Environment | The Guardian

Fossil fuel companies lied for decades about climate change, and humanity is paying the price. Shouldn’t those lies be central to the public narrative?

We would like to talk to people with knowledge of fossil fuel companies and their role in the climate crisisAmerica’s petroleum giants are facing a wave of lawsuits seeking to hold them accountable for their role in the climate crisis. The lawsuits argue, as has already been well-documented, that the companies knew the harmful impacts of their products but did not acknowledge them to the public, and even lied about them.We want to hear from fossil fuel insiders who can help us tell the story of what the industry knew about climate change and when, how the industry operates, and what it’s like to work there. We’re also interested in hearing from people who work in adjacent industries, such as the marketing, legal and insurance firms engaged by oil and gas companies. Continue reading...

Via an unprecedented wave of lawsuits, America’s petroleum giants face a reckoning for the devastation caused by fossil fuels

Fossil fuel levy can be avoided by buying carbon offsets that may have no benefit for climateForest protection carbon offsets that may have no benefit to the climate have been used by polluters to avoid paying carbon taxes in Colombia, according to a report.In 2016, a levy of about $5 (£3.60) was introduced in the South American country to cover the use of some fossil fuels. However, companies that emit carbon dioxide can avoid paying the tax by buying carbon offsets from Colombian emission reduction projects, including those that conserve threatened natural carbon banks such as peatlands, forests and mangrove swamps. Continue reading...

The demise of the freshly emerged swallowtail makes me ponder all butterflies’ chances of survivalLast week, I witnessed a wondrous and slightly horrifying spectacle of nature.I was admiring a swallowtail, Britain’s largest native butterfly, as it jinked over a waterway on the Norfolk Broads. Suddenly, an emperor dragonfly cruised in and grabbed the butterfly. There was a mid-air tussle for five seconds, before the iridescent blue dragonfly dropped into the reed bed with its prize. Continue reading...

Investigating how the fossil fuel industry contributed to the climate crisis and lied to the American publicThis content is supported in part through philanthropic funding from theguardian.org, a US-based, independent nonprofit with the mission to advance and inform public discourse and citizen participation around the most pressing issues of our time through the support of independent journalism and journalistic projects at the Guardian, and Rockefeller Family Fund, a US-based, family-led public charity that initiates, cultivates, and funds strategic efforts to promote a sustainable, just, free and participatory society. All content is editorially independent and overseen by Guardian editors.All our journalism follows GNM’s published editorial code. The Guardian is committed to open journalism, recognizing that the best understanding of the world is achieved when we collaborate, share knowledge, encourage debate, welcome challenge, and harness the expertise of specialists and their communities. You can read more about content funding at the Guardian here. Continue reading...

China, India, Indonesia, Japan and Vietnam plan to build more than 600 coal power unitsFive Asian countries are jeopardising global climate ambitions by investing in 80% of the world’s planned new coal plants, according to a report.Carbon Tracker, a financial thinktank, has found that China, India, Indonesia, Japan and Vietnam plan to build more than 600 coal power units, even though renewable energy is cheaper than most new coal plants. Continue reading...

More money is being spent destroying the environment than protecting it, MPs’ report findsThe government’s underfunded green ambitions and “toothless” policies are failing to halt catastrophic loss of wildlife, a committee of MPs has said in a new report that finds the biodiversity crisis is still not being treated with the urgency of the climate crisis.The UK is the most wildlife-depleted country out of the G7 nations and, despite pledges to improve the environment within a generation, properly funded policies are not in place to make this happen, according to the report from the environmental audit committee (EAC). Continue reading...

The imperiled desert species is being considered for protection under the state’s endangered species actA couple has been fined $18,000 after uprooting 36 Joshua trees to make space for a home and then burying them in a hole. Authorities hope the fine discourages others from mowing down the crooked-limbed plant, which is an imperiled species being considered for protection under California’s endangered species act.“Most California citizens who reside in Joshua tree habitat revere these iconic desert species, more so now than ever because of its degraded population status,” Nathaniel Arnold, the deputy chief of the California department of fish and wildlife’s law enforcement division, said in a press release. “We hope it serves as a deterrent to others who may think it is acceptable to unlawfully remove Joshua trees to make way for development.” Continue reading...

SMMT says government must increase support for electric car production to German and US levelsUp to 90,000 jobs could be lost in UK car manufacturing unless the government increases support for electric car production to German and US levels, the industry body has said.Industry leaders accused the government of being long on words but short on action to help the UK build capacity for electric vehicles, to support the industry and reach climate emergency targets. Continue reading...

Majority of land at risk from a 1-metre sea level rise is in the tropics, research findsUp to 410 million people will be living in areas less than 2 metres above sea level, and at risk from sea level rises, unless global emissions are reduced, according to a new study.The paper, published in Nature Communications, finds that currently 267 million people worldwide live on land less than 2 metres above sea level. Using a remote sensing method called Lidar, which pulsates laser light across coastal areas to measure elevation on the Earth’s surface, the researchers predicted that by 2100, with a 1 metre sea level rise and zero population growth, that number could increase to 410 million people. Continue reading...

Deputy prime minister also blasts banks for managing carbon risk and supports coal exports in Sky News interviewThe newly returned Nationals leader and deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce says Australia needs high-efficiency, low-emission coal power stations, as well as revenue from continuing exports of thermal coal, to bankroll social services.While metropolitan Liberals have made it clear they will not support new coal-fired power, and the International Energy Agency has advised wealthy countries to phase out coal power plants by the end of the decade, Joyce used an interview on Sky News to champion modern coal plants, and declare he was in favour of nuclear reactors. Continue reading...

Experts suggest vulnerability of south Florida to rising seas could lead to destabilization of further buildingsThe shocking collapse of a 12-storey building in the Miami area last week has raised questions as to the role played by the climate crisis, and whether the severe vulnerability of south Florida to the rising seas may lead to the destabilization of further buildings in the future.Related: Miami condo collapse: death toll rises to 10 as search enters fifth day Continue reading...

Count aims to provide crucial conservation data on animals including pangolins, turtles and antelopePlanes, helicopters, boats and 4x4s are being deployed, hundreds of camera traps and satellite collars monitored, and an array of dung studied across Kenya, as the country embarks on its first national census of wildlife.The census, covering the country’s 58 national parks and reserves, private and community conservancies, is due to be completed by the end of July. It will cost 250m Kenyan shillings (£1.6m) and includes a count of terrestrial and marine mammals, key birds such as ostriches and kori bustards, and endangered primates. The results are expected in August. Continue reading...

Exclusive – Study says 2m in Clyde area – due to host Cop26 – face severe disruption without urgent investmentNearly 2 million people living in the greater Glasgow area face severe disruption from climate heating unless billions of pounds are invested in protecting homes, businesses and transport links, a report says.A study on the impacts of climate change on the Clyde area estimates about 140,000 of its poorest residents will be the worst affected by increased heatwaves, flash floods and droughts, as they are the least equipped to cope. Continue reading...

First ever nationwide tally of trees reveals how communities of color and poorer neighborhoods lack canopyWith vast swathes of the American west baking under a record-setting heatwave, a new study has revealed how unevenly trees are spread throughout cities in the United States and how much it disadvantages communities of color and the poor.In order to address the balance, America needs to plant more than 30 million trees in major urban environments across the country, according to a major new report. Continue reading...

Portland and Seattle are among cities grappling with 100F-plus days in a typically moderate climateThe Pacific north-west, known for its moderate climate, is experiencing a record heatwave. The temperatures have driven crowds to the region’s beaches, pools and air-conditioned hotels, as residents in a region with few air-conditioned households try desperately to get some relief.Here’s what you need to know: Continue reading...

Norwegian oil company’s facility will be biggest in world with carbon capture and storage technologyNorway’s state oil company Equinor will triple its UK hydrogen output, after setting out plans to build the world’s biggest hydrogen production plant with carbon capture and storage technology near Hull.Equinor plans to produce clean-burning “blue hydrogen” to supply the Keadby gas power plant in Lincolnshire, owned by energy company SSE, making it the world’s first full-scale power plant to burn pure hydrogen to generate electricity. Continue reading...

Researchers say exposure to fine particle matter in smoke could lead to lung damage equivalent to four years of ageingExposure to hazardous air pollution from the Hazelwood coalmine fire in Victoria has been linked to reduced lung function in people years after the 2014 fire, according to a new study.Research conducted four years after the mine fire found that adults who had been exposed to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) had decreased respiratory reactance, a measure of the stretchiness of the lungs. Continue reading...

Rich Houston teems with greenery and public parks. But unfair zoning laws mean its poorer communities of color bake in the hot sunEvery weekday at 6am, 68-year-old Ana Adelea-Lopez walks through her Houston neighborhood to the bus stop.On the way, she passes a series of apartment complexes, telephone poles and metal fences on a long stretch of sidewalk. For the entirety of her walk, there’s not a single tree in sight. Continue reading...

Applications on sites in Herts, Cambridgeshire and Essex climb to 840 megawatts in last five monthsThe number of new solar farms planned for the east of England has more than doubled in recent months as farmers decide to swap crops for clean energy.New solar farm applications for sites across Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Essex in the last five months have climbed to 840 megawatts, or the same as 2m household solar panels. Continue reading...

Small-scale fishers say mostly EU fleet is devastating catches with method that nets entire shoals of fishThe UK has been accused of allowing a fleet of mainly EU “fly-shooting” fishing boats “unfettered access” to the Channel, without a proper assessment of the impact on fish populations, the seabed or the livelihoods of small-scale fishers.Organisations representing small-scale fishers on both sides of the Channel have warned that the fleet is having a “devastating” effect on their catches. They are calling for a review of the vessels’ UK licences until an impact assessment has been carried out. Continue reading...

Police fined two men $1,000 each after helicopter and rescue crew sent to help the pair who became lost in bushland after wildlife encounter

Ban on plastics including cotton buds, packaging, cutlery, straws and fruit labels to be phased in from next yearNew Zealanders will be farewelling their plastics – bags, ear buds, spoons and straws – as the government attempts to match the country’s reality to its “clean green” reputation.Currently one of the top 10 per-capita producers of landfill waste in the world, New Zealand has announced it will ban a swathe of single-use plastics, including cotton buds, bags, cutlery, plates and bowls, straws and fruit labels. Continue reading...

Authorities investigated after defanged and declawed animal was seen in TikTok videos in Phnom PenhCambodian authorities have confiscated a defanged and declawed pet lion that appeared in TikTok videos taken at a Phnom Penh villa.The 18-month-old male, weighing 70kg (154lbs), had been imported from overseas by the owner, a Chinese national, to be raised in his home, environment ministry spokesman Neth Pheaktra said. Continue reading...

Renewable energy will rely heavily on an industry already berated for human rights violationsInterest in Dogger Bank was once restricted to insomniac enthusiasts for the BBC’s Shipping Forecast. Not any more. Today, the shallow sandbank, located 120 miles off the UK’s north-eastern shoreline, is home to the world’s largest windpower project. When fully operational, giant turbines will transmit 3.6 gigawatts (GW) of electricity, enough to power 5m homes, into the National Grid at prices well below current levels.Welcome to the beginning of the end of the fossil fuel era. Around the world, solar and wind now represent the cheapest source of new electricity generation – and prices are tumbling. Electric vehicle (EV) batteries are driving oil towards obsolescence. Stripped of government subsidies and corporate lobbying carbon-based fuels are a busted flush. The future of energy is green – and the future can’t come soon enough to tackle the climate crisis. Continue reading...

Conservationist aims to replace old bridge with bison preserve, benefiting environment and spotlighting Indigenous historyBetween Iowa and Illinois, spanning the only stretch of the Mississippi River that flows from east to west, sits an exhausted 55-year-old concrete bridge. Each day 42,000 cars drive across the ageing structure, which is slated to be torn down and replaced.But when Chad Pregracke looks at the bridge, he has a different vision entirely – not an old overpass to be demolished, but a home for the buffalo to roam. Continue reading...

Experts say they have found the ultimate version of the fruit. It’s called Ace, but now we just need enough foreign pickersIt would be easy to dismiss it as a marketing gimmick. A strawberry called Ace, announced on the eve of Wimbledon – surely, you cannot be serious? But the academics and strawberry breeders of the East Malling research institute are not given to cheap slogans. Malling Ace is a super strawberry that is creating more excitement in the world of horticulture than even the possibility of another Andy Murray title.“The Ace name sort of indicates what we felt about it – it really, really does excel,” said Adam Whitehouse, who led the Malling Ace project. “It’s a new variety that has been fast-tracked through our system because it really did stand out and it caused a lot of excitement at such an early stage.” Continue reading...

Projects that could produce more than 1.7bn barrels will not have to go through the government’s ‘checkpoint’, data revealsProspective oil projects in the North Sea with the capacity to produce more than a billion barrels will avoid a new test designed to assess their impact on the climate crisis, the Observer has learned.In a development that has angered environmental campaigners, it has emerged that proposed new developments representing some 1.7bn barrels of oil will not have to undergo the forthcoming “climate compatibility checkpoint”, designed to determine whether they are consistent with the government’s climate commitments. Continue reading...

Police seize equipment from three premises before what officers expect will be busy weekend of protestsPolice in London have raided a warehouse used by Extinction Rebellion, as well as an arts centre that was exhibiting some of the structures used in the demonstrations that blockaded newspaper printing plants last year.The Met is under increased scrutiny as the group plans further protests against the owners of the UK’s press outlets this weekend, alongside supporters of the Black Lives Matter campaign against racial injustice. Continue reading...

Citizen zookeepers release endangered large marsh grasshopper in former strongholdsBritain’s largest grasshopper is being bred in captivity by citizen zookeepers and returned to marshes across East Anglia in a move to revive the endangered species.The large marsh grasshopper, an elusive green insect that can appear in a striking pink-and-yellow form, is too isolated in fragments of wetland to hop back to its former strongholds. Continue reading...

Ecology experts say failure to hit five-year goals concerning although feral cat progress promisingA Coalition government strategy to save Australia’s endangered wildlife has failed to meet targets to stem the decline of many birds, mammals and plants.The final-year report of the five-year threatened species strategy, which was introduced under the former environment minister Greg Hunt, has found five out of the strategy’s 13 targets were met, three were partially met and five were not met. Continue reading...

The company’s Australian chief executive has described the Carmichael mine’s water plans as ‘legal’ but ‘commercial in confidence’The Queensland government will not make any inquiries about Adani’s water plans for the Carmichael coalmine, despite the company’s public claims it has an undisclosed new source of water that is “commercial in confidence”.Guardian Australia reported on Friday Adani had obscured details about its plans to source large volumes of water for the controversial coal project, raising concern among environmental groups and water experts about how the miner intends to cover an 8bn-litre annual shortfall. Continue reading...

The best of this week’s wildlife pictures, including a newborn fallow deer fawn and an elephant in the room Continue reading...

Flagship scheme dismisses claims herd is left to go hungry, saying animals have enough food to surviveExmoor ponies have become hot property for rewilding projects across Europe, which use them as selective grazers to tend meadows and promote biodiversity. The scientists and conservationists behind the trials prefer to use animals as similar as possible to those which roamed the land before humans arrived.However, pony groups in Britain claim that in one project in Denmark the animals are being left alone in fenced fields without sufficient grazing in the winter. They also claim there has been some evidence of ponies left with untreated wounds. Continue reading...

A water quality crisis has been hiding in the ritzy Hamptons, but the pandemic pushed it over the edge. Will clean-up efforts be too little too late?

Researchers say temperatures, already the highest in the past 20,000 years, could increase by up to 10F by 2100Yellowstone, established in 1872, is famous around the globe for good reason: it’s the oldest national park in the United States and one of the most popular.But a new report issued this week shows how Yellowstone’s near pristine environment, with attractions like the Old Faithful geyser and herds of bison, is under threat from global heating. Continue reading...

Table Mountain blaze destroyed university’s plant conservation archives, but digitised ‘then-and-now’ images continue to shed light on changes in South Africa’s landscapeThe fire that started on the slopes of Table Mountain on April 18 this year quickly swept through the University of Cape Town campus. The world watched in horror as the African Studies Library was burned to the ground. In the weeks that followed, volunteers waded through the waterlogged basement of the razed building to see which rare books had survived.What few people beyond the university realised at the time is that barely 100 metres away the Department of Biological Sciences had also suffered catastrophic losses. “We’ve lost everything,” says Prof Timm Hoffman, the director of the Plant Conservation Unit (PCU), which was housed in a “highly flammable wooden turret” on the roof of the HW Pearson building. Continue reading...

Parliamentary probe follows Guardian Australia investigation that revealed serious concerns about the systemNew South Wales’ use of environmental offsets to compensate for habitat destruction caused by major developments will be examined by a parliamentary inquiry.The state upper house probe follows a Guardian Australia investigation that revealed serious concerns about the system, including instances where promised offsets never eventuated. Continue reading...

Boss of high-speed rail line says it is struggling to counter direct action that has cost £75m to dateHS2 has sought support from across government to counter a growing number of protests, as the boss of the high-speed rail project said it was struggling to deal with direct action that had cost it £75m to date.Mark Thurston, the chief executive of HS2, said “violent and disruptive” protests were spreading north and he had urged ministers to use “all the agencies of government” to help it. Continue reading...

Taskforce led by Lloyd’s of London plans to expand coverage of greener projects and help countries facing extreme riskChief executives from the UK’s largest insurers have joined forces with the Prince of Wales to launch a sector-wide taskforce aimed at tackling the climate crisis.The Sustainable Market Initiative Insurance Taskforce – comprising bosses from 17 firms including Legal & General, Allianz, Hiscox and Axa – has pledged to support the transition to a less carbon-intensive economy by expanding insurance coverage for projects such as offshore windfarms, and partnering with governments to provide better disaster protection cover in countries facing serious risks like extreme weather caused by global heating. Continue reading...

Exclusive: payments in past year came as government decided on licences for new fossil fuel sitesIndividuals and companies linked to the oil and gas industries have donated more than £400,000 to the Conservative party in the past year, while the government mulled controversial new licences to explore the North Sea for fossil fuel production sites, it can be revealed.Disclosures from last July to the end of March, the latest date for which data is available, show at least £419,000 was given to the Conservatives by donors with a strong interest in oil and gas, including in the North Sea, research by the environmental investigations group DeSmog and the Guardian has found. Continue reading...

Party’s push to rewrite the government’s water policy described as ‘wacky, dangerous and anti-science’The Nationals have sensationally claimed that science does not support South Australia “needing fresh water” through the Murray-Darling Basin plan, while suggesting rising sea levels could replace environmental flows to the lower lakes.The claims, made as part of an unsuccessful push to rewrite the government’s water policy, came at the culmination of a Nationals-led insurrection over the plan that was successfully killed off by the Liberals in parliament on Thursday. Continue reading...

Officials prepare to elevate streets despite financial shortfalls, amid recognition that not every home can be savedLong famed for its spectacular fishing, sprawling coral reefs and literary residents such as Ernest Hemingway, the Florida Keys is now acknowledging a previously unthinkable reality: it faces being overwhelmed by the rising seas and not every home can be saved.Following a grueling seven-hour public meeting on Monday, held in the appropriately named city of Marathon, officials agreed to push ahead with a plan to elevate streets throughout the Keys to keep them from perpetual flooding, while admitting they do not have the money to do so. Continue reading...

California’s diminishing water supply is cutting down hydropower, causing the state to rely more on fossil fuelsEarlier this month, the water level in Lake Oroville – California’s second-largest reservoir – was so low that dozens of houseboats were hauled out. There wasn’t enough water to hold them.In a few weeks, officials say, the lake’s water levels are likely to dip even lower – forcing them to shut down one of the state’s largest hydroelectric power plants for the first time since it was built in 1967. Continue reading...

Activists seeking to halt cutting of ancient trees have chained themselves to trunks in remote woodlandPolice in western Canada have arrested more than 270 people as a conflict over old growth logging in British Columbia’s ancient rainforests continues to grow.At the protest blockades in the remote woodland, hundreds of activists have been chaining themselves to giant tripods made from the trunks of felled trees, suspending themselves in trees for days or more at a time, and even securing their arms inside devices called “sleeping dragons” cemented into the roadway. Continue reading...

Letter sent to director general over what Scott Morrison calls ‘absolutely appalling’ process of recommending reef for in-danger listTwelve international ambassadors to Unesco, including Australia’s, have written to the UN body to “share collective concerns” about its decision making, ahead of a crucial meeting that could see the Great Barrier Reef placed on a “world heritage in danger” list.A former Australian government world heritage official said the letter, sent to Unesco’s director general, Audrey Azoulay, on Wednesday, should be seen as part of the country’s promised lobbying effort as it desperately tries to avoid the reef being included on the list. Continue reading...

Scientists are trying to find the cause of an affliction that leaves victims with crusty eyes, swollen faces and the inability to flyA mysterious illness is killing birds across several states in the south and midwestern US, and wildlife scientists are rushing to try to find the cause, with many victims suffering from crusty eyes, swollen faces and the inability to fly.Wildlife managers in Washington, Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia first began receiving reports of sick and dying birds with eye swelling and crusty discharge, as well as neurological signs in late May, according to a statement from the US Geological Survey, which added: “No definitive cause of death is identified at this time.” Continue reading...

As talks with US over protecting the rainforest stall, Ricardo Salles faces a criminal investigationBrazil’s environment minister has quit amid a criminal investigation into whether he obstructed a police inquiry into illegal logging in the Amazon rainforest.A supreme court justice authorised the investigation of Ricardo Salles after federal police raids targeted the minister and other officials alleged to have allowed illegal wood exports. Continue reading...