Environment | The Guardian

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Woods at Wembury will expand by 84 hectares with additional 90,000 trees along with hedgerows and banks full of wildlifeWithin a few decades, if all goes well, swathes of oaks and other native British trees will tumble down the banks of the River Yealm in Devon and provide a home to owls, woodcocks, hares and butterflies as part of a new community woodland project.There will also be an orchard planted in a place known to be favoured by bats and an area of wood pasture – a more open landscape of flower-rich meadows where animals can graze and shelter around trees and shrubs. Continue reading...

Law comes into force in 30 countries in move campaigners hope will stop an estimated 1m waterbirds a year dying of lead poisoningShooting birds using lead shot will be banned in all wetlands in the European Union from this week.The law will apply to all 27 EU countries, as well as Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein. An estimated one million waterbirds die of lead poisoning in the EU every year. Continue reading...

Parks Victoria has taken samples for testing, with an expert suggesting the source could be avian botulism

Neighbouring countries and local fishers express concern as 12th anniversary of nuclear disaster loomsAlmost 12 years have passed since the strongest earthquake in Japan’s recorded history resulted in a tsunami that killed more than 18,000 people along its north-east coast.As the country prepares to mark the 11 March anniversary, one of the disaster’s most troubling legacies is about to come into full view with the release of more than 1m tonnes of “treated” water from the destroyed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Continue reading...

Experts say wood burners have become ‘middle-class status symbols’ and government should regulate sale in urban areasEmissions of toxic air pollution from wood burning in UK homes has more than doubled in the past decade, according to official government statistics.The report also showed that solid fuel burning in homes, which includes a small proportion of coal, is the single biggest source of PM2.5 pollution, which refers to particulate matter that is smaller than 2.5 microns in size. Road transport, industry and burning wood and other biomass to produce electricity all produce fewer PM2.5 emissions. Continue reading...

Climate groups have accused head of national oil company, Sultan Al Jaber, of conflict of interestThe United Arab Emirates, the oil-rich Gulf nation that is hosting the next UN climate summit, is “running towards” a renewable energy future, the president of the summit has said.“The UAE has always made progress by getting ahead of the future,” said Sultan Al Jaber, who will oversee the Cop28 conference beginning this November, at an international meeting in Dubai on Tuesday. “We believe that gamechanging solutions can be achieved if the collective political will is there. It certainly is from the UAE. We in the UAE are not shying away from the energy transition. We are running towards it.” Continue reading...

António Guterres calls for urgent action as climate-driven rise brings ‘torrent of trouble’ to almost a billion peopleAn increase in the pace at which sea levels are rising threatens “a mass exodus of entire populations on a biblical scale”, the UN secretary general has warned.The climate crisis is causing sea levels to rise faster than for 3,000 years, bringing a “torrent of trouble” to almost a billion people, from London to Los Angeles and Bangkok to Buenos Aires, António Guterres said on Tuesday. Some nations could cease to exist, drowned under the waves, he said. Continue reading...

Good Law Project to argue government scheme will lead to raw sewage being discharged into waterways for decadesCampaigners are to make a high court challenge to the government’s plan to reduce raw sewage discharges into rivers and seas in England, arguing it does not go far enough.The case, to be taken by the Good Law Project, will put the storm overflow scheme under detailed scrutiny. It will argue that the plan will lead to raw sewage being discharged into waterways for decades to come and does not protect the majority of coastal areas designated as ecologically sensitive. Continue reading...

Adam Bandt says the time has come for Labor to ‘decide how much it wants new coal and gas’

Lawsuit alleges Bolthouse Farms deceived customers by claiming Green Goddess smoothie is made with ‘100% fruit juice’A new class-action lawsuit alleges US beverage maker Bolthouse Farms deceived customers with claims that its Green Goodness smoothie is made of “100% fruit juice” after testing found the drink contains toxic PFAS, a synthetic chemical, at levels far above federal advisory drinking water limits.PFAS are a class of about 12,000 chemicals typically used to make thousands of consumer products resist water, stains and heat. They are called “forever chemicals” because they do not naturally break down, and they are linked to cancer, fetal complications, liver disease, kidney disease, autoimmune disorders and other serious health issues. Continue reading...

Low-income households spend four times as much on energy as well-off ones, which means attacking efficiency regulations burdens themA new skirmish in the climate culture war began last month when Republicans became outraged over an energy-saving feature on gaming devices that users can opt to use. “First gas stoves, then your coffee, now they’re gunning for your Xbox,” Texas senator Ted Cruz misleadingly tweeted.This comes just a few weeks after Republicans expressed anger over the suggestion that gas stoves could be banned in favor of more efficient and safer electric and induction cooktops. Continue reading...

Only a few of the rare US snakes survive in the remnants of wetlands in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana. Captive breeding may just be the thing that saves them from disappearing• Words and photographs by Ryan WagnerAt the intersection of Ohio, Michigan and Indiana, the corn monoculture melts away to reveal green rolling hills and deep gorges. The lush forest is pockmarked by steep-banked ponds, carved out by retreating glaciers 10,000 years ago. Standing waist-deep in a forest pool, Megan Seymour scans the shrubby banks with binoculars.A slight change in colour and texture spotted in the tangled buttonbush swamp reveals her quarry: a thick, glossy, copperbelly water snake (Nerodia erythrogaster neglecta). Seymour hoists up her waders and ties back her hair as she prepares to grab the water snake before it can disappear into the murky water, taking with it one of the last chances to save the species.Biologists Megan Seymour, right, and Lindsey Korfel scan the banks of a pool for copperbelly water snakes Continue reading...

Paper calls for assessment of impact of sound pollution on cetaceans before firms allowed to mine sea bedDeep sea mining could be doing irreparable damage to blue whales and other rare marine creatures, scientists have warned.A peer-reviewed paper published by the University of Exeter and Greenpeace Research Laboratories focuses on the overlap between cetaceans (such as whales, dolphins and porpoises) and target sites for deep sea mining, especially in the Pacific Ocean. The authors warn that urgent research is needed to assess threats to these mammals. Continue reading...

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Complaint says switching off tracking devices should raise ‘red flags’ with insurers, as it could be covering illegal fishing activity and puts crew’s lives at riskWhen it comes to illegal fishing, London’s ancient business of ship insurance may not get much attention. But according to a new complaint, the UK capital’s insurance industry is partly to blame when fishing vessels “go dark” at sea by turning off their mandatory satellite tracking equipment.In a filing to City of London watchdogs, the ocean conservation charity Blue Marine Foundation has argued that EU-flagged vessels operating in the Indian Ocean that go dark are in likely breach of international, flag state and coastal state law, and that the UK insurance industry is “enabling” them by continuing to provide cover, thereby putting seafarers’ lives at risk. Continue reading...

As Cyclone Gabrielle wreaks havoc in New Zealand, the country's climate minister James Shaw has excoriated the parliament over climate inaction. Shaw, who is the co-leader of the Greens, noted how New Zealand had already faced its 'worst climate-related disaster in this country only two weeks ago'

A national state of emergency has been declared, with flooding and landslides devastating several communities. People have been trapped on roofs and houses have been destroyed as the storm lashes the North Island

James Shaw says country is entering ‘period of consequences’ for inaction over climate change as extreme weather wreaks havoc across the North Island

Jury found Helen Redfern, Simon Reding and Catherine Rennie-Nash guilty of public nuisance over 2021 Bishopsgate protestThree Insulate Britain activists have been found guilty of causing a public nuisance by a jury for a two-hour sit-down blockade of traffic.The three, Helen Redfern, Simon Reding and Catherine Rennie-Nash, were banned from talking about the climate crisis or the role of insulation in cutting greenhouse gas emissions as they presented their case to the jury at Inner London crown court. The same restriction has been placed on other Insulate Britain defendants in previous trials for public nuisance relating to peaceful protests taken as part of the group’s campaign for better insulation in UK homes. Continue reading...

Scientists hope emerging research into new types of animal feeds will make aquaculture more sustainable

Environmentalist alliance says plastic waste from failed supermarket-backed recycling scheme can be safely warehoused until it can be recycled

$27bn deal would create first direct route from Canadian mines to Gulf coast, while another would ship controversial oil from UtahWhen Lindsay Williams moved into her home near the railroad tracks on Houston’s east side, she knew freight trains would pass by regularly. What she wasn’t expecting were trains longer than a mile frequently stalled for hours on the neighborhood tracks, blocking multiple intersections of traffic during the day and rumbling her house at night.“A few nights ago, we had a locomotive just idling right outside our home for six hours throughout the night, shaking the entire house,” Williams said. Continue reading...

Downpours bumped California out of the most extreme categories of drought, but the storms also left behind a dangerous messDeep underneath the sodden soils and the berms of snow that now coat California, fuels for fire are waiting to sprout. Grasses and other quick-growing vegetation, spurred by the downpours that saturated the state at the start of the year, quickly turn to kindling as the weather warms.“When that rain comes – and it came last month – that results in significant fuel load increases,” said Isaac Sanchez, a CalFire battalion chief. “[Plants] are going to grow, they are going to die, and then they are going to become flammable fuel as the year grinds on.” Continue reading...

Urgent action needed as DNA tests show their genetic diversity is so low they could vanish from the country in 30 yearsConservationists warn that a big cat population in Europe is destined to collapse unless immediate efforts are made to protect the animals.Researchers estimate there are 120 to 150 adult lynxes in France. Tests on the animals show that the cats’ genetic diversity is so low they will become locally extinct within the next 30 years unless there is urgent intervention. Continue reading...

Head of Clean Up Australia says disposing of vapes is ‘a new and serious environmental issue’

Manuel Paez Terán was protesting planned Atlanta police training center when officers repeatedly shot and killed themOn a Thursday around noon last month, Joel Paez heard a knock on the door at his house in Chicago. Paez, who works from home managing a domestic violence intervention program, opened the door to see an officer from the Chicago police department.The officer asked Paez if he had a relative in Atlanta. Surprised, the Venezuelan-born social worker said, “Yes. My son.” The officer took out a pad, wrote down a phone number from Georgia, ripped out the sheet of paper and handed it to Paez. “Call this number, please,” the officer said. Then he pointed to the body cam on his chest, and said: “This is being recorded.” And he left. Continue reading...

The elusive giant willow aphid goes into hiding in spring. Now the Royal Horticultural Society wants volunteers to help find out whyGardeners have been urged by scientists to help find a mysterious bug which disappears in spring and reappears at the end of summer.The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) is asking people to send in sightings of the giant willow aphid (Tuberolachnus salignus) so that they can find out where it goes and how it interacts with garden plants. Continue reading...

Agricultural businesses risk closure as figures show government paid only tiny fraction of slashed EU farming subsidiesCuts to post-Brexit farming payments mean farms risk “going out of business” as new figures reveal only a tiny fraction of slashed EU subsidies went to agriculture businesses last year.The government is replacing the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which paid subsidies to farmers to keep them in business, with “payments for public goods”, meaning land managers get paid for improving nature. Continue reading...

The Swarm joins The Last of Us as the latest drama series to depict the biological destruction of civilisationA sudden outbreak of online searches for terms like “deadly fungus invasion”, “poisonous fog spores”, “toxic seafood” and “killer ice worms” might be worrying. It would, though, only be a reaction to the grim natural threats in the latest spate of hit television thrillers. Despite all the real-life horror in evidence across the planet, appetites for revelling in the fictional biological destruction of civilisation appear to be growing.In the wake of The Last of Us, the acclaimed American drama series currently chronicling a lethal fungus attack, and following the malign fog enveloping Martin Compston in the Scottish sci-fi thriller The Rig, next comes The Swarm, a show with an equally terrifying premise from Game of Thrones’ producer Frank Doelger. Continue reading...

At least 24,596 people have been confirmed dead after the 7.8-magnitude quake struck on Monday

Air quality experts weigh in on different methods to keep air pollution out of the home and refute commonly held beliefsThe humble gas stove has claimed a place in America’s national psyche in the past month, after studies showed that burning fossil fuels at home can cause asthma and other ailments, on top of releasing emissions that warm the planet. Are there any quick fixes?The Guardian spoke with air quality experts to find out if air purifiers help reduce pollution from gas stoves and other forms of indoor contaminants. We also asked them to set the record straight on the air-purifying qualities, or lack thereof, of houseplants. Continue reading...

Japan’s Fuji and New Zealand gala could replace pippin and russet as rising temperatures threaten homegrown speciesClassic British apples may die out and be swapped for varieties from New Zealand and Japan, as climate breakdown means traditional fruits are no longer viable.Apples such as pippin or the the ancient nonpareil, grown in Britain since the 1500s, are struggling in the changed climate because there are not enough “chilling hours” for the trees to lie dormant in winter and conserve energy for growing fruit. Continue reading...

Oxford University-led study detects 26 types of PFAS compounds in ice around Svalbard, threatening downstream ecosystemsNorwegian Arctic ice is contaminated with alarming levels of toxic PFAS, and the chemicals may represent a major environmental stressor to the region’s wildlife, new research finds.The Oxford University-led study’s measurements of ice around Svalbard, Norway, detected 26 types of PFAS compounds, and found when ice melts, the chemicals can move from glaciers into downstream ecosystems like Arctic fjords and tundra. Continue reading...

Experts warn of ‘step-change’ in avian flu spread as number of cases in mammals continues to grow globallyFour dead seals have tested positive for bird flu in Scotland, as the number of cases of highly pathogenic avian flu in mammals continues to grow globally with experts warning of “a step-change” in its spread.The largest ever bird flu outbreak had already spilled over into otters and foxes in the UK, with about 70 mammals having tested positive for the (HPAI) H5N1 virus. The seal carcasses were sent for screening last year and the results have come back positive, according to the Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme (SMASS). Continue reading...

Judge says protesters who ran on to track during British Grand Prix last year posed ‘risk of serious harm’Six Just Stop Oil protesters who ran on to the track during the British Grand Prix at Silverstone last year have been convicted of causing a public nuisance.David Baldwin, 47, Emily Brocklebank, 24, Alasdair Gibson, 22, Louis McKechnie, 22, Bethany Mogie, 40, and Joshua Smith, 29, were convicted on Friday at Northampton crown court, after the jury deliberated for eight hours and 40 minutes. Continue reading...

Secret international court system enables fossil fuel firms to sue governments for lost future profitsExperts have urged the UK to leave the controversial energy charter treaty (ECT), a secret court system that enables fossil fuel companies to sue governments for huge sums over policies that could affect future profits.The European Commission said this week that remaining part of the treaty would “clearly undermine” climate targets and that an exit by EU countries appeared “inevitable”. Seven EU countries, including France, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands, have already said they will quit the ECT. Continue reading...

Coffee capsules notoriously produce waste – but some experts maintain that reducing how much coffee you use, even with a pod, can decrease emissionsIf you drink one of the 2bn cups of coffee consumed each day worldwide, you may have seen headlines last month celebrating the coffee pod, a single-serving container – typically made of plastic or aluminum – that can be inserted into a machine to brew a cup of coffee.New analysis found that coffee pods may be more environmentally friendly than filter coffee, making headlines in the Washington Post and the BBC. But could it really be true? Some experts and coffee enthusiasts questioned how good for the planet pods actually are, especially given the waste that coffee capsules notoriously produce. But some scholars maintain that – even though it’s important to consider how capsules are disposed of – most greenhouse gas emissions happen while coffee is being grown. So reducing how much coffee you use, even if that takes using a coffee pod, can decrease the emissions of your coffee habit. Continue reading...

Invasive species proliferating in Valais is encroaching on natural reserves and posing a biodiversity threatThe residents of the Swiss canton of Valais are used to seeing their mountainsides covered with snow in winter and edelweiss flowers in summer. But as global heating intensifies, they are increasingly finding an invasive species colonising the slopes: cacti.Authorities say cactus species belonging to the genus Opuntia, or prickly pears, are proliferating in parts of Valais, encroaching on natural reserves and posing a biodiversity threat. Continue reading...

The best of this week’s wildlife pictures, including rescued flamingoes, fighting gulls and a huge crocodile Continue reading...

Bernheim Forest in Kentucky is the largest privately held forest block in the eastern United States, and is currently fighting plans for a 12-mile gas pipeline, part of which would cross a northern section of the forest. In 2022, photographer Carla Rhodes became the forest’s first environmental artist-in-residence and captured the abundance and wonder of the 16,000-acre oasis Continue reading...

Findings of lower diesel and PM2.5 emissions may fortify mayor as he extends scheme across whole cityThe initial expansion of London’s ultra low emissions zone (Ulez) for motor vehicles has brought notable benefits in reducing pollution, a study has found as the mayor prepares for a big extension to its boundaries.The report by officials at the Greater London authority and Transport for London could help Sadiq Khan counter a political backlash to the imminent further expansion. Continue reading...

Nine-year-old tiny California mouse boldly goes where no mouse has gone before and wins the Guinness World record for longevityA tiny California mouse now has a big title after winning a Guinness World record for longevity.A Pacific pocket mouse named Pat – after Star Trek actor Patrick Stewart – received the Guinness approval Wednesday as the oldest living mouse in human care at the ripe age of nine years and 209 days, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance announced after a certification ceremony. Continue reading...

We are a species that is superb at killing, says veteran oceanographer, who calls for us to stop treating fish like crops and give them the respect they deserveThe renowned oceanographer Sylvia Earle has urged a global gathering of marine experts to rein in industrial overfishing that threatens hundreds of species with extinction and to rethink our relationship with the oceans, calling on humanity to “do unto fish as you would have them do unto you”.In an interview with the Guardian at the Fifth International Marine Protected Areas Congress (Impac5) in Vancouver, the American marine biologist and first female head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says intensive factory fishing is treating marine species the same as farmed livestock, despite being very different. Continue reading...

PM flew to London from Dorset on Wednesday evening and then back to south-west England the next morning

Many people warming homes with wood from construction sites unaware of health risks, say expertsArsenic particles are being spotted by scientists in London’s air, as concerns grow that people are increasingly burning waste wood from construction sites while being unaware of the serious health risks.Dr Anja Tremper at Imperial College London’s air research station in south London tracked January’s data and found arsenic particles in London’s air, especially around the weekend of 2223 when air pollution reached the top index value of 10 on the UK government’s scale. Continue reading...

Campaigners and experts say holiday park in ancient woodland would have been ‘disastrous’ for wildlifeCenter Parcs has scrapped plans for a new holiday park in an ancient woodland that is home to rare birds after outcry from wildlife campaigners.The holiday company said that it had decided the 550-acre Oldhouse Warren site in Worth Forest was “not suitable” for the development, due to not being able to meet targets to improve biodiversity at the site. The plans included 900 lodges, indoor and outdoor leisure facilities, a variety of restaurants, a spa, and a “subtropical swimming paradise”. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Conservative peer says government should stick to its post-Brexit animal welfare commitments

Law enforcement training center has drawn attention and concern from a broad range of local and national US voices who worry about its impactThe headlines surrounding the “Cop City” project in Atlanta have focused on the death of Manuel Paez Terán, a 26-year-old killed when police fired at least 12 shots during a raid on the forest where the eco-activist, who went by Tortuguita, and others had been camped out, seeking to stop the building of a police and fire department training center.But in fact the movement opposed to the center – planned for the South River forest in an area south-east of the Georgia city – has drawn attention and concern from a broad range of local and national US voices who worry about the social and environmental impact of the huge complex. Continue reading...

Last year’s combined $200bn profit for the ‘big five’ oil and gas companies brings little hope of driving down emissionsWhile 2022 inflicted hardship upon many people around the world due to soaring inflation, climate-driven disasters and war, the year was lucrative on an unprecedented scale for the fossil fuel industry, with the five largest western oil and gas companies alone making a combined $200bn in profits.In a parade of annual results released over the past week the “big five” – Exxon, Chevron, Shell, BP and TotalEnergies – all revealed that last year was the most profitable in their respective histories, as the rising cost of oil and gas, driven in part by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, helped turbocharge revenues. Continue reading...