Electric car plant has also been affected by intensifying Covid lockdowns in ChinaTesla has halted most of its production at its Shanghai plant because of problems securing parts for its electric vehicles, according to an internal memo seen by Reuters, the latest in a series of difficulties for the factory.The plant plans to manufacture fewer than 200 vehicles on Tuesday, according to the memo, far fewer than the roughly 1,200 units it has been building each day since shortly after it reopened on 19 April after a 22-day closure. Continue reading...

Exclusive: RHS says queries about diseases down 45% in good sign for May blooms such as lupins and irisPlant diseases are at their lowest levels in the UK for years because of a cold, dry spring, meaning it could be a bumper year for apples, and popular blooms such as iris are likely to be spectacular.The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) said years like this may be few and far between in the future, as the climate becomes warmer and wetter, creating ideal conditions for pests. But this year, spring favourites such as quince and hawthorn are doing well, with gardener queries to the charity about plant diseases on their plots down 45% on last year. Continue reading...

Charity’s report says nearly all targets set since 2000 have been missed, revised or quietly ignoredThe international aviation industry has failed to meet all but one of 50 of its own climate targets in the past two decades, environment campaigners say.A report commissioned by the climate charity Possible assessed every target set by the industry since 2000 and found that nearly all had been missed, revised or quietly ignored. The charity says the findings undermine a UK government plan to leave airlines to reduce their emissions through self-regulation. Continue reading...

Pieter De Poortere is putting his best-known character, Dickie, to work to help galvanise opposition to a giant plastics plant in AntwerpBelgian cartoonist Pieter De Poortere was trying to do his bit for the environment: eating less meat and diligently sorting his rubbish – glass, paper, plastics. He realised it wasn’t enough. “I thought if we all sort out our trash, then everything will be recycled, everything will be OK, then we are doing great. But actually that is not true,” he said pointing to the problems of the global waste industry, where wealthy countries’ plastic may be dumped, or burned on open fires in poorer countries.So he put his best-known character to work, as part of an international art project that launched in April, aiming to draw attention to the problem of plastic production. Continue reading...

Analysis says countries can save money by switching from coal straight to renewable energiesCountries should move from coal to renewable energy without shifting to gas as a “transition” fuel to save money, as high gas prices and market volatility have made the fossil fuel an expensive option, analysis has found.Natural gas has long been touted as a “transition” fuel for economies dependent on coal for their power needs, as it has lower carbon dioxide emissions than coal but requires similar centralised infrastructure, and gas-fired power stations take only a couple of years to build. Earlier this year, before Russia invaded Ukraine, the European Commission angered green campaigners by including gas as a “bridge” to clean energy in its guidebook for green investment. Continue reading...

The probability of one of the next five years surpassing the limit is now 50%, up from 20% in 2020The year the world breaches for the first time the 1.5C global heating limit set by international governments is fast approaching, a new forecast shows.The probability of one of the next five years surpassing the limit is now 50%, scientists led by the UK Met Office found. As recently as 2015, there was zero chance of this happening in the following five years. But this surged to 20% in 2020 and 40% in 2021. The global average temperature was 1.1C above pre-industrial levels in 2021. Continue reading...

Indigenous trees were being lost, and a way of life with it. So local villagers decided to replant their historic woodlandChepalungu forest has been at the heart of Kenya’s Kipsigis community for as long as anyone can remember. It is also a source of streams that recharge the Mara River and, owing to its proximity to the Maasai Mara national reserve, a refuge for wildlife.But during widespread protests following the presidential election results in 2007, much of the forest in Bomet county, south of the Rift Valley, was destroyed and the trees felled. Joseph Towett, an elder from the community and a passionate conservationist, remembers the devastation. “Trees were regarded as a home for animals and birds, so cutting them was like destroying them. The destruction was like a curse,” he says. Continue reading...

Data shows company increased its use of underwater explosives, releasing 8,057 ‘seal crackers’ to scare the animals

Group of 200 Totnes residents trespass and eat sandwiches and Victoria sponge to highlight lack of right to roamOn a beautiful Sunday in May a spot under the trees in an ancient woodland would seem like an idyllic location for a picnic for residents of the Devon town of Totnes.But when a group of 200 people settled down on the grass to enjoy sandwiches and slices of Victoria sponge next to the publicly funded woodland, they were actually breaking the law. Continue reading...

‘Alt leather’ is becoming increasingly mainstream thanks to a drive towards more sustainable fashionWould you ever wear shoes made from “grape leather”? Or gloves in “cactus leather”? What about a “kombucha leather” jacket and a “mushroom leather” bag?With the drive towards more sustainable fashion, the burgeoning world of animal-free “alt leathers” is becoming increasingly mainstream. This week saw the launch of new sustainable trainer brand Lerins, from Dune founder Daniel Rubin, including £130 shoes made with a leather-like material created from grape skins left over from wine-making. Continue reading...

City acts to contain wild boar population after African swine fever detected in body of dead animalPicnics have been banned and bins fenced off in a large swathe of northern Rome as health authorities move to contain the wild boar population after African swine fever was detected in a deceased animal.Feeding or approaching the animals has also been forbidden, while people who have walked through farmland or nature reserves in the affected areas have been told to disinfect their shoes. Continue reading...

There are heated moments in the second leaders’ debate of the federal election but Channel Nine’s audience fails to find a clear winner

PFAS-tainted sewage sludge is used as fertilizer in fields and report finds that about 20m acres of cropland could be contaminatedAbout 20m acres of cropland in the United States may be contaminated from PFAS-tainted sewage sludge that has been used as fertilizer, a new report estimates.PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a class of about 9,000 compounds used to make products heat-, water- or stain-resistant. Known as “forever chemicals” because they don’t naturally break down, they have been linked to cancer, thyroid disruption, liver problems, birth defects, immunosuppression and more. Continue reading...

Decrepit tanker used for storage at risk of creating a disaster worse than Exxon Valdez in 1989The UN is to stage a rare donor conference on Wednesday in a bid to raise the $80m (£65m) necessary to prevent an ageing oil tanker off the west coast of Yemen exploding and causing an environmental disaster potentially four times worse than the Exxon Valdez spill near Alaska in 1989.The money is needed to offload more than 1.14m barrels of oil that have been sitting in the decrepit cargo ship, Safer, for more than six years because of an impasse between Houthi groups and the Saudi-backed government over ownership and responsibility. Continue reading...

Seeds from nightcap oak trees were collected and propagated after black summer bushfires destroyed or damaged 20% of the population

Angus Rose starved himself for more than five weeks outside parliament until Green MP Caroline Lucas arranged compromiseThe climate hunger striker who starved himself for more than five weeks outside parliament has said he did not expect ministers would ignore his demands and potentially let him die.Angus Rose had said he would not eat until Greg Hands, the energy minister, arranged for Sir Patrick Vallance, the chief scientist, to give politicians and, via broadcast, the public, the climate change briefing he gave to Boris Johnson before the Cop26 climate summit. Continue reading...

A study found PFAS substances in clothing, pillow protectors, bedding and furniture, some labeled ‘environmentally friendly’Nearly 60% of children’s textiles labeled “waterproof”, “stain-resistant”, or “environmentally friendly” that were tested as part of a new study contained toxic PFAS substances known as “forever chemicals” due to their persistence in the environment.Among products checked were clothing, pillow protectors, bedding and furniture. Continue reading...

Climate analysts are astounded by such a high reading during the rainy season, and is the third monthly record this yearDeforestation in Brazil’s Amazon surged to record levels for the month of April, nearly doubling the area of forest removed in that month last year – the previous April record – preliminary government data has shown, alarming environmental campaigners.In the first 29 days of April, deforestation in the region totalled 1,012.5 square km (390 square miles), according to data from national space research agency Inpe on Friday. The agency, which has compiled the monthly data series since 2015/2016, will report data for the final day of April next week. Continue reading...

The torpedo-shaped, bronze-hued fish has been seen only four times in nearly thirty years of deep-sea research, scientists saidA rare deep-sea fish has been spotted off the coast of northern California, prompting excitement among marine biologists who have attempted to track down the elusive creature for decades.The Bathophilus flemingi, also known as the highfin dragonfish, was captured on video by a team of researchers in Monterey Bay, California. Named after the mythical creature, the torpedo-shaped fish is a predator that roams the depths of the ocean. Continue reading...

Satellite imagery ‘illustrates spectre of rising food prices and hunger’ due to invasion of world’s sixth-largest wheat exporter

Report on effects of Typhoon Haiyan says fossil and cement firms engaged in ‘wilful obfuscation’ of scienceThe world’s most polluting companies have a moral and legal obligation to address the harms of climate change because of their role in spreading misinformation, according to an inquiry brought about by Filipino typhoon survivors.Experts say the long-awaited report published on Friday, which concludes that coal, oil, mining and cement firms engaged in “wilful obfuscation” of climate science and obstructed efforts towards a global transition to clean energy, could add fuel to climate lawsuits around the world. Continue reading...

Peaceful, unpolluted and often left untouched for centuries, a growing green church movement is helping these havens of biodiversity thriveThey are in nearly every village, town and city across the UK, thousands of church buildings peppering the landscape. But while many may no longer be in regular use, the churchyards surrounding them – quiet, peaceful and often ancient – amount to what Olivia Graham, the bishop of Reading, equates to “a small national park”. The land beyond the church gate is some of the most biodiverse in the UK because it has largely stayed untouched.“A churchyard is a little snapshot of how the countryside used to be,” says Somerset Wildlife Trust’s Pippa Rayner, who is working on Wilder Churches, a new initiative with the diocese of Bath and Wells “to enhance churchyard biodiversity across the county”.The land around Plymouth’s St Pancras church has remained relatively untouched for more than 500 years Continue reading...

Internal emails show Louisiana state senator Sharon Hewitt worked on a bill with a company that had financial ties to her spouseMore than 300 people were evacuated from their homes and 49 hospitalized when a carbon dioxide pipeline run by an oil and gas company ruptured in a rural community in Mississippi. People were described as wandering around “like zombies” in the aftermath of the February 2020 incident.Less than a week later, Sharon Hewitt, a Louisiana state senator who has considered running for governor, filed a bill drafted by the operator of that pipeline, Denbury Resources, into her own state’s legislature. Continue reading...

Independents report ‘misleading and unauthorised’ campaign signs; Scott Morrison won’t say if he will resign in case of hung parliament; Anthony Albanese backs royal commission into the pandemic; trans rights ‘debate’ ‘hugely regrettable’, Liberal senator says; at least 30 Covid deaths recorded. This blog is now closed

The best of this week’s wildlife pictures, including a lounging monitor lizard, breeding puffins and bluebells Continue reading...

Encounters with jellyfish near Cronulla’s Shark Island have prompted warnings on how to treat stings outside of tropical waters

DNA study finds rarest cetacean, only found in Gulf of California, has enough genetic diversity to recover – if gillnet ban is enforced

New resources sent to remote stretches of state to tackle America’s largest wildfire, which is burning over 258 sq milesFirefighters in New Mexico have slowed the advance of the largest wildfire currently burning in the US, as Joe Biden declared the situation a disaster, bringing new resources to remote stretches of New Mexico that have been devastated by fire since early April.Nearly 1,300 firefighters and other personnel are currently battling the fire, which has fanned out across 258 sq miles (669 sq km) of high alpine forest and grasslands at the southern tip of the Rocky Mountains. Continue reading...

Political scientist says state’s decision to rule out closing power stations shows major parties are ‘wedged’ on climate change

Cynthia Rosenzweig wins prize in recognition of her modeling of the climate crisis’ impact on food productionA Nasa climate research scientist who has spent much of her career explaining how global food production must adapt to a changing climate was awarded the World Food prize on Thursday.Cynthia Rosenzweig, an agronomist and climatologist, was awarded the $250,000 prize in recognition of her innovative modeling of the impact of climate change on food production. She is a senior research scientist at the Nasa Goddard Institute for Space Studies and serves as adjunct senior research scientist at the Columbia Climate School at Columbia University, both based in New York. Continue reading...

People urged to leave out mud pies and dishes of fresh water for migrating birds as temperatures riseThe RSPB is urging the public to get their hands dirty this weekend and create mud pies to help endangered birds such as house martins, swifts and swallows get enough sludge to build their nests.A nine-day mini-heatwave is hitting the UK, which coincides with the return of migratory birds here to breed. Many of these birds have flown thousands of miles on their journey. But conservationists are concerned that the ground is getting so hard it could stop them from being able to make their nests. Continue reading...

Flights suspended and authorities urge people to stay indoors as fifth sandstorm in a month hits IraqHundreds of Iraqis have been taken to hospitals with breathing problems and Baghdad airport suspended flights for several hours as a thick sandstorm blanketed the country, the fifth to engulf Iraq within a month.Iraqi state media said most of the patients suffered respiratory issues as clinics across the country’s north and west struggled to keep up with the influx. Authorities urged citizens to stay indoors. Continue reading...

Launch of Chicagwa met with criticism that the city hasn’t done enough to help thousands of residents drinking lake water through lead pipesLori Lightfoot’s launch of Chicago’s own brand of canned water under the name “Chicagwa” may have created more waves than she expected.On Tuesday, the city’s mayor unveiled the artfully designed cans of Chicago tap water to celebrate their water source, Lake Michigan, in honor of National Drinking Water Week. But the city has been identified as having more potentially toxic lead pipes delivering that water to homes than anywhere else in the US – a fact that concerned locals are now reminding people about. Continue reading...

Campaigners hope to both and expand and entrench the re-imagining of streetscapes that occurred in the early part of 2020As an emergency measure for the pandemic, New York City’s banishment of cars from certain streets saw unexpected space open up for pedestrians, restaurant tables and playing children. A campaign backed by the city’s new mayor now aims to permanently wrest dominance away from vehicles and preserve these new outdoor havens.The alternative vision for America’s largest city demands that 25% of its street space is converted from car use to walkable pedestrian plazas, green space, bus lanes and dedicated cycle paths by 2025. The campaign, called 25x25, has now also been adopted by activists in Los Angeles, an indication of how some Americans are questioning the long-held primacy of cars amid a surge in cycling since the start of the pandemic. Continue reading...

Almost a third of hogs in the US are now raised in Iowa but a new report questions whether that’s good for residents or local economiesLew Carter, a retired long haul truck driver, has always preferred the country. In 1990 he bought a small plot on a hill surrounded by farm fields near his home town of Williams, in Hamilton county, Iowa, where he hoped to retire.Carter planted the homestead with a thicket of trees and replaced the dilapidated farm buildings with a storage shed and modular house. He met his second wife, Kathy, and in 2008 she moved in too. Continue reading...

Analysis conducted by the Ecology Center also finds all car seats under $100 contain either PFAS or flame retardantMore than half of children’s car seats tested for toxic flame retardants and PFAS contain the dangerous substances, a new report in the US has found.The analysis, conducted by the Ecology Center, an environmental and consumer advocacy group, also found all car seats costing under $100 contained either PFAS or flame retardant, which means lower-income children are more likely to be exposed. Continue reading...

Investigation launched after half of eggs from endangered wading bird in small study found to have fragile shellsA scientist has started a national investigation into curlews, after noticing in a small-scale study that some of the eggs being laid by the endangered birds were unusually fragile and crumbly.If it emerges that the problem is widespread, the fragile eggs could pose a grave risk to the future of the species, which has declined significantly in Scotland, England and Wales and by 42% between 1995 and 2008 in the UK overall. Continue reading...

Tomago Aluminium previously said shifting away from coal could lead to blackouts – now it’s publicly embracing renewables in the middle of an election campaign

‘We’re not supposed to live in a secret society,’ expert says after agency delays publishing maps of damage

According to the Last Beach Cleanup and Beyond Plastics report, about 85% of plastic ends up in landfills with 10% incineratedWhen most people toss a plastic bottle or cup into the recycling bin, they assume that means the plastic is recycled – but a new report lays bare how rarely that actually happens.According to the Last Beach Cleanup and Beyond Plastics, the organization behind the report released on Wednesday, the recycling rate for post-consumer plastic was just 5% to 6% in 2021. Continue reading...

Billions of birds are disappearing because of humanity’s impact on Earth, global review findsThe world’s birds, described as the planet’s “canaries in the coalmine”, are disappearing in large numbers as the colossal impact of humanity on the Earth grows, a global review has found.There are about 11,000 species of bird spanning the globe, but the populations of half of them are falling, while just 6% are increasing. Their flight and song make them easier to study than many animals, meaning they are the best studied large group. Continue reading...

The turtles, named after Steve Irwin and his father, Bob, had not been spotted in the Burdekin River since the 1990s

Opposition says it will recommit to phasing out live sheep exports from Western Australia but has not indicated when it will do so

Expert questions climate targets after energy minister says all eight coal-fired stations will remain open

Independent MP accuses Liberal party of caving in to its Coalition partner the Nationals on koala protection

Bank plan meets opposition after environmental protesters disrupt AGM in ManchesterShareholders dealt an embarrassing blow to Barclays’ climate credentials on Wednesday, with almost 20% rejecting the bank’s climate strategy as activists disrupted its annual meeting to protest against the bank’s financing of fossil fuels.Barclays said on Wednesday that 19.19% of voting shareholders were against the bank’s climate strategy, which set out its plans and progress towards goals to reach net zero emissions by 2050. Continue reading...

Move would also lower emissions by reducing razing of trees and methane emissions from livestock, scientists sayReplacing 20% of the world’s beef consumption with microbial protein, such as Quorn, could halve the destruction of the planet’s forests over the next three decades, according to the latest analysis.The move would also halve emissions from the global food system, by reducing the razing of trees and the methane emissions from livestock. Previous studies have found meat alternatives have lower environmental footprints but this latest analysis is the first to assess what impact that could have in the world. Continue reading...

Western Power Distribution agrees to payout after support during power cuts deemed ‘totally unacceptable’The UK’s biggest electricity distribution business has agreed to pay £14.9m after its support for vulnerable customers during power cuts was deemed “totally unacceptable”.The energy regulator said National Grid’s Western Power Distribution (WPD) did not provide proper support to 1.7 million customers during the outages. An Ofgem investigation, launched in 2020, found that WPD had failed customers in a number of areas including not carrying out criminal record checks for all staff visiting customers’ homes. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Global Warming Policy Foundation has led the backlash against UK government’s net zero policyAn influential thinktank that has led the backlash against the government’s net zero policy has received funding from groups with oil and gas interests, according to tax documents seen by the Guardian and OpenDemocracy.Though the Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF) has always said it is independent of the fossil fuel industry, the revelations about its funding will raise questions over its campaigning.Adam Bychawski is a reporter for OpenDemocracy Continue reading...

Exclusive: Global Warming Policy Foundation has led the backlash against UK government’s net zero policyAn influential thinktank which has led the backlash against the government’s net zero policy has received funding from groups with oil and gas interests, according to tax documents seen by the Guardian and OpenDemocracy.Though the Global Warming Policy Foundation (GWPF) has always said that it is independent of the fossil fuel industry, the new revelations about its funding will raise questions over its campaigning. Continue reading...