Environment | The Guardian

Burning with unquenchable resentment, Restore Trust is making another attempt at taking over the institutionThe leaves are starting to change and there's autumnal coolth in the air. Which means that the opaquely funded private organisation called Restore Trust is once again making its annual attempt to take over one of the country's most successful and best-loved institutions, the National Trust. Burning with unquenchable resentment about a 2020 report that truthfully stated that Winston Churchill opposed Indian independence; armed with inflated stories about mushroom bans, cancelled Easters and vote-rigging; and furious about a single disco ball in one room of one of the National Trust's 230 historic houses, Restore Trust has once again put up a slate of candidates for the National Trust's council, with a view to turning their grievances into policy. If you're a member of the National Trust, and you'd rather not see it turned into a platform for an angry minority, vote now for its recommended candidates. Continue reading...

Big River Watch scheme asks general public to help monitor state of rivers after years of deregulationRivers will be checked for sewage and other pollution by the general public this month in an attempt to assess the health of British waterways.Cuts to the UK regulators and a change in the law to allow water company self-monitoring of pollution in England mean there is little independent monitoring of the state of rivers in the UK. Continue reading...

Driver, a 32-year-old man, escaped blaze in the early hours of Saturday unharmed

Hottest summer on record continues, with millions from Phoenix to Los Angeles to Seattle under heat alertsAn intense heatwave across the US west has brought unusually warm temperatures to the region - some of the highest of the season - and broken heat records.Millions of Americans from Phoenix to Los Angeles to Seattle are under heat alerts. Even before this latest bout of extreme weather, which began on Wednesday and is expected to last through the weekend, summer 2024 was already considered the hottest summer on record. Continue reading...

Soggy summers and warmer winters are hitting sales as climate crisis blurs seasonsWhen the season switched from summer to autumn, like clockwork clothing stores would swap out the racks of floaty frocks and fill them with heavy coats and jumpers.Now, as the nights draw in, retailers are having to rejig seasonal ranges as the UK's unpredictable weather calls for summer jackets and lighter knits. Continue reading...

This year will more than likely end up the warmest humanity has measured, reports European climate serviceSummer 2024 sweltered to Earth's hottest on record, making it even more likely that this year will end up as the warmest humanity has measured, the European climate service Copernicus reported on Friday.And if this sounds familiar, that's because the records the globe shattered were set just last year as human-caused climate change, with a temporary boost from an El Nino, keeps dialing up temperatures and extreme weather, scientists said. Continue reading...

Co-leader kicks off party conference by saying chancellor is not looking in the right place' for money

Many ready-to-drink cocktails have as much sugar as Coca-Cola - but a loophole avoids the ultra-processed' tagIf you've browsed the refrigerated section of a liquor store recently, a bevy of pre-mixed cocktails may have caught your eye - pina coladas, vodka mules, rum and cokes, even a mojito. And if you've cracked one open, you may have thought, A little sweet for my taste, but not bad." Turn the bottle around to look for the nutrition facts label to figure out exactly how much sugar or artificial sweetener is in there ... and you're likely to come up empty.Many ready-to-drink cocktails and alcopops contain as much sugar as carbonated beverages like Coca-Cola. All that sugar - and other additives - has many alcoholic beverages falling into the category of ultra-processed foods" (UPF). But unlike other sugary beverages, most alcoholic drinks aren't required to print nutrition facts - opening up a loophole for ultra-processed foods to unknowingly sneak their way into our diets. Continue reading...

Donald Trump gets everything wrong about the climate crisis. The results of the vote in November could reverberate for a million yearsHere is the biggest thing happening on our planet as we head into the autumn of 2024: the Earth is continuing to heat dramatically. Scientists have said that there's a better than 90% chance that this year will top 2023 as the warmest ever recorded. And paleoclimatologists were pretty sure last year was the hottest in the last 125,000 years. The result is an almost-cliched run of disasters: open Twitter/X anytime for pictures of floods pushing cars through streets somewhere. It is starting to make life on this planet very difficult, and in some places impossible. And it's on target to get far, far worse. Continue reading...

Authorities in Dutch capital launch Operation plant pot', saying excessive pot placement threatens accessibilityResidents have reacted with bemusement at plans by authorities in Amsterdam to crack down on what it sees as a plague of messy plant pots.In an approach named Operation plant pot" by the local media, the Dutch capital's central district is limiting residents to two pots with footprints no larger than 50cm by 50cm, made of sustainable" material and placed against their front wall. Rogue gardens of pots in parking spots and under trees will be confiscated, according to the policy memo. Continue reading...

Activists says EU court ruling on transparency makes mockery of laws to protect the environmentCampaigners have said that the EU is failing to enforce rules on illegal fishing, and allowing member states to conceal information that could help uncover breaches of fishing law.The court of justice of the EU ruled on Thursday that member states could keep vital details of their implementation of fishing rules under wraps, in a blow to environmental campaigners hoping to use the information to show whether the regulations are working. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Reliance on fossil fuels fell in August to less than one-fifth of all electricity generated across countryGreat Britain's electricity system has recorded its greenest ever summer after growing numbers of wind and solar farms cut the need for gas power plants to fresh lows.Analysis of energy generation data, commissioned by the Guardian, revealed that Britain's reliance on fossil fuels fell in August to less than one-fifth of all electricity, or 4 terawatt hours (TWh), its lowest ever level for a one-month period. Continue reading...

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

The third edition of Yeast looks at how human food consumption and production affects the social sphere and contributes to climate catastrophe Yeast photo festival: From Planet to Plate, is in Matino and Salento, Italy, from 19 September to 3 November Continue reading...

New research shows that cases of valley fever, which in rare cases can be fatal, have risen dramatically in recent yearsAt least 19 people contracted valley fever, a fungal infection that in rare cases can be fatal, after attending an outdoor music festival in southern California in May, public health officials have reported.The number of illnesses associated with the five-day Lightning in a Bottle event has almost quadrupled over the last month. Valley fever is caused by inhaling Coccidioides, a fungus endemic to the soil of the US south-west. New research shows that cases of the illness have risen dramatically in recent years. Continue reading...

Because bats feed on crop pests, their disappearance led to a surge in pesticide use. Research found a rise in infant mortality in areas where the bats had been wiped outIn 2006, a deadly fungus started killing bat colonies across the United States. Now, an environmental economist has linked their loss to the deaths of more than 1,300 children.The study, published in Science on Thursday, found that farmers dramatically increased pesticide use after the bat die-offs, which was in turn linked to an average infant mortality increase of nearly 8%. Unusually, the research suggests a causative link between human and bat wellbeing. Continue reading...

Study's authors say integrity of higher education at risk' upon finding lack of attention to role of oil and gas firmsFossil fuel companies' funding of universities' climate-focused efforts is delaying the green transition, according to the most extensive peer-reviewed study to date of the industry's influence on academia.For the study, published in the journal WIREs Climate Change on Thursday, six researchers pored over thousands of academic articles on industries' funding of research from the past two decades. Just a handful of them focused on oil and gas companies, showing a worrying lack of attention" to the issue, the analysis says. Continue reading...

Enthusiasts discovered Norfolk snout, thought to have died out in the UK in 1971, in their gardenThe Norfolk snout was always a rare moth in Britain. By the late 1960s, populations of this small beige moth with its distinctive protuberant nose" had dwindled to just one site - a working quarry in north-west Norfolk.Bad weather or possibly overcollection by a few zealots meant that the moth, which has a 20mm wingspan, became extinct in Britain in 1971. Continue reading...

Experts urge Australia not to delay target too long as report by Climate Change Authority identifies six barriers to net zero

The Climate Change Authority's sector pathways review says a huge national effort is needed and the net zero goal should become front of mind for business, investors and governments

More than 1,200 hectares of Cumbrian forest will be transformed into England's highest nature reserveSkiddaw has long stood proud in the northern Lake District, a distinctive, treeless peak that is England's sixth highest mountain. But now the fell's barren heights will spring back to life after its purchase for rewilding by Cumbria Wildlife Trust.More than 1,200 hectares of Skiddaw Forest, once a royal hunting ground, will become England's highest nature reserve and the UK's biggest project to restore Atlantic rainforest, after the site came up for sale for 6.25m. Continue reading...

California, Nevada and Arizona swelter in what could be the most intense heatwave of an already blazing seasonSearing temperatures are roasting the US west once again this week, as a brutal heatwave could bring some of the highest temperatures of the summer so far.Excessive heat warnings were in effect across parts of southern California, Arizona and Nevada, affecting tens of millions of people. The harsh weather was predicted to peak beginning on Wednesday and last into the weekend. Continue reading...

Hottest large city in US broke previous heat record from 1993 as temperatures are expected to reach 110 tomorrowPhoenix, Arizona, saw its 100th straight day of 100F (37.7C) heat this week.The hottest large city in the United States broke its previous record of 76 consecutive 100F days set in 1993. The relentless streak, which started on 27 May and hit its 100th day on Tuesday, is forecast to persist into next week. An excessive heat warning is in effect through Friday, with temperatures expected to reach 110F (43C) tomorrow. Continue reading...

Scheme helping people in England connect with nature led to better mental health, report findsA major scheme helping people in England connect with nature led to big improvements in mental health, a report has found.The prescribing of activities in nature to tackle mental ill health has benefited thousands of people across England, a government-backed project has shown. Continue reading...

ELM Mobility joint venture by Prodrive and Astheimer Design aims for 10,000 one-person quadricycles by 2030Two British automotive companies have teamed up to build thousands of electric delivery vehicles in the UK - the latest in a line of businesses attempting the risky push into vehicle manufacturing after several prominent failures.The motorsport manufacturer Prodrive and Astheimer Design have said they plan to build 10,000 of their one-person delivery vehicles by 2030, with production planned for the UK. Continue reading...

Guitarist says he is recovering after little health hiccup' last week left him unable to use his left armThe Queen guitarist Brian May has revealed he recently had a minor stroke that left him unable to use his left arm.The band's lead guitarist and astrophysicist announced he had experienced a health hiccup" last week but reassured fanshe was recovering and able to play music again after being temporarily unable to control his limb. Continue reading...

New data reveals the virus has spread to endangered species in Antarctica - yet the H5N1's risk to biodiversity, farming and human health is little exploredWith at least 280 million birds dead since October 2021, the highly infectious H5N1 strain of avian flu has devastated poultry and caused the biggest sudden drop of the world's wild bird population in decades. The millions of wild birds killed includes tens of thousands of endangered and endemic species - and tens of thousands of mammals have died too.Today, new data, published in Nature Communications, documents the disease's spread to the southernmost tip of the planet - the Antarctic region - where it has inflicted significant die-offs in elephant seals and fur seals. This outbreak has affected every continent except Oceania, and yet there has been little coverage of the impact on global biodiversity and farming systems - or of potential risks to human health. Continue reading...

Three states and the Northern Territory face an increased risk of bushfire this spring, according to fire authorities and the BoM

Take renewable energy out of the equation and there isn't much else expected to reduce fossil fuel use this side of 2030

Arithmetic over capacity does not add up, with supply chains a constraining factor

James Gaddis tanked Florida governor's secretive scheme to build hotels and golf courses over acres of preserved landFlorida's department of environmental protection has fired a whistleblower who exposed and sank governor Ron DeSantis's secretive plan to pave over environmentally sensitive state parks and build lucrative hotels, golf courses and pickleball courts.James Gaddis, who worked for the agency for two years as a cartographer, was terminated for conduct unbecoming a public employee", according to a letter he received on Saturday. Continue reading...

Finance secretary says tough decisions' are needed to fill 1bn hole in the budgetScottish ministers have raided a 460m green energy fund to help pay for higher than inflation pay deals that the government did not budget for.Shona Robison, the Scottish finance secretary, said she needed to use the fund while also cutting non-essential spending by 500m to fill a 1bn hole in this year's government finances. Continue reading...

The fresh listings bring the total number of endangered plants, animals and ecosystems to almost 2,250

Heatwaves and lack of rainfall have led to receding water levels in the Mornos reservoir, which submerged Kallio in the 1970sNo place is more indicative of plummeting rainfall levels in Greece than the Mornos reservoir. And no settlement is more indicative of how serious this year's drought has been than Kallio, a village submerged by the artificial lake in the late 1970s.Nearly five decades after Kallio was deliberately flooded as part of the construction of a dam to ensure water supply for Athens, people living nearby have watched in disbelief as reserves have receded to the point that the village has reappeared. Continue reading...

Venture Global's plant depletes water, emergency services and road space, say local officials, people and paramedicsWhen America's newest gas giant arrives in your town, the world turns upside down.Residents of Plaquemines parish, 70 miles south of New Orleans, say they have faced unreliable essential services, water shortages and impassible traffic since 2021, when Venture Global began construction on what will become one of the world's largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) hubs. Continue reading...

Bella Nilsson's company Think Pink accused of dumping at least 200,000 tonnes of wasteEleven people, including an entrepreneur who once called herself the queen of trash", have gone on trial in Sweden accused of illegally dumping toxic waste in the country's biggest ever environmental crime case.The closely watched trial at Attunda district court in Sollentuna, near Stockholm, centres on the recycling company Think Pink, its former chief executive Bella Nilsson, who has since changed her name, and her ex-husband Thomas Nilsson. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Cut would mean at least 239,000 fewer hectares of nature-friendly farmland, according to RSPBThe government is to slash the nature-friendly farming budget in England by 100m in order to help fill what ministers say is a 22bn Treasury shortfall, the Guardian can reveal.Nature groups and farmers have called this a big mistake", saying it jeopardised the government's legally binding targets to improve nature. Continue reading...

1.5bn auction awards record funding for new windfarms, solar farms and tidal power projects

Most of the time safety divers do not need to step in, but our presence gives athletes the security needed for their remarkable underwater feats Photography and videos by Piko Studios and Jack Lawes for the GuardianThings started to go wrong as Gary McGrath was coming up from 95 metres below the surface, a feat managed entirely on one breath. McGrath, who holds the British freediving record of 112 metres, was met on his ascent by a team of safety divers who quickly noticed he was struggling as his movements started to slow. Then he stopped rising.Protocols designed for such emergencies instantly came into play. One diver sealed Gary's airways while another grabbed his hips, bringing him to the surface together, all while holding their breaths, too.Gary McGrath in Dahab, on Egypt's Sinai peninsula. He holds the British record after freediving to 112 metres Continue reading...

Climate scientists have already predicted that 2024 will be the hottest year everJapan has recorded its hottest summer on record after a sweltering three months marked by thousands of instances of extreme heat", with meteorologists warning that unseasonably high temperatures will continue through the autumn.The average temperature in June, July and August was 1.76C higher than the average recorded between 1991 and 2020, the Japan meteorological agency said, according to Kyodo news agency. Continue reading...

Friends of the Earth says pollution exceeds healthy levels for nature in 9,062 localitiesMore than a quarter of neighbourhoods in England have pollution levels that are highly harmful to wildlife, new data shows.Friends of the Earth has named 27.5% of areas nature pollution hotspots" in new research. These are defined as places where air, water, noise and light pollution all exceed levels that are damaging to nature. Continue reading...

Rachel Reeves should reform vehicle taxes to fill 5bn black hole', says Campaign for Better TransportCampaigners have called on the chancellor to introduce a controversial pay-per-mile road charging scheme on electric cars, warning of a 5bn black hole" in tax revenues from motoring.In a letter to Rachel Reeves, the Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) urged her to reform vehicle taxes, with fuel duty poised to dwindle in the coming decade as petrol and diesel cars are phased out. Continue reading...

Will its bark be worse than its bite?

Seabirds are in a precarious position as their breeding areas are threatened by climate breakdown and overfishingFive seabirds have been added to the UK's conservation red list, meaning they are at dire risk of local extinction.The government has been urged to act as the arctic tern, Leach's storm petrel, common gull, great skua and great black-backed gull join other seabird species such as the puffin on the list after severe population declines. Continue reading...

Fourteen hiker deaths reported in the park this season, with total fatalities at almost the annual average of 15More than one dozen parkgoers have died in Grand Canyon national park this summer, with three perishing in just over one week in August, as weather extremes linked to climate change make for increasingly dangerous conditions.With 14 deaths reported in the park this season, total fatalities have already almost reached the annual average of 15, the Hill reported. Continue reading...

Activists and lawyers in Brazil say unexpected change is a big step backwards' in the investigationIndigenous activists and lawyers in Brazil have voiced shock and dismay after the federal police chief leading the investigation into the murders of Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips was unexpectedly removed from the case.Francisco Badenes, an experienced investigator, had been running the inquiry into the 2022 deaths of the Brazilian Indigenous expert and the British journalist since the second half of that year. Continue reading...

Battle ahead for Labour as it introduces higher taxes and tougher environmental rules on producersAn oil and gas company has slowed down work on a large North Sea oilfield, citing uncertainty over the Labour government's approach to fossil fuels.The Norwegian-owned Neo Energy said it had decided to materially slow down investment activities across all development assets in its portfolio", citing the prospect of higher taxes and tougher environmental rules. Continue reading...

Mandatory reports should be published on how taxpayers' money is spent on environmental stewardship, says campaignerLandowners in England have been paid more than 9bn of taxpayers' money in the past 30 years for environmental benefits, despite the decline in nature that has taken place during that time, data reveals.The nature campaigner and author Guy Shrubsole, who unearthed the data for his new book, The Lie of The Land, said large landowners should be forced to publish regular reports showing how they are stewarding their land for nature and carbon.The Lie of the Land is published on 12 September by HarperCollins. Continue reading...

Derwent River near Hobart expected to reach record level as more than 100,000 homes in Victoria without power

Scientists are trying to establish whether global heating caused the deaths of the rare river dolphins last year, before temperatures start to rise again Continue reading...