Environment | The Guardian

Half of regular green tweeters abandoned platform after its sale and cuts to moderation, analysis findsHalf of people regularly tweeting about the climate and nature crises abandoned Twitter after it was taken over by Elon Musk, according to new analysis.The researchers said Twitter, now renamed X, had previously been the leading social media platform for environmental discussion and the decline was troubling". They said the exodus of environmental users on Twitter is an existential threat" to a main way of informing people who want to take climate action. Continue reading...

Legislation gives incentives to companies to manufacture EVs without protections for workers, says head of autoworkers unionJoe Biden's landmark climate legislation has been disappointing" and failed to deliver protections to car industry workers confronted by the transition to electric vehicles, according to the head of the US's leading autoworkers union, which has pointedly withheld is endorsement of the president for next year's election.The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), signed by Biden a year ago this week, has bestowed huge incentives to car companies to manufacture electric vehicles without any accompanying guarantees over worker pay and conditions, Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers (UAW), told the Guardian. Continue reading...

Candidates include an oak in Exeter that survived the blitz and a walnut in a car park in PerthUrban trees that provide vital food and shelter for wildlife in towns and cities take a starring role on the Woodland Trust tree of the year shortlist.They include a holm oak in Exeter that survived the blitz and another oak in Surrey that Queen Elizabeth I reputedly had a picnic under. Continue reading...

Lack of funding and staff limit climate sector's impact on conservation and net zero efforts, say workersStaff shortages, a lack of specialist personnel and low pay are major barriers to achieving net zero, according to workers in the UK environment sector.The trade union Prospect, many members of which work in the climate and environment sector, received more than 500 responses to a survey on workplace trends. Continue reading...

In this special Age of Extinction mini-series from Science Weekly, Guardian biodiversity reporter Phoebe Weston explores the murky world of the illegal killing of birds of prey on grouse moors and asks why it is so difficult to solve these crimes. In episode one, Phoebe hears about the case of Susie, a hen harrier whose chicks were killed while being monitored on camera. As she starts to investigate the case, she hears from conservationist Ruth Tingay about why hen harriers are targeted and finds out about the personal costs of campaigning on this issueThis episode has been updated from an earlier version which quoted RSPB data showing that 108 birds of prey were illegally killed 2021. Their report actually says that there were 108 confirmed incidents of illegal persecution in 2021Read more reporting from the Age of Extinction team here Continue reading...

Number of vessels able to pass through each day limited because lower availability of waterCommercial ships are facing long queues and delays to travel through the Panama Canal as a lengthy drought in the Central American country has led to a cut in the number of vessels able to pass through one of the world's most important trading routes.In a fresh demonstration of the impact of the climate crisis on global business and trade, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP), which manages the waterway, introduced restrictions on the number of transiting vessels as a result of the drought. Continue reading...

Sixteen young plaintiffs had alleged the Montana state government had violated their right to a healthy environmentThe judge who heard the US's first constitutional climate trial earlier this year has ruled in favor of a group of young plaintiffs who had accused state officials in Montana of violating their right to a healthy environment.I'm so speechless right now," Eva, a plaintiff who was 14 when the suit was filed, said in a statement. I'm really just excited and elated and thrilled." Continue reading...

Researchers find at least five wolves including adult female descendant of OR-7, first grey wolf identified in state in 90 yearsA new pack of endangered grey wolves have been spotted in a California national forest, as conservationists fight for increased protection of the endangered species.The pack was discovered in the Sequoia national forest in southern California's Tulare county, the state's department of fish and wildlife (CDFW) confirmed. Continue reading...

Meat and masculinity have been bound together in the US for centuries - and that's no accidentIn April 2021, a Daily Mail article claiming that Joe Biden planned to limit beef consumption to 4lb a year per person to meet environmental targets went viral. Though it was totally false, it sparked a chorus among rightwingers that Democrats want to take away your hamburgers".For many on the right, beef is a hot-button issue. Continue reading...

Polymer from black soldier flies seen as promising source as it has no other competing uses such as foodDead flies could be turned into biodegradable plastic, researchers have said.The finding, presented at the autumn meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), could be useful as it is difficult to find sources for biodegradable polymers that do not have other competing uses. Continue reading...

Fresh fruit and vegetables from Europe will be more expensive as drought and wildfires shrink suppliesA healthy diet in the UK will be put at risk by climate breakdown as European droughts shrink fresh fruit and vegetable supplies, experts have said.Fresh produce from the Mediterranean, upon which the UK is reliant, will become more expensive and harder to obtain as extreme heat causes yields to reduce, putting a healthy diet out of reach of the poorest in society, according to a report by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU). Continue reading...

Communities hope good new jobs will come from Biden's historic climate investment in cities like Weirton, West VirginiaA cutting-edge energy storage company is building its main manufacturing plant where a once-thriving West Virginia steel mill once stood in the city of Weirton. According to lawmakers, the much-lauded project was made possible by incentives from 2022's Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), signed by President Biden one year ago this Wednesday.For supporters, it's a sign that climate policies can also breathe life back into deindustrialized coal and steel communities with green jobs. The symbolism is compelling but how much those communities benefit will depend on a wide array of factors. Continue reading...

Search for victims continues as more than 2,200 structures damaged or destroyed and more than 2,100 acres scorched

David Hondula, the heat expert leading efforts to make the city more comfortable, says every heat death can be prevented with the right resourcesThe heat expert leading efforts to make America's hottest city more bearable insists that Phoenix could eventually eradicate heat deaths - despite July's record-breaking death toll.As many as 300 people may have died during the hottest ever month on record as the temperature in Phoenix topped 110F (43C) for 31 consecutive days. Heat deaths in the city have more than quadrupled in the past decade, and 2023 is on track to be another record breaking year as Phoenix braces itself for the next spell of 110F plus temperatures forecast to hit by Monday. Despite this, David Hondula, director of the city's heat response and mitigation team, insists that every heat death can be prevented. Continue reading...

Catastrophic' wildfires in Maui killed dozens of people, burned buildings and decimated a town - here's what we know so farExplosive wildfires on the Hawaiian island of Maui have killed dozens of people, displaced thousands and reduced much of the vibrant, centuries-old town of Lahaina to ash.As residents are beginning to return to the historic town, Hawaii is starting to reckon with the unfathomable loss left by the deadliest blaze in the US in a century. What we've seen has been catastrophic," said Josh Green, the governor. Continue reading...

Residents who returned this weekend after the devastating fires took in the sweeping view of a ruined townAs the first residents returned to Lahaina this weekend, just days after Maui's devastating fires all but leveled the historic town, some got out of their cars and simply stared.There was always much to marvel over in the waterfront community of 13,000 people, the former capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom: the shops on Front Street, the Pioneer Inn and Waiola church, and the endless sprawl of the 150-year-old banyan tree. This week's disaster laid waste to all of it. Continue reading...

As the Australian summer approaches, my apprehension is both a daily shock and uncannily normalised - and I know I'm not the only one feeling itThese days, when I come back into the house after being out on the land, it's dust that I drop, not the mud I carried in on my boots and clothes during the past three years when the rain kept everything, and everyone, sodden most of the time. The rain that also kept at bay the feeling of impending disaster that now attaches itself to the arrival of an Australian summer.Not that La Nina was safe, as all of those whose homes and habitats were washed away know. But in the early months of 2023, as if the weather gods had snapped a finger, soaked turned to parched, and I find myself here again. Borne by news of soaring temperatures and wildfires in the northern hemisphere, the shift from a medium to a high likelihood of the arrival of El Nino to the official declaration of its onset, and the feeling of hardening earth under my feet, summer dread is returning to my body. Continue reading...

US government plans to roll out carbon capture rather than phase out fossil fuels prompts outcry in heavily industrial stateMillions of dollars of investments in new carbon capture projects in Louisiana - with more announced this week, are unwelcome developments to some environmental activists in the state.We've been trying to fix the oil and gas damage, while at the same time trying to push the transition away from it," said Monique Hardin, director of law for the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice. Continue reading...

Academics - and polls - say majority of voters back action on climate change and will punish Tories for weak tactic'The prime minister Rishi Sunak's decision to intensify attacks on green groups and exploit opposition to environmental protests could rebound badly for his party at the next general election, academics have warned.They argue that public support for achieving net zero emissions by 2050 in the UK is now entrenched and unlikely to be overturned. This view is backed by opinion polls, which show that 71% of the British public support moves that will lead to curtailment of the country's fossil fuel emissions. Continue reading...

Observer investigation reveals the shocking state of the country's protected freshwater sites of special scientific interestMore than 90% of freshwater habitats on England's most precious rivers are in unfavourable condition, blighted by farming pollution, raw sewage and water abstraction, an Observer investigation reveals.None of the approximately 40 rivers with protected habitats in England are in overall good health, according to an analysis of government inspection reports. These include the River Avon in Hampshire, the Wensum in Norfolk and the Eden in Cumbria. Continue reading...

Jill Tokuda says Hawaii did not learn lesson' from previous hurricane as death toll from devastating fires reaches 80The Hawaii congresswoman Jill Tokuda told CNN on Saturday morning that she believes state officials underestimated the quickness and lethality of a wildfire that as of Saturday morning had killed at least 80 people there.It's not like hurricane force winds are unknown to Hawaii, or dry brush, or red flag conditions," Tokuda said on CNN when asked to address the wildfires in her home state, which were exacerbated by winds associated with a category four Hurricane Dora as it passed far to the south-west. Continue reading...

As warming oceans threaten the farming of the sustainable crop, scientists work to make the industry climate resilientOcean temperatures have hit record highs this year, growing so hot in some places that taking a dip in the sea feels like stepping into a hot tub. For kelp farmers, who grow an underwater crop with a life cycle highly dependent on temperature, that spells trouble for their harvests - and their nascent industry's future.Over the last 30 or 40 years, we've seen a pretty big decline in the kelp populations around Long Island. In large part, that's due to climate change and water temperatures increasing," said Michael Doall, a former oyster farmer and marine scientist at Stony Brook University's School of Marine & Atmospheric Sciences. Continue reading...

Architects, academics and climate activists launch campaign against plan to knock down five-storey building in AberdeenAberdeen is arguably best known for two things: granite - found in nearby quarries and used to construct almost all of the coastal city's buildings - and oil. After the discovery of a significant reserve in the North Sea in the 1970s, Aberdeen became known as Europe's oil capital and a thriving oil and gas industry sprang up in Scotland's north-east.At the centre of the boom was the multinational company Shell, which built a five-storey modernist headquarters in the city's Tullos area, from where it operated for half a century, before moving this year. Continue reading...

Severe blazes, once a rarity in Hawaii, are increasing in strength and scale, complicating rescue efforts for the small local fire crewsLong before fast-moving flames descended on the historic town of Lahaina, the growing threats of catastrophic fire in western Maui were clear.Acres of abandoned farmland that line the picturesque coastal communities played perfect host to invasive grasses that are primed to burn, creating tinderbox conditions as the island's landscapes dried and warmed. Continue reading...

Tanker contained four times as much oil as was spilled in 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster off AlaskaThe transfer of more than 1 million barrels of oil from an ageing tanker moored off the coast of war-torn Yemen has been completed, avoiding an environmental disaster, the UN has said.In a statement on Friday, Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesperson for UN secretary general Antonio Guterres, said the operation had prevented a monumental environmental and humanitarian catastrophe". Continue reading...

Water scarcity threatening agriculture faster than expected, warns Cop15 desertification presidentThe world is likely to face major disruption to food supplies well before temperatures rise by the 1.5C target, the president of the UN's desertification conference has warned, as the impacts of the climate crisis combine with water scarcity and poor farming practices to threaten global agriculture.Alain-Richard Donwahi, a former Ivory Coast defence minister who led last year's UN Cop15 summit on desertification, said the effects of drought were taking hold more rapidly than expected. Continue reading...

Greg Abbott, the state governor, has deployed fences, razor wires and buoys along the Rio Grande, demolishing the environmentThe leafy trees on Magali and Hugo Urbina's 350-acre orchard next to the Rio Grande river in Eagle Pass, Texas, should be bursting with pecans this time of year. Instead, most are barren.The Urbinas blame the clouds of dust kicked up by Texas officials in trucks and ATVs after the state government in recent months put fencing and roads along the riverbanks in a contentious effort to deter migration from Mexico, just across the river. Continue reading...

Unprecedented wildfires burning on the Hawaiian island of Maui have killed at least 53 people, displaced thousands of residents and destroyed parts of a centuries-old town. The disaster is one of the deadliest US wildfires in recent years. The fast-moving fires, fanned by the winds of a distant hurricane, exploded overnight and moved so quickly that some residents jumped into the ocean to escape the flames and smoke. Crews are continuing to battle the blazes, which have burned through multiple neighbourhoods, including the historic town of Lahaina Continue reading...

Tensions are escalating in state forests near Bellingen, where a protesters' camp is locked in a standoff with a heavy police presence

At least 55 people have died after wildfires engulfed the historic town of Lahaina on Maui island, Hawaii. Experts say rising global temperatures and drought have fanned the flames in one of the deadliest fires in modern US history. The devastation was exacerbated by strong winds from a nearby cyclone. Wildfires in Hawaii are burning through four times the area of previous decades, studies show

Figures reveal capacity has fallen to an average rise of 4.45% in past three years, compared with 9.67% globallyThe UK's investment in renewable energy has lagged significantly behind the rest of the world in recent years, according to an analysis of global data.The latest government figures reveal the UK's renewable capacity has fallen to an average increase of 4.45% in the past three years, compared with an average 9.67% annual increase globally. Continue reading...

An open letter signed by more than 50 authors including Zadie Smith, Ali Smith and Katherine Rundell calls for investment firm Baillie Gifford to be dropped as main sponsor for 2024Authors including Zadie Smith, Ali Smith and Katherine Rundell have called on the Edinburgh International book festival to drop any sponsor that invests in fossil fuels.The lead sponsor of the literary festival, which is due to start on 12 August, is investment firm Baillie Gifford. According to its own report, the company has up to 5bn invested in corporations that profit from fossil fuels. An open letter signed by a group of more than 50 authors and event chairs stated that these corporations are making huge profits from global disaster, and hide behind esteemed cultural institutions, like the Edinburgh book festival, as sanction for its continued operations". Continue reading...

The ice once protected the Arctic ocean from threats - but as it melts it exposes the sea to fishing, shipping, mining and pollution. Would a marine protected area help secure this fragile ecosystem or is it too late?When the Arctic explorer Pen Hadow had to start swimming from ice floe to ice floe, rather than walking, he experienced for himself what scientists and Indigenous peoples of the north have long known: the floating sea ice, which used to reliably cover the Arctic Ocean for most of the year, is disappearing.For Hadow - who has crisscrossed that ocean on skis, both accompanied and solo - the vanishing ice wasn't just something that made his travels difficult. He knew that the Arctic ice is home to whole ecosystems above and below the water, protecting marine life from the worst impacts of humanity, pollution and the climate crisis. The sea ice created a natural barrier," says Hadow. It's undisturbed by vessels to this point." Continue reading...

Family pay tribute to Graham Cox, a much-loved husband, father, son and brother' who was among three people who diedA man who was one of three hikers who died together walking the Aonach Eagach in Glen Coe last weekend has been named by his family as Graham Cox.A spokesperson for the family described the 60-year-old as a much-loved husband, father, son and brother ... He is remembered by all as the kindest, loveliest man. The family is devastated by his loss and request privacy at this time." Continue reading...

The $369bn Inflation Reduction Act has boosted clean energy and EV cars, but the politics remain difficultThe US' first serious legislative attempt to tackle the climate crisis, the Inflation Reduction Act, is hitting its first anniversary both lauded for turbocharging a seismic shift to clean energy while also weathering serious attack from Republicans.Joe Biden hailed the bill, which despite its name is at heart a major shove towards a future dominated by renewable energy and electric vehicles, as one of the most significant laws in our history" when signing it on 16 August last year. Continue reading...

Extreme weather fuelled by climate crisis and bacterial disease have led to dramatic decline' in orange cropsOrange juice prices are expected to rise further in the US after a bacterial disease and extreme weather intensified by global heating ravaged this season's crop of the citrus fruit.Last year Florida, which produces more than 90% of the US's orange juice supply, was hit by Hurricane Ian, Hurricane Nicole and freezing conditions in quick succession, devastating orange producers in the Sunshine State. Continue reading...

Global heating is causing vegetation to dry out, priming it as fuel for an outbreak of fire, says scientist at Nature ConservancyThe devastating fires in Hawaii, where at least 55 people have died after a conflagration that engulfed the historic town of Lahaina, were worsened by a number of factors including climate change, scientists have said.Rising global temperatures and drought have helped turn parts of Hawaii into a tinderbox ahead of one of the deadliest fires in modern US history, with these conditions worsened by strong winds from a nearby cyclone. Continue reading...

The best of this week's wildlife photographs, including a waving seal pup, a hi-tech turtle and an overheated barn owl Continue reading...

Scientists stunned by unprecedented heat-stress event say they can only hope it motivates and unites people'

A mass coral bleaching event has hit reefs in North America, Central America and the Caribbean. Scientists in the region have told Guardian Australia's environment reporter Graham Readfearn they have never seen anything like it before. The tragedy is unfolding early in the season and in areas not usually affected by coral bleaching, sparking fears it could become a global eventSubscribe to Guardian Australia on YouTube Continue reading...

Federal government in discussion with states after cost of Marinus Link nearly doubles, putting decarbonisation and energy goals at risk

Unprecedented wildfires raged through Hawaii's Maui island, also claiming tree described as the largest banyan in the USThe devastating fires that roared through Maui this week, killing dozens and ravaging the historic town of Lahaina, scorched a beloved tree that has been described as the largest banyan in the US.For generations, the majestic tree along Lahaina Town's historic Front Street served as a gathering place with leafy branches that unfurled to give shade from the Hawaiian sun. By most accounts, the sprawling tree was the heart of the oceanside community - towering more than 60ft (18 meters) and anchored by multiple trunks that span nearly an acre. This year the town celebrated the banyan's 150th birthday with cake. Continue reading...

MP failed to reveal shares in oil company for more than five years despite disclosure rulesA former environment secretary has revealed she has shares worth more than 70,000 in Shell that she did not disclose as required for more than five years.Theresa Villiers was the secretary for environment, food and rural affairs from July 2019 until February 2020, but only this week disclosed she has had investments worth more than 70,000 each in Shell and the drinks company Diageo since February 2018. Villiers also disclosed shares worth more than 70,000 in Experian, held since July 2019, and in an investment trust, RIT Capital Partners. Continue reading...

Hot natural weather pattern will exacerbate heat-related dangers brought about by climate crisisThe return of El Nino against the backdrop of the climate crisis will hurt people's health in many parts of the world, scientists have warned.The hot natural weather pattern is back after three years of its cooler sister, La Nina, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed last month. As it grows stronger, scientists fear it will raise the risk in some countries of hunger, drought and malaria. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed, you can read more of our UK political coverage hereThe Royal College of Nursing says today's hospital waiting list figures for England (see 9.44am) show the NHS is falling into deeper crisis". In a statement Nicola Ranger, the RCN's chief nursing officer, said:With a record number of patients now on a waiting list in England, the NHS is falling into deeper crisis.A decade of underinvestment in the NHS has led to dire consequences for patients and pushed many nursing staff out of the profession they love and with unrelenting pressure on those who remain.

Environmental experts say proposals are too expensive and will come too late to meet energy needsEnvironmental experts have criticised the Swedish government's plan to build at least 10 nuclear reactors in the next 20 years, more than doubling the current number, saying it will be too expensive and will come too late to meet energy needs.The climate minister, Romina Pourmokhtari, announced on Wednesday that in order to meet its climate goals Sweden needed to double electricity production in the next two decades. Continue reading...

Louisiana AG hired lawyers for EPA negotiations who were also representing chemical firm at center of inquiry, documents showFacing a pivotal federal investigation into Louisiana's relationship with petro-chemical companies, the state's attorney general hired lawyers who were simultaneously representing one of the main corporations at the center of the investigation, documents reveal.The revelations, contained in documents released under public records requests, have led to allegations of a major conflict of interest and come just weeks after the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] dropped its civil rights investigation. Continue reading...

Population has declined dramatically due to overfishing and environmental changes in the PacificAfrican penguins are on track for extinction by 2035 if measures are not taken to ensure their survival, campaigners have said.The population of African penguins has declined dramatically over the past 100 years. In the early 20th century, it is thought that there were probably several million breeding pairs: today, fewer than 11,000 breeding pairs remain, and the population continues to fall sharply. Continue reading...

Donana national park in Andalucia, Spain, is being threatened by drought, over-consumption and rightwing MPs. Seven people who work there describe the fragile ecosystem and what it means to themIn the heart of Spain's Donana national park, a battle is being waged to safeguard one of the most important wetlands in Europe. Donana, with its impressive landscapes and extraordinary biodiversity, hosts an estimated 6 million migratory birds every year. But its fate hangs in the balance.Despite declining water supplies, illegal wells and encroaching strawberry farms, and amid warnings from Unesco and the European Commission, the People's party (PP) and far-right Vox party in the Andalucian regional government are pushing to legalise irrigation in the park, which straddles the provinces of Huelva and Seville in south-west Spain. Continue reading...

Analysis by conservation group Oceana suggests areas where suspension imposed are not fished by fleets anywayAnnual short-term moratoriums on squid fishing imposed by Chinese authorities are probably meaningless as there appeared to be little fishing activity in the areas before the bans were announced, analysis has claimed.In 2020, China's ministry of agriculture and rural affairs announced a pilot program banning fishing in parts of the south-west Atlantic Ocean from July to October, and parts of the eastern Pacific Ocean from September to December. Continue reading...