Environment watch

People relax in deckchairs in Hyde Park ahead of the holiday weekend, in London. (REUTERS)
Haze from forest fires engulfs La Cumbre near La Paz. Bolivia's national meteorology service reported more than six thousand forest fires in the country's northwest from farmers burning off unwanted bush, with smoke covering much of the country, contributing to respiratory problems and airport closings. (REUTERS)
Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper (2nd R) talks with Chief of Defence Staff Walt Natynczyk (C) while standing on an iceberg in Allen Bay in Resolute, Nunavut. In the background is the Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker Henry Larsen. The operation is an annual joint Arctic exercise between the Canadian Maritime Command and Coast Guard. (REUTERS)
View out of a window on the mountain pasture Unterbaergli above Sigriswil. (REUTERS)
A burned field is seen in Santa Barbara near La Paz. Bolivia's national meteorology service reported more than six thousand forest fires in the country's northwest from farmers burning off unwanted bush, with smoke covering much of the country, contributing to respiratory problems and airport closings. (REUTERS)
Wheat is seen during sunset at the Alibi-Ishim farm, near the village of Birlik, some 500 km (311 miles) northwest of Astana. (REUTERS)
A man floats in the sea on a hot summer day in El Rincon de la Victoria, near Malaga, southern Spain. Temperatures were forecast to exceed 44 degrees Celsius (111.2 degrees Fahrenheit) in many parts of Spain, with peaks of 42 to 44 degrees Celsius (107-111 degrees Fahrenheit) in the south. (REUTERS)
The mountain pasture Unterbaergli above Sigriswil is seen in the early morning. (REUTERS)
A fisherman wades across the mouth of the Capilano River fishing for salmon in West Vancouver, British Columbia. The Pacific Salmon Commission announced it expects as many as 25 million fish will return the largest return since 1913. (REUTERS)
A man looks at the Galeras volcano in Pasto, southern Colombia. Colombia's Galeras volcano erupted on Wednesday, forcing authorities to order the evacuation of thousands of residents from nearby villages and towns, officials said. Around 8,000 people live in risky areas nearby, but many often refuse to leave their homes after frequent eruptions. (REUTERS)
A cadet from the National Cadet Corps (NCC) cleans mangroves covered in oil slick near the seaside in Mumbai. The Maharashtra government has issued a notice to the owners of cargo vessel MSC Chitra to demand compensation for damage caused by an oil spill due to a collision with another merchant ship, according to local media. (REUTERS)
Greenpeace activists protest with a projection on the cooling tower of Emsland nuclear power plant in Lingen to call on German Chancellor Angela Merkel not to cling to the extension of the operation time of nuclear power plants in Germany. The text reads: 'Nuclear power is a wrong way, Mrs Merkel.' (REUTERS)
The Shell Muskeg River Mine demonstration tailings pond in northern, Alberta in seen in this undated handout photo. Shell Canada announced a new commercial size oil sands tailings project for the Canadian oil sands industry at their headquarters in Calgary. (REUTERS)
A traffic sign is seen in a flooded street in Wettringen near the western town of Muenster. Parts of Steinfurt and Osnabrueck were flooded after heavy rainfalls last night. (REUTERS)