Environment | The Guardian

Phones often get the blame for distracting users, but technology can also be a powerful way to connect with the natural worldWith a phone at your fingertips, the world is your oyster, or hoopoe, or oak tree. It's now possible to identify everything from mystery animal tracks to elusive birdsong via an app. Beyond that, your sightings could contribute valuable information to scientific studies and conservation efforts around the globe. While phones often get the blame for distracting users from their physical environment, technology can also be a way to connect with the natural world. Here's how. Continue reading...

The winning images of the British Ecological Society's annual photography competition, taken by international ecologists and students, feature a lone tree dominating an empty landscape and a giant squirrel devouring a jackfruit Continue reading...

Anglers in Venezuela have been raking up oil spills and collecting plastic waste from Lake Maracaibo to try to save the lake that sustains their livelihoods.President Nicolas Maduro has ordered the implementation of a "rescue, attention and decontamination" plan for the 13,000 sq km lake, one of South America's largest and one of the oldest in the world. Years of inadequate waste management and neglect of oil industrial infrastructure have polluted the lake, which harbours two-thirds of the country's oil reserves - and production is expected to increase. Continue reading...

Images taken by public reveal insights into threatened minke whales, including finding the most attention-seeking whaleSnowy is the oldest known minke whale in Europe, while Knobble appears to adore attention - or, at least, the whale has been spotted more than 60 times since 2002, mostly close to the Isle of Mull.Photographic records of minke whales submitted by members of the public are being published in a digital catalogue, providing insights about the threatened species. Continue reading...

WA police demanded the ABC reveal its sources for an episode featuring a Disrupt Burrup Hub protest against a Woodside gas project

The 55-year-old was wingfoiling at Mona Vale beach when a humpback whale soared out of the water and landed on top of himJason Breen didn't think his GoPro was turned on to capture what happened while he was wingfoiling at a Sydney beach on Wednesday. Luckily it was, otherwise he thinks nobody would have believed him.The 55-year-old Newport resident was cruising along the water at Mona Vale beach when a humpback whale soared out of the water and landed on top of him, dragging him about 20 to 30 feet below the surface.Sign up for Guardian Australia's free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...

Getting approval for nuclear submarine plan through legislature a question of not if, but when'Joe Biden has played down congressional jitters over the Aukus nuclear-powered submarine deal and has revealed he assured Xi Jinping that the countries involved are not aiming to surround China".The US president welcomed the Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, to the White House and insisted he was confident that we're going to be able to get the money for Aukus because it's overwhelmingly in our interest". Continue reading...

Conservationists optimistic turning point reached in effort to prevent red-listed bird from extinction in BritainThe number of corncrakes serenading Scotland with their strange summer calls has increased for the first time in five years, giving hope that this secretive bird can be saved from extinction in Britain.Calling males rose to 870 this summer, up from a low of 828 in 2022 and the highest total since the summer of 2019. Continue reading...

Whether it's by emphasizing meat consumption or introducing new flavors to our palette, food TV can shape our dietsFour million viewers are tuning into the Great British Bake Off every week as it returns with its 14th season. It's entertaining, but is it more than that? If the old adage holds that we are what we eat, are we also what we watch on TV?Researchers agree on the power TV has to shape what we eat. Studies have shown that cooking shows not only influence how healthy our diets are, but also our food preferences. Frans Folkvord, a professor at Tilburg University in the Netherlands who has conducted research on this topic, says it's about priming" certain foods and modeling behavior". Continue reading...

National union members urge government to create water strategy to prevent such losses

The Cuyama valley gets only 8in of water a year - and some of the US's top carrot farms want a bigger share of the increasingly precious resourceMore than five years ago, Jim Wegis, a lifelong farmer in central California's Cuyama valley, could see the writing on the wall for his water-intensive alfalfa fields.He switched most of his 140 planted acres from seasonal hay to permanent olive and pistachio groves, drastically reducing his impact on the local aquifer. I cut my water use just about in half," he said. Continue reading...

About 60% of oil and gas operations protected from protest due to money spent on lobbying, says Greenpeace USA reportFossil fuel companies have spent millions of dollars on lobbying and campaign donations to state lawmakers who sponsored anti-protest laws - which now shield about 60% of US gas and oil operations from protest and civil disobedience, according to a new report from Greenpeace USA.Eighteen states including Montana, Ohio, Georgia, Louisiana, West Virginia and the Dakotas have enacted sweeping anti-protest laws which boost penalties for trespass near so-called critical infrastructure, that make it far riskier for communities to oppose pipelines and other fossil fuel projects that threaten their land, water and the global climate. Continue reading...

Analysis also warns of further tipping points on horizon such as drying up of groundwater vital for food suppliesHumanity is moving dangerously close to irreversible tipping points that would drastically damage our ability to cope with disasters, UN researchers have warned, including the withdrawal of home insurance from flood-hit areas and the drying up of the groundwater that is vital for ensuring food supplies.These risk tipping points" also include the loss of the mountain glaciers that are essential for water supplies in many parts of the world and accumulating space debris knocking out satellites that provide early warnings of extreme weather. Continue reading...

Ministers accused of giving in to lobbying by hunting groups to allow trapping of thousands of birds in experimental study'Bird protection campaigners have accused the French government of flouting European regulations after it rescinded a ban on traditional hunting.They accuse ministers of giving in to lobbying by powerful hunting groups to allow the trapping of thousands of birds as part of an experimental study". Continue reading...

The recipients of this year's Royal Photographic Society awards have been announced. Now in their 145th year, the awards are the world's longest-running and most prestigious photography honours, recognising individuals working across still and moving image. Rather than rewarding a single image, the society celebrates the photographers, highlighting significant achievements, showcasing new and emerging talent and recognising notable contributions from RPS members Continue reading...

Winners and runners-up in the mangrove photography awards run by the Mangrove Action Project. This year, Soham Bhattacharyya was named mangrove photographer of the year for an image capturing the curious gaze of an endangered tigress in the Sundarbans Continue reading...

Exclusive: Party says it will find other ways to create more access to countryside after opposition from landownersLabour has U-turned on its pledge to create a Scottish-style right to roam in the English countryside if elected, the Guardian can reveal.Instead of an assumed right of access, the party now says it will find other ways to create more access to land in England, after opposition from some landowners' groups. Continue reading...

Environment secretary hits new low' with remarks on storm that left hundreds homeless with at least seven people thought to have diedThe environment secretary has suggested the damage done by Storm Babet was harder to predict because the rain came in from the east.Therese Coffey's remarks to the Commons environment committee prompted the Lib Dems to urge her to get a grip" and stop blaming everyone else for her failings". Continue reading...

Even as experts say to eat less meat and switch to electric stoves, food TV is full of steaks, gas flames and endless wasteA whole dessert unceremoniously dropped into the trash on the Great British Baking Show. Piles of raw chicken used to create a dramatic decorative tableau on Iron Chef. Gas stoves and food frequently catching fire on Chopped. If what we see on TV shapes our aspirations or our sense of what's normative, cooking shows are ripe for a sustainability makeover.At a time when climate experts are recommending eating less meat and fewer animal products, switching from gas stoves to electric ones and minimizing food waste, reality TV cooking shows seem to be awash in thick beef steaks, roaring gas flames and tables of food that competition judges barely nibble at. These practices prevailing against a backdrop of rising temperatures and the proliferation of climate disaster seems particularly discordant once you consider that food is responsible for somewhere between a quarter and a third of global greenhouse gas emissions. Continue reading...

Electricity market prices predicted to rise in 2024 and stay well above pre-energy crisis levels for rest of decadeUK households could face higher energy bills next year, after a leading forecaster said electricity market prices will rise in 2024 - and remain well above pre-energy crisis levels for the rest of the decade.Analysts at Cornwall Insight predicted that Britain's wholesale power prices would rise from an average of 96.64 per megawatt-hour so far this year to 129/MWh next year, due to higher gas prices triggered by the war in Ukraine. Continue reading...

As the first known cases of H5N1 are detected in the region, scientists fear for the isolated penguin and seal populations that have never been exposedAvian flu has reached the Antarctic, raising concerns for isolated populations of penguins and seals that have never been exposed to the deadly H5N1 virus before. The full impact of the virus's arrival is not yet known, but scientists are raising concerns about possible catastrophic breeding failure" of the region's fragile wildlife populations.The virus was found in populations of a scavenging bird called brown skua on Bird Island, which is part of the British overseas territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. These migratory birds probably brought it with them from South America where bird flu is widespread and has already killed an estimated 500,000 seabirds and 20,000 sea lions in Chile and Peru alone. Continue reading...

Colossal Biosciences, which is behind bid to bring back Tasmanian tiger, teams up with Melbourne Zoo to save tiny reptile

Life on planet is in peril, say climate experts, as they call for a rapid and just transition to a sustainable futureEarth's vital signs" are worse than at any time in human history, an international team of scientists has warned, meaning life on the planet is in peril.Their report found that 20 of the 35 planetary vital signs they use to track the climate crisis are at record extremes. As well as greenhouse gas emissions, global temperature and sea level rise, the indicators also include human and livestock population numbers. Continue reading...

Energy prices and presidential veto powers among challenges facing parties likely to form government, say analystsPoland's probable new government can shed its reputation as a climate laggard" but will still struggle to cut emissions quickly, environment and energy groups have said.The rightwing Law and Justice party (PiS), which has ruled Poland since 2015 and has slammed the brakes on climate action at home and in the EU, is unlikely to form a government despite having won the most votes in parliamentary elections on 15 October. Analysts expect a more climate-friendly coalition between the centrist Civic Coalition, the centre-right Third Way and the leftwing Lewica parties. Continue reading...

Since Trump administration removed species from endangered list 20% of entire population has been lost in just two yearsAfter years of dwindling numbers, caused by habitat loss, toxic algae pollution and decimation of food supplies, Florida's embattled manatees may finally catch a break.A process is under way that could see the species restored to the US Fish and Wildlife Service's endangered species list in the coming months, reversing a decision made by the administration of Donald Trump in 2017 that environmentalists say was calamitous. Continue reading...

Five homes lost in Millmerran and Tara with several communities under evacuation orders on Tuesday evening. As it happened

Labor hopes plan will contribute to renewable energy target but opposition leader says government hasn't done its homework'

Research finds companies more likely to revisit corporate social responsibility results when tied to CEO pay

Energy watchdog says countries risks fuelling climate crisis and damaging their economies by rowing back on green policiesRishi Sunak faces further pressure over his U-turn on net zero targets, after the head of the world's energy watchdog said countries that water down green policies risked worsening the climate crisis and damaging their own economies.In its annual report, the International Energy Agency (IEA) hailed the gathering pace of the worldwide transition to cleaner energy, forecasting for the first time that demand for oil, gas and coal would peak before the end of the decade. Continue reading...

South Australia has less than 50 breeding pairs of the endangered eastern osprey, and recent surveys point to a rapid decline in the population of the species. Conservation efforts have included setting up high nesting platforms on Tumby Island to keep eggs safe from foxes who swim across from the mainland. Video of the new chick hatching was broadcast across Facebook and YouTube to viewers around the world. Fran Solly, secretary of the Friends of Osprey conservation group, says the arrival of the chick is 'fantastic news, because it means the platform is working'Subscribe to Guardian Australia on YouTube

Shimmering bodies of water have appeared in the sand dunes of the recently reopened national park after a summer delugeAfter months of closure, visitors to Death Valley national park are being greeted by stunning new features, including lakes left behind by a ferocious summer deluge.The park reopened last week after being shuttered in August, when a record-breaking tropical storm unleashed a year's worth of rain in a single day. Continue reading...

Neighbours speak of heartbreak from row of terraces where Maureen Gilbert, 83, was found dead after Storm BabetAlmost every square inch of the houses along Tapton Terrace in Chesterfield is covered in a thick layer of wet brown mud.Inside the homes, brown lines across the walls show that water levels reached a height of 1.5 metres (5ft). Continue reading...

Sea level will be driven up no matter how much carbon emissions are cut, putting coastal cities in dangerAccelerated ice melt in west Antarctica is inevitable for the rest of the century no matter how much carbon emissions are cut, research indicates. The implications for sea level rise are dire", scientists say, and mean some coastal cities may have to be abandoned.The ice sheet of west Antarctica would push up the oceans by 5 metres if lost completely. Previous studies have suggested it is doomed to collapse over the course of centuries, but the new study shows that even drastic emissions cuts in the coming decades will not slow the melting. Continue reading...

Takeover puts Chevron head-to-head with ExxonMobil in oil-rich Guyana and US shale industry

The recovering ecosystem of Lassen Volcanic national park offers lessons on how to protect public lands in a climate crisis eraThe fire was coming.Roughly 30 miles of dense forest withering under extreme drought stood between Lassen Volcanic national park and the Dixie fire - land ready to ignite. Continue reading...

Four people have died and further danger to life warnings have been issued in the aftermath of Storm Babet. Nottinghamshire county council declared a major incident, with at least 200 properties evacuated as the River Idle reached record levels. Cleanup operations are under way in Derbyshire, one of the worst-hit areas. An 83-year-old woman in Derbyshire was found dead by her son after her home was inundated by flood water. In Scotland, Brechin was only accessible via boat after an evacuation order for the entire town. Authorities say the death toll could rise further

The cultivation and harvesting of grapes is the UK's fastest-growing agricultural sector, with wine production expected to reach between 25 and 29m bottles by 2032, according to an industry report. Research published in the journal OENO One predicts that climate change will increasingly allow UK winemakers to grow varieties of grape, such as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling and Semillion, which have previously been extremely difficult or impossible to cultivate in the British climate Continue reading...

Former Autumnwatch presenter describes 8 Out Of 10 Bats show as the Sex Pistols of wildlife TV'A new upstart is entering the big-budget world of wildlife film-making. After the BBC scrapped Autumnwatch, Chris Packham is launching his own nature show, which will be broadcast for two weeks on YouTube.In stark contrast to the multimillion-pound Planet Earth III, which premiered on Sunday night with 97-year-old Sir David Attenborough narrating, 8 Out of 10 Bats, which begins on Monday evening, is an anarchic" DIY operation that cost just 50,000 and features a diverse roster of teenage and 20-something naturalist presenters. Continue reading...

The unique wildlife of Haida Gwaii's 150 islands is under attack by invasive crabs, rats and deer - echoing how local people also became vulnerable to outside forcesIt was Matt Peck's first season of field work in the archipelago of Haida Gwaii when he found himself on a rocky island overflowing with oystercatchers, thousands of the orange-billed seabirds trilling and squawking in a riot of life.As the researchers counted eggs on the islet off Canada's west coast, they discovered an odd nest of twigs and grass nestled in the rocks. The team launched into a debate over which species of bird it could have housed.An egg of an ancient murrelet, which once numbered in the tens of thousands until rats decimated populations Continue reading...

Miles Roberts of packaging-maker DS Smith warns manufacturing will decline unless government provides clarity about decarbonisationThe UK risks seeing its manufacturing sector fall behind rival economies if the government does not offer certainty over policies on shifting to green energy, according to the head of FTSE 100 packaging maker DS Smith.Miles Roberts, the company's chief executive, said British government decarbonisation policy has lacked the clarity of European rivals, meaning DS Smith has moved ahead with a 90m (78m) investment in a paper mill in Rouen, northern France, while waiting for more clarity from government before investing in upgrades in the UK. Continue reading...

Fourteen protesters charged with disrupting state parliament to appear before Brisbane magistrate

At one point in September nearly 100% of eastern Australia's demand could have been met by renewables, says energy operator Aemo

Government and gas-focused industry body resist conclusion that heat pumps are only viable' option for heating UK homesThe government and sections of UK industry will continue to back the prospect of using hydrogen for home heating, despite a clear verdict against the technology from the UK's infrastructure watchdog.The National Infrastructure Commission advised this week, after an exhaustive investigation of the technology, that hydrogen was not suitable for heating homes. The report was unambiguous: The Commission's analysis demonstrates that there is no public policy case for hydrogen to be used to heat individual buildings. It should be ruled out as an option to enable an exclusive focus on switching to electrified heat." Continue reading...

Exclusive: Physical and mental impact on young people needs immediate action, Dr Camilla Kingdon saysThe climate crisis poses an existential risk" to the health and wellbeing of all children and action to tackle it is needed immediately, Britain's most senior paediatrician has said.In a major intervention, Dr Camilla Kingdon, the president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), said every adolescent was at grave risk from the physical and mental effects of the climate crisis. Healthcare professionals were already seeing its impact first-hand, she added. Continue reading...

The crabs starved to death en masse because the change in water temperature increased their caloric needs, according to the NOAAWarmer ocean temperatures have likely caused the sudden and shocking disappearance of billions of snow crabs in Alaska, which had previously baffled scientists and environmentalists, a new study has shown.The eastern Bering Sea snow crabs, once thought to be overfished, actually starved to death en masse because the change in water temperature increased their caloric needs considerably", scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in the study. Continue reading...

Outdoor and surf photographer Chris Burkard has explored the seven seas capturing their diversity and wild beauty. His arresting work from the colder northern regions to the tropics shows the world's ocean as a source of inspiration that needs our respect and careYou may well be familiar with the work of photographer Chris Burkard, one of the most followed photographers on Instagram, where he shares his vision of wild places with 4 million followers. His work, which has also been published in several books, is a journey of exploration of the seven seas, from otherworldly seascapes to coastal wildernesses to surfing in the frozen north Atlantic to the tranquil tropics, illustrating the diversity but also the fragility of the global ocean.Cuba, Caribbean, 2013. Continue reading...

Met Office issues rare second red warning for eastern Scotland for severe flooding and disruptionEastern Scotland is braced for further heavy flooding and storm damage after the Met Office issued a second danger to life" red weather warning, as the death toll from Storm Babet rose to three.The emergency services rescued about 60 people from Brechin in Angus, but were unable to reach others stranded in their homes after the South Esk River surged to record heights, overwhelming flood defences erected seven years ago. Continue reading...

Community says company has not been in contact about plans for drilling operation threatening our environment and our cultural way of life'

New Orleans has avoided losing drinking water due to a saltwater wedge' traveling up the Mississippi River - but in Plaquemines parish, it has already happenedThe first time Leah Chan's hair fell out, her heart pounded and she wept with fear.It was June this year, and the 55-year-old worried that the thick clumps left in her hands were a sign of cancer. But her doctor suspected another cause: the water running through her pipes. Continue reading...

Michael Gove had been planning to rip up EU-derived scheme that forces developers to pay to offset pollutionPlans to scrap pollution rules for housebuilders in England have been abandoned by the government, the Guardian understands.Politicians opposing the bill have suggested the double byelection loss, where the sewage scandal was said to have come up on the doorstep, may have caused prime minister Rishi Sunak to reconsider the controversial legislation. Continue reading...