Exclusive: Almost 40m given since 2010 as government delays to low-carbon regulations save builders and developers billions

Dr Gianluca Grimalda told by Kiel Institute for World Economy he must be at his desk on Monday after finishing fieldworkA climate researcher has been threatened with the sack by his employer after refusing to fly back to Germany at short notice after finishing fieldwork on Bougainville in the Solomon Islands archipelago.On Friday, Dr Gianluca Grimalda, an environmental campaigner who refuses to fly on principle, was told by his employer, Germany's Kiel Institute for World Economy, that if he was not at his desk on Monday he would no longer have a job to return to. Continue reading...

Some parts of the country exceeded normal daily maximum temperatures for the peak of summerAfter the northern hemisphere sweltered through the hottest summer in human history, New Zealand's usually cool start to spring has also hit record high temperatures that are usually reserved for its summer months.The country recorded its hottest September on record, with every region in the country experiencing above-average temperatures, with one area hitting 29.6 C. Continue reading...

Independent senator David Pocock has a simple message for everyone voting in the Guardian/BirdLife Australia bird of the year poll - get on board and vote for the endangered gang-gang cockatoo. 'These charcoal-coloured cockatoos are incredible,' he says

We swift parrots are asking for your vote to be the 2023 bird of the year. We're one of the few migratory parrot species and can be found throughout Australia's south-east states, but we breed only in Tasmania. We're also critically endangered, with just 300 to 750 of us left in the wild. Experts warn we may become extinct in the next 10 yearsSubscribe to Guardian Australia on YouTube

Paper reveals scientists' concerns that single-species carbon plantations threaten native flora and fauna, while delivering negligible benefitsMonoculture tree-planting schemes are threatening tropical biodiversity while only offering modest climate benefit, ecologists have said, warning that ecosystems like the Amazon and Congo basin are being reduced to their carbon value.Amid a boom in the planting of single-species plantations to capture carbon, scientists have urged governments to prioritise the conservation and restoration of native forests over commercial monocultures, and cautioned that planting swathes of non-native trees in tropical regions threatens important flora and fauna for a negligible climate impact. Continue reading...

The group also wants governments to develop a plan to electrify all existing properties

It's believed there are fewer than 20 of these little birds of the spinifex' - and their future hangs in the balance

Exclusive: Analysis says under Labor's revamped safeguard mechanism some coalmines could more than double their emissions and still benefit financially

From stormy skies to lonely trees, Godwin's stunning landscape photography went hand in hand with her environmental campaigning Continue reading...

We're nearing the end of the eliminations and getting to the business end of the voting now. Who will get their beak in front when it counts?

Probably the best-known Australian sound, one that even made it onto the soundtrack of old Tarzan movies, the laughing kookaburra assumes it's a shoe in for this year's bird of the year competition. And who can blame it? It's an Australian icon. Much loved in eastern Australia but considered a pest where it has been introduced into WA and Tasmania. An iconic sound for an iconic bird

Rapid attribution study finds storm 10-20% wetter after city experienced a month's worth of rain in just a few hours on FridayThe unmistakable influence of the climate crisis helped cause New York City to be inundated by a month's worth of rain within just a few hours on Friday, scientists have warned, amid concerns over how well the city is prepared for severe climate shocks.A new rapid attribution study, released by scientists in Europe, has found that the type of storm seen on Friday is now 10-20% wetter than it would have been in the previous century, because of climate change. Continue reading...

Ideas include making a memorial bench using the timber, seeing what the stump does and planting a forestThere is a big hole at Sycamore Gap on the route of Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland after a 300-year-old tree was chopped down. Many are mourning the loss of the world-famous tree but amid the gloom, ideas are flooding in about what to do next. A stone circle, a sculpture of the tree, or a metal replica where it fell have all been floated, and one man even went to a local garden centre and planted a young sapling himself, although this was removed by the National Trust. Here are some of the options. Continue reading...

Rightwing thinktank Civitas mistakenly cost onshore wind power 10,000 times higher than reality and claimed bill would be 4.5tnA report that hugely overestimated the cost to the UK of reaching net zero emissions has been retracted by the rightwing thinktank that published it.The Civitas pamphlet published on Thursday claimed to offer a realistic" estimate of the cost - 4.5tn - and said the government needs to be honest with the British people". However, factual errors were quickly pointed out after publication. Continue reading...

Restore Trust wants its members elected to the charity's governing council to rid it of its woke agenda'The National Trust has raised concerns about political pressure" and defended its right to lobby on nature amid a renewed campaign by a self-styled anti-woke" group seeking to recruit Conservative MPs to its cause.The leadership of the UK's largest charity is facing a fresh challenge at its annual meeting next month from the right-leaning Restore Trust group, whose candidates tried but failed to win seats on the National Trust's 36-strong governing council last year. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Bosses who signed letter eight years ago now highly critical of PM's plans to roll back net zero policiesBusiness leaders who warned against Ed Miliband in 2015 have now turned on Rishi Sunak, criticising the prime minister's plans to roll back net zero policies.Some of Britain's top entrepreneurs have told the Guardian that the plans have caused uncertainty for business, reduced the country's international standing and punished investors who made early decisions on net zero based on the original timeline. Continue reading...

Behold the slug and you behold a teenager, in all of her magic and power

Even if the 2050 goal is still met, postponing action - as the UK has done - will cause more heat and damagePostponing action and taking a slower route to net zero emissions by 2050 will worsen the climate crisis even if the goal is still reached by that date, the new chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned.Prof Jim Skea also said that approving new oil and gas fields only increased the already large amount of reserves that will have to be kept in the ground if global heating limits are to be reached. Continue reading...

Upgrades and plans for 30,000 new jobs depend on adding up to 156 extra a year on bills

More than 600,000 people are released from prisons every year in the US and face an array of barriers to re-entry. For many, food has been a refugeWrite this down: Put together ramen noodles, cheesy crackers and squeeze cheese - that's your dough. Mix barbecue sauce and salsa to layer on a marinara. Break your shaving mirror in half to create an edge just sharp enough to slice a cheddar block.Now, the tricky part. Make a funnel out of a toilet paper roll and light the inside. Stick a pencil in either end of a summer sausage like you would for a barbecue. Twist the pencils on the edge of the toilet, over the flame, making sure the smoke goes down the funnel, inside the toilet. Chop up the now-cooked sausage, and you've got Michael Carter's jailhouse pizza. Continue reading...

The month was also Australia's third-warmest September on record as El Nino and the climate crisis combined

The irony of having too many salmon as global populations fall is not lost on locals, who have seen the pristine Tana River littered with the rotting corpses of an invasive Pacific species that is pushing out the local Atlantic speciesAlong the border between Norway and Finland lies the world's greatest Atlantic salmon river. To the Norwegians, it is the Tanaelva or Tana; the Finns call it the Tenojoki or Teno. But to both countries it is known as one of the purest and cleanest rivers, passing through largely unspoiled and unpolluted regions from Finnmark, Norway's northernmost county, into Lapland.Now, however, the river's waters and banks are crowded with rotting fish, their skin peeling away, and the air is thick with the odour of decaying flesh. It's a mess. It's quite dramatic, says Aino Erkinaro, a doctoral researcher from the University of Oulu in Finland. And, oh man, it smells so bad now." Continue reading...

Everyone knows Australia's largest bird, the emu, but how many are familiar with our smallest? At only 8cm to 9cm long, the weebill generally goes unnoticed due to its small stature and earthy colours, even though it is found across much of the country. It's most often found gleaning insects from eucalyptus leaves, which at times are bigger than the bird itself

Kieran Chapman, 27, says removal of young sycamore he planted at site of historic felled tree is devastating'A man who planted a sapling at the site where the Sycamore Gap tree previously stood at Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland has said it is devastating" that it has been removed.The National Trust dug up the young sycamore planted by 27-year-old Kieran Chapman metres away from the stump of the historic tree, which was illegally felled overnight on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Each year gets hotter but there's still barely any air conditioning in the state's prisons. I know what it's like to be cooked aliveThis essay was published in partnership with Prison Journalism Project, which publishes independent journalism by incarcerated writers and others affected by incarceration.Almost everybody has visited a fast-food restaurant or roadside gas station at some point in their lives. Can you picture the rotisserie chickens, slowly rotating under the red-hot light? Continue reading...

William became largest private landholder in the national park when he inherited Duchy of CornwallCampaigners are urging Prince William to invest in significant rewilding across swathes of Dartmoor's predominantly farmed land.The land became William's after he inherited the Duchy of Cornwall, an extensive landholding including the largest privately owned area of Dartmoor national park, from his father, King Charles, when he succeeded to the throne. Continue reading...

Countries including France, Germany and Poland all had their hottest Septembers on recordAustria, Belgium, France, Germany, Poland and Switzerland have all experienced their hottest Septembers on record, with unseasonably high temperatures set to continue into October, in a year likely to be the warmest in human history.As 31C (88F) was forecast in south-west France on Sunday and 28C in Paris, the French weather authority, Meteo-France, said September's average temperature was 21.5C, between 3.5C and 3.6C above the norm for the 1991-2020 reference period. Continue reading...

The Chumash tribe had advocated for California's central coast to be protected, but a draft management plan left out the stretch they had hoped would be protectedViolet Sage Walker stands on the bow of Greenpeace's Arctic Sunrise ship and looks out at Morro Rock jutting up from the Pacific Ocean. The dramatic promontory - known as Lisamu' in Chumash, the language of Walker's tribe - is part of a stunning stretch of California coastline she hoped would soon be part of a sprawling new marine sanctuary six times the size of Yosemite.Walker is the chairwoman of the Northern Chumash Tribal Council, a small group of Indigenous Americans who once lived along the coast of San Luis Obispo county. Records of their occupation of the central coast date back to 18,000 years. Continue reading...

Investigation begins as people complain of diarrhoea and vomiting after swimming in Hever Castle's lakeThe organisers of a triathlon on a lake fed by the River Eden in Kent have launched an investigation after a number of competitors fell ill with diarrhoea and vomiting.The Castle Race Series, organisers of the triathlon and other competitions at Hever Castle last weekend, said rigorous tests in the days and weeks leading up to the event had indicated the water was safe to swim in. Continue reading...

Ngo Thi To Nhien detained over charges of appropriating documents', a government spokesperson confirmedVietnam state media has confirmed the arrest of the director of an independent energy policy thinktank - the sixth expert working on environmental issues to be taken into custody in the past two years.A rights group reported last month that Ngo Thi To Nhien, executive director of the Hanoi-based Vietnam Initiative for Energy Transition (Viet), had been detained, although at the time there was no official confirmation. Continue reading...

Lithium-ion batteries embedded in the products have been blamed for an increasing number of hazardous fires at landfill sites

Arrival result of Enfield reintroduction scheme, started last year as part of natural flood defence projectA baby beaver has been photographed in London for the first time in 400 years, 18 months after an initiative began to reintroduce the species to the capital.Enfield council began London's beaver reintroduction programme last year as part of a wider rewilding and natural flood-management project. Continue reading...

Household staple is now on the menu of a wide range of restaurants, and featured in recipe books by famous chefsSmashed green vegetables for brunch have become a fixture on British tables over the last decade - but the avocado might finally be edged off the organic sourdough by a new topper. Peas on toast is now officially a thing.The hashtag #peasontoast has had more than 3.3m views on TikTok and Google searches for peas on toast" have increased by 133% this month. The dish is now on the menu of a wide range of restaurants and featured in recipe books by some of the UK's most celebrated chefs. Continue reading...

Governor says 28 people have been rescued, including 15 from cars and six from flooded basement apartmentsAs flash flooding swept over parts of the New York City region on Friday, residents reeled from powerful downpours and surging waters. On Saturday, some localities in Connecticut and Long Island braced for still more rain.While no fatalities have been reported, scenes of chaos emerged as residents waded through knee-deep water in search for higher ground and drivers abandoned their vehicles on overwhelmed highways. In one north Brooklyn, New York City, building, residents said raw sewage seeped into their apartments amid the torrent. Continue reading...

Beloved, closely watched ursine popularity competition judging the stockiest bear before hibernation threatened by shutdownA looming government shutdown threatens to claw its way into a crowd-pleasing Alaska tradition: Fat Bear Week.Alaska's most-watched popularity contest, Fat Bear Week involves residents picking their favorite fat brown bear who's been stocking up for winter by noshing on salmon in Katmai national park & preserve. Viewers of the bears vote online in tournament-style brackets for those they want to advance to the next round until a champion is crowned in the weeklong contest. Continue reading...

Aquaculture is bringing jobs and money to rural regions, but a huge escape of farmed fish in August could devastate local salmon populationsClad in black waders, Gumundur Hauker Jakobsson jumps into the River Blanda, whose freezing waters run down from the Hofsjokull glacier. Armed with a net, he casts around the ascending pools of the river's fish ladder", built to aid wild salmon migrating up this powerful waterway from the sea.Within minutes, he pulls out a 15lb silver fish, which thrashes and writhes against the net, then another, then another - five in all. The wild salmon of the Blanda here in north-west Iceland are some of the largest and most athletic in a country where the rivers are considered among the world's best. King Charles has fished for salmon here, as have David Beckham and Guy Ritchie; Eric Clapton is a regular.Gumundur Hauker Jakobsson draws a salmon from the river Continue reading...

Perhaps it's naive not to imagine that all of life itself is about accepting the fragility of how easily things break

This live blog is now closed. You can read our latest full report on the flooding here:

Low-traffic neighbourhoods and fines also face clampdown under plans condemned by active travel groupsRishi Sunak has pledged to end anti-car measures" as he set out a series of ideas to prioritise the needs of drivers at the likely expense of other road users such as bus passengers, cyclists and pedestrians.Outlining what he called a long-term plan to back drivers", the prime minister unveiled a clampdown on 20mph limits, bus lanes, low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs), and the ability of councils to fine drivers who commit offences. Continue reading...

The interior department's contingency plan emphasizes the need to protect park resources and ensure visitor health and safetyNational parks across the US will close to visitors as soon as Sunday if Congress is unable to avert a government shutdown, the Department of Interior has announced.Gates will be locked, visitor centers will be closed, and thousands of park rangers will be furloughed," the interior department wrote in a news release on Friday. Accordingly, the public will be encouraged not to visit sites during the period of lapse in appropriations out of consideration for protection of natural and cultural resources, as well as visitor safety." Continue reading...

Rising temperatures could be passing tolerance threshold for endangered animals as Lake Tefe reaches 39CThe sudden die-off of more than a hundred Amazonian river dolphins in recent days has prompted fears that rising global heat could be passing the tolerance threshold of species in vulnerable areas.The floating corpses of the endangered mammals, along with thousands of dead fish, have appeared at Lake Tefe where the temperature is now like a hot bath after a protracted drought has dried up most of the water. Continue reading...

Party urged to commit to revoking licence for site in North Sea and back comprehensive Green New DealYoung climate activists staged sit-down protests outside the offices of every member of Labour's shadow cabinet on Friday, calling on the party to take a tougher line on the proposed new Rosebank oilfield and back a comprehensive Green New Deal.This week the UK's biggest untapped oilfield was given the go-ahead despite widespread opposition from scientists, poverty campaigners and climate and energy experts. Continue reading...

Fish Legal win permission to summon firm to face allegations linked to diesel pollution of River TestA judge has given permission for a private prosecution to go ahead against a water company accused over the pollution of one of the UK's most cherished fishing rivers.Southern Water will appear in court in February to face allegations linked to diesel pollution in the River Test in Hampshire. Continue reading...

Administration releases plan, which represents lowest number of lease sales since 1980, but is still set to increase oil productionThe Biden administration on Friday released a plan to sell as many as three offshore oil and gas leases over the next five years, garnering criticism from some climate advocates.Set to govern potential sales through late 2028, the hotly anticipated plan from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, a part of the interior department, includes no auctions for next year, and represents the lowest number of lease sales since the program began in 1980. Continue reading...

Disgust spreads across country as travellers post videos apparently showing insects on Paris public transportFrance's growing bedbug crisis has sparked a political row as Paris city hall said the invasion of bloodsucking insects must be tackled before next year's Olympic Games and the transport minister summoned train and bus operators to prevent the bugs multiplying on seats.A wave of panic and disgust has spread across the country as travellers have posted photos and videos purportedly showing the insects on the Paris local transport system, high-speed trains and at Charles de Gaulle airport. Continue reading...

Competition aimed at encouraging Gotland residents to save water is being copied elsewhereDry, brown grass is no longer a source of shame on one Swedish island where residents have been competing over the ugliest lawn" in an attempt to save water - and it seems the trend is spreading.It was the easiest competition to win, I didn't have to do anything," said this year's winner Stina Ostman, a resident of Sweden's largest island of Gotland, who has mixed feelings about her victory. It's always nice to win, even if you are the worst," she said. Continue reading...

Robert Macfarlane says tree's felling was part of hostile culture and calls for forest to be planted in its honourThe felling of the Sycamore Gap tree at Hadrian's Wall symbolises a wider attack on nature in the UK, according to an award-winning landscape writer and poet.Robert Macfarlane said the sight of the downed 300-year-old tree made him and many others feel sick. I just see this as part of a piece with a much broader hostile environment towards the living world in this country," he told the BBC. Continue reading...

NSW Environmental Protection Authority alleged company had exceeded standard concentration of solid particles under air pollution laws

Cape Town mayor declares major incident as roads closed and 80,000 people left without electricityExtreme rain and strong winds across South Africa's Western Cape province have caused flooding, torn off roofs, destroyed crops and damaged roads this week. It is estimated that the 48-hour rainfall totals between Sunday and Monday were between 100mm to 200mm (4-8in) in this region.According to the Cape Town Disaster Risk Management Centre, 12,000 people were affected, but a further 80,000 people were left without electricity, according to the national power utility. The mayor of Cape Town signed a major incident declaration for additional resources and relief measures as 80 roads have been closed, 200 farm workers have been stranded and rail services have been suspended in the Western and Eastern Cape provinces. Continue reading...