Bolsonaro’s ‘destruction package’ is seen as the greatest threat to the rainforest since he took powerBritish supermarkets will look at alternatives to Brazilian soy if president Jair Bolsonaro and congress passes new legislation this week to weaken protections for the Amazon rainforest.Retailers and industry groups told the Guardian they will seek different suppliers and accelerate efforts to find soy substitutes if Brazilian politicians pass bills to legitimise land-grabbing and loosen controls on new projects. Continue reading...
Study of Henderson Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands finds plastic acts as an insulator, making sand hotter and leading to more female turtle offspringAccumulated plastic debris on the beaches of two remote island groups increased local maximum temperatures by nearly 2.5C, new research has found.A study of Henderson Island in the South Pacific and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, a remote territory of Australia in the Indian Ocean, found that plastic pollution acts as an insulator, increasing the temperature of the underlying sand. Continue reading...
Conservationists thrilled at the sighting of the wild predator, last seen in the country in the 1980s“It was a huge surprise,” said Sebastián Di Martino, director of conservation at Fundación Rewilding Argentina. “I was incredulous. An incredible feeling of so much happiness. I didn’t know if I should try to follow it or rush back to our station to tell the others.”The cause of the excitement was the sighting, last week, of a wild giant river otter – an animal feared extinct in the country due to habitat loss and hunting – on the Bermejo River in Impenetrable national park, in north-east Argentina’s Chaco province. The last sighting of a giant otter in the wild in Argentina was in the 1980s. On the Bermejo, none have been seen for more than a century. Continue reading...
Court hears Coalition made a ‘legal error’ in how it approved plans for miner to pump 12.5bn litres a year from a Queensland riverA key approval for Adani’s Carmichael coal project has been overturned by the federal court, which ruled the federal government made a “legal error” in the way it assessed and approved plans for the miner to pump 12.5bn litres of water a year from a Queensland river.The court case – brought by the Australian Conservation Foundation – challenged the government’s decision not to apply the “water trigger” to its assessment of Adani’s North Galilee Water Scheme. Continue reading...
More than half of offshore energy jobs could be in low carbon sectors, including wind and renewablesThe UK’s half-century legacy as a leading offshore oil and gas hub will be eclipsed by the North Sea’s fast-growing green energy industry within the next decade, according to new research.An academic study by the Robert Gordon University, based in the oil industry capital of Aberdeen in Scotland, has found that by 2030 most of the UK’s offshore energy jobs will be in the low carbon energy industry. Continue reading...
North Yorkshire power plant’s carbon-reduction plan could cost £31.7bn over 25 years, claims climate thinktankThe plan put forward by Drax to fit its wood-burning power plant with carbon-capture technology could cost British energy bill payers £31.7bn over 25 years, or £500 a household, according to research.The climate thinktank Ember said that Drax was already on track to earn £10bn in subsidies through energy bills by burning wood chips, and warned that the cost of supporting its future bioenergy plans could climb to more than the cost of subsidising Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant. Continue reading...
Complex slated for South Side’s Jackson Park prompts fears that low-income Black residents will be displacedConstruction of the Obama Presidential Center is expected to begin this fall in Chicago after years of debate over whether the complex will benefit low-income residents of the surrounding neighborhoods.It will be located in Jackson Park on the South Side of Chicago – one of the most historically significant parks in the city, and originally designed for the 27 million visitors to the 1893 World’s Fair. The roughly $500m Obama Presidential Center (OPC) will feature a museum, playground, public library and an open plaza. Continue reading...
Two big hurricanes, a paralyzing deep freeze, and now flooding rainfall – is Lake Charles’ year an omen of a deepening crisis?As biblical rains pounded Lake Charles in Louisiana last week, beleaguered residents could be forgiven for thinking they have lived in the most unfortunate city in the United States over the past 14 months.Related: Can recycled glass help restore Louisiana’s eroding coastline? Continue reading...
by Damian Carrington Environment editor on (#5J68T)
A major £30m project will test trees, peat, rock chips, and charcoal as ways of removing climate-heating emissionsClimate-heating carbon dioxide will be sucked from the air using trees, peat, rock chips, and charcoal in major new trials across the UK.Scientists said the past failure to rapidly cut emissions means some CO will need to be removed from the atmosphere to reach net zero by 2050 and halt the climate crisis. The £30m project funded by UK Research and Innovation will test ways to do this effectively and affordably on over 100 hectares (247 acres) of land, making it one of the biggest trials in the world. Continue reading...
Call for environment bill returning to parliament to be strengthened to tackle global plastic waste crisisCampaigners are urging the UK government to ban the export of plastic waste to all countries, invest in a domestic recycling industry, and set a binding target for plastic reduction.Activists are pushing for the environment bill – which is returning to parliament on Wednesday – to be strengthened to tackle more effectively the global plastic waste crisis. Continue reading...
Legal & General Investment Management, Britain’s biggest fund manager, piles pressure on oil firmBritain’s biggest fund manager has piled pressure on Shell after joining a shareholder rebellion over the oil company’s carbon-cutting plans, saying that they lack credibility and the ambition required to combat global heating.It has emerged that Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM), one of the oldest fund managers in the City of London, was among investors behind a significant shareholder vote against Shell’s climate transition targets at the company’s annual meeting on Tuesday. Continue reading...
Turkey is the latest country to reject the role of world’s dustbin. With their environment bill, ministers have a chance to end this vandalismThe international plastics recycling market is broken. It is doubtful whether it ever worked. For most of the last decade, China was the world’s largest importer of recyclable materials, some of which were used in manufacturing. But it banned these imports as part of a “beautiful China” policy aimed at improving the environment.Malaysia was the next country to fight back against being treated as the “dumping ground of the world” – as its environment minister, Yeo Bee Yin, put it in 2019. More than 200 facilities were closed, and thousands of tonnes of waste returned, amid growing evidence of the involvement of organised crime in the global waste business. Now Turkey has rejected the role of international rubbish bin: after a Greenpeace investigation found plastics dumped in rivers, on beaches and in illegal waste mountains, it announced that most plastic waste imports (which included 209,642 tonnes from the UK in 2020) will be banned in six weeks’ time. Continue reading...
More than 283,000 back call to rid Spain’s coastline of smoke and discarded cigarette buttsA petition signed by more than 283,000 people calling on Spain to ban smoking at all its beaches has been delivered to the country’s environment minister.For more than two years the organisation No Fumadores (No Smokers) has been gathering signatures aimed at transforming Spain’s 3,084 miles (4,964km) of coastline into areas free of cigarette smoke and discarded cigarette butts. Continue reading...
Scottish National party says tariff-free imports of hormone-treated beef ‘would represent a bitter betrayal of rural communities’The UK government was facing a backlash on Saturday over its plans for a trade deal with Australia, which have led to anger from farmers and environmentalists and calls for the Scottish secretary to resign.Farming unions said that proposals for a zero-tariff and zero-quota trade deal would drive farmers out of business, while green groups said allowing Australian hormone-treated beef would breach the Conservatives’ manifesto commitments. Continue reading...
Ford unveiled its new F-150 Lightning pickup this week – but the success of EVs in this car-loving nation is far from certainIn Detroit, auto plants have for decades churned out trucks built with Motor City steel and fueled by gasoline. But this week’s rollout of the Ford F-150 Lightning electric truck offered a vision of the future in America’s automotive heartland: aluminum-clad pickups running off of electric powertrains with lithium batteries.Related: Ford launching electric F-150 truck in ‘huge’ shift for low-emission vehicles Continue reading...
Skinks and geckos saved from disaster on Mauritian islets have successfully bred in zooEndangered reptiles rescued from Mauritian islands that were contaminated by a devastating oil spill have bred successfully in captivity for the first time, raising hopes that populations can be restored to the wild.Bojer’s skink – a small, shiny reptile only found on tiny islets off Mauritius – has been bred by Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust scientists at Jersey zoo. Two other imperilled species, the lesser night gecko and Bouton’s skink, have also been brought to the zoo, with the geckos breeding successfully as well. Continue reading...
A demonstration also took place at the Science Museum in London where Shell is a sponsorDozens of protesters, dressed in orange and green flowing costumes to represent the burning environment, gathered at the British Museum on Saturday while youth activists staged a separate demonstration at the Science Museum. Both events aimed to pressure the institutions to sever ties with oil corporations.The theatrical activist group BP or not BP staged a protest at the British Museum in response to the oil company’s sponsorship of Nero: The Man Behind the Myth, the museum’s next big exhibition, due to open on 27 May. Continue reading...
In the Tradition: Memento Exstingui, a project by the photographer Michele Turriani, draws attention to the plight of endangered animals that appear on the IUCN red list. It is inspired by the ‘memento mori’ and ‘vanitas’ art genres, which remind us of the transience of life and the inevitability of death. The skulls come from the Powell-Cotton Museum in Kent
Activists plan 24-hour protest in attempt to get company to turn fully plant-based by 2025Animal rights protesters have set up blockades at four McDonald’s distribution centres across Britain, which they say will affect about 1,300 restaurants.Activists from Animal Rebellion used trucks and bamboo structures to blockade distribution sites at Hemel Hempstead, Basingstoke, Coventry and Heywood in Greater Manchester from about 4.30am on Saturday, the group said. Continue reading...
The Morrison government seized on a recent electricity shortage as a ‘dress rehearsal’ for life without Liddell, but market experts insist there’s more than enough powerEnergy experts have rejected Morrison government claims an electricity shortage forced a major aluminium smelter to shut down three times in a week and that building a publicly-owned gas-fired power plant will fix the problem.The energy and emissions reduction minister, Angus Taylor, this week confirmed taxpayers would pay up to $600m for Snowy Hydro Ltd to build a new 660MW fossil fuel plant at Kurri Kurri, in the Hunter Valley, saying it was needed to help replace the Liddell coal plant when it shuts in 2023. Continue reading...
by Fiona Harvey Environment correspondent on (#5J3V9)
G7 countries reaffirm commitment to limit global heating to 1.5C after nearly two days of wranglingThe world’s richest nations have agreed to end their financial support for coal development overseas, in a major step towards phasing out the dirtiest fossil fuel.After nearly two days of wrangling at a meeting of the G7 environment and energy ministers, hosted virtually by the UK on Thursday and Friday, all reaffirmed their commitment to limiting global heating to 1.5C, and committed to phasing out coal and fully decarbonising their energy sectors in the 2030s. Continue reading...
In early hours of Friday, windfarm turbines provided nearly two-thirds of Britain’s electricityPowerful gusts of wind sweeping across Britain have helped the country reach a new all-time high for electricity generated from wind turbines.A new record was set in the early hours of Friday for the share of wind power in the generation mix, with wind providing nearly two-thirds of Britain’s electricity, according to provisional data from National Grid. Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Political correspondent on (#5J3FR)
Gradual tariff-free deal will be victory for free-trade Brexiters but is likely to alarm UK farmersUK ministers are expected to offer Australia a trade deal that will gradually eliminate all tariffs and quotas, one seen as a victory for free-trade Brexiters in the cabinet but is likely to prompt alarm among UK farmers.Downing Street did not deny reports on Friday that the likely offer to Australia would be a transition to zero quotas and tariffs over 15 years, although it insisted discussions were still taking place. Continue reading...
by Damian Carrington Environment editor on (#5J3J3)
Developing foetuses ‘exquisitely sensitive’ to harm from tiny particles, scientists sayInfants whose mothers were exposed to higher levels of tiny air pollution particles during pregnancy are much more likely to develop asthma, according to research.The study analysed the impact of ultra-fine particles (UFPs), which are not regulated by governments. These are thought to be even more toxic than the larger particles that are routinely monitored and have also been linked to asthma. Continue reading...
Students marched at 47 sites around the nation to call for action to halt global heatingThousands of students across Australia walked out of classrooms to take part in the School Strike 4 Climate on Friday, calling for greater action on global heating.Defying pouring rain in Sydney, strikers chanted for climate justice, condemning the gas, coal and fossil fuel industries, and the Morrison government’s recent decision to fund a $600m gas-fired power plant. Continue reading...
A ‘just add water’ approach is unlikely to be successful, with better monitoring of species needed to target environmental wateringTrillions of litres of water released into the Murray-Darling Basin to benefit the environment have had “no overall beneficial effect” on the populations of threatened species, according to new research.In a damning assessment of the monitoring of eight threatened species, the research from Australian National University scientists says the public reporting of the benefits of environmental watering was fragmentary and not backed by evidence. Continue reading...
Ofgem data points to consumer shift as ban on sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles approachesOne in four UK households intend to buy an electric car in the next five years, as a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles in 2030 approaches, according to research.More than 6.5m households plan to buy an electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid, research by the energy watchdog Ofgem has found. This equates to 24%, or nearly one in four, of all energy households. Continue reading...
Conservation watchdog given boost after decade of funding cuts that left it at ‘crisis point’Natural England, the government’s conservation watchdog, is to receive a 47% increase in government funding this year as its role expands to support a “green recovery” and provide environmental scrutiny of the government’s controversial “Project Speed”.The dramatic funding increase is a boost for wildlife protection and monitoring after a decade of deep cuts which left the agency at “crisis point” and its chairman, Tony Juniper, admitting that it would struggle to reverse declines in biodiversity. Continue reading...
Scientists predict migration of the megabats, mostly found in eastern and northern Australia, could have significant effects on Tasmania’s ecosystemsFruit bats may migrate as far south as Tasmania in the future as a result of extreme weather events linked to the climate crisis, new modelling suggests.University of Tasmania scientists predicted the grey-headed flying fox could take “climate refuge” in the southernmost state in coming decades if greenhouse gas emissions continued on their current trajectory. Continue reading...
Major banks say Australia’s international trading partners require the sector to identify and disclose climate risk on their balance sheetsAustralia’s big banks have declared they need to actively manage climate risk because governments and regulators require it, and because the investor community is “increasingly transitioning its focus towards a net-zero emissions economy”.The banks and their lobbying arm, the Australian Banking Association (ABA), have used new submissions to a parliamentary inquiry to implicitly rebut claims from senior Nationals that their actions amount to moral posturing or virtue signalling. Continue reading...
Head of Australian agricultural firm predicts sales surge as UK farmers warn they will struggle to competeAustralia’s biggest cattle farmer has predicted that the nation’s beef exports to the UK could rise as much as tenfold if the two countries strike a free-trade deal.Boris Johnson is determined to push through a free-trade deal with Australia, despite warnings from the National Farmers’ Union over the “irreversible damage” such a deal would do to UK agriculture. It was discussed by ministers at a cabinet meeting on Thursday. Continue reading...
Native shorebirds and caribou among species at risk as survival strategies are upendedA drastic drop in caribou and shorebird populations is a reflection of the dire changes unfolding on the Arctic tundra, according to a new report from the Arctic Council.The terrestrial Arctic spans approximately 2.7m sq miles (7m sq km), marked by extreme cold, drought, strong winds and seasonal darkness. Species living in this environment have adapted to thrive in the harsh conditions. But the climate crisis has upended such survival strategies, according to the State of the Arctic Terrestrial Biodiversity report, published by the council’s Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (Caff) working group. Continue reading...
Legislation will propose low-interest loans program for providers, allowing them to recoup money without using fines and shutoffsLegislation to cancel utility debts for millions of low-income households and bail out struggling utility companies is to be introduced in the US Senate on Thursday.Jeff Merkley, a Democratic senator from Oregon, will propose a $30bn low-interest loans program for electric, water and sewage and broadband providers as part of the Maintaining Access to Essential Services During the Covid Emergency Act of 2021. Continue reading...
When Dr Nanette Pierson moved to Hilton Head in 2009, she noticed hungry children at an apartment complex. Why are people lining up to eat in such a prosperous place?It’s a Tuesday morning in late April. I drive under a green canopy of live oaks on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Hilton Head is the picture of prosperity, awash in artificial green golf courses, pollen and Disney resorts – but I’m searching for a food pantry.A small private plane flies overhead. More than 70% of Hilton Head’s current homeowners live in gated communities, which are often named after cotton plantations that enslaved thousands of people. Early developer Charles Fraser built the island’s iconic red-and-white striped lighthouse; the structure hosts weddings and overlooks not just the harbor, but the final hole of a golf course. Continue reading...
Arizona’s attorney general has filed a lawsuit framing the climate crisis as a nativist issue as the evident impacts of global heating make denial less viableJoe Biden has sought to spur an expansion in renewable energy and electric vehicles since entering the White House but his climate agenda has also stirred something wholly unintended – a surge in blame foisted upon migrants for environmental degradation.An unusual lawsuit filed last month by Mark Brnovich, Arizona’s attorney general, is indicative of a growing nativist framing of the climate crisis, according to academics. In the lawsuit, Brnovich, a Republican, demands the reinstatement of Donald Trump’s immigration policies to help remedy the “pollution and stress on natural resources” caused by migrants who move to the US. Continue reading...
Follow This leads investor rebellions demanding reduced carbon emissions to tackle global heatingThe climate activist shareholder group that has led investor rebellions at Shell and BP will next week target the US oil major Chevron, with demands to set carbon emissions reduction targets.The vote will be the final stage in a flurry of shareholder rebellions coordinated by Follow This, a Dutch organisation that has rallied investor support for calls for the world’s biggest publicly owned oil companies to cut back production. Continue reading...
Refugee organisation says 30m new displacements last year were due to floods, storms or wildfiresIntense storms and flooding triggered three times more displacements than violent conflicts did last year, as the number of people internally displaced worldwide hit the highest level on record.There were at least 55 million internally displaced people (IDPs) by the end of last year, according to figures published by the Norwegian Refugee Council’s Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). Continue reading...
The 4,320 square kilometre slab of ice dubbed A-76 broke off Ronne shelf and is floating in Weddell seaA giant slab of ice almost four times the size of New York City has sheared off from the frozen edge of Antarctica into the Weddell Sea, becoming the largest iceberg afloat in the world, according to the European Space Agency.Related: Global heating pace risks ‘unstoppable’ sea level rise as Antarctic ice sheet melts Continue reading...
Some disappeared from Dania Chimpanzee Farm in 1948 into mangrove swamp where descendants live todayA colony of monkeys has lived for about 70 years in urban south Florida, near jets taking off from a nearby airport and fuel storage tanks.No one was quite sure where they came from. Until now. Continue reading...
by Richard Partington Economics correspondent on (#5J145)
Cabinet said to be split over impact on British farmers with warnings about environmental implicationsLiz Truss has defended plans for a post-Brexit trade deal with Australia amid reports of a cabinet split over the impact on British farmers of granting tariff-free access to the UK market.The trade secretary said a deal with Australia would benefit farmers across the UK by opening up a key market while also paving the way for growth in exports across Asia. She promised that the government would protect British farmers from overseas importers using “unfair practices” to undercut them in the domestic market. Continue reading...
Residents urged to help keep persecuted raptors safe after two males disappear from Geltsdale nature reserve, CumbriaPeople in Cumbria are being urged to watch over a pair of hen harriers who have begun nesting on a nature reserve as police investigate the disappearance of two other of the endangered raptors.Two male hen harriers vanished from RSPB Geltsdale last week in what the police described as “suspicious circumstances”, just when both were providing nesting females with food. As a result both nests failed. Continue reading...