Animal fatally attacked Andrea Papi, 26, who was first person to be killed in Italy by a bear in modern timesAn Italian court has suspended a ruling that a brown bear should be put down for mauling to death a jogger in the Alps.The animal, a 17-year-old female identified as JJ4, was captured after the fatal attack on Andrea Papi, 26, near his village of Caldes on 5 April. He was the first person in Italy to be killed in a bear attack in modern times. Continue reading...

Notoriously hot California national park could surpass modern record of 130F amid unrelenting heatwaveTemperatures in the famously sizzling Death Valley national park are predicted to equal or even break modern records this weekend - but that hasn't stopped the tourists from showing up.The US south-west is currently trapped under an unrelenting heatwave, with extreme temperatures forecast to climb even higher in the coming days. In the national park, the thermometer could climb past 130F (54.4C). Continue reading...

Brazilians write to Sunak to urge the UK government to crack down on unethical corporate practicesVictims of Brazil's worst environmental disaster have written to the British prime minister, Rishi Sunak, accusing the mining company BHP of environmental racism" and urging the UK government to act on unethical practices by British companies.About 720,000 Brazilians are suing BHP, an Anglo-Australian company that until recently had its headquarters in London, over its role in the 2015 Mariana dam disaster. The company denies liability. It is facing claims for compensation amounting to 36bn in the world's largest group claim in English legal history. Continue reading...

Scientists caution against rush to mine the seabed, and say it could be decades before the full impact on marine life is knownAnimal populations appear to decrease where the deep sea is being mined, and the impact on marine life of the controversial industry may involve a wider footprint" than previously expected.According to analysis of seabed ecology undertaken after drilling tests in 2020 in Japan - the country's first successful extraction of cobalt crusts from deep-sea mountains - there was a decrease in marine life such as fish and shrimp at the site a year later. The density had dropped even further in areas outside the impact zone, by more than half. Continue reading...

The Bureau of Meteorology's long-range forecast expects more warm weather for the east coast, with Sydney hitting a top of 23C on Saturday

Owner Origin Energy say nothing has changed' on plan to shut the coal-fired Eraring plant no sooner than August 2025

Residents of Arizona's capital are used to scorching heat, but the summer's unyielding sizzle is making harder to live thereIt's Wednesday morning in Phoenix and even under thick clouds, the thermometer is hovering above 100F (37.7C).Arizona's capital city is nicknamed Valley of the Sun", and residents are used to scorching heat. But by day 12 of a vicious heatwave that's sent temperatures soaring into triple digits, with little relief overnight, limits are being tested - and it's only going to get hotter. Continue reading...

Protester Colette Joan Harmsen says she committed offences due to worsening climate crisis' and is not a menace to society'

Policies such as refunds for repairing old clothes put too much responsibility on consumers, say criticsFrance is saving the planet one shirt, one plastic fork and one washing machine at a time. With refunds to be offered on repairs to clothing and household appliances, limits on single-use plastics in fast food and other restaurants and punitive parking fees for SUV owners, the recent green focus has targeted the consumer.It is the latest phase in the government's environment roadmap, pledged by Emmanuel Macron in his presidential re-election campaign last year and announced by the prime minister, Elisabeth Borne, in May. Continue reading...

Tories, including former net zero tsar, among signatories to letter urging PM not to let down developing countriesRishi Sunak must uphold his 11.6bn climate finance commitment, Conservative parliamentarians, including the former net zero tsar, have said.Writing to the prime minister in a cross-party letter, they say recommitting to the target and clearly demonstrating how it would be met would avoid doing further damage to the UK's climate leadership, and help to build a safe and more prosperous future". Continue reading...

This blog is now closed

CPRE London hopes to surround capital in trees by weaving existing areas of green belt in outer boroughsAn environmental charity is bidding to create an M25 for nature" that would encircle London in woodland, hedgerows and street trees to boost biodiversity, carbon capture and wellbeing.The countryside charity CPRE London hopes to weave together existing areas of green belt in the city's 18 outer boroughs to create an uninterrupted ring of trees around the capital. Continue reading...

The best of this week's wildlife photographs, including released beavers, fantastic flamingos and a hungry puffin Continue reading...

Latest storm warning comes just days after areas of Vermont and New York were hit with flash flooding, raising concerns over more damageMeterologist Ben Frechette from NBC5 reported that a tornado risk is going up slightly in north-eastern NewYork state:As some parts of the US are sweltering, Vermont was bracing for more rain on Thursday. Continue reading...

As annual three-week survey kicks off, there are signs weather has taken toll on populations of common speciesLast summer's drought may have reduced butterfly populations this year because grasses and flowers that would usually feed caterpillars withered and died in the heatwave, scientists say.People are being urged to help researchers understand the impact of extreme weather on British butterflies by counting the number and species they see this summer as part of the world's largest insect survey. Continue reading...

Fish, beavers and skunks all suffered from the deluge this week. But good news: populations are healthy and they will reboundThe toll to wildlife from climate crisis-related weather events is an area that often gets overlooked in their immediate aftermath. But after the flooding in Vermont this week, previous weather calamities - including Tropical Storm Irene, in 2011 - can offer some clues.Fish in Vermont's rivers, primarily species of trout - brook, rainbow and brown - have been found to move upriver during increased water flow to less turbulent areas, including tributaries or flooded fields, or find refuge behind fallen trees or rocks. Continue reading...

After multiple worker fatalities, the US government warned manual gauging was dangerous. The oil industry seems to have not taken note, activists say

Climactic event will almost certainly strengthen throughout the year, US climate scientists predictMild El Nino climatic conditions brewing in the Pacific Ocean will strengthen throughout the year, with an outside chance of a record-breaking event that will further turbocharge already sweltering temperatures around the globe, scientists have forecast.Last month saw a weak" El Nino form, a periodic climatic event where the circulation of the equatorial Pacific Ocean shifts and its temperature rises, causing knock-on heat around the world, according to an update from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa). Continue reading...

Britain and Switzerland among countries that need to adapt most for heating, says research looking at impact of 2C global riseThe UK and Switzerland will see a 30% increase in the number of days of uncomfortably hot temperatures if the world heats by 2C, and are two of the countries which need to adapt the most for global heating, scientists have predicted.The research, published in Nature Sustainability on Thursday, found that while central Africa will see the most extreme temperatures overall, it is mostly northern European countries that will experience the greatest relative increases in uncomfortably hot days. Continue reading...

Nearly 90 million Americans are facing heat alerts this week, yet GOP members are wrangling over spending to reduce emissionsSwaths of the US are baking under record-breaking heat, yet some lawmakers are still attempting to block any spending to fight the climate crisis, advocates say.Nearly 90 million Americans are facing heat alerts this week, including in Las Vegas, Nevada, which may break its all-time hottest temperature record; Phoenix, Arizona, which will probably break its streak of consecutive days of temperatures over 110F; and parts of Florida, where a marine heatwave has pushed up water temperatures off the coast to levels normally found in hot tubs. Continue reading...

In 2010, Barcelona's nine city beaches were topped upwith 700,000 cubic metres of sand. Since then, 70% of that sand has disappeared. In the past 20 years the rate of erosion along Spain's east coast has been accelerating. It is partly to do with storms and rising sea levels but there are also other factors at play. The local authorities are in a bind, trying to balance economic needs and the environment, with no viable solutions to choose from. It is a tricky situation that could spell the end of Barcelona's beaches Continue reading...

Agriculture ministers agree to phase out cages as animal rights advocates criticise state's lack of deadline

Agriculture ministers criticised for agreeing to continue working' on a strategy to deal with invasive species

Investigation finds polluting farmers may not face action after breaking the rulesA loophole in the UK's pollution legislation allows farmers to pollute rivers by spreading excess manure, an investigation has found, with those acting unlawfully not facing any action in most cases.The government introduced new farming rules for water in 2018, aimed at cleaning up England's waterways. However, after lobbying from the National Farmers' Union (NFU), including at least two meetings with ministers, the guidance was watered down. Continue reading...

ScottishPower expects Hagshaw Hill to produce five times as much energy with half the turbines by early 2025

California governor launches campaign aimed at protecting residents from extreme heat; US president says extreme heat and floods linked to climate

Fourth phase at giant project off Yorkshire coast is expected to have 180 turbines and generate 2.6GWOne of the UK's largest planned offshore windfarms will move ahead after the government gave the green light to a giant project off the Yorkshire coast after a five-month delay.The fourth phase of the Hornsea windfarm development is expected to include 180 giant turbines, capable of generating the equivalent of enough green electricity to power 1m homes. Continue reading...

Animals make first return to the county in 400 years as National Trust introduces family of four to Wallington estateIt was a genuinely tense tale of the riverbank as a family of four beavers were released into the Northumberland countryside on Wednesday, the first time in more than 400 years that the animals are making the county their home.Would they even come out of their cages? Would they be as feisty coming out as they apparently were going in? Would they be happy with their new surroundings? Continue reading...

People will be able to claim back 6-25 of cost of repairing clothes and shoes in latest environmental measureA broken heel, a rip in trousers, buttons missing from a shirt? Don't throw them away if you live in France, where the government will pay a repair bonus" to have them mended in a new scheme aimed at cutting waste.An estimated 700,000 tonnes of clothing is thrown away in France every year, two-thirds ending up in landfill. Continue reading...

Safe levels exceeded in 13,000km of rivers globally with ingredients potentially degrading into more persistent substancesAgricultural pesticides leach far from their original sources into the world's waterways, according to new research which finds pesticides exceed safe levels in 13,000km of rivers globally.Analysing 92 of the most common agricultural pesticides, scientists have estimated that 710 tonnes of pesticide active ingredients leach into the world's oceans each year. Continue reading...

The sea is becoming greener due to changes in plankton populations, analysis of Nasa images findsEarth's oceans are changing colour and climate breakdown is probably to blame, according to research.The deep blue sea is actually becoming steadily greener over time, according to the study, with areas in the low latitudes near the equator especially affected. Continue reading...

Covid pandemic and Ukraine war add to widespread crisis with one in nine people in the world facing severe food insecurity in 2022The number of people going hungry in the world has risen by 122 million to 735 million since 2019 because of the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, the UN has said.If current trends continue, almost 600 million people will be chronically undernourished by 2030 - about 119 million more than if neither of these events had happened, a new report has found. Continue reading...

A wildfire has consumed more than 4,000 hectares (9,984 acres) of a national park in eastern Bolivia over the weekend, Bolivian authorities said. Drone images showed plumes of smoke coming out of Otuquis national park in the Santa Cruz region, near the border with Brazil and Paraguay.The fire entered a wet national park area on Tuesday, reducing its intensity but making it difficult for fire crews to fight the blaze Continue reading...

Country's ministers echo European governments, scientists and environmental organisations in citing need for robust regulation of fledgling sectorCanada has joined a growing list of nations calling for a pause on deep-sea mining in international waters amid fears the nascent, untested industry could cause ecological devastation without further study and clear safeguards.Three ministers, for the country's foreign affairs, natural resources, and fisheries and oceans departments, issued a statement on Monday that in the absence of both a comprehensive understanding of seabed mining's environmental impacts and a robust regulatory regime", they supported a moratorium on commercial deep-sea mining. Continue reading...

Campaigners raise concerns about water industry links as Lib Dems say watchdog should be abolishedThe appointments of the current and previous chairs of the water regulator Ofwat should be investigated, campaigners have said, as the Liberal Democrats called for the watchdog to be abolished.Jonson Cox, a former chair of the regulator, had multimillion-pound links with the privatised water industry before taking up the role. The current chair, Iain Coucher, remains a senior adviser to a global private equity firm that has interests in the water industry in the US. Continue reading...

The joint chief executive of Thames Water has refused to apologise for allowing water companies to increase their debt during her time as chief of Ofwat, the water regulator. Cathryn Ross's comments came during a parliamentary committee session with Thames Water bosses as concerns mount over the financial viability of the company. Thames Water has secured 750m of emergency funding from its shareholders but the debt-ridden company warned it would need further funding in the years ahead

Exclusive: The ongoing strength of rooftop solar installations contrasts with the sharp slowdown in new large-scale solar farms

Phil Scott says damage is historic and catastrophic'; parts of the US south and southwest are suffering extreme heat

Nuclear bomb fallout marks dawn of new epoch in which humanity dominates planetThe site to represent the start of the Anthropocene epoch on Earth has been selected by scientists. It will mark the end of 11,700 years of a stable global environment in which the whole of human civilisation developed and the start of a new age, dominated by human activities.The site is a sinkhole lake in Canada. It hosts annual sediments showing clear spikes due to the colossal impact of humanity on the planet from 1950 onwards, from plutonium from hydrogen bomb tests to the particles from fossil fuel burning that have showered the globe. Continue reading...

Environment Victoria calls for Andrews government to end opposition to commonwealth water purchases to save river

Pipeline of solar and onshore wind projects could fall short of what's needed, while carbon capture will be a crucial component', report says

Week of dangerous weather to continue across the US, as July warnings about the climate crisis intensifyFlash flood warnings were still in place in parts of Vermont on Tuesday morning, as the state capital Montpelier's downtown was under water and officials fear a local dam could fail for the first time since it was built, threatening further inundation.There were hopes that waters that have flooded several other towns in the state, which is not typically a hotspot for severe flooding, would start to recede, according to local news reports, while warnings about the Wrightsville Dam on a large reservoir in Washington county, were issued. Continue reading...

The country is suffering its worst drought in 74 years, with the government even mixing saltwater into the drinking supplyA plan to build a Google data centre that will use millions of litres of water a day has sparked anger in Uruguay, which is suffering its worst drought in 74 years.Water shortages are so severe in the country that a state of emergency has been declared in Montevideo and the authorities have added salty water to the public drinking water supplies, prompting widespread protests. Continue reading...

RSPCA accuses government of race to the bottom for animal welfare standards' with post-Brexit trade dealBattery eggs should not be sold in the UK as part of post-Brexit trade deals, animal welfare groups have said, as the government prepares to allow them to be imported.As part of the new Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), ministers are expected to give the green light to battery eggs to be imported from countries including Mexico. Continue reading...

Charity urges government to act amid fears mental health of young people is at breaking point'Play campaigners in the UK are calling for urgent action at the highest level of government to reduce the danger children face from traffic on residential roads.Playing Out, a national charity set up to help parents close roads for play, has reported a rise in temporary road closures on residential streets as parents try to help children play outside safely. Continue reading...

Fishers and retailers say mining's impact on tuna fishing in the Pacific might be felt on supermarket shelves around the worldSeafood groups representing a third of the world's tuna trade as well as major supermarket suppliers are the latest groups to call for a pause on deep-sea mining, after a new study published today showed tropical tuna fishing grounds in the Pacific would overlap with mining plans.The Global Tuna Alliance partners, which account for 32% of global tuna sales and represent Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Asda, Marks & Spencer and Aldi in the UK, joined the Sustainable Seafood Coalition, made up of 45 British seafood firms, to condemn the rush to mine the seabed. Continue reading...

Six people died and three others were missing after heavy rain triggered floods and landslides in south-west Japan.The Japan meteorological agency warned residents of Kyushu - one of the country's four main islands - to stay alert for more landslides, a common hazard in mountainous areas after heavy rainfall.Japan has been hit by unusually heavy rain and powerful typhoons in recent years, raising fears about its vulnerability to the climate crisis

Experts and former ministers have also said the developments would not reduce energy prices in the UKNew oil and gas fields in the North Sea would produce only enough gas to satisfy the UK's needs for a few weeks a year, with a minimal impact on energy security, analysis has found.Fields now under consideration would supply at most an additional three weeks of gas a year to the UK, from 2024 to 2050, even if none of the gas was exported. Continue reading...

David Lammy says Labour government would join growing list of countries and multinationals opposing rush to mine the seabedThe Labour party has said the UK should back the call for a precautionary pause on deep-sea mining, ahead of a crucial meeting of nations in Jamaica to decide the future of the industry.David Lammy, the shadow foreign secretary, said the Labour party was adding its voice to a growing list of countries and businesses urging that moves to start mining be halted until and unless" there was clear scientific evidence that it could be done safely and the marine environment would be protected by new regulations. Continue reading...