Environment | The Guardian

Exclusive: Assistant treasurer says insurers warned government you've got five years' to reduce vulnerability to climate crisis

Exclusive: Climate and transport groups argue electric vehicles plan has had little impact in the six months since its release

The messy intersection of botany and the law contributes to the murky legal status of seeds used to grow THC-rich cannabisOn 1 August, Minnesota became the latest state to legalize recreational cannabis use. That very same day, residents began to hit up Jim Cramond's store, Strains of the Earth, clamoring for weed. But not just any type of weed - they were specifically seeking seeds.People streamed into his Jordan, Minnesota, shop to buy them in person. They bombarded him on social media about availability. His phone rang off the hook with calls from customers curious about growing their own cannabis. Continue reading...

Across the US, local governments, lobbyists and industry have spent millions to get wildfire pollution excluded from the record. People like Robert Shobe pay the price

Exclusive: Plans to plant 202 new trees and create play village' for children in salvaged city centre schemeThe more than 100 trees in the centre of Plymouth, whose overnight felling helped bring down the Conservative council, are to be replaced with almost double the number.Council leaders are releasing plans to regenerate Armada Way in the city centre, planting 202 new trees and creating a large children's play area the size of five tennis courts. Continue reading...

Climate crisis blamed for extreme heat in African country, which has recorded temperatures of 43C - nearly double seasonal averageMalawians endured the country's hottest weekend on record, with temperatures reaching nearly double the seasonal average.The heatwave began last Thursday with the government warning people to stay out of the sun, to keep hydrated, and avoid alcohol and caffeine. Some school buildings in the south of the country were evacuated, and children were taught in the shade of playground trees. Continue reading...

Investment needs to double to more than $600bn a year by 2030 after decade of stagnation', says agencyMinisters have been urged to open their eyes" to the need to build a vast network of new electricity grids to allow countries to hit climate goals, the chief of the world's energy watchdog has said.Fatih Birol, the executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), has warned that the equivalent of the entire global electricity grid - 80m km of grid - needs to be added or refurbished by 2040 to hit climate targets and ensure reliable power supplies. Continue reading...

Despite Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in the Barents Sea it maintains cordial relations with Nato neighbours over fishing rights - barelyFrom the village of Grense Jakobselv, where the Norwegian-Russian border meets the Arctic Ocean, you can see straight into Russia. And, across the river that marks the border line, the Russian soldiers can look right back.Despite water temperatures here rarely climbing above 10C (50F), in the summer months the Norwegian side is a popular destination for fishing, beluga whale spotting, basking in the midnight sun and, since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, peering into Russia. Everyone wants to go to one of the most eastern military points of Norway and have a look into Russia. It's like being at Loch Ness," says Trygg Arne Larsen, a military adviser. Continue reading...

Fly season is here and there is buzzing in the air - and in our homes. So who are these curious insects and how should we feel about them?

Port in Manaus records lowest water level since 1902, leaving boats stranded and unable to deliver food and water to remote villagesThe water level at a major river port in Brazil's Amazon rainforest has hit its lowest point in at least 121 years, as a historic drought upends the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and damages the jungle ecosystem.Rapidly drying tributaries to the mighty Amazon river have left boats stranded, cutting off food and water supplies to remote jungle villages, while high water temperatures are suspected of killing more than 100 endangered river dolphins. Continue reading...

Exceptional events rule has become regulatory escape hatch' for states that want to meet federal air-quality standards

Minister Tanya Plibersek should strengthen trigger' protection to ensure projects are assessed for impact on water resources

2018 Australian of the year recognised for work on super-fast technology in field of atomic electronics

Floods, freezes and heatwaves threaten seed production as farmers scramble to produce strains that resist climate chaosOnce upon a not-so-distant time, the growing season for the Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Green Things Farm Collective followed a steadfast trajectory.We reliably had rainy springs and early summers, then hot and dry in late July and August, with the rains picking up again in September," said Stacy Mates, Green Things' seed company manager. For a crop like lettuce seed, it was perfect." Continue reading...

Cowpats in a Cambridge meadow offer vital lessons in how a host of tiny creatures sustain our planetSummer is ending, and Coe Fen meadow in Cambridge is entering a period of slumber. The cows are sheltering under a tree, whisking away flies and defecating as they lie down. Spring's succulent grasses have been supplanted by scruffier dock leaves, thistles and nettles. Berries on the trees and the reddening of leaves show that autumn is waiting backstage.We are exploring the delights of faeces and the little ecosystems inside them. Cowpats are the obvious choice because of their abundance, and they are also the least offensive on offer. Continue reading...

Experts say decision not to make evidence available to family of Manuel Paez Teran or public sets frightening' precedentThe state of Georgia is refusing to release evidence tied to the police shooting and killing of an activist protesting a police and fire department training center known as Cop City", prompting concern from police accountability experts who say this sets a frightening" precedent .District attorney George Christian released a 31-page report earlier this month concluding that the 18 January shooting of Manuel Paez Teran, or Tortuguita", was objectively reasonable". Paez Teran was one of a small group of forest defenders" camping in a wooded public park to protest Cop City, planned for a separate part of the forest south-east of Atlanta, Georgia, less than a mile away. Dozens of officers from multiple agencies raided the park; the state claims Paez Teran fired a gun first, prompting six officers to shoot the activist. The activist sustained 57 gunshot wounds and died nearly instantly. Continue reading...

More deprived areas have fewer parks and public places protected by official local green space designationGreen spaces in poorer parts of England are less likely to be protected against being bulldozed and developed than those in more affluent areas, according to a new study.Overall the number of designated local green spaces has increased by more than 700 in the past 12 months. But today's report, by rural charity the CPRE, reveals that parks, public spaces and small areas of trees in more deprived areas are less likely to be officially protected. Continue reading...

The Icelandic singer discusses her collaboration with Rosalia and how artists pick up on the environmental emergency

Exclusive: UK climate campaign group Possible calls for polluter pays' tax based on vehicle sizeThe increasing popularity of ultra-heavy SUVs in England means a conventional-engined car bought in 2013 will, on average, have lower carbon emissions than one bought new today, new research has found.The study by the climate campaign group Possible said there was a strong correlation between income and owning a large SUV, which meant there was a sound argument for polluter pays" taxes for vehicle emissions based on size. Continue reading...

Exclusive: expert panel will tell government there is no other way to manage higher demand as stress on supplies intensifiesWater metering should be made compulsory for all households in England, the government is likely to be told this week, as water supplies come under pressure from increased demand and more frequent droughts and floods.Strain on the UK's water networks is increasing under the more extreme weather conditions generated by the climate crisis and, under increasing demand, investment by water companies has not kept up. Continue reading...

Local council receives more than 50 objections to scheme, many on environmental groundsPlans for an unashamedly contemporary" house for the fashion designer Stella McCartney in a remote Scottish coastal area have received dozens of objections on environmental grounds.In a planning application, McCartney's architects say the glass-fronted home near Roshven on the west coast would enhance the landscape and retain the wild nature of the site". Continue reading...

Exclusive: Coalition accuses Labor of hypocrisy and says delay in rewarding farmers to protect nature is a disgrace'

Built decades ago, California's offshore oil platforms are home to a huge diversity of marine life. Now a debate rages over their futureOn a recent August afternoon, Ann Scarborough Bull motored out two miles from the coast of Santa Barbara aboard a research vessel called the Danny C. The marine biologist and her colleagues had an unusual destination in their sights: a disused oil platform that loomed ahead like a forgotten skyscraper reaching up from the horizon.The team wasn't interested in the platform itself, but what lurked beneath. When they reached the ageing structure, named Holly, they lowered a car-sized remote- controlled vehicle under the waves. Continue reading...

As the autoworkers' union grapples with the big three automakers for a contract, it expands its coverage to electric vehicle workersWorkers at General Motors' electric vehicle battery manufacturing facilities will be protected by the company's national contract with the United Auto Workers (UAW), the union's president, Shawn Fain, announced last week.It's a landmark victory in the fight for a just transition" away from fossil fuels which prioritizes labor rights, boosting hope that workers in legacy vehicle manufacturers' EV divisions - and across the country's burgeoning electric vehicle sector - will have the same protections that US autoworkers have historically enjoyed. Continue reading...

Ecological calamity on the Caribbean island demonstrates how quickly wildlife can be destroyed, scientists sayThey were once so numerous they were cooked as the national dish of Dominica. Every year, thousands of mountain chicken frogs, roasted with garlic and pepper, were eaten by islanders and tourists.Two decades later, the animal - one of the world's largest species of frog - has in effect disappeared from the Caribbean island. A series of ecological disasters has reduced its former healthy, stable population of hundreds of thousands of animals to a total of 21 frogs, according to scientists' most recent survey. Continue reading...

Dismay as key proposals are downsized in order to make election offer to voters bombproof'Labour is preparing to omit details of how to fund a reformed social care system from its next election manifesto, scale back its plans for House of Lords reform during a first term in office, and recalibrate the way it presents its 28bn-a-year green prosperity plan as it prepares to put a bombproof" offer to voters before polling day.After a successful conference in Liverpool last week, which resulted in the party extending its poll lead over the Tories, shadow cabinet ministers are now turning their minds to the precise shape of a manifesto for an election next May or October. Senior figures said the focus would be on producing an offering that was affordable" in a difficult financial climate, as well as being credible" and deliverable". Continue reading...

As a new series promises breathtaking footage obtained by groundbreaking technology, children are the new target audienceA detachable whalecam", remote underwater cameras operated from a director's bedroom and a drone ballet" are among the innovations that will be featured for the first time on David Attenborough's Planet Earth III.Following the global success of 2016's BBC's Planet Earth II and its famous snakes v iguanas" scene, the corporation's natural history unit has spent five years pushing the boundaries of technology to deliver an equally jaw-dropping series. Continue reading...

Voracious, furry-clawed crustaceans are being controlled to protect the environment'It is classified by conservationists as one of the 100 worst invasive alien species in the world. Now, a group of scientists are hoping they have found a way to deplete the UK's rapidly growing Chinese mitten crab population and prevent the crustaceans, which can grow bigger than a 10-inch dinner plate and have distinctive furry claws, from eating us out of house and home".The group has constructed and installed the UK's first Chinese mitten crab trap at Pode Hole in Lincolnshire, to catch the voracious predators as they migrate downstream to mate. Continue reading...

Critics say boom in sales of SUVs and dual-cab utes has been disastrous for safety and the environment - and car parks may be at risk of collapse

A blanket bring or buy' reusable scheme has been introduced in the town, which was getting through 23,000 cups a weekKillarney used to accept it as a price of being a tourist town: ubiquitous disposable coffee cups spilling from bins, littering roads and blighting the area's national park.The County Kerry town went through about 23,000 cups a week - more than a million a year - adding up to 18.5 tonnes of waste. Continue reading...

Ethical concerns over sustainability and welfare have seen venues offering new choices to ubiquitous chicken of the sea'Salmon has undergone a rapid transformation in recent decades. Once a special treat, it is now ubiquitous. From drinks reception canapes to wedding functions, Christmas smoked salmon or simply wrapped in foil and baked on a week night, salmon is everywhere.Scotland is world renowned for salmon production, and the fish makes up 40% of its total food exports; it is also Britain's most valuable food export. Healthy, low in saturated fats and high in omega-3, salmon is a success story. Continue reading...

Living in carnivorous plants or rolling like balls to flee from predators, amphibians on these tabletop peaks evolved like no others. Can they avoid extinction as their home heats up?The tabletop mountains in Venezuela are sheltered, otherworldly ecosystems. Standing up to 3,000 metres (10,000ft) high and cut off from the rest of the world by their steep cliffs, much of the flora and fauna on the sandstone plateaux has evolved in isolation and is found nowhere else on Earth.Visiting a tepui feels a lot like stepping on another planet," says Margarita Lampo, an ecologist at the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research (IVIC). It's a really unique place, with all these strangely shaped black rocks and unique vegetation. You see all these things you've never seen before." Continue reading...

Workers can often be first to spot harms, from rule breaches and pollution to false sustainability claimsConcerns about being fired or victimised at work are preventing people from calling out their employers on the climate crisis and the wider environment, according to a charity.A survey commissioned by Protect, a charity that defends whistleblowers, found fear of reprisals and uncertainty about how to provide proof were the main barriers to reporting on poor and misleading behaviour about the environment. Employees were also sceptical that their concerns would be properly dealt with. Continue reading...

Energy department says program will achieve climate goals, but climate advocates are skeptical it will reduce emissionsThe US Department of Energy has selected seven projects for a $7bn program to launch the development and production of hydrogen fuel, the White House announced on Friday.The Biden administration says the program will constitute a major boost to the country's nascent clean hydrogen industry, helping it achieve its climate goals. But many climate advocates are skeptical that it will actually help reduce emissions. Continue reading...

Plumes of forever chemicals' from at least 245 sites are contaminating water for nearby communitiesPlumes of toxic PFAS forever chemicals" flowing from at least 245 US military bases are contaminating or threatening to pollute drinking water for nearby communities, and hundreds more are likely at risk across America, a new Department of Defense report finds.The number of communities threatened by the military's pollution is likely to increase as further more investigations are carried out. The defense department has only looked at about one-third of more than 700 facilities suspected of having contaminated the ground with PFAS. Continue reading...

For Kristjan Loftsson, the 80-year-old who is more or less singlehandedly keeping the fin whale hunt alive, comparisons with Moby-Dick's obsessive hero Ahab are an honour'. Will opposition to the dying industry finally catch up with him?

More than 150 writers and industry professionals are asking the firm, which is a leading sponsor of UK literary festivals, to drop their investmentsMore than 150 authors and books industry professionals including Naomi Klein, Robert Macfarlane, Emma Dabiri and Geoff Dyer have signed a statement calling on key literary festival sponsor Baillie Gifford to stop investing in fossil fuel companies.The statement was written by the newly formed Fossil Fuel Books (FFB), a movement launched by the literary industry professionals who organised an open letter to the Edinburgh international books festival in August. Then, they were asking the festival to call on its sponsor, investment firm Baillie Gifford, to divest from fossil fuels, or otherwise to drop the sponsorship deal. Now, FFB is urging all UK literature festivals and prizes currently receiving sponsorship from Baillie Gifford to join them in calling on the firm to stop fossil fuel investments. Continue reading...

Nineteen captive-bred cats released at secret location in Cairngorms in first phase of rewilding projectNearly 20 young wildcats have been released into the wild in a pine forest in the Scottish Highlands, in the first phase of a project to rescue the species from extinction in the UK.The cats were reared at a wildlife park operated by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) as part of a breeding programme that will eventually lead to about 60 wildcats being released in the Cairngorm mountains south of Inverness. Continue reading...

Indigenous groups say huge project in northern Nevada threatens environmental, cultural and historical destructionThe rugged and beautiful Thacker Pass in the desert mountains of northern Nevada has long been a sacred site for Native American tribes in the region.It has witnessed bloody and terrible history. On 12 September 1865, US federal soldiers in the 1st Nevada cavalry committed a massacre of Native Americans, the Numu, across Thacker Pass, named Peehee Mu'huh - Rotten Moon, in the Numu language. Thirty to 50 Native Americans are believed to have been killed, including women and children. Continue reading...

The best of this week's wildlife photographs, including a released beaver, mating damselflies and a fat bear Continue reading...

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State laws protecting brumbies from culling have led to a growing population damaging the environment in the Australian Alps, committee says

Findings raise concerns among experts who say climate funding works best when invested directly in local communitiesMore than 2bn of UK foreign aid aimed at helping poorer countries cope with the escalating climate crisis has been channelled through private consultancies since 2010, according to an analysis.The investigation by Carbon Brief found that more than 10% of UK foreign aid spent on climate-related projects had gone through consultants like KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Adam Smith International. Continue reading...

Study finds more than 40% of ice shelves have shrunk, with millions of tonnes of freshwater entering oceanMore than 40% of Antarctica's ice shelves have shrunk since 1997 with almost half showing no sign of recovery", a study has found, linking the change to the climate breakdown.Scientists at the University of Leeds have calculated that 67tn tonnes of ice was lost in the west while 59tn tonnes was added to the east between 1997 and 2021, resulting in a net loss of 7.5tn tonnes. Continue reading...

Scientists say climate change may bring a decrease in frequency of hail activity but an increase in severity

Growth in herd sizes and declaration of El Nino push industry into somewhat of a panic'

Gianluca Grimalda says he was fired when he refused to return at short notice from Solomon Islands research trip by planeA climate researcher who refused to comply with his employer's demand to fly at short notice back to Germany from the Solomon Islands says he has been fired from his job.Gianluca Grimalda is still waiting in Bougainville for a cargo ship, set to depart on Saturday, to begin his return journey to Europe, after six months investigating the impacts of climate breakdown and globalisation on the island's inhabitants. Continue reading...

Climate Change Committee also says rowing back on climate policies has harmed investment into UK

UK has led the way, with countries across the continent making mass arrests, passing draconian new laws and labelling activists as eco-terroristsHuman rights experts and campaigners have warned against an intensifying crackdown on climate protests across Europe, as Guardian research found countries across the continent using repressive measures to silence activists.In Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK, authorities have responded to climate protests with mass arrests, the passing of draconian new laws, the imposing of severe sentences for non-violent protests and the labelling of activists as hooligans, saboteurs or eco-terrorists. Continue reading...

Guardian investigation finds growing number of countries passing anti-protest laws as part of playbook of tactics to intimidate people peacefully raising the alarmAs wildfires and extreme temperatures rage across the planet, sea temperature records tumble and polar glaciers disappear, the scale and speed of the climate crisis is impossible to ignore. Scientific experts are unanimous that there needs to be an urgent clampdown on fossil fuel production, a major boost in renewable energy and support for communities to rapidly move towards a fairer, healthier and sustainable low-carbon future.Many governments, however, seem to have different priorities. According to climate experts, senior figures at the UN and grassroots advocates contacted by the Guardian, some political leaders and law enforcement agencies around the world are instead launching a fierce crackdown on people trying to peacefully raise the alarm. Continue reading...