Two nuclear plants’ lives extended as country copes with loss of Russian gas and shortage of French electricityGermany’s planned exit from nuclear power by the end of this year has been officially delayed in order to shore up energy supplies during an expected shortfall this winter, the economic minister, Robert Habeck, announced on Tuesday.The decision follows a shortage in supplies of electricity coming from France due to the fact that more than half of its nuclear power stations are offline, Habeck told journalists in Berlin. Continue reading...

Latest updates: the Labour party leader used his conference speech to spell out his plan for the UK. This blog is now closed

The details behind Keir Starmer’s proposed publicly owned energy company when Labour take powerThe key pledge of Keir Starmer’s Labour conference speech was the proposed launch of Great British Energy, a publicly owned energy company to invest in clean UK power as part of the party’s commitment to “fight the Tories on economic growth”. But how does it work, and is it the same as renationalising energy? Continue reading...

Investor Group on Climate Change says clear price on carbon needed and removal of all fossil fuel subsidies by 2050

Task Force Hawk formed to address issues raised in an independent inquiry into floods earlier this year

Too many technical difficulties to overcome to make it a viable low-carbon heating fuel, say researchersHydrogen is unsuitable for use in home heating, and likely to remain so, despite the hopes of the UK government and plumbing industry, a comprehensive review of scientific papers has concluded.Hydrogen lobbyists are out in force at the Labour party conference this week, sponsoring several events in Liverpool, and will be plentiful at the Conservative party conference that begins this weekend. Continue reading...

Keir Starmer used his speech on the third day of the Labour conference in Liverpool to outline the party's plans for clean power in the UK. He said that within a year of being elected, Labour would set up Great British Energy, a new publicly owned company that would supply the UK with clean power.The Labour leader said it was time for the party to start a new chapter 'about how we build a fairer, greener, more dynamic Britain by tackling the climate emergency head on, and using it to create the jobs, the industries and the opportunities of the future'

Producers warn that unless crabs are curbed, mussel production in Normandy and Brittany may end within a decadeFrench mussel farmers have said voracious spider crabs that have infested the country’s western coast are destroying their shellfish and livelihoods as warming seas allow the migratory animals to spend more of the year offshore.Angry producers in Normandy and Brittany are demanding to be allowed to control crab numbers by killing them or using dredging nets to drag those ravaging their mussel “parks” further out to sea. Continue reading...

Activists interrupt party conference debate to criticise company’s wood-burning biomass operationsAn environmental campaigner has been ejected from an event sponsored by the power station operator Drax at the Labour party conference after criticising the company’s use of biomass.The owner of the North Yorkshire power station sponsored a debate on Tuesday on Britain’s net zero climate goals on the fringes of the political party’s conference in Liverpool. The company’s group director of corporate affairs, Clare Harbord, was on the panel. Continue reading...

UK government criticised for reviewing plan to pay farmers for environmental protectionOne of Liz Truss’s favourite rightwing thinktanks has criticised the government for considering ditching a much-vaunted new funding structure for farmers, calling the existing subsidy system “a massive transfer of wealth from taxpayers to landowners”.Truss has announced plans to review the environmental land management scheme (Elms), where farmers would be paid for environmental protection, in order, potentially, to go back to largely area-based payments. The plans were criticised as being “deeply economically inefficient” and for encouraging “laziness” by the Institute of Economic Affairs. Continue reading...

Zoologists say they have never seen this low a number, after unprecedented hot weatherAs dewy dawns break across the UK’s pumpkin patches and allotments, gardeners across the land are waking up to the absence of at least one slippery pest. Slug numbers appear to have shrivelled as a result of the ongoing drought.“I went to survey a woodland site last week and it took me over 30 minutes to locate a slug. Usually, I would expect to find them under almost every log in that habitat,” said Jake Stone, a zoologist at the University of Cambridge. “I thought that there would be fewer around, but I’ve never seen this low a number. But I suppose that’s to be expected, because it’s rarely been this hot and dry.” Continue reading...

Matt Wrack of Fire Brigades Union says ‘historic cuts’ have angered and demoralised his membersA “horrible complacency” about the impact of the climate emergency on the fire service has left it under-funded and ill-prepared, the general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union has warned.Matt Wrack said firefighters were at the sharp end of tackling the impact of climate change and warned that this summer’s wildfires had to act as a “wake-up call” to the UK government to engage with those on the frontline. Continue reading...

Exclusive: report on species recovery shows how effective legal protection, habitat restoration and reintroductions can be• Back from the brink: how bison, bears and beavers returned to EuropeWolves, brown bears and white-tailed eagles are among the top predators making a comeback across Europe, according to a major report that looks at how some wildlife is rebounding.Researchers analysed data on 50 wildlife species whose population size and geographical distribution have expanded over the past 40 years to show how effective legal protection, habitat restoration and reintroductions can drive species recovery. Continue reading...

More than 24,000km of pipelines planned around world, showing ‘an almost deliberate failure to meet climate goals’More than 24,000km of new oil pipelines are under development around the world, a distance equivalent to almost twice the Earth’s diameter, a report has revealed. The projects, led by the US, Russia, China and India, are “dramatically at odds with plans to limit global warming to 1.5C or 2C”, the researchers said.The oil pumped through the pipelines would produce at least 5bn tonnes of CO a year if completed, equivalent to the emissions of the US, the world’s second largest polluter. About 40% of the pipelines are already under construction, with the rest in planning. Global carbon emissions must drop by 50% by 2030 to keep on track with internationally agreed targets for limiting global heating. Continue reading...

After centuries of hunting and habitat loss, wolves, whales, elk and other key species have made a comeback across the continent, a new report says• Wildlife making ‘exciting’ comeback in EuropeTop predators are making a comeback across Europe, according to a new report compiled by the Zoological Society of London, BirdLife International and the European Bird Census Council for Rewilding Europe. These are some of the top species making an “exciting” recovery: Continue reading...

Farm just minutes from centre of Wellington estimates it has lost about 60 kid goats in past few monthsMarauding feral pigs have blighted a central suburb in New Zealand’s capital, killing kid goats at an urban farm, intimidating dogs and turning up in residents’ gardens.The owners of a goat milk farm in the hills of the suburb of Brooklyn, 10 minutes from the centre of Wellington, has lost about 60 kid goats to pigs in the past few months. Often, all that is left of them are gnawed bone fragments and parts of the hooves or head. Continue reading...

Though they are the most well known, magpies are not the only Australian swoopers

German authorities have ‘no clarity’ as they try to establish if Russian-owned undersea gas line has leakAuthorities in Germany are trying to establish what caused a sudden drop in pressure in the defunct Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, with a spokesperson for its operator saying it could have been caused by a leak.The pipeline has been one of the flashpoints in an escalating energy war between Europe and Moscow since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February that has pummelled western economies and sent gas prices soaring. Continue reading...

Finance minister says energy price rises to be capped at 15% as he outlines key elements of budget billThe French government plans to spend €45bn shielding households and businesses from energy price shocks in a budget focused on bringing down inflation.The finance minister, Bruno Le Maire, said the increase in the cost of gas and electricity would be capped at 15% from January. Gas and electricity price rises are currently capped at 4% until the end of the year in what is known as the bouclier tarifaire (tariff shield). Continue reading...

Prominent members of farmers’ union express dismay after comments by Minette BattersFarmers are threatening to quit the National Farmers’ Union after its leader said she supported the UK government’s apparent move to scrap post-Brexit nature subsidies.This weekend, the Observer revealed that the government was poised to abandon the “Brexit bonus”, which would have paid farmers and landowners to enhance nature, in what wildlife groups have described as an “all-out attack” on the environment. Continue reading...

Nature protection rules in proposed investment zones would in effect be suspendedThere was little room for doubt about the reaction to the prime minister’s plans to scrap environmental regulations this weekend. “Make no mistake, we are angry. This government has today launched an attack on nature,” tweeted the RSPB, its most forceful political intervention in recent memory.Liz Truss’s proposals to create investment zones, where green rules on nature protection would in effect be suspended, represented a step too far for some of Britain’s biggest environment charities. “As of today, from Cornwall to Cumbria, Norfolk to Nottingham, wildlife is facing one of the greatest threats it’s faced in decades,” the RSPB went on. Continue reading...

Exclusive: major supplier to brands including KFC and Nando’s used offshore companies allowing them to reduce UK tax payments, investigation suggestsThe global megacompanies supplying some of Britain’s most popular meat brands, including KFC, Nando’s chicken and Sainsbury’s organic range, appear to have been using offshore companies that allow them to avoid paying millions of pounds in tax in the UK.An investigation by the Guardian and Lighthouse Reports has found that two companies – Anglo Beef Processors UK and Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation (owned by Brazilian beef giant JBS) – appear to have reduced their tax bill by structuring their companies and loans in a way that allows them to take advantage of different tax systems, in what one expert has described as “aggressive tax avoidance”. Continue reading...

Parents, teachers and anti-hunger advocates hail new free-meal system, saying it improves academic performance and wellbeingBefore California became the first state to implement a universal meals program for its 6.2 million public school students, Alyssa Wells would keep granola bars in her classroom for students who complained of being hungry.When the new program began in August at Foussat elementary school in Oceanside, California, which is primarily attended by Latino students from low-income families, the teacher noticed immediate changes in her students. “The kids are eating way more and they’re more focused, eager to learn and they’re just happier,” she said. “They’ve got one less thing to worry about.” Continue reading...

Movement aims to make the mass damage and destruction of ecosystems a prosecutable, international crime against peaceCalifornia winemaker Julia Jackson has long grasped the threats posed by the ongoing global climate change crisis, from more intense wildfires and hurricanes to rising sea levels. But for her, those ideas crossed over from the abstract to the tangible when her home was razed by the Kincade wildfire that devastated her native Sonoma county in 2019.“I lost everything – all my belongings,” Jackson said. “It shook me to my core.” Continue reading...

The power station has paid out millions over alleged overpollution in US south, investigation findsThe UK government has been accused of funding environmental racism by giving £2m a day in subsidies to an energy company that has paid out millions over claims it breached pollution limits in the US south.An investigation by Unearthed, Greenpeace’s investigative unit, found Drax Biomass paid millions of dollars to US regulators over claims it exceeded limits on chemicals emissions at wood chip plants close to black and low-income communities.Sam Quashie-Idun is a journalist with Unearthed. Continue reading...

The deaths within days of 11 sturgeon, a species unchanged for thousands of years, have puzzled scientistsWhen the first spindly, armour-clad carcass was spotted in the fast-flowing Nechako River in early September, Nikolaus Gantner and two colleagues scrambled out on a jet boat, braving strong currents to investigate the grim discovery.Days later, the remains of 10 others were spotted floating along a 100km stretch of the river in western Canada. Continue reading...

Government says the 150-turbine windfarm could generate enough electricity to power 230,000 homes

Using hydrogen would add about 70% to home energy bills, according to a report by a renewable energy charity

Latest updates: all the developments from UK politics as the Labour party conference starts in LiverpoolQ: Does Labour support cutting the 45% top rate of income tax?Miliband says that cutting the 45% rate is the wrong thing to do.We’re going to be consistent in our election manifesto with our opposition to the 45p tax cut. We think it is the wrong thing to do for the country.No, we don’t think that should be reversed. Remember, we are talking about this basic rate cut. People start paying that at £12,500. Continue reading...

From the time it was created, the mechanism has been subject to obfuscation. Labor is about to try and make it work, but it won’t be smooth sailing

Experts say ditching concrete and creating mini wetlands could help water systems cope better with effects of extreme weatherThis year has seen one of the driest summers on record, with most of the country still officially in drought. Millions of people in England are under hosepipe bans because of water shortages, and reservoir and river levels remain low.The solution to this? People should flood their gardens and create bogs in order to stop the effects of drought and reverse biodiversity loss, according to the head of Natural England. Continue reading...

From fracking to bankers’ bonuses, we know where this government’s interests lie. It must be stopped

Wildlife groups concerned by apparent plans to loosen protections in 38 ‘investment zones’

David Malpass apologises after saying he ‘doesn’t know’ if he accepts climate scienceDavid Malpass, president of the World Bank, faces an uncertain future this week, after the White House joined a chorus of influential figures in condemning his apparent climate denialism.Malpass remains in post for now but under severe pressure, despite issuing an apology and trying to explain his refusal last week to publicly acknowledge the human role in the climate crisis. Continue reading...

Assistant treasurer says Labor can’t keep the fuel relief going, despite cost-of-living pressures. This blog is now closed

Warren and Wee Waa, in state’s north, expected to be inaccessible by road for days to comeThe ongoing flood emergency in New South Wales is expected to continue due to a new trough forecast to bring further wet weather across the state from Monday.The towns of Warren and Wee Waa, in the state’s north, are cut off by road and expected to remain that way for days. Emergency services are using aircraft to delivery water, medicine, food and other supplies to residents.Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning Continue reading...

Ian Gowrie-Smith says he was frustrated the Australian government did not respond to urgent funding request for turtle conservation

Labour pledges a revolution in green energy to ‘boost jobs and slash emissions’

World’s desire to wean off over-reliance on China could be a boon for local producers, according to the Australian PV Institute

RSPB, Wildlife Trusts and National Trust criticise plans to create 38 ‘investment zones’ across EnglandThe government has been accused of launching an “attack on nature” with its mini-budget, which conservationists warn could roll back environmental rules.Groups including the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), the Wildlife Trusts and the National Trust have criticised plans, announced on Friday, to create 38 “investment zones” across England. Continue reading...

President of Pacific island nation urges countries to join bid for nonproliferation treaty at UN general assembly

Pontiff tells young people he is pinning his hopes on their efforts to safeguard environment and help the poorPope Francis has called for courage in abandoning fossil fuels and lamented that older generations did not know how to protect the planet and secure peace.The pope, who was visiting Assisi, the birthplace of his namesake saint who was close to nature, told young people on Saturday that he was pinning his hopes on their efforts in working to save the planet and to make the world’s economy more attentive to the poor. Continue reading...

Defra accused of ‘all-out attack’ on environment by wildlife groupsThe government is to scrap the “Brexit bonus” which would have paid farmers and landowners to enhance nature, in what wildlife groups are calling an “all-out attack” on the environment, the Observer can reveal.Instead, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) sources disclosed, they are considering paying landowners a yearly set sum for each acre of land they own, which would be similar to the much-maligned EU basic payments scheme of the common agricultural policy. Continue reading...

Bee bus stops first appeared in the Dutch city of Utrecht. Now the UK is planning for more than 1,000 and there is growing interest across Europe and in Canada and AustraliaButterflies and bees are getting their own transport network as “bee bus stops” start to pop up around UK cities and across Europe. Humble bus shelter roofs are being turned into riots of colour, with the number of miniature gardens – full of pollinator-friendly flora such as wild strawberries, poppies and pansies – set to increase by 50% in the UK by the end of this year.Leicester is leading the charge with 30 bee bus stops installed since 2021. Derby has 18, and there are others in Southhampton, Newcastle, Sunderland, Derby, Oxford, Cardiff and Glasgow. Brighton council installed one last year after a petition was signed by almost 50,000 people. Continue reading...

The British public should enjoy the full benefit of the energy that is generated here, and help plan its future

Emergency services rescued four people clinging to trees after two vehicles became trapped in floods

Ex-chair of Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation says hydrogen plant, gas facility and proposed urea plant are all threats to cultural sites

The way Queensland Labor reacts to rising pressure from landlords and coalminers will determine if it is a government of principle or politics

Fridays for Future ‘strikes’ in about 450 places demanded rich countries pay for damage from global heatingThousands of young people have staged a coordinated “global climate strike” across Asia, Africa and Europe in a call for reparations for those worst affected by climate breakdown.From New Zealand and Japan to Germany and the Democratic Republic of Congo, activists walked out of schools, universities and jobs to demand rich countries pay for the damage global heating is inflicting on the poor. Continue reading...

Tremors above magnitude 3 could be destructive – not least to the Tory party if people’s houses start crumbling, writes David NowellHaving been taught seismology by Prof Peter Styles, who developed a traffic-light monitoring system in the 1980s that dramatically reduced the impact of coal mining under Swansea for local residents, I believe Jacob Rees-Mogg has a risible scientific understanding about shale gas extraction (Tory MPs angrily challenge Rees-Mogg’s fracking revival plan, 22 September). Vibrations from quarries and building sites tend not to be widespread, compared to shaking generated a few kilometres beneath an area.The current 0·5 magnitude limit was set so tremors should not rise above 2·5, “because of the increased risk of larger magnitude events”, according to a recent British Geological Survey report. Proposing a higher limit would be reckless, as any anthropogenic tremors above 3 could prove to be destructive – not least to the Tory vote, if people’s houses start crumbling. Continue reading...