Parliament votes 80-20 in favour while scientists warn mining could devastate marine lifeNorway has taken a step closer to becoming the first country in the world to open up its seabed for commercial deep-sea mining after giving it the go-ahead in a highly contentious parliamentary vote on Tuesday.The decision comes despite warnings from scientists that it could have a devastating impact on marine life, and opposition from the EU and the UK, which have called for a temporary ban on deep-sea mining because of environmental concerns. Continue reading...

French energy company to invest a further 1.3bn in its British nuclear fleet up to 2026EDF is planning to extend the life of four nuclear power stations in the UK and increase investment in its British nuclear fleet.The French energy company, which manages Britain's eight nuclear power stations, said it would make a decision on whether to extend the life of the four plants with advanced gas-cooled reactors (AGR) - Torness, Heysham 1 and 2, and Hartlepool - by the end of the year. This would require regulatory approval. Continue reading...

Rapid reduction in fossil fuel burning urgently needed to preserve liveable conditions, say scientists, as climate damage deepens2023 smashed" the record for the hottest year by a huge margin, providing dramatic testimony" of how much warmer and more dangerous today's climate is from the cooler one in which human civilisation developed.The planet was 1.48C hotter in 2023 compared with the period before the mass burning of fossil fuels ignited the climate crisis. The figure is very close to the 1.5C temperature target set by countries in Paris in 2015, although the global temperature would need to be consistently above 1.5C for the target to be considered broken. Continue reading...

Man jumped into rushing flood waters and tied 74-year-old woman to a tree after she was swept 100 metres downstream

Exclusive: First months of conflict produced more planet-warming gases than 20 climate-vulnerable nations do in a year, study showsThe climate costs of war and militaries can no longer be ignoredThe planet-warming emissions generated during the first two months of the war in Gaza were greater than the annual carbon footprint of more than 20 of the world's most climate-vulnerable nations, new research reveals.The vast majority (over 99%) of the 281,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO equivalent) estimated to have been generated in the first 60 days following the 7 October Hamas attack can be attributed to Israel's aerial bombardment and ground invasion of Gaza, according to a first-of-its-kind analysis by researchers in the UK and US. Continue reading...

Two Siamang gibbons rescued from the illegal pet trade have been rehabilitated in a new Indonesian centreThe forest chorus of South Sumatra in Indonesia has some of its finest singers back: a pair of rare Siamang gibbons, rescued from the illegal pet trade, have been released into the wild.Siamang gibbons (Symphalangus syndactylus) are known for their distinctive large throat sacs. But their powerful, haunting voices, used for communication and marking territory, are a blessing and a curse. Continue reading...

Greater Manchester mayor calls proposal an investment in the future' after Keir Starmer hinted at a rollbackKeir Starmer has been urged not to backtrack on his plans to spend 28bn on green projects by Labour's Greater Manchester mayor, Andy Burnham.He told the Labour leader to stick to your guns" after Starmer said he may scale down the investment given the financial picture he would inherit if he became prime minister. Continue reading...

EPA says funds to be given to 280 school districts to help secure a healthier future where our children can breathe cleaner air'The US has announced nearly $1bn in grants to replace diesel-powered school buses with electric and lower-emitting vehicles.The Environmental Protection Agency will disburse funds to 280 school districts serving 7 million children across the country in an effort to curb harmful air pollution and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Continue reading...

Government hopes to soon be able to announce measures for resolving outstanding criminal convictions, business minister Kevin Hollinrake saysJames Chapman, a former political editor of the Daily Mail who worked as special adviser for David Davis when he was Brexit secretary for about a year until he left convinced that Brexit was a terrible mistake, says he does not think the back to square one" line really works as an attack line against Labour.The trouble with Sunak's latest slogan is that I suspect a large number of voters think Britain is so broken under the Tories that going back to square one" sounds like a wholly positive idea Continue reading...

Multiple safety and cybersecurity failings at nuclear waste site were revealed by Guardian last monthThe top director responsible for safety and security at Sellafield is to leave the vast nuclear waste dump in north-west England, it has emerged.Mark Neate, the Sellafield environment, safety and security director, is to leave the organisation later this year. Continue reading...

Partial U-turn by Berlin fails to avert week-long nationwide action that government says could be co-opted by righwing extremistsGerman farmers blocked city centres, highways and motorway slip roads with tractors at the start of a week-long, nationwide protest over planned cuts to agricultural sector subsidies that the government said could be co-opted by rightwing extremists.We are exercising our basic right to inform society and the political class that Germany needs a competitive agricultural sector," the president of the German farmers' association, Joachim Rukwied, told Stern magazine on Monday. Continue reading...

Court denies plea to move venue of 2020 lawsuit filed by state, putting Minnesota one step closer to putting industry on trialThe US supreme court denied a plea from big oil to move the venue of a 2020 climate lawsuit filed by the state of Minnesota.The decision, issued on Monday morning, puts the state one important step closer to putting the fossil fuel industry on trial for allegedly covering up the dangers of burning coal, oil and gas. Continue reading...

James Hansen says limit will be passed for all practical purposes' by May though other experts predict that will happen in 2030sThe internationally agreed threshold to prevent the Earth from spiraling into a new superheated era will be passed for all practical purposes" during 2024, the man known as the godfather of climate science has warned.James Hansen, the former Nasa scientist credited for alerting the world to the dangers of climate change in the 1980s, said that global heating caused by the burning of fossil fuels, amplified by the naturally reoccurring El Nino climatic event, will by May push temperatures to as much as 1.7C (3F) above the average experienced before industrialization. Continue reading...

Rishi Sunak says the policy shift towards fossil fuels will lower bills and is backed by independent advisers. Is he right?The UK government is about to bring through legislation for an annual licensing programme for oil and gas in the North Sea.To justify this shift in policy towards fossil fuels, ministers have made a number of claims about the impact on climate breakdown and UK bills, as well as whether it is in line with recommendations from its independent climate advisers. Continue reading...

They know how to get fed by people - like babies, you can't ignore their squawksIn Sydney, sulphur-crested cockatoos play when they fly, ducking under power lines and soaring up again, squawking, charging through gaps in trees, landing only to hang upside down, as though they are mocking the bats. Cockatoos know how to have as much fun as it is possible to have while flying (a lot).In a painting by William Patrick Roberts of a mother and her children looking at parrots in a shop, the macaws and the black cockatoo perch majestically; at the bottom of the painting a cockatoo fools around on a pole, looking right at you.Helen Sullivan is a Guardian journalist.Do you have an animal, insect or other subject you feel is worthy of appearing in this very serious column? Email helen.sullivan@theguardian.com Continue reading...

The New York borough's birds have been known to ruffle feathers, but some residents say they're simply part of lifeA decades-long feud between the people of New York's Staten Island and a flock of wild turkeys appears no closer to ending. The birds have been called a nuisance" and a safety issue". A resident has even filed a lawsuit which claimed the turkeys caused her to injure her shoulder.Hundreds of wild turkeys live in Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City, with many of them being traced to a woman unleashing her pet birds in 1999. Standing 3ft tall and with a top running speed of 25mph, wild turkeys have been known to stand in the way of traffic and sometimes peck at pedestrians. Continue reading...

I have become obsessed from afar with Flaco, an owl who fled a zoo in New York nearly a year ago. Over Christmas, I could no longer resist the urge to track him downI often wonder why birds speak so universally to the sagging middle-aged soul that it has become a comic trope- the vertiginously swift passage from: Is that a robin?" to: There's a lesser yellowleg two hours' drive away, start the car."Is it the freedom they represent? No cholesterol, no mortgage, no self-assessment tax deadline to worry about? Or a sense of wonder in the everyday miracle of their existence, induced by an awareness of mortality? Whatever it is, I am in deep: disposable income frittered on fat balls; constantly snooping on feathery goings-on in the garden; home decor reminiscent of the Portlandia put a bird on it" sketch. Continue reading...

Research has found that several factors have hampered bees' ability to create honey over the past decadeIt's a question that has bedeviled beekeepers across the US in recent years: where has all the honey gone? Scientists now say they have some answers as to why yields of honey have declined, pointing to environmental degradation that is affecting all sorts of bees, and insects more generally.The amount of honey produced by honeybee colonies in the US has dropped by around half a pound, on average, per colony in the past decade, US government data shows, even as the number of managed colonies increased slightly. Continue reading...

Former Cop26 chair says bill reinforces unfortunate perception about UK rowing back from climate action'Alok Sharma, the UK's former business and energy secretary, will not be voting for Rishi Sunak's oil and gas bill, criticising it as a sign the government was not serious" about meeting its international climate commitments.The bill, due to be debated in parliament on Monday, would allow for an annual licensing regime for oil and gas exploration contracts. It has been hugely controversial among the green wing of the Conservative party - the former minister Chris Skidmore announced on Friday he would be stepping down as an MP as a result of the proposed legislation. Continue reading...

Government pilot, due to launch this month, promises to protect and enhance biodiversity, but remains dogged by delays and uncertaintyIn a field in the South Downs national park, undulating green hills meet the sky. In the distance, villages built of flint sit in the valleys, and chalky white cliffs lie like giant beached whales above the Channel.For decades, the field where I'm standing has been in an arable cycle. It was last sown for wheat in 2022, and this year would have been planted with barley.Instead, it was sown with wildflowers: yarrow, vetches, clovers and oxeye daisies lie awaiting spring, when the monotonous green will break out into a sea of colour. Continue reading...

Environmentalists condemn news of higher forecast production which is also seen as a conservative forecastAzerbaijan, which is hosting this year's UN climate talks, plans to increase its fossil fuel production by a third over the next decade, according to an analysis shared exclusively with the Guardian.The forecast indicates the Cop29 host will grow its annual gas production by about 12bn cubic metres (bcm) over the next 10 years, which is considered a crucial period in which global leaders must cut fossil fuel production if they hope to limit global heating. Continue reading...

Environment minister says large areas of [wetland] will be destroyed or substantially modified' by the proposal for windfarm development

Rodney Holbrook, 75, a retired postman, captured footage of a mouse tidying up his workbench after dark. Over a couple of months, he noticed that the things he used during the day were being mysteriously put away at night, so he set up a night-vision camera in his shed in Builth Wells, Powys, Wales, to find out what was happening. He discovered that an industrious mouse was picking up items such as nuts and bolts, clothes pegs and cable ties and tidying them away into a box Continue reading...

Heavy flooding hit the village of Pulborough in southern England after the River Arun burst its banks. Cars were seen driving on a road amid flooded fields in the aftermath of Storm Henk. Major rivers across the UK were flooded as the government issued a further 300 flood warnings. A succession of storms in recent weeks meant prolonged rainfall fell on saturated ground, causing more extreme flooding

Voting bloc who supported Biden in 2020 over climate change see war in Gaza as environmental justice issueElise Joshi stumped for Joe Biden as a college freshman, motivated in no small part by her sense of urgency about climate change. The environmental policy student campaigned before the 2020 election as part of TikTok for Biden, in hopes of persuading other young people to show up to the polls.The work undertaken by Joshi and her peers paid off for Democrats - youth voter turnout surged in 2020, and has been widely credited as playing a key role in propelling Biden to victory. Continue reading...

Parliament returns for election year with a resignation over North Sea drilling and a fight over the Tories' Rwanda planRishi Sunak is facing a backlash in parliament this week over plans to allow more oil and gas exploration in the North Sea, as Tory troubles pile up on multiple fronts in the run-up to a general election expected this year.MPs return to Westminster on Monday after the Christmas break with all parties gearing up for what will inevitably be a bitter election battle that could end the Conservatives' 13 and a half years in power. Continue reading...

Angry protests by farmers, hauliers and railway workers risk being exploited by populists such as Alternative fur DeutschlandThe symbolism that German farmers chose to express their discontent with the government in the first days of the new year was as unambiguous as it was ominous: by the side of rural roads across the country, there were sightings of makeshift gallows dangling traffic-light signs, a reference to the colours of the three governing parties.The chilling sculptures are harbingers of unprecedented cross-sector protests and strikes hitting German roads and railways from Monday, and speak of a dramatic change of mood in a country long feted for its consensus-seeking approach to industrial relations, especially compared with its more traditionally strike-prone neighbour France. Continue reading...

The most dramatic photographs from the last two days, when almost every river in England reached an exceptionally high level and some reached record levels. The Environment Agency still has 244 flood warnings in place where flooding is expected Continue reading...

The country should be building resilience into the infrastructure to counter flooding like that brought by Storm Henk, experts sayHydrologist Hannah Cloke has a straightforward description of the inundation that has just struck Britain. Our decorations may have come down but the flood warning map is currently lit up like a Christmas tree."And the immediate cause of this mayhem is clear. A sequence of storms this autumn and winter - Babet, Ciaran, Debi, Elin, Fergus and Gerrit - have turned Britain into a sopping wet sponge", as the Reading University researcher put it. Continue reading...

Race organisers say former war crimes investigator suffered a heart attack while skippering a boat from the Canary Islands to AntiguaA former Australian spy and war crimes investigator has died skippering a rowing boat in a race across the Atlantic Ocean.Alisdair Putt, who had planned to spend his 62nd birthday on the boat, suffered a heart attack while competing in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic rowing race from the Canary Islands to Antigua. Continue reading...

Hot weather has proved deadlier in the Croatian city of Osijek than in any other European city but little is being done to work out whyThe green LEDs on the cross outside the pharmacy read 38C for the second day running, but the noontime crowds in the centre of Osijek seemed untroubled by the danger that signalled. We work in the sun but for us it's no problem," said Davor, 47, a bike courier with the food delivery service Wolt.Though many living there may be unaware, this small Croatian city is Europe's heat death hotspot. In the past two decades, hot weather has proved deadlier in Osijek than in any other city in Europe, a study in the Lancet medical journal found. The researchers modelled temperature and mortality data from the 854 biggest cities in Europe and found Croatians were most likely to died from the heat. Continue reading...

Former minister also resigns as an MP, which will trigger byelection in his Kingswood constituencyA former Conservative minister has announced he is resigning as an MP in protest at the party's dash for oil and gas, setting up an awkward vote for the prime minister on the issue on Monday and an even more difficult byelection within weeks.Chris Skidmore, a leading voice within the Tory party on green issues, said on Friday he would resign from parliament as soon as it returns next week over Rishi Sunak's bill to allow new oil and gas licences to be issued. Continue reading...

We need to move so much faster' to battle climate crisis, warns the Rev Canon Nick Davies, as locals assess damageStanding at the top of Tewkesbury Abbey tower, the Rev Canon Nick Davies is talking about the flood.But this is no sermon; the vicar is not reading from the Book of Genesis. He is discussing the flood waters before his very eyes, stretching far into the distance and besieging the medieval market town once again. Continue reading...

Mukhtar Babayev is named president-in-waiting of UN climate summit to be held in NovemberCop29, the next round of UN talks to tackle the climate crisis, will be led by another veteran of the oil and gas industry.Mukhtar Babayev, Azerbaijan's ecology and natural resources minister, has been appointed the president-in-waiting for the Cop29 climate talks when they take place in the country in November. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereHave you been affected by flooding this winter?In Gloucestershire, police warned of road closures due to rising water levels around Tewkesbury.An evacuation centre was set up in the nearby village Walton Cardiff while people living on Alney Island, between two branches of the River Severn, in nearby Gloucester were urged to leave their homes overnight for a nearby leisure centre.Over November and December, following Storm Babet and Storm Ciaran, the ground was incredibly saturated right across the country, particularly in the east. But also that's just been topped up over the pre-Christmas period. That rainfall from this week has just added to that, so there's really nowhere for the water to go. The ground is completely saturated so in that situation we get more flooding and greater impacts than we've seen and probably in areas where people aren't used to." Continue reading...

Significant' impact of surface water and river flooding continues across England, as showers forecast for Friday

Invasive species are estimated to cost the US $120bn in damages annually - here are five that concern expertsGlobally, invasive species account for $423bn in losses each year, with a significant portion concentrated in the United States. They are estimated to cost US $120bn in damages annually, though the number has probably changed as the latest assessment dates back to 2005.Whether its travel or the transportation of goods, human activity has contributed to the introduction of over 37,000 species into new habitats. Animals, plants, algae and disease-causing insects are introduced to new places by land or by water, either intentionally or by accident. Once established, they can out-compete native species, damage existing ecosystems and transmit diseases. Continue reading...

Weather observatory records period of more than 300 hours in which temperatures remained below freezingThe Chinese capital, Beijing, experienced its coldest December since records began in 1951, after a cold wave hit much of the country. Temperatures fell below -10C, alongside heavy snowfall and blizzard conditions at times. Northern and north-eastern parts of China experienced the coldest temperatures, as cold air moved southwards from the Arctic, with some areas reaching lows of -40C.The Beijing weather observatory recorded a period of more than 300 hours in which temperatures remained below freezing, which is the longest for December since records began 72 years ago. The cold snap forced the closure of many schools and businesses in Beijing, owing to travel disruption and the stress from added heating demands. Temperatures have risen into the new year, but Beijing remains cold, with maximum temperatures reaching just above freezing so far this January. Continue reading...

Hundreds of flood warnings remain in place and commuters face travel disruption on Friday after heavy rain fell across parts of the UK.

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

Stalled growth in electric vehicles comes despite government goal to phase out petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles by 2035The number of new cars registered in the UK has jumped by nearly 18% but electric vehicle demand is flatlining, prompting the industry to call for a VAT cut to stimulate sales.Annual figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) on Friday show 1.9m new cars were registered last year, well up on the previous year's figure of 1.6m and the highest level since the 2.3m registrations of 2019. Continue reading...

Climate thinktank says Britain could be left trailing in global race to develop low-carbon energyLabour's independent energy advisers have warned the party against watering down its 28bn green spending plans in advance of its promise to create a zero carbon electricity system by 2030.Experts at the climate thinktank Ember, which provided the independent analysis underpinning Labour's green targets, said growing international competition for low-carbon investment from the US and EU could leave the UK lagging in the global race for low-carbon energy. Continue reading...

Cronulla residents believe speared fish may have been Gus', a 35- to 40-year-old blue groper known to swimmers and divers in the areaA man has been fined $800 for spearing a protected fish species in Sydney over the weekend.NSW police have confirmed officers spoke to a 26-year-old man on Saturday following reports a blue groper (Achoerodus viridis) was speared and killed at Oak Park in Cronulla. Continue reading...

Residents of Queens Avenue in Caulfield East are ramping up the fight against the 1km path and vow to fight until the bulldozers come'For 30 years, Tamara de Silva has woken up to the sound of birds chirping in the trees across the road from her home in Melbourne's south-east.Listening to the magpies and the lorikeets in the mornings, watching them playing around - it lifts your spirits," she said. Continue reading...

First survey of season shows snow at 25% of historical average, with brown patches of vegetation across Sierra NevadaIn the first snow survey of the season, California came up short - just 25% of the historical average - despite a spate of strong storms that caused flooding and landslides along the coast in late December.On Tuesday, officials measured a depth of just 7.5in at a monitoring station in the Sierra Nevada mountain range east of Sacramento, where brown patches of vegetation could be seen poking through the shallow snow. Statewide, the amount is the lowest logged for this time of year in the last decade. Continue reading...

Country emitted 73m fewer tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2023 than year before, study revealsGermany's emissions hit a 70-year low last year as Europe's largest economy reduced its reliance on coal.A study by the thinktank Agora Energiewende found that Germany emitted 673m tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2023, 73m tonnes fewer than in 2022. Continue reading...

A remarkable turnaround in sea cows' favorite food at Mosquito Lagoon means emergency feeding program can endA picturesque expanse of water along Florida's space coast is offering a modicum of hope for the state's embattled manatees as wildlife officials review whether to restore the beloved sea cows to the endangered species list.The recovery of seagrass, the manatees' favorite food, in Mosquito Lagoon means that an emergency hand-feeding program that has kept many of the starving aquatic animals alive over the last two winters can be discontinued, at least temporarily. Continue reading...

Every year, we dump 10m tons of plastic into the ocean, and solving the problem will require regulatory action. But there are ways consumers can helpCutting boards, non-stick pans, mixing bowls, even tea bags: in the kitchen, plastics can be hidden in plain sight.It's something that Jessica Brinkworth, an anthropology professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, realized once she began looking for ways to cut down on plastic use in her own kitchen after her workplace started doing the same. Although much of her lab's waste was unavoidable - plastics are key for the sterile medical research they conduct - it still made her uncomfortable. That discomfort was only magnified in her own home, where she knew plastics were largely a matter of convenience". Continue reading...

Eco-friendly British produce could become unaffordable luxury if low quality imports still allowed, say farmersTightening environmental standards for British farmers while importing food produced to lower standards risks making eco-friendly food an unaffordable luxury item, farmers have said.At the Oxford Farming Conference on Thursday, the environment secretary, Steve Barclay, announced that the government would consult on a new labelling scheme that would single out food produced to UK standards, allowing consumers to choose more environmentally friendly food. Continue reading...

Statement is clearest sign yet party is willing to drop one of its flagship policies in face of Conservative attacks