What happened
UK ministers have been advised against telling the public to “stop panic buying” amid rising concerns over fuel availability and prices. Guidance prepared by the Government Communication Service warns that such language can worsen shortages by signalling scarcity. Behind the scenes, officials are reportedly considering contingency measures – including potential rationing – as oil markets remain volatile due to the conflict involving Iran.

Who said what
The behavioural guidance stresses that attempts to “calm” the public may backfire, noting that people often respond logically to perceived shortages. Communities Secretary Steve Reed sought to reassure motorists, saying: “There’s no need to ration fuel. People should go around and buy their fuel just like they always would.”

Ministers have “learnt from the 2021 fuel crisis, which was caused by the leak of notes from an industry task force meeting at which BP fuel stocks were discussed”, said Ben Clatworthy in The Times.

What next?
Officials are refining their crisis messaging and reportedly considering deploying independent voices, such as motoring organisations, to help maintain public confidence.

What happened
An island in Northern Ireland has been declared ferret free following a five-year, £4.5 million project. More than 400 traps and 110 cameras were laid across Rathlin Island to protect the island’s 250,000-strong seabird population, the largest in the country. The Life Raft (Rathlin Acting for Tomorrow) project officially started in 2021 and has involved 30 staff and 60 volunteers.

Who said what
Integral to the project was one-eyed “superdog” Woody, who used his “super-smelling powers” to ensure that there were no remaining ferrets, said the BBC. The “biosecurity” dog will continue to check imports of hay, farm feed and bags of wood, which can harbour rodents.

Joanne Sherwood, the director of RSPB Northern Ireland, said the declaration was an “extraordinary moment” for Rathlin Island and “for conservation globally”. The “successful, world-first eradication” of ferrets means that local seabirds can breed safely “for the first time in generations”. “We expect to see populations rebound in the coming years,” added Sherwood.

What next?
With no rats, which have also been targeted by the scheme, seen on the Rathlin Island since June last year, “hopes are high for a declaration of rat-free status in 2027”, according to the BBC.

Warming temperatures from climate change will likely lead to high levels of physical inactivity in the future, which could have significant public health implications. Heat leads to dehydration, exhaustion and overall inhospitable conditions. Regions with fewer air conditioning and cooling facilities will see the highest reduction in activity, but, without intervention, more places will be affected.

Rising temperatures are “projected to increase the prevalence of physical inactivity, translating into additional premature deaths and productivity losses”, said a study published in The Lancet Global Health. It analysed data from 156 countries between 2000 and 2022 to create a model for future physical activity globally. The results showed that by 2050 “each additional month with an average temperature above 27.8°C (82°F) would increase physical inactivity by 1.5 percentage points globally and by 1.85 percentage points in low- and middle-income countries”, said a release about the study.

With this reduction in physical activity, there would be a “predicted 0.47-0.70 million additional premature deaths annually and $2.4-3.68 billion (£1.79-2.75 billion) in productivity losses”, added the release. The effects were mostly concentrated in low- and middle-income countries, and “some hot spot countries closer to the equator show estimated increases in physical inactivity of more than 4 percentage points by 2050”, said The Washington Post. On the other hand, high-income countries would have no discernible difference in physical activity levels because they tend to have better infrastructure to combat heat.

“The link between physical inactivity and chronic diseases is so strong that any compromise to achieving regular exercise” will “pose broad public health risks,” Jonathan Patz, the chair of health and the environment at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told The Washington Post. Given the evidence, prioritising the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and building cooling infrastructure will be necessary for maintaining and improving public health.