A major review into the impact of climate change on plants and animals has found that scientists have almost no idea how it drives various species to extinction.

Though some organisms struggle to cope physiologically with rising temperatures – a simple and direct result of climate change – there was scarce evidence this was the main climate-related threat to many species whose numbers were already falling.

Despite frequent headlines about a warming planet, melting sea ice, and rising oceans, climate analysts pointed to a seeming bright spot this week: During Southern Hemisphere winters, sea ice in the Antarctic, the floating chunks of frozen ocean water, is actually increasing.

In fact, in late September, satellite data indicated that Antarctica was surrounded by the greatest area of sea ice ever recorded in the region: 7.51 million square miles (19.44 million square kilometers), the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center announced Thursday. Even so, it's a slow rate of growth—about one percent over last year—not nearly enough to offset melting in the Arctic, which broke records just weeks ago.

South Staffordshire College is playing a key role in helping save one of the world’s tropical rainforests.

Students from the College’s Rodbaston Campus have been collecting cans for Cans for Corridors, a project designed to help save the Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil and for every 50 cans recycled through the scheme, one tree is planted in the Atlantic Rainforest.

Fifteen members of the eco-activist group Climate Rush, dressed in brightly coloured cleaning attire including feather dusters, headscarves, pinnies and marigolds, cleaned a message on the floor outside the Royal Courts of Justice with the words ‘We object to dirty air’ on Wednesday. The action marks the first day of a hearing in the Court of Appeal where the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)'s action on air pollution will be scrutinised.

Law firm ClientEarth brought a case to the High Court in December, which resulted in DEFRA admitting to breaching European Union laws on air quality. However, the judge did not force DEFRA to adapt plans to improve air quality in the UK to address this breach of EU law. Today the Court of Appeal will re-examine the case.