by Emily Cataneo in Jamestown, Virginia on (#6D6C4)
Fruit and nut explorers traverse the US on an ecological mission to preserve the last cultivars of old and important plantsEliza Greenman plucks a wrinkly, canoe-shaped leaf from a tree and cradles it in her hands before sliding it into a plastic freezer bag. She's standing beneath a mulberry tree in a field on the banks of the Mattaponi River, a tributary that cuts through eastern Virginia to the Chesapeake Bay. Greenman had to sleuth to find this historical mulberry, which is meandering, ancient, studded with unripe, spiky white fruits, gnarled with English ivy and a distinctive wave pattern on its bark.It's so cool to imagine that this field was potentially all just mulberries," Greenman says, staring out at the shimmery rye across the road. Continue reading...
Avatar and Titanic director says Titan sub team failed to address most obvious risks' and voices support for deep-sea miningExploring the greatest depths of the ocean is safer than getting an elevator and safer than getting on an airplane" James Cameron has said. But the Canadian director of Hollywood blockbusters added that the team behind the recent ill-fated expedition to the Titanic lacked the imagination to engineer against the most obvious risks" to any deep sea voyage.In an interview with the Guardian, Cameron said that when he travelled to the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench - the deepest known point on the Earth - in a custom-made submersible, we imagined just about every risk that was humanly possible - and we engineered against all of them." Continue reading...
Virus has spread around the world, with 200,000 wild birds dead in Peru alone and concerns Australia could be nextMillions of wild birds may have died from bird flu globally in the latest outbreak, researchers have said, as the viral disease ravages South America, with 200,000 deaths recorded in Peru alone.The highly infectious variant of H5N1, which gained momentum in the winter of 2021, caused Europe's worst bird flu outbreak before spreading globally. The disease reached South America in November 2022, and has now been reported on every continent except Oceania and Antarctica. Continue reading...
Erratic behavior observed in some sharks could be result of them ingesting bales of cocaine cast overboard by passing traffickersMove over, Cocaine Bear. Here come cocaine sharks.In what could be the plotline for the next cheesy marine-themed disaster movie, scientists think crazed and hungry sharks could be feasting on bales of hallucinatory drugs dumped off the Florida coast. Continue reading...
The country's first mining boom' drove its oyster reefs to near extinction. But a new generation of artists has a voice their ancestors never didMegan Cope calls it the first mining boom", one that drove Australia's oyster reefs to near extinction. First, British colonists raided the enormous piles of shells and animal bones Indigenous people had gathered after feasting and ceremony, mixing these middens with water into a lime slurry for building the new colony.Then, once these Aboriginal architectural forms" - sites of carbon-dated evidence of traditional life - were exhausted, the colonisers began demanding live oysters to eat. They sent fishers to deploy harmful extractive processes on the reefs. Within 15 to 20 years of the British arriving, the landscape changed so incredibly," says Cope. Our ancestors were witness to that, but powerless, of course." Continue reading...
Tourism sites including Acropolis to close during hottest parts of day as temperatures set to remain over 40CGreece is set to endure its hottest July weekend in 50 years, a top meteorologist has warned, as the country wilts under a prolonged heatwave set to last well into next week.Government ministries have advised people to work from home where possible and not to venture out unnecessarily. The exceptional temperatures also mean key tourism sites will be closed during the hottest part of the day. Continue reading...
Protest on private lot the latest episode highlighting tensions as climate crisis diminishes Seattle's urban canopyWith ropes, a harness, a hammock and a bucket pulley system, masked activists in Seattle have taken residence in the branches of an old, thick cedar tree to prevent it from being cut down to make way for new homes.The protest on a private lot is the latest episode highlighting tensions behind tree policy in Seattle as the climate crisis increases temperatures and urban canopy decreases. Continue reading...
Experts fear for health of corals and other marine life as about 1m sq km of ocean experience prolonged elevated temperaturesA marine heatwave has broken out along more than 2,000km of the Queensland coast, raising concerns for the health of corals on the Great Barrier Reef and other ocean life.Satellite data managed by the US National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA) shows the heatwave started to emerge at the end of June. Continue reading...
Surfers Against Sewage's annual audit finds 12 companies responsible for 70% of branded pollutionCoca-Cola, McDonald's and PepsiCo have been named as the biggest packaging polluters in the UK, according to an annual audit.The campaign group Surfers Against Sewage examined more than 30,700 individual polluting items collected by 4,000 citizen scientists alongside coastlines, canal paths, bridleways and city streets over a 12-month period up to 5 June 2023. Continue reading...
Activist and photographer Alicia Bruce has documented the residents and landscape of Menie in Scotland, detailing 16 years of Donald Trump's impact on the area where he built a golf course. Her work honours the community who have refused to bow down, sell up or be pushed around by Donald Trump'. I Burn But I Am Not Consumed is published by Daylight Books Continue reading...
Humans are eating more seafood than ever, and we are removing fish from the ocean at a far greater rate than they can replenish. What can be done?Seafood is a vital source of protein for more than 3.3 billion people. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) projects the need for a 15% increase in global fish consumption by 2030; its director-general, QU Dongyu, calls the growth of fisheries and aquaculture vital in our efforts to end global hunger and malnutrition".There's one big problem: the growth rate of the global wild-fish catch peaked in 1963 and plateaued in the 1990s. It has been in slow decline the past few years. When it comes to the wild-fish catch, we are most likely past peak fish". Continue reading...
After hottest day ever, researchers say global heating may mean future of crop failures on land and silent dying' in the oceansSuccessive heatwaves threaten nature's ability to provide us with food, say researchers, as they warn of an unseen, silent dying" in our oceans amid record temperatures scorching the Earth.Heatwaves are ripping through Europe, the US and China, with the global hottest day ever recorded at the start of July, endangering human life as well as the land and sea it depends on. Continue reading...
Our planet faces ecological catastrophe. Private flights are untenable and morally indefensibleLast Friday, I was arrested along with a group of climate activists for blocking the entrance to the East Hampton airport in New York and stopping private jet arrivals and departures. Many people have asked me why.The truth is I am terrified of the future of our climate, and I believe that non-violent civil disobedience is the best way to create transformative change. I have covered disruptive protest and social issues in my films, and supported movements through philanthropy. So, at 63, I decided it was time for me to stand in protest with other activists, to put my body on the line.Abigail E Disney is an Emmy-winning documentary film-maker and activist and the great-niece of Walt Disney Continue reading...
by Damian Carrington Environment editor on (#6D4T7)
Detailed analysis finds plant diets lead to 75% less climate-heating emissions, water pollution and land use than meat-rich onesEating a vegan diet massively reduces the damage to the environment caused by food production, the most comprehensive analysis to date has concluded.The research showed that vegan diets resulted in 75% less climate-heating emissions, water pollution and land use than diets in which more than 100g of meat a day was eaten. Vegan diets also cut the destruction of wildlife by 66% and water use by 54%, the study found. Continue reading...
Campaigners lose judicial review of decision to approve plan by UK Oil & Gas to drill on agricultural landFossil fuel prospectors have cleared another hurdle on their path to drill for oil and gas near an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) in the Surrey Hills after campaigners lost a judicial review of the plan.Opponents of the plan to sink an exploration well near the village of Dunsfold argued it was inconsistent with a decision to refuse a similar application on the basis of the greenhouse gas emissions it would produce. Continue reading...
Trade association, which promotes hydrogen for home heating, called for clean heat market mechanism to be pushed back to 2026Lobbyists for the gas boiler industry are trying to delay the introduction of new government measures to speed up the take-up of heat pumps, a leaked document shows.The move, in a draft document obtained by the DeSmog investigative journalism group and seen by the Guardian, appears to be part of an intensive two-year lobbying effort by a key gas boiler industry organisation, which has been critical of heat pumps, and promoted hydrogen for home heating to government and opposition parties, despite strong evidence of its unsuitability. Continue reading...
Susan Hall's lack of enthusiasm for active travel reflects a view within the party in sharp contrast with other major European citiesAmong the political strands exposed by the Conservatives' decision to pick Susan Hall to stand for London mayor - not least the apparent unlikeliness that she can win - is one that might seem niche but is in fact arguably very telling: what it says about active travel.Anyone who has observed Hall in her six years as a London assembly member, and especially her energetic and often outspoken Twitter feed, will have realised she is not a fan of cycle lanes, cycling, or indeed of cyclists themselves. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: How countries have responded to record-breaking temperatures - and what it will take to change minds and policy Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning.When the temperature in Sicily is approaching 50C, you know something is wrong.New Zealand | Two people died and six people were injured after a shooting at a building site in Auckland city centre, hours before the Women's World Cup is due to start. The gunman was also dead. New Zealand's PM, Chris Hipkins, said the World Cup would proceed as planned.Politics | Almost 200,000 families living under Labour-run councils are affected by the two-child benefit cap, a Guardian analysis has revealed. Keir Starmer's decision not to scrap the policy if Labour wins power has led to attacks from anti-poverty campaigners and disquiet from senior figures in the party.Health | MPs have urged the government to introduce restrictions on the packaging and marketing of disposable vapes to tackle the alarming trend" of children using these addictive products. The health and social care committee said there should be restrictions on how e-cigarettes are sold, in line with those applied to tobacco products.Slavery | Caribbean countries are considering approaching the UN's international court of justice for a legal opinion on demanding compensation from 10 European countries over slavery, as the fight for reparative justice is stepped up. Ralph Gonsalves, the current leader of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, said he is also looking for an apology from the British government and expressed disappointment in Rishi Sunak's lack of engagement in the matter.Strikes | A strike by train staff in the RMT union will severely affect rail services across Britain in the next week. About 20,000 RMT members at 14 train operators will strike for 24 hours on Thursday and again on Saturday, coinciding with the end of a week-long overtime ban by train drivers in the Aslef union. The 10 days of transport disruption will coincide with the peak summer holiday getaway weekend. Continue reading...
Tatton Park flower show features garden of flowering plants whose heady scents at night attract crucial but invisible' pollinatorsGardens should be as attractive to pollinators at night as they are in the day, horticulturalists have said, as they present a moth-friendly version at a flower show in Cheshire.The RHS nocturnal pollinators experience garden at Tatton Park flower show, which began on Wednesday, showcases flowering plants that produce heady scents at night to attract moths, which a 2020 study found were crucial but invisible" pollinators. Continue reading...
As much of the northern hemisphere endures blistering heatwaves and parts of Asia are deluged with rain, a number of climate records are being challengedThe climate crisis is moving into uncharted territory as much of the northern hemisphere endures a blistering heatwave, many countries are deluged with rain, sea surface temperatures reach new heights, and Antarctic sea ice new lows. A number of climate records - some unofficial - have tumbled in recent weeks.Many factors have combined for this to happen, including climate change but also the El Nino weather event, and the northern hemisphere summer. Continue reading...
by Ajit Niranjan Europe environment correspondent on (#6D448)
Campaigners say cheap flights, made possible by tax breaks for airlines, are encouraging people to heat the planetEurope's cheap flights and pricey train tickets promote dirty forms of transport, campaigners say, with outrageous" tax breaks encouraging people to heat the planet as they head on holiday.Train tickets are double the price of flights for the same routes, on average, according to an analysis from Greenpeace published on Thursday. The campaigners compared tickets on 112 routes on nine different days. To get from London to Barcelona, they found, the cost of taking the train is up to 30 times the cost of jumping on a plane. Continue reading...
James Hansen, who testified to Congress on global heating in 1988, says world is approaching a new climate frontier'The world is shifting towards a superheated climate not seen in the past 1m years, prior to human existence, because we are damned fools" for not acting upon warnings over the climate crisis, according to James Hansen, the US scientist who alerted the world to the greenhouse effect in the 1980s.Hansen, whose testimony to the US Senate in 1988 is cited as the first high-profile revelation of global heating, warned in a statement with two other scientists that the world was moving towards a new climate frontier" with temperatures higher than at any point over the past million years, bringing impacts such as stronger storms, heatwaves and droughts. Continue reading...
At least 97% of the blood samples contained a type of PFAS known as PFOS, associated with multiple serious health problemsCalifornia researchers have found new evidence that several chemicals used in plastic production and a wide array of other industrial applications are commonly present in the blood of pregnant women, creating increased health risks for mothers and their babies.The researchers said their findings add to a growing body of evidence showing that many chemicals people are routinely exposed to are leading to subtle but harmful changes in health. The work should be a wake-up call" to policymakers, they said.This story is co-published with the New Lede, a journalism project of the Environmental Working Group Continue reading...
Lords committee calls for creation of advisory groups to tackle the pollutants, which may increase risk of heart disease and premature deathLight and noise are neglected pollutants" that are causing significant harm to human health and can cause premature deaths, a group of peers have said.The science and technology committee of the House of Lords has called on ministers to do more to tackle these pollutants, which it claims are poorly understood and poorly regulated". Continue reading...
Report finds government goal to plant 30,000 hectares of woodland by March 2025 unlikely to be achievedThe government has met less than half of its annual tree-planting target in England, MPs have found, putting net zero ambitions at risk.The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) this year published what it called ambitious" nature targets, a requirement under the Environment Act, including the goal of planting 30,000 hectares of woodland by March 2025. A report by the environmental audit committee (EAC) of cross-party MPs has found that this target was unlikely to be met. Continue reading...
by Associated Press in Manzanillo, Mexico on (#6D304)
Timothy Shaddock, 54, and his dog Bella disembark tuna trawler that rescued him after a storm damaged his yacht and forced him to live off raw fish and rainwater
Whiskey Flat, once known for gold mining and wild west movies was covered again by previously drought-stricken Lake IsabellaAfter California's severe drought resurfaced a historic settlement from the depths of Lake Isabella, the ghost town of Whiskey Flat has once again returned to the water.Whiskey Flat, once known for gold mining and wild west movies was covered again by the previously drought-stricken lake in central California, SFGate reported. Lake Isabella's water levels had been low for years until this winter's onslaught of rain, highlighting the toll the climate crisis has had on the reservoirs and lakes that serve crucial roles in the state's water system. Continue reading...
Study identifies about 900,000 households with service lines definitely or possibly made of lead, a known neurotoxinOne in five New Yorkers may be drinking lead-contaminated water, a new report has found.Roughly 900,000 households - or 21% of the city's residents - live in properties with lead or possible lead service lines, the pipes that provide city water to individual properties. Lead can leach into the water from the pipes as the water travels through them. Continue reading...
Court told wild camping is not open-air recreation as park authority appeals against recent banWild camping is not recreation because sleeping is not an enjoyable activity, lawyers acting for a wealthy landowner said in court while defending a judge's decision to ban the activity on Dartmoor national park.In a packed courtroom at the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Tuesday, lawyers for the Dartmoor national park authority (DNPA) brought an appeal against the decision to ban backpack camping on the common land. The case hinges on whether wild camping counts as open-air recreation" as allowed in a 1985 law. Continue reading...
Britain's neglect of nuclear industry has been a colossal mistake' says energy ministerGrant Shapps has condemned the neglect of Britain's nuclear industry as a colossal mistake" as he earmarked 20bn for a fleet of new reactors - but admitted it would take six years to even make a decision on giving projects the green light.The government formally launched Great British Nuclear (GBN), an independent body designed to aid the delivery of new projects, on Tuesday. Continue reading...
Conservationists utterly elated' at arrival of first offspring since release of 25 of the eagles on Isle of WightA white-tailed eagle chick has hatched in England for the first time in more than 240 years, and conservationists are utterly elated" by the new arrival.White-tailed eagles were once widespread across England but were widely persecuted by humans, and the last record of a pair breeding was in 1780. Since 2019, 25 of these eagles, which are Britain's biggest bird of prey, have been released to the Isle of Wight as part of an effort to bring back long-lost species. Continue reading...
Environment | The Guardian