Environment | The Guardian

As seas around Aotearoa heat at an unparalleled rate, scientists are starting to understand what it might mean for marine ecosystems Continue reading...

Rare sight of giant reptile basking by waterside offers hope that notoriously polluted waterway is getting cleanerA large snapping turtle dubbed “Chonk” has become a viral favorite of Chicago residents after the enormous reptile has been spotted repeatedly lounging by the once-toxic Chicago River.“Look at the size of that thing!” Joey Santore said as he filmed “Chonkosaurus”, or “Chonk”, as the giant creature lay atop of what appears to be an old rusty chain and tree snags. Continue reading...

System – extremely rare for this time of year – likely to fuel fires that have already displaced tens of thousands of residentsWestern Canada is bracing for a “heat dome” weather system that will push temperatures to new records over the weekend, and is likely to worsen wildfires that have already displaced tens of thousands of residents.Seventy-five active wildfires burned in Alberta on Thursday, with 23 listed as out of control. In some areas, oil and gas production, which typically resists weather-induced shutdowns, was briefly shuttered. Continue reading...

‘For just 10% of the stage-three tax cuts, we could recover every one of Australia’s almost 2,000 threatened species,’ says ecologist

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Chemicals yield profit of about $4bn a year for the world’s biggest PFAS manufacturers, Sweden-based NGO foundThe societal cost of using toxic PFAS or “forever chemicals” across the global economy totals about $17.5tn annually, a new analysis of the use of the dangerous compounds has found.Meanwhile, the chemicals yield comparatively paltry profits for the world’s largest PFAS manufacturers – about $4bn annually. Continue reading...

The best of this week’s wildlife photographs, including a pollinating bee, injured owls and a pelican hungry for ice-cream Continue reading...

Businesses that put together bids for flood doors, non-return valves and waterproof floors say they have spent tens of thousandsA £50m scheme to protect thousands of homes from flooding by the autumn has been pulled by the Environment Agency.Businesses that put together bids for the scheme to provide homes in England with flood defences including flood doors, non-return valves and waterproof floors, say they have spent tens of thousands preparing their bids. Continue reading...

Ex-adviser worries ministers have not taken into account sea level rise and storms in selecting sitesSuccessive governments since the 1980s have had plans for new generations of nuclear power stations sited around the coasts of the United Kingdom. Although the main reason for building them, according to politicians, is to provide a low-carbon form of electricity to combat the climate crisis, no thought seems to have gone into what the climate crisis might do to the nuclear power stations.Prof Andy Blowers, a former government adviser on nuclear waste, points out in the Town and Country Planning Association Journal that the eight sites identified in 2011 as suitable for new stations are the same as those identified half a century earlier, on which the first generation of nuclear power stations were built. Continue reading...

New images document the re-emergence of Tulare Lake, and residents brace for more flooding as snowpack starts to meltNew satellite images released from Nasa this week showcase the dramatic reappearance of California’s Tulare Lake after water swallowed swaths of land across the state’s agricultural center that had long been dry.Taken between the start of February and the end of April and colored artificially to help distinguish the water from vegetation and bare ground, the images highlight the scale of the transformation across the region still grappling with the aftermath of this winter’s heavy rains and snow. Continue reading...

International fund set up at Cop27 is intended to provide compensation to countries worst hit by climate breakdownA tax on wealthy Britons of just 0.5% could more than meet the UK’s entire “fair share” contribution to the international loss and damage fund established to support countries worst hit by global climate breakdown, a charity has suggested.Taxing 5p of every £10 of individuals’ wealth over £1m would raise £15bn a year by 2030, well in excess of an estimated $15bn (£12bn) UK contribution to the new fund, according to an analysis by the anti-poverty campaigners Christian Aid. Continue reading...

Shocking photos of chopped-down tree in western Canada highlights flaws in plan to protect forest from loggers, activists sayStark images of an ancient tree cut down in western Canada expose flaws in the government’s plan to protect old-growth forests, activists have said, arguing that vulnerable ecosystems have been put at risk as logging companies race to harvest timber.As part of an effort to catalogue possible old growth forests, photographer TJ Watt and Ian Thomas of the environmental advocacy group Ancient Forest Alliance travelled to a grove of western red cedars on British Columbia’s Vancouver Island. But then they arrived to the forest in Quatsino Sound, they found hundreds of trees that has recently been logged. Continue reading...

Environment activists condemn expected decision by Tanya Plibersek to give green light to the Isaac River mine in central Queensland

Soaring temperatures meant number of naturally occurring wildfires was also highest on recordFire crews attended a record number of serious outdoor blazes in England in summer 2022 as scorching temperatures caused the number of naturally occurring wildfires to soar.Figures released by the Home Office show there were 4,017 serious outdoor fires between July and September, during the period of record summer temperatures – almost three times as many as in the same period in 2021. Continue reading...

With 20m people at the highest risk of famine for 25 years, farmers are desperately trying to kill the pests before vast swarms formThe northern “breadbasket” of Afghanistan is battling a potentially devastating outbreak of locusts that threaten to eat their way through up to a quarter of the country’s annual wheat harvest, the UN has warned.After three years of disappointing, drought-afflicted harvests, Afghan farmers were expecting better this year – a much-needed boost for a country where nearly 20 million people are thought to be at the highest risk of famine in 25 years. Continue reading...

Creatures like crabs, barnacles, molluscs are drawn to havens built in Bournemouth and the Isle of WightArtificial rockpools in Bournemouth and the Isle of Wight have successfully attracted sea creatures, which have made them their home.Scientists have hailed the discovery, saying the false crevices can be added to sea defences and other human-made coastline developments to create habitats for sealife such as crabs, barnacles, molluscs, small fish, sea squirts and seaweed. Continue reading...

When Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka started out there were no black women in her field. She talks about creating roles for African leaders in wildlife and how protecting people is core to protecting the animals they live nearAs a black African woman in a space often dominated by white, western males, the path to becoming a conservation leader didn’t always seem open to Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka.“I remember a warden came to talk to us at wildlife club [at school] about mountain gorillas, which had just been discovered in Uganda and were being habituated. The people involved were white American researchers,” she says. Continue reading...

More than 400 people were killed during flash floods caused by high rainfall in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to official reports.The DRC floods happened days after deadly flooding in Rwanda, on the other side of Lake Kivu, which killed about 130 people. Uganda also experienced flooding, which caused 18 deaths and left thousands displaced.Extreme weather events are occurring with increased frequency in the region, from a severe drought in the eastern Horn of Africa to excessive rainfall in other parts of east and central Africa

Environmental groups laud the regulation, which would advance clean power in the US – if it survives expected legal challengesThe US is set to impose new carbon pollution standards upon its coal- and gas-fired power plants, in a move that the Biden administration has hailed as a major step in confronting the climate crisis.Under new rules put forward by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), new and existing power plants will have to meet a range of new standards to cut their emissions of planet-heating gases. This, the EPA predicts, will spur facilities to switch to cleaner energy such as wind and solar, install rarely used carbon capture technology or shut down entirely. Continue reading...

Study of piracy hotspots in east Africa and South China Sea found that piracy increases when fish populations decline and vice versaDwindling fish stocks caused by the climate crisis are leading to an increase in pirate attacks, according to a new study looking at two piracy hotspots over the past two decades.Warmer seas have negatively affected fisheries in east Africa, one of the world’s worst areas for piracy; while in the South China Sea, another hotspot for attacks, it has had the opposite effect: fish populations have risen. Continue reading...

Along Spain’s east coast, storms and rising sea levels are eating away at the coastline – but the old solutions are now out of fashionFor the 1992 Olympic Games, Barcelona rediscovered the sea. It beefed up its beachfront using thousands of tons of sand, and the area is now packed with tourists and lined with beach bars. Barcelona’s beach may be partly artificial, but it’s big business.The way things are going, however, soon there won’t be any beach at all. Across Catalonia, rising sea levels and winter storms are eating away at the coastline. Up to now, what is washed away in winter has been replenished in spring with sand dredged from within the breakwaters or from estuaries and ports. However, the practice of “enhancing” beaches in this way is now widely seen as futile and environmentally damaging. Without it, little by little, the city’s beaches could revert to the gravelly strips they were only 30 years ago. Continue reading...

Smoke aerosols from the fires interacted with clouds to cool the south-eastern Pacific, helping the wet weather pattern to form

Dead are mainly elderly people unable to flee, Russia media reportAt least 21 people have died in wildfires in Russia’s Ural mountains, state media reported.Wildfires have raged in the Kurgan region of the Urals and in Siberia all week. Local media reported that most of the dead were older people unable to leave their homes. According to local authorities, many of the deaths occurred on Sunday in the village of Yuldus, in Kurgan province on the border between the Urals and Siberia. Continue reading...

Artist records underground sounds generated by Pando, a huge group of aspens in Utah considered to be a single organismWhen it comes to the world’s heaviest living organism, it is a “forest of one tree” that is thought to take the crown. Now a sound expert is listening into the quiet grove in an attempt to hear its secrets.Known as Pando – Latin for “I spread” – the 47,000 genetically identical quivering aspens in south-central Utah are considered to be a single organism, with the “trees” actually branches thought to be connected by a shared root system. Continue reading...

Heavy thunderstorms cause dangerous driving conditions, blocked roads and damage to homesFlash flooding in parts of south-west England following torrential rain has led to a major incident being declared in Somerset.Heavy thunderstorms on Tuesday evening resulted in Devon and Somerset fire and rescue declaring a major incident in the Galhampton, North Cadbury, and South Cadbury areas. Continue reading...

Authorities tell residents of Brienz to leave by Friday over concerns 2m cubic metres of rock will collapseAuthorities in eastern Switzerland have ordered residents of the village of Brienz to evacuate by Friday evening because geologists say a mass of 2m cubic metres of Alpine rock looming overhead could break loose and spill down in coming weeks.Local leaders told a town hall and press event on Tuesday that residents would have to leave by 6pm on Friday but could return to the village from time to time starting on Saturday, depending on the risk level, but not stay overnight. Continue reading...

Campaign aims to teach people how to recognise the tree and signs of the pest and disease that threaten itThe UK’s sweet chestnuts are facing a double threat from pests and disease, and the government is calling on the public to learn to identify and protect the trees.The trees were first recorded in Britain in the 12th century and provide food and habitat for a diverse range of wildlife. However, two problems are increasingly threatening sweet chestnuts: the oriental chestnut gall wasp (OCGW) and a fungus, chestnut blight. Continue reading...

Two members of the environmental group are challenging new laws which impose jail terms for demonstrations that disrupt major roads or public facilities

Globally, fossil fuel extraction and exploration is taking place at almost 3,000 sites in conservation areas, analysis showsFossil fuel extraction and exploration is taking place at almost 3,000 sites in protected areas around the world, analysis has revealed, with the UK having the highest number of fossil fuel sites in protected areas.Globally, the activities affect more than 800 areas established to defend nature. The coal, oil and gas at the fossil fuel sites would lead to 47bn tonnes of climate-heating carbon dioxide if fully exploited, four times the annual emissions of China, the world’s biggest polluter. Continue reading...

West Yorkshire research shows women and girls affected ‘on daily basis by misogyny and harassment’Women should be involved in the design and maintenance of the UK’s parks to tackle “unfair and unequal” safety fears, researchers have said.Academics looking into how parks can be made safer for women have found simple changes such as better lighting, lower hedges and “escape routes” could reduce the risks of harassment and assault that stop women using parks. Continue reading...

Chief executives of Yorkshire Water and Thames Water and owner of South West Water decline payouts

Treasurer aims to strike a ‘methodical balance’ to see people through the hard times while setting the country up for a better future

World’s largest energy company’s first-quarter profits fall by 19% to $32bn after dip in oil pricesThe Saudi government looks likely to reap greater revenues from the state-backed oil group Saudi Aramco despite the company posting a near-20% fall in quarterly profits.The world’s largest oil and gas company said on Tuesday its profits had fallen by 19% in its first quarter compared with a year earlier, to nearly $32bn (£25bn), caused by a drop in oil prices. Continue reading...

Low-cost loans for double glazing, solar panels and other improvements should benefit more than 100,000 households, while $2bn is set aside for hydrogen projects

Exclusive: Company accused of ‘lobbying and greenwashing’ for more fossil fuels despite knowing of risksThe Italian oil major Eni is facing the country’s first climate lawsuit, with environmental groups alleging the company used “lobbying and greenwashing” to push for more fossil fuels despite having known about the risks its product posed since 1970.Greenpeace Italy and the Italian advocacy group ReCommon aim to build on a similar case targeting the Anglo-Dutch oil major Royal Dutch Shell in the Netherlands to force Eni to slash its carbon emissions by 45% by 2030. Continue reading...

Scientists are learning the secrets of the greater racket-tailed drongo and other creatures in a jungle in south India from the people who have always lived thereIn the dense forests of south India’s Western Ghats, you may be lucky enough to spot a greater racket-tailed drongo crooning to birds of other species nearby. But the drongo is not singing. It is mimicking the other birds, according to ethno-ornithologist Samira Agnihotri.With recording equipment in hand, trekking up to six miles (10km) a day through the forests, Agnihotri has been taping native birdsong for the past 18 years. Her favourite is this drongo, a bluish-black bird with an Elvis-like quiff and two very elongated tail feathers. Continue reading...

Call of the coquí frog is affected by rising temperatures, scientists findFrogs in Puerto Rico are croaking at a higher pitch due to global heating, scientists have found.The frogs appear to be decreasing in size at warmer temperatures, which causes their croaks to become high pitched. If the trends continue, the heat could become too much for the sensitive amphibians to survive successfully, researchers have said. Continue reading...

Food and veterinary authority report questions whether hunting large whales can meet animal welfare objectivesWhales have taken as long as two hours to die during Icelandic hunts, according to a report by the Icelandic food and veterinary authority.A number of the carcasses of the fin whales shot by explosive harpoons during hunts in Iceland last year were examined by the organisation, which found that almost 40% struggled for approximately 11 and a half minutes before they died, while two took more than an hour. A quarter of the fin whales, the second-largest mammal on Earth after the blue whale, considered “vulnerable” globally by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, had to be harpooned a second time. Only 59% died instantly. Continue reading...

Pugh’s mountain frog, which has been ‘evolving since Australia was connected to Antarctica’ was worst affected of nine threatened species, researchers say

Former soldier is transforming his land on Bodmin Moor with tree planting and natural regenerationTripling Britain’s temperate rainforest is the goal of a new charity founded by a veteran of the war in Afghanistan who found solace in this unique and biodiverse habitat.The Thousand Year Trust is being launched this week by Merlin Hanbury-Tenison, who suffered post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after three tours of Afghanistan and is now transforming his 120-hectare (300 acre) hill farm on Bodmin Moor into the largest rainforest restoration project in England and Wales. Continue reading...

Records for countries broken just weeks after temperature in Thailand rose above 45C for the first timeAll-time temperature records were broken in Vietnam and Laos last week. On 6 May, Hoi Xuan in Vietnam reached a scorching 44.1C, breaking the previous record for the country of 43.4C, set in 2019. On the same day, Laos recorded its highest-ever temperature, , which reached 43.5C in Luang Prabang. These records were set just a few weeks after temperatures in Thailand rose above 45C for the first time.A breakdown of the heat in south-east Asia is expected to occur in the next few days as a tropical disturbance is likely to develop nearby. Forecast models suggest that, over the coming days, the Bay of Bengal will have the perfect conditions for cyclogenesis to occur. By later this week, several factors, including enhanced vorticity and very high sea surface temperatures, will enhance the chance that a tropical storm will edge north-eastwards into parts of Myanmar. This will bring some strong winds and significant rainfall to south-east Asia, including the areas that have recently seen their temperature records broken. Continue reading...

Deal for London business district will meet almost three-quarters of electricity demand from wind powerOffices and retail spaces across the Canary Wharf business district will soon be powered by clean energy generated by a windfarm in Scotland.Canary Wharf Group, which manages the 60-hectare (150 acres) estate in east London, has struck a deal with one of the world’s biggest providers of renewable energy to meet almost three-quarters of its electricity demand from wind power. Continue reading...

Scientific committee calls for ‘urgent action’ from the Albanese government to address damage caused to sensitive alpine ecosystems

About 13,000 people were held at the Minidoka camp during the second world war. Now, a green energy project threatens the ‘sacred’ placePaul Tomita was just four when his family was interned. He was too young to remember Franklin D Roosevelt, then president, issuing the executive order that saw him and at least 125,000 others of Asian descent packed onto blacked-out trains and sent to prison camps during the second world war.But his memories come alive when he recalls the hard, clattering train filled with fear and anxiety. Continue reading...

PFAS are present at ‘potentially dangerous’ levels in widely used chemicals sprayed on food crops destined for Americans’ platesSome of the United States’ most widely used food pesticides are contaminated with “potentially dangerous” levels of toxic PFAS “forever chemicals”, new testing of the products finds.The Environmental Protection Agency has previously been silent on PFAS in food pesticides, even as it found the chemicals in non-food crop products. The potential for millions of acres of contaminated food cropland demands swifter and stronger regulatory action, the paper’s authors say. Continue reading...

Experts say neighbourhood varieties will suit an area’s pollinators, and that caution is needed when buying generic seed mixesGardeners hoping to establish a wildflower patch in their gardens should be wary of generic seed mixes and stick to local blooms to best serve wild pollinators, experts have said.Conservationists are urging people to source not just native wildflowers but to find out what grows naturally in their neighbourhood by getting out in their area and looking for inspiration in existing meadows, verges and nature reserves. They should then use this as a guide to ensure they are collecting or buying the most suitable wildflowers for their gardens. Continue reading...

East Riding of Yorkshire council were able to remove 17m carcass without cutting it up in large-scale operationThe carcass of a 30-tonne fin whale that died after being beached in Bridlington has been removed in an operation described as the “largest of its kind” the local council has ever carried out.The 17m whale became a macabre tourist attraction on Bridlington’s South Beach after it died on Tuesday evening during attempts to return it to the sea. Continue reading...

EPA has ordered chemical company Chemours to stop discharging high levels of the toxic substance into the Ohio RiverThe US Environmental Protection Agency is taking unprecedented enforcement action over PFAS water pollution by ordering the chemical giant Chemours’ Parkersburg, West Virginia, plant to stop discharging extremely high levels of toxic PFAS waste into the Ohio River.The river is a drinking water source for 5 million people, and the EPA’s Clean Water Act violation order cites 71 instances between September 2018 to March 2023 in which Chemours’ Washington Works facility discharged more PFAS waste than its pollution permit allowed. Continue reading...

Scheme on certain streets including near beach makes it as costly to park for 10 minutes as for whole dayWhether for 10 minutes or a whole day, it now costs a flat fee of €50 (£43) to park in certain streets in The Hague, including roads around the popular Scheveningen beach.The pilot scheme in the Dutch city on the North Sea coast, which will last a year, aims to discourage tourists and visitors from blocking up the historic centre and seaside roads, particularly on sunny days. Continue reading...

More than 13,000 people were ordered to leave parts of Alberta as 78 fires burned. Officials say the blazes are expected to intensifyA week of record hot weather in western Canada has forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes, as wildfires raged in parts of Alberta and rapid snow melt triggered flooding across interior British Columbia.By Friday, more than 13,000 people were under evacuation orders in Alberta, as 78 fires burned. Among the worst-hit areas was the Little Red River Cree Nation in the north of the province, where the 1,458-hectare Fox Lake fire consumed 20 homes and the police station. Continue reading...