Vandy Widyalankara

London’s repeated heatwaves are creating serious risks for people sleeping rough, who face prolonged exposure to hot urban environments, chronic health conditions, difficulty storing medication, and limited access to water, cooling spaces and shelter. Outreach charities are increasing welfare checks and distributing water, but support varies significantly between boroughs because there is no mandatory, London-wide heat emergency protocol. Rough sleepers may also avoid public cooling spaces because of stigma, pets, belongings or concerns about safety. Charities are calling for mandatory heat-response provision, more sustained emergency accommodation, affordable housing and expanded Housing First support, while Andy Burnham has pledged to end rough sleeping in England.

Escaped flowerhorn cichlids have integrated into Lake Sampaloc in the Philippines, raising concerns about threats to native species and the spread of parasites. Researchers found the invasive hybrid fish thriving in the lake’s polluted conditions, competing with native silver perch and infiltrating tilapia aquaculture. Experts warn that intentional stocking and climate change may worsen ecological impacts. Suggested responses include stronger containment systems, routine inspections, community monitoring and repurposing invasive fish for aquafeed after appropriate screening.

Laboratory research suggests that honeybees fed probiotics and the prebiotic inulin alongside sugar survived prolonged cold exposure better than bees given sugar alone. The supplements provided little protection against extreme heat, with all bees dying within days at 40°C. Researchers and independent experts caution that isolated caged bees do not behave like full colonies, which can cool hives through coordinated ventilation and other responses. Supplements may help managed colonies during difficult winters, but further real-world research is needed, and improving floral diversity, habitat and pesticide management remains more important than relying on artificial feeding.

Research on white storks in Poland suggests that feeding at landfills increases body mass and energy stores, potentially helping breeding and population recovery, but also exposes birds to plastics, heavy metals, disease and other contaminants. Early findings indicate DNA damage in chicks as young as one week old. Reliance on landfill food may also be changing migration patterns, with some western European storks becoming partly migratory or sedentary. Researchers say the effects are a population-level trade-off: most birds may benefit from abundant food even as some face serious individual risks. EU waste-management changes that reduce open landfill access could therefore affect stork numbers, movements and breeding success.