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Updated 2024-03-28 21:30
UK’s net zero economy grew 9% in 2023, report finds
Green businesses and jobs are booming - in stark contrast to the national economy - but political U-turns risk future growthThe UK's net zero economy grew by 9% in 2023, a report has revealed, in stark contrast to the 0.1% growth seen in the economy overall. Nevertheless, the report pointed out that strong future growth from green businesses was being put at risk by government policy reversals, lack of investment and competition from the EU and US.Thousands of new green companies were founded in 2023 and overall the sector was responsible for the production of 74bn in goods and services and 765,000 jobs, according to the report by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) and the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). Continue reading...
Seville to charge tourists to visit neo-Moorish square to limit numbers
Spanish city acts to protect ornate Plaza de Espana, used as a location for Star Wars' Phantom Menace filmTourists visiting the southern Spanish city of Seville may soon have to pay a fee to explore the wide, ornate Plaza de Espana, the city hall said, as part of plans to control tourist overload in a public open space.We are planning to close the Plaza de Espana and charge tourists to finance its conservation and ensure its safety," the city's mayor, Jose Luis Sanz, wrote on X, accompanied by a video showing missing tiles, damaged facades and street vendors occupying alcoves and stairs. Continue reading...
Scientists confirm first cases of bird flu on mainland Antarctica
Fears for penguin colonies after the discovery of the highly contagious H5N1 virus in two dead skuasBird flu has reached mainland of Antarctica for the first time, officials have confirmed.The H5N1 virus was found on Friday in two dead scavenging birds called skuas near Primavera Base, the Argentinian scientific research station on the Antarctic peninsula. Continue reading...
27 new bathing sites considered for England as activists highlight sewage dangers
Bathing water status means government is obliged to test water quality throughout summerTwenty seven new bathing sites are being considered for England, but campaigners have said that swimming remains dangerous in many areas because of the pathogens caused by sewage dumping.If all of these sites are granted, it will be the largest ever number of bathing sites in rivers, lakes and coastal areas approved in one year. Activists campaign for bathing water status because it means the government is obliged to test the quality of the water throughout the summer months.Church Cliff beach, Lyme Regis, DorsetCoastguards beach, River Erme, DevonConiston boating centre, Coniston Water, CumbriaConiston Brown Howe, Coniston Water, CumbriaLittlehaven beach, Tyne and WearManningtree beach, EssexMonk Coniston, Coniston Water, CumbriaRiver Avon at Fordingbridge, HampshireRiver Cam at Sheep's Green, Cambridge, CambridgeshireRiver Dart estuary at Dittisham, DevonRiver Dart estuary at Steamer Quay, Totnes, DevonRiver Dart estuary at Stoke Gabriel, DevonRiver Dart estuary at Warfleet, Dartmouth, DevonRiver Frome at Farleigh Hungerford, SomersetRiver Nidd at the Lido leisure park in Knaresborough, North YorkshireRiver Ribble at Edisford Bridge, LancashireRiver Severn at Ironbridge, ShropshireRiver Severn at Shrewsbury, ShropshireRiver Stour at Sudbury, SuffolkRiver Teme at Ludlow, ShropshireRiver Tone in French Weir Park, Taunton, SomersetWallingford beach, River Thames, BerkshireDerwent Water, Crow Park, Keswick, CumbriaRiver Wharfe at Wetherby Riverside, West YorkshireGoring beach, Worthing, West SussexWorthing Beach House, Worthing, West SussexRottingdean beach, Rottingdean, East Sussex Continue reading...
Vast swaths of US will be exposed to polluted air by 2054, says report
Researchers say the number of Americans exposed to unhealthy air will rise by 50% by the middle of the centuryVast swaths of the continental US will be exposed to unhealthy, polluted air by 2054, according to an alarming new report.Researchers at First Street Foundation, a non-profit that analyzes climate risk, found that one in four Americans are already exposed to air that is deemed unhealthy" by the Air Quality Index (AQI), which provides daily air quality readings. That number is expected to grow by 50% in the next few decades, with an estimated total of 125 million Americans experiencing dangerous air pollution by the middle of the century. Continue reading...
Public transport workers join climate activists for week of strikes across Germany
Verdi union in unusual alliance with Fridays For Future, founded by Greta Thunberg, over common goalsPublic transport workers across Germany are joining forces with climate activists for a week of strike action culminating in a collective nationwide walkout and climate protest on Friday.One of Europe's largest trade unions, Verdi, which represents the majority of public transport workers in Germany, is collaborating with the youth-led Fridays for Future in what the organisations themselves admit is an unusual partnership, but one born out of recognition of their overlapping goals. More action on climate change requires greater investment in public transport, they argue. Continue reading...
Norfolk hawker dragonfly no longer endangered, scientists say
Population has spread from small area of East Anglia to become established in Cambridgeshire, Kent and HerefordshireA rare dragonfly is no longer considered endangered after spreading its wings across England, but conservationists have said its wetland habitat is still at risk from climate breakdown.The Norfolk hawker, known for its bright green eyes and golden body, went extinct from the Cambridgeshire Fens in 1893 and became confined to east Norfolk and east Suffolk. It is thought this was caused by the draining of its preferred habitat of ponds and marshes for agriculture over the centuries. It has since been almost entirely restricted to the Norfolk Broads. Continue reading...
Antibiotics found in wild fish near Tasmanian salmon farms at nearly five times allowed limit, report shows
Testing shows blue mackerel caught near salmon pens with antibiotic residues of 960g/kg, making fish not fit for human consumption'
‘It looked like we were at sea’: UK River and Rowing Museum faces up to climate threat
Near flooding of Henley-on-Thames building prompts decision to tell the story of climate crisisFrom the reconstructed riverside of The Wind in the Willows to an historic Georgian rowboat used in the inaugural Oxford-Cambridge race, the exhibits at the River and Rowing Museum celebrate the importance of British rivers.But the award-winning building in Henley-on-Thames - designed by the modernist architect David Chipperfield - is facing a significant threat from the very river beside which it resides. Continue reading...
The Italian cricket-breeders putting a positive spin on insect-based food
Cianni brothers aim to change minds with Italy's first company to produce flour from crickets for human consumptionGo on, try it, it is good," said Jose Francesco Cianni as he handed over a packet containing a light brown powder with a crispy texture. I would even say it is really good."Sitting in his office in a pristine warehouse-like building, down the corridor from five rooms where millions of crickets are being bred, Cianni is in jubilant spirits. Continue reading...
Support for clean-air traffic scheme in Fulham plunges Tory MP into row
London minister Greg Hands embroiled in congestion and pollution debate with constituents over scheme in election battlegroundWhen the Tory minister Greg Hands criticised a trial scheme in his constituency to block the use of residential roads as rat runs, he might have expected to win some votes and boost his party's pro-car agenda.Instead, he finds himself embroiled in a charged and divisive debate in his Chelsea and Fulham constituency, with a backlash from some Tories who back measures to curb traffic and introduce clean-air neighbourhoods. Continue reading...
Antarctica sea ice reaches alarming low for third year in a row
The extent of ice floating around the continent has contracted to below 2m sq km for three years in a row, indicating an abrupt critical transition'For the third year in a row, sea ice coverage around Antarctica has dropped below 2m sq km - a threshold which before 2022 had not been breached since satellite measurements started in 1979.The latest data from the US National Snow and Ice Data Center confirms the past three years have been the three lowest on record for the amount of sea ice floating around the continent. Continue reading...
Flaco, New York City’s beloved owl, dies after striking building
The bird escaped last year after vandals damaged his enclosure at Central Park ZooThe Eurasian eagle owl named Flaco, which escaped New York City's Central Park Zoo last year, has died after crashing into a building in Manhattan, officials said late on Friday.Flaco went down after striking a building on West 89th Street and people reported the injured owl to the Wild Bird Fund (WBF), a statement from the Central Park Zoo said. WBF staffers soon found Flaco unresponsive and pronounced him dead at the scene. Continue reading...
Got chocolate milk? As US schools consider a ban, an old, sketchy study holds sway
Research from a now discredited scholar continues to stoke the belief that the sugary drink is better than no milk at allThis spring, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is expected to weigh in on one of the most heated arguments in school nutrition: whether chocolate milk belongs in the cafeteria.The USDA is eyeing a proposal to allow flavored milk only at high schools starting in the 2025-2026 school year; children in grades K-8 would have access to fat-free or low-fat unflavored milk. The agency reviews national dietary guidelines every five years, and the milk question has generated hundreds of comments from parents concerned about sugar consumption; nutritionists; school workers who believe any milk is better than none; and the dairy industry, which has stoked that belief. Continue reading...
‘Britain’s tallest magnolia tree’ cut down because of fears it would fall
Magnificent' tree in Lilliput, Poole, planted more than 50 years ago, became an attraction due to its pink flowersA magnolia tree believed to be Britain's tallest has been felled after it was found to be in decay.It was feared the 18-metre (60ft) tree, which attracted visitors to the area when it bloomed, would fall and damage the house in Poole, Dorset in whose garden it stood - or neighbouring properties. Continue reading...
The week in wildlife – in pictures: four rare Amur leopards, perching puffins and a hungry fox
The best of this week's wildlife photographs from around the world Continue reading...
EU countries could save 238,000 lives a year by meeting WHO air pollution guidelines
Benefits would quickly follow reductions in air pollution from traffic and home heating, argues European Environment AgencyApproximately 238,000 air pollution deaths could be avoided each year if the EU27 countries actually met World Health Organization guidelines for air pollution, according to figures from the European Environment Agency. And more than 400,000 deaths could be avoided if particle air pollution could be avoided completely.On 20 February the EU Council agreed new legislation for clean air for 2030 and beyond. As EU countries work towards these new legal limits, a new study has estimated the benefits that could quickly arise with reductions in air pollution from traffic and home heating. Continue reading...
Colombia vows to put nature at the heart of global environmental negotiations
The environment minister Susana Muhamad says nature is a pillar' of fighting the climate crisisThe next round of global biodiversity negotiations will put nature at the heart of the international environment agenda, Colombia's environment minister has said, as the country prepares for the Cop16 summit.Susana Muhamad, Colombia's environment minister, who is expected to be the Cop16 president, said the South American country would use the summit to ensure nature was a key part of the global environmental agenda in the year building up to the climate Cop30 in the Brazilian Amazon in 2025, where countries will present new plans on how they will meet the Paris agreement. Continue reading...
UK government can never accept idea nature has rights, delegate tells UN
Dismissal of concept already recognised in UN declarations described as shameful, contradictory and undemocraticThe UK government can never accept that nature or Mother Earth has rights, a British government official from the environment department has told the UN.The dismissal of a concept that has already been recognised in UN declarations and is a fundamental belief of many Indigenous communities was described by critics as shameful, contradictory and undemocratic. Continue reading...
Not acceptable for protesters to target MPs in their homes, says Stella Creasy
Labour MP says abuse and threats she has faced are indicative of serious problem that risks undermining democracy
From trash to table: will upcycled food save the planet?
Nearly 40% of all food grown annually in the US goes unsold or uneaten. These companies are getting salty about food wasteWhen Kaitlin Mogentale was studying environmental science at the University of Southern California, she watched a friend juice a carrot and noticed the waste it produced - and wondered what was happening to all of the pulp from Los Angeles's juice shops. She later learned that most of it was being sent to landfills, where food waste contributes to more methane emissions than any other landfilled matter.I was a college student, very young and naive, and I think that's the recipe you need to get into the business," said Mogentale, who founded Pulp Pantry, makers of fiber-filled Pulp Chips, which are created from the leftover pulp from cold-pressed juice. Mogentale said the company goes to juice-production facilities and collects 10,000lb (4,536kg) of pulp at a time - one day's worth of leftovers - then transfers it in temperature-controlled trucks back to its manufacturer to make the chips. Continue reading...
US supreme court seems skeptical about letting EPA enforce pollution rule
Conservative majority appears unsympathetic to environmental agency's good neighbor' rule for areas downwind of smog sourcesThe supreme court's conservative majority seemed skeptical on Wednesday as the Environmental Protection Agency sought to continue enforcing an anti-air-pollution rule in 11 states while separate legal challenges proceed around the country.The EPA's good neighbor" rule is intended to restrict smokestack emissions from power plants and other industrial sources that burden downwind areas with smog-causing pollution. Continue reading...
‘Stuck in recovery mode’: far north Queensland still waiting to rebuild after ex-Cyclone Jasper
Visitors cannot return to tourism-reliant coastline so there's no money to pay the bills' or for rebuilding, MP Warren Entsch says
Bleaching fears along 1,000km stretch of the Great Barrier Reef
Scientists are investigating reports of dying coral from Lizard Island in the north to Heron Island in the southScientists are reporting corals are bleaching white and dying from rising ocean temperatures across a more than 1,000km stretch of the Great Barrier Reef.The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the Australian Institute of Marine Science were preparing on Thursday to carry out surveys from a helicopter across the southern section of the reef. Continue reading...
Natural disasters could cost NSW $9bn a year by 2060, analysis finds
Modelling suggests climate change and population growth must be mitigated to avoid high damage bills and coastal hazards will dominate risk in future
I discovered a way to identify the millions of species on Earth after a lightbulb moment in the supermarket
I developed DNA barcoding in my back yard using a UV light and a white sheet to collect the moths of my childhood. I believe it could help discover all life on the planetAs a child, I used to roam the countryside collecting moths and butterflies on the edge of the Great Lakes in Canada. It was as idyllic as it sounds: by day, I would scour the fields and forests for butterflies. At night, I would leave a white sheet and UV light in my back yard, rising at 5am to inspect the harvest of moths.By the time I was an adult, I could identify about 700 butterfly and moth species by sight, deciphering the stripes, dots and colours on their wings and bodies. Continue reading...
Herd of puppets to trek 20,000km to highlight urgency of climate crisis
Team behind Little Amal puppet hope to create visceral engagement' with issues caused by climate emergencyThe production team behind the Little Amal puppet, which raised awareness about the plight of the refugee crisis in Europe, hope their next project - a herd of animal puppets going on a 20,000km trek - will start a new global conversation about the climate crisis.Amir Nizar Zuabi, the Palestinian artist who helped launch the Amal project, said The Herd - which will tour through several African and European cities and feature dozens of puppets - will be a soft, beautiful evocation to think differently" about the climate crisis. Continue reading...
Jim Ratcliffe’s vast petrochemical plant in Antwerp faces new legal challenge
Proposed Project One cracking plant is hugely destructive', says Client EarthThe creation of the biggest petrochemical plant in Europe in 30 years faces a new legal challenge by a group of NGOs arguing that the true impact of the development on people, nature and the climate has not been considered.Client Earth lodged papers on Wednesday evening in court which aim to halt the building of Project One, a vast cracking plant to produce the chemicals to make plastic, which is being built in Antwerp by Sir Jim Ratcliffe's company Ineos. Continue reading...
Vauxhall’s Luton plant to manufacture electric vans in UK from next year
Owner Stellantis's decision to invest will safeguard 1,500 jobs at the factoryVauxhall's owner, Stellantis, will make electric vans at its factory in Luton from 2025, helping to secure the future of 1,500 UK jobs at the plant.The Luton factory will produce medium-sized electric vans for the Vauxhall, Citroen, Peugeot and Fiat Professional brands, Stellantis announced on Thursday. Continue reading...
‘Taking the pulse of the planet’: could we monitor biodiversity from space as we do the weather?
With current data on global biodiversity either lacking or flawed, a global satellite scheme aims to fill the gaps to target protection of our seas, soils and wildlifeFor the handful of people who get the chance to observe Earth from space, the impact is often profound. Called the overview effect", astronauts report being deeply moved by the experience, as the planet's fragility and beauty became clear. Others, such as the actor William Shatner, said they were overcome with grief.Now, scientists are proposing the creation of a new system that they hope will use the view from space to transform our understanding of Earth's changing ecology and its complex systems. Continue reading...
New asbestos find in Rozelle a ‘nightmare’, says local mayor
Darcy Bryne says discovery of friable asbestos at Rozelle interchange outrageous' after assurances mulch removal work would be completed by end of February
‘Safe’ air-quality levels in US, UK and EU still harmful for health, study says
Even small amount of exposure to minute soot particles - known as PM2.5 - raises the risk of cardiovascular diseaseThe sooty air pollution spewed out by cars, trucks and factories is causing widespread harm to people's hearts and lungs even with the smallest amounts of exposure, with government regulations still routinely allowing for dangerous risks to public health, two major new studies have found.There is no safe amount of a microscopic form of airborne pollution known as PM2.5, consisting of tiny particles of soot measuring less than the width of a human hair, for heart and lung health, US researchers found, with even small amounts raising the risk of potentially serious problems. Continue reading...
Chicago sues fossil fuel companies for role in climate crisis
Lawsuit targets BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil, Phillips 66 and Shell, alleging that they intentionally misled publicChicago on Tuesday joined the growing list of US cities and states suing fossil fuel companies for allegedly deceiving the public about the climate crisis.There is no justice without accountability," said the city's mayor, Brandon Johnson, in an emailed statement. Continue reading...
Eating to save nature? Embrace potatoes, ditch meat and track your beans
The impact of meat on the environment is well known, but what about staples such as rice and legumes?Biodiversity-conscious eaters could consider substituting potatoes for rice, cutting down on beef and lamb and asking where their beans, lentils and chickpeas are grown to reduce their impact on nature, a new study has found.
Removing UK climate protesters’ defence ‘could erode right to trial by jury’
Attorney general's attempt to end climate protesters' use of consent defence is slippery slope, says KCA UK government attempt to remove one of the last remaining defences for climate protesters would be a slippery slope to the erosion of the constitutional right to trial by jury, the court of appeal was told on Wednesday.The attorney general, Victoria Prentis KC, is arguing that one of the last available defences being used by environmental protesters should be removed. Prentis is making the appeal in the case of a defendant known as C, after a string of acquittals by juries of defendants for acts of criminal damage involving daubing paint on buildings. Continue reading...
University of Florida student senate passes ‘green new deal’
In a rebuke to Governor Ron DeSantis's denialism, the student body calls for campus-wide measures to tackle the climate crisisThe University of Florida student senate voted in favour of a green new deal" late on Tuesday, becoming the first public university to adopt such a resolution through student government.The mandate - which was unanimously passed - calls for sweeping campus-wide measures to tackle the climate crisis that include just transition, total divestment from fossil fuels, disclosure of the university's financial ties within the private sector and a ban on receiving research funding from the fossil fuel industry. Continue reading...
New Australian environment laws would not stop widespread deforestation, organisations say
Three groups familiar with draft conservation laws say they do not go far enough and may allow political influence on development decisions
How traditional Hawaiian food is playing a key role in wildfire recovery
The firestorm that engulfed Lahaina last year disrupted a whole way of life and led some to reflect on food, land and a future beyond tourismIn the aftermath of last summer's catastrophic wildfire in West Maui, Miriam Keo began to question everything - from her well-paid union job at an upscale resort and the island's reliance on tourism and food imports, to what role she, a Native Hawaiian, should play in rebuilding Lahaina. At the heart of much of this soul searching was the question of food (meaai) and land (ina) - who controls it, and why it matters.My outlook changed during the pandemic, but the fire was the last straw for me ... I don't want to serve tourists any more. This isn't what our ancestors would want," said Keo, 40, who recently resigned from the hotel after 16 years to work at a composting company. I want to be a better steward for my people and ina. I want to show my kids that there's an alternative to the corporate tourism we've been under for so long, and food is a big part of that." Continue reading...
Butterfly genomes have barely changed for 250m years, study reveals
Analysis gives clues as to why butterflies and moths have been resilient through dramatic changes on Earth - and could help with future conservationThe genomes of butterflies and moths have remained largely unchanged for more than 250m years despite their enormous species diversity, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution.In the face of rapid environmental changes in the 21st century, the researchers said the analysis gives clues as to how Lepidoptera - the order of winged insects that contains butterflies and moths - have been so resilient throughout dramatic changes on Earth. Continue reading...
Senator would subject herself to random breath testing in parliament – as it happened
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‘A picture of hell’: inside the UK’s nuclear reactors – in pictures
Armed with a Geiger counter, Michael Collins was given access to multiple power stations across the UK - he found them tranquil, beautiful and sinister Continue reading...
Lab tests v the real world: how does the fuel consumption of Australian SUVs compare?
The Australian Automobile Association has found some SUVs use up to 20% more fuel on the road than reported in laboratory tests. Is your vehicle underperforming?
Floating spiders and insect-eating plants: leaky dams revive Dorset’s bogs
Porous dams in Purbeck are being used to rewet' the mires, bringing a richer landscape for flora and faunaLeaky dams may not sound ideal but they are being used to great effect on dried-out marshland in the English West Country to produce fresh habitat for carnivorous plants and a spider that whizzes over the surface of water to grab prey.Bales made out of heather and bunds constructed out of peaty soil and timber are being used to create porous dams on two mires, Agglestone and Greenlands, in Purbeck, Dorset. Continue reading...
Some vehicles on Australian roads use 20% more fuel than claimed – which models are the worst?
BMW X3 has biggest gap between manufacturer's laboratory consumption claims and real-world testing in latest Australian Automobile Association data
I have your back, Rishi Sunak tells farmers at NFU conference
Sunak becomes first PM to address conference since Gordon Brown in 2008, as Tories court farming sectorRishi Sunak has told farmers: I have your back" at the National Farmers Union conference, as he promised to change the culture" in government around farming.Sunak was the first prime minister to address the NFU conference since Gordon Brown in 2008, and had brought three Defra ministers with him to put the Conservative case to farmers. Continue reading...
‘Energy turmoil’ looms unless demand is checked, says Cop28 president
Sultan Al Jaber, an oil executive, calls for governments to be honest' about costs involved in transition to net zeroThe problem of the ever-growing demand for power must be addressed if the world is not to risk descending into energy turmoil" as it transitions towards clean energy, according to the president of last year's Cop28 summit.In a discussion hosted by the International Energy Agency, Sultan Al Jaber warned governments that they must be honest and transparent" about the potential costs of transition, and the trade-offs involved in transforming energy supplies. Continue reading...
Any fishing of NSW’s beloved blue groper could lead to jail under new ban
Yearlong trial of ban, including potential prison time, follows two high-profile recent incidents of spearing of protected fish
Milan mayor casts doubt on city’s ranking as third most polluted in world
IQAir labelled Milan unhealthy' over PM 2.5 levels, triggering limits on daytime trafficMilan was under a blanket of smog on Tuesday as a row broke out over data from a monitoring group that ranked the northern Italian city long known for its poor air quality among the most polluted in the world, alongside Dhaka, Lahore and Chengdu.The controversy began on Sunday, when the Swiss real time air quality website IQAir labelled Milan unhealthy" as the level of fine particulate matter, or PM 2.5, in the city's air was 24 times above the limit recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), ranking the city third after Dhaka in Bangladesh and Lahore in Pakistan. Continue reading...
At least 60% of US population may face ‘forever chemicals’ in tap water, tests suggest
Federal tests of one-third of water systems find 70 million Americans exposed to PFAS - suggesting 200 million affected overallAbout 70 million people are exposed to toxic PFAS forever chemicals" in US drinking water, new testing from the Environmental Protection Agency has found.But the testing completed to date has only checked about one-third of the nation's public water systems, meaning the agency is on pace to find over 200 million people are exposed, or at least 60% of the US population. Continue reading...
In reversal, Nebraska governor accepts federal dollars to feed low-income kids
Jim Pillen breaks with 14 other Republican governors to enroll in Summer EBT, a new food program for school vacation monthsNebraska's governor announced this week that the state would accept federal dollars to help feed children from low-income families, breaking away from the more than a dozen other Republican governors around the US who have refused to do so.Just last month, Jim Pillen joined 14 other Republican governors in opting not to enroll in Summer EBT, a new federal food program that provides low-income families with a monthly payment of $40 per child during summer vacation. In participating states, families with children in free or reduced-price school lunch programs will get $40 per qualifying child on an electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card throughout each of the three summer months. That money can be used to purchase groceries and food from farmers' markets. Continue reading...
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