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’

Floods caused by Storm Dennis in February 2020 upended the lives of many residents of Rhondda Cynon Taf in South Wales Continue reading...

Money could come from carbon markets, donor countries and philanthropists, but radical action is also needed from legislatorsAt least $130bn (£100bn) a year is needed to protect the most at-risk areas of tropical forest by the end of the decade, alongside reductions in beef and dairy consumption and government bans on deforestation, a thinktank has warned.From the Amazon to the Siberian taiga, financing dedicated to forests must be rapidly scaled up if governments are to meet their target of halting and reversing deforestation by the end of this decade, a nonbinding aim agreed by more than 140 world leaders at Cop26 in 2021, which is crucial to limiting global heating well below 2C and halting biodiversity loss. Continue reading...

Royal British Legion’s new poppy has 40% smaller carbon footprint and will be recyclable in household waste collectionsThe poppies sold by the Royal British Legion to commemorate Remembrance Sunday each year will in future be made entirely from paper.In the biggest shake-up to the emblem’s design for 28 years, the stem and centre of the poppies will now be recyclable in household waste collections. Continue reading...

American Lung Association’s study also found great disparity between coasts, with 10 of 11 most polluted counties in CaliforniaThe climate crisis has upended progress on improving air quality, with one in three Americans currently living in areas with harmful levels of pollutants known to increase the risk of medical emergencies, pregnancy complications and premature death, new research reveals.Almost 120 million people in the US are still exposed to unhealthy levels of soot and smog, according to the annual report by the American Lung Association (ALA), which found that people of color are almost four times more likely to live in the most polluted places than white Americans. Continue reading...

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young says Labor support for recommendations is a ‘huge blow’ to companies trying to frack in the NT

Griffith University researcher captures video of five whales doing ‘bizarre rolls’ on the sea floor as they exfoliate and socialiseWhales have been caught on camera enjoying a marine version of a day spa, returning to their favourite spot off the Gold Coast to scratch off itchy skin and parasites, and catch up with their cetacean buddies.Griffith University whale researcher Dr Olaf Meynecke and his colleagues were trying to shed light on the behaviour of competing pods of humpbacks that use Gold Coast waters to rest, breed and socialise. Continue reading...

Scientists operating a submersible have discovered deep-sea coral reefs in pristine condition in a previously unexplored part of the Galapagos marine reserve. Diving to depths of 600 metres (1,970ft), to the summit of a previously unmapped seamount in the central part of the archipelago, the scientists witnessed a breathtaking mix of deep marine life. This has raised hopes that healthy reefs can still thrive at a time when coral is in crisis due to record sea surface temperatures and ocean acidification

Reusables have 25% less global heating potential, finds UK government report, but overall picture is mixedEnvironmental campaigners are calling on the UK government to take action after new analysis found a significant difference between the carbon footprints of washable and disposable nappies.Reusable nappies have 25% less global heating potential compared with single-use nappies, according to a report commissioned by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Continue reading...

NSW environment agency took almost a month to release full results of six water samples taken from Darling-Baaka River five days after event

Report highlights environmental and economic impacts of algae threatened by climate crisis, overfishing and pollutionAlmost a third of the globe’s coastal environments rely on kelp to reduce local pollution and sustain fisheries that provide billions of dollars in benefits, according to a new study.But the climate crisis, overfishing, invasions of voracious sea urchins and pollution are putting at risk the world’s kelp forests, threatening the economic benefits they provide and the huge array of species they support. Continue reading...

London-listed Serabi Gold extracting gold without approval of Brazilian land registry and Indigenous communitiesA London-listed company has been mining gold in the Amazon rainforest without approval from the Brazilian land agency or the consent of nearby Indigenous communities, according to an investigation by the Guardian and partners.Serabi Gold has been blasting 4.5 metre-wide tunnels and trucking ore from the Coringa project site in Pará state. But interviews with land agency officials and documents seen by the Guardian, Unearthed and Sumaúma indicate that ownership of the area is disputed and the land was allegedly occupied by illegal land-grabbers. Continue reading...

Government introduced restrictions last year in attempt to curb spread of bird fluBritish free range eggs will soon start returning to supermarket shelves, following the lifting of restrictions introduced last year by the government in an attempt to curb the spread of bird flu.A legal requirement for poultry and other captive birds to be kept indoors was introduced in England last November, and in Wales the next month, in response to the UK’s largest outbreak of avian influenza. Continue reading...

Officials announce 45-day ban on harvesting elvers in provinces of Nova Scotia and New BrunswickCanada has temporarily shut down its baby eel fishery following a string of attacks on harvesters, as well as mounting concerns over widespread poaching of the threatened fish.Officials from the department of fisheries and oceans on Saturday announced a 45-day ban on harvesting the young eels, called elvers, in the provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, shuttering the lucrative C$50m (£30m) market. Continue reading...

Diving to 600m, researchers find reefs full of octopus, lobster and fish, raising hopes for corals’ survival amid rising sea temperaturesScientists operating a submersible have discovered deep-sea coral reefs in pristine condition in a previously unexplored part of the Galápagos marine reserve.Diving to depths of 600 metres (1,970ft), to the summit of a previously unmapped seamount in the central part of the archipelago, the scientists witnessed a breathtaking mix of deep marine life. This has raised hopes that healthy reefs can still thrive at a time when coral is in crisis due to record sea surface temperatures and ocean acidification. It also showed the effectiveness of conservation actions and effective management, they said. Continue reading...

Kit Harington and Rose Leslie attend ‘couples therapy’ in Richard Curtis film for Make My Money MatterThe Game of Thrones stars and real-life couple Kit Harington and Rose Leslie are co-starring in a Richard Curtis short film highlighting the “toxic relationship” between UK high street banks and the fossil fuel industry.The Couples Therapy film is part of Curtis’s Make My Money Matter campaign to raise awareness of how consumers’ cash may be financing industries that are destroying the planet. Continue reading...

The Bristol-based charity Forest of Avon Trust has recently acquired 100 acres of grazed farmland near the village of Pensford in Somerset, to create the Great Avon Wood. Alongside charity partners Avon Needs Trees, the aim is to plant more than 40,000 trees supplied by the Woodland Trust over the next three years, resulting in a green corridor of three linked woodland sites. The first step is an army of volunteers … Continue reading...

Hampton Court flower show to feature gardens using creative methods to mitigate against heatwavesWilting flowers, dried-up soil and sweltering tents have become the norm at flower shows in England as the country faces more frequent heatwaves and droughts in summer.Now, “desert gardens” featuring cacti and other succulents are being used at top shows as horticulturists struggle with a changing climate.The pretty, pink palm-like shrub Cordyline australis brings some colour while being tolerant to heat.Juniperus conifers are drought-tolerant and many varieties have an attractive gold hue.The Judas tree, Cercis siliquastrum, has heart-shaped leaves and does not need too much water.Jasmine plants provide pretty little flowers and a heady scent, and are also able to grow in warm climes.The Abelia × grandiflora is recommended by the RHS as it provides dainty, well-scented flowers over a long period in summer, and tolerates heat well. Continue reading...

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...