The arrival of loggerheads in New South Wales shows these sentinels of climate change' are being forced into unknown territoryWhen Bulwal Bilima (BB for short) first arrived at Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia, she, or possibly he, was lethargic, badly constipated and dehydrated. Named strong turtle" in the Aboriginal Dhurga language of the Yuin people on whose land it was found, the tiny 110g loggerhead hatchling, no bigger than a bar of soap, had a fight on its hands.The baby turtle was found stranded in New South Wales's Booderee national park last April, much further south than the usual hatching grounds. After days of feeding on squid, sardines and marine vitamins, BB, whose sex cannot be determined until it is fully mature, revived. Continue reading...

If we want things to be Made in Europe' again, we need to be realistic about how grimy and grey our centres of commerce once wereBitterfeld, Bitterfeld, where dirt falls from the sky," went a popular saying. Located in the intensely industrialised Chemical Triangle of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), in the 1980s Bitterfeld became known as the dirtiest town in Europe. Its chemical industry and lignite mines dumped toxic waste in waterways, and the air carried a concentrate of sulphur dioxide some 40 times today's levels.Europe would soon be rattled out of its postwar reliance on heavy industry, in favour of cheap imports from abroad. In the last days of the GDR, environmental activism brought the coup de grace. The 1988 release of the undercover film Bitter Things from Bitterfeld shed light on the appalling living conditions in the Chemical Triangle, and the city's chemical plants were soon decommissioned.Hans Larsson is an architect at OMA/AMO Continue reading...

The UK should optimise North Sea oil and gas production while it transfers to renewables and nuclear developmentsThe chancellor's failure to reform or remove the energy profits levy (EPL) - AKA the North Sea windfall tax - in her spring forecast was a case of political expediency and more to do with putting one byelection result before the economic needs of the country". Who said that? Some Tory or Reform politician being opportunist as war in Iran puts the UK's energy import dependency in the spotlight?Actually, no, it was the general secretary of the GMB union, Gary Smith, on Wednesday, demonstrating once again that views on the North Sea oil and gas do not fit neatly into a left-right divide. He has been making the principled case for an orderly transition in energy for ages, warning that decarbonising via deindustrialising costs jobs and will end up pushing voters rightwards. Continue reading...

Climate deniers expected more resistance to the fossil fuel blitz. But Democrats, billionaires and activists have gone silent

Government says it is working to solve postcode lottery' of access to green or blue spacesThere are urban areas of England where no one lives within a 15-minute walk of nature, government data shows, as ministers scramble to meet their access to nature targets.While the data shows 80% of people live within walking distance of green or blue spaces such as a river, park or woodland, it also reveals a disparity between rural and poorer urban areas. Continue reading...

Firm admits supplying water unfit for human consumption after nearly 150 people fell illA major utility company has admitted supplying water unfit for human consumption after a parasite outbreak in Devon made almost 150 people sick.South West Water (SWW) pleaded guilty to the criminal offence relating to the cryptosporidiosis outbreak in Brixham, Devon, which affected 2,500 homes. Continue reading...

Analysis shows average levels are 30cm higher than thought, and up to 150cm in south-east Asia and Indo-PacificSea levels around the world have been underestimated due to inaccurate modelling, with research suggesting ocean levels are far higher than previously understood.The finding could significantly affect assessments of the future impacts of global heating and the effects on coastal settlements. Continue reading...

Company will halt production of controversial paraquat weed killer by end of June as it faces thousands of lawsuitsSyngenta, maker of a controversial pesticide linked to Parkinson's disease, said on Tuesday that it will stop making its paraquat weed killer by the end of June.The announcement comes as the company is facing several thousand lawsuits brought by people in the US who allege they developed Parkinson's disease due to their exposure to Syngenta's paraquat products. Continue reading...

Puffins, guillemots, razorbills and terns are washing up on shores across Europe, after a string of storms affected their ability to find foodThe two puffins washed up among seaweed and bits of plastic on a beach in Newquay, Cornwall, on a damp February morning. Normally, these much-loved seabirds pull in crowds of tourists eager to see their courtship rituals, but these were rolling in the surf, dead. Most people walking past probably missed them.Their breast bones were sticking out, they had no fat on them, and their muscles were wasted; the pair probably starved to death, unable to find enough food out in the Atlantic Ocean where they spend the winter. Continue reading...

Instead of removing plant-munching caterpillars, gardeners asked to take relaxed attitude to support the moths many of them grow intoAs spring unfolds and plants come to life, gardeners often fight a losing battle against the caterpillars who munch their cabbages.Traditionally, advice for gardeners regarding caterpillars would be about how to get rid of them and stop unsightly holes in plants. But the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and the Wildlife Trusts are asking Britons to take a relaxed attitude to caterpillar carnage in order to support the moths many of them grow into.Foxgloves: These pretty plants are food for several moths, including the lesser yellow underwing (Noctua comes), angle shades moth (Phlogophora meticulosa) and setaceous Hebrew character (Xestia c-nigrum).Lady's bedstraw: This native wildflower with frothy yellow blooms provides food for the hummingbird hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum), elephant hawk-moth (Deilephila elpenor) and bedstraw hawk-moth (Hyles gallii).Mullein: These tall, drought-resistant yellow plants are enjoyed by the brightly striped caterpillars of the mullein moth (Cucullia verbasci).Mint: This provides food for the mint moth and beautiful plume moth. It is also loved by bees.Hedges: If you have space, a mixed native hedge planted with hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), hazel (Coryllus avellana) and dog rose (Rosa canina) provides food for a multitude of caterpillars. Continue reading...

From the Chagos Islands to windmills' and sharia law, the US president's comments do not bear much scrutinyDonald Trump has been opining about the UK again, saying on Tuesday that Keir Starmer was not Winston Churchill" and repeating his complaint about the deal to hand sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. Here are some recent things the US president has said about British issues, and how they compare with reality. Continue reading...

Olivier De Schutter says new economic agenda needed to tackle crises of rising inequality and ecological collapseThe global economy must be reordered to ensure it serves ordinary people around the world rather than the frivolous and destructive demands of the ultra-rich", according to a leading UN figure.Olivier De Schutter, the UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, says politicians must stop prioritising socially and ecologically destructive growth" that only increases the profits - and serves the consumption demands - of the world's richest individuals and corporations. Continue reading...

Researchers hope restoring the original song will improve breeding prospects for birds released into the wild

FoI documents show ministers ignored recommendation for fresh inquiry that could have reduced or paused farming

Google, Microsoft and Amazon among companies using algorithms and AI to influence what crops are grown and how, say criticsTech companies and industrial agriculture are playing with the food system" by using AI and algorithms to undermine farmers in choosing what the world eats, leading food security experts have warned.Companies such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon, IBM and Alibaba are working with industrial agriculture firms to influence what crops are grown and how, according to a report by the thinktank International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES-Food). Continue reading...

Dublin, Helsinki, Stockholm and Tallinn among port cities more choked by sulphur oxides from ferries, analysis showsFume-belching ferries spew more sulphur pollution than cars in several EU capitals, analysis has found.Dublin, Helsinki, Stockholm and Tallinn are among 13 of Europe's 15 biggest port cities choked more by sulphur oxides (SOx) from ferries than road vehicles, data shared exclusively with the Guardian shows. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Schemes worth hundreds of millions of pounds to protect biodiversity and oceans likely to be substantially reducedUK programmes to protect nature and the climate in developing countries are suffering swingeing budget cuts despite ministers' promises, the Guardian has learned.The cuts belie the government's claims to be fulfilling international obligations on climate finance and are veiled behind a system that experts have criticised as opaque.The cutting and partial closure of the 100m Biodiverse Landscapes Fund, intended to protect nature in vital ecosystems in poor regions overseas. Six regions were originally targeted, in Africa, South America and Asia, but this has been reduced to two.Coast - a project for Climate and Ocean Adaptation and Sustainable Transition - and Pact (Prepare and Accelerate Climate Transitions) are having substantial cuts.The future of the 500m Blue Planet Fund has been thrown into doubt despite its successful operation.Other schemes have been reduced in scope, for instance by allowing only one year's funding where years were expected.Requests for data under the Freedom of Information Act have revealed spending has been slashed among the departments responsible for international climate finance (ICF). Continue reading...

Hydrolysis uses alkaline and water to break down body in a few hours and is part of demand for more sustainable funeralsScotland has become the first part of the UK to legalise hydrolysis, an environmentally friendly alternative to cremation or burial, reflecting increasing demand for more sustainable funeral arrangements.Also known as water cremation or aquamation, the process is already available in many parts of the world, and regulations approved by the Scottish parliament on Monday mark the most significant change to funeral law since cremation was introduced in 1902. Continue reading...

Ken Henry leads push for federal government to do more to protect animals as biodiversity declines

Authorities say capture of bull and tiger sharks necessary to protect lives as environmentalists launch urgent legal challengeSome beaches in areas of New Caledonia are closed to swimming and the authorities have begun shark culling off the capital, Noumea, after a fatal attack in the popular tourist spot - prompting a legal challenge to stop the operation and reigniting debate over public safety and marine conservation.The culling operation began on 23 February, after a man from New Caledonia riding a wing foil in a recreational area was attacked and killed. Preliminary investigations indicate the victim was attacked by a tiger shark that measured at least three metres. Continue reading...

Long-nosed fur seal seen on banks of waterway in city's inner west similar to those occasionally found outside Sydney Opera House

The juvenile freshwater crocodile was first spotted by a group of teenagers in Ironbark Creek in the Australian city on SaturdayAn Australian freshwater crocodile has been captured in a city creek thousands of kilometres south of its normal range, after sightings shocked onlookers at a suburban park.The crocodile was first spotted in Ironbark Creek in Newcastle - about 100km north of Sydney - around midday on Saturday, by a group of teenagers. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Whistleblower figures show large rise in serious' to minor' downgrades based on water company evidenceEnvironment Agency (EA) staff have downgraded thousands of serious pollution incidents by water companies in England without visiting to investigate, data unearthed by freedom of information (FoI) requests suggests.The figures were obtained by Robert Forrester, a whistleblower who left the agency in January and has spent nine years shining a light on the state of the water industry. His identity was revealed in the Channel 4 docudrama Dirty Business this week, and he has vowed to carry on fighting to expose the truth. Continue reading...

Unsettling predictions are now our catastrophic reality, but a brighter future is still within reach if our political leaders change courseSoaring, scorching, record temperatures, yet again. Distressing, protracted droughts. Raging fires and devastating floods. Australia's summer is drawing to a close, and a reprieve from climate whiplash can't come soon enough.We've witnessed and suffered immense losses and deep heartache for wildlife, ecosystems, and our communities. There was a time when the dire potential consequences of climate breakdown and environmental destruction were warnings, calls from scientists and experts for increased and urgent action. Now an unsettling possibility feels like a disturbing reality. Continue reading...

Understanding biodiversity within species is key to our understanding of why nature works the way it does, say researchers

Judge slashed a $667m damages award to Energy Transfer over Greenpeace's role in Dakota Access Pipeline protestsA North Dakota judge on Friday finalized a $345m judgment against Greenpeace in a lawsuit pursued by pipeline company Energy Transfer (ET.N) over the environmental group's role in protests against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline.The final judgment by judge James Gion was in line with a decision he issued in October, in which he slashed by almost half a damages award of about $667m that a jury had awarded Energy Transfer in March. Continue reading...

SA premier Peter Malinauskas warns residents to prepare for heavy falls and possible flash floods

Researchers find that across 195 US cities, winters are on average nine days shorter than they were in 1970-1997For the millions of people across the United States who have spent the last month digging themselves out of above-average levels of snow and ice, this winter has felt especially long and harsh. But the typical winter is actually getting shorter in 80% of major US cities scrutinized by researchers, according to new data released by Climate Central, an independent climate science and communication group.Researchers found that across 195 US cities, winters are on average nine days shorter today than they were from 1970 to 1997, as the climate crisis progresses. Continue reading...

What is a favourite place if not one built upon our fondest memories?Would I like to write about my favourite place?The invitation inspired me to recall so many magical places - from north-east Arnhem Land to Mediterranean island hamlets with idyllic quayside tavernas, from the Melbourne Cricket Ground on grand final day to Dickensian London pubs, from picture postcard villages beneath snow-capped alpine peaks to the haunts of my literary giants and on to Joshua Tree and Hagia Sofia. Continue reading...

EPA rolls back rules as chemical firms claim provisions in RMP protection system too expensive to implement

With most Scots supportive of reintroducing the wild cat, charities are focusing on those whose jobs could be affectedCould lynx, the elusive wild cat driven to extinction in Britain more than 1,000 years ago, become the new Loch Ness monster? Whether Nessie's there or not, she draws tourists," said Margaret Luckwell, a resident of Moray, Scotland. It would be the same with lynx. I'd love to see a lynx in the wild."Luckwell's view is a majority one among local people gathering at village halls across the Highlands, as a painstaking consultation slowly gathers momentum for the apex predator's return to Scottish forests. Continue reading...

EPA found only 27 of 219 plants needed upgrades; 71 later got exemptions as Donald Trump scrapped mercury limitsAlmost all coal-fired power plants in the US had the ability to comply with rules limiting their emission of dangerous pollutants such as mercury that can cause brain damage in children. Despite this, Donald Trump's administration decided to demolish the standards anyway.Last week, the Trump administration said it is loosening restrictions on air toxins from mercury, lead and other heavy metals that are released by coal plants. Such pollution is known to be neurotoxic and has been linked to irreversible brain damage in children and infants, as well as heart disease and cancer in adults. Continue reading...

This week's best wildlife photographs from around the world Continue reading...

The annual competition draws thousands of entries from across the world and brings together images from below the water's surface that show the diversity and challenges of subaquatic life

Federal judge in Oregon rejects bid to overturn Biden-era agreement to protect endangered fish populations

Families are struggling with cost of heating their homes', letter says as Trump repeatedly pledges to slash utility billsAs energy prices for US households soar nationwide, Democratic and progressive lawmakers are calling on the energy department to end its plan to double exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG).The Trump administration's LNG export policies are not putting America first: they have jacked up utility prices for families, leaving many Americans struggling with the cost of heating their homes this winter," reads a letter to the energy secretary, Chris Wright, sent the Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Independent senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and seven others. Continue reading...

Yorkshire plant has been criticised for taking material from some of British Columbia's most environmentally important forestsThe owner of Drax power plant has started reducing the amount of Canadian wood pellets it burns, and will stop burning trees from British Columbia entirely within the next year.The FTSE 250 company Drax Group said its Canadian wood pellet plants, which once supplied millions of tonnes of biomass to be burnt in its North Yorkshire power plant, had cost the company almost 200m in financial impairments last year. Continue reading...

Panama joins smaller nations in dropping support for policy aimed at cutting maritime emissionsUS bullying" over a proposed carbon levy on shipping appears to be paying off, experts have said, after Panama reversed its support for the measure.In a leaked document seen by the Guardian, the key maritime state has co-sponsored a proposal to the International Maritime Organization that would in effect cancel the carbon levy and undermine attempts to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Continue reading...

Supermarket chain says it will point customers to herring and other species to protect threatened Atlantic stocksWaitrose has become the first UK supermarket to suspend the sale of mackerel because of overfishing and will start pointing customers toward herring and other species.The Marine Conservation Society warned last year that stocks were at breaking point owing to overfishing, and it downgraded mackerel from a three to a four on its five-point Good Fish Guide sustainability scale. Continue reading...

As fish stocks dwindle, surf tourism may offer a lifeline to traditional caballitos de totora fishers, whose vessels are thought to be among the first ever used to ride wavesJust before dawn, in a scene that has repeated itself over thousands of years on the north coast of Peru, fishers drag boats made of bound reeds to the water's edge and, kneeling on them, use paddles shaped from split bamboo to row out into the Pacific Ocean to catch their breakfast. A few hours later, these surfer fishers return with netfuls of their catch, riding waves on the final stretch back to the shore. From the main beach in Huanchaco - a seaside town near the city of Trujillo - the fish are taken to sell at the market or to beachfront restaurants preparing meals for tourists.The four-metre-long reed vessels - known as caballitos de totora in Spanish, or little reed horses" - are placed upright on their ends by the promenade on El Mogote beach so that the seawater drains away and they are ready to be used the next morning. Continue reading...

Group says case far from over after being found liable for defamation and other claims brought by energy firmA North Dakota judge has said he will order Greenpeace to pay damages expected to total $345m in connection with protests against the Dakota Access oil pipeline from nearly a decade ago, a figure the environmental group contends it cannot pay.In court papers filed on Tuesday, Judge James Gion said he would sign an order requiring several Greenpeace entities to pay the judgment to pipeline company Energy Transfer. He set that amount at $345m last year in a decision that reduced a jury's damages by about half, but his latest filing did not specify a final amount. Continue reading...

Record rainfall in famously arid California park has caused a wildflower eruption nearing levels of a superbloomDeath Valley and parts of southern California have erupted in wildflowers thanks to record rain that helped deliver spectacular blooms.In the famously arid national park, the rare display has covered miles of the landscape in vibrant shades of yellow and purple. Continue reading...

Fines for illegal dumping decreased over past year with only 0.2% of incidents resulting in court actionFly-tipping incidents across England have reached the highest level since current records began, with most offences continuing to involve household waste.In 2024-25, 1.26m fly-tipping incidents were recorded by local authorities, an increase of 9% on the 1.15m reported in the year before, according to data released by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Coalition government agrees to remove parts of controversial law and allow homes to rely on fossil fuelsGermany's coalition government has been accused of abandoning its climate targets after agreeing to scrap parts of a contentious heating law mandating the use of renewables in favour of a draft law allowing homeowners to rely on fossil fuels.While the previous law required most newly installed heating systems to use at least 65% renewable energy, often with a heat pump, the amended legislation will allow households to keep using oil and gas. Continue reading...

Advocates often assume communities of color just don't know any better when it comes to eating healthyI met the man I'll call Randy Johnson 13 years ago, as I began research in South Central Los Angeles. I'm an anthropologist who explores how people think about food and use food in their everyday lives. As executive director of a large food justice organization focused on K-12 education throughout the city, Randy was a key source. He talked to me about South Central's status as a food desert, where its majority Latinx and Black residents had little access to groceries or healthy food. A middle-aged white man, Randy told me of his work in South Central, which centered around encouraging school-age children to eat more fresh vegetables.He described South Central as a wasteland of sorts. There is just nothing there," he said, pointing to the common but false idea that there were no grocery stores there. He then pivoted to talking about the residents. I see them having almost zero education when it comes to [making healthy eating choices]. They don't know that what they're eating is destroying them slowly. It's just that we, as a society, have failed our citizens to educate them that they shouldn't be buying the fries every day."Hanna Garth is assistant professor of anthropology at Princeton University Continue reading...

President derided Biden's green new scam' during State of the Union address, and hailed the rise in US oil productionTrump didn't say the words climate change" during the State of the Union, but it loomed large over his 108-minute speech as he touted his drill, baby, drill" agenda and derided Joe Biden's green new scam".Toward the beginning of his address, the president discussed last year's flooding at Camp Mystic in Texas, saying they were one of the worst things I've ever seen". Continue reading...

Fish levels fall by 7.2% with as little as 0.1C of warming per decade, northern hemisphere research showsChronic ocean heating is fuelling a staggering and deeply concerning" loss of marine life, a study has found, with fish levels falling by 7.2% from as little as 0.1C of warming per decade.Researchers examined the year-to-year change of 33,000 populations in the northern hemisphere between 1993 and 2021, and isolated the effect of the decadal rate of seabed warming from short shifts such as marine heatwaves. They found the drop in biomass from chronic heating to be as high as 19.8% in a single year. Continue reading...

Thousands more people across Devon and Cornwall could join case against water firmA group legal claim against South West Water alleging sewage pollution into coastal waters is harming businesses and individuals has been expanded across Devon and Cornwall.Thousands more individuals could now join the first environmental community group legal action against a water company over the impact of sewage pollution. Continue reading...

Researchers say solitary bottlenose has adapted well to city waters, but tighter controls on boat traffic and human behaviour are neededItalian scientists monitoring the movements of a dolphin in the Venice lagoon have said humans are the ones who need managing, rather than wildlife.Known as Mimmo, the bottlenose dolphin has been spotted on several occasions since it made its first appearance in June last year, prompting a research team from the University of Padova to spring into action. Continue reading...

UK Climate Change Committee voices concern over Scotland's progress on decarbonising buildings and reliance on unproved technologiesScotland has finally produced realistic short-term plans on cutting its climate emissions, but there is real concern" about the credibility of its overall strategy, the UK's climate policy watchdog has found.Nigel Topping, the chair of the UK Climate Change Committee, said there were flashing amber lights" about the quality and seriousness of some of the Scottish government's medium- and long-term proposals to reach net zero by 2045. Continue reading...