Extreme heat stress in Europe hit record levels in 2023, report finds & more environmental news.

[View this email in your browser]( Thursday, April 25, 2024 “We must teach our children to smell the earth, to taste the rain, to touch the wind, to see things grow, to hear the sun rise and night fall – to care.” — John Cleal [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [X]( Letting Your Grass Grow Wild Boosts Butterfly Numbers, UK Study Says Have you ever noticed that [meadows]( of long [grass]( seem to be teeming with butterflies, [bumble bees]( beetles, crickets and other [insects]( Meanwhile, short-cropped, bright green [lawns]( appear devoid of critters in comparison. A six-year study of butterfly sightings in 600 gardens in the United Kingdom has confirmed that letting your lawn grow wild can significantly increase butterfly and moth numbers. [Read More]( Related: [In Conservation Success Story, Once-Extinct UK Butterfly Has Best Summer in 150 Years]( Extreme Heat Stress in Europe Hit Record Levels in 2023, Report Finds Extreme heat stress is affecting much of Europe at record rates, according to a new report from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). [Read More]( Related: [Plastic Pollution and Global Heating Caught in ‘Vicious Circle,’ Study Finds]( Biden to Announce $7 Billion in Rooftop Solar Grants to Power Nearly 1 Million Households President Joe Biden will celebrate [Earth Day]( with the announcement of $7 billion in residential [solar]( grants through the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s [Solar for All]( program. [Read More]( Related: [Biden Admin Announces $830 Million in Grants to Strengthen U.S. Infrastructure Against Climate Change]( More Than 1 in 5 Cars Sold Globally This Year Will Be Electric: IEA Report In its new [Global EV Outlook 2024]( the International Energy Agency (IEA) said [electric vehicle]( (EV) sales will reach 17 million this year — up from 14 million in 2023. [Read More]( Related: [Wisconsin to Expand Statewide EV Charging Network]( Renewable Electricity Generation Outpaces Fossil Fuels for Record Time Span in UK For the first quarter of 2024, electricity generation from wind power sources exceeded the amount of electricity generated by fossil fuel sources in the UK. Further, electricity from fossil fuels reached a record low on April 15. [Read More]( Related: [Well-Managed Solar Parks Could Boost Pollinators in UK, Study Says]( Negotiators Divided as UN Plastics Treaty Talks Begin in Ottawa From April 23 to 29, the [United Nations Environment Programme]( [Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee]( is holding its fourth session to develop a legally binding international treaty on [plastic pollution]( in Ottawa, Canada. However, countries are divided over what the contents of the landmark agreement should be. [Read More]( Related: [Plastics Contain Thousands More Chemicals Than Previously Thought, Report Finds]( Do you get this newsletter daily? If not, [sign up here]( or forward to a friend. [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Website]( [Instagram]( Copyright © 2024 EcoWatch, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you signed up for EcoWatch Top News of The Day Our mailing address is: EcoWatch 1122 Oberlin RoadRaleigh, NC 27605 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. [Mailchimp Email Marketing](