Half of free-range turkeys and geese grown for festive period have died or been culled due to bird flu, MPs toldHalf of the free-range poultry grown for Christmas in the UK have died or been culled because of the bird flu epidemic, an industry leader has told MPs.The British Poultry Council chief executive, Richard Griffiths, told the environment, food and rural affairs committee on Tuesday that free-range poultry had been hit “very, very hard”. Continue reading...
Magistrate reportedly speaks of using Jan Goodey’s case as a ‘deterrent’ during court proceedingsA climate activist who disrupted traffic on the M25 has been sentenced to six months in prison.Jan Goodey, 57, from Brighton, was jailed after pleading guilty to intentionally or recklessly causing a public nuisance after taking part in Just Stop Oil’s campaign of disruption on London’s orbital motorway earlier this month. Continue reading...
Chris O’Shea said the government handing energy companies money in advance presents a big riskThe chief executive of British Gas owner Centrica has warned that more energy suppliers could go bust this winter – with million of pounds of taxpayer cash on their balance sheets.Chris O’Shea said he believed that some suppliers were “poorly capitalised”, and risked going bust and “taking taxpayer money with them”. Continue reading...
by Damian Carrington Environment editor on (#66A98)
First global analysis follows discovery of toxic pollution particles in lungs and brains of foetusesAlmost a million stillbirths a year can be attributed to air pollution, according to the first global study.The research estimated that almost half of stillbirths could be linked to exposure to pollution particles smaller than 2.5 microns (PM2.5), mostly produced from the burning of fossil fuels. Continue reading...
by Damian Carrington Environment editor on (#66A39)
Free allowances ‘in direct contradiction with the polluter pays principle’, WWF report saysBig polluting industries have been given almost €100bn (£86bn) in free carbon permits by the EU in the last nine years, according to an analysis by the WWF. The free allowances are “in direct contradiction with the polluter pays principle”, the group said.Free pollution permits worth €98.5bn were given to energy-intensive sectors including steel, cement, chemicals and aviation from 2013-21. This is more than the €88.5bn that the EU’s emissions trading scheme (ETS) charged polluters, mostly coal and gas power stations, for their CO emissions. Continue reading...
EDF’s Suffolk plant will create 10,000 highly skilled jobs and help ensure UK energy security, ministers sayThe government has confirmed the Sizewell C nuclear power plant in Suffolk will go ahead, backing the scheme with an investment of nearly £700m that will end China’s controversial involvement.Ministers said the move to take a 50% stake in the project’s development, first announced in Jeremy Hunt’s autumn statement, would create 10,000 highly skilled jobs, provide “reliable low-carbon power” to the equivalent of 6m homes for more than 50 years, and help boost UK energy security. The government also said it would set up an arm’s-length body, Great British Nuclear, to develop further nuclear projects. Continue reading...
Number of homes at high risk likely to almost double by 2055, warns report by infrastructure commissionIn England more than 600,000 properties face flooding in the future without investment in drainage, a report from the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) has found.At the moment, 325,000 English properties have a 60% risk of flooding in the next decade, according to calculations by the NIC, due to a lack of investment in infrastructure. Continue reading...
National Highways has obtained an injunction to ‘prevent unlawful protests’ until November 2023A high court injunction has been granted that would impose fresh penalties on Just Stop Oil activists for demonstrating on the country’s busiest motorway until November next year.National Highways said it had secured the civil order to “prevent unlawful protests” on the M25, after a series of actions by the environmental group caused significant traffic disruption. Continue reading...
by Jessica Elgot, Peter Walker and Helena Horton on (#669GM)
PM is stuck between two wings of party and at risk of Commons defeat on pro-renewables amendmentRishi Sunak is scrambling to find a compromise on permitting onshore wind amid a growing backbench Conservative rebellion, though No 10 remains fearful of a backlash from MPs who oppose windfarms.The U-turn on backing onshore wind projects would directly contradict a pledge by Sunak during his leadership campaign but Downing Street has sought to frame it as government policy. Continue reading...
The new Guardian US editor sets out some of our key priorities for 2023, including abortion rights, the climate crisis and investigations into the powers shaping American life
Immigration minister confirms 50 cases of diphtheria linked to Manston asylum accommodation. This live blog is closedA House of Lords committee has delivered a withering assessment of the measures in the autumn statement for adult social care.Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor, announced a further £4.7bn for adult social care by 2024-25. But, in an open letter to Hunt and Steve Barclay, the health secretary, the Lords adult social care committee chair, Lady Andrews, said that this was less than the £7bn that Hunt himself said adult social care needed when he was chair of the Commons health committee.Increasing funding through council tax is a regressive solution, which will not allow for a properly and sustainably funded system. It does not translate as ring-fenced investment dedicated to adult social care. It is likely to create further inequalities from one locality to the next. In short, it is not a long-term plan for funding.Equally regressive is the government’s decision to delay the long overdue cap on care costs and extension to the means test. Although this is intended to unlock more funding for local authorities and provide them with breathing space, it also reflects the lack of a coherent strategy across adult social care. Delaying one policy to support another will ultimately compound problems; and it certainly does not allow for any priority to be given to choice, control and equality in the provision of adult social care.I suspect you may have identified a ninth [MP], although it hasn’t been announced, with my colleague, Matt Hancock. Continue reading...
Residents in largest city in Texas express anger at alert which came hours after power outage at purification facility on Sunday nightThe 2.2 million people in Texas’s largest city – and the US’s fourth most populous – have been placed under a boil water notice since Sunday night, after a power outage caused water pressure to drop at a purification facility earlier in the day.Some residents expressed anger at being alerted of water safety issues several hours after the outage while others complained about finding out through social media. Officials are testing whether the outage at the facility let bacteria contaminate the local drinking water supply, and results are not immediate. Continue reading...
Opposition to unveil plan to reverse biodiversity loss rather than simply halting it, which is government’s current targetThe government will not be able to achieve its nature targets by 2030, even though they are “embarrassingly poor”, the shadow environment minister and leading wildlife groups have said.Next week at the Cop15 biodiversity conference in Montreal, Alex Sobel will be discussing Labour’s “science-led, joined-up plan to tackle the climate and ecological emergency”. The plan will aim to reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, rather than simply halting it, which is the government’s current target. Continue reading...
Former archbishop of Canterbury says richest nations and individuals must take lead on ‘loss and damage’Rich countries and wealthy individuals must urgently consider how to come up with the cash needed to help poor countries afflicted by climate disaster, the former archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has said.At the Cop27 UN climate summit in Egypt, which finished a week ago after a marathon final session ran more than 50 hours over deadline, the first steps were taken to establish a “loss and damage” fund for vulnerable countries stricken by extreme weather. Continue reading...
Two men shot and another hit by lead pellets amid fierce debate over issue and resistance to alcohol banA 26-year-old hiker was shot in the arm in one of a series of hunting-related incidents in France over the weekend – again throwing the spotlight on the issue.The man was walking in the Alpilles mountains in Provence when he was hit by a stray bullet in the biceps. He was airlifted to hospital in Avignon. A hunter, reported to be in his 30s, was arrested. Continue reading...
Company cites decisions by pair of sustainability organizations to take away their endorsements of the US lobster fishing industryEnvironmental groups are once again at loggerheads with leading politicians and fishing businesses in New England in the wake of a decision by the high-end US retail giant Whole Foods to stop selling Maine lobster.Whole Foods recently said that it will stop selling lobster from the Gulf of Maine at hundreds of its stores around the country. The company cited decisions by a pair of sustainability organizations to take away their endorsements of the US lobster fishing industry. Continue reading...
Ahead of December’s conference our writers select titles that explain the issues at stake, from animal extinction to marine degradation and loss of habitatChosen by Patrick Barkham Continue reading...
Nearly extinct in the 1980s, an intensive programme to reverse the bird’s decline has made it a conservation success storyDespite being the largest flying bird in North America, with a wingspan of up to three metres, you would have been hard pushed to see a California condor in the wild in the 1980s. In a last-ditch effort to save the birds, after decades of persecution and population collapse, the few remaining were captured in 1987 for a multimillion-dollar intensive conservation programme.Today, there are more than 200 in the wild, and local people are already starting to notice. In May 2021, about 10% of the entire population of the birds in the Golden State decided to roost on a woman’s home in Tehachapi, southern California, damaging her decking with “concrete-like” excrement, an incident that went viral on Twitter when her daughter posted photos. Continue reading...
Scientists trying to replicate 1964 study say results reveal alarming deterioration in river’s ecosystemA survey of mussels has revealed an alarming deterioration in the River Thames ecosystem since the 1960s, according to a study.Scientists attempting to replicate a 1964 survey of freshwater bivalves in a stretch of the Thames near Reading found striking results, as native mussel populations had crashed by almost 95%. One native species, the depressed river mussel, had vanished completely, and the remaining species were much smaller for their age, reflecting slower growth. Continue reading...
by Robert Booth Social affairs correspondent on (#668PD)
Tenant, who is suing landlord in test case, calls on UK government to back renters in claiming damagesA woman with potentially terminal lung disease who claims it was due to being exposed to mould in her rented home has demanded the government empowers victims to take rogue landlords to court and “hit them in the wallet”.The woman, who is in her 50s, said she may have as little as 18 months to live. A medical expert she engaged in a legal action against her landlord believes her illness was likely triggered by moulds within her home caused by disrepair. She now requires constant oxygen via mask or nasal catheter and is on the waiting list for a lung transplant. Continue reading...
Scotland Yard believes environmental activist group will launch two weeks of ‘disruption’ in the capital before ChristmasJust Stop Oil is expected to begin two weeks of action from Monday and has accused the government and police of “groundhog day” rhetoric over crackdowns on protesters.Scotland Yard said on Sunday that it believes the environmental activist group will launch two weeks of “disruption” in London in the run-up to Christmas. Continue reading...
Chemicals giant wants to produce zero-carbon electricity to power planned hydrogen systems at Grangemouth refineryIneos, the chemicals company owned by the billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has held exploratory talks with Rolls-Royce on nuclear technology that could eventually be chosen to provide zero-carbon energy to the Grangemouth refinery in Scotland.A deal between Ineos, one of the UK’s biggest privately owned companies, and FTSE 100 engineer Rolls-Royce could help Ineos with the tricky task of decarbonising the giant refinery, while also providing Rolls-Royce with an early customer for a new technology it hopes will transform its prospects. Continue reading...
E.ON reports up to 15% drop as Grant Shapps writes to firms saying customers cutting back on energy use should not face direct debit riseBritons have cut their gas and electricity use by more than 10% since October in the first evidence of the impact of the energy crisis on household habits, according to two of Britain’s biggest suppliers.E.ON, Britain’s second-largest supplier, and the owner of Utility Warehouse have reported “double-digit” declines in recent weeks. Continue reading...
Calls for construction on Museum of the 20th Century to be halted until energy efficiency issues addressedA vast modern art museum under construction in Berlin has been castigated by conservation experts and architecture critics for its poor environmental credentials, as the energy crisis intensifies scrutiny of the efficiency of new buildings.The Museum of the 20th Century, designed by the Swiss star architects Herzog and de Meuron, is intended to propel the German capital into the top tier of world cities for modern art, competing with New York’s Moma and London’s Tate Modern. Continue reading...
Jake Berry is latest senior MP to urge prime minister to amend de facto block on new projects in EnglandRishi Sunak is embroiled in a growing rebellion over his ban on new onshore windfarms as the former Conservative chairman Jake Berry became the latest senior MP to announce he would join an effort to overturn the policy.The former cabinet minister said he would support the former levelling up secretary Simon Clarke, who has tabled an amendment to legislation going through parliament demanding the current moratorium on new developments be lifted. Continue reading...
The country has been told the chances of power cuts are low, but demand for old-school wax lighting is hotGermans are seeking comfort in the warm yellow glow of open flames this Christmas, as a revival of festive traditions coupled with blackout fears make candles the target of the latest stockpiling frenzy.On Sunday, many German households will follow tradition to light the first of four candles on their Adventskranz wreath, which is typically laid on or hung above the dining-room table. Continue reading...
Tory MP becomes latest member of party to get behind push to drop moratorium with reports Michael Gove also supports moveThe president of the Cop26 climate summit Alok Sharma has become the latest Conservative party MP to support lifting the ban on new onshore windfarms.Sharma has joined his former boss Boris Johnson, who nominated him for a peerage, in backing an amendment to government legislation in an attempt to drop the moratorium on onshore wind. Continue reading...
Russian attacks cut off essential power to the stations last week, forcing all four of them into high-risk mitigation proceduresThere are growing fears that Russia’s relentless targeting of Ukraine’s electricity grid will threaten the safety of the country’s nuclear power plants, in the wake of an unprecedented emergency shutdown on Wednesday.Petro Kotin, the president of Ukraine’s nuclear power company, Energoatom, said that all safety mechanisms had worked as intended on Wednesday, but two generators were damaged in the process, delaying the restart of two reactors. Kotin said repeated shutdowns caused by more Russian missile attacks could cause extensive damage, with a potentially severe impact on Ukraine’s power supply and possibly on nuclear safety. Continue reading...
Former prime minister says US and Europe will pay biggest share of loss and damage fund, but China must tooChina must pay into a new fund for poor countries stricken by climate-driven disaster on the basis of its high greenhouse gas emissions and large economy, the former UK prime minister Gordon Brown has said.“America and Europe will have to provide most, but China will have to contribute more too,” he told the Guardian. Continue reading...
Under-fire water firms, criticised for their part in the scandal, have pointed the finger at the authorities in newly revealed lettersWater company bosses have blamed UK government inaction for a lack of progress in stopping sewage pollution, newly revealed letters show.According to data from the Environment Agency, sewage has been dumped into the seas and rivers around the UK more than 770,000 times over the course of 2020 and 2021 – the equivalent of almost 6m hours. Continue reading...
Cites treaty, adopted in 1963, protects more than 500 species, many exploited by unsustainable or illegal tradeAn international wildlife conference has moved to enact some of the most significant protections for sharks, songbirds and scores of turtles, lizards and frogs.The meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) ended on Friday in Panama. Along with protections for more than 500 species, delegates at the UN wildlife conference rejected a proposal to reopen the ivory trade. An ivory ban was enacted in 1989. Continue reading...
Herds burgeon on reservations as Native tribes seek to re-establish balance after historical slaughter by European settlersPerched atop a fence at Badlands national park, Troy Heinert peered from beneath his wide-brimmed hat into a corral where 100 wild bison awaited transfer to the Rosebud Indian Reservation.Descendants of bison that once roamed North America’s Great Plains by the tens of millions, the animals would soon thunder up a chute, take a truck ride across South Dakota and join one of many burgeoning herds Heinert has helped re-establish on Native American lands. Continue reading...
by Mark BrownNorth of England correspondent on (#6671Q)
Tourist spot made famous by Ruskin, Turner and Wordsworth may be washed away if £1m is not found for repairsAn unspoiled, spirit-enhancing countryside view celebrated by the 19th-century critic and poet John Ruskin as one of the most beautiful in the world is under threat unless £1m can be raised.It was after a visit in 1875 that Ruskin described the view over the River Lune from the churchyard of St Mary’s in Kirkby Lonsdale as “one of the loveliest in England, therefore in the world”. Continue reading...
Three-year scheme to provide up to £15,000 for middle-income households will start in April 2023The business secretary, Grant Shapps, will announce a plan next week to offer grants of up to £15,000 to middle-income households to make homes more energy efficient, according to reports.The scheme, called “eco plus”, will run from April and target middle-earners to enable them to fund work on their homes such as installing cavity-wall insulation or smart heating controls. Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#666XB)
Mayor says ultra-low emission zone has been ‘transformational’ and expansion will benefit 5m more peopleLondon’s ultra-low emission zone will be expanded across the entire capital from next August, a move that the mayor said would bring cleaner air to 5 million more residents.Drivers of older, polluting cars will have to pay £12.50 a day to use their vehicle across Greater London from 29 August 2023. Continue reading...
Wildcat expert recruited by Wildlife Trust with view to reintroducing animal currently found in remote parts of ScotlandWildcats could be released in England for the first time in hundreds of years as the Wildlife Trusts recruit an expert to help introduce them back into the wild.After being hunted to extinction, the European wildcat is now the UK’s rarest native mammal. They are larger than the domestic cat, which are bred from the wildcats of Africa. It has not been spotted in southern England since the 16th century, but now it looks possible that the animal will be found stalking the landscape once more. Continue reading...
The world’s biggest single-building pig farm has opened in Hubei province, but critics say it will increase the risk of larger animal disease outbreaksOn the southern outskirts of Ezhou, a city in central China’s Hubei province, a giant apartment-style building overlooks the main road. But it is not for office workers or families. At 26 storeys it is by far the biggest single-building pig farm in the world, with a capacity to slaughter 1.2 million pigs a year.This is China’s answer to its insatiable demand for pork, the most popular animal protein in the country. Continue reading...
Environment | The Guardian