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From the search for life in the Universe to fighting fires in Antarctica, here's a festive selection of the best science long reads from 2018.

Recycling your Christmas tree could help provide the materials needed to make food sweeteners and paint, as well as help cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Ten weather events linked to climate change caused damage over $1bn in 2018, according to a study.

The government wants to double the charge and extend it to all shops in England, to cut plastic use.

A selection of the best science and environment published this year.

One conservation group warns that the move shows "a troubling disregard for international rule".

The year 2018 provided plenty to chew on if you're interested in science and the environment.

A small, invasive wasp is threatening the cultivation of chestnuts in Spain.

The Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral on Sunday after four previous launches were cancelled.

One of the first astronauts to orbit the Moon thinks there's no public support to send people to Mars.

Alba, the world's only known albino orangutan, has been through many months of rehabilitation.

Hamish the polar bear celebrates his first birthday in his Highland home.

Workshops have been held in Whitley Bay to help reduce the use of plastic over Christmas.

Artist Lucy Smith draws plants so that they can be recorded for science at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Earth is not the only planet with icy scenes this festive season, the European Space Agency says.

They've blocked bridges, protested outside the BBC, held die-ins and closed roads - all in the name of stopping climate change.

Environmentalist Jason MacGregor and his partner aren't having children because they don't want to add to human-made climate change pressures.

Plants have been on the planet for hundreds of millions of years – but we’re still discovering new ones.

The InSight mission begins to lay out the sensors that will listen to the Red Planet's "heartbeat".

The new Office for Environmental Protection will have similar enforcement powers to EU regulators.

Thrill-seeking tourists are putting themselves in danger getting too close to volcanoes.

The US space agency says cyber-thieves may have compromised two of its computer servers.

The entrepreneur says his system will see modified electric cars travel at high speed underground.

A car made from waste plastic has been forced to abort its mission to the South Pole because of bad weather.

A university in Finland has invented a process to turn waste wood into material for clothing.

Ex-Pluto spacecraft New Horizons maintains the trajectory taking it to its next dramatic encounter.

Seal pups across the UK are "at risk" from man-made toxic chemicals present in their mothers' milk.

More people will also get food waste caddies, as part of plans for England to make recycling less confusing.

Cement is the source of about 8% of the world's carbon dioxide emissions. How can this be changed?

The supersonic vehicle could still race at 1,000mph after an entrepreneur bought the business.

The flying reptiles had feathers, and looked like brown bats with fuzzy wings, say scientists.

Dozens of well-preserved dinosaur footprints from at least seven species have been uncovered.

Nearly 200 nations agree rules on implementing 2015 Paris agreement at UN climate talks in Poland.

The BBC's Matt McGrath looks back at key developments at UN climate talks that have ended in Poland.

Climate talks are in an extra day as negotiators try to agree the next steps for the Paris agreement.

Rows continue over paying poorer countries for damages caused by rising temperatures.

Councils will have to offer separate food caddies in a bid to combat methane emissions.

It took five weeks of round-the-clock treatment to keep Benedicte alive after her mother died.

The likelihood of a deal at global climate talks in Poland has increased after a new draft text was released.

When the US space agency's next rover gets to Mars in 2021, it will seek evidence of ancient life.

Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo rocket ship has made a successful test flight, 82.7km above the Earth's surface.

Nasa's Juno mission to Jupiter has reached its halfway mark and revealed spectacular views of the planet's polar storms.

The latest test flight by Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic makes it to the edge of space and back.

Astronaut Nick Hague is ready for his next space flight attempt, after the first mission was aborted.

Stunning images from Nasa's Jupiter "JunoCam" show huge, "endless storms" at the planet's poles.

UN secretary general tells climate negotiators in Poland that failure to make progress would be a desperate blow for the planet.

Having become the closest-ever human-made object to our star, the Parker spacecraft returns its first data

Snowy mountain winters are being squeezed into shorter periods, threatening water supplies and increasing wildfire risk.

Cosmonauts have cut samples from around a hole, which Moscow says may have been caused by a drill.

With around 23 billion chickens on the planet at any one time, the bird is a symbol of our times, say scientists.