the survey shows that

thefall in butterfly populations isslowing –

or some species, even being

eversed. However,headded

thatthereare stillmany

species of butterfly that are

in decline. The survey also

recorded below-average years

or species such as thecommon

, whichfellby54%,and the

ue, which fell by 40%.

“NASA fixes Mars landerby hitting

it withashovel”cnn.com

THEWEEK’SSILLIESTHEADLINE

Clocksto spring forward

A

t1am on 29 March, the clocksgoforwardby

one hour,marking the start of BritishSummer

Time (BST). Theclockschange to BST,alsoknown as

DaylightSavingTime,every year on the lastSunday

of March. It is donesothatpeoplecanmakethemost

of theextrahoursof daylight there areduring the

summer.Thefirst person in theUKto suggest BST

wasamancalled William Willett, who wrote about

the ideain1907.The changewasintroducedin1916.

Wales announces plastic plan

T

heWelsh government has announcedaplan to

ban some single-use plastics, following similar

measures in England and Scotland. TheWelsh

government’sbanwillcoverawiderrange of items

than elsewhereintheUK, and includescotton buds,

straws and stirrers, in an attempt toreduceplastic

pollution. TheWelsh governmentwants to hear from

certain citizens–such as people with disabilitieswho

use straws to drink–beforevoting on the law in2021.

Skywritingcould return

P

lanescould once again be allowed to write

smokemessages in the UK’sskies, according to

Government plans. Skywriting (written by one plane)

and skytyping (madebyagroupofplanes)has

beenillegal in theUKsince 1960. Itwasoriginally

outlawed because the Governmentfearedthat

misleading informationcould be written in the skies.

The Government is now asking members of the public

whether theywould liketoseetheartformreturn.

Record yearfor Br itishbutterflies

WOW!

Therea

rearound 60

species

ofbutt

erfly in the

UK,and mor

ethan

20 of

thesec

an be spo

tted

in gardens.

WilliamWill ett

Adark green

fritillaryonathistle.

Amarbled

white butterfly.

Amessageinthe sky

above Australia, in March.

I