Government scheme to penalise pollution from burning rubbish won't ensure more is recycled, consultants warnCouncils may be forced to send more rubbish to landfill or export it overseas because of a new pollution tax set to be imposed on the UK's network of waste incinerators.There are already more than 60 energy-from-waste incinerators across the UK and the Observer revealed in December that as many as 40 new plants are in the pipeline. Many local councils have supported the policy of burning waste, which is cheaper than sending it to landfill. Continue reading...
A West End play reveals the way in which powerful vested interests brought about the demise of the climate protocolIn his review of the play Kyoto (The Kyoto climate treaty is hailed on stage, but reality tells a different story", Focus), Robin McKie rightly points out that the world is failing dismally to effectively get a grip on the climate crisis.Richer countries that were part of the Kyoto bloc - mostly European nations - put in place extensive policies to implement the treaty's legally binding targets: the UK's 2008 Climate Change Act, widely emulated across the world, is one example. Climate laws multiplied after 1997. All countries with targets met them, renewables spread much more quickly than expected, and emissions in the Kyoto bloc fell by over 20%, at least partly because of these policies. Continue reading...
The chancellor is under fire after a study cited as evidence for expanding the terminal to boost the UK's economic growth was ordered by Heathrow itselfRachel Reeves was facing criticism on Saturday night as it was confirmed that a report she cited as evidence that a third runway at Heathrow would boost the UK economy was commissioned by the airport itself.Experts and green groups also challenged Reeves's view that advances in the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) had been a gamechanger" that would substantially limit the environmental damage of flying, saying the claims were overblown and did not stand up to scrutiny. Continue reading...
The horticultural charity's showpiece garden in Surrey is setting aside an space to test human waste fertiliserFor more than 200 years, gardeners at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) have been reaping the benefits of using compost and manure in their flowerbeds.But until now, they have never had the satisfaction of using compost created from their own human waste. Continue reading...
Minister says there was error when Manningtree station car park extension was approved under last governmentCampaigners have celebrated an important victory" in a closely watched case that will determine whether the government will enforce new legislation aimed at protecting national parks and landscapes in England.Dedham Vale is a designated national landscape" on the border of Essex and Suffolk, home to increasingly rare species including hazel dormice and hedgehogs. Within it is Manningtree station, where the train operator Greater Anglia built an extension to the car park to cope with increased traffic. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Chief climate adviser calls on Starmer to make strong, confident' case for green UK that public can buy intoEnsuring that the costs of decarbonisation are shared fairly across society must be a top priority for ministers or they risk losing public support for net zero, the UK's chief climate adviser has warned.Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves should be making a strong, confident" case for decarbonisation as an engine of economic growth, according to Emma Pinchbeck, the chief executive of the Climate Change Committee, the independent statutory adviser. Continue reading...
Forest service website among many sites affected as agencies scramble to comply with president's ordersOn Thursday, the Trump administration ordered the US agriculture department to to take down its websites documenting or referencing the climate crisis.By Friday, the landing pages on the United States Forest Service website for key resources, research and adaptation tools - including those that provide vital context and vulnerability assessments for wildfires - had gone dark, leaving behind an error message or just a single line: You are not authorized to access this page." Continue reading...
by Phoebe Weston and Leyland Cecco in Toronto on (#6TZA8)
Sharp rise in population in 11 of 16 cities expected to continue as rising temperatures make it easier for the animals to breed, say researchersRat numbers are soaring in cities as global temperatures warm, research shows.Washington DC, San Francisco, Toronto, New York City and Amsterdam had the greatest increase in these rodents, according to the study, which looked at data from 16 cities globally. Eleven of the cities showed significant increasing trends in rat numbers", said the paper published in the journal Science Advances, and these trends were likely to continue. Continue reading...
by Kiran Stacey, Jessica Elgot, Peter Walker and Matt on (#6TZ88)
Exclusive: MPs and ministers say they would oppose Starmer if he tries to approve Rosebank developmentSenior Labour figures are warning of a serious fight if Keir Starmer tries to give the go-ahead to a giant new oilfield off Shetland later this year.MPs and ministers have told the Guardian they are prepared to oppose the UK prime minister should he try and give final consent to the Rosebank development, which is Britain's biggest untapped oilfield. Continue reading...
Brown trout unlikely to survive in most rivers at height of summer by 2080, says Environment AgencyIt has been native to Britain for thousands of years and was heralded as the national fish on the BBC's Springwatch, but a government report suggests the brown trout risks being wiped out in large parts of England within decades.The first national temperature projections for English rivers by the Environment Agency forecasts that by 2080 the water will be too warm almost everywhere in England at the height of summer for the Salmo trutta species to feed and grow. Continue reading...
Grassland for livestock faces largest cut, so people will be encouraged to eat less meat, says environment secretaryFarmland in England will be reduced by more than 10% by 2050 under government plans, with less meat produced and eaten by the country's citizens.The environment secretary, Steve Reed, launched the government's blueprint for land use change on Friday, designed to balance the need to build infrastructure and meet nature and carbon targets. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Labour and Green MPs write to regulator's chief executive voicing fears about an expensive public bailoutA group of 30 Labour and Green MPs have written to Ofwat to demand that Thames Water is taken into special measures.In an open letter to David Black, the chief executive of the regulator, the MPs expressed fears of an expensive public bailout and demanded that Thames Water be placed into the special administration regime (SAR) and restructured under public oversight. Continue reading...
Preliminary research provides rare insight in to the reptile's habits and movement across urban landscapesNew research has revealed surprising details about the secret lives of crocodiles swimming through Florida's waterways, including the long distances some travel in search of food and shelter, and their ability to slither unnoticed through populous neighborhoods.The preliminary study provides rare insight into the habits and habitat of the species in a state more commonly associated with its estimated 1.5 million alligators. Florida has a non-hatchling population of about only 2,000 American crocodiles, the researchers say, which made it difficult initially to find and tag a sufficient number of the reptiles in urban areas in order to observe them. Continue reading...
Scheme backed by 170m fund crucial to getting agreement from farmers, politicians and environmental groupsPlant-based foods are the future." That is not a statement you would expect from a right-wing farming minister in a major meat-producing nation. Denmark produces more meat per capita than any other country in the world, with its 6 million people far outnumbered by its 30 million pigs, and it has a big dairy industry too. Yet this is how Jacob Jensen, from the Liberal party, introduced the nation's world-first action plan for plant-based foods.If we want to reduce the climate footprint within the agricultural sector, then we all have to eat more plant-based foods," he said at the plan's launch in October 2023, and since then the scheme has gone from strength to strength. Backed by a 170m government fund, it is now supporting plant-based food from farm to fork, from making tempeh from broad beans and a chicken substitute from fungi to on-site tastings at kebab and burger shops and the first vegan chef degree. Continue reading...
The decision to expand Heathrow is just the latest evidence that my party is chasing policies that serve profit, not peopleChancellor Rachel Reeves's recent big growth agenda" speech wasn't just the expression of a vision for the economy. It was also a warning shot to wavering Labour MPs. The message was blunt: get on board with the government's economic strategy or step aside. Growth, we were told, is the non-negotiable mission.This was not a sudden shift but a reaffirmation of her stance at Davos, where she made clear that the answer can't always be no". That answer, now firmly codified, prioritises GDP growth above all else. Heathrow airport expansion is in; net zero, bats and newts are out. The promise? A revitalised economy, busy high streets and more bobbies on the beat - a Labour-friendly vision of progress designed to bolster morale and stuff leaflets with good news" ahead of the next election.Clive Lewis is the Labour MP for Norwich South Continue reading...
Minister to announce consultation that will exclude certain areas from housing, solar panels and onshore windValuable farmland will be protected from housing, solar panels and onshore wind under a new land use framework, the government has announced.The environment secretary, Steve Reed, will announce a consultation into how the limited land in England should be used and where is best to farm, restore nature or build infrastructure. Continue reading...
by Damian Carrington Environment editor on (#6TYM3)
Tiny plastic pollution more than 50% higher in placentas from preterm births than in those from full-term birthsA study has found microplastic and nanoplastic pollution to be significantly higher in placentas from premature births than in those from full-term births.The levels were much higher than previously detected in blood, suggesting the tiny plastic particles were accumulating in the placenta. But the higher average levels found in the shorter pregnancies were a big surprise" for the researchers, as longer terms could be expected to lead to more accumulation. Continue reading...
Officials are making clean-energy moves in California, New York and beyond, and Republican states will be integral tooAs the Trump administration rolls back decades-old environmental protections and pulls Biden-era incentives for renewable energy, state-level advocates and officials are preparing to fill the void in climate action.Some state leaders are preparing to legally challenge the president's environmental rollbacks, while others are testifying against them in Congress. Meanwhile, advocates are pushing for states to meet their ambitious climate goals using methods and technologies that don't require federal support. Continue reading...
Road outside high court blocked in protest at draconian' sentences given to 16 Just Stop Oil political prisoners'Hundreds of protesters have blocked the road outside the high court in London, where the appeals of 16 jailed climate activists are being heard, in condemnation of the corruption of democracy and the rule of law".As England's most senior judge heard arguments in the appeal of the sentences of the Just Stop Oil activists, who are serving a combined 41 years in jail, their supporters sat on the road in silence holding placards proclaiming them political prisoners". Continue reading...
While the US president seems hellbent on securing Greenland, local experts advise that achieving control of its potentially lucrative shipping route will be no mean featIf shipping boss Niels Clemensen were to offer any advice to Donald Trump or anyone else trying to get a foothold in Greenland, it would be this: Come up here and see what you are actually dealing with."Sitting on the top floor of his beamed office in Nuuk harbour, where snow is being flung around by strong winds in the mid-morning darkness outside and shards of ice pass by in the fast-flowing water, the chief executive of Greenland's only shipping company, Royal Arctic Line, says: What you normally see as easy [setting up operations] in the US or Europe is not the same up here." As well as the cold, ice and extremely rough seas, the world's biggest island does not have a big road network or trains, meaning everything has to be transported either by sea or air. I'm not saying that it's not possible. But it's going to cost a lot of money." Continue reading...
Court says UK government green light for Rosebank and Jackdaw permits does not take into account CO emissionsThe decision to greenlight a giant new oilfield off Shetland has been ruled unlawful by the courts, in a major win for climate action that scientists say is urgently needed.The proposed Rosebank development - the UK's biggest untapped oilfield - had been given the go-ahead in 2023 under the previous government. Continue reading...
Our rivers, our wildlife, the air we breathe: the government is sacrificing all to the insatiable god of GDP - and mocking our objectionsI can scarcely believe I'm writing this, but it's hard to dodge the conclusion. After 14 years of environmental vandalism, it might have seemed impossible for Labour to offer anything but improvement. But on green issues, this government is worse than the Tories.The last prime minister to insist that growth should override every other consideration, and to fling insults at anyone who disagreed, was Liz Truss. She called those of us seeking to defend the living world an anti-growth coalition", voices of decline" and enemies of enterprise" who don't understand aspiration". Continue reading...
Populations have been falling for decades, even in tracts of forest undamaged by humans. Experts have spent two decades trying to understand what is going onSomething was happening to the birds at Tiputini. The biodiversity research centre, buried deep in the Ecuadorian Amazon, has always been special. It is astonishingly remote: a tiny scattering of research cabins in 1.7m hectares (4.2m acres) of virgin forest. For scientists, it comes about as close as you can to observing rainforest wildlife in a world untouched by human industry.Almost every year since his arrival in 2000, ecologist John G Blake had been there to count the birds. Rising before the sun, he would record the density and variety of the dawn chorus. Slowly walking the perimeter of the plots, he noted every species he saw. And for one day every year, he and other researchers would cast huge mist" nets that caught flying birds in their weave, where they would be counted, untangled and freed. Continue reading...
Solution to stop River Severn fish being sucked into cooling systems taking too long to resolve, EDF saysThe owner of Hinkley Point C in Somerset has warned that the much-delayed construction of Britain's first new nuclear power plant in a generation could face further hold-ups because of a row over its impact on local fish.The nuclear developer, EDF Energy, warned that the lengthy process" to agree to a solution with local communities to protect fish in the River Severn had the potential to delay the operation of the power station". Continue reading...
Rare snowfall leads to 17 turtles stranded and suffering from condition before being brought to center for rehabbingAn arctic blast that brought rare snowfall to northern Florida last week left green sea turtles as far south as St Augustine suffering from a condition known as cold-stunning.Seventeen sea turtles that were found stranded along Florida's north-eastern Atlantic coast were brought to the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, north of West Palm Beach, where they are rehabbing. Continue reading...
by Damian Carrington Environment editor on (#6TXDD)
As UK chancellor backs expansion at London's biggest airport, we assess the possible environmental impactsMore climate-heating carbon emissions, more people enduring noisy aircraft over their homes and, most likely, more air pollution - these would be the environmental impacts of building a third runway at Heathrow airport, a plan that has been backed by the chancellor, Rachel Reeves.Despite many years of lobbying for a third runway, there is no current proposal that can be analysed for its environmental impacts. However, the last proposal was extensively assessed by the Airports Commission (AC) in 2017 and remains relevant. Continue reading...
Jose Mari Olano says sorry after cameras appear to capture him scrolling through bottles of wines and spiritsA People's party (PP) politician in the city of Valencia has apologised after cameras appeared to capture him shopping online for wine and spirits as his fellow city councillors debated additional funding for areas affected by October's deadly floods.Nearly three months after flash floods ravaged part of the Valencia region, turning streets into rivers, sweeping away cars and killing more than 220 people, many continue to reel from the worst natural disaster to hit Spain this century. Continue reading...
by Nina Lakhani climate justice reporter on (#6TX5W)
Saket Soni, founder of Resilience Force, says skilled restoration workers, with a range of legal statuses, are doing the arduous task of repairing US cities affected by disastersTrump's immigration crackdown could cause chaos for communities trying to rebuild after devastating wildfires and floods, as the vast majority of skilled disaster-restoration workers are immigrants, a leading expert has warned.Republican and Democratic voters across the US are reeling from climate-fueled disasters, with thousands of homes and businesses destroyed and damaged by the ongoing fires in Los Angeles, as well as major hurricanes in Florida, Texas, North Carolina and Georgia last year. Continue reading...
Labour is constantly torn between its self-image as a party of radical change and its fear of alienating voters with the wrong kind of radicalismWhen Keir Starmer became Labour leader he was unpractised in politics. For advice, he naturally turned to someone who had done his job before and with whom he had a good personal rapport: Ed Miliband.As Starmer grew in confidence he stayed friendly with Miliband, deferential to his status as a veteran of government and appreciative of his sincere enthusiasm for the energy and climate brief. But the new leader was also ruthlessly focused on winning power, and increasingly alert to toxicities in the Labour brand. He was persuaded that the journey to Downing Street could be completed only by jettisoning policy baggage and paying less heed to people associated with past failure. Continue reading...
Whale watchers capture rare footage of miles-long cluster of dolphins just having a great time'A miles-long cluster of dolphins has been filmed leaping and gliding across Carmel Bay off the central coast of California, forming an unusual super pod" of more than 1,500 of the marine creatures.They were on the horizon I feel like as far as I could see," said Capt Evan Brodsky, with Monterey Bay Whale Watch, who captured drone footage of Friday's huge gathering of Risso's dolphins. Continue reading...
Cold weather causes leak at Johnstown Flood Museum, which commemorates 1889 catastrophe that killed 2,209A museum dedicated to commemorating the victims of a 19th-century flood in Pennsylvania has temporarily closed due to flooding - caused on the inside of the facility by a water leak stemming from recent, extremely cold weather, officials said on Monday.Fortunately for its patrons, the Johnstown Flood Museum said on its social media accounts that nothing of historic significance was affected" by the interior inundation. Continue reading...
Research provides more evidence that food is a potentially overlooked exposure route to toxic forever chemicals'Produce grown in home gardens around a North Carolina PFAS plant contain dangerous levels of the chemicals, new research has found, providing more evidence that food is a potentially overlooked exposure route to the compounds, especially when grown near polluters.The study's authors say findings point to much of the contamination resulting from air emissions, which research increasingly suggests is an underestimated source of PFAS pollution. Continue reading...
Lib Dem Tim Farron seeks law to protect fund as Treasury tries to take control of 11mFines from water companies that pollute rivers must be ringfenced by law to be spent on restoring water quality in rivers, MPs will urge.The Treasury is trying to take control of 11m in fines from water companies, which was intended for small charities to restore rivers, in a move criticised by river restoration campaigners as appalling". Continue reading...
The Hollywood actor was stopped mid-scene as a man and a woman climbed on stage at London's Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Hayley Walsh, 42, a lecturer from Nottingham, and Richard Weir, 60, a mechanical engineer from Tynemouth, set off a confetti cannon and held up a banner referring to the 1.5C global temperature rise as a 'shipwreck', a nod to the Shakespeare play that features a ship sinking at sea
Two protesters walk on stage to boos and some cheers during performance of The Tempest in West EndTwo Just Stop Oil supporters have disrupted a West End performance of The Tempest starring Sigourney Weaver.In a video shared to social media by the climate protest group, Hayley Walsh and Richard Weir can be seen walking on stage where Weaver, 75, was performing at the Theatre Royal in Drury Lane on Monday. Continue reading...
by Pippa Crerar Political editor and Aletha Adu on (#6TVVX)
Chancellor reassures Labour colleagues that climate concerns go hand in hand' with economic ambitionsRachel Reeves has told MPs the government needs to go further and faster" to increase economic growth, as Downing Street sought to reassure people concerned about the environment that net zero and increasing output go hand in hand".The chancellor has unnerved some Labour MPs and green campaigners with her increasingly punchy rhetoric about growth being a priority over preventing climate change, as she strives to improve the UK's anaemic forecasts and drive up living standards. Continue reading...
An economic shift raises alarming questions about government vision, priorities and commitment to transformative policiesTo hear Labour's economic message, one might wonder if Downing Street has developed an unlikely admiration for Liz Truss. Given its focus on growth through cutting planning regulations, reducing welfare budgets and removing dissenting bureaucrats, some believe Labour is in danger of echoing not just the spirit but the substance of Ms Truss's brief, ill-fated tenure. For a party that rose to power criticising the Tory right's ideological misadventures, this shift in tone is striking.Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves may see Labour's sinking poll ratings as reason to align with their opponents, adopting policies - like curbing legal challenges to planning decisions - few rightwingers would contest. In a speech later this week, Ms Reeves plans to give the go-ahead for a third runway at Heathrow, a divisive choice even within Labour that has earned support from the Tory leader, Kemi Badenoch.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...
Energy secretary insists there is no contradiction between net zero and economic growth' in hearing at Commons committeeThe hearing has stopped for a short break. Heather Hallett, the chair, tells Badenoch that her evidence will be finished by lunchtime.Keith is now asking Badenoch about the fourth report produced by the Race Disparity Unit. It was produced in December 2021.Relevant health departments and agencies should review and action existing requests for health data, and undertake an independent strategic review of the dissemination of healthcare data and the publication of statistics and analysis.Government is not necessarily great at delivering these systems. They tend to be big boondoggles for the private sector, but there are private sector companies that can deliver this. There need to be caveats around that. Continue reading...
Discovery of H5N9 came alongside detection of the more common H5N1 on the farm, leading to 119,000 birds' deathsThe first outbreak of a rare bird flu in poultry has been detected on a duck farm in California, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) said on Monday.Authorities said the discovery of H5N9 bird flu in poultry came alongside the detection of the more common H5N1 strain on the same farm in Merced county, California, and that almost 119,000 birds on the farm had been killed since early December. Continue reading...
Marathon Petroleum said a massive fire at its Louisiana refinery caused no offsite impacts'. Reporting by the Guardian and Forensic Architecture raised doubts about this claim
Project providing subsidies to install solar batteries and electric appliances part of Labor deal with crossbenchersSuburb-wide electrification trials are set to be rolled out across the country under an intervention designed to help spark the household transition from gas.The climate change and energy minister, Chris Bowen, has formally directed the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (Arena) to consider funding more pilots like Electrify 2515, a community-led initiative to electrify 500 homes in one postcode in Wollongong, NSW. Continue reading...
Complaint says Chemours factory dramatized in Hollywood movie Dark Waters continues to pollute West Virginia riverThe chemical giant Chemours's notorious West Virginia PFAS plant is regularly polluting nearby water with high levels of toxic forever chemicals", a new lawsuit alleges.It represents the latest salvo in a decades-old fight over pollution from the plant, called Washington Works, which continues despite public health advocates winning significant legal battles. Continue reading...
This week the EU will argue the UK's ban on catching the tiny fish, celebrated by conservationists, amounts to discrimination against Danish fishersWe did it!" These were the words uttered by the RSPB last year when, after 25 years of campaigning, the UK government banned fishing for sandeels in the North Sea and Scotland. The small eel-like fish might not seem a likely species to inspire a decades-long fight - but they are the treasured food of one of Britain's rarest and most threatened seabirds, the puffin, as well as many other UK seabirds and marine species.The celebrations, however, were short-lived. The EU threw its weight behind Denmark - the country with by far the biggest sandeel fishing fleet - and challenged the ban, meaning that this week, the humble sandeel will become the focus of the first courtroom trade battle between the UK and the EU since Brexit. Continue reading...