Labor’s budget ‘sent a shiver down the spine’ of irrigators but environmental groups welcomed the news

Scientists warn world ‘is heading in wrong direction’ amid rise in nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide and methaneAtmospheric levels of all three greenhouse gases have reached record highs, according to a study by the World Meteorological Organization, which scientists say means the world is “heading in the wrong direction”.The WMO found there was the biggest year-on-year jump in methane concentrations in 2020 and 2021 since systematic measurements began almost 40 years ago. Continue reading...

Fossil fuels simply don’t check out when it comes to tackling Australia’s rising energy prices while lowering emissions

Experts say flood mapping needs to be standardised and frequently updated amid crisis in NSW and Victoria

The ‘good news’ is this money could be replaced over time as it represents just 3.5% of sponsorship, expert says

PM said he stood by Tories’ 2019 manifesto policy when asked in Commons, in rebuff to Liz Truss

Edinburgh is highest-ranked British institution, in fourth place, as fears grow over emissions targetsUK universities are below their US and Canadian counterparts in a sustainability global league table that ranks them on their environmental footprint and contribution to society, as student climate campaigners warn that nearly half are falling behind their emissions targets.The rankings place the University of California, Berkeley, at No 1, followed by two Canadian institutions, the University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia, with Edinburgh University the top-performing UK institution in fourth place as a result of its strong sustainability research. Continue reading...

The ‘green’ hydrogen produced to deliver ammonia to Europe will be partly powered by the fossil fuel in the beginning, a joint investigation foundIn mid-September, the government of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia announced a blockbuster, 5bn-watt “green” hydrogen plant.

United Nations says governments need to set new goals and make deeper cuts to limit temperature rises to 1.5CPledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions will lead to global heating of 2.5C, a level that would condemn the world to catastrophic climate breakdown, according to the United Nations.Only a handful of countries have strengthened their commitments substantially in the last year, despite having promised to do so at the Cop26 UN climate summit in Glasgow last November. Deeper cuts are needed to limit temperature rises to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, which would avoid the worst ravages of extreme weather. Continue reading...

Experts call for tighter regulations as tests find ethoxyquin exceeds maximum limits in Tassal and Petuna salmon

ACCC to review gas industry as Labor’s budget forecasts point to a 56% rise in power prices over the next two years

Activists say deconstruction of Keyenberg turbines undermines government’s climate pledgeGoverning authorities in Germany have urged one of the country’s biggest energy companies to stop dismantling a wind park to make way for an open-pit mine, after activists said the move symbolised a rollback of the government’s climate protection plans.Consisting of eight turbines, the Keyenberg wind park in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia is located about half a mile from the edge of a 48 km² surface mine, named after the local village of Garzweiler. Continue reading...

Appointment greeted with some surprise – and hope – by environment sector as it faces crucial challengesThe environment sector has reacted with some surprise that Rishi Sunak has appointed Thérèse Coffey as environment secretary.At a crucial time for the environment, with much important and complex legislation coming down the line including the farming payments review due this week, many hoped the new prime minister would choose someone with recent senior experience in the department. Continue reading...

Analysis finds global practice is a major driver of marine ecosystems’ destruction and is estimated to run up to $50bnDeveloping countries are losing billions of dollars due to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which siphons off revenue through illicit financial flows, according to a new study by the Financial Transparency Coalition (FTC).The study reveals that the top 10 companies involved in IUU fishing are responsible for nearly a quarter of all reported cases: eight are from China – led by Nasdaq-listed Pingtan Marine Enterprise Ltd – one is from Colombia and another from Spain. Continue reading...

Climate crisis report says ‘we are not winning in any sector’ as experts call for urgent action on fossil fuelsMeat consumption should be reduced to the equivalent of about two burgers a week in the developed world, and public transport expanded about six times faster than its current rate, if the world is to avoid the worst ravages of the climate crisis, research has suggested.Rates of deforestation must also be rapidly reduced, and phasing out coal must happen about six times faster than is currently being managed. Heavy industries such as cement and steel are not moving fast enough in cutting their emissions, and the rapid growth of renewable energy and electric vehicle adoption must be maintained. Continue reading...

Third consecutive La Niña, which has brought widespread rain and flooding to eastern Australia in 2022, is likely to end by next February, models show

H&M, Sainsbury’s and Nestlé are among more than 300 companies urging governments to agree to the pledge at Cop15 in DecemberMore than 300 businesses, including H&M, Sainsbury’s and Nestlé, have urged world leaders to make it mandatory for companies to assess and reveal their impact on nature by 2030.Businesses and financial institutions in 56 countries – including the UK, Canada and China – are pushing for governments to agree to the disclosures at Cop15, the UN biodiversity conference being held in Montreal this December. Continue reading...

Reliance on oil and gas worsening climate impacts and compounding food, energy and cost of living crisesThe health of the world’s people is at the mercy of a global addiction to fossil fuels, according to a study.The analysis reports an increase in heat deaths, hunger and infectious disease as the climate crisis intensifies, while governments continue to give more in subsidies to fossil fuels than to the poorer countries experiencing the impacts of global heating. Continue reading...

Maricopa county’s 359 heat-associated fatalities this year outpace 339 deaths confirmed in 2021, figures showThis summer was the deadliest on record for heat-related deathsin Arizona’s largest county, with public health statistics this week confirming 359 such deaths just days before the end of the six-month heat season.The jump comes amid a growing homelessness crisis in the area and raises questions about how to better protect vulnerable people in the desert south-west as temperatures soar. Continue reading...

Birds featured in March of the Penguins film face almost complete annihilation by end of century as Antarctic sea ice is lostThe emperor penguin, the tallest and bulkiest of all the world’s penguins, has been officially declared a threatened species by the US government due to the existential risk posed to the birds by the climate crisis.The penguins, which are endemic to Antarctica, face almost complete annihilation from the loss of sea ice over the course of this century, a situation that has prompted the US Fish and Wildlife Service to place it on the endangered species list, it announced on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Senators make appeal to EPA after series of Guardian articles revealed that communities of color often face high lead levelsUS legislators are calling for increased measures to protect American residents from toxic lead in their tap water.A group of up to 15 US senators asked the Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday to lower the levels of lead allowable in drinking water, require all lead pipes to be replaced in the next decade and ensure that low-income neighborhoods can benefit equally from the remediation efforts. Continue reading...

New Unicef report finds that in even best-case scenario 2 billion children will face four to five dangerous heat events annuallyThe climate crisis is also a children’s rights crisis: one in four children globally are already affected by the climate emergency and by 2050 virtually every child in every region will face more frequent heatwaves, according to a new Unicef report.For hundreds of millions of children, heatwaves will also last longer and be more extreme, increasing the threat of death, disease, hunger and forced migration. Continue reading...

Hydrologist says flood levels similar to last year but this time the water has nowhere to go, prolonging the disaster

Estimates growth will lose about quarter of a percentage point during the current quarter, or about $5bn in economic activity, because of flooding

Climate and environment programs in 2022-23 partly funded by redirecting $746.9m from those promised by Coalition

Some unexpected areas secure a slice of Australia’s economic pie in a Labor plan touted largely as a ‘bread-and-butter affair

The governor general, Bob Katter, jobseekers, seniors and Double J listeners – everyone has a stake in the federal budget, but some have done better than others

Victorian authorities say nature of emergency flood management means ‘sometimes difficult and challenging decisions need to be made’

Nearly nine in 10 farms inspected failed to comply with regulations, according to a report from the Environment AgencyThe government’s efforts to protect UK rivers have been labelled an “abject failure” after two-thirds of farms in Devon were found to be causing pollution when inspected by the Environment Agency.Between 2016 and 2020, the agency visited more than 100 cattle farms in north Devon to check levels of compliance with environmental regulations, particularly around safe slurry storage and spreading. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Scheme had been criticised as a ‘slush fund’ that could have cost billions and pushed up power prices

Discovery raises hopes that species may be able to survive global heating despite slower genetic evolution due to their long lifespanNarwhals have been delaying their seasonal migration because of the impact of the climate crisis, suggesting an ability to adapt to the changing Arctic but increasing the risk that they may become trapped in ice, according to new research.Narwhals, recognisable by their long spiralled tusk that has earned them the nickname “unicorns of the sea”, inhabit the Arctic waters of Greenland, Canada and Russia. They are a migratory species that spend summer months in ice-free coastal areas before moving to deeper waters between late September and mid-November. Continue reading...

Former BoE governor admits his net zero alliance weakened veto on coal investment because of ‘antitrust concerns’The former Bank of England governor, Mark Carney, has denied that big banks threatened to leave the climate finance group he leads after it was forced to soften a previous promise to stop financing all coal projects.Carney said that big US banks had not indicated “any intention” to leave the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), a body Carney set up to aid the transition to an economy with net zero carbon emissions. Continue reading...

Exclusive: 66% of people back nonviolent action and 75% support solar power being installed on farmlandA large majority of the UK public supports nonviolent direct action to protect the environment, according to an opinion poll. People also strongly backed solar power on farmland and opposed fracking.The poll indicates the unpopularity of a recent swathe of government policies, with more than twice as many people saying they trusted Labour to protect the environment as said they trusted the Conservatives. Continue reading...

US assistant secretary of state says two countries have stopped creation of new protected areas in Antarctica ‘for too long’

Once-in-a-decade plans to protect the natural world and halt its destruction will be decided in Canada in December

Labour leader also reaffirms pledge of no new oil or gas licences as activists cake King Charles waxworkKeir Starmer has said he would continue with Tory plans for stiff sentences for climate protesters who block roads, despite reiterating Labour’s pledge for no new oil and gas licences, as two Just Stop Oil activists caked a waxwork of King Charles.Starmer’s pledge to impose a moratorium on new oil and gas projects puts Labour policy in line with the demands of Just Stop Oil, whose supporters have been blocking roads and carrying out other protests in central London every day this month. Continue reading...

Up to 60% of country in designated drought zone, as jet stream heats up parts of EuropeThe US drought monitor declared 60% of the country to be in a designated drought zone last Thursday, with 34% in a severe or deepening drought. Although such conditions are not unusual in the US, with approximately 14% of the country having experienced severe to extreme drought every year since 1895, the extent of the current situation certainly is.Western states and parts of the Great Plains are experiencing the most severe droughts in the country. Some central states including Minnesota and Iowa have recorded less than 25mm of rain in the past month, compared with an average of 70-100mm in September. Continue reading...

Industry associations for sectors from oil to agriculture in the US and Europe found resisting wildlife-friendly laws, say researchersIndustry groups representing some of the world’s largest companies are “opposed to almost all major biodiversity-relevant policies” and are lobbying to block them, according to a new report.Researchers found that 89% of engagement by leading industry associations in Europe and the US is designed to delay, dilute and block progress on tackling the biodiversity crisis, which scientists say is as serious as the climate emergency. Just 5% of support was positive and the remaining 6% was mixed or neutral, according to the climate thinktank InfluenceMap. Continue reading...

Allowing autumn leaves in parks and gardens to decompose boosts insect and soil health, says Eindhoven councilA municipality in the Netherlands has declared fallen autumn leaves to be worth their weight in gold – ecologically speaking.Eindhoven, in North Brabant, is encouraging its citizens to abandon blowers and rakes and to let fallen leaves in gardens or parks lie. Continue reading...

Groups say cancellations could restrict debate as host country tightens security for opening daysCivil society organisations and governments may have to cancel events at the UN climate summit in November as the Egyptian hosts have tightened security for the opening days.Cop27 will open on Sunday 6 November in Sharm el-Sheikh, and on the Monday and Tuesday world leaders are due to descend on the conference centre for talks to direct their negotiating teams. Continue reading...

Woman’s body found in flood waters, as heavy rainfall continues across New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland

Americans discarded 51m tons of plastic in 2021 – of which almost 95% ended up in landfills, oceans or scattered in the atmosphereOnly 5% of the mountains of plastic waste generated by US households last year was recycled, according to new research by Greenpeace.Americans discarded 51m tons of wrappers, bottles and bags in 2021 – about 309lb of plastic per person – of which almost 95% ended up in landfills, oceans or scattered in the atmosphere in tiny toxic particles. Continue reading...

Destruction of forests slowed in 2021 but not enough to meet 2030 commitment made by 145 countriesThe destruction of global forests slowed in 2021 but the vital climate goal of ending deforestation by 2030 will still be missed without urgent action, according to an assessment.The area razed in 2021 fell by 6.3% after progress in some countries, notably Indonesia. But almost 7m hectares were lost and the destruction of the most carbon- and biodiversity-rich tropical rainforests fell by only 3%. The CO emissions resulting from the lost trees were equivalent to the emissions of the entire European Union plus Japan. Continue reading...

The Department of Conservation is looking for a biodiversity supervisor on the wild, remote coast of the South Island, a Unesco world heritage siteA NZ$90,000 salary, a helicopter commute, and a Unesco world heritage site as your playground. It sounds like a dream job. But despite the considerable perks, New Zealand’s Department of Conservation has been struggling to attract candidates to be their new biodiversity supervisor in Haast on the wild, remote coast of the South Island. Now, the region’s search is going global.The job is based in Te Wāhipounamu – an area encompassing 26,000 square kilometres of mountain ranges, isolated beaches and native forests, classed as a Unesco World Heritage Area in 1990. Its mountain ranges formed the backdrop for the White Mountains/Ered Nimrais in Peter Jackson’s adaption of the Lord of the Rings. Continue reading...

Two protesters pelt painting with potatoes and glue their hands to wall at Museum Barberini in PotsdamClaude Monet has become the latest artist to be the focus of food-related climate protests, after members of a German environmental group threw mashed potatoes over one of his paintings in a Potsdam museum on Sunday.Nine days after Just Stop Oil emptied tomato soup over Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers at the National Gallery in London, two activists from Letzte Generation (Last Generation) entered the Museum Barberini and doused Monet’s Les Meules (Haystacks) with potato before glueing their hands to the wall. Continue reading...

Reliability and emissions reduction goals are technically achievable, but cost is a separate question. Governments should be careful what they promise

Met Office warns of possible flooding, damage to property and hazardous driving conditionsHeavy rain and thunderstorms across much of England and parts of Wales could bring flooding, damage to buildings and hazardous driving conditions, the Met Office has warned.UK yellow warnings have been issued on Sunday for an area stretching from Whitby in North Yorkshire and taking in eastern England, most of the Midlands, southern England from Kent to Devon and south-east Wales. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Prof Dame Jenny Harries warns of dangers to food security, flooding and insect-borne diseasesThe climate crisis poses a “significant and growing threat” to health in the UK, the country’s most senior public health expert has warned.Speaking to the Guardian, Prof Dame Jenny Harries, the chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency, said there was a common misconception that a warmer climate would bring net health benefits due to milder winters. But the climate emergency would bring far wider-reaching health impacts, she said, with food security, flooding and mosquito-borne diseases posing threats. Continue reading...

Casting an eye back to the 70s power cuts, we test the conversational gambit for this winter, ‘what’s in your BOB?’For Steven Dowd, it’s four head torches and a handsaw. For Ian Welsh, a pack of camping freezer slabs and a pair of slippers, and for Ellie Moss, a community gardener in Eltham, a cheering set of battery-operated fairylights.With warnings that the UK could be subject to planned blackouts for the first time in five decades, the question “what’s in your blackout box (or BOB)?” could become as everyday a conversational gambit this winter as bemoaning the British weather. Continue reading...