Increase of 1C in average annual temperature connected to more than 6% rise in physical and sexual domestic violenceAs deadly heatwaves sweep through cities in India, China, the US and Europe amid the climate crisis, new research has found that rising temperatures are associated with a substantial rise in domestic violence against women.A study published in JAMA Psychiatry on Wednesday found a 1C increase in average annual temperature was connected to a rise of more than 6.3% in incidents of physical and sexual domestic violence across three south Asian countries. Continue reading...

The unprecedented outbreak has scientists concerned as record number of animals turn up lifeless on beachesOn a recent morning on Leadbetter state beach in Santa Barbara, a California Sea Lion puppy, weighing about 30 or 40lbs, lay dead in the sand.It's the latest victim in what scientists and rescue organizations have described as an unprecedented event along the California coastline. Continue reading...

Campaigners condemn pollution and shortages as government and regulator discuss possible bailoutThames Water customers have called for an urgent inquiry into the company's finances after children became seriously unwell from swimming in the river and homes were left without water during a drought.Campaigners have expressed astonishment that the company may be bailed out by the taxpayer after it failed to invest appropriately in infrastructure to stop sewage spills and leaks. Continue reading...

The half-moon hairstreak butterfly is among the endangered species fighting the heat and smoke of a record wildfire seasonIn late August 2017, a bolt of lightning struck Kenow Mountain in eastern British Columbia. In less than two weeks, the smouldering that ensued had transformed into a large forest fire, tearing through the rugged landscape and quickly spreading into Waterton Lakes national park.The blaze consumed 19,303 hectares (48,000 acres) and while many of the park's animals fled the flames and smoke, the endangered half-moon hairstreak butterflies could not. A large portion of the diminutive grassland species was lost after nearly half its habitat was destroyed, putting immense pressure on an already threatened population. Continue reading...

Frank and Monica Woll bought two beautiful islands in the Florida Keys only to see storms and rising waters wash much of it away. Then they got seriousWhen Frank and Monica Woll bought two tiny islands in the Florida Keys in 2016 for their semi-retirement, they considered themselves privileged caretakers rather than owners. The day they arrived on Molasses Keys, twin islands encircled by the turquoise-blue waters of the Florida Straits, a dolphin swam beside their boat. Already resident were scores of pelicans, cormorants, egrets, herons and numerous other species of birds in a plethora of mangrove trees.Then came the hurricanes: Irma in 2017, and Ian last year. Today the trees, and the birds, are mostly gone. The storms, combined with rising sea levels, have stripped about one-fifth of the islands' land mass.Frank and Monica Woll sit on a branch that used to be over firm ground Continue reading...

Plans drawn up to pay for cost of dealing with sewage crisis and climate emergency

State has managed to avoid rolling blackouts amid three-digit temperatures thanks to its supply of solar power, experts sayAs a deadly, record-breaking heatwave puts Texas's grid to the test, renewable power sources are helping the state maintain energy reliability, contrary to some of the state's lawmakers claims that clean energy is less reliable.Texas has for more than two weeks been blanketed by an oppressive heat dome, and federal forecasters say there is no end in sight". The sweltering temperatures have forced people to stay in their homes with their air conditioners cranked, causing energy demand to soar to record levels. Continue reading...

Brazilian government warning comes as UN report says that flourishing organized crime groups are driving a boom in environmental devastationThe Brazilian government's drug policy chief has admitted that the rapid advance of drug factions into the Amazon rainforest has produced a a very difficult situation" in the region, as a UN report warned that flourishing organized crime groups were driving a boom in environmental devastation.Marta Machado, the national secretary for drug affairs, said the previous administration's intentional dismantling of Brazil's environmental and Indigenous protection agencies had created a dangerous vacuum in the Amazon which had been occupied by powerful crime syndicates from Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. Continue reading...

UK government and Ofwat holding discussions amid fears firm cannot survive because of huge debt pile

Report by RSPB, ELF and Friends of the Earth say even cases with good prospects of success are being abandonedProhibitively high costs are pricing individuals and community groups out of bringing legal challenges in England and Wales to protect the environment, major NGOs say.A joint report by the RSPB, the Environmental Law Foundation (ELF) and Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland, says cases raising concerns about loss of green space, wildlife habitat and the climate crisis have been abandoned because of fears about costs, even when they have good prospects of success. It suggests the number of environmental judicial review applications may have halved in a decade. Continue reading...

Drugmaker's $4oom offsetting scheme aims to combat climate change and biodiversity loss caused by deforestationThe boss of Britain's biggest drugmaker, Pascal Soriot, has warned that the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss are damaging the planet and human health, as it announced a $400m (310m) plan to plant 200m trees by 2030.The offsetting scheme is one of the biggest tree-planting programmes globally. In 2020, AstraZeneca pledged to plant and maintain more than 50m trees by the end of 2025, with 10.5m trees of 300 different species planted so far across Australia (in collaboration with Aboriginal people), Indonesia, Ghana, the UK, the US and France. Continue reading...

UK urged to use trade deals as bargaining tool to protect marine mammalsDolphins and other marine mammals are being failed by the UK government, MPs have said, as they call for ministers not to sign trade deals without considering cetacean welfare.The UK has poorer protections for dolphins, whales and seals than other countries, a report by the environment, food and rural affairs (Efra) committee has found. Continue reading...

Campaigns made misleading claims about charging times and rapid-charging points in UK and Ireland, ASA saysThe UK advertising watchdog has banned campaigns by Toyota and Hyundai for exaggerating the speed at which electric cars can be charged and misleading consumers about the availability of rapid-charging points across the UK and Ireland.The Japanese car firm Toyota ran a marketing campaign on its website for its bZ4X model with the text making electric easy". The site claimed the vehicle could be charged to 80% in about 30 minutes using a 150kW fast-charging system. Continue reading...

This year's wildfire season is already worst on record as nearly 600m tonnes of carbon dioxide has been released since early MayWildfires raging across Canada, made more intense by global warming, have released more planet-warming carbon dioxide in the first six months of 2023 than in any full year on record, according to the EU's Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service.This year's wildfire season is the worst on record in Canada, with some 76,000sq km (29,000sq miles) burning across eastern and western Canada. That is already greater than the combined area burned in 2016, 2019, 2020 and 2022, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Continue reading...

Mixed early results from administration initiative as federal land managers skip at-risk communities for less threatened areasUsing chainsaws, heavy machinery and controlled burns, the Biden administration is trying to turn the tide on worsening wildfires in the US west through a multibillion-dollar cleanup of forests choked with dead trees and undergrowth.Yet one year into what is envisioned as a decade-long effort, federal land managers are scrambling to catch up after falling behind on several of their priority forests for thinning even as they exceeded goals elsewhere. And they have skipped over some highly at-risk communities to work in less threatened areas, according to data obtained by the Associated Press, public records and congressional testimony. Continue reading...

Sarah Bentley had revealed she would forgo her bonus after criticism of utility's discharge of raw sewageThames Water's boss Sarah Bentley has stepped down with immediate effect, a few days after it emerged that the leakage rate from the company's pipes was at a five-year high and she gave up her annual bonuses over its environmental track record.The UK's largest water company, which has 15 million customers in London and the Thames Valley, announced that Bentley would be replaced by Alastair Cochran, the finance chief, and Cathryn Ross, the former boss of the water watchdog Ofwat, as joint interim chief executives. Continue reading...

The sisters and a group of women from a local Indigenous tribe started a kelp farm in the hopes of cleaning up the pollution in their shared backyardEarly on a January morning, a dozen nuns hopped on a Zoom call and waited patiently for their turn to speak softly, sweetly to plants.One of the sisters sang a song; another played the flute; several recited poetry and prayers. The intended audience of their kind words were dozens of kelp seedlings, which had a big task: grow big and healthy enough to be planted in the waters off the shores of Long Island, New York. Continue reading...

Rob Blakers says he was surprised then furious' that trees in foraging and feeding habitat for birds, whose numbers are down to just 750, were being destroyed

Report cited by environment minister in support of offset bill criticised for inflated figures

Although a gruesome sight, experts say taking on prey that size is a mark of the bird's bravery and skillIt is a jaw-dropping scene worthy of a Hitchcock film. In a video that has gone viral a huge gull stands brazenly in the middle of a street and attempts to swallow a black squirrel whole, the creature's back legs and fluffy tail hanging out of the bird's beak as it gulps.While well known as scavengers, large gulls such as herring gulls and lesser black-backed gulls - two of the species colloquially called seagulls - are perhaps best known for pinching chips and ice-creams from unwary seaside day-trippers. Continue reading...

Head of SMMT raises concerns over tightening of trade rules from January on vehicles exported from UK to EUThe growth of electric car production in Britain is under threat from a Brexit cliff edge" in January unless the EU agrees to delay new trade rules until 2027, industry leaders have warned.Electric cars exported from the UK to the EU will have to meet tighter rules of origin" in the new year, which mean batteries must be sourced from within the two trade partners or face 10% tariffs. Continue reading...

Small island countries press for guarantees as rising sea levels risk leaving their citizens stateless

Latest heat dome' event over Texas and Louisiana, plus much of Mexico, driven by human-cause climate change, scientists findThe record heatwave roiling parts of Texas, Louisiana and Mexico was made at least five times more likely due to human-caused climate change, scientists have found, marking the latest in a series of recent extreme heat dome" events that have scorched various parts of the world.A stubborn ridge of high pressure has settled over Mexico and a broad swath of the southern US over the past three weeks, pushing the heat index, a combination of temperature and humidity, to above 48C (120F) in some places. Continue reading...

The whale was the fifth to die of natural causes in Wide Bay waters this week, with locals warned to steer clear

An area of primary rainforest the size of Switzerland was felled last year suggesting world leaders' commitment to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030 is failingAn area the size of Switzerland was cleared from Earth's most pristine rainforests in 2022, despite promises by world leaders to halt their destruction, new figures show.From the Bolivian Amazon to Ghana, the equivalent of 11 football pitches of primary rainforest were destroyed every minute last year as the planet's most carbon-dense and biodiverse ecosystems were cleared for cattle ranching, agriculture and mining, with Indigenous forest communities forced from their land by extractive industries in some countries. Continue reading...

As the climate emergency threatens its existence, the tiny Pacific nation is not only trying to reclaim physical land but create a twin' to survive in future

Music and laughter mix with the sound of waves crashing, a rhythm to life on a small atoll in the grip of the climate emergencyAs the sun sets in Tuvalu, children climb and play on mountains of sand that have been dredged from the seafloor. Women walk in the ocean shallows searching for shells that have travelled up with the sands, to make necklaces and other decorative pieces.Little by little Tuvalu, a tiny atoll in the Pacific Ocean, is being swallowed up as the ocean rises from under the once solid ground. This is the reality facing its 12,000 inhabitants who live in the shadow of possible climate change extinction, mostly as a result of rising sea levels.A child's teddy bear is part of the debris washed up along Tuvalu's coastline Continue reading...

Modelling along planned flight paths suggest zones will be subject to noise pollution in excess of 70db, or washing machine-level

More than two-thirds of voters think Labor isn't doing enough to ensure affordable and secure rentals'

Research finds tropical mammals suffer impact of deforestation even if they live in protected areasWildlife sanctuaries fail to fully protect tropical animals from harmful human activities, a major study has found.Mammals including the jaguar, the mountain gorilla, and the Sunda pangolin were all found to be affected by human activities, even when they resided in the depths of a nature reserve. Continue reading...

East Canfield has seen decades of pollution and displacement due to carmakers' expansion plans - and it's threatened againBethany Howard's neighborhood was dismantled to satisfy the US demand for automobiles.She grew up in Detroit, AKA Motor City, in the 1980s. For five generations, the Howards have lived, worked and attended school in East Canfield, a tight-knit, walkable community. She still lives in the same house her great-grandfather moved into when he left Mississippi. But the neighborhood she knew growing up no longer exists. Continue reading...

British carmaker to use components from Lucid to produce luxury high-performance battery electric modelsAston Martin has struck a deal with the US firm Lucid to start making ultra-luxury high-performance electric vehicles" from 2025.The British luxury carmaker, whose losses more than doubled last year to almost 500m, has struck a cash and shares deal valued at 182m in which Lucid will take a 3.7% stake in London-listed Aston Martin. Continue reading...

Findings come as nations gather in London to discuss new carbon levyGreenhouse gas emissions from shipping could be halved by 2030 without damaging trade, new research has found, as countries prepare to meet to discuss a potential new tax on carbon produced by ships.Emissions from maritime transportation amount to about 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and there are few alternatives to the cheap, heavy and dirty diesel oil used by ships. Continue reading...

A drone pilot captures footage of a humpback whale following a kayaker near Bondi beach. Up to 50,000 whales are expected to pass Australia's east coast during the annual migration from Antarctica to the Great Barrier Reef. Humpback whales were removed from Australia's threatened species list last year after a significant increase in numbers, from just 1,500 at the height of the commercial whaling industry to an estimated 40,000

When environmentalist and pacifist Joan Carulla came to the city after growing up during Spain's civil war, he created an allotment in the sky' that helped pioneer organic farmingWhen Joan Carulla Figueres turned the roof terrace of his Barcelona apartment into a garden, it was out of nostalgia for his rural origins. Sixty-five years later, the ecological concepts he has long followed have become commonplace, and he is acclaimed as a pioneer of organic farming.Carulla, who celebrated his 100th birthday this year, is credited with creating the city's first roof garden. However, his allotment in the sky" boasts far more than the usual tomato plants and pots of geraniums. It is home to more than 40 fruit trees, vines that produce 100kg (220lbs) of grapes a year, olives, peaches, figs, garlic, aubergines and even potatoes. He is passionate about potatoes. Continue reading...

Seawalls are causing intertidal habitats to vanish as ocean levels increase. But eco-entrepreneurs say artificial rockpools and crevices can save wildlife

Even if the world stopped emitting greenhouse gases tomorrow, ocean levels would continue to riseNot only is dangerous sea level rise absolutely guaranteed", but it will keep rising for centuries or millennia even if the world stopped emitting greenhouse gases tomorrow, experts say.Rising seas are one of the most severe consequences of a heating climate that are already being felt. Continue reading...

Five-year Flinders University project played wind turbine and road traffic audio samples to nearly 70 participants in a sleep laboratory

Residents seek respite from the heat as temperatures above 40C (104F) have been recorded for a third consecutive day in Beijing for the first time Continue reading...

Federal decision about $1.9bn project delayed until end of year as local council flags possiblity of compensation for aircraft noise

Public health advocates say land at Hunters Point in San Francisco contains dangerous levels of strontium-90The US navy is covering up dangerous levels of radioactive waste on a 40-acre former shipyard parcel in San Francisco's waterside Hunters Point neighborhood, public health advocates charge.The land is slated to be turned over to the city as early as next year, and could be used for residential redevelopment. The accusations stem from 2021 navy testing that found 23 samples from the property showed high levels of strontium-90, a radioactive isotope that replaces calcium in bones and causes cancer. Continue reading...

Government's buyout scheme is meeting fierce resistance from farmers in NetherlandsVeal farmer Wim Brouwer sits on his terrace, an emergency" red flag flying outside and his laptop open on a page revealing he is one of the Netherlands' peak polluters, due to the nitrogen excreted each year by his 1,360 calves.His business sits in one of the most intensively farmed parts of Europe's most intensively farmed country, a huge exporter with more than 110 million livestock, including cattle, chickens and pigs. Continue reading...

Plans for the world's first commercial octopus farm are well advanced - just as science discovers more about this curious, intelligent and affectionate animal. Can it be done ethically?The sterile boardroom, much of it taken up by a lengthy white table, is at the heart of the sprawling building in northern Spain. The corporate chatter that fills this room these days, however, is dominated by the scene playing out one floor below, where about 50 adult male octopuses are in a tank the size of a budget hotel room.A handful of the octopuses - the fifth generation to be born in this Spanish multinational's concrete-and-glass office and research centre - skim through the shallow waters, some brushing up against each other while others tuck into the tank's barren corners. A low-intensity light casts a pale glow as researchers lay the groundwork for one of the world's most controversial endeavours: the first commercial octopus farm. Continue reading...

Victorian grassland earless dragon was once common west of Melbourne but numbers declined due to habitat loss and predators such as feral cats

Less office waste material during Covid has led big lavatory roll makers to cut amount of recycled paper in tissues, according to consumer bodyHoarding during the Covid-19 pandemic underlined just how important loo roll is to the British public. But working from home had another unexpected effect: less waste paper from offices, which means less recycled material to make toilet roll.New research by Ethical Consumer magazine shows that the three main toilet brands have cut the amount of recycled paper in their tissues. It said the use of virgin wood pulp was fuelling deforestation, although paper-industry advocates dispute this. Continue reading...

Electricity generated on Shetland could be used to fuel the proposed Rosebank field, instead of homesElectricity from a new onshore windfarm could be used to power the biggest undeveloped oilfield in the North Sea, campaigners are warning, ahead of an imminent decision over whether to approve the project.The huge Rosebank oilfield is three times bigger than the controversial Cambo field that was put on hold more than a year ago. It has the potential to produce 500m barrels of oil and its final approval is expected to reach the energy secretary, Grant Shapps, in the next few weeks. It is expected to be approved after Rishi Sunak hinted last month that it would be economically illiterate" not to invest in UK oil and gas because Britain will remain reliant on fossil fuels for the next few decades". Continue reading...

German national Marcus Decker in prison for climbing Dartford bridge faces automatic deportation, say campaignersHundreds of protesters marched to the Home Office on Saturday demanding deportation proceedings be called off for an environmental activist imprisoned for scaling the Dartford Crossing.Marcus Decker is serving one of the longest sentences ever passed for a non-violent protest in British history after a Just Stop Oil demonstration in October. He is a German citizen with leave to remain in the UK, but faces automatic deportation after serving the two years and seven months sentence. Continue reading...

New Mexico, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas also face scorching temperatures as heat dome settles over US south-westA record-breaking heat wave is entering its third week in Texas, as temperatures reach triple digits in the broader US south and tens of thousands of people in affected states are without power and lack air conditioning.More than 40 million people in the US are under a heat alert. Continue reading...

Energy security secretary says costs should be paid for further up the chain' rather than by householdsGrant Shapps has signalled the government will U-turn on its planned hydrogen levy on energy bills.The annual levy, estimated to add about 118 a year to already soaring energy bills, had been expected to be introduced in 2025 via the energy bill going through parliament. The fee was intended to cover the cost of producing the low-carbon gas instead of polluting fossil fuels. Continue reading...

Measure will nullify local ordinances that provide workers protection from devastating, triple-digit temperaturesAmid a dangerous heatwave that has brought blistering temperatures across Texas, the state's governor signed a law this week eliminating local rules requiring water breaks for workers.The measure, which will take effect later this year, will nullify ordinances enacted by Austin and Dallas that mandate 10-minute breaks for construction workers every four hours. It also prevents any other local governments from passing similar worker protections. Continue reading...