To counter attacks on net zero, challenges including the need for grid upgrades will have to be graspedWith net zero policies under attack from elected far-right populists as well as autocratic petrostates, and another summer of record-breaking temperatures in Europe, the failure to decarbonise the world's power supply is as gravely concerning as ever. But the UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, struck an optimistic note in a recent speech in New York. The world, he said, is on the cusp of a new era ... The sun is rising on a clean energy age." Pointing to falls in the cost of onshore wind and solar, and the risk of further gas-price shocks in future, he called on big technology companies - whose datacentres are one reason for soaring energy use - to adopt a target of 100% low-carbon electricity by 2030.Given US president Donald Trump's personal hostility to renewable energy, Mr Guterres may be right that it makes more sense to demand action from US businesses at this point. In Scotland earlier this week, Mr Trump launched his latest misleading tirade, urging European leaders to stop the windmills".Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...

Containment slips for megafire in Grand Canyon and large blaze in Utah as hot and dry weather fans flamesTwo wildfires burning in the western United States - including one that has become a mega-fire" on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon - are so hot that they are spurring the formation of fire clouds" that can create their own erratic weather systems.In Arizona, the wind-whipped wildfire that destroyed the Grand Canyon Lodge is 9% contained and has charred more than 164 sq miles (424 sq km) to become the largest fire now burning in the continental US and one of the top 10 largest in recorded Arizona history. Getting around it would be roughly like driving from New York City to Washington DC. Continue reading...

US banks have already pulled out of NZBA, the UN environment programme's finance initiativeBarclays has become the second UK bank to withdraw from a UN-backed net zero target-setting group, claiming that a wave of defections by international lenders meant it was no longer fit for purpose.It marks a fresh blow for the Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA), after HSBC left in early July. It came months after a wave of exits by US banks, which departed in the run-up to Donald Trump's inauguration in January. Continue reading...

Coalition opponents of net zero spruik coal, nuclear and gas as emissions policy divides opposition

New peer-reviewed research found an average of seven pesticides in each of 10 butterflies testedA 2024 mass monarch butterfly die-off in California was probably caused by pesticide exposure, new peer-reviewed research finds, adding difficult-to-obtain evidence to the theory that pesticides are partly behind dramatic declines in monarchs' numbers in recent decades.Researchers discovered hundreds of butterflies that had died or were dying in January 2024 near an overwintering site, where insects spend winter months. The butterflies were found twitching or dead in piles, which are common signs of neurotoxic pesticide poisoning, researchers wrote. Continue reading...

Weather bureau says bulk of the rain forecast to hit on weekend as a low-pressure system deepens off the coast

The US president promotes classical architecture and loathes ugly' wind turbines. Keir Starmer would dismiss him as a nimby, but on this Trump has a pointTrigger warning. Some readers may find this disturbing. Not everything Donald Trump says is mad and a lie. Not all of it is about money. Some of it is even worth saying. When he came to office, one of Trump's first actions was extraordinary. He directed his fire at what he saw as the ugliness of American architecture. He demanded that at least federal buildings should be visually identifiable as civic buildings, and respect regional, traditional, and classical architectural heritage in order to uplift and beautify public spaces and ennoble the United States". All plans had to be submitted to Washington for his approval.There was more than an element of psychological obsession in such bureaucracy. American classicism - born of an admiration for France's republicans - was a cult throughout the 19th century. The White House was based on a Dublin mansion. This week it was announced that it is to get what it has always lacked, a sumptuous new ballroom in which to receive and entertain foreign dignitaries. It is to be classical, with no nonsense about trying to make it look modern. That a president should seek to revive both regional and European style in the face of America's relentless modernism is a breath of fresh air.Simon Jenkins is a Guardian columnistDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...

The best of this week's wildlife photographs from around the world Continue reading...

Thistle-shaped Depastrum cyathiforme was last seen in France in 1976, but has now been found on South UistFor nearly 50 years, there has been no trace of Depastrum cyathiforme, a stalked jellyfish that resembles a thistle flower.The distinctive jellyfish was feared globally extinct after being last spotted in Roscoff, northern France, in 1976. Continue reading...

Government is counting on tech to provide a panacea, but there may be simpler ways to keep climate goals on track

Government says expanding Europe's largest airport could create 100,000 jobs and drive growth

William Thomas of Kerr county tells hearing illness meant he did not take part in emergency planning meetingsA key emergency official was sick and asleep for most of the day before devastating flash flooding swept through Texas hill country and killed more than 130 people over the Fourth of July weekend.Kerr county's emergency management coordinator, William B Thomas, had not spoken publicly since the floods, one of the state's worst ever natural disasters. Questions have swirled about his absence and the lack of sufficient warnings to residents about the impending storm before the Guadalupe river surged to record levels in the early hours of 4 July. Continue reading...

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The groups have long been at odds over culling of badgers in England as a way to control TB in cattleThe first farmer-led programme to vaccinate badgers against tuberculosis is beginning in Cornwall with an aim to prevent transmission of the disease to cattle.The programme is significant because farmers and scientists have long been at loggerheads over the culling of badgers as a way to control TB. The three-year trial will start with 70 farms and involve farmers trapping, testing and vaccinating badgers, with training provided by scientists. An earlier pilot study of the approach showed TB rates in badgers fell from 16% to zero in four years. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Simon Kennedy warns closed-door party meeting against backsliding on efforts to cut carbon emissions

EPA tries to rescind endangerment finding' - part of drill, baby, drill' agenda that experts say poses grave threatThe Trump administration is attempting to unmake virtually all climate US regulations in one fell swoop.At an Indiana truck dealership on Tuesday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unveiled a proposal to rescind the 16-year-old landmark legal finding which allows the agency to limit planet-heating pollution from cars and trucks, power plants and other industrial sources. Continue reading...

Local Communist party secretary says there were gaps' in city's readiness for extreme weather after at least 40 killedA Beijing city official has issued a rare public acknowledgment of official failings in the authorities' response to the severe flooding that hit China's capital this week.Yu Weiguo, a Communist party secretary for Miyun, the northern district worst affected by this week's extreme weather, said in a press conference on Thursday that there were gaps" in the city's readiness for the deadly floods. Continue reading...

State's fish and wildlife department posted a video showing an adult female guarding a nest of eggsAdult winter-run Chinook salmon have been spotted in northern California's McCloud River for the first time in nearly a century, according to the California department of fish and wildlife (CDFW).The salmon were confirmed to be seen near Ash Camp, tucked deep in the mountains of northern California where Hawkins creek flows into the McCloud River. A video posted by CDFW and taken by the Pacific states marine fisheries commission shows a female Chinook salmon guarding her nest of eggs on the river floor. Continue reading...

Newly appointed expedition botanist Matthew Jeffery feels daunted' but inspired by his unique globetrotting role collecting wild speciesIt was described as the best job in the natural world": an expedition botanist for Cambridge University Botanic Garden who would follow in the footsteps of Charles Darwin and go on plant-collecting adventures around the world.Within days of the job advertisement going viral, six people had sent it to Matthew Jeffery and suggested he apply. Continue reading...

The 40cm-long insect, named Acrophylla alta, weighs slightly less than a golf ball and may be the heaviest insect in Australia

Breeding event known as Cuttlefest takes place in waters off Point Lowly but this year scientists warn the effect of toxic algae could be catastrophic'

Fossil fuel reliance likely to continue and Cop28 target of limiting global heating to below 1.5C will be missedMost global governments have failed to act on the 2023 UN pledge to triple the world's renewable energy capacity by the end of the decade, according to climate analysts.The failure to act means that on current forecasts the world will fall far short of its clean energy goals, leading to a continued reliance on fossil fuels that is incompatible with the target of limiting global heating to below 1.5C. Continue reading...

Only a small sliver of riverside land is accessible to the public. Rights of way shouldn't depend on the goodwill of landownersIn a country often said to be racked by division, criticising the condition of rivers is one of England's few unifying pastimes. Sewage dumping, which occurred for nearly 4m hours in English rivers and coastal waters last year, has become a potent source of anger, inspiring campaigners to push for cleaner water. Despite the concern that people show for England's rivers, however, it is remarkably difficult to stroll along their banks, let alone take a dip.The Guardian's recent reporting on the River Dart in Devon has shown that large stretches of its bank are privately owned, and many of these are difficult to access. The researcher Lewis Winks, who used Land Registry data to map the Dart's ownership, found the 47-mile long river has no fewer than 108 separate owners. The Duchy of Cornwall owns 28 miles of riverbank; two aristocratic estates own a further 13; 11.6 miles are owned via offshore companies. Continue reading...

Young birds were closely monitored and protected from predators after six summers without fledging successA pair of Montagu's harriers have raised four chicks in an English wheat field, the first success for Britain's rarest breeding bird since 2019.The fledglings took their maiden flights this week after being closely monitored by the RSPB and the local farmer, with a protective wire-mesh fence installed around the nest to repel predators such as foxes. Continue reading...

Indian conglomerate's claim about exporting coal and its role for developing nations is meaningless sustainability waffle' and amounts to greenwashing, one says

Concerns poorer countries could be priced out of negotiations in Belem as room rates soar amid shortageThe UN climate bureau has held an urgent meeting about concerns that sky-high rates for accommodation at this year's Cop30 summit in Brazil could price poorer countries out of the negotiations.Brazil is preparing to host Cop30 this November in the rainforest city of Belem, where representatives of nearly every government in the world will gather to negotiate their joint efforts to curb the climate crisis. Continue reading...

Experts say thawing of permafrost due to climate breakdown is causing increase in rock collapses across AlpsHundreds of hikers and tourists were evacuated and dozens of trails closed after a series of rockfalls on the slopes of Cima Falkner in the Brenta Dolomites in the north of Italy, as experts warned of a sharp rise in landslides in the area linked to thawing permafrost.In recent days, visitors reported hearing loud booms followed by rockfalls and thick clouds of dust rising from Monte Pelmo in the Val di Zoldo after rocky pinnacles broke away and crashed down into the valley below in the municipality of Selva di Cadore in Italy's Belluno province. Continue reading...

Test is one of only about 200 chalk streams in the world and councillors says biodiversity in and around it has declinedLocal politicians have recognised the right of a famous chalk stream, the Test in Hampshire, to flow freely and unpolluted.Councillors on Test Valley borough council voted unanimously to acknowledge the intrinsic rights" of the rivers within its boundaries, including the Test, which is renowned for its trout and fly fishing. Continue reading...

Disgust at the CEO's rightwing activism is casting a pall but conservatives are no more likely to buy EVsUS liberals have become so disgusted with Tesla since Elon Musk's rightward turn that they are now not only far less likely to purchase the car brand but also less willing to buy any type of electric car, new research has found.The popularity of Tesla among liberal-minded Americans has plummeted since Musk, Tesla's chief executive and the world's richest person, allied himself with Donald Trump and helped propel the president to election victory last year. Continue reading...

Incidents across northern Europe on 26 and 27 July have left scientists trying to understand why so many of the deep-diving whales have appearedA series of strandings of one of the world's deepest dwelling and most rarely seen types of whale in the last few days has left experts baffled over why they might have appeared in such numbers.Beaked whales are used to deep ocean waters and are so rarely seen that some species have only ever been identified through dead specimens. But on 26 and 27 July there were reports from western Ireland, Orkney in Scotland and the Netherlands of these whales being stranded, raising concerns that human actions could be implicated in the animals' deaths. Continue reading...

Not a single licence granted since first beavers let loose in March, raising questions over application processWhen the first pair of beavers to be legally released in England crawled sleepily from their crates into the ponds of Purbeck Heath in Dorset, it seemed like a watershed moment for wildlife in the UK.Wildlife charities rejoiced as ministers finally agreed for the nature-boosting rodents to be released, subject to licence, into the wild. Nature-friendly farmers kept an eager eye out for the application forms, hoping they could host the fascinating creatures on their land. Continue reading...

Research links poor housing, access to cooling and other economic factors to higher mortality rates during heatwavesEthnic minorities and people living in the most deprived areas of England are at increased risk of dying due to excess heat, according to research.A study, published in BMJ Public Health, is the first of its kind to assess the role of socio-environmental factors in the risk of heat-related deaths. Continue reading...

Pesticide-free movement has grown, but many local authorities still spray weedkiller linked to wildlife declines and cancerMore than half of councils in the United Kingdom continue to use pesticides in parks, playgrounds, pavements, playing fields and housing estates, research revealed on Wednesday.But increasingly, local authorities are taking action to end or reduce their use of pesticides, according to research by the Pesticide Action Network. Continue reading...

Floods have caused extensive damage in Beijing and northern China, killing 30 people and forcing tens of thousands to evacuate.

River Action says failure to publish and put into practice policy on nationalisation of failing water firms is unlawfulA river charity is taking legal action against the environment secretary, Steve Reed, accusing him of an unlawful failure to publish his policy on taking failing water companies into temporary nationalisation.Lawyers for River Action argue that Thames Water has breached its duties and violated its licence conditions seriously and repeatedly, making it the clearest possible case for special administration. Continue reading...

EPA administrator Lee Zeldin announced plans to revoke key scientific finding that allows for US climate regulationDonald Trump's administration on Tuesday proposed revoking a scientific finding that has long been the central basis for US action to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change.The proposed Environmental Protection Agency rule rescinds a 2009 declaration that determined that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare. Continue reading...

Former energy officials raise alarm about tariffs, cuts and other policies creating uncertainty in geothermal industryGeothermal is one of the most promising clean energy sources in the US, providing 24/7 renewable power that could meet rising energy demand from AI datacentres. But former Department of Energy officials are alarmed that Donald Trump is fumbling its potential.Compared with other clean energy sources such as solar and wind, geothermal enjoys rare bipartisan support. The US energy secretary, Chris Wright, has praised the technology, calling it an awesome resource that's under our feet". And Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act preserved tax credits for geothermal. Continue reading...

Developing snorkelling trails is part of my job, but I never tire of the teeming underwater life and seeing some of the least crowded parts of Britain's coastPeople always ask me: isn't it too cold to snorkel in Scotland? And I reply that while it's obviously much cooler than it would be in Spain, the sea does warm up from May, when the temperature rises from about 9C to as high as 12-15C by August and September.I go snorkelling in Scotland all year round. I work for the Scottish Wildlife Trust, developing snorkel trails on the Scottish coast and creating guides to the places you can go to enjoy snorkelling in a particular area. But even so, the Wildlife Trust always recommends wearing a wetsuit. Continue reading...

Pollution incidents reported between 2014 and 2019 were compared against scientific study that used satellite imagery to count slicksJust 474 out of more than 90,000 oil slicks from ships around the world were reported to authorities over a five-year period, it can be revealed, and barely any resulted in any punishment or sanctions.The figure, obtained from Lloyd's List by the Guardian and Watershed Investigations, shows the pollution incidents reported between 2014 and 2019, compared against a scientific study using satellite imagery that counted the number of slicks from ships over the same period. Continue reading...

Ofwat finds company breached its legal obligations in how it operated its wastewater treatment works

Research shows difficulties ahead for ministers if they are to keep manifesto pledge to extend riverside public accessCampaigners in Devon are calling for a right to the riverbank after finding their local river, the Dart, has 108 separate owners, with an eighth of it owned via offshore companies.Locals used site visits, angling maps, Companies House records and Land Registry data to find out who owns the River Dart. Continue reading...

Independent MP Jacqui Scruby says she saw fresh koala scratchings on trees just metres from clear-felling' in parts of proposed Great Koala national park

Government launches licensing round for 52 fossil fuel blocks, potentially undermining a flagship conservation initiative and affecting an estimated 39 million peopleThe Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is opening crucial gorilla habitats and pristine forests to bids for oil and gas drilling, with plans to carve up more than half the country into fossil fuel blocks.The blocks opened for auction cover 124m hectares (306m acres) of land and inland waters described by experts as the world's worst place to prospect for oil" because they hold vast amounts of carbon and are home to some of the planet's most precious wildlife habitats, including endangered lowland gorillas and bonobo. Continue reading...

Authorities relocated 80,000 residents from China's capital after registering rainfall of up to 543 mm in some districtsMore than 30 people have been killed by heavy rain and flooding in Beijing and a neighbouring region, state media have reported, as tens of thousands more were evacuated from China's capital.State broadcaster CCTV said that as of midnight on Monday, 28 people had died in Beijing's hard-hit Miyun district and two others in Yanqing district as of midnight. Both are outlying parts of the sprawling city, far from the downtown. Continue reading...

Environment secretary says Defra will be launching changes to post-Brexit scheme for sustainable farmingFarmers in England will get new payments for cleaning up the waterways near their land, the environment secretary has said.Agricultural pollution affects 40% of Britain's lakes and rivers, as fertiliser and animal waste washes off the land into waterways. Continue reading...

Two huge swarms have made themselves at home inside author Pip Harry's house - but learning to live together revealed bees can be excellent housemates

Undocumented migrants form the backbone of the salad bowl of the world' - Trump's crackdown has led to hyper-vigilanceDriving into the Salinas valley, about two hours south of San Francisco, hand-painted signs fly by, advertising cherries, pistachios, avocados and garlic.From above, the valley looks like a quilt stitched together out of a thousand shades of green - the fields of lettuce, spinach and strawberries that give the region its nickname, the salad bowl of the world". Continue reading...

Microplastics have been found in the placentas of unborn babies, the depths of the Mariana Trench, the summit of Everest and the organs of Antarctic penguins. But how do they travel through the world, and what do they do to the creatures that carry them? Here is the story of how plastic contaminates entire ecosystems - and even the food we eat. Illustrations by Claire Harrup Continue reading...

Experts welcome move by NSW government, saying nets are ineffective at preventing shark bites and indiscriminately' kill marine life

Exclusive: Solar-powered units reciting biblical passages have appeared in the Javari valley, despite strict laws protecting Indigenous groups