The Environment Chronicle

On 29 January 2016 Kansai Electric Power Co. restarted its Takahama No. 3 reactor, the nation’s third unit to go back online under new safety regulations but the first to run on mixed oxide (MOX) fuel, which contains plutonium extracted from spent nuclear fuel.

On 15 January 2016 Greenpeace International named not only its first female International Executive Director, but two. Jennifer Morgan and Bunny McDiarmid will take up the reins in an innovative co-leadership role on 4 April 2016. Bunny McDiarmid is a 30-year veteran of the organisation as an activist, ship's crewmember, and most recently the executive director of Greenpeace New Zealand which. Bunny has walked the decks of nearly every Greenpeace ship. Jennifer Morgan has walked the corridors of power. As Global Director of the Climate Program at the World Resources Institute she's dealt with heads of state and CEOs. She's been a leader of large teams at major organisations, a climate activist, and a constant innovator. Her other ports of call have included the Worldwide Fund for Nature, Climate Action Network, and E3G.

Microbe of the Year 2016 is the Streptomyces bacteria.

Bird of the Year 2016 is the the European goldfinch or goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis).

Cave Animal of the Year 2016 is the Amilenus aurantiacus.

Poisonous plant of the year 2016 is the California poppy (Eschscholzia californica).

Water Plant of the Year 2016 is the River water-crowfoot (Ranunculus fluitans).

Wild bee of the Year 2016 is the Shrill carder bee (Bombus sylvarum).

Tree of the Year 2016 is the Small Leaved Lime or Littleleaf linden (Tilia cordata).

Coast Forest Usedom in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern was chosen as Forest of the Year 2016.

Spider of the Year 2016 is the Cyclosa conica.

The Fire Salamander (Salamandra salamandra) was nominated to the Amphibian of the Year 2016 by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Herpetologie und Terrarienkunde e.V. (DGHT).

Butterfly of the Year 2016 is the Magpie Moth (Abraxas grossulariata).

Perennial Herb of the Year 2016 is the Iris. The genus Iris has about 200 species. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, which is also the name for the Greek goddess of the rainbow, Iris.

Orchid of the Year 2016 is the Summer lady's-tresses (Spiranthes aestivalis).

The environmental foundation Global Nature Fund (GNF) nominates the Lake Tonle Sap in Cambodia as the "Threatened Lake of the Year 2016". On the occasion of World Day of Wetlands on 2nd February, the GNF refers here to the changes that lie ahead for the lake because of climate change and human impact. Together with the local Living Lakes partner organisation Fisheries Action Coalition Team (FACT), GNF calls for sustainable measures to preserve this important habitat.

On 22 March 2016, the Global Nature Fund announced, the choice of the Lake Constance in in Germany, Switzerland and Austria as Living Lake of the Year 2016.

Soil of the Year 2016 are the Gleysols.

Insect of the Year 2016 is the Allacma fusca.

Animal of the Year 2016 is the European hamster (Cricetus cricetus), also known as the Eurasian hamster, black-bellied hamster or common hamster.

Trichomonas vaginalis is the Protozoan of the Year 2016.

Domestic Animal of the Year 2016 is the Chicken.

Phycologists of the Phycology Section of the German Botanical Society have selected Melosira arctica as alga of the year 2016.

Laboratory Animal of the Year 2016 is the fish. Each year, millions of feeling, intelligent fish are confined, abused, and killed in cruel experiments in laboratories around the world.

Very large gravel-dominated rivers have been named "Water body type of the Year 2016“.

Mollusc of the Year 2016 is the Pisidium amnicum.

Fish of the Year 2016 ist the Northern pike ( Esox lucius).

Medicinal Plant of the Year 2016 is the Caraway (Carum carvi)

The Cubeb (Piper cubeba) has been chosen for the Medicinal Herb of the Year 2016 by the NHV Theophrastus.

Lichen of the Year 2016 is the Icmadophila ericetorum.

Moss of the Year 2016 is the midway peat moss or Magellan's peatmoss (Sphagnum magellanicum).

Flower of the Year 2016 is the Cowslip or Cowslip primrose (Primula veris).

The Endangered Domestic Breed of the Year for 2016 are regional cattle breeds: the Braunvieh cattle, the Glan cattle and the German Black Pied cattle.

Fungus of the Year 2016 is the Lepista personata.

Dragonfly of the Year 2016 is the Lestes sponsa. It is known commonly as the emerald damselfly or common spreadwing.

Cactus of the year 2016 is the Discocactus horstii.

The globally averaged temperature, over land and ocean surfaces for 2015, was the highest since record keeping began in 1880.

The capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana, has won the European Green Capital Award for 2016. The award was presented on 24 June 2014, by EU Environment Commissioner, Janez Potočnik, at a ceremony in Copenhagen, which holds the 2014 European Green Capital title. Ljubljana received recognition for raising environmental awareness amongst its citizens, for its sustainability strategy 'Vision 2025', its implementation of a range of urban green measures over the past decade and its impressive transportation network.

On 13 September 2015 the International Council for Science (ICSU), the International Social Science Council (ISSC) and International Council for Philosophy and Human Sciences (CIPSH) jointly announced today that 2016 would be the International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU). The aim of IYGU is to promote better understanding of how the local impacts the global in order to foster smart policies to tackle critical global challenges such as climate change, food security and migration.