Sea life needs protection, and the UK's current system of marine management isn't up to itUp to 90% of the ocean floor around Britain is covered with sand and gravel, derived from the erosion of shell and rocks. Other, more unusual habitats include maerl beds, seagrass meadows and kelp forests. These biodiverse landscapes are home to 330 species of fish, as well as seals, seahorses and thousands of lesserknown species - which share them with the offshore energy, fishing and shipping industries.Heightened awareness of pollution from sewage and plastics means that the public knows more about marine conservation than it used to. For his 99th birthday this year, the broadcaster and naturalist SirDavid Attenborough made a film, Ocean, in which he described the seas as the planet's greatest life supportsystem", and urged people to get behind efforts to protect and renew marine nature.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...

Blackstone founder Stephen Schwarzman acted legally, but residents complained to Southern WaterA Donald Trump-backing billionaire has been stopped from transporting water in tankers to fill a lake on his Wiltshire estate during a drought.Southern Water has told tanker companies to cease delivering water to Stephen Schwarzman's 2,500-acre estate after local residents filmed vehicles going day and night to its grounds. Continue reading...

Government rules out using taxpayer funds to buy off competing bid as Pacific leaders urge Turkey to step aside as an act of good faith'

Research shows majority of shark meat mislabeled or so vaguely labeled buyers do not know what they are eatingA recent study has revealed that the majority of shark meat available to American shoppers is mislabeled, with much of it coming from endangered species.The research, conducted by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, tested products from supermarkets, fish markets and online retailers. Astonishingly, 93% of the samples were either falsely labeled or so vaguely described that buyers had no way of knowing the species they were eating. Only one item carried an accurate, species-specific label. Continue reading...

The corporate-financed backlash to calls for global climate progress has been greatly empowered by the Trump administration. It's never been more critical to challenge the misinformation that could turn a crisis into a catastropheSupport the Guardian's independent, fact-based journalism todayA little over a decade ago I published a book, This Changes Everything, which explored the reality of the climate crisis as a confrontation between capitalism and the planet. For a few years after the book came out, it seemed like we might just win a breakthrough. A cascade of large and militant mobilisations pressed the case for keeping warming below 1.5C as global calls for a green new deal grew louder and louder. Countries across the world announced long-term plans to reduce emissions and to hit net-zero targets; so did some of the largest corporations on the planet.And then ... well, we all know what happened. A corporate-financed backlash on all fronts. In the first 100 days of Trump's second term, his administration took more than 140 actions to roll back environmental rules and push for greater use of fossil fuels. He signed executive orders to ease restrictions on their extraction and export, filled his cabinet with oil industry supporters, gutted federal agencies on the forefront of the climate crisis, and cancelled life-saving environmental justice projects.Join George Monbiot and special guests on 16 September for a special climate assembly to discuss the growing and dramatic political and corporate threats to the planet. Book tickets - in person or livestream Continue reading...

Joint response by 25 bodies says proposals to speed up approval of new power plants weaken protection for publicA coalition of civil society groups is warning of the dangers of cutting safety regulations as the government pushes to rip up the rules" to accelerate the construction of new nuclear power stations.The 25 groups from communities neighbouring nuclear sites have submitted a joint response to a consultation by the nuclear regulatory taskforce, saying its proposals lack both credibility and rigour". Continue reading...

Devastating twister packs gusts of up to 168mph, injuring 89 people and leaving trail of destructionJapan has experienced the strongest tornado in its recorded history after a devastating twister tore through Shizuoka prefecture.Classified as a JEF3, level 3 out of 5 on Japan's tornado intensity scale, the tornado packed wind gusts of up to 168mph last Friday, injuring 89 people and leaving a trail of destruction. The hardest hit areas included Makinohara and Yoshida, where vehicles were overturned and more than 1,200 structures were damaged. Since records began in 1961, Japan has experienced 13 level 3 tornadoes, but none have reached level 4. Continue reading...

The best of this week's wildlife photographs from around the world Continue reading...

Exclusive: Leachate is tankered to treatment works where it mixes with sewage and industrial effluentMore than 750,000 tonnes of liquid from landfills are mixed with sewage at water treatment works and spread on farmland across England each year, it can be revealed.Generated by hundreds of landfills across the country, leachate - the liquid that drains through landfill waste carrying a cocktail of chemicals - is regularly tankered to sewage treatment works, where it mixes with domestic sewage and industrial effluent to create sludge, also described as biosolids". Continue reading...

Authorities revoke building licence for cascading hotel complex on one of Greece's most photographed shorelinesEnvironmental campaigners have welcomed a decision to halt construction of a disputed five-star hotel on a Greek beach known for its outstanding natural beauty.Local authorities on the Cycladic island of Milos said a building licence for the resort on the world-renowned moon beach" had been revoked by the municipality's planning department after falling short of inspection standards. Continue reading...

Experts unconvinced by Roberto Gualtieri's mooted timescale for river to be reopened for public bathingRome hopes to welcome swimmers back to the River Tiber within five years, the city's mayor has announced, drawing inspiration from Paris, where the Seine was reopened for public bathing this summer for the first time in a century.During a visit on Thursday to the Osaka Expo in Japan, Roberto Gualtieri said a working group had been set up to study the feasibility of the clean-up project. Continue reading...

Children as young as three will have lessons on wildfires and flooding under 10-point emergency response planSpanish children will be taught how to respond to floods, wildfires, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in a drive to help prepare them for the growing impact of the climate emergency.The plan was unveiled on Thursday after a summer of forest fires killed four people and less than a year after catastrophic floods claimed more than 220 lives in eastern parts of the country. Continue reading...

Kent council condemned by opposition parties, which say county is at the forefront of climate impacts'Plans by Reform UK to rescind" the declaration of a climate emergency at one of the English county councils it now controls have been condemned by opposition parties.Hundreds of local authorities across Britain have made the declarations, which serve as acknowledgments that they need to act on the causes and impacts of climate change and are linked to efforts to achieve net zero targets. Continue reading...

Keeping predator numbers down may be last hope for the ground-nesting birds - but critics say real problem is farming practicesShould we be organising mass culls of foxes and crows in the UK in order to save the plummeting numbers of curlews? That is the argument put forward by certain bird conservation groups.The curlew, one of Britain's most charismatic birds, with its curved beaks and distinctive call, has been disappearing from the countryside, declining by 60% in 25 years. It is just one of a number of ground-nesting birds that is vanishing - research has found that ground nesters are 86% more likely to decline than birds with other nesting strategies. Continue reading...

Fifteen people are dead and 100 missing as Indonesia reels from floods caused by extreme rainfall. Rescuers search for survivors after at least 112 neighbourhoods were submerged by rising rivers. Torrential rain began on Monday, causing flooding and landslides in Bali and East Nusa Tenggara province. As river levels returned to normal on Thursday, authorities worked to clear streets of mud and debris

Dale Vince urges ministers to optimise' resources in fossil fuel basin to help smooth transition to renewablesOne of Britain's leading green industrialists has called on the government to offer subsidies to North Sea oil companies to help support a just transition" to renewables.Dale Vince, a Labour donor, urged ministers to optimise" the remaining resources of the declining oil basin as the UK reduces its reliance on fossil fuels. The party has promised to ban new North Sea oil and gas projects. Continue reading...

Whether to kill one species to save another has split biologists, anglers and Indigenous communities in the Miramichi

More attention needs to be given to rapidly evolving issue of contamination of waterways with forever chemicals', committee's chair says

Lords amend planning bill to include protections for wild animals, including bird-safe glass and swift bricksHedgehog highways and bird-safe glass could become requirements for all new buildings as members of the House of Lords push through amendments to the government's planning bill.This may cause a headache for ministers, who have tried to avoid burdening developers with laws on nature measures such as swift bricks". The new Lords amendments include mandated provision for these nesting boxes, which campaigners say are crucial for the survival of the threatened species. Continue reading...

Study shows how individual fossil fuel companies are making previously impossible heatwaves happen and could have to pay compensationCarbon emissions from the world's biggest fossil fuel companies have been directly linked to dozens of deadly heatwaves for the first time, according to a new analysis. The research has been hailed as a leap forward" in the legal battle to hold big oil accountable for the damages being caused by the climate crisis.The research found that the emissions from any one of the 14 biggest companies were by themselves enough to cause more than 50 heatwaves that would otherwise have been virtually impossible. The study shows, in effect, that those emissions caused the heatwaves. Continue reading...

Colton Berens was looking forward to the added income from his farm, but armed with rightwing falsehoods, other Selby residents opposed the moveLike most of South Dakota, Walworth county is built on farming. To the east of Selby, the county seat, vast fields of soybeans and wheat grow between roads that run straight to the horizon. To the west, beyond the county line, the Standing Rock Indian reservation spreads across miles of rumpled green prairie studded with creamy erratics and dark clumps of trees.Like many farming regions, Walworth's deeply conservative population has been steadily declining and aging, from roughly 8,000 in the 1960s to 5,200 today. The grain elevator that towers over Main Street in Selby is among the busiest in the region, but most of the squat brick buildings in its shadow are weathered and lifeless. Continue reading...

Abrupt shift' in policy since Trump took office will have major consequences for climate crisis, forecast saysA jump in greenhouse gas pollution in the US helped push global emissions higher in the first half of this year. This could be an omen of what's to come, with Donald Trump's pro-fossil fuel agenda set to significantly slow down the emissions cuts required to avoid disastrous climate impacts, a new forecast has found.The most abrupt shift in energy and climate policy in recent memory" that has occurred since Trump re-entered the White House will have profound consequences for the global climate crisis by slowing the pace of US emissions cuts by as much as half the rate achieved over the past two decades, the Rhodium Group forecast states. Continue reading...

This summer, locals and tourists enjoyed new river-bathing sites. As global heating escalates, we need more of these cool islands'

Wildlife coalition says figure stands at 2.83% of country, less than in 2024 and tiny fraction of the 2030 target of 30%The area of England protected effectively for nature is continuing to decline, according to data from the country's largest coalition of wildlife organisations, as experts say the government is allowing habitats to deteriorate.The government is under a legal obligation to protect 30% of land and sea in the UK for nature by 2030, a pledge made in 2020 by the then prime minister, Boris Johnson. At the moment, however, 2.83% of England is well protected for nature, 2.4% of Wales, 4% of Northern Ireland and 12.6% of Scotland. This gives an average of 6% of the UK as a whole, which is well below the target. Continue reading...

Bob Irwin and animal rights organisations say Mike Holston - AKA The Real Tarzann' - should be deported from Australia

Raids by rival hives aren't rare after a dry, hot summer, but Christine McDonald was surprised to find her store besiegedA Canadian beekeeper has described fending off thousands of robber bees" as they raided her shop in a brazen attempt to steal honey.Christine McDonald, who owns Rushing River Apiaries in the British Columbia city of Terrace, said she entered her shop to find it overrun by the swarm. Continue reading...

Ethiopian PM says dam will electrify entire region but Egypt fears it could restrict water supply during droughtsEthiopia has inaugurated Africa's largest hydroelectric dam, a project that could transform the country's energy sector but may also aggravate tensions with neighbouring Egypt.State media showed the Ethiopian prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, touring the site of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in Guba district with the Kenyan president, William Ruto, the Somali president, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, and the African Union chairperson, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf. Continue reading...

Party's grassroots campaigners urge leadership to ignore business warnings about cost of setting ambitious' target

Residents worry new developments - including a sea wall planned to shield the city's historic center - could push floodwaters into their communitiesThis story is from Floodlight, a nonprofit newsroom that investigates the powers stalling climate actionOn a quiet street near the marsh in Charleston, South Carolina's Rosemont neighborhood, Luvenia Brown watches the weather reports more than she used to. She's lost lawn mowers, bikes and outdoor furniture to the rising waters that have repeatedly crept into her yard. Continue reading...

Garnet fire threatens historic grove in Sierra national forest as it moves through Fresno county at 14% containmentFirefighters in California are racing to protect a historic grove of ancient giant sequoia trees in the Sierra national forest as the Garnet fire continues to spread through Fresno county.The Garnet fire, which began on 24 August and was caused by lightning, reached McKinley Grove on Monday, the US Forest Service said. The grove is home to about 170 giant sequoia trees, some estimated to be 2,000 years old, according to the non-profit Save the Redwoods. Continue reading...

Figure calculated by Oil Change International has more than doubled since 2017 but is likely a vast understatementThe US currently subsidizes the fossil-fuel industry to the tune of nearly $31bn per year, according to a new analysis.That figure, calculated by the environmental campaign group Oil Change International, has more than doubled since 2017. And it is likely a vast understatement, due to the difficulty of quantifying the financial gains from some government supports, and to a lack of transparency and reliable data from government sources, the group says. Continue reading...

New rules come into force from 30 September in order to restore habitats and reduce floodingBurning on England's deep peat will be banned in order to restore habitats for rare wildlife and reduce air pollution and flooding, the government has said.England's peatlands are in poor shape due to having been burned, intensively drained and used as grouse moors. They naturally act like a sponge, with layers of moss and other vegetation, and store vast amounts of carbon: an estimated 3.2bn tonnes in the UK alone. Continue reading...

MPs criticise inconsistent' climate policy that includes grants of up to 3,750 for supersized status symbols'Ed Miliband has been accused by MPs of subsidising dangerous and polluting supersized status symbols" as his department hands grants to people who buy electric SUVs.The Labour government is giving discounts of up to 3,750 on new electric cars, but Guardian analysis reveals 12 of the 37 eligible models are SUVs. Continue reading...

The faded resorts and coastal towns of Tendring in Essex offer few job opportunities but many of its 20-somethings are set on finding their way in an area with one of England's oldest populations

Sea levels are rising in New England at some of the fastest rates in the world. On a quiet ribbon of saltmarsh in Rhode Island, septuagenarian Deirdre isn't prepared to accept the loss of her beloved saltmarsh sparrow, which risks becoming extinct by 2050 due to elevated high tides inundating nests and drowning fledgling birds. Leading a team of citizen scientists, Deirdre unravels the secret to finding delicate nests amid thick marsh grass, while they design and deploy a low-cost 'ark' to try to raise vulnerable sparrow nests to safety. Will this be the year they manage to save them? Continue reading...

Sea levels are rising in New England at some of the fastest rates in the world. On a quiet ribbon of saltmarsh in Rhode Island, septuagenarian Deirdre isn't prepared to accept the loss of her beloved saltmarsh sparrow - the species is facing extinction before 2050 due to elevated high tides inundating nests and drowning fledgling birds. Leading a team of citizen scientists, Deirdre unravels the secret to finding delicate nests amid thick marsh grass, while they design and deploy a low-cost ark' to try to raise the sparrow nests to safety. Continue reading...

In Rhode Island, a small team of researchers and volunteers is fighting, against the odds, to save saltmarsh sparrows from extinction as their chicks drown in ever higher tides Photographs by Jason JaacksKnee-deep in water, the young man lifts his arms. His wrists are grabbed, next his ankles, then he feels himself flying through the air, nearly horizontal, before plunging into New England's pungent tidal waters.Grinning and still dripping, he receives a homemade certificate documenting his induction into the Needle in a Haystack Society. Continue reading...

Climate research group says such ideas are diverting attention from cutting fossil fuel useProposals to fight the impact of the climate crisis at the poles, from giant underwater curtains to scattering glass beads across the ice, have been dismissed by a group of scientists as an unimaginably expensive" and dangerous" distraction.Geoengineering, which includes blocking sunlight with airborne particles and thickening ice with pumped seawater, has become highly divisive among scientists. Its proponents argue that, with cuts in carbon emissions going far too slowly, exploring options for emergency brakes" would be valuable. Continue reading...

SA Health says people should avoid discoloured foam but not avoid the beach because of the benefits to mental and physical health

The results of Butterfly Conservation's Big Butterfly Count are in, and while the numbers are a vast improvement on 2024's record lows, the charity has warned that urgent measures are still needed to reverse long-term decline

Biggest insect survey in world finds UK's hot summer led to increase in numbers of many species, but overall trends are still concerning

The Greens senator says the fact South Australia's algal bloom is yet to be declared a national disaster reflects the need for a new set of criteria for climate disasters, as the Senate begins an inquiry into the toxic event.'If this had been on the northern beaches of Sydney or on Bondi, would it have taken so long for the government to respond?', Hanson-Young said. 'Frankly, I think it probably wouldn't have'

Defra says blanket ban on destructive' fishing practice disproportionate as MPs urge minister to reconsiderSeabed bottom trawling, described by the chair of a Commons committee as a destructive" fishing practice, will continue in English marine protected areas (MPAs), the government has announced.Despite having official designation as protected areas for creatures including dolphins, puffins and seahorses, damaging industrial methods are still allowed to take place. Continue reading...

Researchers studying the phenomenon found in 2024 there were between 14 to 17 coyotes on Angel islandFor nearly a decade, Angel Island in the San Francisco Bay has been home to what the state parks describes as a budding population" of coyotes. Late last month park workers got a fascinating glimpse at the animal's journey to the island.Angel Island staffers traveling by boat saw a coyote swimming along Raccoon Strait, and filmed it paddling across the deep waterway between the island and mainland Marin county. The coyote was about a quarter mile from shore and safely returned to the island, the park posted online. Continue reading...

An estimated 129bn were being used every month around the world at height of pandemic, with no recycling streamThe surge in the use of disposable face masks during the Covid pandemic has left a chemical timebomb that could harm humans, animals and the environment, research suggests.Billions of tonnes of plastic face masks created to protect people from the spread of the virus are now breaking down, releasing microplastics and chemical additives including endocrine disruptors, the research found. Continue reading...

Downpours threatening lives and property this autumn will not provide respite from months of dry weatherFloods could hit England while the country is still in drought, forecasters have said.Heavy downpours threatening lives and property could hit this autumn, with the rain devastating some areas but still not providing respite from months of dry weather that have left rivers, groundwater and reservoirs drained. Continue reading...

Renewables are thriving, with Africa breaking solar energy records - but action is needed to plug financing gapThe first signs of a takeoff of Africa's green economy are raising hopes that a transformation of the continent's fortunes may be under way, driven by solar power and an increase in low-carbon investment.African leaders are meeting this week in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for the Africa Climate Summit, a precursor to the global UN Cop30 in November. They will call for an increase in support from rich countries for Africa's green resurgence, without which they will warn it could be fragile and spread unevenly. Continue reading...

The only other option was to go back in time and do something about climate change but time travel hasn't been invented yet

Exclusive: stroke risk is 7% higher and heart failure risk increases by 27% in areas with worst level of pollution, research showsMillions of Britons face a higher risk of stroke or heart failure because of dirty air where they live.People living in areas of the UK with the worst levels of air pollution are 27% more likely to develop heart failure, compared with people in areas with the cleanest air, a study suggests. Continue reading...