Exclusive: Liz Truss strips Conservative peer of environment minister post but he is expected to keep Foreign Office roleThe Conservative peer Zac Goldsmith has been sacked as an environment minister, raising fears among some Tory MPs and campaigners that animal welfare will be downgraded by Liz Truss’s government.The environmentalist and politician, a close friend of Boris Johnson and his wife, Carrie, has been stripped of the domestic animal welfare brief and will no longer attend cabinet. Continue reading...
Campaigners hope to see a radical shift under the former renewables boss but it is likely to be more continuation than revolutionBen van Beurden sat stony faced as climate activists sang “We will, we will stop you” to the tune of Queen’s We Will Rock You. If Wael Sawan was following the scenes at May’s Shell annual shareholder meeting in London, he will understand the scale of the task ahead when he takes over the top job at Europe’s largest energy company in January.Sawan will have to tread a path Van Beurden has struggled to navigate, trying to stave off criticism from investors who want him to push further into fossil fuels, and investors and environmental campaigners who call for a bigger green energy drive. Last month it was reported Shell had invested equivalent to 6.3% of its £17.1bn profits into low carbon energy in the first half of the year, investing nearly three times more in oil and gas. Continue reading...
Before work like Hark! A Vagrant made her famous, the Canadian cartoonist spent two years in the Alberta wilderness, see-sawing between boredom and fear for her safety. Now she is finally ready to tell the storyIn April 2008, an international media storm erupted over the death of 1,600 ducks in a toxic pond in Alberta, Western Canada. Kate Beaton remembers it well, because she was working there at the time. “All of a sudden the whole world turned their heads and they’re like: ‘What’s going on over there? Doesn’t look good to me.’ Because of the ducks. And I was like: ‘It’s terrible about the ducks, but I see people around me failing. I see a lot more than that going on, too, and no one seems to care. What about the workers? What about the cancer rates in the Indigenous communities?’”A decade and a half later, Beaton has piled her memories of life in a camp in Alberta – built to exploit one of the world’s largest single oil deposits – into a chunky, no-holds-barred graphic novel memoir titled Ducks: Two Years on the Oil Sands. She was 21 years old, and had just finished a degree in history and anthropology, when she left her home on an island off the easternmost tip of Canada for the job more than 2,000 miles away. Continue reading...
by Fiona Harvey Environment correspondent on (#63NH4)
Groups urge action during the talks in Egypt to demand climate justice for Africa and the global southCivil society groups around the world are calling for a global day of action on the climate catastrophe, to urge governments to cut greenhouse gas emissions and shift to a low-carbon economy.The day of action will take place on Saturday 12 November, at the mid-point of the Cop27 UN climate talks, which run from 6 to 18 November in Sharm el-Sheikh, hosted by the Egyptian government. Continue reading...
Ocean Conservancy apologises for ‘false narrative’ of 2015 study that put blame for bulk of world’s plastic waste on five Asian statesAn environmental watchdog has retracted an influential report that blamed five Asian countries for the majority of plastic pollution in the ocean.The report, Stemming the Tide, from the US-based environmental advocacy group Ocean Conservancy, also included incineration and waste-to-energy as “solutions” to the plastics crisis. Published in 2015, it was decried as “waste colonialism” by hundreds of environmental, health and social justice groups across Asia. Continue reading...
The SEC’s proposed new rules, which would require public corporations to disclose climate-related information, have been criticized by industry groupsRepublican officials and corporate lobby groups are teeing up a multi-pronged legal assault on the Biden administration’s effort to help investors hold public corporations accountable for their carbon emissions and other climate change risks.The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed new climate disclosure rules in March that would require public companies to report the climate-related impact and risks to their businesses. Continue reading...
In areas where some felt let down by emergency responses, community groups share skills such as how to clear landslips, operate chainsaws and preserve food
Societal breakdown has not arrived, but the contours of such a collapse aren’t too hard to imagine – which is why some are taking part in a survival courseThere are several ways to react to a summer of harrowing climate disasters – from indifference to simmering angst to deflating the tire of an SUV – but for Eve Simonsen, the most logical response was to take her two children two hours from home to learn how to build a temporary shelter made of sticks and heaped leaves.Simonsen was one of about 30 people to take part in a recent wilderness survival course held in a patch of forest in upstate New York, which I joined. Several of the participants who scoured for twigs to make a fire and labored to set traps for unsuspecting animals said they wanted to learn such skills to help prepare for the cascading impacts of climate breakdown. Continue reading...
Founder Yvon Chouinard announced that all the company’s profits will go into saving the planetSetting a new example in environmental corporate leadership, the billionaire owner of Patagonia is giving the entire company away to fight the Earth’s climate devastation, he announced on Wednesday.Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, who turned his passion for rock climbing into one of the world’s most successful sportswear brands, is giving the entire company to a uniquely structured trust and non-profit, designed to pump all of the company’s profits into saving the planet. Continue reading...
MEPs vote on amendment to phase down share of wood counted as renewable but reject calls for complete phaseoutThe European parliament has called to end public subsidies for the environmentally destructive practice of burning trees for fuel, but campaigners warned the plans risked being “too little, too late”.Voting on an amendment to the EU’s renewable energy directive, MEPs called to “phase down” the share of trees counted as renewable energy in EU targets. But they swerved setting any dates to reduce the burning of “primary wood”. They rejected calls for a complete phaseout of a form of energy generation that scientists have warned releases more carbon into the atmosphere than burning gas or coal. Continue reading...
Legislation drafted by Alec part of backlash against Indigenous communities and environmentalists opposing oil and gas projectsRepublican-led legislatures have passed anti-protest laws drafted by an extreme-right corporate lobbying group in a third of all American states since 2018, as part of a backlash against Indigenous communities and environmentalists opposing fossil fuel projects, new research has found.The American Legislative Exchange Council (Alec) helped draft legislation criminalizing grassroots protests against pipelines, gas terminals and other oil and gas expansion projects in 24 states, under the guise of protecting critical infrastructure. Continue reading...
by Sandra Laville Environment correspondent on (#63M62)
Map used to flag red all raw sewage releases into bathing waters – but firm now says it factors in ‘impact’A water company has changed its pollution alert map for the public to stop issuing automatic red alerts after a discharge.Southern Water attracted public criticism this summer for releasing raw sewage via storm overflows after heavy rain along coastal Kent. Campaigners used social media to widely share the company’s Beachbuoy map, which marks beaches at risk of pollution from raw sewage discharges with a red cross, often revealing that much of the coast has been affected. Continue reading...
ITM Power, which makes electrolyser machines, says splitting water using renewable energy has become more cost-effective than gasThe war in Ukraine and spike in the price of natural gas have underlined the benefits of switching to “green hydrogen” production as the only “net zero energy gas”, according to the British firm ITM Power.The Sheffield-based company, which manufactures electrolyser machines that make hydrogen from water, said the energy crisis had shown hydrogen represents a viable alternative to methane gas. Continue reading...
by Nina Lakhani climate justice reporter in New York on (#63M1J)
Carlyle, Warburg Pincus and KKR are the worst offenders according to a new scorecard of private equity climate risksPrivate equity firms pumping billions of dollars into dirty energy projects are exposing investors, including pensioners, to unknown financial risks as the planet burns and governments face escalating pressure to act, new research finds.The first-of-its-kind climate risks scorecard ranks Carlyle, Warburg Pincus and KKR as the worst offenders among eight major private equity companies with significant fossil fuel portfolios. Continue reading...
Concern as heart arrhythmias appear to be triggered even when air pollution within quality limitsHealthy teenagers are more prone to irregular heartbeats after breathing in fine particulate air pollution, according to the first major study of its impact on otherwise healthy young individuals.The findings have raised concern among researchers because heart arrhythmias, which can increase the risk of heart disease and sudden cardiac death, appear to be triggered even when air pollution is within common air quality limits. Continue reading...
Climate campaigners say pollution from multibillion-dollar clothing company’s production is inconsistent with its ethical brandingThe company motto is “Be Human, Be Well, and Be Planet”, a harmonious ideal in line with the yoga world where sports clothing mega-brand lululemon got its start.“We are deeply connected to ourselves, each other and our planet; each part elevating one another,” the Canada-based company says on its sustainability website. Continue reading...
Determined fishers are testing their stretches of river for pollution as citizen scientists take on the water companiesIf you go down to quiet stretches of river in the UK at the right time of year, you are likely to find people peacefully standing there with a fishing rod, gazing into the sparkling, steady flow, hoping to get a nibble.Anglers, of which there are at least 2 million in England, go down to their treasured slices of waterway whenever they can to tend them, trimming vegetation, creating wetland spawning habitats, and even painstakingly cleaning the gravel. It sounds like a pretty peaceful pursuit, but when the Guardian went to visit some Angling Trust members at their clubs around Reading, there was palpable anger in the air. Continue reading...
WHO and almost 200 other health associations urge governments around world to halt ‘environmental vandalism’The World Health Organization (WHO) and almost 200 other health associations have made an unprecedented call for a global fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty.A call to action published on Wednesday, urges governments to agree a legally binding plan to phase out fossil fuel exploration and production, similar to the framework convention on tobacco, which was negotiated under the WHO’s auspices in 2003. Continue reading...
by Nina Lakhani climate justice reporter on (#63KS9)
Letter from Goldman prize winners aims to block country’s bid to join UN’s human rights council over its jailing of campaignersMore than 50 winners of the world’s most prestigious environmental prize are calling on the UN to reject a bid by Vietnam to join the international organization’s human rights council (UNHRC) amid a crackdown on the country’s climate activists.In a letter sent on Wednesday, 52 past winners of the Goldman prize for environmentalists have urged the UNHRC to vote against the application from Vietnam, where authorities have this year jailed four climate leaders on disputed tax charges. Continue reading...
Goldman laureates raise concerns over Vietnam’s record on suppressing environmental protestMore than 50 Goldman environmental prize laureates from 41 countries have written to the UN human rights council as it considers admitting Vietnam as a new member.In the letter, which comes as the council meets for its 51st session (12 September – 7 October), the prize winners raise concerns over Vietnam’s human rights record, in particular the sentencing in June of Nguy Thi Khanh, a fellow Goldman prize winner and Vietnam’s best-known environmental advocate, to two years’ imprisonment for alleged tax evasion. Continue reading...
Heavy rain compounds decades-long environmental catastrophe at country’s largest freshwater lakeMaula Bakhsh Mala’s village was submerged by Lake Manchar for the third time last week. “What bad luck we have,” said the 68-year-old fisher. “When there is no water in the lake, we are starving. When there is plenty of water, we are drowning.”Late last month, after weeks of heavy rain and flooding, Pakistan declared a state of emergency. The UN secretary general, António Guterres, has described the rain as a “monsoon on steroids”. Earlier this month, satellite images showed one-third of the country has experienced severe flooding. Continue reading...
Ruling on Maya Bay, on Ko Phi Phi Leh, comes decades after local authorities filed lawsuit over environmental harmMore than two decades after the Hollywood film The Beach was shot at Thailand’s glittering Maya Bay, the kingdom’s supreme court has ordered officials to press ahead with environmental rehabilitation work.The 2000 adventure drama, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, drew criticism for the impact of the shoot on the once pristine sands of the bay, located on the island of Ko Phi Phi Leh in southern Thailand. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Leaked documents reveal water firms are considering drastic measures to combat droughtBans on filling public swimming pools, maintaining ponds, washing cars and cleaning offices and shops could be put in place as England continues to run out of water, the Guardian can reveal.Despite recent showery periods, the country, particularly in the south and east, has not received enough rain to refill depleted rivers and reservoirs. Continue reading...
Pork costs in China, the world’s biggest consumer, rose an average of 22.5% last monthThe price of Chinese pork surged to a new high in August, prompting authorities to take the year’s first dip into national meat reserves to ensure supply for the holidays.Pork costs in China rose an average of 22.5% last month, compared with last year. It followed the highest recorded month-on-month increase of 25.6% in July, as CPI also hit a two-year high of 2.7%. August’s rise occurred despite an unexpected slowdown of CPI inflation to 2.5%. Continue reading...
Draft regulation includes windfall tax on ‘surplus’ profits from oil and gas companiesThe EU executive is retreating from imposing a price cap on Russian gas, but pushing ahead with windfall taxes on energy company “surplus” profits, according to a leaked document.A draft regulation on the “electricity emergency tool” seen by the Guardian contains neither a price cap on Russian gas nor on imported gas, after member states were unable to agree on restrictions last week. The EU is expected to levy windfall taxes on the high profits of fossil fuel companies, with a separate cap on revenues of low-carbon electricity producers. Continue reading...
by Fiona Harvey Environment correspondent on (#63J6S)
New report explains benefits of adopting more efficient technology and warns failure to do so could mean climate chaosAdopting more efficient and low-carbon technology could create 29m new jobs and double the turnover of the chemicals industry, one of the world’s biggest emitters of carbon dioxide, according to a new report.Failure to do so could condemn the world to climate chaos, however, as the climbing emissions from the manufacture of chemicals could result in a global temperature rise of as much as 4C above pre-industrial levels, which would bring catastrophe. Continue reading...
Strict no-take policies urged by scientists, who note there is less protection in 59% of marine protected areas than outside MPAsThe waters of the EU are in a “dismal” state, with only a third of fish populations studied in the north-east Atlantic considered to be in good condition, according to more than 200 scientists and conservationists.The analysis, issued on Monday, follows a scathing report from the European court of auditors two years ago, which warned that the EU had failed to halt marine biodiversity loss in Europe’s waters and to restore fishing to sustainable levels. Continue reading...
Experts warn of reduced yields for some crops, with low rainfall continuing into the sowing periodThere is a risk of food shortages in the UK this winter, experts have said, as the drought and high gas prices put pressure on farmers.While growers who use glasshouses are either not sowing or waiting until spring when there are more daylight hours, the crops that would usually have sustained the country during fallow periods, such as cabbages, carrots and potatoes, are likely to have reduced yields because of the drought, the Guardian understands. Continue reading...
Agriculture – mainly alfalfa – consumes 80% of the Colorado River’s dwindling water supply, prompting calls for conservation effortsOn an early August morning in California’s Imperial Valley, tractors rumble across verdant fields of alfalfa, mowing down the tall grass and leaving it to dry in shaggy heaps under the hot sun.Here, in one of the oldest farming communities in the Colorado River basin, the forage crop is king. One out of every three farmed acres in the valley is dedicated to growing alfalfa, which dries into a high-protein hay commonly used as food for livestock. Continue reading...
Guy Singh-Watson, founder of the organic veg-box firm, continues to experiment with new ways of producing food and promoting wildlife, 36 years after his first harvestIn a field full of polytunnels containing row after row of tomatoes and cucumbers, laminated sheets covered in images that look like police mugshots are prominently displayed. Pictured are a list of “friends and foes”.The “foes”, according to Riverford Organic Farmers, are aphids, spider mites and thrips. The “friends” are predatory and parasitic wasps, lacewings, ladybirds and hoverflies. There is no mention of herbicides and insecticides, which most farmers would consider friends. Crops have no signs of disease thanks to a system that has taken years to fine-tune, says the company’s founder, Guy Singh-Watson. “Attention to detail,” he says. “It’s good farming, really.” Continue reading...
Industry bosses in Germany say high costs are having an impact on vehicle production and salesSoaring energy costs are threatening the future of the electric car, industry bosses in Germany have warned.A rise in electricity prices as well as in raw material costs and availability, a chronic shortage of parts, and a widespread reduction in disposable income are having a considerable impact on the production and sales of cars. Continue reading...
Exclusive: ‘Blatant efforts’ by companies criticised by campaign group Transport & EnvironmentBritain’s biggest housebuilders privately lobbied for the government to ditch rules requiring electric car chargers to be installed in every new home in England, documents have revealed.The FTSE 100 construction firms Barratt Developments, Berkeley Group and Taylor Wimpey were among the companies who argued against the policy in responses to an official consultation seen by the Guardian. The “blatant lobbying efforts” were criticised by Transport & Environment, a campaign group. Continue reading...
Memories of postwar squalor revived by Vladimir Putin’s shutting down of Nord Stream 1 pipelineThat Robert Habeck, Germany’s economy minister in his recent, pre-ministerial life, wrote a children’s book in which a girl called Emily experiences “how exciting a night-time power cut can be” may yet come back to haunt him.These days, Habeck is charged with the daunting task of ensuring that the lights do not go out in for real in Europe’s largest economy. And even if Germans have been hoarding candles and camping stoves, just as not so long ago they were doing with toilet paper and pasta, they consider the prospect of a blackout and cold homes to be scary rather than exciting. Reports of people illegally felling trees for fuel have brought back memories of postwar squalor, when Berlin’s Tiergarten park was stripped bare as Germans tried to keep warm. Continue reading...
In ‘project of the century’, country will bury spent nuclear fuel deep underground in claySwiss authorities have selected a site in northern Switzerland not far from the German border to host a deep geological storage repository for radioactive waste.After nearly 50 years of searching for the best way to store its radioactive waste, Switzerland is gearing up for its “project of the century”, entailing burying spent nuclear fuel deep underground in clay. Continue reading...
Long championed by climate activists, the green bank would provide funding to expand clean energy use across the USBuried on page 667 of the Inflation Reduction Act is a climate policy that has been in the making for more than a decade.The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund provides $27bn in funding for projects aimed at lowering America’s planet-heating emissions. Some of those funds, roughly $7bn, will be dedicated to clean energy deployment in low-income communities – but the vast majority of the funds will be used to create America’s first national green bank, an initiative long championed by climate activists. Those activists hope that the national green bank, which will provide ongoing financial assistance to expand the use of clean energy across the country, will accelerate America’s transition away from fossil fuels. Continue reading...
Cutting heat loss from houses will be more effective in the long term than subsidising bills, according to analysisBritain will be plunged into an even worse energy crisis in a year’s time without an immediate plan to improve leaky homes and dramatically reduce demand for gas, ministers have been warned.The UK ranks among the worst in Europe for the energy efficiency of its homes, according to new research outlining an urgent need to reduce the amount of heat being wasted. Experts are warning that while Liz Truss has bought the government time with her £100bn-plus package to cap energy bills, similarly expensive and unsustainable schemes will be needed unless substantial plans are introduced to improve homes and reduce demand. Continue reading...
by Toby Helm, Michael Savage and Waseem Mohamed on (#63G6R)
In her first days as premier, Liz Truss was announcing plans for unprecedented spending when politics came to a haltAt around noon on Thursday, the House of Commons was doing what it does best. The benches were packed, the exchanges were combative. The place was full of the sound and fury of adversarial politics. On all sides, MPs were engaged, not least because what was being discussed was so crucial to the lives of the millions of families they represent.The new prime minister, Liz Truss, was just two days into the job. But that counted for nothing. The Speaker, Lindsay Hoyle, conscious that few policy statements in recent years had been more important, savaged her government for failing to provide written copies of it in advance to MPs. “Rather than judging it to be deliberate, I will put it down to bad management or incompetence,” said Hoyle, brutally. Continue reading...
António Guterres calls for ‘massive financial support’ in wake of disaster that has killed at least 1,391 peopleThe United Nations secretary general, António Guterres, has visited several areas of Pakistan ravaged by floods, as he rounded off a two-day trip aimed at raising awareness of the disaster.Record monsoon rains and glacier melt in the country’s northern mountains have triggered floods that have killed at least 1,391 people, sweeping away houses, roads, railway tracks, bridges, livestock and crops. Continue reading...
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