Environment | The Guardian

Angus Taylor briefs junior Coalition partner on policy proposal but any deal remains a long way off

List of facilities makes it clear that virtually no part of the US appears free from the potential risk of air and water contamination with the chemicalsThe US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified more than 120,000 locations around the US where people may be exposed to a class of toxic “forever chemicals” associated with various cancers and other health problems that is a frightening tally four times larger than previously reported, according to data obtained by the Guardian.The list of facilities makes it clear that virtually no part of America appears free from the potential risk of air and water contamination with the chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Continue reading...

Junior Coalition party briefed on Morrison government’s climate policy proposal by minister Angus TaylorThe Nationals leader, Barnaby Joyce, has suggested it is “highly unlikely” his party will agree to Australia significantly increasing its 2030 emissions reductions target, with the party room meeting on Sunday to discuss the Morrison government’s climate policy.The Liberal energy minister, Angus Taylor, spent three hours walking the junior Coalition partner through the government’s policy proposal, with the Nationals yet to make a decision on what they’re prepared to support. Continue reading...

Roadblocks have caused anger but members say only maximum economic disruption will make politicians listenThe riskiest time in Insulate Britain’s road block protests is before the police arrive, their activists say. When they targeted a busy junction of the A1090 in Thurrock, Essex, on Wednesday morning, just outside the eastern edge of London, the police didn’t appear for nearly an hour. No serious injuries were reported, but it was close.The first lorry, hurtling towards the T-junction, did not look like it was going to stop: it ground to a halt inches from the faces of three activists. Cars and vans mounted kerbs and central reservations to evade them. Motorists emerged from their vehicles, pink with rage, snatched protesters’ banners and dragged them from the road like ragdolls. Continue reading...

Results showed wetlands provide natural barriers offering protection against speed and turbulence of extreme storms, Australian researcher says

White House forced to rewrite domestic bill as it makes late bid to secure backing for international dealPresident Joe Biden is likely to abandon a clean energy programme that was the centrepiece of his efforts to tackle greenhouse gas emissions at home, US media reported, because of opposition from a swing-vote Democratic senator from a state with a historically large coal industry.Funding to replace coal- and gas-fired plants with wind, solar and nuclear generation was part of a massive budget bill that Biden is struggling to get through Congress. Continue reading...

More than 80 landowners and conservationists team up to design a new brokerage model

With weeks to go before the Cop26 climate summit, documents show PM being warned about the risks of damage to the UK from green investmentConfidential documents leaked to the Observer reveal an extraordinary rift between Boris Johnson and his chancellor, Rishi Sunak, over the potential economic effects of moving towards a zero-carbon economy, with just weeks to go before the crucial Cop26 climate summit.As Johnson prepares to position the UK at the head of global efforts to combat climate change and curb greenhouse gas emissions as host of the Glasgow Cop26 meeting, the documents show the Treasury is warning of serious economic damage to the UK economy and future tax rises if the UK overspends on, or misdirects, green investment. Continue reading...

AFL Players For Climate Action counts members from the men’s and women’s leagues and hopes to build club and fan support

Wildlife groups call for protection as numbers fall due to human activities around UK coastThis month should be prime pupping season on the spectacular Cornish coast, whose rich waters and sheltered coves attract grey and common seals from all around the British Isles and beyond. But wildlife groups are concerned that seal numbers appear to be lower than in previous years – and part of the reason is down to a rise in “silent” water sports.Up and down the country there has been an alarming increase in incidents where humans, dogs or drones have caused disturbance to one of the UK’s most important wildlife populations. The number of recorded seal disturbances in Cornwall alone has doubled since last year, according to data collected by the Seal Research Trust. It believes that the huge growth in kayaking, paddleboarding and wild swimming is now a significant factor. Continue reading...

Those who helped fuel China’s growth fear for livelihoods, while power shortages create transition dilemma for Xi JinpingWhen he was a little boy in the 1980s, Wang Xiaojun was taught to be proud of his home town of Lüliang in the north-western Chinese province of Shanxi. Shanxi is China’s biggest coal-producing region, and Lüliang was a significant base for the army during the second world war.Nestled in the mountains of the dusty Loess Plateau, Lüliang, a city of 3.4 million people, has had less to shout about in recent years. A series of corruption scandals in the city brought down several high profile officials shortly after President Xi Jinping came to power in 2013; there are concerns over the high number of babies born with congenital defects, blamed by experts on air pollution; and, last week, a huge flood forced coal mines to close just as China scrambles to tackle its energy crunch. Continue reading...

The mayor of Imperial Beach, California, says big oil wants him to drop the lawsuit demanding the industry pay for the climate crisisSerge Dedina is a surfer, environmentalist and mayor of Imperial Beach, a small working-class city on the California coast.He is also, if the fossil fuel industry is to be believed, at the heart of a conspiracy to shake down big oil for hundreds of millions of dollars. Continue reading...

An insider talks about efforts to cut methane, one of the most prevalent greenhouse gases but which has had little attentionWhile global climate efforts have tended to focus on the fight against carbon dioxide, many other threats that attract less attention are just as dangerous to our planet.Negotiations over these more granular issues take place away from the limelight. But the policies and agreements that emerge are some of the most vital steps in the fight against climate change.Every week we’ll hear from negotiators from a developing country that is involved in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations and will be attending the Cop26 climate conference. Continue reading...

Campaigners fear net zero strategy is being hamstrung by Rishi Sunak, who refuses to provide adequate fundingBoris Johnson faces a significant test of his leadership before the Cop26 climate summit as the chancellor and business secretary are at war over the imminent plan for reaching net zero carbon dioxide emissions.The government is poised to publish its long-awaited net zero strategy on Monday, setting out how the UK will meet its targets to cut CO emissions by 78% by 2035 and reach net zero by 2050. This will also include the heat and buildings strategy for insulating draughty homes and phasing out gas boilers, along with a massive expansion of offshore wind, and building electric vehicle charging networks. Continue reading...

Xi Jinping’s vision for a greener future was showcased at the UN biodiversity summit in Kunming this week, but what does it mean for China and the world?This week, China took charge of hosting a major UN environmental conference for the first time, at the opening of Cop15 in Kunming. The world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitter and largest consumer of natural resources might seem a strange choice to host talks to stop the destruction of ecosystems and mass extinctions of wildlife, but the conference marks a tipping point in China’s development and an international debut for “ecological civilisation”, a little-known phrase outside its borders with big implications for the planet.Amid uncertainty around whether President Xi Jinping will attend critical climate talks at Cop26 in Glasgow, the environmental slogan is at the heart of a potential misunderstanding between China and the west. Some commentators have been quick to suggest that Xi’s reported absence is proof that China has reverted to type, an example of the world leaders that “talk but don’t do” who have so irritated the Queen. But others point out that Xi, who has not left China since last year – he did not attend the UN general assembly in New York – and did not even travel to Kunming for the Cop15 summit that China was hosting this week, has been clear about his guiding principles on the environment. Continue reading...

Exclusive: The Australian Industry Group’s Innes Willox says the case for strong climate action has strengthened rapidly and the cost has turned out to be lower than expected

Rolls-Royce-led consortium already has £210m in private backing for plans to build 16 reactors across the countryThe government is poised to approve funding for a fleet of Rolls-Royce mini nuclear reactors that the prime minister hopes will help the UK reach his target of zero-carbon electricity by 2035.A consortium led by the British engineering firm had already secured £210m in backing from private investors for the small modular reactor (SMR) project, a sum that the government is expected to match or better. Confirmation is expected before the spending review on 27 October, according to well-placed sources. Continue reading...

Queen ‘irritated’ by lack of action, Prince William targets space race and Prince Charles appeals to businessesAs the UN Cop26 climate conference approaches, members of the royal family have increasingly been weighing in on green issues.The Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William have all made comments in support of taking more urgent action on the climate crisis in the past few days. Continue reading...

The best of this week’s wildlife pictures, including a rutting deer, a Javan langur and some cunning foxes Continue reading...

Government will call for producers and consumers of commodities such as soya and cocoa to commit to stopping land clearancesThe UK government is pushing for an ambitious agreement among world leaders at Cop26 to halt and reverse forest loss and degradation, the Guardian can reveal.Big producers and consumers of deforestation-linked commodities such as soya, cocoa, coffee and palm oil have been asked to commit to halting land clearances, the second largest source of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. A coalition of world leaders is expected to announce the initiative on the second day of the climate summit in Glasgow alongside new funding to protect forests. Continue reading...

Dutch team designed and built two-person van with kitchen, bed, shower, loo and range of up to 450 miles a dayA team of students from the Netherlands are due to complete an 1,800-mile (3,000km) road trip across western Europe in a solar-powered camper van that they designed and built themselves.The Stella Vita is designed for two passengers and has a kitchen, sitting area, bed, shower and toilet. Using solar energy alone, the vehicle can cover up to 450 miles on a sunny day, reaching a top speed of 75mph, as well as powering all the inside amenities, a TV and a laptop. Continue reading...

Legal setbacks in efforts to block a new lithium mine in Nevada’s Thacker Pass highlight how federal courts routinely fail to protect sacred landsGrowing up on the Duck Valley Reservation, Gary McKinney said he remembers hearing the stories of his ancestors’ brutal murders at Thacker Pass in northern Nevada.Tribal oral history depicts US soldiers killing dozens of Indigenous people in the late 1800s, including women and children, and leaving behind a burial ground with deep spiritual significance. The generations that followed have honored the expansive site with ceremonies while continuing to hunt and forage for traditional foods and medicines. Continue reading...

Governor Gretchen Whitmer has promised an ‘all-hands-on-deck’ approach to replace the lines within 18 monthsResidents of Benton Harbor, Michigan, a predominantly Black city that has dealt with elevated lead levels in its water for at least three years, have welcomed an announcement by the governor that all lead lines in the city would be replaced over the next 18 months.The governor, Gretchen Whitmer, promised an “all-hands-on-deck” approach to addressing the water crisis that has been plaguing this impoverished city since at least 2018. Continue reading...

Single-dose jab to be trialled in around 400 koalas at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital

Michael Goodhart shocked to see name backed by Restore Trust because he does not support its aimsA retired conservationist who was named by an ‘anti-woke’ insurgent group as a candidate it was backing for the coming National Trust elections says he was never consulted by the campaigners and is at odds with them.Michael Goodhart, 67, told the Guardian he was shocked to see his name topping a list of six candidates backed by Restore Trust because he did not support its aims ahead of what is tipped to be a turbulent National Trust AGM. Continue reading...

Move comes weeks after farmers began culling healthy pigs owing to lack of abattoir staffThe government has stepped in to counter a spiralling crisis on pig farms by allowing butchers to enter the UK on temporary visas, in the latest reversal of post-Brexit immigration policy.Butchers in abattoirs and meat processing plants dealing with pigs will be allowed to come to work in Britain for six months, the environment secretary, George Eustice, announced on Thursday evening. He said 800 butchers were needed to meet staffing shortages and get the situation under control. Continue reading...

Federal Liberal MP Rowan Ramsey says ‘we have to face up to what the world is doing and … have an intelligent debate’

António Guterres says current efforts are more consistent with global heating ‘way above 3C’Airlines and shipping companies have failed to cut their greenhouse gas emissions, and must step up with fresh commitments on the climate crisis as Cop26 approaches, the UN secretary general has said.António Guterres said current efforts were inadequate and would lead to catastrophic global heating. Continue reading...

ICJ ruling aggravates fractious relations between two countries and threatens to destabilise restive regionKenya’s president, Uhuru Kenyatta, has rejected a decision by the UN’s highest court to grant Somalia control of disputed waters in the Indian Ocean, saying it would “strain relations” between the neighbouring countries.The president accused the international court of justice of imposing its authority on a dispute “it had neither jurisdiction nor competence” to oversee after it delineated a new boundary that gives Somalia territorial rights over a large portion of the ocean, which is thought to be rich in oil and gas reserves. According to the new maritime border, Somalia has gained several offshore oil exploration blocks previously claimed by Kenya. Continue reading...

Nearly half the homes in the US use natural gas for heat, and they could pay an average $746 this winter, 30% more than a year agoGet ready to pay sharply higher bills for heating this winter, along with seemingly everything else.With prices surging worldwide for heating oil, natural gas and other fuels, the US government said Wednesday it expects households to see their heating bills jump as much as 54% compared with last winter. Continue reading...

Band announce a range of initiatives to reduce energy consumption, including stadium floors that harness fans’ kinetic energyColdplay have announced a new world tour, and with it a range of initiatives designed to mitigate its environmental impact.The band have pledged to cut CO2 emissions by 50% compared with their 2016-17 world tour, and “almost entirely” use renewable energy to power their stage show. Continue reading...

International Energy Agency warns shortage of gas and coal could trigger oil market reboundThe worldwide energy crisis has reignited demand for oil, posing a threat to the world’s climate ambitions and the global economic recovery from Covid-19, according to the International Energy Agency.The global energy watchdog said the shortage of gas and coal across the biggest economies, which has caused energy markets to rocket, could trigger a faster-than-expected rebound in the oil market and drive demand to above pre-pandemic levels as soon as next year. Continue reading...

Environmental protest group suspends direct action campaign with open letter to Boris JohnsonInsulate Britain has said it is pausing its roadblock campaign for 10 days, in a letter to the prime minister calling on him to “get on with the job” of insulating Britain’s homes.A spokesperson for the group said the decision was taken midway through last week, to give the government time to consider its demands. Its five-week campaign of direct action has caused disruption on motorways and busy roads in and around London. Continue reading...

Experts say loss of forests, which act as natural flood control mechanism, has worsened impact of heavy rainStorms and heavy rain have laid bare the scale of the destruction wreaked by massive fires on the Greek island of Evia, with communities now having to deal with flooding and mudslides.After a summer of record temperatures igniting unprecedented wildfires across Greece, authorities in affected regions have now been put on the defensive as the nation has been hit by a second bout of severe weather in less than a week. Continue reading...

From destructive land use to invasive species, scientists have identified the main drivers of biodiversity loss – so that countries can collectively act to tackle them

This autumn’s struggles with soaring gas prices shows ministers the market alone can’t deliver both security and affordabilityEach autumn, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the energy regulator Ofgem present a statutory security of supply report to parliament. Last December, the department concluded that the “gas system has delivered securely to date and is expected to continue to function well”. As has become BEIS’s mantra, the report noted that the UK benefits from “a diverse range of supply sources and sufficient delivery capacity to more than meet demand”, which is right when it comes to physical security of supply. Around half the gas we consume comes from the North Sea and we get the rest directly via pipeline from Norway – via two interconnectors from continental Europe – and as liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the global market.It is the case that the UK has enough pipes and terminals to deliver all the gas that we may need and more. However, the National Grid’s recent gas winter outlook 2021-22 makes clear the cause of the current crisis, explaining that: “the underlying market arrangements in the UK are predicated on the basis that the market will provide and that the market will balance itself”. This speaks to “price security”, the price UK consumers need to pay in order to attract sufficient gas to meet national demand.Michael Bradshaw is professor of global energy at Warwick Business School and a co-director at the UK Energy Research Centre Continue reading...

Mums for Lungs writes to health secretary calling for toxic wood-burning stoves to be banned by 2027Only seven councils in England have issued fines for toxic wood smoke, a total of 19 penalties in the past six years, despite more than 18,000 complaints.The campaign group Mums for Lungs, which gathered the data, has written to the health secretary calling for wood stoves to be phased out by 2027 because of the deceptively high levels of air pollution they emit. Continue reading...

The CEOs of Exxon, BP, Shell and Chevron face a Capitol Hill hearing on their climate crisis lies – will it mirror the downfall of big tobacco?Two weeks from today, Darren Woods will face a potential doomsday moment before the US Congress.As the CEO of ExxonMobil, Woods was paid $15.6m last year to run the richest, most powerful private oil company in history. But his earnings and influence will be on the line when he appears before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on 28 October. His testimony could mark the beginning of the end of big oil escaping legal and financial responsibility for the climate crisis. Continue reading...

Earth is already becoming unlivable. Will governments act to stop this disaster from getting worse? Continue reading...

Imagine if we knew that sometime in 2047 we would definitively move on from the industrial revolutionThe important thing about any agenda isn’t so much what’s on it, but what is missing. And so it is with the 21st UN climate change conference (Cop26), in Glasgow. There are some crucial issues up for discussion and negotiation: the $100bn finance promise, the 1.5C target and how to raise global mitigation ambition to meet it. But I have a proposal for something that is still firmly off the agenda, even though it would arguably do more than anything else to address the climate emergency.The problem with Cops – and I’ve been to a few – is that activity tends to substitute for action. The atmosphere is frenetic: people rush to and fro, from meeting to meeting, negotiation to negotiation, clutching bundles of paper, phones, laptops, and (if they are lucky) a hastily grabbed, limp sandwich. Some negotiators trundle everywhere with wheeled suitcases, stuffed with printed materials from every previous Cop – so they never have to miss an opportunity to refer directly to the Bali declaration or the Berlin mandate.Mark Lynas is a freelance writer working full-time on climate change Continue reading...

The mining magnate has been lobbying Nationals ahead of Cop26 and also wants clarity on Australia’s 2030 emissions target

Project aims to give scientists a better understanding of how global heating is affecting the species

Alisal fire has burned more than 15,000 acres in the Santa Ynez mountains and threatened more than 100 ranches and rural homesA wildfire raging through southern California coastal mountains threatened ranches and rural homes and kept a major highway shut down on Wednesday, as the fire-scarred state faced a new round of dry winds that raise the risk of infernos.The Alisal fire covered more than 15,000 acres (24 square miles) in the Santa Ynez Mountains west of Santa Barbara, and the number of firefighters was nearly doubled to 1,300, with more on the way. Containment remained at 5%. Continue reading...

Reserve Bank deputy governor Guy Debelle says other countries are adopting net zero policies, increasing the cost of emissions-intensive activities in Australia

Exclusive: ‘Red list’ report finds 30% of native species in decline due to loss of habitat, intensive farming and climate crisisThe common swift, common snipe and rook are among species slipping towards extinction in Europe, according to the continent’s latest “red list” report, which finds that one in five bird species is now at risk.From the Azores in the west to the Ural mountains in the east, birds that have been the cornerstones of European ecosystems are disappearing, according to the BirdLife International analysis, which is based on observations of 544 native bird species. Three species have become regionally extinct in Europe since the last report in 2015 – Pallas’s sandgrouse, common buttonquail and pine bunting. Continue reading...

From attacking people who are anti-nuclear to blaming Greens for lack of climate action, what was that about no partisan sniping or politicising?

State of emergency in Iqaluit, capital of Nunavut territory, as officials say they are testing water for petroleum hydrocarbonsOfficials in Canada’s northernmost capital have declared a local state of emergency after finding possible evidence of gasoline in the city’s tap water.Residents of Iqaluit, the capital of the Arctic territory of Nunavut, have been told not to drink, boil or cook with the city’s water. Continue reading...

Analysis: while the short-term consequences are grim, veteran analysts talk of a wobble rather than a fallChina’s decision to build more coal plants is a setback for climate action, but analysts say it could still meet its long-term emission reduction targets and may even have scope to raise its ambition at Cop26 in Glasgow.In recent days, Beijing has announced a buildup of coal capacity to address the most severe power cuts in a decade, which have caused rolling blackouts in half its provinces. Continue reading...

Prime minister under pressure to increase country’s 2030 emissions reduction goal but faces challenges from openly hostile Nationals

Bloc says it needs to play greater part in region, citing global heating and possible tensions over resourcesThe European Union has called for oil, coal and gas in the Arctic to stay in the ground, as it announced aspirations to play a greater role in the world’s northernmost region.The EU, which has three member states with Arctic territory, said there was a “geopolitical necessity” for it to be involved in the region, as global heating opens up competition for resources and the prospect of new shipping lanes. Continue reading...