by Associated Press in Bellingham, Washington on (#5SCX1)
Western areas still assessing millions of dollars’ worth of damage from flooding earlier this monthResidents in Washington state were on Saturday preparing for possible flooding as “atmospheric rivers” once again threatened parts of the US north-west, which saw heavy damage from such extreme weather earlier this month.Flood watches were issued for much of western and north-central Washington and the National Weather Service (NWS) warned that flooding was possible through Sunday in north-western Washington. Continue reading...
When Cousin Greg was disinherited by his grandfather in favour of the environmental group, inquiries about such legacies soaredIn one bewildering and painful scene in the hit TV drama Succession, Cousin Greg sees his future of ease and wealth turn to dust. His grandfather, Ewan, announces he is giving away his entire fortune to Greenpeace, depriving Greg of his inheritance.Now Greenpeace is hoping to benefit in real life as well as in the fictional world of the media conglomerate Waystar Royco. Thousands of people have looked into leaving money to the environmental group since the darkly comic storyline about Cousin Greg losing his inheritance and then threatening to sue the organisation was broadcast. More than 22,000 people have accessed online advice about making donations in their wills to Greenpeace. The group’s legacy webpage has also seen a tenfold surge in traffic since the episode was first broadcast earlier this month. Continue reading...
Material Focus says tech superseded by purchases on Black Friday and beyond can be donated or recycledBlack Friday and pre-Christmas spending sprees will create an e-waste mountain as 5m unwanted electrical items are binned or put in storage in Britain, a campaign group has warned.The end-of-November sales event triggers the commercial run-up to Christmas and is followed days later by the Cyber Monday e-commerce frenzy, with retailers offering cut-price deals on a range of goods from mobile phones to laptops and smart speakers. Continue reading...
Move appears to contradict president’s climate crisis goals but some say it defends the economy ‘against disruption’In a surprising move, some climate crisis campaigners have praised Joe Biden for ordering the release of emergency oil reserves in an attempt to reduce energy prices across the country.On Tuesday, the president announced the release of a record 50m barrels of oil stored in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, in coordination with other countries including China, India and the UK. Continue reading...
Facing economic and environmental pressures, coal plants are closing across the US, leaving communities to work out how to keep afloatWhen the coal-fired power plant just outside the tiny town of Nucla, Colorado, closed in 2019, it had the makings of a disaster.The plant, which opened in 1959, shut down three years ahead of schedule when it ran out of coal, leaving the town shocked and facing the loss of its largest employer. The facility provided nearly half the tax revenue to the region, said Deana Sheriff, executive director of the West End Economic Development Corp, which serves Nucla and the surrounding area between Telluride and Grand Junction in western Colorado. Continue reading...
Overcrowding of western lowland gorillas in zoos has led regulatory body to consider drastic measuresCampaigners are hitting back at zoo proposals to cull adult male gorillas, arguing they should be returned to the wild instead.
Naturalist and campaigner Dave Bangs says limiting access to the countryside makes it harder to save our ancient landscapesIn a prehistoric bog where iguanodons once roamed and the early Britons first smelted ore into iron, what looks like a tiny orange candle peeps through the mire. It sends my companion into a paroxysm of joy.“That’s good! That’s new!” Continue reading...
Three people claim government is breaching right to life and family life by not doing what is needed to prevent disasterThree young people are taking legal action against the prime minister, accusing him of breaching his legal obligations to take “practical and effective measures” to tackle the climate crisis.In a high court hearing in London on Thursday, Adetola Onamade, 24, Jerry Amokwandoh, 22, and Marina Tricks, 20, claimed the government was breaching their rights under the Human Rights Act to life and to family life by failing to do what was necessary to avert environmental disaster. Continue reading...
Bob Ward, an adviser on two of the museum’s energy exhibitions, responds to a campaign letter expressing concern over its fossil fuel tiesAs an independent and unpaid adviser on two of the Science Museum’s energy exhibitions, I was disappointed to see your report about the campaign letter against it (Dozens of academics shun Science Museum over fossil fuel ties, 19 November), which risks delaying the rollout of clean energy. The well-meaning signatories state that they are severing links with the museum until each sponsor from the energy industry “demonstrates a credible plan to phasing out fossil fuels in line with the Paris 1.5C target”.The museum’s Our Future Planet exhibition has two major sponsors, Shell and UK Research and Innovation, the government funding body that has provided support for many of the signatories on the letter. Shell has set a target of cutting all sources of its emissions of greenhouse gases to net zero by 2050, like many countries that have pledged to keep in reach the 1.5°C target. The company undoubtedly needs to do much more, but its plan so far has persuaded ethical investors, such as the Church of England pensions board, to remain engaged. Cries of “greenwash” every time the company invests in the pursuit of, or information about, net zero are unlikely to accelerate its transition away from fossil fuels. Continue reading...
by Harriet Sherwood Arts and culture correspondent on (#5SBD0)
Breathe: 2022 by Dryden Goodwin will pay tribute to Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah of LewishamPublic artwork that pays homage to Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, whose exposure to air pollution contributed to her death at the age of nine, will go on display close to her south London home next year.Breathe: 2022 by Dryden Goodwin will appear at sites close to the South Circular road, which runs within 25 metres of the house where Ella lived. The artwork – a centrepiece of events marking Lewisham’s year as London borough of culture – revisits Goodwin’s 2012 creation Breathe, which depicted his five-year-old son inhaling and exhaling. Continue reading...
Number of products in UK containing MSC-certified sustainable seafood has grown by 57% in last five yearsEco-friendly pet food is on the rise as dog and cat owners become more aware of the impact of their beloved pet’s diet.New figures released exclusively to the Guardian show that the number of pet food products containing Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)-certified sustainable seafood has grown by 57% in the UK during the last five years, from 49 to 77. In the last year alone consumers bought more than 7m tins, pouches and packs of MSC-certified pet food. Continue reading...
Taxpayer may have to pay £1.7bn to power the firm’s ‘unsustainable’ business model on life-support this winterThe UK government has begun to count the cost of Bulb Energy’s collapse as many begin to wonder whether it is a fair price to pay for policymakers’ failure to spot a looming market breakdown.The life-support scheme set up to allow Bulb to keep supplying gas and electricity to its 1.7 million customers through the winter months could cost taxpayers up to £1.7bn, or £1,000 a customer, according to a court application to hand the company to a special administrator. Continue reading...
The rambunctious bird has inspired charity events, Halloween outfits and even been awarded a local celebrity prizeA Wisconsin city has been buoyed by a “rebel” wild turkey, residents say, with the bird inspiring charity events and Halloween outfits and even being awarded a local celebrity prize.The turkey, named Carl, has charmed locals in Kenosha ever since his arrival more than two years ago, and has since garnered a huge following. A Facebook group dedicated to the turkey, who stands at 2ft tall and is covered in rich brown plumage, has more than 5,000 members and is flooded by reports of sightings. Continue reading...
by Damian Carrington Environment editor on (#5SASN)
But 75% of waste is still plastic or polystyrene and ‘piecemeal’ government approach not good enough, say campaignersThe amount of waste washing up on the UK’s beaches is falling year by year, according to the results of the 2021 Great British Beach Clean, organised by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS).Volunteers found 385 pieces of litter for every 100 metres of beach on average, down from 425 in 2020 and 558 in 2019. Single-use plastic bags have fallen from a high of 13 for every 100 metres in 2013 to just three in 2021. The plastic bag charge introduced in 2015 has cut their use in supermarkets by 95%. Continue reading...
Report shows raw sewage spillages into coastal swimming waters increased by more than 87% in 12 monthsWater companies spilled raw sewage into coastal bathing waters used by holidaymakers and families 5,517 times in the last year, an increase of more than 87%, new data reveals.The discharges, through storm overflows, went on to beaches that were supposed to be the cleanest and safest in England and Wales, used by children, tourists, surfers and swimmers. Continue reading...
by Damian Carrington Environment editor on (#5SAQX)
Badgers, buzzards, dolphins and bluebells were all targets in the pandemic-hit year, but convictions fellReports of wildlife crimes surged in the pandemic-hit year of 2020, including badger setts being bulldozed by builders and birds of prey being killed near grouse moors, according to a new report by wildlife charities.The illegal taking of fish such as salmon from rivers and disturbance of seals and dolphins by people in boats also rose, the report found. Plants and fungi were also the targets of criminals, who snatched large numbers of mushrooms and bluebells to sell. At the same time, convictions for wildlife crime fell significantly. Continue reading...
Federal and state governments should spend more time trying to improve people’s lives and less time trying to keep them quietFor the past 20 years, human rights experts and lawyers have been sounding the alarm on Australia’s democracy and the increasing tendency among state and federal governments towards suppressing dissent from the community. Even more alarmingly, the criminalisation of protest and increasingly inflammatory rhetoric from police and politicians is accompanied by moves to neuter the legal frameworks established to hold lawmakers accountable.The jailing of a 22-year-old climate change protester is a prime example of this authoritarian tendency. Eric Serge Herbert was sentenced to 12 months in prison for his part in a two-week anti-coal protest under the banner of Blockade Australia. Herbert had blocked a coal train by climbing it in the Hunter region of New South Wales. Perhaps he got off lightly: the NSW police commissioner, Mick Fuller, had threatened to charge protesters who block rail lines with laws designed for those who wilfully seek to harm or kill rail passengers, which carry a maximum sentence of 25 years. Continue reading...
Warning to ‘get your fertilizer now’ as farmers postpone nitrogen purchases, raising threat of rush on supplies before planting seasonA global shortage of nitrogen fertilizer is driving prices to record levels, prompting North America’s farmers to delay purchases and raising the risk of a spring scramble to apply the crop nutrient before planting season.Farmers apply nitrogen to boost yields of corn, canola and wheat, and higher fertilizer costs could translate into higher meat and bread prices. Continue reading...
Analysis: less than 5% of the green power the supplier provided to homes was sourced directly from renewable energy projects last yearThe collapse of Bulb Energy this week follows a steady decline in its promises to customers.Britain’s fastest-growing energy supplier set itself apart as a challenger to legacy energy giants by claiming to offer better service and energy that was cheaper and greener. But was Bulb as green as it claimed to be? Continue reading...
Bulb has become the biggest energy supplier to go under since August. Its collapse brings the crisis to a new climaxThe crisis in the UK’s energy market has been growing in scale and seriousness for months. This week it claimed its latest corporate victim – and reached a tipping point. Bulb is the 23rd energy supplier to fail since August, but, unlike minnows such as Igloo and Neon Reef, it cannot easily be taken over by a rival. With turnover of £1.5bn, it is simply too big.Bulb will instead enter “special administration” and be run on behalf of the government until it can be broken up or sold off. Meanwhile, its 1.7 million customers will remain with the company and get the same corporate branding on their bills, even while taxpayers stump up for any immediate costs. Any final losses will be passed on to households through their fuel bills. Continue reading...
Conservationists hail move as ‘critical breakthrough’ to protect endangered shortfin mako, prized for meat, fins and sportfishingNorth Atlantic fishing nations have pledged to ban catches of the shortfin mako, the world’s fastest shark, in an attempt to save the endangered species.Conservationists, who have for years sought to better protect the mako, said the ban was a “critical breakthrough”. The effort to ensure agreement between fishing nations was led by the UK, Canada and Senegal. Continue reading...
Report shows raw sewage spillages into coastal swimming waters increased by more than 87% in the last 12 monthsWater companies spilled raw sewage into coastal bathing waters used by holidaymakers and families 5,517 times in the last year, an increase of more than 87%, new data reveals.The discharges via storm overflows hit beaches that are supposed to be the cleanest and safest in England and Wales, used by children, tourists, surfers and swimmers. Continue reading...
Hundreds of illegal goldmining dredges converge in search of metal as one activist describes it as a ‘free-for-all’Environmentalists are demanding urgent action to halt an aquatic gold rush along one of the Amazon River’s largest tributaries, where hundreds of illegal goldmining dredges have converged in search of the precious metal.The vast flotilla – so large one local website compared it to a floating neighbourhood – reportedly began forming on the Madeira River earlier this month after rumours that a large gold deposit had been found in the vicinity. Continue reading...
Northumberland national park | Solar panels | Care costs | Influencers | HouseworkIt’s not just Wales that is depleted of curlews (New initiative aims to save curlew from extinction in Wales, 22 November). Forty years ago, I regularly walked stretches of Hadrian’s Wall in the Northumberland national park to the constant warbling of curlews, which was almost deafening. This year, I did some of the same walks in total silence. I was deeply saddened by the absence of the beautiful, haunting song of the curlew, which is, ironically, the symbol of the Northumberland national park.
Exclusive: Natural Resources Commission report not released by state government calls for suspension of timber harvesting in three ‘extreme risk’ zones
Australian Energy Market Commission says Queensland and Victoria will enjoy biggest falls by 2024 as new large-scale solar plants join electricity grid
International Maritime Organization lacks urgency needed to tackle climate crisis, say campaignersA decision by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and its member states not to revise its emissions reduction strategy until the spring of 2023 has been criticised as “dangerous” by environmental campaigners.At the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) meeting, convened by the IMO, one of the first global green summits after Cop26, Kitack Lim, the UN body’s secretary general, told delegates: “The world is watching us.” And on Tuesday, the meeting chair, Hideaki Saito, spoke of the “urgency” of all sectors accelerating their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in light of the Glasgow climate pact earlier this month. Continue reading...
Industry leaders say Boris Johnson’s plan risks leaving behind motorists from poorer areasThe prime minister’s plan to mandate electric car chargers across all new homes in England from next year risks making access to charge points “exclusive”, leaving behind motorists from poorer areas, industry leaders have warned.Senior voices in the energy and motoring sectors said the plan for all new homes and buildings to be fitted with car charging infrastructure risks benefiting wealthier areas with space for off-street parking and leaving “blackspots” in areas where homes have less space. Continue reading...
Booming populations are a conservation success story, but not all terrorised residents are happy about itThere’s a violent gang stalking urban America.In New Hampshire a motorcyclist crashed after being assaulted. In New Jersey, a terrified postman rang 911 after a dozen members attacked at once. And in Michigan, one town armed public workers with pepper spray. Continue reading...
Farm animals are being used to prevent bird strikes as numbers of geese boom around Schiphol, one of Europe’s busiest flight hubsA group of animals has been drafted in to combat a hazard in the skies above the runways of Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, the Netherlands’ aviation hub.A six-week pilot project is studying whether a small herd of pigs can deter flocks of geese and other birds attracted to discarded sugar beet on nearby farmland. Continue reading...
National Trust says tree giving growing in popularity but only 7% know best season to plantFor centuries people have said it with flowers but research suggests a new tradition is gaining popularity in the UK – expressing love, thanks, perhaps even regret with the gift of a tree.A third of people said they would consider saying it with a tree rather than a bouquet and more than one in 10 had already done so, according to the research commissioned by the National Trust. Continue reading...
Kashmiri farmers lose half their harvest to early snows for third year, with fears for future of the region’s orchardsThe homegrown apple is in danger of becoming a rarity in India, as farmers have lost up to half their harvest this year, with predictions that the country’s main orchards could soon be all but wiped out.Early snowfalls in Kashmir, where almost 80% of India’s apples are grown, have seen the region’s farmers lose half their crops in the third year of disastrous harvests. Continue reading...
Two giant chimney stacks and aboiler have been demolished at thedefunct Wallerawang power station, near Lithgow on the western edge of the Blue Mountains in NSW. The controlled explosions of the175-metre chimneys at the former coal-fired power station come with plans to repurpose the site into a mixed industrial, residential and tourism development with plans for a giant battery almost complete
The 175-metre chimneys at Wallerawang on the edge of the Blue Mountains collapsed in secondsExplosive engineers have demolished two giant chimney stacks and a boiler at a defunct coal-fired power station west of Sydney as part of efforts to transform the site.The 175-metre chimneys at Wallerawang have loomed large for residents of Lithgow, a town on the western edge of the Blue Mountains that is home to two coal-fired plants and coalmines. Continue reading...
Activists say ad could encourage driving in ecologically sensitive areas and accuse ASA of biasEnvironmental campaigners have accused the UK advertising watchdog of bias for overturning a draft ruling that banned adverts for a mud-splattered Land Rover Defender off-roader after previously saying it encouraged “socially irresponsible” driving that could “cause damage to vulnerable habitats”.The national newspaper ad featured a Defender in a forest with the headline “Life is so much better without restrictions”. Text accompanying the ad said the 4x4 had the “capacity to go almost anywhere and do anything. If you take one for an extended test drive … a whole new world of freedom awaits”. Continue reading...
The move has sparked backlash from the $88m industry even as incidents of whales getting trapped in fishing gear have increasedThose hoping to snag a Dungeness crab for their Thanksgiving table may find them in short supply this year, after the commercial crabbing season was delayed again in parts of California over concerns for the endangered humpback whales that share their waters.Humpback entanglements in the heavy ropes used by commercial crabbers have been on the rise in recent years, resulting in deaths and injuries to dozens of the imperiled whales. The delay marks the second time state officials have pushed back the commercial crabbing season this year in an effort to reduce entanglements. Continue reading...