Environment | The Guardian

Unique ecosystem on the brink of collapse due to climate crisis and mismanagement, says conservation group American RiversA 277-mile stretch of the Colorado River that snakes through the iconic Grand Canyon is America’s most endangered waterway, a new report has found.The unique ecosystem and cultural heritage of the Grand Canyon is on the brink of collapse due to prolonged drought, rising temperatures and outdated river management, according to American Rivers, the conservation group that compiles the annual endangered list. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Conservation group Action for Dolphins has lodged a complaint with police, demanding the meat be removed from saleMarine conservation campaigners have lodged a complaint with police demanding that “toxic” dolphin meat be removed from sale in Japan, after a test showed a sample contained levels of mercury up to 100 times higher than the government’s recommended safe level.Action for Dolphins (AFD), a nonprofit based in Australia, filed the complaint with police in central Japan this month, amid expert warnings that regular consumption of dolphin meat could threaten the health of consumers. Continue reading...

Change to bill says opening and licensing of new coalmines by the Coal Authority to be prohibitedAn amendment to the energy bill currently going through the House of Lords means that it will not be possible to open a new coalmine in England.The amendment may still be reversed in the House of Commons, but it marks the growing frustration of politicians as they press the government to move faster and harder on the climate crisis. Continue reading...

Campaigners worry about scheme’s impact on marine ecosystem but Planetary Technologies says concerns misplaced“Planetary can stick it up their waste pipe,” read one of the many waspish placards at the north Cornwall beach where more than 300 protesters gathered on Sunday.They came to Gwithian beach to object to a proposed carbon dioxide removal scheme by the Canadian company Planetary Technologies – winner of a $1m XPrize for climate change solutions in 2022 – which wants to add magnesium hydroxide to the wastewater pipe at Hayle that stretches out to sea. Continue reading...

To get earthworms for fishing, people do a thing called ‘worm grunting’An article on earthworms published in the New York Times in 1881 – “Habits of earth-worms: The curious work which they accomplish” – describes a helminth British empire. “In England they abound in the fields, in the paved courts of houses, though they are rarer in bog fields,” the author writes. “Worm castings have been found as high as 1,500 feet in the Scotch hills and at great altitudes in south India, and on the Himalaya mountains. Both in the extremes of a climate like England and in very hot weather, worms cease their work.”Earthworms are hermaphrodites, which the journalist, all the way back in 1881, expresses in a glittering sentence: “Two sexes unite in one individual but two individuals pair”. Continue reading...

More than 35% of Australia’s electricity last year was supplied by renewables, up from just under 17% in 2017

Government wants to create more green jobs in response to Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act packageMinisters are considering an overhaul of the bidding process to fund new renewable energy projects in an effort to create green jobs, amid Joe Biden’s subsidy race.The government said on Monday it has begun a review of the “contracts for difference” (CfD) scheme, which is used to determine the price of electricity from offshore wind and solar farms, with the aim of adding factors such as how many jobs they create to the regular auctions. Continue reading...

Survey finds 359 hectares of rich habitat, a highly effective carbon sink, in St Austell BayOne of the largest seagrass beds in the UK, home to seahorses, pipefish and scallops and a highly effective carbon sink, has been identified off the south coast of Cornwall.An acoustic study of St Austell Bay carried out by a survey boat pinpointed 359 hectares (887 acres) of seagrass hugging the coastline, and divers sent in to examine the site close up recorded 56 species living in the rich habitat. Continue reading...

Conservationists blame changing weather patterns as low numbers of amphibians found across countryFrog and toad populations in England have been devastated by climate breakdown, conservationists fear, after the drought dried up their breeding ponds last year.Usually at this time of year, ponds are full of jelly-like frog and toadspawn. But conservationists have found the habitats to be bare, with no amphibians or their young to be seen. Continue reading...

Indians warned to stay vigilant during spell of very hot weather. Elsewhere, sandstorms plague ChinaThe heatwave that has been plaguing the states of West Bengal, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh in India is forecast to continue through the coming week. Daytime temperatures of 40C have been recorded for several consecutive days in these regions, about 5C above the seasonal average.This excessive heat is linked to a north-westerly flow of air, which is also bringing much drier than usual conditions. The authorities have advised people to be vigilant about their health by staying hydrated, wearing breathable clothing and avoiding street food, which could easily go off in these conditions. They have also closed schools and universities for a week in response to schoolchildren complaining about headaches. Continue reading...

Compostable packaging is popular for environmental reasons, but it can be treated with ‘forever chemicals’ linked to health problemsA group of toxic PFAS chemicals that industry has claimed is safe to use in food packaging are concerning and present a health threat because they can break off and end up in food and drinks, a new peer-reviewed study finds.The subgroup of PFAS, called “fluorotelomers”, have been billed as a safe replacement for a first generation of PFAS compounds now largely phased out of production in the US, Canada and the EU because of their high toxicity. Continue reading...

Fewer than 2,000 rhino remain in Kenya, and the country’s wildlife service needs to keep tabs on them to make sure they thrive. It’s a major undertaking, involving a helicopter, 4x4s and a lot of rangersWords and photographs by Peter MuiruriKenya has the world’s third largest rhinoceros population: a total of 1,890 including 966 black rhinos, 922 southern white and two northern white. But how to keep track of them and ensure the species are thriving? Every two or three years, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) carries out an ear-notching exercise in all rhino sanctuaries in the country to ensure that at least 60% of the animals are uniquely identifiable.An ear-notch is a pattern unique to an individual rhino within a specific ecosystem that helps rangers and researchers keep accurate records and monitor the rhino’s health.Here comes a chopper … a helicopter is used to dart the highly aggressive black rhino Continue reading...

Living in the twilight zone, cockeye squid float between two worlds and have adapted to keep an eye on bothCockeye squid face a conundrum. Living hundreds of metres underwater, they float in between two worlds. Above them is the surface ocean, where a dim blue fraction of sunlight filters down. Below them is the deep sea, sunless and black. Which way to look?Their mismatched eyes solve the problem – by letting them gaze into both worlds at once. Continue reading...

Madrid says regional authorities’ proposals for water use threaten Doñana world heritage siteSpain’s environment minister has accused the Andalucían regional government of engaging in “short-term electoral demagoguery” and playing into the hands of the far right by pressing ahead with irrigation plans for strawberry farms that could threaten the survival of one of Europe’s most important wetlands.Water supplies to the Doñana Natural Space, whose marshes, forests and dunes extend across almost 130,000 hectares (320,000 acres) and include a Unesco-listed national park, have declined drastically over the past 30 years because of climate breakdown, farming, mining pollution and marsh drainage. Continue reading...

Chris Bowen is expected to introduce an EV and vehicle fuel efficiency standards policy this week

East Atlantic Flyway in England takes first step to becoming world heritage site alongside global wonders including the Galápagos and KilimanjaroHigh over the Essex coast, an ancient battle of life and death is playing out: a peregrine falcon scans the ground at Old Hall Marshes nature reserve where lapwings guard their nests. A “deceit” (the collective noun for lapwings), bolts into the air to chase away the bird of prey. The furious group of expecting parents nip at the falcon’s feathers until it loses interest.“This is probably the wildest part of Essex,” says Kieren Alexander, the RSPB site manager, scanning the wetlands with his binoculars for more skirmishes after the lapwings settle. Continue reading...

Climate Change Committee says little hope of getting on track if Stormont power sharing not restored soonThe prolonged lack of devolved government in Northern Ireland threatens to seriously hamper the country’s ability to hit the ambitious emissions reduction targets enshrined by law in its climate act, the chief executive of the UK’s Climate Change Committee (CCC) has said.There has been no power-sharing government in place to advance work on meeting these commitments since Northern Ireland’s Climate Change Act, which includes a 2050 net zero target, was passed last spring. Continue reading...

The 55-year-old businessman appeared via video link at Parramatta magistrates court. This blog is now closed

In the first of a two-part report, we look at the successes – and the costs – of what once was Australia’s largest power station

Exclusive: Origin Energy says it has monitored the bubbling water since 2015, along with other seep locations

Energy department gives green light to exports from liquefied natural gas program, after Willow project approved last monthThe Biden administration on Thursday approved exports of liquefied natural gas from the Alaska liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, a document showed, prompting criticism from environmental groups over the approval of another “carbon bomb”.The US energy department approved Alaska Gasline Development Corp’s (AGDC) project to export LNG to countries with which the United States does not have a free trade agreement, mainly in Asia. Backers of the roughly $39bn project expect it to be operational by 2030 if it receives the required permits. Continue reading...

Dartmoor National Park Authority is preparing to appeal against court decision to overturn right to wild campA wealthy landowner has accused Dartmoor National Park Authority (DNPA) officials of “acting like campaigners” as they prepare to appeal against a court decision to overturn the right to wild camp.Earlier this year, as a result of a court case brought by a local landowner, backpack camping, also known as wild camping, was made illegal on Dartmoor without landowner permission, overturning what campaigners claim was a long-held right to camping on the moor. Continue reading...

Police investigating after ‘vile’ incident condemned by animal protection servicesPolice are investigating reports of a man seen dragging a seagull across a road in Blackpool on a what appeared to be a dog lead.The incident took place on Monday, with an image and video of it circulated on social media. Continue reading...

‘Exceptional’ super-colony of endangered barbastelles found in path of proposed road near NorwichThe centre of an “exceptional” super-colony of one of Britain’s most endangered bats has been discovered in the path of a proposed road across a chalk stream.A planning application for the Western Link dual carriageway near Norwich is expected to be submitted this summer despite researchers identifying the UK’s largest known colony of barbastelle bats in the threatened Wensum valley woodlands. Continue reading...

Slow-moving supercell thunderstorms trigger flooding in Florida and a cyclone hits AustraliaFort Lauderdale experienced a historic rainfall event this week. As low pressure developed across the northern Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday morning, a warm front lifted slowly north across southern Florida, bringing moderate rainfall through the early afternoon.Multiple slow-moving supercell thunderstorms developed, each following similar tracks across the area. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport provisionally measured 25.91in (65.8cm) of rainfall during the 24 hours to 7am on Thursday, mostly falling within 12 hours. The previous daily rainfall total at the travel hub was 14.59in in 1979. Continue reading...

The best of this week’s wildlife photographs, including a green forest lizard, gentoo penguins and a wild beaver Continue reading...

Number of house sparrows spotted has dropped by nearly 60% since 1979, according to RSPB annual surveyHouse sparrows are the most spotted bird in UK gardens for the 20th year in a row, according to new data. This comes despite the decline of the bird’s population, with nearly 22 million house sparrows lost from the country since 1966.Roughly 1.5 million house sparrows were spotted in gardens between 27 and 29 January this year, according to people who took part in the Big Garden Birdwatch, the garden wildlife survey conducted by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). Continue reading...

Sandstorms whipped up from the Gobi desert have spread from northern China to Thailand and South Korea and as far east as Japan, causing a reduction in visibility and an increase in respiratory illness. There have been four sandstorms in the space of a month in China this year Continue reading...

Labour analysis shows that raw sewage was discharged into cabinet ministers’ constituencies for 180,759 hours last yearMore than 7,500 days’ worth of raw sewage was dumped in the constituencies of cabinet ministers last year, an analysis has found.The Yorkshire seat of the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, was third on the leaderboard, with 3,455 dumping events, lasting 20,615 hours, Labour party analysis has found. Continue reading...

The parched state’s landscape is peppered with magnificent red, orange and yellow blooms that can be seen from spaceCalifornia’s superblooms this year are so lush and so exuberant that they can be seen from space.Satellite images from Maxar Technologies, a Colorado-based company, show striking images of bright orange, red, yellow and purple blooms across southern California. Continue reading...

Data shows 48% of species declined between 2015 and 2020 with woodland birds faring worstBird populations in the UK continue to crash, new data shows, as campaigners predict the government will fail to meet its own nature targets unless radical changes are made.Statistics released by the government show that bird populations continue to decline in the long and short term. In 2021, on average the abundance of 130 breeding species was 12% below its 1970 value. Though much of this loss was between the late 1970s and the late 1980s, caused mostly by relatively steep declines in woodland and farmland birds, there was still a significant 5% decrease between 2015 and 2020. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Previous holder says loss is ‘disappointing’ and damages UK’s ability to spur global climate action

Madeleine King says gas can help decarbonise the economy but not even big users of the fossil fuel are convinced

Dead creature was one of 150 descendants of four hippos imported by drug baron Pablo Escobar in 1980sColombia has logged its first hippopotamus-caused road traffic accident after a car crashed into one of the animals at high speed, leaving the vehicle mangled and the two-tonne mammal lying lifeless and bloodied across a highway.The hippo was declared dead soon after the crash on Tuesday night in the municipality of Doradal on a highway connecting the cities of Bogotá and Medellín, local environmental authorities said. Continue reading...

The 14-acre site was being used to store plastics for recycling when the out of control blaze broke out on TuesdayAn evacuation order affecting more than 1,000 people was expected to remain in place through Wednesday around a large industrial fire in an Indiana city near the Ohio border, where crews worked through the night to douse piles of burning plastics, authorities said.Multiple fires, which began burning on Tuesday afternoon, were still ablaze on Wednesday in a 14-acre (5.5-hectare) property containing various types of plastics. Continue reading...

Rules will also include ban on campfires and barbecues as part of a crackdown on antisocial behaviourVisitors to the New Forest face being fined up to £1,000 for petting ponies and for lighting campfires and barbecues, as part of measures to tackle antisocial behaviour.The new rules, approved by New Forest district council, ban the petting and feeding of animals out of concern for their wellbeing and to prevent them from becoming aggressive. Continue reading...

Sadiq Khan to press on with plans for ultra-low emission zone despite challenge being allowed to proceedA legal challenge to the expansion of London’s ultra-low emission zone will be heard in the high court later this year, after a judgment permitted councils to proceed.The city’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, vowed to press on regardless with plans to extend the Ulez, which he has argued is needed to tackle toxic air that is responsible for thousands of premature deaths a year. Continue reading...

Analysis suggests government policies would achieve reduction less than half target of 30% by 2030The UK is still well off track on meeting its international commitments to cut methane emissions, analysis has shown, despite moves to stop cows from belching out so much of it.Ministers unveiled a host of initiatives to reduce UK greenhouse gas emissions in the government’s “green day” of energy announcements more than a week ago, including plans to introduce methane-suppressing feed for livestock from 2025, and to stop biodegradable waste going to landfill from 2028. Continue reading...

Proposal would require two of every three new vehicles sold in US to be electric by 2032The Biden administration on Wednesday proposed strict new automobile pollution limits that would require that all-electric vehicles account for as many as two of every three new vehicles sold in the US by 2032 in a plan that would transform the US auto industry.Under the proposed regulation, released by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), greenhouse gas emissions for the 2027 through 2032 model years for passenger vehicles would be limited to even stricter levels than the auto industry agreed to in 2021. Continue reading...

New Mexico’s ancient water systems nurtured its rural farmlands through climate change. But after last year’s wildfires, there’s little time left to save themJimmy Sanchez knows that making things grow during a megadrought isn’t impossible – it just requires a bit of creativity.In 1882, his ancestors constructed a 24-mile-long ditch to bring water from headwaters in the nearby mountains to the bone-dry foothills where they lived in Holman, New Mexico, allowing their village to sustain fruit, vegetables, and livestock. Continue reading...

Greenpeace report finds heavy machinery made by South Korean firm contributing to destruction of Brazilian rainforestHyundai is being urged to prevent its heavy machinery products from being used in illegal mining and environmental destruction in the Brazilian Amazon.A report published by Greenpeace on Wednesday found the South Korean conglomerate’s excavators and other heavy machinery are precipitating the destruction of the rainforest and putting the survival of Indigenous populations at risk. Continue reading...

Lily D’Ambrosio says less than a quarter of the energy needed will come from the SEC and urges industry to produce remaining 20.5GW

Hybrid vehicle pollution and van traffic update adds 26 megatonnes of carbon emissions to Department for Transport decarbonisation planThe UK’s net zero targets will be missed because of a planned “road-building spree” by the Department for Transport, campaigners have said.Officials had to edit the department’s “transport decarbonisation plan” to add 26 megatonnes of carbon emissions because of an oversight regarding polluting hybrid vehicles, and projections for an increase in van traffic. Continue reading...

The number of cows has nearly doubled in a generation, and the resulting fertiliser and irrigation needs are having a devastating impactIn tourism adverts and on movie screens, Aotearoa has sold its pristine landscapes, churning alpine waterfalls and bright jade-braided rivers to the world, under the tagline “100% pure New Zealand”.A new report, however, reveals the dire state of many of the country’s fresh waterways: contaminated by thousands of sewage overflows, flooded with nutrient pollution, blooming with toxic algae, risking public health and rendered unswimmable to the communities that have lived by them for years. Continue reading...

Scientists attribute the ‘unprecedented’ visibility of the water body to a boom in the population of zooplanktonLake Tahoe has attained a clarity that scientists haven’t seen in 40 years – and it’s all because of a microscopic animal acting as a “natural cleanup crew” to restore the clear blue waters.On Monday, researchers from the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) released their annual report showing that the lake’s average visibility in 2022 was at 71.7ft – compared with 61ft in 2021 – which was largely due to a spike in clarity in the last five months of the year. Continue reading...

Radical rise in spending on trains, trams and buses needed to cut car use, reports body representing unions in England and WalesMinisters have been urged to ramp up spending on public transport in England and Wales to tackle the climate emergency, and to unlock a £50bn a year boost to the economy, in a report by the Trades Union Congress (TUC).The report released by the TUC, a federation representing 48 unions, argues for a radical increase in investment – calling for £18bn more a year to be spent on operating trains, trams and buses to help cut car use by 20%, improve quality of life and boost the UK economy. Continue reading...

Climate researchers say magnitude of predicted weather event uncertain but if an extreme El Niño occurs ‘we’ll need to buckle up’

Nine new species of fish are now on the brink of extinction, with scientists calling for urgent action to control invasive freshwater species