Record dryness has restored an ecosystem under Lake Powell, the country’s second-largest reservoir. Is it time to see it as ‘a national park rather than a storage tank’?One night in May 2003, I found myself in search of a disappearing lake.A friend and I had ventured to the Hite Marina on Lake Powell to see what America’s second-largest reservoir looked like after three years of record drought. In search of a camping spot, we drove down a boat ramp that just a few years earlier was bustling with boaters. Now it sat eerily on a dry lakebed. Continue reading...

Project to reintroduce big cat to the wild set back by loss of adults and cubs at reserveA controversial attempt to reintroduce cheetahs to the wild has suffered a major setback after three adults and three cubs died over the past eight months.The deaths have led to criticisms of Project Cheetah, a £4.8m international scheme that involved moving 20 animals from Africa to India’s Kuno National Park earlier this year. Some conservationists say not enough space was reserved for the cheetahs while others complained that the project was set up too hastily. Continue reading...

There are no signs yet that last year’s 40C will be breached again, but meteorologists predict such peaks could become the normTemperatures have soared above 30C for the first time this year – and meteorologists forecast the chance of Britain experiencing a hot summer is now 45% – 2.3 times the normal figure.The warning leaves the nation braced for a possible repeat of last year’s record-breaking heatwave which triggered wildfires, disrupted rail transport, closed schools, led to thousands of premature deaths and saw temperatures break the 40C record in the UK for the first time. Continue reading...

Bipoc-led local farms in unconventional spaces decentralize systems that have produced food deserts and create food equityOn a recent Sunday morning in South Los Angeles, Crop Swap LA volunteers and staffers harvested bags of freshly picked produce from the front yard of a residence. Located just steps from Leimert Park Plaza, the Asante microfarm is the first of what will be numerous microfarms created by the organization, which is dedicated to growing hyperlocal food on unused spaces “in the neighborhood, exclusively for the neighborhood”.“Everything we’re growing is nutrient-dense and the food remains in the neighborhood,” says Jamiah Hargins, who founded Crop Swap LA in 2018 as a small monthly swap of surplus produce. After spending years in finance and consulting, Hargins decided to create a local food distribution system to address the fact that his neighborhood was a food desert, meaning most residents have little access to healthy food. It’s now one of many Bipoc-led groups across the US that are reclaiming their agricultural heritage and redefining the local food movement by growing on traditional farms and unconventional spaces such as yards, medians and vacant lots as a way to increase food security and health in their own communities. Continue reading...

Fishery board reports shrinkage in size of River Ness as water scarcity alert issued for parts of ScotlandConcern has been raised about the water levels of Loch Ness and the River Ness amid the protracted dry spell affecting Scotland and the rest of the UK.Brian Shaw, the director of Ness District Salmon Fishery Board, said there had been a dramatic shrinkage in the size of the River Ness. He told the BBC: “These conditions are not normally good for angling. Continue reading...

Environmental groups’ lawsuit seeks to force tighter regulation of neonicotinoids on seeds that pollute soil, water and airEnvironmental groups are suing the US Environmental Protection Agency over pesticide-coated seeds they say have “devastating environmental impacts” and are spread largely without regulatory oversight.The suit alleges the neonicotinoid seeds are now spread on about 150m acres (61m hectares) of US farmland and up to 95% of the pesticide on the seed sheds, polluting nearby soil, water and air. The seeds are so dangerous to wildlife that just one can kill a bird, the groups note. Continue reading...

As activist graduates from school, she says she will still protest on Fridays as ‘fight has only just begun’After what began as a solo protest in Sweden five years ago and grew into a movement with millions of children across the world participating, Greta Thunberg has taken part in her last “school strike” protest as she graduates from school.The protests, which led to many climate activist movements across Europe, the US and Australia, are known as Fridays for Future or School Strike for Climate. Continue reading...

Thirty-hectare site above Dart valley will include lichens and ferns and could take a century to reach maturityA temperate rainforest, a magical, wildlife-rich place of mosses, lichens and ferns, is being planted on the slopes above a West Country river, tumbling almost to the doors of one of the UK’s most green-minded towns.Tree species including sessile oak, birch, rowan, holly, alder, willow and hazel are to be introduced to the 30-hectare (74-acre) site above the Dart valley and close to the Devon town of Totnes in the south of England. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Natural England chair Tony Juniper says government must work quickly to reconcile farming and natureEngland will not meet its biodiversity targets at current rates, the chair of Natural England has said, as he accused ministers of moving too slowly to regenerate nature.Tony Juniper, who has been in post at the government’s nature quango since 2019, said ministers were not on track to meet species abundance targets, which have been criticised by wildlife charities as “embarrassingly poor”. Continue reading...

Researchers used a model to predict how the smoke would move through the region and said it wouldn’t pose a health riskSmoke from Canadian wildfires that has descended upon parts of the eastern US and Canada in a thick haze has drifted over Norway and is expected to hit southern Europe, Norwegian officials said on Friday.Using a climate forecast model, atmosphere and climate scientists with the Norwegian climate and environmental research institute (NILU) predicted how the smoke would travel through the atmosphere, flowing over the Scandinavian country before moving further south. The smoke was not expected to pose a health risk there. Continue reading...

North-eastern states remain under air pollution alerts though ‘some improvement’ as number of fires in Canada reduces slightlyMillions of North Americans remained under air quality warnings on Friday, even as smoke from hundreds of Canadian wildfires began to dissipate in the north-eastern US.Moderate to unhealthy air quality continued to linger across a swath of the US and Canada, from the midwest to the Atlantic coast, the US National Weather Service said, although it said “some improvement” will continue this weekend. Continue reading...

With the Empire State Building and the Lincoln Memorial blotted out, the US is experiencing the climate catastrophe first-handThe unnerving sight of New York City’s skies turning a dystopian orange from wildfire smoke is just the latest in a barrage of recent distress signals that life in the US is starting to fray under the relentless pressure of the climate crisis, experts have warned.On Wednesday, New York held the dubious title of having the worst air quality in the world, with Detroit in second place, as plumes of smoke from hundreds of fires in Ontario and Quebec were carried south by a stiff breeze. Continue reading...

Study says marine life being harmed by prescription and recreational drugs in wastewaterA study looking at water pollution on the south coast of England has revealed high levels of potentially harmful chemicals including recreational drugs and antidepressants.Scientists involved in the research say marine life is being harmed by human drugs, pointing to evidence that oestrogen in water can feminise male fish through biological changes. Continue reading...

Canada wildfires drive home catastrophe among patients grappling with fears of a ‘new normal’As Kim Saira scrolled through TikToks showing a curtain of yellow smoke descending over New York, she felt a panic attack coming on. Though she lives an entire coast away from the crisis, Saira began to fear for her parents, who are essential workers in Queens.“I had to completely turn off my phone, because I was getting so anxious,” said Saira, a Los Angeles-based healing coach. “My chest hurt, I felt like I couldn’t sit still, and I started pacing around. I couldn’t do any work.” Continue reading...

Satellite images captured from the International Space Station on Wednesday showed smoke from Canada's raging wildfires spreading to the US. The massive cloud of smoke was seen moving across Lake Superior, in the Great Lakes region, passing over Lake Huron and Lake Erie, and ending in Pennsylvania, which appears completely obscured. The smoke pushed further down the Atlantic seaboard on Thursday, blanketing Washington DC in an unhealthy haze Continue reading...

As Russian oil and gas imports fell petrostates including UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia increased exports to UKUK fossil fuel imports from authoritarian petrostates surged to £19.3bn in the year following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it can be revealed.Efforts to end the purchasing of oil and gas from Russia appear to have resulted in a surge in imports from other authoritarian regimes, including Algeria, Bahrain, Kuwait, Libya, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), according to data from the Office for National Statistics analysed by DeSmog. Continue reading...

Rachel Reeves says fiscal rule is priority as she delays start of promised investment in eco-friendly industry

New rules agreed at meeting of environment ministers welcomed as breakthrough by conservationistsIndustry will be forced to do more to cut waste and boost recycling after Australia’s federal and state governments agreed for the first time to impose mandatory packaging rules on manufacturers and retailers.The agreement, at a meeting of environment ministers in Sydney on Friday, was welcomed by conservationists as a major breakthrough after years of voluntary industry action has failed to reduce waste. Continue reading...

The best of this week’s wildlife photographs, including a hungry gull, a rare wolverine and a police escort for ducks Continue reading...

Plumes of smoke move southwards across US east coast. Elsewhere, Japan hit by remnants of Typhoon MawarWildfires in Quebec, Canada, continue to rage, following a spring that was drier and warmer than normal, creating perfect conditions for wildfires to develop. As of 7 June, at least 150 fires remained active across the province, with more than 400 across the country according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Officials warned this could be the country’s worst wildfire season to date, with at least 9.4m acres of land destroyed so far.Plumes of smoke from the fires have been moving southwards across the US east coast, delaying thousands of flights. The US National Weather Service also issued air quality alerts for many states, with air quality index levels above 400 – a level of 300 is considered “hazardous” – in some states. A fairly static weather pattern this weekend will mean further plumes of smoke moving towards eastern parts of the US. Continue reading...

The testing program will be offered to anyone living near the mine on tank water as part of a broader monitoring program

Labor says plans ‘should never have been submitted’ by former Coalition government ‘because they were never going to get accredited’

Orange smoky skies might be a new phenomenon for those on the east coast, but for the American west, it’s just the average summerIt was a sight all too familiar to Californians: orange skies and thick smoke blanketing the sky, emitting the eerily out-of-place smell of a campfire.But this time the scenes were in New York City, as smoke from more than 400 wildfires darkened the famous skyline and gave the US its worst day of air pollution in recent history. Continue reading...

US vice-president said administration working with Canada to tackle the crisis; Canadian PM accuses opposition leader of fighting climate planProtesters are set to descend upon the White House on Thursday amid growing anger among climate activists at Joe Biden for allowing a controversial gas pipeline in Appalachia to be fast-tracked.Several hundred protesters are expected to demand Biden “reclaim his climate legacy” by blocking the Mountain Valley pipeline, a 300-mile pipeline that will bring fracked gas from West Virginia to southern Virginia. Continue reading...

Millions of Americans remain under air pollution warnings as schools close and air travel is disrupted• Wildfires latest news – liveToxic smoke from Canadian wildfires could linger over vast swaths of the US for days, officials warned, as millions of Americans remained under air pollution warnings.Across the eastern US residents were again urged to stay inside and limit or avoid outdoor activities on Thursday, as schools in some cities closed, sporting events were canceled and air travel was disrupted. Continue reading...

Ukrainian president warns flood waters contaminated with sewage, oil, chemicals and possibly anthraxVolodymyr Zelenskiy has said the ecological disaster triggered by the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka dam has become a global problem as severely contaminated waters flow into the Black Sea.The Ukrainian president said the flood waters raging through the lower Dnipro River valley brought with them sewage, oil, chemicals and possibly anthrax from animal burial sites. Continue reading...

Exclusive: rapid analysis of extreme event by Stanford University shows worst day of exposure to such pollution since 2006

As Green leader prepares to step down, she leaves behind a more established party that must continue to evolve without her

From breathing in particles to wearing masks again, Guardian readers have told us how they have been affected by the wildfires smokeHundreds of fires are burning in Canada, from the western provinces to Nova Scotia and Quebec in the east, where there are more than 150 active fires.Smoke from the wildfires in Canada has been moving south into the US since May and is affecting tens of millions of people in the north-east, but also the midwest and as far down as the Carolinas. Continue reading...

Advocacy group says continued destruction of critical habitat leaves it no choice but to take legal action against Steven GuilbeaultEnvironmental groups in Canada are taking legal action against the country’s environment minister, arguing his delay in protecting old growth forest is harming the critically endangered northern spotted owl.In February, Steven Guilbeault said he would recommend an emergency order after determining the species was facing “imminent threats” to its survival. Continue reading...

Former party leader says she wants to ‘dedicate myself fully to climate and nature’

Better management of existing apex predators and compensation schemes for farmers and gamekeepers needed, broadcaster saysLynx and wolves are likely to become feared and hated if they are reintroduced into Britain’s forests, the adventurer and broadcaster Ray Mears has warned.Speaking at Cheltenham science festival, he said Britain was not ready for such rewilding schemes, despite the potential ecological benefits. Continue reading...

Heavy snow from a harsh winter buried food sources and forced the herd to starve or venture into new territoriesEast of Yosemite national park, Mono Lake is an ancient body of water, home to millions of brine shrimp and waterfowl and providing stunning views. It’s also home to a herd of more than 500 wild horses that began arriving in the area around 2015.This spring, as snowdrifts from a record-setting winter storm began to melt, officials were surprised to find the horses turning up dead. Continue reading...

Sultan Al Jaber – Cop28 president and CEO of state oil firm – is ‘ally the climate movement needs’, posts sayAn army of fake social media accounts on Twitter and the blogging site Medium have been promoting and defending the controversial hosting of a UN climate summit by the United Arab Emirates.The president of the Cop28 climate talks is Sultan Al Jaber, who is also the chief executive of the state oil giant Adnoc, which has major net zero-busting expansion plans. Continue reading...

Researchers say bumpier air travel is driving up costs and increasing the risks for passengers and crewThe climate crisis is leading to more turbulence during flights, driving up costs and increasing the risks for passengers and crew, according to new research.The study found that warmer air, caused by carbon emissions, is creating bumpier flights around the world with severe turbulence in the North Atlantic up by 55% since 1979. Continue reading...

Falling water levels in Kakhovka reservoir could imperil canals that feed some vital crop regions

Children whose mothers are exposed to toxic PFAS can experience phenomenon previously linked to fetal tobacco smoke exposureChildren whose mothers are exposed to toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” during pregnancy run an increased risk of low birth weight as well as obesity and high body mass index later in life, an effect similar to prenatal exposure to tobacco, new research finds.The low birth rate effects of some PFAS have been previously established, but the study tracked 1,400 kids and found higher BMIs and more incidences of obesity in those ages two to five. The “low birth weight-high obesity risk paradox” was previously associated with tobacco smoke exposure during fetal development. Continue reading...

Activists to gather in Washington to demand Joe Biden ‘reclaim his climate legacy’ by blocking 300-mile Mountain Valley pipelineProtesters are set to descend upon the White House on Thursday under smoky skies amid growing anger among climate activists at Joe Biden for allowing a controversial gas pipeline in Appalachia to be fast-tracked.Several hundred protesters are expected to gather in Washington to demand Biden “reclaim his climate legacy” by blocking the Mountain Valley pipeline, a 300-mile pipeline that will bring fracked gas from West Virginia to southern Virginia. Continue reading...

Seema Malhotra says party wants to see jobs transferred to green energy industries, not lost

Storm overflows group has been promoted by ministers as evidence they are taking issue seriously

Hundreds of uncontrolled forest fires have spread across Canada, threatening critical infrastructure and forcing evacuations. Wildfires are common in the country's western provinces, but this year flames have rapidly spread towards the east. About 3.8m hectares (9.4m acres) have already burned, according to government ministers. The wildfires have created a blanket of smoke that has spread across several US cities, including New York, forcing residents to stay indoors

Tens of millions of people in the US are under air quality alerts as smoke from the Canadian wildfires drifts south, turning the sky in some of the country's biggest cities a murky brown. In New York City, residents were advised to limit their time outdoors, as public schools cancelled outdoor activities

The state government has brought forward the end of its zero-emission vehicle subsidy by a year

From sustainable fisheries to toxic battery waste, these images were chosen because they tell a compelling story about the state of our planet Continue reading...

In today’s newsletter: After months of shelling, now thousands have been flooded – a Guardian reporter tells the story on the ground

Appea’s assertion that gas is indispensable is ludicrous when it’s renewables that are replacing coal

Some of the more fascinating, troubling and heartening tales we have covered over the last 12 monthsAs World Ocean Day rolls around again, it is hard to believe how much has happened since the last one. From the war in Ukraine to the death of entire languages, our understanding of how threats to the ocean reflect threats to humanity itself is constantly evolving. Here are some of the stories we have covered over the past 12 months. Continue reading...

Artists from around the world have been using detritus from beaches and waterways to respond to the plight of the marine environment. We showcase their work on World Oceans Day Continue reading...

Despite several cold snaps in May that brought early dustings of snow, a warmer start to winter has meant most of that has now melted