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On Monday, a public inquiry will reopen, nine years after the plan was proposed and a toxic local battle beganWhen Fidelma O'Kane retired more than a decade ago from her career as a social worker and lecturer, she thought she would be travelling and having a glass of wine and eating chocolate and reading books" while based in the quiet, hilly corner of rural County Tyrone where she has lived almost all her life.It didn't quite work out that way. Instead, an idle remark from a neighbour would set O'Kane on a path that would become an all-consuming mission. A mining company, the neighbour told her, was planning to drill for long-rumoured reserves of gold in the Sperrins, the low peatland mountain range in Northern Ireland where O'Kane's family has lived for generations. Continue reading...

The Ukraine war on our doorstep is a constant threat. Contaminated drinking water is a dangerous new twistIn the second week of March, the nature vlogger Ilie Cojocari went out to film the arrival of spring on the Nistru (Dniester) river, 70 metres away from his home in Naslavcea, a village bordering Ukraine on the northernmost point of Moldova. But as he approached the river he could smell the stench of oil rising up from the water and see dark spots floating on its surface. Something was wrong.Two days earlier, Russia had attacked Ukraine's Novodnistrovsk hydropower complex 15 miles upriver. Cojocari had been kept awake all night by the sound of shelling. No one slept in the [Moldovan] district of Ocnia that night," he told me.Paula Erizanu is a Moldovan journalist and writer based in ChiinuDo 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...

Campaigners say birds could die trying to access ancestral nests that were sealed during rail refurbishmentSome swifts returning to Britain to breed will be unable to access their ancestral nesting holes after they were blocked in a 7.5m refurbishment of a Derbyshire railway viaduct, campaigners say.Nature lovers had appealed to Network Rail to unblock three holes which were among at least nine swift nesting sites on the twin viaducts at Chapel Milton, on the edge of the Peak District. Continue reading...

The restructuring will close all regional offices, which manages 193m acres of land, roughly the size of Texas

Residents of Fleetwood say continuous foul smell from Transwaste site is causing illness and making life hellIn the week that many families went to the coast for the fresh sea air or the tang of fish and chips, visitors to one Lancashire resort inhaled a rather more unpleasant aroma.Welcome to Fleetwood," read the local newspaper headline. The town that smells of bin juice." Continue reading...

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Charity advises replacing seed and nut feeders, where birds gather, with small amounts of mealworms, fat balls or suetGarden birds should not be fed seeds and nuts over the summer months, the RSPB has said, in an attempt to reduce the spread of avian diseases.Bird lovers are being urged to take down their bird feeders between May and October to help birds such as the greenfinch, whose numbers have plummeted after the spread of trichomonosis, a parasitic disease transmitted more easily when birds cluster around feeders in the warmer months. Continue reading...

The National Trust's wetlands project officer has described the effect of four Eurasian beavers on the ecosystem as astonishing, a year after they were reintroduced into the wild in England for the first time in 400 years.Beavers were hunted to extinction in England in the 16th century and remained absent until a year ago, when a landmark project announced by the National Trust, Defra and Natural England released two pairs relocated from Scotland into a freshwater lake in the Purbeck Heaths nature reserve in Dorset. Since their release, the beavers have constructed a 35-metre dam, improving local habitats for plants, insects, amphibians, birds and bats. Trail cameras even captured the beavers playing with an otter, while a barn owl, a protected species in the UK, was also seen flying nearby.The project allows for the release of 10 to 25 adult beavers, with the next release expected to take place this autumn.

The US has invoked national security to remove protections for the endangered cetacean, of which only about 50 are leftSince before modern humans existed Rice's whales have been diving to the depths of the ocean to gorge on fat-rich fish while growing to leviathan proportions, their bodies spanning the length of a bus and weighing as much as as six elephants.Unfortunately for these grand creatures, their only home became a patch of the Gulf of Mexico that the oil and gas industry, much later, became highly interested in for drilling. Only about 50 of these baleen whales still exist on Earth, surrounded by clanging aquatic highways of boats and shifting drilling infrastructure. Continue reading...

The Reform UK leader's energy bill giveaway certainly grabs our attention - but it's a distraction from the real winners and losersYou can already imagine the video.A man stands in the middle of a suburban English street holding a wad of cash in his hands. Grinning at the camera he says: I'm about to pay this entire street's energy bills." Cut to gliding drone footage of the neighbourhood. The man knocks on a front door and a bewildered looking woman answers in a fleecy dressing gown. Congratulations, Carol. You've saved more than 1,000 this year!" High-energy electronic music swells to a climax as she gives him a hug. Then, a shot of the next neighbour receiving his prize, and another, and another, as a tally at the bottom right of the screen shows the total cash sum rising. Finally, the entire community is out on the street waving their hands with joy. Continue reading...

Fifty founder' bilbies were released in fenced breeding area in 2019 with the aim of establishing first wild population there in a century

Researchers are weaving Native practices with western methods to revive ecosystems and reclaim food sovereigntyI'm a glorified clam counter."So said Marco Hatch, a marine ecologist at Western Washington University and an enrolled member of the Samish Indian Nation. Hatch has been conducting surveys of mollusks growing in and around clam gardens in the Pacific north-west, as he collaborates with seven Indigenous communities to build or rebuild these rock-walled, terraced beaches once created and tended by their ancestors. Continue reading...

Exclusive: research finds Jackdaw field would provide only about 2% of current demand, and Rosebank only 1%Opening major new fields in the North Sea would make almost no difference to the UK's reliance on gas imports, research has shown.The Jackdaw field, one of the largest unexploited gasfields in the North Sea, would displace only 2% of the UK's current imports of gas, which would leave the UK still almost entirely dependent on supplies from Norway and a few other sources. Continue reading...

Citizen science data reveals early flowering, nesting and insect activity as global heating accelerate seasonal changeBluebells are flowering, swallows are returning and orange-tip butterflies are flying in what could become Britain's earliest recorded spring.Records for early spring occurrences are being smashed as 2026 looks to be the earliest this century for frogspawn laying, blackbirds nesting, brimstone butterflies emerging and hazel flowering, according to Nature's Calendar, which has logged citizen science records of seasonal change since 2000. Continue reading...

Datacentres directly competing' with possible residential builds near public transport, one council tells NSW inquiry, amid growing concerns

Proposal, a win for RFK Jr's Maha movement, is a first step' toward tackling plastic pollution, advocates sayThe Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed on Thursday to include microplastics and pharmaceuticals on a list of contaminants in drinking water for the first time, a step that could lead to new limits on those substances for water utilities.Lee Zeldin, the EPA administrator, said the agency was responding to Americans who have worried about plastics and pharmaceuticals in their drinking water. The gesture also aims to hand a win to health secretary Robert FKennedy Jr's Maha movement, which for months has pressured Zeldin to further crack down on environmental contaminants. Continue reading...

We are at a critical point in the climate emergency and already struggling to meet emissions reduction targets. The UK government must hold its nerveWhile the UK is only marginally involved in the war in the Middle East in military terms, the ramifications for this country are still potentially huge. And nowhere more so than in the energy sector. It isn't a surprise, then, that commentary has focused on the impact potential policy interventions might have on the cost of energy to UK homes and businesses, and on whether the decisions the government takes will make the nation more - or less - energy-secure.The usual suspects in Reform and the Tory party have used the war as an excuse to renew demands that the North Sea be sucked dry of its remaining oil and gas, in order - they say - to end reliance on fossil fuel imports and to guarantee energy security. More sensible heads have argued that the North Sea basin is a field that is way past peak production, and that has only limited amounts of oil and gas left, and that energy security can only be reached if we move further and faster on renewables. Extraordinarily, the real reason no further significant exploitation of North Sea oil and gas is planned seems to have been entirely forgotten, or at least set aside.Bill McGuire is professor emeritus of geophysical and climate hazards at UCL. His next book - The Fate of the World: a History and Future of the Climate Crisis - is published in May Continue reading...

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Document shows partial felling last year, which led to legal action against Toby Carvery, was done by Ground ControlA mystery contractor who chainsawed an ancient oak in north London for the Toby Carvery restaurant chain has been identified by the Guardian, prompting more questions about the incident.The unauthorised partial felling of the 500-year-old oak a year ago on Friday in Whitewebbs Park, Enfield, prompted widespread public outrage and questions in parliament. Continue reading...

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Critics say exemption for fossil fuels exploits White House's self-made gas crisis', and could doom the rare Rice's whale

Merlin could disappear in worst-case scenario, with British isles facing ecological point of no return'The merlin, Britain's smallest bird of prey, is one of more than 200 species that will become extinct in the UK if action is not taken to curb emissions and unsustainable land use, a study has claimed.According to the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), there is a 20-year window in which decisions on climate and land use will determine the fate of dozens of Britain's native species. Continue reading...

Home to one of the world's largest deposits of freshwater, the Great Lakes region will soon host next-generation generators - just as prices are being hiked across the USSubmersible hydroelectric technology deployed across the Great Lakes could become a key cog in clean energy efforts, supporters say, amid surging electricity demand and costs.Home to one of the largest deposits of freshwater on the planet, the Great Lakes region has on its shores some of the largest cities in North America in Chicago, Toronto, Montreal and Detroit, where electricity demand is growing. While none of the five Great Lakes have significant tides or currents to fuel hydropower, several of the waterways that link the lakes do. Continue reading...

Brittlestars, sea anemones and a catshark among new-to-science species collected during expedition off the Queensland coast

Critics say president is locking into 20th-century energy systems even as his bet' on oil and gas isn't going so well'By attacking Iran and threatening to seize its oil while taking extraordinary measures to block clean energy back in the US, Donald Trump has inadvertently highlighted the dangerous volatility of the fossil fuel era, critics say.The US and Israel's bombardment of Iran and southern Lebanon has caused a humanitarian and environmental toll, with threats of further escalation set to add to these casualties as well as add more planet-heating emissions and destroy drinking water supplies. Continue reading...

A death rate of up to 90%, attributed to warming seas, is threatening the trade in Hiroshima prefecture, which produces most of the country's farmed oystersThe Kure oyster festival is doing a brisk trade in beer and grilled meat on sticks. But the longest queues are in front of the oyster stalls, where chefs shuffle piles of mottled shellfish across griddles, waiting for their hinges to ease and reveal their fleshy interiors.Nobuyuki Miyaoka, who is attending the festival with his son, daughter-in-law and their young children, likes his oysters steamed with sake and served with a few drops of tangy ponzu sauce. The local oysters were fine until this year," he says. They used to be a lot bigger ... look how small they are."Chefs prepare oysters at the Kure oyster festival. This year, local businesses and consumers say the shellfish have been scarce and smaller than usual Continue reading...

Government told to focus on transition to mix of wind, solar, tidal and nuclear energyMore drilling in the North Sea would do nothing to improve the UK's energy security, former military leaders have said, as a new analysis finds no fossil fuel importer is safe from chokepoints in the global supply chain.The government should focus on a rapid transition to a mix of wind, solar, tidal and nuclear energy to ensure the UK's future security, the former military leaders told the Guardian, as well as a programme of energy efficiency and a major renewal" of the electricity grid. Continue reading...

The war reveals Britain's exposure to volatile fossil fuel prices. More North Sea drilling will not shield households, building domestic green energy willWhat should Britain do when war in the Middle East sends energy prices soaring? If the strait of Hormuz were blocked for the month of fighting that Donald Trump predicts, British households could face another brutal cost of living shock. Goldman Sachs warns of prices at the pump rising to 2022 levels. That would put more than 50p on each litre in the tank. Prolonged disruption to global gas supplies could see energy bills in the UK rise by 900 to 2,500 a year. Such uncertainty strengthens the case for going big on clean energy.Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, has grasped this reality. By contrast, the Conservatives and Reform UK are doubling down on domestic fossil fuel extraction. The debate is framed around a simple claim of energy security: drill more at home. But the argument is rhetorical. Britain might export a bit more crude and have a smidgen more gas. But it would still need to import refined fuels and liquefied natural gas (LNG). Households would remain exposed to global energy shocks. Clean electricity, by contrast, cuts gas demand and reduces exposure to volatile markets. The political pressures are jobs, tax revenues and the economiesof Scotland and north-east England tied to a declining asset. Continue reading...

Private equity group EQT to take 42% stake as supplier faces scrutiny over environmental record and CEO's pay

Early spring sightings show colourful insect is a resident species for first time in decades, says conservation charityThe large tortoiseshell - an elusive and enigmatic butterfly that became extinct in Britain in the last century - is a UK resident species once again, with a flurry of early spring sightings.Britain's list of native butterflies has increased to 60 with the return of the insect after individuals emerged from hibernation in woodlands in Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, Dorset, Cornwall and the Isle of Wight. Continue reading...

A Guardian investigation with DeSmog reveals thousands of tonnes of fish are illegally turned into fishmeal and oil off the coast of Guinea-BissauThe only ice factory on Bubaque, an island in west Africa's Guinea-Bissau, is out of service. Local fishers, such as Pedro Luis Pereira, are forced to source ice from factories on the mainland, about 70km away - a six-hour round trip by boat.The machines have been broken for months," Pereira says, as he pulls in his nets on the shore of the island inside the protected Bijagos archipelago. We've alerted the ministry of fisheries, but so far, no one has come to fix them."Foreign industrial vessels anchored near the port of Bissau. Photograph: Davide Mancini Continue reading...

Schools and highways close and Territorians living near major rivers leave amid possibly record-breaking rain

Victorian government says it's only fair' Great Ocean Road tourists should pay to see famous limestone stacks

Megawatt fast EV charging reflects a coordinated grid strategy the UK once used. Privatisation and fragmentation now make that infrastructure far harder to buildThe future of electric cars arrived this week in China. The world's biggest car seller, BYD, unveiled a new battery giving its latest electric models more than 600 miles of range. Remarkably, the Chinese motor-maker said 250 miles of range could be injected into its new batteries in just five minutes. If true, the last remaining advantages of petrol cars - long range and quick refuelling - are beginning to disappear.But such technology requires megawatt charging points. A single charger can draw as much power as a small town in Britain. BYD's system relies on chargers delivering around 1.5 megawatts of electricity - more than four times the fastest chargers in the UK. China is moving fast, planning thousands of megawatt charging stations within two years.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...

Once abundant in California, the white abalone had all but vanished. Now, thanks to an innovative breeding program, it's staged a remarkable comebackOn a sunny January afternoon in Bodega Bay, some 70 miles north of San Francisco, the White Abalone Culture Lab is humming with activity.It's spawning day. Alyssa Frederick, the lab's program director, invites me into an industrial room full of troughs and tubs of bubbling seawater. The abalone program is tucked away in the UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory, a research facility devoted to studying ocean and coastal health. The goal is to bring the endangered sea snails, known for their iridescent shells and delicate meat, back from the brink. Continue reading...

LeadCare II offers point-of-care testing but the equipment has had recalls globally due to the potential for inaccurately low readings

Vermont and New York face high stakes to protect climate superfund laws as it faces attacks from Trump's DoJ

Self-styled punk' beer company bought land in 2020, pledging to plant Scotland's biggest ever forest'The self-styled punk" beer company BrewDog sold its Highland estate for a knockdown price after abandoning its efforts to plant Scotland's biggest ever forest" there.BrewDog's co-founder James Watt claimed its Lost Forest project at Kinrara in the Cairngorms national park would cover a staggering area" and capture tens of millions of tonnes of CO during its lifetime. Continue reading...

Prof Tim Lang says country produces far less food than it needs to feed population and is particularly vulnerableThe British government should be stockpiling food, according to a leading expert on food policy, as it is not prepared for climate shocks or wars that could cause the population to starve.Prof Tim Lang of City St George's, University of London said the UK produced far less food than it needed to feed itself, and as a small island that relied on a few large companies to feed its giant population, it was particularly vulnerable to shocks. Continue reading...

First of the trusts, formed with 12 people in a Norfolk pub in 1926, buys swath of farmland to restore to natureThe place where Norton Wood once stood is now a vast field of decaying wheat stubble. The ancient wood was grubbed up during the second world war. No trace of it remains - on the surface, at least. This ghost in the landscape lives on only in the name of the local village: Wood Norton.But trees will soon be bursting upwards again and the wood will regrow after Norfolk Wildlife Trust celebrated its 100th birthday by buying a swath of farmland to revive for nature. Continue reading...

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The 55 pilot whales, which had to be euthanised, had been following a female having a difficult birth, scientists believeThe mass stranding and death of 55 whales on the Isle of Lewis in 2023 was caused by the mammals' loyalty to their pod, a report has concluded.It had been thought that the unusually large incident on Traigh Mhor beach, Tolsta, could have been caused by trauma, disease or acoustic disturbance from military or industrially generated noise. Continue reading...

Lazarus taxa

BoM issues flood watch covering most of Queensland while NT authorities warn houses and roads could be inundated

The country's network of footpaths is growing - with hopes they will develop local economies and better preserve the environment

Fossil fuel price surge after US-Israeli attacks on Iran prompts calls to end dependence on volatile' energy source

Pacific island says the US weakened its proposal to advance a key climate ruling but vows to hold major polluters accountableThe Trump administration's attempt to sink a UN resolution demanding countries act on the climate crisis has caused cuts to the proposal but hasn't entirely killed it, according to the tiny Pacific island country spearheading the effort.The US has demanded that Vanuatu, an archipelago in the south Pacific, drop its UN draft resolution that calls on the world to implement a landmark international court of justice (ICJ) ruling from last year that countries could face paying reparations if they fail to stem the climate crisis. Continue reading...

Regulator says failures that hit nearly 300,000 customers made worse by utility's failure to maintain efficient supply system

At least eight councils receive legal threats alleging flyers criticising wood burners are in breach of advertising codesLobbyists for the UK wood-burning stove industry have threatened councils with legal action over public information campaigns warning of the harms of air pollution.At least eight councils have received legal threats, according to research by the British Medical Journal (BMJ). The Stove Industry Association (SIA), which represents the UK's expanding industry around the burning of wood in domestic settings, wrote to the councils, all London boroughs, in late 2023 complaining that flyers stating wood burners were careless, not cosy" were in breach of UK advertising codes. Continue reading...