Environment | The Guardian

Anote Tong says that Australia needs to take responsibility for emissions caused by the export of its fossil fuels

With water reserves running low, Spanish farmers are also struggling to protect crops from thousands of rabbits starved of fresh grassWith much of Spain facing severe drought after an exceptionally dry winter that followed the hottest summer on record, Alex Foix is planting vines in dusty ground near the village of Verdú in the province of Lleida. He hopes to have enough water for the vines to survive their first year, but that is not his only worry: it is the rabbits he fears most.Unusually, the area worst affected by drought isn’t in the south of the country but in the north-east region of Catalonia, where – in addition to a severe water shortage – farmers are facing a plague of rabbits. With a lack of grass and water, the animals are destroying crops, especially young wheat and barley, and eating the bark on vines and fruit trees. Continue reading...

Some of UK’s biggest pension funds preparing to demand tougher plans to reduce emissions by 2030BP faces a green rebellion at its annual shareholder meeting on Thursday as some of Britain’s biggest pension funds prepare to demand the company toughens its plans to reduce its emissions by 2030.The National Employment Savings Trust (Nest), which represents about 11m individual workplace pensions, plans to back a resolution put forward by climate campaigners at Follow This, which calls for BP to align its emissions reduction plans with the Paris agreement. Continue reading...

A research team has discovered a parasite that’s been killing off sea urchins, but there’s no method to eliminate it yetMarine biologists at a Florida university say they have solved the mystery of a mass die-off of long-spined sea urchins from the US to the Caribbean.The scientists blame a microscopic, single-cell parasite for the die-off, which took hold early last year. Affected Diadema antillarum urchins lose their spines and suction, then succumb to disease. Continue reading...

Local governments approved more coal power in first three months of 2023 than all of 2021Local governments in China approved more new coal power in the first three months of 2023 than in the whole of 2021, according to official documents.The approvals, analysed by Greenpeace, reveal that between January and March this year, at least 20.45 gigawatts of coal power was approved, up from 8.63GW in the same period in 2022. In the whole of 2021, 18GW of coal was approved. Continue reading...

Dirty air causes premature death of at least 1,200 children across Europe every year, says European Environment AgencyEurope is failing its children when it comes to air pollution, exposing nearly all children across the continent to air that falls below healthy standards and delaying the clean-up of the sources of pollution, research has found.Breathing dirty air causes the premature death of at least 1,200 children across Europe each year, and many thousands more are afflicted with physical and mental health problems that could have lifelong impacts, according to the latest assessment of air pollution by the European Environment Agency. Continue reading...

Experts ask the public to be on the lookout for the invasive species and kill them and their brood to protect US plant lifeExperts are urging the US public to start keeping an eye out for the spotted lanternfly, an invasive species harmless, if irritating, to humans, but known to wreak havoc on plant life and agriculture.Experts believe that spotted lanternflies entered the US in a shipping crate. Native to China, they were first detected in Pennsylvania in 2014 and have since spread to at least 14 states. Continue reading...

Poll reveals 65% of drivers expect to be buying a hybrid or electric vehicle if they upgrade in the next 10 years

The former Brecon Beacons has acknowledged it is facing an onslaught of environmental threats – with the UK’s national parks from Dartmoor to the Cairngorms facing similar pressures“We are all longing for a taste of the wild, of true wilderness. But it’s like Joni Mitchell says: ‘They’ve paved paradise and put up a parking lot’,” says Cathy, who is enjoying a day out hiking in the Brecon Beacons, or Bannau Brycheiniog as it is now to be known.The national park announced it was changing its name back to the old Welsh one earlier this week and, in doing so, acknowledged a painful open secret: nature in the UK’s national parks is in trouble. Continue reading...

UN summit in New York hears how resources needed for sustainable energy threaten Indigenous land and peopleWorld Indigenous leaders meeting this week at an annual UN summit have warned that the west’s climate strategy risks the exploitation of Indigenous territories, resources and people.New and emerging threats about the transition to a greener economy, including mineral mining, were at the forefront of debate as hundreds of Indigenous chiefs, presidents, chairmen and delegates gathered at the 22nd United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Continue reading...

Wildlife presenter urges people to join action on climate crisis during mass protest supported by more than 200 organisationsThe wildlife presenter Chris Packham has made a rallying call for “every last person who cares” about the planet to join Extinction Rebellion after thousands took part in a demonstration on Saturday.The 61-year-old broadcaster spoke to the crowd from a stage close to Parliament Square, Westminster, during the second day of a mass protest the climate group has called The Big One. Continue reading...

Hundreds of dead birds found in past three weeks as conservationists call for international funding to help stop the disease spreading on migration routesAn outbreak of avian influenza in seabirds in the Gambia could affect vast numbers of birds migrating along the East Atlantic Flyway, unless international funding is secured, warn conservationists.Teams from the West African Bird Study Association (Wabsa), the Gambia’s Department of Parks and Wildlife Management, and UK-based NGO Conservation Without Borders have buried hundreds of dead birds over the past three weeks, including some ringed birds from Europe. Continue reading...

A new generation explores alternative models and hopes for new legislation to counter record-high land pricesOlivia Cleveland misses her farm – the chickens, the donkeys, the smell of the dirt and the way the wind would blow at three o’clock in the afternoon. For almost three years, Cleveland, 30, lived on a farm in north-east Alabama, owned by her then husband. She spent her days doing hard physical labor, cultivating land she deeply cared for, but she owned none of it on paper. So when Cleveland and her husband divorced in 2021, she lost everything.Since then, Cleveland has spent the last two years rebuilding and working towards buying her own farm in her home state of Tennessee. Continue reading...

Denis Hayes, who coordinated the first event in 1970, denounces fossil fuel companies that use the event to get positive publicityCorporate greenwashing should not undermine the message behind Earth Day and has nothing to do with its original aims, one of the founders of the annual environmental event has warned.Denis Hayes, the American environmental activist who coordinated the first Earth Day in 1970, denounced the “appalling” environmental messaging by oil, gas and other extractive companies and said he hoped it did not distract attention from the threats posed by the climate crisis and biodiversity loss, which he compared to the threat of nuclear conflict during the cold war. Continue reading...

Biodiversity crisis leads horticulturalists to highlight gardeners’ role in conserving wild flora and faunaIn not so distant times, a list of garden wildlife for many horticulturalists could have been a list of deadly enemies, containing aphids, slugs, snails and other creatures previously thought of as irritants.But as awareness of the biodiversity crisis grows, horticulturalists have become more aware of the importance of wild flora and fauna, and the important role gardeners can play in conserving it.LichensNative ladybirdsPollinatorsSolitary bees (Aculeate hymenoptera)Sulphur tuft fungi (Hypholoma fasciculare)Slime mouldsRose chafer beetle (Cetonia aurata)Ink cap mushroomsHoverfliesSocial wasps

Morgan Trowland and Marcus Decker scaled bridge over River Thames, forcing police to stop trafficTwo Just Stop Oil protesters who scaled a bridge on the Dartford Crossing, forcing police to close it to traffic, have been sentenced to more than two and a half years each for causing a public nuisance.Morgan Trowland, 40, and Marcus Decker, 34, used ropes and other climbing equipment to scale the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links the M25 between Essex and Kent across the River Thames, in October last year. The police closed the bridge to traffic, causing gridlock. Continue reading...

Environmentalists decry move but natural resources minister says doubling of Vancouver terminal’s size is needed to meet demandCanada’s federal government has approved a controversial container terminal expansion in Vancouver that would double the port’s current size but could have damaging effects for maritime species already on the brink of extinction, environmental groups warn.The country’s natural resources minister announced support for the Port of Vancouver’s plan – which would effectively double the size of the Roberts Bank Terminal – framing the decision as a way of preventing future backlog. Continue reading...

Mass protest on climate crisis by 200 groups led by XR, which has halted disruptive tacticsThousands of climate protesters picketed government departments and filled the streets of Westminster on the first day of the Big One, a mass demonstration by 200 different groups headed by Extinction Rebellion (XR).The goal was to build a wide coalition, including bigger groups such as Avaaz, Friends of the Earth and Keep Britain Tidy, plus local and community groups, in order to bring people to a climate crisis protest who may have been less comfortable with the acts of direct action and civil disobedience that attracted public anger. Continue reading...

Andreas Malm says he has no hope in ‘dominant classes’, and urges more radical approach to climate activismInternational climate diplomacy is hopeless, the author of How to Blow Up a Pipeline has said, as the film adaptation of the radical environmentalist book is released.As activists around the world take increasingly desperate actions against destructive projects, Andreas Malm told the Guardian he had not “a shred of hope” elites were prepared to take the urgent action needed to avert catastrophic climate change. Continue reading...

This seemingly abundant species was often touted as a responsible choice, but years of overfishing have led its sustainability rating to be downgradedTinned, smoked, barbecued, or fried and squashed into a buttered bap – mackerel is one of the UK’s most versatile and affordable fish. And this seemingly abundant species has been widely touted as a top sustainable choice for seafood-lovers looking for a dose of omega-3.Not any more. The UK’s Marine Conservation Society (MCS) recently downgraded the sustainability rating of north-east Atlantic mackerel, moving it from the “green” to the “amber” list on its Good Fish Guide. Continue reading...

Europe’s first new plant in 16 years comes on stream in Finland day after Germany pulls plug on last reactorsWhen Europe’s first new nuclear reactor in 16 years came online in Finland, it was hailed by its operator as a “significant addition to clean domestic production” that would “play an important role in the green transition”.The opening last Sunday of the long-delayed Olkiluoto 3 plant, Europe’s largest, means about 40% of Finland’s electricity demand will soon be met by nuclear power, which the government says will boost energy security and help it achieve its carbon neutrality targets. Continue reading...

Exclusive: McDonald’s franchises also granted use of toilets during October 2019 London protests by climate activistsMcDonald’s restaurants offered the Metropolitan police cut-price burgers and free hot drinks during Extinction Rebellion protests – but senior officers warned staff not to “flaunt” it, documents show.Franchises also granted liberal use of their toilets during the central London demonstrations. A police chief praised this in an internal email as a “convenient” deal that would “allow short breaks” for patrolling officers. Continue reading...

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Forecasts suggest highs of 35-38C and even 39C in Seville, easily surpassing the peak of 37.4C set in 2011For much of Europe, April so far has been rather cold and reasonably wet in places. However, Spain has remained very dry and very warm, retaining the subtropical air that has led to forest fires and a widespread drought. Plumes of heat from the tropics are expected to continue to affect the country throughout the coming days, threatening the April maximum temperature record.The highest temperature ever recorded in Spain for the month is 37.4C (99.3F) in Murcia on 9 April 2011. Forecasts suggest that on 26 April temperatures will widely reach 35-38C, and Seville may even hit a maximum of 39C. For comparison, the April high in Seville stands at 35.4C. It is possible that records for the month will not only be broken next week, but smashed. Continue reading...

John Price jailed after admitting ‘wanton’ destruction of one of UK’s most unspoiled riversA farmer has been jailed for “the worst case of riverside destruction” seen by environmental authorities after ripping up 1.5km of the River Lugg in Herefordshire, wrecking the habitats of otters, kingfishers, trout and salmon.Following the first prosecution under the farming rules for water legislation, John Price was jailed for 12 months, ordered to pay prosecution costs of £600,000 and disqualified from being a director of a limited company for three years after admitting seven charges related to his “wanton” destruction of one of the country’s most unspoiled rivers. Continue reading...

The best of this week’s wildlife photographs, including a sleepy sloth and a black-backed jackalAn image from this gallery has been removed as it did not meet our editorial standard Continue reading...

Plans to create green space cancelled because soil contamination levels pose risk to human healthPlans to plant a new woodland have been cancelled after local councillors discovered a field was so saturated with sewage the soil could be too toxic for the trees.The woodland was to have been planted in a council-owned field located by Otterspool Road in Romiley, Greater Manchester. Officials hoped the woodland would improve the environment, provide green space and encourage wildlife habitats. Continue reading...

Coalition of groups behind Big One demonstration intend focus on collective expression, with disobedience on holdPeople do not need to glue themselves to anything in order to protest about the climate crisis this weekend, say the organisers of a large-scale planned climate emergency action.The Big One, planned by a coalition of groups brought together by Extinction Rebellion to coincide with Earth Day on Saturday, will be four days of protest and events that they say will be “family friendly” and “engaging”. Continue reading...

Greg Ovens’s popular outdoor survival videos used as evidence against him in case centred on Alberta’s Banff national parkAn arrest warrant has been issued for a US YouTuber for illegally fishing in a Canadian national park, and his partner has been fined $6,000, after a judge condemned their “reckless” outdoor survival videos.The popularity of the videos highlights an increasingly lucrative online niche, with millions tuning in to watch avid outdoors people test their skills and mettle in harsh conditions. A number of television shows have further popularized the genre and inspired a growing share of the public to venture into the hinterlands. Continue reading...

Bill due before Bundestag in June would encourage homeowners to switch to renewablesGermany plans to ban the installation of most oil and gas heating systems from next year, with proposals approved on Wednesday triggering angry divisions in the cabinet.The radical plans are designed to transform Germany’s heating systems in an attempt to meet net zero emission targets that critics have called unworkable and discriminatory. About half of Germany’s 41m households currently use natural gas heating, and almost a quarter use heating oil. Continue reading...

Figures come despite claims firms cannot afford to comply with planned EU pollution rulesEurope’s top five carmakers have more than doubled their profits since 2019 despite claiming that they cannot afford to comply with planned EU pollution rules, analysis reveals.The European auto industry’s “big five” – BMW, Mercedes, Renault, Stellantis and Volkswagen – collectively pocketed €64bn in profits by selling fewer cars, yet at more expensive prices, according to the study by Transport and Environment (T&E), a green thinktank. Continue reading...

The 2023 total solar eclipse is captured through telescopes at the Perth Observatory and Learmonth Solar Observatory, south of Exmouth on the west coast of Australia. A total solar eclipse was visible in some parts of the world, including Exmouth and Barrow Island in the Ningaloo region of Western Australia, eastern regions of Timor-Leste and West Papua in Indonesia► Subscribe to Guardian Australia on YouTube

Women face barriers in the sector, including harassment and exclusionary unions, but they would help resolve a crucial labor shortage and could also help close the gender wage gapAs a child, Cora Saxton liked to make things – forts, whittled wood carvings, a flying saucer even – so when she became an electrician at 49, it felt like a perfect fit.“I like the puzzle-solving and being able to look back at the end of the day and see the physical result of your hard work,” she said. Continue reading...

Thirteen years after the Deepwater Horizon explosion, documents shed light on the company’s response and ‘scorched earth’ legal tacticsAfter 18 rounds of chemotherapy, Samuel Castleberry is tired.If it were up to him, he’d still be working his trucking job. The 59-year-old was making a decent living and felt fit. But in June 2020, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, which has already spread to his liver. Now he gets out of breath wheeling his garbage can to the curb at his home in Mobile, Alabama. Continue reading...

Environmental campaigners say industry-led approach is failing and stronger laws are needed

Move suggested to tackle rise in plastic grass and paving, which exacerbate wildlife loss, flooding and summer heatEco-friendly gardeners should be given a cut in their council tax, scientists have recommended, as research shows cities may have lost as much as 50% of their green garden space over the past two decades.Paving over gardens and using plastic grass has become a trend in recent years, which contributes to rising urban temperatures and biodiversity decline. Continue reading...

The town of Exmouth in Western Australia was one of the only places in the world to see the totality of Thursday’s astronomical phenomenon

People in the sleepy port of Piombino are concerned about the effects of the hurriedly installed regasification unit on its marine ecosystemPiombino is a small seaside town in Tuscany. It is known for a few modest things – its picturesque historic centre, with walls designed by Leonardo da Vinci, and as the place where ships leave for Sardinia. Now, however, it is also known for something new, something that has set off a heated political debate in an otherwise sleepy municipality: a ship.Calling the Golar Tundra, which docked here at in March, a ship is not technically accurate. It’s actually a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), whose job is to take liquefied gas (LNG) transported by carriers, return it to a gaseous state and then feed it into the gas network. It will begin operation in May, and Italy’s government wants to “park” it in Piombino’s port for at least three years. But the town’s citizens, and mayor, have other ideas. Along with environmental activists from across Italy, they have set out to block the project. Continue reading...

High production costs for farmers lead to ‘worrying and worsening’ decline in new birthsThough they grace the pictures of children’s books and appear in nursery rhymes, the UK’s traditional pig breeds are at risk of dying out.With the pig market failure causing a shrinkage of the British pork industry, owing to farmers being offered less than the cost of production for their products, the UK pig population has fallen from about 8 million in the 1990s to just over 5 million today. Continue reading...

Sales of battery EVs also overtook conventional petrol hybrids in all categories, peak motoring body says. ‘The shift is on’

An avian alert | Serge Gainsbourg’s best song | Longer John Silver | Voter ID | Woke WindsorMark Cocker’s eloquent article (Look up, listen, and be very concerned. Birds are vanishing – and their crisis is our crisis, 17 April) should be required reading for Thérèse Coffey, the environment secretary, and for all those working for Defra, and all farmers and landowners in this country. It brought me to tears.

Canadian youth activists’ case nevertheless dismissed as judge rules province’s policies do not violate Charter rightsA judge has warned that Ontario’s weak climate plans will “increase the risk of death” for Canada’s young people – but dismissed a lawsuit brought by a group worried that government inaction on global heating threatens their futures.Justice Marie-Andrée Vermette of Ontario superior court issued a decision on Tuesday that found that while both young people and Indigenous peoples bear the brunt of climate change, government failures to react were not a breach of their rights. Continue reading...

Tree to Me aims to give authors more say in reducing the environmental impact of physical books, including from the manufacture of paper, transportation and the use of chemicalsA new campaign has been launched to help authors hold publishers to account when it comes to sustainability.Tree to Me has been created by the Society of Authors, which says the campaign “adds authors’ voices to efforts to achieve net zero in the publishing industry”. Continue reading...

Scientists raise alarm over avian influenza strain’s unprecedented deadliness and reach from farmed poultry and wild birdsThe current strain of the avian influenza, which has been decimating bird populations globally, is perilously different than previous disease outbreaks, according to US researchers who are calling for urgent action.A new study led by a team from the University of Maryland found that the current strain of the disease that is killing millions of birds is “different” from previous decades, with birds dying in unprecedented numbers. Continue reading...

While committing to a fuel-efficiency standard is an important step, a shift to clean cars alone won’t get us where we need to be

Report shows anxiety over the environment is prominent among teenagers, such as Ruby Bron who feels ‘helpless’ about future

Shadow infrastructure minister says road user charging should not be ruled out and accuses government of ‘stalling’ with consultation

EPA to use statutory powers to investigate whether conditions in Darling-Baaka River breach state environment laws

CEO Meg O’Neill says developing new supply is necessary to keeping ‘energy affordable and reliable as we transition to a lower carbon future’