In this week’s newsletter: The public stranding of a young humpback exposes tensions between animal rights activism and other choices around biodiversity• Don’t get Down to Earth delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereTimmy the whale is lost at sea, presumed dead.In normal circumstances, the loss of a young humpback whale would be a sad yet unremarkable part of the circle of life. Dead whales help sustain thousands of marine species – and are part of the global carbon cycle.Smuggled in syringes: how Nairobi became a nexus for the black market in giant harvester antsDon’t reach for the bug spray: scientists find insects may feel pain after crickets nurse sore antennaeLabour must fulfil promise to introduce clean air act, charities urge Continue reading...

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/14/what-the-fate-of-timmy-the-whale-says-about-conservation