Environment | The Guardian

Homes and businesses are likely to be flooded quickly in north-west England, the forecaster saidFloods across the UK have brought misery to drivers and commuters on Monday, as the Met Office extended its amber thunderstorm warning of heavy rain, lightning, hail and strong winds.Homes and businesses are likely to be flooded quickly in north-west England, the forecaster said, with damage to buildings expected as a result of the storm. Some communities are also likely to become temporarily cut off by flooded roads, with power cuts likely to occur along with difficult driving conditions and road closures. Continue reading...

National Grid asks for two units at Ratcliffe-on-Soar plant to be brought into action after temperature tops 30CNational Grid has broken a 46-day run in which coal has not been used to generate electricity in Britain in order to meet extra demand for air conditioning as the country swelters in hot weather.The grid’s electricity system operator (ESO) asked Uniper, the owner of Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station in Nottinghamshire, to start producing power from the coal-fired plant, prompting criticism from green campaigners. Continue reading...

Alliance for Responsible Citizenship includes prominent Brexit voices and Bjørn Lomborg, who has questioned the urgency of the climate crisis

Action on 24-25 June will not go ahead after improved pay offer from airport, Unite saysThe first of a series of summer weekend strikes by security staff at Heathrow airport has been called off, raising hopes the dispute may be ended before peak season.Unite said the strike by about 2,000 of its members on 24-25 June would not now go ahead due to an improved pay offer from Heathrow. Continue reading...

Residents in London borough cut their driving by nearly a mile a day after LTNs introduced, says studyLow-traffic neighbourhoods seemingly can prompt residents to drive less, with a study showing people in one London borough cut their driving by nearly a mile a day on average after LTNs were introduced.While the research covers only four LTNs created in 2020, it is potentially significant because it contradicts the objection from opponents of the schemes that they make people drive further on less direct routes. Continue reading...

Springer spaniel trained to recognise scent of great crested newt with 87% success rate from distance of 2 metresFrom terrorists to drug traffickers, detection dogs are trained to sniff out the most elusive of offenders. Now a springer spaniel called Freya has taken up the scent of another slippery species: the great crested newt.Sheltering in underground burrows and rocky crevices, these warty amphibians are a protected species under rules overseen by Natural England. Boris Johnson previously complained that newt-counting delays had become “a massive drag on the prosperity of this country” because building developers must search for, and move them, before construction projects can begin. Continue reading...

Conservation scientists warn releases of rare or extinct species may spread diseases and harm attempts to save other butterflies“Ridiculous” illegal reintroductions of rare or extinct butterflies to new sites in Britain risk introducing disease, damage attempts to save species and jeopardise well-planned releases, conservationists have warned.Conservation scientists spoke out after black-veined whites, which fell extinct in Britain 100 years ago, reappeared on a nature reserve near Croydon. Continue reading...

A 10-year project to name all of South Africa’s birds in the evocative isiZulu language is finally giving a voice to Indigenous communitiesUntil recently, a Zulu speaker who spotted an iCape gannet would have no choice but to refer to the majestic seabird by its unedifying “zulufied” name. But now the gannet, which can plunge into the ocean at speeds of up to 120km/h when hunting sardines, finally has a Zulu name that does it justice: isicibamanzi (the spear into the water).After years of research and work with Indigenous communities, a list of isiZulu vernacular names for all 878 birds found in South Africa has recently been put together. Continue reading...

Younger people believe companies have social responsibilities, while conservatives say they should stay out of politics – and the fight won’t end soonBud Light, Target – and now Cracker Barrel? “We take no pleasure in reporting that @CrackBarrel has fallen,” the conservative group Texas Family said in a tweet last Thursday, in response to the southern-food restaurant chain marking Pride month on social media. “A once family-friendly establishment has caved to the mob.”The conservative backlash against American brands appears to have reached new heights over the last few weeks as companies show their support for Pride month and other LGBTQ+ issues. It is part of a wider backlash against corporate involvement in social, environmental or political issues that appears to be gathering steam. Continue reading...

Plaintiffs say state violated constitutional guarantee to a ‘clean and healthful environment’ for ‘present and future generations’A groundbreaking climate change trial will begin on Monday in a courtroom in Montana’s capital city, involving 16 young residents who allege state officials violated their constitutional rights to a healthy environment.Filed in March 2020, the lawsuit, Held v Montana, will mark the first-ever constitutional climate trial in US history. Continue reading...

New, noninvasive techniques turn samples of sea water into a treasure trove of genetic information about the species belowHanging over the side of the boat, Nahi El Bar Jiyed scoops up a jug of sea water, then carefully pours it into a large syringe. While the sample may seem ordinary, to the biologist it’s a trove of secrets: the DNA of every living creature swimming below.He presses the water sample through a filter about the size of his hand, which captures the DNA fragments, then repeats the process several more times. Meters away, a sea turtle emerges for a breath then retreats to the seagrass meadow below.Scientists and students take water samples at Banc d’Arguin national park in Mauritania Continue reading...

Exclusive: Big water brands forecast to grow with UK on track to use 2.8bn bottles a year by 2026, finds researchRestrictions should be put on bottled water advertising and a 10p tax should be added to shrink-wrapped packs to curb the UK’s 10m bottle-a-day habit, according to campaigners hoping to tackle the plastic pollution crisis.Despite the supposed plastics backlash inspired by TV shows such as the BBC’s Blue Planet, big water brands are forecast to chalk up growth of more than 10% over the next four years, equivalent to an extra 280m bottles, a new report by the consultancy Retail Economics says. Continue reading...

Proposed changes include a slurry plant to help dig through soft rock, as National Parks Association says ‘enormous damage’ caused already

New York City, parts of Pennsylvania and Baltimore all issued warnings as 421 wildfires continue to burn north of borderPoor air quality returned to the north-east US on Sunday, although it was nowhere near as bad as the heavy haze that recently shrouded the region and triggered global headlines as wind-borne smoke from raging Canadian wildfires caused orange skies, thick smog and record-setting pollutant levels.On Sunday morning, a smoke plume moved across New York City, leaving the air quality index in the city at 103 and categorized as “unhealthy for sensitive groups”, particularly for those with heart or lung problems. Continue reading...

Nicola Shaw, who made the announcement due to public anger over sewage in rivers, is in line for a windfall of more than £1m from her previous roleThe boss of Yorkshire Water’s decision to forgo her annual bonus due to public anger over sewage pollution of rivers has been labelled a “hollow” gesture by a leading union, after it emerged that she was already in line for a windfall of more than £1m from a previous role.Nicola Shaw, who joined from National Grid last year, will receive share awards worth £1.3m from the energy network operator next month under a long-term incentive plan initiated in 2020, according to its annual report released last week. Continue reading...

Details of woman’s final days emerge after four siblings rescued following almost six weeks in Amazon jungleThe mother of the four young Colombian siblings who managed to survive for almost six weeks in the Amazon jungle clung to life for four days after their plane crashed before telling her children to leave her in the hope of improving their chances of being rescued.Details of the woman’s final days came as further information emerged about the children’s astonishing feat of endurance. Continue reading...

With locally grown Valencia oranges, watermelon radish and broccolini, kids enjoy nutritious meals – while small farmers and the community also benefitMature grapefruit and avocado trees line one side of Magnolia elementary school in sunny Upland, California, a small city about half an hour east of Los Angeles. About 120 students participate in the school’s garden club where, in addition to learning about gardening and farming, they enjoy the literal fruits of their labor when their food is harvested and served in Upland unified school district cafeterias.“It helps them understand the produce they’re seeing in the salad bar,” says Upland unified’s farm-to-school manager, Cassidy Furnari. Continue reading...

Record dryness has restored an ecosystem under Lake Powell, the country’s second-largest reservoir. Is it time to see it as ‘a national park rather than a storage tank’?One night in May 2003, I found myself in search of a disappearing lake.A friend and I had ventured to the Hite Marina on Lake Powell to see what America’s second-largest reservoir looked like after three years of record drought. In search of a camping spot, we drove down a boat ramp that just a few years earlier was bustling with boaters. Now it sat eerily on a dry lakebed. Continue reading...

Project to reintroduce big cat to the wild set back by loss of adults and cubs at reserveA controversial attempt to reintroduce cheetahs to the wild has suffered a major setback after three adults and three cubs died over the past eight months.The deaths have led to criticisms of Project Cheetah, a £4.8m international scheme that involved moving 20 animals from Africa to India’s Kuno National Park earlier this year. Some conservationists say not enough space was reserved for the cheetahs while others complained that the project was set up too hastily. Continue reading...

There are no signs yet that last year’s 40C will be breached again, but meteorologists predict such peaks could become the normTemperatures have soared above 30C for the first time this year – and meteorologists forecast the chance of Britain experiencing a hot summer is now 45% – 2.3 times the normal figure.The warning leaves the nation braced for a possible repeat of last year’s record-breaking heatwave which triggered wildfires, disrupted rail transport, closed schools, led to thousands of premature deaths and saw temperatures break the 40C record in the UK for the first time. Continue reading...

Bipoc-led local farms in unconventional spaces decentralize systems that have produced food deserts and create food equityOn a recent Sunday morning in South Los Angeles, Crop Swap LA volunteers and staffers harvested bags of freshly picked produce from the front yard of a residence. Located just steps from Leimert Park Plaza, the Asante microfarm is the first of what will be numerous microfarms created by the organization, which is dedicated to growing hyperlocal food on unused spaces “in the neighborhood, exclusively for the neighborhood”.“Everything we’re growing is nutrient-dense and the food remains in the neighborhood,” says Jamiah Hargins, who founded Crop Swap LA in 2018 as a small monthly swap of surplus produce. After spending years in finance and consulting, Hargins decided to create a local food distribution system to address the fact that his neighborhood was a food desert, meaning most residents have little access to healthy food. It’s now one of many Bipoc-led groups across the US that are reclaiming their agricultural heritage and redefining the local food movement by growing on traditional farms and unconventional spaces such as yards, medians and vacant lots as a way to increase food security and health in their own communities. Continue reading...

Fishery board reports shrinkage in size of River Ness as water scarcity alert issued for parts of ScotlandConcern has been raised about the water levels of Loch Ness and the River Ness amid the protracted dry spell affecting Scotland and the rest of the UK.Brian Shaw, the director of Ness District Salmon Fishery Board, said there had been a dramatic shrinkage in the size of the River Ness. He told the BBC: “These conditions are not normally good for angling. Continue reading...

Environmental groups’ lawsuit seeks to force tighter regulation of neonicotinoids on seeds that pollute soil, water and airEnvironmental groups are suing the US Environmental Protection Agency over pesticide-coated seeds they say have “devastating environmental impacts” and are spread largely without regulatory oversight.The suit alleges the neonicotinoid seeds are now spread on about 150m acres (61m hectares) of US farmland and up to 95% of the pesticide on the seed sheds, polluting nearby soil, water and air. The seeds are so dangerous to wildlife that just one can kill a bird, the groups note. Continue reading...

As activist graduates from school, she says she will still protest on Fridays as ‘fight has only just begun’After what began as a solo protest in Sweden five years ago and grew into a movement with millions of children across the world participating, Greta Thunberg has taken part in her last “school strike” protest as she graduates from school.The protests, which led to many climate activist movements across Europe, the US and Australia, are known as Fridays for Future or School Strike for Climate. Continue reading...

Thirty-hectare site above Dart valley will include lichens and ferns and could take a century to reach maturityA temperate rainforest, a magical, wildlife-rich place of mosses, lichens and ferns, is being planted on the slopes above a West Country river, tumbling almost to the doors of one of the UK’s most green-minded towns.Tree species including sessile oak, birch, rowan, holly, alder, willow and hazel are to be introduced to the 30-hectare (74-acre) site above the Dart valley and close to the Devon town of Totnes in the south of England. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Natural England chair Tony Juniper says government must work quickly to reconcile farming and natureEngland will not meet its biodiversity targets at current rates, the chair of Natural England has said, as he accused ministers of moving too slowly to regenerate nature.Tony Juniper, who has been in post at the government’s nature quango since 2019, said ministers were not on track to meet species abundance targets, which have been criticised by wildlife charities as “embarrassingly poor”. Continue reading...

Researchers used a model to predict how the smoke would move through the region and said it wouldn’t pose a health riskSmoke from Canadian wildfires that has descended upon parts of the eastern US and Canada in a thick haze has drifted over Norway and is expected to hit southern Europe, Norwegian officials said on Friday.Using a climate forecast model, atmosphere and climate scientists with the Norwegian climate and environmental research institute (NILU) predicted how the smoke would travel through the atmosphere, flowing over the Scandinavian country before moving further south. The smoke was not expected to pose a health risk there. Continue reading...

North-eastern states remain under air pollution alerts though ‘some improvement’ as number of fires in Canada reduces slightlyMillions of North Americans remained under air quality warnings on Friday, even as smoke from hundreds of Canadian wildfires began to dissipate in the north-eastern US.Moderate to unhealthy air quality continued to linger across a swath of the US and Canada, from the midwest to the Atlantic coast, the US National Weather Service said, although it said “some improvement” will continue this weekend. Continue reading...

With the Empire State Building and the Lincoln Memorial blotted out, the US is experiencing the climate catastrophe first-handThe unnerving sight of New York City’s skies turning a dystopian orange from wildfire smoke is just the latest in a barrage of recent distress signals that life in the US is starting to fray under the relentless pressure of the climate crisis, experts have warned.On Wednesday, New York held the dubious title of having the worst air quality in the world, with Detroit in second place, as plumes of smoke from hundreds of fires in Ontario and Quebec were carried south by a stiff breeze. Continue reading...

Study says marine life being harmed by prescription and recreational drugs in wastewaterA study looking at water pollution on the south coast of England has revealed high levels of potentially harmful chemicals including recreational drugs and antidepressants.Scientists involved in the research say marine life is being harmed by human drugs, pointing to evidence that oestrogen in water can feminise male fish through biological changes. Continue reading...

Canada wildfires drive home catastrophe among patients grappling with fears of a ‘new normal’As Kim Saira scrolled through TikToks showing a curtain of yellow smoke descending over New York, she felt a panic attack coming on. Though she lives an entire coast away from the crisis, Saira began to fear for her parents, who are essential workers in Queens.“I had to completely turn off my phone, because I was getting so anxious,” said Saira, a Los Angeles-based healing coach. “My chest hurt, I felt like I couldn’t sit still, and I started pacing around. I couldn’t do any work.” Continue reading...

Satellite images captured from the International Space Station on Wednesday showed smoke from Canada's raging wildfires spreading to the US. The massive cloud of smoke was seen moving across Lake Superior, in the Great Lakes region, passing over Lake Huron and Lake Erie, and ending in Pennsylvania, which appears completely obscured. The smoke pushed further down the Atlantic seaboard on Thursday, blanketing Washington DC in an unhealthy haze Continue reading...

As Russian oil and gas imports fell petrostates including UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia increased exports to UKUK fossil fuel imports from authoritarian petrostates surged to £19.3bn in the year following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it can be revealed.Efforts to end the purchasing of oil and gas from Russia appear to have resulted in a surge in imports from other authoritarian regimes, including Algeria, Bahrain, Kuwait, Libya, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to data from the Office for National Statistics analysed by DeSmog. Continue reading...

Rachel Reeves says fiscal rule is priority as she delays start of promised investment in eco-friendly industry

New rules agreed at meeting of environment ministers welcomed as breakthrough by conservationistsIndustry will be forced to do more to cut waste and boost recycling after Australia’s federal and state governments agreed for the first time to impose mandatory packaging rules on manufacturers and retailers.The agreement, at a meeting of environment ministers in Sydney on Friday, was welcomed by conservationists as a major breakthrough after years of voluntary industry action has failed to reduce waste. Continue reading...

The best of this week’s wildlife photographs, including a hungry gull, a rare wolverine and a police escort for ducks Continue reading...

Plumes of smoke move southwards across US east coast. Elsewhere, Japan hit by remnants of Typhoon MawarWildfires in Quebec, Canada, continue to rage, following a spring that was drier and warmer than normal, creating perfect conditions for wildfires to develop. As of 7 June, at least 150 fires remained active across the province, with more than 400 across the country according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Officials warned this could be the country’s worst wildfire season to date, with at least 9.4m acres of land destroyed so far.Plumes of smoke from the fires have been moving southwards across the US east coast, delaying thousands of flights. The US National Weather Service also issued air quality alerts for many states, with air quality index levels above 400 – a level of 300 is considered “hazardous” – in some states. A fairly static weather pattern this weekend will mean further plumes of smoke moving towards eastern parts of the US. Continue reading...

The testing program will be offered to anyone living near the mine on tank water as part of a broader monitoring program

Labor says plans ‘should never have been submitted’ by former Coalition government ‘because they were never going to get accredited’

Orange smoky skies might be a new phenomenon for those on the east coast, but for the American west, it’s just the average summerIt was a sight all too familiar to Californians: orange skies and thick smoke blanketing the sky, emitting the eerily out-of-place smell of a campfire.But this time the scenes were in New York City, as smoke from more than 400 wildfires darkened the famous skyline and gave the US its worst day of air pollution in recent history. Continue reading...

US vice-president said administration working with Canada to tackle the crisis; Canadian PM accuses opposition leader of fighting climate planProtesters are set to descend upon the White House on Thursday amid growing anger among climate activists at Joe Biden for allowing a controversial gas pipeline in Appalachia to be fast-tracked.Several hundred protesters are expected to demand Biden “reclaim his climate legacy” by blocking the Mountain Valley pipeline, a 300-mile pipeline that will bring fracked gas from West Virginia to southern Virginia. Continue reading...

Millions of Americans remain under air pollution warnings as schools close and air travel is disrupted• Wildfires latest news – liveToxic smoke from Canadian wildfires could linger over vast swaths of the US for days, officials warned, as millions of Americans remained under air pollution warnings.Across the eastern US residents were again urged to stay inside and limit or avoid outdoor activities on Thursday, as schools in some cities closed, sporting events were canceled and air travel was disrupted. Continue reading...

Ukrainian president warns flood waters contaminated with sewage, oil, chemicals and possibly anthraxVolodymyr Zelenskiy has said the ecological disaster triggered by the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam has become a global problem as severely contaminated waters flow into the Black Sea.The Ukrainian president said the flood waters raging through the lower Dnipro River valley brought with them sewage, oil, chemicals and possibly anthrax from animal burial sites. Continue reading...

Exclusive: rapid analysis of extreme event by Stanford University shows worst day of exposure to such pollution since 2006

As Green leader prepares to step down, she leaves behind a more established party that must continue to evolve without her

From breathing in particles to wearing masks again, Guardian readers have told us how they have been affected by the wildfires smokeHundreds of fires are burning in Canada, from the western provinces to Nova Scotia and Quebec in the east, where there are more than 150 active fires.Smoke from the wildfires in Canada has been moving south into the US since May and is affecting tens of millions of people in the north-east, but also the midwest and as far down as the Carolinas. Continue reading...

Advocacy group says continued destruction of critical habitat leaves it no choice but to take legal action against Steven GuilbeaultEnvironmental groups in Canada are taking legal action against the country’s environment minister, arguing his delay in protecting old growth forest is harming the critically endangered northern spotted owl.In February, Steven Guilbeault said he would recommend an emergency order after determining the species was facing “imminent threats” to its survival. Continue reading...

Former party leader says she wants to ‘dedicate myself fully to climate and nature’

Better management of existing apex predators and compensation schemes for farmers and gamekeepers needed, broadcaster saysLynx and wolves are likely to become feared and hated if they are reintroduced into Britain’s forests, the adventurer and broadcaster Ray Mears has warned.Speaking at Cheltenham science festival, he said Britain was not ready for such rewilding schemes, despite the potential ecological benefits. Continue reading...

Heavy snow from a harsh winter buried food sources and forced the herd to starve or venture into new territoriesEast of Yosemite national park, Mono Lake is an ancient body of water, home to millions of brine shrimp and waterfowl and providing stunning views. It’s also home to a herd of more than 500 wild horses that began arriving in the area around 2015.This spring, as snowdrifts from a record-setting winter storm began to melt, officials were surprised to find the horses turning up dead. Continue reading...