Residents concerned as North Carolina city lifts boil advisory and scientists detect lead in water at area schoolsWhen the western North Carolina town Swannanoa was battered by Hurricane Helene in September, two large trees crushed Stephen Knight's home. His family of six was launched into a complicated web of survival: finding a temporary home, applying for disaster relief, filing insurance claims.The new logistics of living included the daily search for food and water. Until earlier this week, most residents of this town east of Asheville had no drinkable tap water for 52 days. After the storm damaged infrastructure around the region, water had been partly restored in mid-October. It was good for flushing toilets but not safe for consumption. In some places, sediment left the water inky like black tea. Continue reading...

Chancellor understood to be determined to keep policy despite Treasury analysing ways to soften impactRachel Reeves is holding firm against a U-turn on inheritance tax for farmers, despite the Treasury analysing ways of softening the impact.The chancellor is understood to be determined not to drop the policy even though some Labour MPs - and even ministers - are worrying about the political fallout that has led to farmers protesting in Westminster this week. Continue reading...

Text decides' on $250bn for developing countries by 2035 - but faces criticism from African Group of NegotiatorsA new text of the Cop29 deal has yet to emerge, but civil society activists have not given up hope, reports Damian Carrington, Guardian environment editor.Hilda Nakabuye, 27, from Fridays for Future campaign group in Uganda, said:We are holding on to hope. As a mother I am here to represent my people, my community, but also future generations that we hold close and dear to our hearts and why we are all in this fight. The ones least responsible for climate change undergo its worst effects.We know what power we hold: the power to act. We are in an emergency. This COP is all about the money, but communities on the ground are not seeing the money. When the climate hits we need to respond like any other emergency, because it is an emergency. We all know deep down there is more than enough money to fill the loss and damage fund with trillions, so why are we still pleading for the bare minimum? Continue reading...

Cop29 is taking place in a country whose economy has long been dependent on its oil reservesOil runs deep in Azerbaijan, the host country of this year's UN climate summit. Just 30 minutes south-west of the Cop29 conference centre lies the site of the world's first industrially drilled oil well, opened in 1846.Just metres away sit a handful of operating oil wells, nodding away. The Guardian spoke to an employee of Azerbaijan's state-owned oil and gas company, Socar, who was working on one of the wells. Asked what oil meant for Azerbaijan, the 47-year-old worker said: Too much!" Continue reading...

Levels in people's blood for 37 chemicals linked to health issues declined after they were designated under Prop 65California's nation-leading restrictions on toxic chemicals in consumer products reduced the population's body levels for many dangerous compounds linked to cancer, birth defects, reproductive harm and other serious health issues.New peer-reviewed research showed levels in residents' blood for 37 chemicals the authors analyzed had declined after the substances were designated under Proposition 65, which regulates toxic chemicals in consumer goods. Continue reading...

Labour inherited a dire situation that needed desperate change - but powerful lobbies make any tax reform near-impossibleThat was a state-of-the-nation image, those thousands of farmers in Whitehall protesting about inheritance tax (IHT). Their little inheritors on toy tractors could hardly have offered a better portrait of a Britain where even modest reforms of wildly irrational tax reliefs are near-impossible. The country loves Old MacDonald and detests IHT.This is a symbol of the great malaise those same contrary voters feel about the profound unfairness in this most unequal of countries. Few think it's OK for the top 1% to own almost a quarter of all wealth, or the top 0.1% to take about 60 times more income than their population share, while we are living through the greatest decline in living standards since records began.Polly Toynbee is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

The best of this week's wildlife photographs from around the world Continue reading...

Petrostate's rebuke comes as Saudi Arabia and allies try to derail transition promise made at climate talks last year

This blog is now closedHeatwave conditions are building over parts of Victoria and New South Wales today.According to the Bureau of Meteorology, much of Victoria will experience heatwave conditions, with maximum temperatures in the mid to high 30s. Continue reading...

Who better to ask than corvids

The return of Trump demands extreme watchfulness. But effective vigilance also requires energy and strength, mental and emotional recharge and balanceA long walk in the mountains last weekend brought sudden perspective to just how heavily the shoutiness and anger was weighing.Suddenly there was only birdsong, the rustling tree canopies, the gentle burbling of the Snowy River and the wind whispering through the trunks of ancient ghost gums. This was anything but a quiet quietness. But it was the sound of a serenity that only nature can gift - a noise of extreme unplugged-ness if you like. Continue reading...

Rich country budgets are stretched amid inflation, Covid and Ukraine war, Mary Robinson tells Cop29Poor countries may have to compromise on demands for cash to tackle global heating, a former UN climate envoy has said, as UN talks entered their final hours in deadlock.In comments that are likely to disappoint poorer countries at the Cop29 summit, Mary Robinson, the former president of Ireland and twice a UN climate envoy, said rich country budgets were stretched amid inflation, Covid and conflicts including Russia's war in Ukraine. Continue reading...

Climate crisis, habitat loss and poaching have reduced its numbers - but will Trump put the kibosh on protections?They are the tallest animal to roam the Earth and have become an icon of children's books, toys and awed wildlife documentaries. But giraffes are in decline, which has prompted the US government to list them as endangered for the first time.Giraffes will be listed under the US Endangered Species Act, the US Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed in a move that will cover five subspecies of the animal. The agency hopes the listing will crack down on the poaching of giraffes, as the US is a leading destination of rugs, pillowcases, boots, furniture and even Bible covers made from giraffe body parts. Continue reading...

This live blog is closedBritish prime minister Keir Starmer says he is deeply saddened" to hear that Prescott has died, and called him a true giant of Labour".In a statement on X, he said, I am deeply saddened to hear of the death of John Prescott. John was a true giant of the Labour movement. On behalf of the Labour Party, I send my condolences to Pauline and his family, to the city of Hull, and to all those who knew and loved him. May he rest in peace."He possessed an inherent ability to connect with people about the issues that mattered to them - a talent that others spend years studying and cultivating, but that was second nature to him.He fought like hell to negotiate the Kyoto Protocol and was an unwavering champion of climate action for decades to come. I'm forever grateful to John for that commitment to solving the climate crisis and will miss him as a dear friend." Continue reading...

Former climate minister for Canada reacts after Saudi delegation said it will not accept any text that targets any specific sectors, including fossil fuels'My colleague Patrick Greenfield is following the plenary where countries give their formal response to the draft text.Cop29 president Mukhtar Babayev gets the plenary started. He asks countries to give their thoughts on the latest iterations of text to inform future versions. He says that with collective effort, he believes that the summit can be finished by 6pm tomorrow. Continue reading...

Adani rejects allegations that press releases and social media posts implied members of the group were not legitimate' Aboriginal people with a connection to sacred site

Consulting giant had said it engages with clients to help them transition to cleaner energy even as it knew they were in line to exceed climate targets

The prime minister, Keir Starmer, has hit out at the lack of Conservative support for climate targets and said it shows 'just how far the party has fallen'. 'It's a shame,' he said. 'When Cop was in Scotland, there was a real unity across the house about the importance of tackling one of the most central issues of our time,' Starmer said in Commons after returning from the G20 and Cop29

Local and state initiatives can act as proof of concept' for transformative climate and jobs legislationAs Trump and Trumpism devastate the American political landscape, how can people counter this destructive juggernaut? For the past five years, I have been studying how people are actually implementing the elements of the Green New Deal through what has become a Green New Deal from Below. This framework, which ordinary people are already putting into practice, is an approach to organizing that can form a significant means for resisting and even overcoming the Trump agenda.The Green New Deal is a visionary program designed to protect the Earth's climate while creating good jobs, reducing injustice and eliminating poverty. The Green New Deal erupted into public attention as a proposal for national legislation, and the struggle to embody it in national legislation is ongoing.Jeremy Brecher is the author of the new book The Green New Deal from Below: How Ordinary People Are Building a Just and Climate-Safe Economy. He is the author of more than a dozen books on labor and social movements and the co-founder and senior advisor of the Labor Network for Sustainability Continue reading...

Four-day exclusion zone an improper use of Marine Safety Act, judge rules, despite skilful' submission from transport minister Jo Haylen

Exclusive: Trail would help region with few areas where people can walk in countryside, report saysA new trail along the east coast of England should be created, a Tory thinktank has said, because farmland is preventing those who live there from having access to nature.A report from Onward has found that in most rural areas, people enjoy extensive rights-of-way networks. But across the east of England, there are many areas where people have barely anywhere they are allowed to walk in the countryside. This, the report says, is because of large areas of high-grade farmland in that area, but also because Lincolnshire has the largest backlog for recognition of historical but unrecorded rights of way, with more than 450 outstanding applications. Continue reading...

Powerful storm is predicted to be strongest region has seen this season, causing life-threatening' conditionsA set of powerful storms that could rank among the strongest in decades will slam British Columbia, the pacific north-west, and northern California this week, with torrents of rain, inches of snow in high altitudes and damaging winds. The region is bracing for widespread power outages and flash flooding, with extreme rainfall that could linger until the weekend.After a relatively mild autumn, these rains are part of a familiar pattern caused by atmospheric rivers - strong storm systems that can bring both relief and ruin. Continue reading...

Powerful storm is predicted to be strongest region has seen this season, causing life-threatening' conditionsA set of powerful storms that could rank among the strongest in decades will slam British Columbia, thepacific north-west, and northern California this week, with torrents of rain, inches of snow in high altitudes and damaging winds. The region is bracing for widespread power outages and flash flooding, with extreme rainfall that could linger until the weekend.After a relatively mild autumn, these rains are part of a familiar pattern caused by atmospheric rivers - strong storm systems that can bring both relief and ruin. Continue reading...

As Cop29 in Azerbaijan reaches final stages, countries try to shore up support for conference where question of limiting global heating will be keyAustralia is locked in a standoff with Turkey over which will host vital UN climate talks in 2026, where the question of whether the world can limit global heating in line with scientific advice is likely to be decided.Australia's government wants to host the summit in partnership with Pacific nations, which are among the countries most threatened by climate breakdown. Continue reading...

Ukraine's environmental protection minister, Svitlana Grynchuk, and the Palestinian chair for the environmental quality authority, Nisreen Tamimi, raised the alarm on the ecological impact of war in their countries and beyond. Grynchuk said Russia's 'unlawful reporting' of its carbon emissions on Ukrainian territory was undermining the integrity of the Paris agreement. Tamimi said the rebuilding effort in Gaza would release an estimated 30m tonnes of carbon dioxide

Communities on Parana River fear privatisation of waterway operations will destroy way of lifeRiver communities in Argentina fear that Javier Milei's plans to privatise operations on a key shipping route could lead to environmental damage and destroy their way of life.Since taking office almost a year ago, the self-styled anarcho-capitalist" president has pledged to privatise a number of the state's assets. The latest is the Paraguay-Parana waterway - a shipping route of strategic importance for Argentina and its neighbours. Continue reading...

Talks aren't just about figures on paper, they're about people's lives', says Climate Action International as talks reach critical final daysEarlier today I posted about an excellent piece colleagues at the Guardian have published tracking how Earth's heating has led to rising sea levels and extreme weather - and yet there is no sign of emissions slowing.Unfortunately I did not include a link to the piece [it was early UK time!] so here it is [and as I said original if negotiators at Cop need any motivation to reach a deal they could do worse than read this] Continue reading...

OECD complaint alleges top firm has increased investments in companies implicated in environmental devastationBlackRock, the world's biggest asset management company, faces a complaint at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for allegedly contributing to environmental and human rights abuses around the world through its investments in agribusiness.Friends of the Earth US and the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil accuse BlackRock of increasing investments in companies that have been implicated in the devastation of the Amazon and other major forests despite warnings that this is destabilising the global climate, damaging ecosystems and violating the rights of traditional communities. Continue reading...

Chris Uhlmann says power costs are soaring while renewables are falling short, but do the pair have anything in common?

Interviews and analysis of court documents show how the world's most prestigious consulting firm quietly helps fuel the climate crisisTwo giant, mirrored walls are set to rise out of the sands of the Arabian desert. They will run parallel for more than 100 miles from the coast of the Red Sea through arid valleys and craggy mountains. Between them, a futuristic city which has no need for cars or roads will be powered completely by renewable energy.This engineering marvel, its creators say, will usher in a revolution in civilization". It's the jewel in the crown of a $500bn Saudi government project known as Neom, turning a vast scrubland into a techno-utopia and world-class tourist and sporting destination. Perhaps a harbinger for the end of oil, it will supposedly put the powerful petrostate at the forefront of the energy transition. For American consulting giant McKinsey & Company, its advising on this project appears to be making good on the firm's green promises. Continue reading...

Save Our Safer Streets crowdfunds to challenge Lutfur Rahman over scrapping three LTNs in London boroughThe mayor of Tower Hamlets is facing a judicial review this week over his decision to remove three low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) in the east London area of Bethnal Green.The campaign group Save Our Safer Streets (SOSS) says the LTNs are vital to protect children in deprived areas from pollution and the risks of heavy traffic. Continue reading...

Researchers found no difference in the diversity of species in urban meadows compared with those in rural settingsSmall patches of wildflowers sown in cities can be a good substitute for a natural meadow, according to a study which showed butterflies, bees and hoverflies like them just as much.Councils are increasingly making space for wildflower meadows in cities in a bid to tackle insect decline, but their role in helping pollinating insects was unclear. Researchers working in the Polish city of Warsaw wanted to find out if these efforts were producing good results. Continue reading...

Jacinta Allan says project will be able to power more than 51,000 homes and include 119MW solar facility and 100MW two-hour battery

Targeting of substations connected to three working nuclear plants risks nuclear catastrophe in Europe, says Greenpeace

Strongest atmospheric river seen by California, Washington and Oregon this season knocks out power and downs trees

From my perspective as a 12-year-old, it's devastating that the protest is getting such a negative reaction from the NSW government

Australia and Turkey are both lobbying to host Cop31, the world's annual United Nations climate change negotiations planned for 2026. The climate change minister, Chris Bowen, said Australia wants to co-host Cop31 'in partnership with our Pacific family'. Bowen also announced a $50m contribution to loss and damage caused by the climate crisis.

Without action on climate crisis, far greater numbers will also experience floods, wildfires and droughts, according to reportEight times as many children around the world will be exposed to extreme heatwaves in the 2050s, and three times as many will face river floods compared with the 2000s if current trends continue, according to the UN.Nearly twice as many children are also expected to face wildfires, with many more living through droughts and tropical cyclones, according to the annual state of the world's children report. Continue reading...

Endangered whale measuring 47ft washes up in Anchorage as scientists seek explanation for animal's deathAn endangered fin whale that washed up near a coastal trail in Alaska's largest city has attracted curious onlookers while biologists seek answers as to what caused the animal's death.The carcass found over the weekend near Anchorage was 47ft (14.3 meters) long - comparable to the width of a college basketball court - and is believed to be that of a female. Barbara Mahoney, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration biologist examining the whale, told the Anchorage Daily News the whale was probaby one to three years old. Continue reading...

Years long fight by local tribes has paid off after four dams, which had blocked passage for fish for decades, came downA giant female Chinook salmon flips on her side in the shallow water and wriggles wildly, using her tail to carve out a nest in the riverbed as her body glistens in the sunlight. In another moment, males butt into each other as they jockey for a good position to fertilize eggs.These are scenes local tribes have dreamed of seeing for decades as they fought to bring down four hydroelectric dams blocking passage for struggling salmon along more than 400 miles (644km) of the Klamath River and its tributaries along the Oregon-California border. Continue reading...

Prime minister says government is taking balanced approach amid protest in Westminster over proposed inheritance tax changes

Jeremy Clarkson tells Westminster protest that government should admit plans weren't thought out and are a mistake'In an interview with the BBC, Steve Reed, the environment secretary, defended imposing inheritance tax on some farms when Labour said in opposition that it was not planning to do that. Asked why the government changed its mind, he replied:After we won the election, we discovered that the Conservatives have left a 22bn black hole in the public finances. And if we want to fix our National Health Service, rebuild all schools, provide the affordable housing that rural communities and across the country rely on, then we've had to ask those with the broader shoulders to pay a little bit more.I'm sure we all feel betrayed because of the state that the Conservatives left the economy in. A 22bn pound black hole isn't a small problem. It's massive, and fixing that is necessary if we want to stabilise the economy and rebuild our public services. Continue reading...

Cop29 presidency announces new drive to cut methane emissions from waste dumps as G20 reaffirms transition from fossil fuelsThe UK government has conceded that Australia was mistakenly included on a list of countries that were expected to sign up to a US-UK civil nuclear deal agreed at Cop29 on Monday, writes Adam Morton, Guardian Australia's climate and environment editor.The Albanese government flatly denied media reports on Tuesday that it would join the UK and the US in a collaboration to share advanced nuclear technology. The UK and the US announcement said they would speed up work on cutting-edge nuclear technology", including small modular reactors, after inking a deal at the Cop29 UN climate summit in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku.We urge them to use the G20 meeting to send a positive signal of their commitment to address the climate crisis. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Leaders warn cost savings will lead to mass redundancies and that spaces could become paper parks'England's national parks face a 12% real-terms cut to their budget which would lead to mass redundancies of wardens and the closure of visitor centres and other facilities, park leaders have warned.The chief executives told the Guardian that soon the spaces would become paper parks" designated by a brown sign on the motorway" and they will have to turn the lights off, close the doors and put up closed signs" if the cuts go ahead. Continue reading...

An update on our progress from the Guardian's head of sustainability

Refurbishing an old building is subject to full VAT, but it isn't if you build a polluting new one. The government's priorities are all wrongYou can damn oil companies, abuse cars, insult nimbys, kill cows, befoul art galleries. But you must never, ever criticise the worst offender of all. The construction industry is sacred to both the left and the right. It may be the world's greatest polluter, but it is not to be criticised. It is the elephant in the global-heating room.It's hard not to feel as though we have a blind spot when it comes to cement, steel and concrete. A year has now passed since the UN's environment programme stated baldly that the building and construction sector is by far the largest emitter of greenhouse gases". The industry accounts for a staggering 37% of global emissions", more than any other single source. Yet it rarely gets the same attention as oil or car companies.Simon Jenkins is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

Experts say mix of taxes with development bank and private funding can provide $1tn a year needed by 2030Raising money needed to tackle the climate crisis need not be a burden on overstretched government budgets, leading economists have said.The sums needed - approximately $1tn a year by 2030 - are achievable without disruption to the global economy, and would help to generate greener economic growth for the future. Continue reading...

When exploring wrecked warship the London I can barely see six inches ahead, but I've dived 500 times to document and save the secrets of this vessel built by Oliver CromwellWhen I dive to the shipwreck of the London, a warship which was accidentally blown up in the murky waters of the Thames estuary in 1665, I dive in darkness. I can barely see six inches in front of me. And if I turn my torch off, I cannot see anything at all.But I love it. I've dived to the London about 500 times and I only have to feel certain timbers of the wreck, and I know where I am. Continue reading...

Small island states must continue to be protected by special circumstances and need access to sufficient climate-based finance, Palau's president writesA week into Cop29 negotiations, we're not moving fast enough - or anywhere for that matter - on some key issues.Climate finance, or more specifically the new collective quantified goal (NCQG) to replace the current $100bn a year goal, and the work to operationalise the loss and damage fund, are key expected outcomes here in Baku. Continue reading...

Marine scientists say one area around Cooktown and Lizard Island had lost more than a third of its live hard coral after bleaching event