Thousands in Los Angeles County still without power; Palm Springs continues to be hit by flooding; impact in Texas expected on Tuesday

Brights zoo hopes publicity around unnamed female, who lacks distinctive patches, will draw attention to plight of giraffes in wildOne of the rarest sights in the animal kingdom has appeared in the unlikely setting of a Tennessee zoo, which has hosted the birth of what is thought to be the world's only singularly colored giraffe.The female giraffe, born on 31 July, is a uniform brown color, lacking the distinctive patched pattern that giraffes - along with their exceptionally long necks - are known for. Brights zoo said the giraffe is already 6ft tall and is under the care of her mother and zoo staff. Continue reading...

Extreme heat prompts Texas to ask residents to conserve power on Sunday night as Missouri advises residents to check on neighborsSweltering temperatures are lingering in a large swath of the central US, causing misery from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes.Record high temperatures were recorded on Sunday in Texas and other states. People were told to chug extra water while mowing lawns or exercising outdoors, and to check on neighbors to ensure air conditioning is available. The extreme heat prompted Texas's electric power grid manager to ask residents to voluntarily conserve power for three hours on Sunday night. Continue reading...

Referendum result protecting Yasuni reserve will benefit huge range of species as well as uncontacted' Indigenous peoplesEcuadorians have voted in a historic referendum to halt the development of all new oilwells in the Yasuni national park in the Amazon, one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet.Voters opted to safeguard the unique biosphere by a margin of nearly 20% with more than 90% of the ballot counted - with more than 58% in favour and 41% against, according to Ecuador's National Electoral Comission. Voting took place in the first round of presidential elections on Sunday. Continue reading...

Falmouth sighting of cross between common and striped dolphins thought to be UK firstRare hybrid dolphins have been spotted off the coast of Cornwall in what is thought to be a UK first.The pair of cetaceans, seen in Falmouth, are a cross between a common dolphin and a striped dolphin. Continue reading...

They have milky blue blood that can detect toxins - and people in lab coats want itEvery day in bright clinical rooms in countries all over the world, horseshoe crabs are strapped into specially designed harnesses and drained of a third of their blood by people in lab coats. Then they are put back into rivers and oceans to swim-scuttle out their days.Horseshoe crabs are prehistoric and they look it: a fossilised Roomba most of the way through eating a stingray. The horseshoe crab looks mainly like it should not be alive right now. Continue reading...

Australia is experiencing an unseasonably warm winter and experts are noticing some odd side effects in Australian flora. 'These warming temperatures are changing the way that plants would normally act and it can lead to decreases in population as there aren't enough pollinators out ready to pollinate the flowers,' explains orchid conservationist Alex McLachlan. Some orchid species, like the Caladenia valida, are flowering a month ahead of schedule at the Cranbourne botanic gardens in MelbourneSubscribe to Guardian Australia on YouTube

Weather ballon climbs to 5,300 metres before temperature falls to 0C amid late summer heatwaveA Swiss weather balloon had to climb to an unprecedented 5,300 metres (17,400ft) before the temperature fell to 0C (32F), meteorologists have said, as a late summer heatwave and wildfires continue to pummel swathes of continental Europe.A man was found dead in a blaze raging north of Athens on Monday as the Greek government warned of an extreme" risk of fire across the country, while more than half of mainland France was placed under an amber heat alert. Continue reading...

Archaeologists fear dangerous precedent if court approves new beach facilities at site of Phaselis on the Mediterranean coastThe construction of tourist facilities on two beaches that were part of the ancient city of Phaselis - a tentative nominee for Unesco world heritage status - has caused outrage at what is claimed to be the latest example of the Turkish culture ministry sacrificing heritage for tourism.The Alacasu and Bostanlk beaches, on Turkey's southern Mediterranean coast in the province of Antalya, were part of Phaselis, a Greek and Roman settlement thought to be the birthplace of Plato's student Theodectes. Despite having ruins dating back to the second century BC, the beaches have never been subject to an archaeological dig. Continue reading...

Deal with Victorian government includes $50m to support orderly retirement' of coal-fired plant to provide certainty to workers, the community and industry

Allegations of breach date back to March 2022, while owner Newcrest claims the mine near Orange in NSW is now in compliance

In the desert town of Rancho Mirage, close to Palm Springs, a city that typically gets around 4.6 inches (12 cm) of rain in an entire year could receive 6-10 inches from this one storm. "It's quite amazing. I've never seen anything like this. And the tropical storm hasn't even hit us yet," said one resident.

Vigils are planned to honor the memory of the whale who was captive for 53 years as her death ripples across the countryOn Friday, as the captive orca whale known as Tokitae was dying in Miami, an unusual phenomenon took place in the waters where she was taken from her pod back in 1970. A rare superpod meetup of three clans - the J, K and L pods - happened off the west side of San Juan Island, in Washington state.It could have been a coincidence. But for activists like Howard Garrett, who has worked for decades to advocate for the release of Tokitae, there was deep meaning in the meetup. Gatherings like this are often a cultural social ritual to mark a significant event in their community, and we believe they are welcoming Toki home," he wrote on the Orca Network Facebook group. She is finally home, maybe not the way we wanted, but her family seems to know she is with them once again, in ways we may never comprehend." Continue reading...

A judge last week ruled the young plaintiffs have the right to a clean environment - and experts say this changed the climate litigation landscapeIn a groundbreaking legal decision, a Montana judge last week ruled in favor of young people who had accused state officials of violating their constitutional rights by promoting fossil fuels.In a 103-page court order, Judge Kathy Seeley of the first judicial district court, affirmed the plaintiffs' claim that a stable climate is included in a right to a clean and healthful environment", guaranteed in the state's constitution. Continue reading...

I wondered whether a bot could transform the cooking experience - so I let it plan my meals for a dayI consider myself a pretty great home cook. I like to dream up my meals, building flavors without relying on a recipe, like the lamb chops with a mustard-red wine-thyme pan sauce I recently threw together without instructions after finding the meat on sale.So when I learned earlier this year about BuzzFeed's new AI-powered kitchen companion, Botatouille, I was intrigued. I know it's a controversial tool, as Botatouille's announcement came amid widespread media layoffs - including at BuzzFeed, where the company's CEO announced that the platform would be using AI to enhance" its content. But the name made me chuckle, and its promise of not just offering recipes but being a companion in the kitchen was an interesting prospect. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Assessment that used to happen annually will now take six years despite rising concerns Continue reading...

Referendum alongside presidential election will decide whether to halt extraction in Amazon national parkAs Ecuadorians go to the polls on Sunday they must not only decide between eight presidential candidates but also vote on an unprecedented referendum question that could set a new course for the oil-reliant nation.The poll will decide whether to halt drilling at the Yasuni Ishpingo-Tambococha-Tiputini (ITT) oilfield, also known as oil block 43, which lies in an Amazon national park and one of the world's richest pockets of biodiversity. Ecuador's largest protected area is also home to the Waorani people and the country's last Indigenous communities in voluntary isolation, the Tagaeri and Taromenane. Continue reading...

Remote sensing technology shows 70% of tree coverage moved uphill between 2000 and 2010Mountain treelines are rising in response to the climate crisis, a study has found.Scientists from the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, China, used remote sensing to map the highest points of patches of tree coverage on mountains. They found that 70% of mountain treelines had moved uphill between 2000 and 2010. Continue reading...

Land reformists dispute assumptions behind plan to address climate crisis by increasing private funding

Scheduled monument built in 1720s lies on estate bought up by investment company Abrdn for 7.5m in 2021

The beloved orca, born into the L-pod of resident killer whales in the Pacific north-west, was awaiting release into her home watersThe whale who began her life in the cold waters of the Pacific north-west only to end up in a small enclosure at the Miami Seaquarium has died. On Friday afternoon, a social media post announced that Toki - who was also known by her performing name Lolita, and the name the Lummi tribe gave her, Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut - had died. She was believed to be 57.A Facebook post from the Miami Seaquarium reported she died from what was believed to be a renal condition. Toki was an inspiration to all who had the fortune to hear her story and especially to the Lummi nation that considered her family," the Seaquarium post said. Those of us who have had the honor and privilege to spend time with her will forever remember her beautiful spirit." Continue reading...

Analysis of EU and US shows livestock farmers receive about 1,000 times more public funding than plant-based and cultivated meatThe gigantic" power of the meat and dairy industries in the EU and US is blocking the development of the greener alternatives needed to tackle the climate crisis, a study has found.The analysis of lobbying, subsidies and regulations showed that livestock farmers in the EU received 1,200 times more public funding than plant-based meat or cultivated meat groups. In the US, the animal farmers got 800 times more public funding. Continue reading...

Contaminants from the fires could damage marine life, and hardy non-native grasses might grow and kindle the next fireAs the toll from Maui's catastrophic wildfires continues to climb, experts warn the disaster also poses a grave threat to the coral reefs and delicate ocean ecosystems that surround the devastated town of Lahaina.Layers of charred soils and toxic contaminants were left among the wreckage, where thousands of buildings and blackened cars lie in smoldering ruins. The conflagration that claimed more lives than any other US wildfire in the last century burned to the shoreline, littering underwater habitats with scorched boats and debris. The ashen aftermath could end up wreaking more havoc if allowed to slip into the aquatic environment. Continue reading...

Agency plans a case-by-case' approach that allows for flexibility, but critics say this is not a new definition - it is a lack of definition'The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) office responsible for protecting the public from toxic substances has changed how it defines PFAS for a second time since 2021, a move critics say they fear will exclude thousands of forever chemicals" from regulation and largely benefit industry.Instead of using a clear definition of what constitutes a PFAS, the agency's Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics plans to take a case-by-case" approach that allows it to be more flexible in determining which chemicals should be subjected to regulations. Continue reading...

The best of this week's wildlife photographs, including an endangered white-headed duck, a Harrison Ford snake and a sick cat Continue reading...

Australia needs policy changes, more vehicle chargers and a bigger focus on regional areas to catch on low-emissions transport, Solar Citizens says

In 2020, Honolulu officials had sued eight oil and gas companies over the steep costs of abating damages from extreme weatherHawaii's supreme court on Thursday heard attempts by fossil fuel companies to dismiss a climate accountability lawsuit. The hearing came as the deadly fires in Maui capture global headlines.This is the first time the court has been in session since the fires in Maui last week," the Hawaii supreme court chief justice said as the hearing began, before calling for a moment of silence for those who lost their lives in the blazes. Continue reading...

Water of about 26 million is contaminated as new data offers the most robust look into exactly which communities are pollutedDrinking water consumed by millions of Americans from hundreds of communities spread across the United States is contaminated with dangerous levels of toxic chemicals, according to testing data released on Thursday by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).The data shows that drinking water systems serving small towns to large cities - from tiny Collegeville, Pennsylvania, to Fresno, California - contain measurable levels of so-called forever chemicals", a family of durable compounds long used in a variety of commercial products but that are now known to be harmful. Continue reading...

South-east Florida's coral reefs are now at highest alert level for bleaching for the first time ever with significant mortality likely'Florida's ailing coral reef system is at the risk of a devastating bleaching outbreak after being engulfed in an unprecedented" heat stress event that stretches throughout the waters of the Caribbean and Central America, US government scientists have warned.South-east Florida's corals are now at the highest alert level for bleaching for the first time ever, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), with significant mortality likely" for its corals amid abnormally hot ocean temperatures. Continue reading...

The pace at which you could theoretically deploy the small modular reactor being advocated would mean sitting on your hands until at least the end of the decade

Labor will have to show that recovering water does not cause any negative social or economic issues in regional communities

Worst wildfires in the Canary Islands in at least 40 years drawing closer to the capital Santa CruzMore than 7,500 people have been evacuated or ordered to stay indoors as the worst wildfire in at least four decades ravages the Canary island of Tenerife, burning through 2,600 hectares (6,425 acres) of land and drawing closer to the capital, Santa Cruz.Fernando Clavijo, the regional president of the Canaries, said more than 250 firefighters - backed by military emergency crews and 17 aircraft - were working to tackle the fire, which broke out in the north-east of the island on Tuesday and which currently has a 32km (20-mile) perimeter. Continue reading...

But experts say damage can be reversed if US and Canada act quickly to stop new plastics from entering lake systemAbout 90% of water samples taken over the last 10 years from the Great Lakes contain microplastic levels that are unsafe for wildlife, a new peer-reviewed paper from the University of Toronto finds.About 20% of those samples are at the highest level of risk, but the study's authors say the damage can be reversed if the US and Canada quickly act. Continue reading...

Mandatory reporting for large and medium-sized businesses would lower prices and help climate, say campaignersThe government has been criticised for binning food waste legislation that campaigners say could have reduced food prices and helped tackle the climate crisis.The policy would have made food waste reporting mandatory for large and medium-sized businesses in England. According to research by the environmental campaign group Feedback, if it led to just a 1% reduction in food waste, food businesses would save an estimated total of at least 24.4m a year. Continue reading...

If cutting continues along its current pace, most of the Moskitia forest - and the way of life it sustains - could be lost by 2050, much sooner for many partsSeveral hours down a clandestine road that slithers through the rotting remains of what was once protected rainforest in north-eastern Honduras, a rusted bulldozer overgrown with vines and a locked gate appeared ahead.A vinyl banner hanging from a wooden fence advertised the sale of cattle for breeding. Behind, a palm tree stood above an empty corral like a watchtower. The driver got out to retrieve a key, a pistol tucked inside his belt. Continue reading...

Wildlife experts fear spread could devastate native bees, which the hornets dismember and eatAsian hornets have been spotted in their greatest numbers yet in the UK, which could have a devastating effect on native bees, which they kill, dismember and eat.There have been 39 Asian hornets and nests seen in the country since the species was first observed in 2016, and this year there have been 16 sightings, data shows.Folkestone, Kent: confirmed 11 August.Folkestone, Kent: confirmed 10 August.Maidstone, Kent: confirmed 7 August and nest destroyed.Portland, Dorset: confirmed 7 August and nest destroyed.Deal, Kent: confirmed 6 August.Folkestone, Kent: confirmed 4 August and nest destroyed.Portland, Dorset: confirmed 4 August and nest destroyed.Whitstable, Kent: confirmed 3 August and nest destroyed.Deal, Kent: confirmed 2 August.Plymouth, Devon: confirmed 27 July and two nests destroyed.Gravesend, Kent: confirmed 24 July and nest destroyed.Shepherdswell, Kent: confirmed 5 July and nest destroyed.Deal, Kent: confirmed 28 June and nest destroyed.Canterbury, Kent: confirmed 31 May and single hornet captured.Ashford, Kent: confirmed 23 May and single hornet captured.Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland: confirmed 11 April and single hornet captured. Continue reading...

Africa has lost about 90% of its vultures over the past 50 years. It's a rapidly growing crisis, and the decline is not down to natural causes. Most of these birds are being poisoned, often unintentionally, by humans. We know the impact that mass vulture death can have on humans, because India suffered the same fate just 20 years ago. Neelam Tailor looks into how humans are accidentally killing millions of vultures, and the deadly impact it has had on people Continue reading...

Exclusive: Company says some may see the bones as ideological provocation' but motivation was avoiding wastePlant-based pork ribs with a twist - edible vegan bones - will soon make their debut on diners' plates, a vegan food company has announced.The idea of the edible bones, produced by Juicy Marbles, began with the manufacturer wanting the bones to be compostable, but then realising they could also be eaten. The first products will be available from the end of August in the UK, EU and US. Continue reading...

A wildfire that broke out in a national park on the Spanish island of Tenerife has spread to 1,800 hectares, prompting authorities to order the evacuation of five villages and cut off access to the forest surrounding the Mount Teide volcano Continue reading...

National conference outlines plans for energy transition, making early childhood education universal and closing gender pay gap

Many weather stations in Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart clocked their highest July temperatures ever as the country's winters get hotter

Analysis finds Treasury rules on new windfarms likely to stifle energy generation and keep bills highNew offshore windfarms will be strangled by government red tape, costing UK billpayers 1.5bn a year, an analysis has found.The latest government auction for new offshore windfarms, due to be completed in September, could result in few projects making it through Treasury rules, according to the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), a non-profit organisation. Continue reading...

It's not just the lions that are under pressure, it's biodiversity in general,' warn conservationists, amid a rapidly expanding human populationStanding in a patch of damp forest, a clump of moss in one hand, Siraj Hussein applies the last touches to a camera trap. He explains why his chosen tree is in an ideal spot: it is in a clearing, which gives the sensors a good view, and lion droppings have been found nearby. So far, I haven't captured a lion on my camera, but I'm optimistic," he says.Siraj is gathering data on the behaviour of the lions in the Kafa biosphere reserve, in south-west Ethiopia - one of the country's last few tracts of natural forest - as part of a new project by the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (Nabu), a German environmental group. Continue reading...

Democratic West Virginia senator calls the Inflation Reduction Act, hailed as biggest step on climate crisis', a radical agenda'The Democratic West Virginia senator Joe Manchin marked the first anniversary of a major US climate crisis law he helped pass by saying he would mount an unrelenting fight against the Biden administration's efforts to implement the IRA as a radical climate agenda".In response, one advocate for climate action accused Manchin, who she called an oily senator", of talk[ing] out of whichever side of his mouth will please the polluting fossil fuel industry". Continue reading...

Named tropical storms and hurricanes, which have become more intense, have caused about 20,000 more deaths from 1988 to 2019Atlantic storms have become deadlier as the planet warms - and are disproportionately killing people of color in the US, a landmark new study has found.About 20,000 excess deaths - the numbers of observed rather than expected deaths - occurred in the immediate aftermath of 179 named storms and hurricanes which struck the US mainland between 1988 and 2019. Continue reading...

Further 41 species on course to be declared critically endangered, complicating Albanese government's zero extinctions target

Failure to heed warnings over unchecked growth meant blaze was a disaster waiting to happen', say scientists and academicsScientists and academics say they have been warning for several years that invasive grasses covering a quarter of the Hawaii islands are a major fire risk.Untamed grassland helped fuel the spread and intensity of last week's deadly fires on the island of Maui, according to experts. The fires, which broke out last Tuesday, have killed at least 106 people and destroyed the island's historic town of Lahaina. Continue reading...

Company breached three-year rolling limit on abstraction licence at Fylde aquifer in 2018United Utilities has been fined 800,000 after illegally abstracting 22bn litres of water in Lancashire, causing damage to an important aquifer that will take years to recover.The illegal removal of water from the Fylde aquifer, which happened during a period of dry weather in 2018, is likely to have negatively affected river flows. Continue reading...

French police stress rules on taking blooms of plants such as edelweiss as drought affects some areas of countryFrench police have warned Alpine hikers they will be fined hundreds of euros if they pick too many blooming plants on their summer walks.Officers confiscated thousands of genepi sprigs and edelweiss flowers during a week-long enforcement operation this month. Continue reading...

Icebreaker would be North America's first ever freshwater offshore wind project - but locals express concerns over wildlife and potential oil leaksWith a surface water area larger than the entire UK, the five Great Lakes might seem like an obvious location for offshore wind. The US Department of Energy says that the lakes collectively boast the potential to provide 700 gigawatts of offshore electricity - enough to power millions of homes.Nonetheless, projects and proposals have failed to get off the ground. Until now. Continue reading...