Highly virulent variants of avian flu now appear endemic in wild birds, making farms prone to outbreaks all year, experts warnFree-range chickens and eggs may no longer be feasible to produce in the UK and elsewhere in Europe in future due to a dramatic escalation in avian flu outbreaks, say leading disease experts.
Call comes as thinktank says the world’s 30 largest financial institutions are undermining their net zero targetsBillionaire Sir Christopher Hohn has urged shareholders to vote against bank directors involved in “greenwashing”, and who lobby against climate action.The hedge fund manager, who once had Britain’s highest salary at £1m a day, made headlines when he donated £50,000 to climate activist group Extinction Rebellion. Continue reading...
Heating of the atmosphere, due to the burning of fossil fuels, is seemingly upending a process that long appeared unshakeableThe arrival of spring has seemingly immutable rituals – lengthening days, blossoming plants and a surge in bees’ activity. But the onset of spring is now being warped by the climate crisis, with new research finding that many species of birds are nesting and laying eggs nearly a month earlier than they did a century ago.US scientists who analyzed the nesting trends of birds from egg samples collected in the Chicago area found that of the 72 species for which historical and modern data exists, around a third are now nesting much earlier in the year than before. Continue reading...
Environmental campaigners make joint call as young people prepare for new wave of school climate strikesRussian and Ukrainian environmental activists have made a joint call for a European embargo on Russian oil, gas and coal, as children and young people prepare to take part in the latest wave of climate crisis school strikes and protests around the world.Arina Bilai, 16, of Fridays for Future Ukraine, and Arshak Makichyan, 27, of Fridays for Future Russia, said a ban on trade in Russian fossil fuels would starve its invasion of Ukraine of crucial funds, while accelerating Europe’s transition to clean energy. Continue reading...
Patrols suggested as residents say foragers collecting large bags of wild garlic are ruining annual supplyUsually in the springtime, Millham Lane in the Cornish town of Lostwithiel is flanked by thick, unbroken banks of strongly scented wild garlic.But this year ugly gaps have appeared in the bright green swathe after they were stripped by foragers – apparently professionals – intent on sourcing a fresh, free ingredient for fashionable dishes such as wild garlic pesto. Continue reading...
Traditional orchards, havens for wildlife, have been lost to housing and farmland, National Trust reportsA century ago, small orchards were the glory not only of the countryside but of towns and cities across the UK, buzzing with life during the summer and, at this time of year, rich with the sight and scent of blossom.But research released as this spring’s blossom sweeps across the UK has found there are 80% fewer small “traditional” orchards, which are regarded as particularly important for flora and fauna, in England and Wales compared with in 1900. Continue reading...
New data suggests forests help keep the Earth at least half of a degree cooler, protecting us from the effects of climate crisisThe world’s forests play a far greater and more complex role in tackling climate crisis than previously thought, due to their physical effects on global and local temperatures, according to new research.The role of forests as carbon sponges is well established. But comprehensive new data suggests that forests deliver climate benefits well beyond just storing carbon, helping to keep air near and far cool and moist due to the way they physically transform energy and water. Continue reading...
by Rowena Mason, Heather Stewart and Aubrey Allegrett on (#5XEBG)
PM ‘passionate’ about potential in light of fresh push for self-sufficiency after Russia invasion of UkraineBoris Johnson is expected to open the door to more onshore wind at next week’s energy strategy, despite some cabinet ministers lobbying against relaxing planning laws to allow more turbines.The cabinet is split over whether to aim for more onshore wind projects, which can often get into lengthy planning battles, after officials drew up plans for a target of 30GW by 2030. Continue reading...
by Fiona Harvey Environment correspondent on (#5XE9Y)
Analysis: Chancellor could have helped low-income households by pushing green measures, say campaignersSolar panels will be about £1,000 cheaper for households to install from April, the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has announced, with the removal of VAT on green home-upgrade equipment.Heat pumps and energy efficiency materials will also benefit from the zero rating in a boost for clean energy generation. Heat pump installations will be about £500 cheaper as a result and the cost of installing cavity insulation will fall by about £190 and loft insulation by about £160 for the average household. Continue reading...
Readers fail to see the logic behind the government’s drive to go for the nuclear option to generate electricityThere is much about this government’s – and, to its shame, Labour’s – newfound love affair with nuclear power that makes no sense (Johnson announces aim for UK to get 25% of electricity from nuclear power, 21 March).First, you cannot just turn off a nuclear power station. If we have 25% of our electricity generated by nuclear, then on days when all our needs can be met by renewables we will have to turn off 25% of our much cheaper renewable feed while using expensive, taxpayer-subsidised nuclear generation. Continue reading...
One minister says windfarms are ‘not cost-effective’ and some prefer a push for frackingMinisters have not yet made a final decision about whether to include a renewed push for onshore wind in next week’s energy independence plan, with some in cabinet sceptical about the move, government sources say.The business secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, has made clear publicly that he would like to see planning rules relaxed, in order to facilitate the building of more onshore windfarms. Michael Gove, who oversees the planning system, has also spoken out in favour. Continue reading...
by Fiona Harvey Environment correspondent on (#5XDTM)
António Guterres says entire planet should be covered by early warning systems within five yearsEveryone on the planet should be covered by an early warning system against extreme weather and climate-related disasters within five years, the UN secretary general has said.About a third of people around the world are not now covered by early warning systems, but in Africa the problem is greater, with about six in 10 people lacking such warnings. Continue reading...
Charity to look at how hedge varieties provide benefits such as rainwater control and wildlife shelterGardeners and homeowners should swap their fence for a hedge, the Royal Horticultural Society is urging as it begins a study into which species are best for tackling the climate crisis and pollution.Scientists at the charity are looking into green infrastructure, particularly in urban areas. One example of such infrastructure is using hedges to mark boundaries between properties and gardens. Continue reading...
Campaigners warn time running out for governments to halt and reverse the destruction of wildlife and ecosystems that support the planetTime is running out for governments to reach an ambitious Paris-style agreement for nature, say campaigners, who warn that crucial negotiations to protect biodiversity are moving at a “snail’s pace”.Amid increasingly alarming scientific assessments about the state of life on Earth, negotiators are meeting in Geneva for talks aimed at halting and reversing the destruction of wildlife and ecosystems that support human civilisation. Continue reading...
The latest wave of climate deniers claim green schemes are ‘unaffordable’. Success stories from around Europe prove that’s not trueWhile all eyes were on another horror, our war against the living world went nuclear. Over the weekend, temperatures at some weather stations in the Arctic rose to 30C above normal. Simultaneously, at certain weather stations in the Antarctic they hit 40C above normal. Two events, albeit off the scale, do not make a trend. But as part of a gathering record of extreme and chaotic weather, these unprecedented, simultaneous anomalies are terrifying.On their heels came news of another horrific event: mass coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef during a La Niña year. La Niña is the cool phase of the Pacific cycle. Until now, widespread bleaching had happened only during the warmer El Niño years. The likely impacts of the next El Niño are too awful to contemplate.George Monbiot is a Guardian columnist. He will discuss Regenesis at a Guardian Live event on Monday 30 May. Book tickets in-person or online here Continue reading...
by Adam Morton Climate and environment editor on (#5XDGF)
Prof Andrew Macintosh says the system, which gives credits for projects such as regrowing native forests after clearing, is ‘a fraud’ on the environment, taxpayers and consumers
NSW government seeks to suspend Gareth Ward; Craig Foster lashes treatment of asylum seekers in National Press Club address; new research suggests long-lasting Covid immune response from vaccine-induced T-cells; at least 26 Covid deaths recorded; Atagi expected to green light fourth booster shots for some Australians. This blog has now closed
There’s new advice for gardeners on how to tackle this little beetle which doesn’t involve pesticidesThe first sign of black vine weevils, Otiorhynchus sulcatus, is usually when one of your favourite pot plant wilts and dies in the spring. The larvae, small creamy white sickle-shaped grubs, devour plant roots and then the base of the stems until the plant keels over. The grubs are a major pest in nurseries where there are many plants in containers. Out in gardens they attack many varieties of ornamentals including rhododendrons and camellias plus crops such as strawberries. Although outdoor attacks are seldom fatal they weaken the plants.When adult beetles emerge in April they are only 10mm long and nocturnal. The adults cannot fly but can run fast and climb plants at night, feeding by taking bites out of leaves. By day they hide under any debris on the soil surface to avoid being eaten by predators which include birds, frogs, toads, shrews, hedgehogs and other beetles. In the autumn they lay eggs in the soil, the larvae then munching away unseen all winter. Continue reading...
A call for collective action could help UK pivot away from dependence on Russian fossil fuelsThere is a second world war poster showing a red-faced couple looking angrily at their daughter as she adds more fuel to their fire. The caption reads: “Save fuel to make munitions for battle.”It was one of a series of public campaigning posters aimed at driving a collective response to the need to save energy for the war effort. The message was clear: stop using so much fuel, because it is needed for the fighting troops.Turn down the thermostat on your boiler by 1C. If everyone in the UK did this, it would reduce their energy demand by 10%. Energy bills would be cut by £670m, while saving 3.5m tonnes of CO2 a year, according to the Energy Savings Trust.Set your heating to come on only when required. This is estimated to help reduce a household’s electricity use by 2.8% and gas use by 2% (Energy Savings Trust).Set thermostats no higher than 19C and the water temperature in heating systems no higher than 55C, says the Committee on Climate Change.Keep your shower time to four minutes. This could save a typical household 950kWh of energy and 195kg of carbon emissions a year; equivalent to driving 700 miles from Birmingham to Aberdeen and back again (Energy Savings Trust).Turning lights off when leaving a room will save you around 70kWh of energy and 17kg of carbon annually – the equivalent to driving 61 miles from London to Canterbury (Energy Savings Trust).Insulate your home. A fully insulated home is 50% more energy efficient than a property that has no insulation, according to Eyre.Cut domestic energy demand by introducing a four-day week and encouraging more working from home, says the Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions.Speed up the replacement of gas boilers with heat pumps. After the failure of the Green Homes Grant, the government will launch its replacement on 1 April 2022. The boiler upgrade scheme will offer a £5,000 grant to replace gas boilers with air-sourced heat pumps. Switching from a typical gas heating system to an air-source heat pump could save about 9,200 kWh a year (Energy Savings Trust).Increase the use of renewables, which are now the cheapest form of energy production on the market. 649 solar and windfarms already have planning permission; if they went ahead they would save more gas than currently imported by the UK from Russia, according to Carbon Brief.Replace fossil-fuelled cars with electric ones. A fully electric vehicle could save 2 tonnes of CO2 a year and help end dependence on fossil fuel (CCC). Continue reading...
Authorities in Abruzzo step in to stop Carrito the Marsican bear’s increasingly brazen behaviourMarina Valentini is still bewildered as she surveys the scene of the crime, pointing to the floor of her bakery in Roccaraso, a small mountain town and ski resort in Italy’s Abruzzo region, where the crumbs of her freshly made biscuits were scattered.“My husband had popped to the bakery,” she said. “I was at home, expecting him for dinner, when he called and said: ‘Marina, there’s a bear in the bakery’. My first response was: ‘Have you been drinking?’” Continue reading...
Greenpeace argues oil fuels conflict and urges Biden to invoke the defense production act to build energy independenceEnvironmentalists have launched protests against a Russian tanker bringing oil into New York, amid a flurry of oil imports into the US before a ban on oil and gas coming from Russia comes into force.Activists from Greenpeace set out in two boats to intercept the Minerva Virgo oil tanker on Tuesday morning as it set about unloading its cargo in the port of New York. The green campaign group, which unfurled a banner reading “Oil fuels war” in front of the 50,000-ton tanker, had already confronted the Greek-flagged vessel on Sunday as it made its way to the port. Continue reading...
Some stations reported winter temperatures 30C warmer than usual with situation echoed in AntarcticaAn extreme heat event in the Arctic could cause it to reach the maximum of the extent of its ice for this year “considerably earlier” than usual, a scientist has warned.Temperature records were broken in Norway last week, with rain falling at Svalbard airport, and unusually warm temperatures recorded in Greenland and the Russian archipelago of Franz Josef Land. Continue reading...
Climate campaigner says Swedish government is violating indigenous rights and waging ‘war on nature’Environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg denounced as “racist” and “colonial” the decision by the Swedish government on Tuesday to allow a British company to dig an open-cast iron ore mine on land belonging to the indigenous Sami people.Beowulf Mining, headquartered in London, has fought for nearly a decade to win approval for the mine, but has consistently faced stiff opposition from Sami and environmentalists. Continue reading...
Ukrainian authorities say Russian control of plant is hampering efforts to control the blazesForest fires have erupted in the vicinity of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, with Ukraine claiming that Russian control of the abandoned power plant is hampering efforts to control the flames.At least seven fires have been spotted within Chernobyl’s exclusion zone via satellite imagery taken by the European Space Agency, according to a statement by Ukraine’s parliament. Continue reading...
Environmentalists fear for area near Doñana national park in Spain over plan which would legitimise illegal farms and wellsA group of leading supermarkets, including Asda, Sainsbury’s, and Waitrose, has written to the regional government of Andalucía, warning that plans to allow more strawberry farms near one of Europe’s largest protected wetlands could risk “the reputation and the long-term development of the region”.Last month, rightwing MPs in the southern Spanish region ignored protests from the central government, the EU, Unesco and several ecological groups by voting to “regularise” 1,461 hectares (3610 acres) of land near the Doñana national park. Continue reading...
by Tom Perkins with photographs by Tristan Spinski on (#5XCA1)
Maine’s disaster from PFAS-contaminated produce is causing farms to close and farmers to face the loss of their livelihoodsSongbird Farm’s 17 acres (7 hectares) hold sandy loam fields, three greenhouses and cutover woods that comprise an idyllic setting near Maine’s central coast. The small organic operation carved out a niche growing heirloom grains, tomatoes, sweet garlic, cantaloupe and other products that were sold to organic food stores or as part of a community-supported agriculture program, where people pay to receive boxes of locally grown produce.Farmers Johanna Davis and Adam Nordell bought Songbird in 2014. By 2021 the young family with their three-year-old son were hitting their stride, Nordell said. Continue reading...
Company is reviewing decision to withdraw from North Sea project because of high oil price, report claimsClimate activists have reacted with concern to reports that Shell is reconsidering its decision to abandon development of the Cambo oilfield, warning that such a reversal would further threaten emissions reductions targets.The fossil fuel producer could U-turn on a decision to pull out of the North Sea project because the “economic, political and regulatory environment had changed enormously since the decision was announced just three months ago”, according to sources cited by the BBC. Continue reading...
by Cait Kelly (now) and Josh Taylor and Matilda Bosel on (#5XBRY)
NSW MP Gareth Ward denies historic sexual abuse allegations; South Australian hospital system ‘under extraordinary strain’ new premier says, as at least 23 Covid deaths recorded nationally; Anthony Albanese proposes award in late Victorian senator Kimberley Kitching’s honour. This blog is now closed
by Presented and produced by Anand Jagatia with Damia on (#5XC33)
The average family’s energy bill will soon be increasing by 54% in the UK, amid soaring energy prices caused in part by Covid-19 lockdowns and Vladimir Putin’s decision to reduce gas exports prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In response, the UK government is considering all its options to secure its energy supplies and dampen costs – including fracking. But could fracking really provide any kind of solution? Anand Jagatia speaks to the Guardian’s environment editor, Damian Carrington, about how fracking works, why it is back on the table, and whether it could ever be a viable optionArchive: ITV News, Channel 4 News, On Demand News Continue reading...
Poorest states should be given until 2050, says research aiming to set out fair way of ending fossil fuel economyRich countries must end all oil and gas production in the next 12 years, while the poorest nations should be given 28 years, to provide a fair transition away from fossil fuels, according to a study.The report, led by Prof Kevin Anderson from the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at Manchester University, found that wealthy countries such as the UK, US and Australia had until 2034 to stop all oil and gas production to give the world a 50% chance of preventing devastating climate breakdown, while the poorest nations that are also heavily reliant on fossil fuels should be given until 2050.The 19 “highest-capacity” countries, with average non-oil GDP per capita of more than $50,000, must end production by 2034, with a 74% cut by 2030. This group produces 35% of global oil and gas and includes the US, UK, Norway, Canada, Australia and the United Arab Emirates.The 14 “high-capacity” countries, with average non-oil GDP per capita of nearly $28,000, must end production by 2039, with a 43% cut by 2030. They produce 30% of global oil and gas and include Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Kazakhstan.Eleven “medium-capacity” countries, with average non-oil GDP per capita of $17,000, must end production by 2043, with a 28% cut by 2030. They produce 11% of global oil and gas and include China, Brazil and Mexico.Nineteen “low-capacity” countries with average non-oil GDP per capita of $10,000, must end production by 2045, with an 18% cut by 2030. They produce 13% of global oil and gas and include Indonesia, Iran and Egypt.Twenty-five “lowest-capacity” countries, with average non-oil GDP per capita of $3,600, must end production by 2050 with a 14% cut by 2030. They produce 11% of global oil and gas and include Iraq, Libya, Angola and South Sudan. Continue reading...
Unlike disaster management, there’s no playbook for the shift to green energy. With more than half of all jobs at risk in some LGAs, here’s how Queensland can ensure nobody is left behindA decade on from Queensland’s “summer of disasters”, the state’s south-east faces another mammoth clean-up and recovery effort. According to the deputy premier, Steven Miles, the recent floods are the 90th natural disaster event to impact Queensland since 2011. Recovery will take time, requiring resilience, discipline and focus from leaders and communities who were tired and depleted from a pandemic even before the rivers and creeks started rising.But a bigger test of Queensland’s resilience is looming. Geopolitical tensions may be driving demand for (and royalties from) exports like coal and liquid natural gas, but globally the energy transition is accelerating. Recent research from the Centre for Policy Development reveals the Australian impacts will be concentrated in Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia. CPD’s analysis estimates more than 10% of jobs are exposed in seven Queensland local government areas, with more than half of all jobs at risk of disappearing in the Isaac and Central Highlands LGAs. Continue reading...
PM meets industry bosses to discuss new power stations, with several reactors slated for closure as energy demand risesBoris Johnson has told nuclear industry bosses that the government wants the UK to get 25% of its electricity from nuclear power, in a move that would signal a significant shift in the country’s energy mix.Johnson on Monday met executives from major nuclear utilities and technology companies including the UK’s Rolls-Royce, France’s EDF, and the US’s Westinghouse and Bechtel to discuss ways of helping to speed up the development of new nuclear power stations. Continue reading...
If he goes ahead, Rishi Sunak would be handing money to people in proportion to how much they drive and how fuel-inefficient their car wasRaising taxes on petrol and diesel is an important policy that governments can use to put the brakes on runaway climate change. However, it appears that the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, wants to accelerate rather than slow the pace of planetary damage. In this week’s mini-budget, he looks likely to announce a temporary 5p per litre reduction on fuel duty. This could cut the cost of filling an average family car by around £2.75 and might help some who have suffered as pump prices jumped in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, this is a false economy. Even with the pandemic lockdowns, transport remained the largest emitting sector, responsible for 24% of all UK greenhouse gas emissions.Cutting fuel duty flies in the face of the government’s claim to be a green leader. It is also a regressive measure. The New Economics Foundation says that only 7% of the savings from cutting fuel duty will go to the poorest fifth of households – while one-third will go to the richest fifth. If he were to go ahead with the policy, Mr Sunak would be handing money to people in proportion to how much they drive and how fuel-inefficient their car was. Labour has supported Mr Sunak. This is a triumph of political expediency over the environment. Neither party thinks it can afford to upset a significant number of voters. Polls suggest that an election held today would result in a government without a parliamentary majority. Continue reading...
Climate action rules announced by SEC chair Gary Gensler expected to face opposition from Republicans and industry groupsThe US’s top financial watchdog proposed on Monday that publicly traded companies report information on their greenhouse-gas emissions and even those of their suppliers and consumers in one of the Biden administration’s most sweeping environmental actions to date.The new Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules faces staunch opposition from some politicians and members of the business community and will be open to public comment for at least two months before final rules are released. Continue reading...
It’s a messy compromise, but the west needs to avoid a recession that would hit its longer term green plansDo you feel lucky? That was the subliminal message of Alexander Novak when Russia’s deputy prime minister channelled his inner Clint Eastwood to warn the west of the consequences of extending its sanctions to his country’s oil.No question, there was a hint of both bravado and desperation as Novak said it was possible – although not likely – that the cost of crude could hit $300 (£227) a barrel. The measures imposed since the invasion of Ukraine are starting to bite. Continue reading...
Conservationists despair at ‘glacial pace’ of negotiations to protect wildlife and oversee fishing amid high seas’ ‘governance vacuum’UN member states have failed to agree on a treaty to protect the high seas from exploitation, with scientists, environmentalists and conservation organisations blaming states that were “dragging their feet” for the “glacial pace” of talks.The longer the negotiations took, the more wildlife would be lost from the ocean, they warned, urging ministers and heads of state to work together with the president of the UN high seas conference to speed up a further round of negotiations to close a “governance vacuum” on the high seas. Continue reading...