Energy and climate change minister, Chris Bowen, has held an emergency meeting with state and territory ministers about the impending energy crisis, with electricity prices soaring up to 18% as supply issues plague much of the country. Laura Murphy-Oates speaks with economics correspondent, ​​Peter Hannam, about what’s really behind this crisis and how we could prevent another oneRead more: Continue reading...

CSIRO researchers say efforts to raise public awareness have quickly led to improvements in the environment

UK cabinet minister who led Cop26 understood to have been approached and expressed interest in the roleAlok Sharma, the UK cabinet minister who led last year’s Cop26 climate summit, is in the running to be the UN’s global climate chief, at a crucial time for international action on greenhouse gas emissions.The UN’s current top climate official, Patricia Espinosa, will step down next month, leaving a vacancy as the world prepares for the next stage in vital negotiations to stave off climate breakdown. Continue reading...

Charles Secrett says exposing those behind these disastrous fossil fuel projects and drawing the public into the fight are essential to prevent runaway global heatingIt is great news that a global coalition of activists and experts is to confront the governments and corporations responsible for the mega-carbon projects, recently exposed by the Guardian, that threaten life on Earth (Environmentalists join forces to fight ‘carbon’ bomb fossil fuel projects, 6 June).Exposing the politicians and executives behind these madcap schemes, challenging them in court, organising shareholder and investor rebellions, and running activist campaigns to draw the wider public into the fight are essential measures if we are to avoid irreversible, runaway global heating. Continue reading...

Biden officials make announcement on World Oceans Day in effort to stem huge tide of pollution from plastic bottles and packagingThe Biden administration is to phase out single-use plastic products on US public lands, including the vast network of American national parks, in an attempt to stem the huge tide of plastic pollution that now extends to almost every corner of the world.The US Department of the Interior will halt the sale of single-use plastics in national parks, wildlife refuges and other public lands, though not entirely until 2032, with a reduction planned in the meantime. The government will look to identify environmentally preferable alternatives to plastic bottles, packaging and other products, such as compostable materials. Continue reading...

Lib Dems and environmental campaigners condemn central government after Tory-run council overruledCampaigners and the Liberal Democrats have criticised the government after a minister overruled a Tory-run council to approve gas drilling on the edge of the Surrey Hills, despite accepting the scheme would cause harm to the natural landscape.The decision, formally announced in a written statement by the housing minister Stuart Andrew, gives the green light to three years of exploratory drilling at a site near the edge of the Surrey Hills area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB). Continue reading...

Southern Company spent $62.1m over the years to deny the impact of fossil fuel combustion on climate crisisIn 1980, a report circulated to a division of one of the biggest coal-burning utilities in the US warned that “fossil fuel combustion” was rapidly warming the atmosphere and could cause a “massive extinction of plant and animal species” along with a “5 to 6-meter rise in sea level” across the world.Several years later an official at the utility co-chaired a conference where scientific researchers fretted that “as we continue to exploit the vast deposits of fossil fuels” it could cause “disruptive climate changes”. Continue reading...

Unchecked water use by companies like Exxon risks saltwater intrusion and undrinkable tap waterFlowers seem to live longer in vases filled with Baton Rouge water, according to Dominique Rogers, 36, a florist in Louisiana’s capital city with 14 years of experience.The city pulls its water deep underground from the Southern Hills aquifer, which requires little to no treatment to drink, unlike other Louisiana communities such as New Orleans, which draws its water from the Mississippi River and requires heavy treatment. Continue reading...

Regulator upholds complaints that marketing by Evergreens UK Ltd was unsubstantiated and misleadingAdverts claiming plastic grass is “eco-friendly” and “purifies” the atmosphere must be removed after the Advertising Standards Authority upheld complaints of greenwashing.The ASA upheld concerns that adverts claiming artificial grass produced by Evergreens UK Ltd was eco-friendly were unsubstantiated and misleading. The product was made of plastic, the ASA said, and, taking into account its whole lifecycle, it “had a negative impact on the environment”. Continue reading...

Alessandra Sampaio, whose husband Dom Phillips was last seen in the Amazon on Sunday, makes appeal in tearful video messageThe wife of the British journalist who has vanished in a remote corner of the Amazon with a celebrated Indigenous expert has issued an emotional plea for Brazilian authorities to work harder to find “the love of my life”.“I want to make an appeal to the federal government and the relevant organs to intensify their search efforts, because we still have some hope of finding them,” Alessandra Sampaio, the wife of longtime Guardian contributor Dom Phillips, said in a tearful video message. Continue reading...

Residents of the New Mexico canyon scorched by the Hermits Peak and Calf Canyon fires blame the government for the acres they lostThe air smells of ash and the landscape is leached of color. Spots of green punctuate the valley floor in places. But along the ridges, the powdery residue of charred trees has fallen like snow, accumulating up to 4 inches deep. These are the slices of forest where the fire burned the hottest, scorching ponderosa pines from crown to root. Once titans, they are now matchsticks.Pola Lopez gestures in their direction, southward toward Hermits Peak. Before a tsunami of flames ripped through this canyon in Tierra Monte, the canopy was so thick that it was impossible to see the nearby mountain. But two prescribed burns set by the US Forest Service (USFS) – one on Hermits Peak, the other in Calf Canyon to the south-west – have changed all that. Continue reading...

Increasing spare electricity capacity and the development of a transition plan to reduce emissions among decisions at ‘very collegiate’ energy ministers meeting

Chris Bowen says ‘no silver bullet’ to energy crisis; NAB the last of big four banks to lift home loan interest rates; treasurer warns of budget pressure from rate rises; at least 59 Covid deaths recorded. This blog is now closed

New dash for gas driven by energy disruption and rising prices spurns warnings to cease exploration to meet 1.5 heating limitCountries around the world are pouring funds into new natural gas facilities that could destroy the chances of limiting global heating, in response to soaring energy prices and the war in Ukraine.Governments including the US, Germany, the UK and Canada are investing in new gas production, distribution and use as they seek to sanction Russia over the invasion of Ukraine, according to new research. Continue reading...

Parks Victoria intends to remove 500 horses from state’s eastern Alpine region this year as part of feral horse management plan

Gesture announced at Copenhagen sustainability summit earns praise – and some cries of ‘greenwashing’Chinese fashion behemoth Shein might be the organisation least expected to win applause at an international conference on fashion sustainability, but that’s what happened at this week’s global fashion summit in Copenhagen.The industry’s largest forum for sustainable progress saw the ultra-fast fashion brand praised for making a donation of $15m (£12m) over three years to a charity working at Kantamanto in Accra, the world’s largest secondhand clothing market.

As Europe’s only Jewish farm faces closure, its founder explains why reviving Judaism’s ancient precepts of sustainable agriculture and conservation has never been more urgentWhile for most British Jews, synagogue is the focal point for religious life, Talia Chain finds her faith in nature. It’s why, in 2018, she founded Sadeh Farm in Kent, currently Europe’s only Jewish farming community.On the edge of Sadeh’s plot is its forest garden – a low intervention and sustainable agronomic system based on trees, shrubs and perennials. Perched on a seat, 33-year-old Chain is describing one of her most treasured Jewish customs. “It’s called the law of orlah,” Chain says, “where you don’t pick or eat the fruit from a fruit tree for its first three years producing. Instead, you let the fruit ripen and fall to the ground to rot naturally.” Continue reading...

Matt Kean’s comments come after Peter Dutton indicated support for nuclear energy could be part of future Coalition policy

Saving energy is ‘utterly essential’ to cut bills, end reliance on Russian oil and gas and slash emissions says agencyThe failure by governments and businesses to accelerate energy efficiency efforts is “inexplicable”, according to the head of the International Energy Agency.Fatih Birol said saving more energy was “utterly essential” in cutting household’s rocketing bills, ending reliance on fossil fuel regimes such as Russia, and rapidly lowering the CO2 emissions driving the climate crisis. Continue reading...

Treasurer Cameron Dick says government is talking to industry ahead of ‘announcement’ on royalties

New Zealand researchers identified tiny plastics, which can be toxic to plants and animals, in 19 snow samplesMicroplastics have been found in freshly fallen snow in Antarctica for the first time, which could accelerate snow and ice melting and pose a threat to the health of the continent’s unique ecosystems.The tiny plastics – smaller than a grain of rice - have previously been found in Antarctic sea ice and surface water but this is the first time it has been reported in fresh snowfall, the researchers say. Continue reading...

Minister says waste ‘weighs on everyone’s conscience’ as draft measures go to MPs for approvalSpain is aiming to crack down on food waste, with draft legislation setting out stiff fines for supermarkets that bin leftovers and requirements for bars and restaurants to offer doggy bags so that customers can take home leftovers.The goal of the draft bill, adopted on Tuesday by Spain’s Socialist-led government, is to reduce the figure of 1,300 tonnes of food wasted annually across the country, said Luis Planas, Spain’s agricultural, fisheries and food minister. That figure equates to 31kg a person. Continue reading...

Lord mayor says residents should make green choices but tenant’s union says onus should be on owners and government

University of Sydney’s Dr Hoan Dinh finds gene which makes barley resistant to fungal rust, a disease that decreases global food production by a tenth

Bird, named Noble X3C, landed unharmed and made successful first flight three days laterThey are known as agile, powerful and rapid flyers. But a young peregrine falcon has undermined the image of its species after an ungainly tumble from a cathedral tower.Named Noble X3C, the bird is one of four that hatched high on Salisbury Cathedral this spring, and was days away from being big enough to soar gracefully into the Wiltshire sky. Continue reading...

At least 15 people were killed last week and new low pressure system across region will bring more disruptionRecord-breaking rains that have battered parts of China and east Asia in the last week are expected to worsen, with authorities warning of an increased risk of floods.In the first week of China’s flood season, extreme rainfalls have caused floods and landslides, destroyed roads and infrastructure, and led to the deaths of at least 15 people. Floods, landslides and disruptions to water and electricity were reported in Shaoguan, in northern Guangdong province, and more than 800,000 people in Jiangxi were reportedly affected by torrential rains that have so far hit 80 of the province’s counties and damaged more than 76,000 hectares (188,000 acres) of cropland. Continue reading...

Artists, professors and environmentalists appeal to world body to remind council of duty to clean up messCulture sector workers, artists, professors and environmentalists living in Rome’s historic centre have urged Unesco to remind the city’s council of its duty to protect the world heritage site as they decried “mortifying” scenes of rubbish and other signs of decay.In a letter addressed to Lazare Eloundou Assomo, the chief of Unesco’s world heritage centre, and signed by 150 people, the group said its complaints to authorities in the Italian capital had been ignored. Continue reading...

President invokes Defense Production Act to increase production of solar panels, building insulation and other equipmentEnvironmental groups have welcomed Joe Biden’s invoking of national security powers to rapidly expand the production of clean energy technology as a significant advance in the effort to curb dangerous climate breakdown.Biden has triggered the Defense Production Act, a cold war-era law used to compel businesses to ramp up production of certain materials to aid national security, to boost the output of solar panels, building insulation, transformers for power grids and heat pumps, which are used to efficiently heat and cool homes. Continue reading...

People working with government on strategy say ambitious plans to tackle nature, climate and health crises have been ditchedThe government is expected to water down its upcoming food strategy for England, ignoring the ambitious recommendations proposed in two government-commissioned reports, campaigners say.The white paper, due later this month, was supposed to be a groundbreaking plan to tackle the nature and climate emergencies in response to eye-catching recommendations urged by the restaurateur Henry Dimbleby in his reports. Continue reading...

Edinburgh palaeontologist says smaller mammals are better able to cope with increased temperaturesThe climate crisis may lead the human race to shrink in size, as mammals with smaller frames appear better able to deal with rising global temperatures, a leading fossil expert has said.Prof Steve Brusatte, a palaeontologist at the University of Edinburgh, suggested that the way in which other mammals have previously responded to periods of climate change could offer an insight into humans’ future. Continue reading...

A Los Angeles-area air board faces questions over grant spending amid some of the worst air pollution in the USIn the course of an hour, more than a hundred big rig trucks chug through the aptly named city of Commerce. The heavily Latino community in Los Angeles intersects Interstate 710 – the main highway that moves cargo shipments from the nearby ports to their final destinations.Along with the merchandise they deliver – Amazon shipments, produce and Mitsubishis – the trucks emit significant amounts of air pollutants. As do the dozens of cargo ships that cluster outside the ports and the freight trains that transport goods. Continue reading...

Ex-UN climate envoy says continent’s need for energy is so great it should be able to widely use the fossil fuelAfrican countries should be able to exploit their vast natural gas reserves despite the urgent need to cut global greenhouse gas emissions, the former UN climate envoy Mary Robinson has said.Robinson, the chair of the Elders group of former world statespeople and business leaders, said African countries’ need for energy was so great that they should use gas widely, in contrast to developed countries that must halt their gas use as quickly as possible to stave off climate breakdown. Continue reading...

Abandoned marsupials and other trafficked species reveal the country’s growing illegal trade, driven by a desire for exclusive and costly status symbolsFrom the red-eared slider turtle, cockatoo and falcon to the yellow-cheeked gibbon, capuchin monkey and orangutan, nothing is too much for those demanding unusual pets in India. But it was the sight of three kangaroos wandering the streets of West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district in April that brought home the extent of the country’s exotic pet trade.The malnourished kangaroos were intercepted after tipoffs from local residents. One of the rescued marsupials later died, while the remaining two are recovering and will be rehomed at a nearby zoo. Continue reading...

Only about half the funds required are being provided by rich countries, according to a report by OxfamThe funding needed by UN climate disaster appeals has soared by more than 800% in 20 years as global heating takes hold. But only about half of it is being met by rich countries, according to a new report by Oxfam.Last year was the third costliest on record for extreme weather events such as droughts, floods and wildfires with total economic costs estimated at $329bn, nearly double the total aid given by donor nations. Continue reading...

NGOs argue priority list was drawn up without consideration of methane emissionsAn EU plan to fast-track funding and permits for 30 gas projects is facing a legal challenge from NGOs including ClientEarth and Friends of the Earth Europe.The European Commission has been asked to review its backing for infrastructure projects such as the EastMed pipeline, a 1,180-mile (1,900km) gas pipeline to connect offshore gas fields in Israel and Cyprus to Italy. Continue reading...

Santos has reported attempt to contact Tiwi land council over $4.7bn Barossa gasfield but federal court challenge claims it did not meet its legal obligationsTraditional owners from the Northern Territory’s Tiwi Islands have launched a legal challenge to the $4.7bn Barossa offshore gas project, saying they were not consulted about plans to drill the gas field.The project is a joint venture between Santos and SK E&S and will involve drilling for gas in the Timor Sea and transporting it via a 260km pipeline to the existing Darwin LNG facility.Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning Continue reading...

Alessandra Sampaio, wife of Dom Phillips, tells Brazilian authorities: ‘Please answer the urgency of the moment with urgent actions’The wife of a British journalist who has gone missing in a remote corner of the Brazilian Amazon notorious for illegal mining and drug trafficking has urged authorities to intensify their search efforts.Dom Phillips, a longtime Guardian contributor, vanished on Sunday morning while journeying by boat through the Javari region of Amazonas state where he was reporting for a book he is writing about conservation. Continue reading...

World risks ‘sleepwalking to disaster’, officials told, as Bonn summit envoys walk out during Russian addressDelegates have walked out of a session at a climate summit in Bonn on Monday as a Russian official made a speech, in a sign of the geopolitical tensions overshadowing the negotiations.The low-key protest marked the first intervention by Russia in a UN climate forum since the invasion of Ukraine, but it did not stop the talks. Continue reading...

Previous environment minister, Sussan Ley, declined to issue emergency protection to halt $4.5bn development on Western Australia’s Burrup peninsula

Analysts’ forecast comes as campaigners warn windfall tax package could harm climate effortsMore than £8bn of North Sea energy projects could now be given the green light rapidly as fossil fuel firms take advantage of a tax break in Rishi Sunak’s windfall tax, analysts have forecast.Last month the chancellor introduced the one-off levy on North Sea oil and gas operators who have raked in outsized profits as energy prices have boomed with the aim of raising £5bn to help fund measures to offset rising household bills. Continue reading...

City abandons €72m scheme to develop area and create huge garden in time for 2024 OlympicsProtesters in Paris are celebrating having saved more than 40 trees – one of them over 200 years old – from being chopped down or threatened with damage around the Eiffel Tower as part of a €72m scheme to create a huge garden.Paris’s city hall has been forced to row back on plans to clear the area around the structure on the Champ-de-Mars to improve access to the tower and make the traffic-clogged area greener in time for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Continue reading...

Testing by the Department of Defense revealed dangerous levels of the contaminants, drawing concern from public health advocatesDangerous levels of toxic PFAS are contaminating water supplies in areas around at least 12 military bases, new Department of Defense testing has revealed, drawing concern from public health advocates that the DoD is not doing enough to protect the public.The data released this week by the military shows levels for five kinds of PFAS compounds at what Scott Faber, vice-president of government affairs for Environmental Working Group, characterized as “extremely high” levels, and he said they present a health threat to residents living nearby. Continue reading...

Coalition of lawyers, journalists and campaigners challenge climate-busting mega projects exposed in Guardian investigation

ACT is the only jurisdiction bucking the trend of soaring power bills now plaguing the rest of Australia

As Russia seeks to strip Arshak Makichyan of his citizenship, he says negotiating with Putin on the Ukraine war or the climate crisis is impossible – and the west must act now for survivalArshak Makichyan made a name for himself as Russia’s ‘lone climate activist’, protesting for change in a country where oil and gas exports have propped up the country’s economy for decades.Every Friday, for nearly two years, Makichyan protested alone in Moscow’s Pushkin Square, hoping to draw Russian attention to the danger posed by climate change. Born in Armenia, but given Russian citizenship when he was 10, Makichyan graduated from a prestigious music conservatory and turned to activism after reading about climate change and Greta Thunberg’s weekly strikes. “I was representing Russia as a violinist on competitions, and I was organising Friday for Futures, so I had a feeling that I am a future of Russia,” he said. Continue reading...

Exclusive: invasive red-billed leiothrix could threaten native bird populations such as robins and blackbirds, researchers warnA brightly coloured subtropical songbird from Asia could colonise Britain’s gardens and change the dawn chorus for ever, a new paper warns.The highly invasive red-billed leiothrix could threaten native bird populations, particularly competing with garden birds such as the robin and blackbird, researchers say. Early signs suggest this little bird – olive green with a bright red beak and yellow throat – may already be establishing itself in gardens and woodlands in southern parts of the country. Continue reading...

Controversial asphyxiation method used in 73% of culls this year despite vets urging its use to be limitedThe US poultry industry has increasingly switched to “the most inhumane method available” to cull tens of millions of birds during the latest outbreak of avian influenza, according to government data.Outbreaks of the disease, also known as bird flu, have wreaked havoc across Europe and the US this year, with 38 million birds killed in the US so far.

Ideas shouldn’t be ruled out ‘simply because it’s unfashionable to talk about them’, Liberal leader says

Conservation groups welcome Palaszczuk government’s funding injection as part of broader threatened species package

Bowen blames decade of inaction on renewables and limitations on gas trigger for preventing a swifter fix