As Montana awaits a judgment in a historic climate lawsuit, there's a drive to place environmental provisions in state constitutionsA constitutional legal strategy is gaining traction as a way to potentially help bring about climate justice, boosted by a recent high-profile trial in which 16 young plaintiffs spoke movingly about how the climate crisis has affected their lives.That case, the first US constitutional climate trial, came to an end in Helena, Montana, earlier this month, with a verdict expected to be delivered by a judge in the coming weeks. Continue reading...

Activists denounce heavy use of water for elitist leisure pursuit' as drought continues in SpainClimate activists in Spain have filled in holes on 10 golf courses to draw attention to the huge amounts of water the elitist leisure pursuit" uses as a nationwide drought continues in the first heatwave of the year.Members of Extinction Rebellion (XR) revealed their latest direct action campaign in a video released on Sunday, saying they had targeted courses in locations including Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, the Basque country, Navarra and Ibiza. Continue reading...

Zoning requirements also mean developer of 13,000 houses can meet infrastructure needs via a voluntary planning agreement

The winners have been announced in the third edition of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation's Environmental Photography award. They are being exhibited in Monaco on the Promenade du Lavotto, before touring internationally Continue reading...

Our outfits contain BPA, PFAS and other dangerous substances - but we still know little about their cumulative impactThe first thing that happened when Mary, an Alaska Airlines attendant, received a new, high-performance, synthetic uniform in the spring of 2011 was a hacking cough. Then a rash bloomed on her chest. Next came migraines, brain fog, a racing heart, and blurry vision.Mary (whose name I've withheld to protect her job) was one of hundreds of Alaska Airlines attendants reporting that year that the uniforms were causing blistering rashes, swollen eyelids crusted with pus, hives, and in the most serious case, breathing problems and allergic reactions so severe that one attendant, John, had to be taken off the plane and to the ER multiple times. Continue reading...

Environmental agency officials said workers are cooling the gooey material with river water and putting it into garbage bags for recyclingGlobs of asphalt binder that spilled into Montana's Yellowstone River during a bridge collapse and train derailment could be seen on islands and riverbanks downstream from Yellowstone National Park a week after the spill occurred, witnesses report.Officials with the Environmental Protection Agency said cleanup efforts began on Sunday, with workers cooling the gooey material with river water, rolling it up and putting the globs into garbage bags. It will probably be recycled, said Paul Peronard with the EPA. Continue reading...

Research suggests buried carcass unlikely to attract sharks so long as it is placed above water table and high tide mark

Kamilaroi elder Michael Cain used to collect wood for didgeridoos from Eura forest but was banned once it became Breelong national park

Drought in Mexico and depleting water supply in the Colorado River has led to a scarcity in red jalapenos, the key ingredientSriracha lovers everywhere are feeling the not so pleasant sting of the beloved hot sauce shortage, now in its second year. Drought in Mexico has resulted in a scarcity of chilli peppers - in particular, red jalapenos, the raw material of sriracha - leading Huy Fong Foods, the California-based maker of the iconic condiment, to scale back production.It is a challenging crop to grow," said Stephanie Walker, a plant scientist at the New Mexico State University, who serves on the advisory board of the Chile Pepper Institute. Jalapenos are really labor intensive, requiring people to de-stem them by hand before they go for processing." Continue reading...

Cases linked to king's Sandringham estate in Norfolk include alleged poisoning and shooting of some of UK's rarest birds of preyKing Charles's private country estate at Sandringham in Norfolk has been linked to the deaths and disappearances of a string of legally protected birds over the past two decades, a Guardian investigation has found.The cases include the alleged poisoning, shooting and disappearance of some of the UK's rarest birds of prey. One of the cases involved the mysterious loss of eastern England's last breeding female montagu's harrier, a critically endangered species whose future in the UK is now looking bleak. Continue reading...

City region is branded worst in Europe for eco-friendly transportI'd hoped we could take a Bee bike to Salford," said Sarah Rowe of the Clean Cities Campaign after meeting the Observer at Piccadilly station in Manchester. But look."Her app shows that none of the docks nearby has any bicycles, so we take a taxi. The driver gets 12 and the people of Manchester get 15 more minutes of exhaust fumes. Continue reading...

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Prime minister under fire as government backtracks on plan for more onshore turbines to keep voters on sideRishi Sunak is facing mounting criticism for putting politics above the fight against climate change, amid clear signs that ministers are backtracking on plans to allow more onshore windfarms in England before a general election.The Observer understands that a much-vaunted government consultation on ending what has in effect been a ban on new onshore wind projects will lead to a minimal relaxation of planning rules - because ministers do not want to anger potential Tory voters who oppose huge wind turbines in their neighbourhoods. Continue reading...

Demands for an end to the revolving door' as ex-Ofwat directors are hired by key firmsTwo-thirds of England's biggest water companies employ key executives who had previously worked at the watchdog tasked with regulating them, the Observer can reveal.Cathryn Ross, the new interim joint chief executive of Thames Water and a former head of watchdog Ofwat, is one of several ex-employees working for water companies in senior roles such as strategy, regulation and infrastructure. Continue reading...

National Parks and Wildlife Service led operation to try to save 30-tonne whale which washed ashore on Seven Mile beach

Trying to veganize food from a meat-adoring country might seem antithetical, but with the Philippines being one of the most climate-vulnerable nations, it makes senseBagnet is a savory Filipino treat that hails from the northern region of Ilocos, usually made by boiling and deep frying pork belly until it's crispy and golden. But at Cosmic, a vegan restaurant in Manila, Philippines, it's convincingly rendered using soy and starch to imitate the layers of fat and meat in the original. It's so savory that even an omnivore might reach for seconds.The bagnet is just one item on the Cosmic menu, which is full of vegan versions of what would otherwise be meat-centric Filipino favorites: the kare kare, a thick peanut-based stew, omits the oxtail and is packed with vegetables instead. The sinigang (a sour soup) and customer-favorite sizzling sisig feature tofu rather than fish or pork. And the beanuguan", Cosmic's version of dinuguan, a stew customarily made with pork offal and blood, is instead made with black beans. Continue reading...

Insects appear to have arrived along with smoke from Canadian wildfires though their species is yet to be determinedThree weeks after choking smoke from Canadian wildfires enveloped the city, an infestation of tiny flying bugs is the latest signal that some New Yorkers are interpreting as the portent of end times.Since Wednesday, New Yorkers running, biking, walking or on subways, have reported tiny insects, moving in cloud-like swarms, around parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn, in some cases making it hard to breathe. Continue reading...

The school is on stilts, the shore has advanced by 2km - and the mangroves that used to reduce the waves have been lost for shrimp farms. How long can residents stay ahead of rising sea levels?From the corridor of Khun Samut school, it's clear how far inwards the sea has crept. In the distance, beyond the still waters of neighbouring shrimp farms, sticks can be seen poking out of the blue. They were once electricity poles, powering the parts of the village that have since been submerged in the Bay of Bangkok.Over recent decades, Ban Khun Samut Chin, a coastal village in Thailand's Samut Prakan province, about 10km from the outskirts of Bangkok, has been slowly swallowed by the sea. The school, which is elevated on concrete stilts, has already been forced to retreat twice. Families have repeatedly moved their homes. Many have left altogether after finding work elsewhere. The population is getting smaller and smaller. Continue reading...

Pinkish-hued remains of winter snowfall fascinate hikers but - despite natural origin - pose questions about health and climateHigh up in the mountains, amid pinyon pine and quaking aspen trees, the remaining remnants of the winter's snow is dotted with hues of pinks, purples and oranges.Hikers, campers and church youth groups journeying by grasp it in their palms and liken it to flavored snow cones, Flamin' Hot Cheetos, pink lemonade, dissolved blood or if passersby conducted an art project using red food coloring. Continue reading...

Tory peer claims PM uninterested in environment but No 10 suggests exit had alternative motiveRishi Sunak is embroiled in an extraordinary standoff with Zac Goldsmith after the Tory peer quit the government, accusing Sunak of being simply uninterested" in the environment and the climate emergency.Lord Goldsmith resigned as a Foreign Office minister with a highly personal attack, warning that voters would punish the prime minister at the polls for his apathy in the face of the greatest challenge we have faced". Continue reading...

Advisory committee on business appointments says it has seen no evidence' that Gray's decision-making was affected despite ex-PM's claimNHS England has just published its 150-page long-term workforce plan. It's here.The government is keen to present it as an NHS plan, not a government plan, and at the moment you cannot find it prominently on the No 10 or Department of Health and Social Care websites.This is our longer-term, strategic approach to workforce planning. In a nutshell we will:1. Train more staff Continue reading...

Liv Garfield seeks backing from Labour for reforms as government considers temporary renationalisation of Thames WaterThe chief executive of the water company Severn Trent is seeking backing from industry and the Labour party for British utility firms to be reformed as social purpose" companies that would stay in private hands but give greater weight to the needs of customers, staff and the environment.Liv Garfield, who has run the FTSE 100 company since 2014, has this week written to the chief executives of utility companies in the water, energy and telecoms sectors inviting them to an off-the-record roundtable" chaired by Will Hutton, a columnist for the Observer and the co-chair of the Purposeful Company. Continue reading...

Outgoing minister attacks PM but No 10 claims he quit after being asked to apologise over privileges committee criticism

Exclusive: Thames Water crisis prompts call for rethink on party's decision to ditch nationalisation policy

Many employees in Texas have no heat protections and work in intense and prolonged sun exposure, which causes heat illnessLast week as the heat dome scorched Texas, Gloria Machuca arrived for work at a McDonald's in Houston to find the air conditioning wasn't working. The temperature inside the restaurant was similar to the temperature outside - at least 90F. It was 7.30am..Temperatures would rise another 10 degrees that day but already, Machuca said, the intense heat was making her eyes burn. She and five of her co-workers walked out on their jobs. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Quadrature Climate Foundation is run by billionaires whose fund has stakes worth $170m in fossil fuel firmsSome of the world's best-known climate campaign groups have taken millions of pounds in donations from a foundation run by billionaire hedge fund bosses whose investment fund has invested in fossil fuel companies, the Guardian has learned.Groups including the European Climate Foundation, the Carbon Tracker Initiative and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) have taken millions of pounds in grants over the past two years from Quadrature Climate Foundation, according to filings with the Charity Commission. WWF told the Guardian on Tuesday it would investigate the donation. Continue reading...

It takes just under a minute to make a single swift brick that could house generations of migratory birds. So why isn't it compulsory to install them in the UK?At first, it is hard to spot. A small hole in the eaves is often all that can be seen. It's only on closer inspection that a hollow brick can be discerned, slotted neatly into a wall. Inside might be a pair of nesting swifts that have travelled thousands of miles from Africa to the UK.At Manthorpe Building Products' factory in Derbyshire, it takes just under a minute to produce a single swift brick that could provide a safe haven for generations of these migratory birds. Granules of recycled plastic are put into an injection moulding machine and, moments later, the separate parts of the brick come out, before a worker snaps them together. Continue reading...

The best of this week's wildlife photographs, including hungry gannets, spotted owlets and a baby mongoose Continue reading...

In today's newsletter: Guardian business correspondent Alex Lawson on how things got so bad for the private water company, and where we go from here Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning.For the last few years, the water industry has faced growing criticism over everything from increasingly common hosepipe bans to dumping sewage in England's waterways. Thames Water is the biggest water company in the UK and it is facing a particularly acute crisis after its chief executive, Sarah Bentley, suddenly resigned with no explanation and reports began appearing that the government and regulators had started to draft contingency plans for the potential collapse of the water provider after concerns grew about its ballooning 14bn debt pile.France | Violence has erupted for a third night over the fatal police shooting of a 17-year-old boy of north African descent during a traffic stop. An officer was charged with voluntary homicide on Thursday as an estimated 6,000 people marched in Nanterre, near Paris, in memory of the boy, identified as Nahel M. More than 400 people have been arrested across France.Immigration | A bitter legal battle over the government's plans is set to reach new heights after Downing Street insisted it would challenge a ruling that sending refugees to Rwanda was unlawful. Rishi Sunak said that the government would seek permission to appeal and insisted that Rwanda was a safe country.NHS | Thousands more doctors and nurses will be trained in England every year to plug the huge workforce gaps that plagues almost all NHS services. Amanda Pritchard, the chief executive of NHS England, hailed the long-awaited plan as a once in a generation opportunity to put staffing on a sustainable footing for years to come".Society | A critical report has found that undercover police operations to infiltrate leftwing groups in the 1970s and early 1980s were not justified and should have been rapidly closed down. Sir John Mitting also concluded that the undercover officers gathered a remarkable" quantity of information on activists who posed no threat to public order.Transport | New data has revealed that rail travel is far more carbon efficient than previously thought. The Rail Delivery Group commissioned the development of a new tool designed to calculate emissions so that it could measure its carbon footprint properly. Continue reading...

Rail industry group commissioned a new tool to calculate the industry's carbon footprint more accuratelyRail travel is far more carbon efficient than previously thought, according to a rail industry group that has commissioned a new tool for calculating emissions.The Rail Delivery Group (RDG), the association of train companies and Network Rail that works to coordinate the UK's railways, commissioned the development of the tool so that they could measure their carbon footprint properly. Continue reading...

Review of research finds particularly clear evidence that LEZs in cities reduce heart and circulatory problemsAn increasing number of research studies are showing that low emission zones (LEZs) improve health.More than 320 zones are operating across the UK, Europe and notably in Tokyo, Japan. These reduce air pollution across an area by curbing the number of highly polluting vehicles, normally older diesels. Schemes, including London's ultra-low emission zone, can improve air quality. This should lead to improved health, but does this actually happen? Continue reading...

The colossal flood defence has been in use since 1982 - but as sea levels rise, it will need upgrading much sooner than expectedThe last time the Thames broke its banks and flooded central London was on 7 January 1928, when a storm sent record water levels up the tidal river, from Greenwich and Woolwich in the east as far as Hammersmith in the west. Built on flood plains, the capital was defended only by embankments. The flood waters burst over them into Whitehall and Westminster, and rushed through crowded slums. Fourteen died and thousands were left homeless.After another catastrophic North Sea storm surge in 1953 caused floods along the east coast of England that were even more deadly - killing 307 people, including 59 at Canvey Island on the Thames estuary - discussion began about how to protect London. Continue reading...

Firm refuses to say when it will publish annual report; pressure builds on regulator OfwatThames Water has refused to say when it will publish its annual report and accounts, which had been expected by investors next week, as concerns mount over the company's financial viability.The risk of delay will add to the turmoil engulfing England's 11 privatised water companies, after a day in which board directors, ministers and regulators scrambled to restore calm as discussions continued over a potential temporary nationalisation of Thames Water.The Environment Agency (EA) announced it was sending specialist investigators into water companies across England to secure evidence in the biggest criminal investigation into illegal sewage dumping since privatisation.The experienced City troubleshooter Sir Adrian Montague was parachuted in to take over as chairman of Thames, a role he will take up on 10 July.The prime minister's spokesperson said it was for Ofwat in the first instance" to monitor the financial resilience of water companies, adding to pressure on the regulator. Continue reading...

Climate change has made high temperatures more common in the country, which has already surpassed peak energy demand of 2022

Greens and environmentalists say legislation introduced to parliament by Tanya Plibersek could facilitate new fossil fuel projects

Backlash against proposal has united communities, campaigners and parts of fishing industry

Exclusive: Other summer hotspots such as Devon and Cornwall also likely to face problems, leaked minutes showCumbria and the Lake District are likely to be plunged into drought, minutes from the government's National Drought Group reveal, with reservoir levels in the regions having dropped significantly.Other popular summer holiday destinations including Devon and Cornwall are also likely to be hit by water supply problems, the group heard, and holidaymakers may be be told to curb their use. Continue reading...

Lesions found on 99% of southern resident orcas studied on Pacific north-west coastScientists studying an endangered population of orcas resident off the Pacific north-west coast of Canada and the US have recorded a strong increase" in skin lesions on the animals' bodies, which they believe is owing to the decreasing ability of their immune systems to deal with disease.The lesions appear on the whales as grey patches or targets, or black pin points. Some resemble tattooed skin. Their presence on the animals' graphically black and white bodies is increasing dramatically", according to Dr Joseph K Gaydos of the SeaDoc Society at the school of veterinary medicine at the University of California, lead author of the scientific paper. Continue reading...

Campaigner says firm should be brought under public control using powers in original privatisation legislationCrisis-ridden Thames Water must not receive a penny of public money in a bailout as it faces rising costs on 14bn of debt, the water campaigner Feargal Sharkey has said.Sharkey, who has been crucial in raising public consciousness about the way privatised water companies are run, said he did not believe anyone in the UK would support using taxpayers' money to prop up the company. Continue reading...

Rosebank expected to be approved despite government climate advisers saying it is utterly unacceptable'

Photographs showing the 12-tonne pile of tangled snares and metal traps reveal ongoing battle against poachersOver the past 10 years, we've removed about 47 tonnes of snares and bear traps," says Michael Keigwin, the founder of Uganda Conservation Foundation (UCF), a charity that works with the country's wildlife authorities.Speaking from the Ugandan capital, Kampala, Keigwin is referring to a set of photographs showing a 12-tonne pile of tangled snares and metal traps. The images, showing Ugandan government rangers posing with the traps, illustrate an African success story and a world of pain, say those who helped create it. Continue reading...

Seabed fees lift annual profit to 443m amid talks over what proportion of windfall should be shared with King Charles

Peabody yet to restore park after finishing construction work in 2020, leaving children with no green spaceFamilies in south London are demanding that an award-winning developer reopens a park that was boarded up in 2018 for the construction of new homes.Hatcham Gardens sits in a densely built part of Lewisham next to a school and surrounded by flats. Peabody was given permission by Lewisham council to close the park temporarily for use during construction.This article was corrected on 29 June 2023. The original piece said that the park was boarded up in 2016; in fact it was boarded up in 2018. Continue reading...

As waves and storms erode the Okun Alfa shoreline, the locals fight on - and hope a Yoruba deity can help where politicians have failedThis beach used to be full of life," says Henry Franc, the owner of Space Tavern, as he walks along Alpha Beach in Lagos on a rainy morning, indicating dozens of collapsed homes and shops. All these stores belonged to people." He gestures to a ruined structure - the entirety of the second half of the building is destroyed but you can still see the roof and what were once the window panes sticking out of the sand. That was a church."When Franc, 33, first set up the simple wooden beach hut that is Space Tavern five years ago, the shore was a good distance away. Today, Space Tavern is just a few feet from the lapping waves. Soon his tavern might be gone, too. Continue reading...

Beijing bolstering position as global renewables leader with solar capacity more than rest of world combinedChina is shoring up its position as the world leader in renewable power and potentially outpacing its own ambitious energy targets, a report has found.China is set to double its capacity and produce 1,200 gigawatts of energy through wind and solar power by 2025, reaching its 2030 goal five years ahead of time, according to the report by Global Energy Monitor, a San Francisco-based NGO that tracks operating utility-scale wind and solar farms as well as future projects in the country. Continue reading...

Detroit extends air quality alert through Thursday while evacuation orders in effect in Arizona as crews fight Diamond firePresident Joe Biden arrived in Chicago earlier this morning, touching down at O'Hare International Airport under hazy skies caused by smoke from Canadian wildfires.Biden is expected to deliver a major speech at 1pm EST in Chicago.Concentrations of smoke will likely be high throughout the day in western Pennsylvania and increasing throughout the day in eastern Pennsylvania. Continue reading...

The bill, to be signed by the California governor, requires drawing up a conservation plan and creates a fund to protect the speciesCalifornia lawmakers have voted to permanently protect the iconic western joshua tree, delivering a hard-won victory for environmentalists who have warned that the climate crisis has imperilled these fixtures of the high desert.The Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act was passed Tuesday, as part of the state's budget agreement. It prohibits the unpermitted killing or removal of the trees, requires the development of a conservation plan and creates a fund to protect the species. It appears to be the first California legislation focused on protecting a climate-threatened species. Continue reading...

There were shouts of Shame on you!' at the meeting in St Ives, as critics say decision is disastrous' for farmersA plan to turn moorland in the far south-west of England into a heavily protected nature conservation area has been approved despite warnings that it will wreck farming in the region.There were calls of Shame on you!" and Resign!" as members of the Natural England board voted to designate 59 blocks of land in Penwith Moors in Cornwall as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI), arguing that this will preserve precious flora and fauna. Continue reading...

Study finds extreme rainfall at higher elevations increases by 8.3% for every degree Fahrenheit world warmsA warming world is transforming some major snowfalls over mountains into extreme rain, worsening both dangerous flooding like the type that devastated Pakistan last year as well as long-term water shortages, a new study has found.Using rain and snow measurements since 1950 and computer simulations for future climate, scientists calculated that for every degree Fahrenheit the world warms, extreme rainfall at higher elevation increases by 8.3% (15% for every degree Celsius), according to a study in Wednesday's journal Nature. Continue reading...

Charity Trees for Streets says dry weather has put pressure on saplings, which need about 50 litres a weekAs young street trees struggle and wilt in the summer heat, people are being urged to step into action with their watering cans to help.Hundreds of people are already looking after their local trees as part of the Watering Wednesday campaign launched by Trees for Streets, and some residents have set up rotas and allocated particular saplings to specific families. Continue reading...