Environment | The Guardian

The winners of the Ocean Photographer of the Year 2025 have been revealed. The competition, presented by Oceanographic and Blancpain, showcases breathtaking images that celebrate the ocean's beauty and highlight the urgent need to protect it Continue reading...

Murray Watt agrees recovery plans for greater glider, ghost bat, lungfish and sandhill dunnart were not made by successive governments

Fattest brown bears, bulking up for hibernation, pitted against each other in online public vote - who will win?It's that time of year again, when audiences turn to a welcome distraction from the heavy news cycle: Katmai national park and preserve in southern Alaska is celebrating its fattest brown bears.The park is set to kick off its annual Fat Bear Week on Tuesday, an online competition where the public votes for the park's fattest brown bear. Continue reading...

As the Brazilian city prepares to host 50,000 delegates, local people are being pushed from their homesThe two-bedroom apartment in Belem became Suelen Freitas's home in 2020, when she moved her family to the same building as her elderly mother. On the edge of the Amazon rainforest, it was where her story played out for five years, from enduring the Covid pandemic, to watching her two children get into the university.But in March everything changed. An eviction notice gave them and their neighbours 30 days to vacate their apartments. One by one, all 12 families were forced out. It was very painful," Freitas said. Continue reading...

Sun Day national action supported renewable energy, day after Make Billionaires Pay' march ahead of Climate WeekHundreds of environmentalists gathered in New York City's Stuyvesant Square Park and a nearby Quaker meeting house on Sunday to rally in support of solar power and other forms of renewable energy. The event was part of a national day of action" billed Sun Day, founded by veteran environmental activist Bill McKibben and first Earth Day coordinator Denis Hayes.It's so sad to watch the sun going to waste," McKibben said at a press conference, standing beside environmentalists and their children. Every single day, energy from heaven going to waste while we drill down to hell for another dose of the stuff that is wrecking this planet." Continue reading...

For years Nova Scotia's Burntcoat Head Park claimed the superior tidal height, but now a challenger from the far north is seeking the crownFor visitors to Burntcoat Head Park in Nova Scotia, a scramble along the russet shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean is a pilgrimage to the site of one of the planet's great natural wonders.Twice a day, more than 100bn tons of seawater fills and drains the Bay of Fundy - a figure comparable to the flow of all the world's freshwater rivers combined. Continue reading...

The leopard shark 'threesome' between two males and a female was filmed by a university researcher off New Caledonia. Scientists believe it to be the world's first recorded observation of two males of the globally endangered species mating in quick succession with a female

Menage a trois over in 110 seconds and then the males lost all their energy and lay immobile on the bottom', marine biologist Dr Hugo Lassauce saysA trio of leopard sharks in New Caledonia has made marine science history after they were recorded mating in a threesome".It is the first time the globally endangered species has been documented in a mating sequence, providing valuable knowledge to aid conservation efforts. Continue reading...

New data shows governments now planning more fossil fuel production in coming decades than they were in 2023Governments around the world are ramping up coal, gas and oil extraction which will put climate goals beyond reach, new data has shown.Far from reducing reliance on fossil fuels, nations are planning higher levels of fossil fuel production for the coming decades than they did in 2023, the last time comparable data was compiled. Continue reading...

Group participates in previously unthinkable mile-long swim after US made key progress to clean polluted riversHundreds of people plunged into the Chicago River's chilly waters on Sunday as part of the first organized swim in the river for nearly 100 years, a previously unthinkable act in what was once one of the most befouled waterways in the world.About 300 people, some wearing wetsuits, jumped into the Chicago River for a mile-long looping swim on an early, overcast midwest morning, a feat made possible by the often unseen but crucial progress the US has made in the past half century in cleaning its rivers of toxic pollution. Continue reading...

Queensland Nationals senator tells Cpac conference last rites being administered' and praises Andrew Hastie for threat to quit frontbench over policy

An expert team are resurrecting ice age ponds and finding rare species returning from a perfect time capsule'If you glanced into a green field and saw a yellow digger tearing into the turf, you might assume it was another site for new houses. But the two circle-shaped scars of dark soil on a Norfolk pasture are ghost ponds being brought back to life by an innovative and cheap form of nature restoration.It looks awful now. What have they done? It's a disaster!'" says Carl Sayer, a professor of geography at UCL, who is dancing with glee around the bleak-looking, freshly dug hole. The colonisation is so quick. Within a year, it is full of water plants. Within two years, it looks like it's been there forever. It's a spectacular recovery, and you're truly recovering ancient assemblages of plants." Continue reading...

Officials say deaths from Vibrio vulnificus exceeding average amid warning over climate-linked case increaseFive people in Louisiana have died in 2025 from a flesh-eating bacterium found in warm coastal waters, substantially exceeding the annual average on such deaths, state officials have said.Those who had died from contracting Vibrio vulnificus as of Wednesday were among at least 26 to be infected with the bacterium, with each case resulting in hospitalization, according to Louisiana's department of health. Most of those cases - 85% - involved wounds being exposed to seawater, and 92% of the infected had one underlying health condition, the health department said. Continue reading...

The scale of the government's ambition heightens the stakes for all sides of politics and will probably determine how Albanese's second term plays out

Researchers mapping how red squirrels would fare under climate breakdown scenarios found a natural ability to adapt'Red squirrels are thriving on the Isle of Wight where they have enough food and a suitable habitat to support a population that could almost double, a study has found.Using climate models, the researchers mapped how the red squirrel population would fare under different climate breakdown scenarios such as temperature changes and low levels of rainfall, finding no direct impact on their survivability and a natural ability to adapt to a range of climatic conditions". Continue reading...

Exclusive: Officials say they have been told to do as little as legally possible to prevent approvals for housebuilding in EnglandThe Environment Agency has been told by ministers to wave through planning applications in England with minimal resistance as part of a regulatory shakeup designed to increase economic growth and plug the government's financial hole.Officials at the agency say they have been told to do as little as legally possible to prevent housing applications from being approved and the government has drafted in senior advisers from the housing department to speed up the process. Continue reading...

Liberal leader later clarifies she doesn't support setting targets while in opposition

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

London assembly committee says move will increase cleanliness of waterways and offer more access to outdoorsTen new wild swimming locations should be created in London, a report from the London assembly has said, to boost cleanliness of the capital's waterways and increase access to the outdoors.Other cities are cleaning up their rivers for swimming: Paris has opened a swimming site in the Seine in the city centre and Chicago is running its first river swim in almost a century. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Industry delegates outnumbered climate experts by 14 to one at recent ICAO meeting, thinktank saysThe UN aviation organisation has been captured by the industry, a report has concluded, leading to the urgent action required to tackle the sector's high carbon emissions being blocked.Industry delegates outnumbered climate experts by 14 to one at the recent environmental protection" meeting of the UN International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the report found. The ICAO is the forum where nations agree the rules governing international aviation. Continue reading...

Transport body promises to crack down on the small minority of people with four or more penalty noticesTransport for London is promising to crack down on drivers who flout its ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) after revealing that 94% of the 790m owed in fines has been racked up by persistent offenders.Non-payers have been fined up to 17,000 this year, including one driver whose car was seized and sold at auction after he ignored 130 warning letters and 14 visits by enforcement officers. Continue reading...

The magnificent apex predator of the night, forced out of forests into urban landscapes, now confronts yet another silent killer: rat poison

Separate research found that at the current rate of global heating, more than 70,000 people will die in the US by 2050Smoke billowing from wildfires will cause a growing number of deaths around the world in the decades ahead as the planet continues to heat up, new research has found.Wildfire smoke is expected to kill as many as 1.4 million people globally each year by the end of the century if planet-heating emissions are not curbed, according to a study published on Thursday. Continue reading...

Whiting residents worried after facility, which has had multiple problems, shut down temporarily after rainIt was the biggest news story around the midwest as the Labor Day weekend approached earlier this month: the unexpected surging price of fuel at the gas station.But for residents of Whiting, Indiana, petroleum has been presenting an altogether bigger problem. Continue reading...

Some 450 events are planned across the US this Sunday to celebrate growth of solar power and energy efficiencyAs the Trump administration wages an all-out assault on climate protections and renewable energy, activists are gearing up for demonstrations this Sunday to hype up solar power and energy efficiency.The national day of action", called Sun Day, will be spearheaded by the veteran climate activist Bill McKibben. Continue reading...

Think Bill Gates is fixing the climate crisis? Not if you follow the money. While he funds green innovation and talks about cutting emissions, Gates also invests in dirty industries such as coal, oil and private jets. In this episode, Neelam Tailor exposes how one of the world's most powerful climate voices is betting on both sides of the crisis - and making a lot of money in the process Continue reading...

Six experts respond to Labor's plans for agriculture, resources, the built environment, industry, transport and energy. What did it get right and what more needs to be done?

Exclusive: Residents of western Sydney and outer suburbs of Melbourne are at particular risk of high temperatures, data shows

Heartbreaking' drone footage has captured the moment a mother and calf became trapped. Four humpbacks have been snared in recent days

Albanese says 62% to 70% range represents the sweet spot' as Coalition rejects economy wrecking' target while Greens label it a betrayal'

The people of Johnshaven have watched the sea edge closer and closer. Preserving the path is key to protecting their community

Increasingly erratic water cycle is creating food scarcity, rising prices, conflict and migration, says UN agencyOnly a third of the world's river basins experienced normal conditions last year as the climate crisis drove extremes of drought and flood, sometimes both in the same region.The increasingly erratic water cycle is creating big problems for societies and governments and causing billions of dollars in damage, scientists warned. Continue reading...

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, announced the Labor government will set a 62-70% emissions reduction target by 2035, taking the advice of the Climate Change Authority. In his announcement, Albanese said 'It is the right target to protect our environment, to protect and advance our economy and jobs and to ensure that we act in our national interest and in the interest of this and future generations.' Continue reading...

Joel Engardio, who becomes fifth elected city official to be ousted in four years, says he stands by his decisionA San Francisco supervisor was recalled on Tuesday after he successfully pushed to turn a stretch of coastal highway used heavily by neighborhood motorists into a car-free park despite strong objections by some of his constituents.Joel Engardio became the fifth elected official in San Francisco to be ousted in a recall vote in four years. He conceded, saying in a statement that he accepted the outcome and still stood by his decision to help create a park called Sunset Dunes. Continue reading...

Some Mori believe that when they die, their spirit travels up New Zealand to the tip of the North Island - souls flying like birds

Exclusive: Firm that runs Aberdeenshire resort says it is categorically wrong' to suggest it has caused environmental damageDonald Trump's Aberdeenshire golf course has breached sewage contamination limits 14 times since 2019, documents reveal.The 36-hole golf course, one of two that Trump owns in Scotland, also has a five-star hotel, a whisky bar and two restaurants. Trump International Golf Links, Scotland has a private sewage system that treats wastewater before releasing it into the ground by soaking it through gravel beds in raised filter mounds. Continue reading...

Australia must lead other nations in committing to 1.5C pathway for safety, security, prosperity and the environment, experts say

Analysis reveals sum equal to 24.2% of average bill taken as pre-tax profits by the major energy industries last year, rather than being reinvested

People remember the human side of the dazzling' film star, who was kind and wise and lived a dignified life

Researchers from Imperial College London say 16,500 deaths caused by hot weather brought on by greenhouse gasesHuman-made global heating caused two in every three heat deaths in Europe during this year's scorching summer, an early analysis of mortality in 854 big cities has found.Epidemiologists and climate scientists attributed 16,500 out of 24,400 heat deaths from June to August to the extra hot weather brought on by greenhouse gases. Continue reading...

The National Adaptation Plan is only a small step towards a comprehensive strategy to build resilience into Australia's economy

Rainfall picked up in June and July in some areas but it may already be too late

Julia Chunil is one of 146 land defenders who were killed or went missing last year, a third of them from Indigenous communitiesOne day last November, Julia Chunil called for her dog, Cholito, and they set off into the woods around her home to search for lost livestock. The animals returned but Chunil, who was 72 at the time, and Cholito did not.More than 100 people joined her family in a search lasting weeks in the steep, wet and densely overgrown terrain of Chile's ancient Valdivian forest. After a month, they even kept an eye on vultures for any grim signs. But they found no trace of Chunil. Continue reading...

Business owners explain how summer immigration sweeps have shaken the community and left them vulnerable'From early morning to late at night, food vendors are feeding the people of Los Angeles. They offer nearly anything - tamales, fried fish, crispy tacos, mole, pupusas, fresh fruit, esquites, bacon-wrapped hot dogs - to Angelenos as they start their commutes or head home after the bars have closed.Taco trucks and food vendors are a vital part of the city's celebrated culinary scene, one that came under attack this summer as Donald Trump ordered mass immigration raids across the city. Continue reading...

Accommodation costs at climate summit in Belem are pricing out some developing countries and media outletsThe United Nations has urged its staff to limit attendance at the Cop30 climate summit in Brazil in November due to high accommodation prices, while government delegations are still scrambling to find rooms within their budgets.The move comes as delegations grow increasingly concerned about the cost of accommodation in the coastal Amazon city of Belem hosting Cop30. Brazil said it was working to increase the number of available hotel beds, but soaring prices for accommodation have stoked calls from some governments to relocate the conference, which Brazilian officials have rejected. Continue reading...

Monash researchers say findings underscore urgency of addressing climate-related health risks as continent experiences more days of extreme heat

Senate committee investigates suspected push that led administration to overturn EPA's endangerment findingIn the wake of the Trump administration's announcement that it will overturn the rule which underpins virtually all US climate regulations, a Senate committee has launched an investigation into a suspected lobbying push that led to the move.On Tuesday, the Senate environment and public works committee sent letters to two dozen corporations, including oil giants, thinktanks, law firms and trade associations. The missives request each company to turn over documents regarding the 2009 declaration, known as the endangerment finding, which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said in July that it will unmake.This article was amended on 17 September 2025 to add a statement from the New Civil Liberties Alliance. Continue reading...

Group of activists, who range in age from seven to 25, include plaintiffs who won landmark climate case in Montana two years agoYouth climate activists are taking the Trump administration to court this week over its anti-environment agenda.In a two-day hearing in Missoula, Montana, starting Tuesday, the young activists, who are between seven and 25, will argue that a federal judge should block three of Donald Trump's pro-fossil fuel executive orders. Continue reading...

Redford achieved huge critical and commercial success in the 60s and 70s with a string of hits including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Way We Were and The Sting, before becoming an Oscar-winning director

Analysis reveals privatisation premium' of 250 per household per year paid to owners of water, rail, bus, energy and mail services since 2010