Environment | The Guardian

The 10,000 miles of coastline host a stunning variety of creatures, so put on a diving mask or just a pair of wellies and go on the hunt

More than 21,000 old sites may be releasing forever chemicals' into land often left as open space

Water quality testing by campaigners shows levels up to 27 times acceptable limit for bathing as rowers told to take precautionsHarmful E coli bacteria have been found at very high levels at Henley, days before elite rowers compete in the international regatta there.Water quality testing in the Henley Mile, part of the regatta course outside the Oxfordshire town, has revealed mean levels of 1,213 E coli colony forming units (CFU) per 100ml of water, across 27 tests. Where E coli levels are above 900 CFU/100ml, the water quality is deemed poor, according to bathing water designations, and is a threat to public health. Continue reading...

Paulana Lamonier started Black People Will Swim in 2019 and has since provided free and low-cost lessons to over 2,500 Black and brown peopleValerie Spears hadn't planned on taking swim lessons when she RSVP'd to her high school reunion in New York City.But when Spears, a 72-year-old retiree who lives in Akron, Ohio, learned about a free class in Queens, she decided to pack her bathing suit.Top: Young swimmers and an instructor at the swimming lesson organized by BPWS on Thursday, 20 June 2024.

No one was present when sinkhole, 100ft wide and 30ft deep, suddenly collapsed field in Alton, north of St LouisA vast sinkhole has dramatically appeared in middle of an Illinois soccer pitch that was laid above a limestone mine, just days after amateur teams stopped using the grounds for practice.The collapse happened at Gordon Moore Park in Alton, Illinois, about 18 miles (30km) north of St Louis, Missouri, on Wednesday. The sinkhole appeared to be 100ft (30m) wide and 30ft (9m) deep. No injuries have been reported but all sports have been cancelled. Continue reading...

Court grants temporary halt to program designed to stop upwind' states from causing pollution that flows to downwind' neighborsConservative blocAlito - MajorityBarrett - MinorityGorsuch - MajorityKavanaugh - MajorityRoberts - MajorityThomas - MajorityJackson - MinorityKagan - MinoritySotomayor - Minority Continue reading...

Exclusive: Invasive Species Council demands audit of all defence sites after red imported fire ants detected at Swartz Barracks outside Queensland containment zone

Analysis from Bloomberg New Energy Finance says even if nuclear is successfully implemented it would be at least four times' more expensive than average cost of renewables

After being introduced to the state in the 1970s, there are now more attacks by moose than by puma and bears combined. Has the species become too successful?One morning in the winter of 1978, a handful of state wildlife staff huddled together in the Uinta Mountains in north-eastern Utah. Deep snows coated the peaks and filled the valleys. A pair of helicopters cruised over the frozen landscape, helping those on the ground search for their prize: a cow moose in a snowy meadow.Crouched in one of the aircraft, a man aimed his rifle: there was a sharp report, and the cow took off at a run. Within minutes her legs went wobbly as the tranquilliser in the dart took effect, and the crew landed and got to work. Continue reading...

Almost 15 years after federal law put free water on school menus, states still struggle with how to guarantee accessChristina Hecht remembers how water made its way into school lunch law because the process was unusually easy. Back in the mid-2000s, a researcher toured school cafeterias in California and wondered, What are these kids to do if they want a drink of water?" said Hecht, a policy adviser at the University of California's Nutrition Policy Institute.At the time, 40% of the state's schools failed to offer free water in their cafeterias. That fact eventually reached the then governor and former bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger, who moved to pass SB 1413 requiring schools to offer free, fresh water during mealtimes. Advocates then used California's example to convince US senators working on 2010's Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) - a federal package setting nutrition standards and food funding for public schools and childcare centers - to add drinking water to that legislation, too. Continue reading...

More than a third of Americans endure summers at least 1.5C hotter than the 1895 average, analysis showsAn onslaught of record-breaking heat across much of the US has provided yet another indicator of a longer-term issue - summers are progressively getting hotter for Americans in all corners of the country.The US climate scientist Brian Brettschneider has analysed almost 130 years of federal data and it shows that from New York to Los Angeles there are hotspots where summers have got significantly hotter in that time compared with the average levels of warming brought about by the burning of fossil fuels. Continue reading...

Walking a 100-mile stretch of coastline reveals how a pioneering project is transforming the seascape, rivers and land

About 230 cases filed against corporations and trade associations around world since 2015The number of climate lawsuits filed against companies around the world is rising swiftly, a report has found, and a majority of cases that have concluded have been successful.About 230 climate-aligned lawsuits have been filed against corporations and trade associations since 2015, two-thirds of which have been initiated since 2020, according to the analysis published on Thursday by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment. Continue reading...

State not acting fast enough to build desalination stations to deal with dwindling rainfall and resulting drought, say criticsOn 8 June, anger over months of water rationing spilled over in the drought-stricken central Algerian town of Tiaret, where balaclava-wearing demonstrators barricaded roads and burned tyres.Rationing had been introduced to deal with a drought in parts of Algeria and neighbouring Morocco where the amount of rainfall that had historically replenished critical reservoirs was much reduced. Taps had been running dry for months, forcing people in the region - a semi-arid, high-desert plateau increasingly plagued by extreme heat - to queue to access water. Continue reading...

Days of flooding have submerged homes and farmland across South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa and MinnesotaAt least two people have died as a result of devastating floods in the US midwest. Flood warnings remain in place across South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota as more rainfall and storms are expected to hit the region this week.More than 3 million people have been affected by days of flooding that washed away homes and submerged vast swaths of farmland. On Sunday, a railroad bridge connecting Iowa and South Dakota collapsed from flooding. Continue reading...

North Herefordshire candidate and chef also call for water industry overhaul and more support for farmersThe Green party and the celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall are calling for a protection zone" to be placed around one of the UK's most beautiful but threatened rivers and have demanded drastic" nationwide changes to the water industry's management and regulation.At a wild-swimming event on the River Wye on Wednesday, Fearnley-Whittingstall and the Green party's candidate for North Herefordshire, Ellie Chowns, both took dips, but only after measuring the level of pollution in the water. Continue reading...

Paper outlines different legal theories that could help governments pursue accountability for harmsCompanies have spent decades obstructing efforts to take on the plastics crisis and may have breached a host of US laws, a new report argues.The research from the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) details the widespread burdens that plastic pollution places on US cities and states, and argues that plastic producers may be breaking public-nuisance, product-liability and consumer-protection laws. Continue reading...

Climate campaigners and scientists disturbed over claims about global warming found in document obtained through Gipa laws

Charges are reasonable after July 2023 extreme weather event, prosecutors write in new memorandumProsecutors in Arizona could reasonably press homicide charges against big oil for deaths caused by a July 2023 heatwave, lawyers wrote in a new prosecution memorandum.[T]he case for prosecuting fossil fuel companies for climate-related deaths is strong enough to merit the initiation of investigations by state and local prosecutors," the document says. Continue reading...

As temperatures broil the US, experts share how to mitigate increased chances of heat illness and heatstrokeMillions of Americans are under a heat advisory as record temperatures scorch much of the country. Pregnant people are among the most at risk - they are more susceptible to heat exhaustion and other ailments. Extreme heat is associated with stillbirth, preterm birth and other adverse pregnancy outcomes. When we think of heat, a lot of us think of discomfort," said Blair Wylie, an OB-GYN who leads Columbia University's Collaborative for Women's Environmental Health. For pregnant patients, not only is it uncomfortable, it's actually risky."Public health experts and physicians explain the risks of extreme heat during pregnancy and share ways to stay safe. Continue reading...

We asked a naturalist, a writer, a champion surfer, a walker, a forager and a yoga teacher to tell us what makes the seaside so special

New law is too weak and has been made harder to enforce, while transport ministry has not taken sufficient action, groups sayGerman climate activists are taking the government to court for unconstitutional" climate policy, seeking to build on a landmark victory three years ago that they had hoped would force Europe's biggest polluter to clean up quickly.The activists argue that the new climate law is too weak, that a recent update makes it harder to enforce, and that inaction from the transport ministry, which has repeatedly failed to meet its emissions targets, will force tough measures on poor groups in the future. Continue reading...

Higher PFAS exposure could cause lactation to slow or stop altogether within six months, new research findsWomen exposed to toxic PFAS forever chemicals" prior to pregnancy face an elevated risk of being unable to breastfeed early, new research finds.The study tracked lactation durations for over 800 new moms in New Hampshire and found higher PFAS exposure could cause lactation to slow or stop altogether within six months. Continue reading...

Study finds carbon credits could raise billions for climate action but only with changes, such as rigorous standardsThe carbon-credit market must reform or go out of business", leading scientists have concluded in an international review of the offsetting industry.The market for carbon offsets shrank dramatically last year after a series of scientific and media reports found many offsetting schemes had little environmental impact. Continue reading...

Statutory nuisance complaint lodged by Save Windermere against United Utilities is a first over sewage pollutionCampaigners fighting to stop sewage discharges into Windermere, the Lake District's largest lake, have made a statutory nuisance complaint against a water company in the first legal action of its kind.The civil complaints are normally used in noise disputes, or over noxious smells. But the environmental barrister Nicholas Ostrowski has for the first time lodged a complaint on behalf of campaign group Save Windermere against United Utilities over raw sewage discharges into the lake. Continue reading...

Facing accusations from Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young that the approval of a Senex Energy coal seam gas project would threaten koala habitat, Labor senator Penny Wong defended the move, saying the approval comes with 'strict limits on habitat loss'

Environment minister gives go ahead for Senex Energy to develop and operate up to 151 new coal seam gas wells in inland Queensland

National Transportation Safety Board faults railroad company and contractors with unnecessary pollutionThe National Transportation Safety Board said that Norfolk Southern and its contractors unnecessarily burned toxic chemicals - including vinyl chloride - from its tank cars during the freight train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, last February, unleashing hazardous fumes into the air.In a board meeting on Tuesday, the NTSB said that an overheated wheel bearing caused the derailment, adding that Norfolk Southern and its contractors misinterpreted and disregarded evidence" in reaching its decision to execute a controversial controlled burn over concerns that the vinyl chloride could potentially explode. Continue reading...

Analysis of high-resolution drone imagery concludes 97% of corals died at a Lizard Island reef between March and June this year

John Podesta, Biden's top climate official, calls for other big economies to step in to help poorer statesThe US will continue to be a leader" in climate finance, the White House's top climate official has promised, though without specifying how much it would provide to poor countries.John Podesta, senior adviser to Joe Biden on international climate policy, also defended the large-scale US expansion of gas production, saying the world was fortunate America was strengthening its supply, given the demand for non-Russian sources after the invasion of Ukraine. Continue reading...

The movement is more than double that of east Africa's renowned great migration' and has continued despite decades of war and instabilityAn extensive aerial survey in South Sudan has revealed an enormous migration of 6 million antelope - the largest migration of land mammals anywhere on Earth. It is more than double the size of the celebrated annual great migration" between Tanzania and Kenya, which involves about 2 million wildebeest, zebra and gazelle.The migration in South Sudan blows any other migration we know of out the water," said David Simpson, wildlife NGO African Parks' park manager for Boma and Badingilo national parks, which the migration moves between and around. The estimates indicate the vast herds of antelope species ... are almost three times larger than east Africa's great migration. The scale is truly awe-inspiring." Continue reading...

Looking for ethical and delicious seafood? Here's our pick of shacks, cafes and shops selling shellfish, seaweed and fish

Misidentified reptile Ronaldo had not been in contact with any other snakes for at least nine yearsThe appearance of 14 baby snakes in a vivarium occupied by a Brazilian rainbow boa snake called Ronaldo was surprising on two counts.First, staff at the City of Portsmouth college had thought Ronaldo was a male; second the 1.8-metre (6ft) long reptile had not been in contact with any other snakes for at least nine years. Continue reading...

Coalition proposal would cost a minimum $116bn - the same as Labor's plan for almost 100% renewables grid by 2050, industry organisation says

Floods could leave coastal communities in states like Florida and California unlivable in two decadesSea level rise driven by global heating will disrupt the daily life of millions of Americans, as hundreds of homes, schools and government buildings face frequent and repeated flooding by 2050, a new study has found.Almost 1,100 critical infrastructure assets that sustain coastal communities will be at risk of monthly flooding by 2050, according to the new research by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). The vast majority of the assets - 934 of them - face the risk of flood disruption every other week, which could make some coastal neighborhoods unlivable within two to three decades. Continue reading...

Reef escapes being classed in danger' for now but the government must submit a progress report to World Heritage committee by February

Items containing forever chemicals' linked to cancer risk, lower fertility and developmental delaysA new law coming into effect in Colorado in July is banning everyday products that intentionally contain toxic forever chemicals", including clothes, cookware, menstruation products, dental floss and ski wax - unless they can be made safer.Under the legislation, which takes effect on 1 July, many products using per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances - or PFAS chemicals linked to cancer risk, lower fertility and developmental delays - will be prohibited starting in 2026. Continue reading...

The opposition claims Australia is an outlier in the developed world in not having nuclear, yet Germany and Italy have closed their plants

Threat notice' flags elevated supply risks, as expert warns problems will get worse without urgent addition of more backup resources

Scientists warn of scary' feedback loop in which fires create more heating, which causes more fires worldwideThe climate crisis is driving an exponential rise in the most extreme wildfires in key regions around the world, research has revealed.The wildfires can cause catastrophic loss of human life, property and wildlife and cause billions of dollars of damage. Scientists say this is climate change playing out in front of our eyes". Continue reading...

Speculative applications for renewables schemes are slowing clean electricity transition, study finds

The actor, who also appeared in Blue Crush and Hawaii Five-0, was a lifeguard and professional surfer, described as a legendary waterman'Pirates of the Caribbean actor Tamayo Perry has died following a shark attack in Hawaii.Perry, who also appeared in Blue Crush and Hawaii Five-0, was surfing at Malaekahana beach on the Hawaiian island of Oahu when he died on Sunday afternoon. Continue reading...

Climate experts and ministers say burying electricity cables could cost 10 times more than pylonsEnergy and climate experts have hit out at Conservative plans to hold a review into electricity pylons, saying the manifesto pledge could increase energy bills and make it harder to reach net zero.Industry sources and climate action groups have criticised the Tories over the party's manifesto commitment to hold a rapid review" of overhead pylons, which it announced amid mounting pressure from anti-pylon activists in rural areas. Continue reading...

Whether you want to volunteer or just get up close to marine life, here are some of the best places to visit for a fresh view of your shores

Callum the red deer was reportedly in poor condition with rotted teeth from being given wrong types of foodA Highlands red deer known to approach tourists for their snacks has been put down over health concerns.Callum the stag was a familiar sight at Torridon's Beinn Eighe car park, in the north-west Highlands, due to his willingness to walk up to tourists and accept food from human hands. Continue reading...

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Curiosity and a fascination with nature have brought volunteers together to survey sea life under the pier in Ryde on the Isle of Wight, to help experts gauge what's thriving - and what isn't

For generations the Gurung community in Taap, about 175km (110 miles) west of the capital, Kathmandu, and other villages in the districts of Lamjung and Kaski, have scoured the steep Himalayan cliffs for honey. The villagers say the proceeds, split among them, are drying up as the number of hives has declined over the past decade, although some also earn a living from growing crops of rice, corn, millet and wheat Continue reading...

From bees to burrowing owls, many species are adapting to urban environments and, with a little extra help from us, more could follow suitIn Sapzurro bay on the Colombia-Panama border, the blue land crab can be found scuttling around human infrastructure, burrowing in the nooks and crannies of the coastal settlement. The species, which can grow up to 15cm and ranges in colour from violet to bright cerulean blue, is considered critically endangered or vulnerable in this region, although it can be classed as invasive elsewhere. It traditionally lived in the region's rich mangrove forests, many of which have now been urbanised - habitat loss that scientists have blamed for the crab's decline.But when scientists studied the distribution of the species around Sapzurro bay, they were surprised to find it was still thriving in areas where vegetation had been eliminated: crawling in pastures, banana and coconut plantations, and scurrying below concrete structures. While burrows in urban areas were fewer and smaller, it had successfully built homes along sewage canals and among houses. Continue reading...

Almost a third of installers surveyed say finding skilled fitters is a barrier for customers, while 40% note lack of interestThe UK's drive to replace gas boilers with heat pumps is being stymied by a lack of consumer demand and a shortage of skilled installers to fit heat pumps where they are wanted, according to an industry survey.The most comprehensive poll of heat pump installers to date found that the biggest barrier was the low number of households choosing to get one fitted. Continue reading...