Environment | The Guardian

Concern grows over proposal to open three mines along Nova Scotia’s longest single waterway that supports both endangered species and ecosystemsThe extractive industries have their sights set on Nova Scotia as a literal goldmine, and decades of conservation efforts – as well the future of a beloved river – hang in the balance.Three years after Atlantic Gold opened a goldmine north-east of Halifax, the mining company intends to open three more across Nova Scotia. One of the mines has been proposed alongside the St Mary’s River, Nova Scotia’s longest single waterway – and in the opinions of many, its wildest, supporting both endangered species and ecosystems. This, the so-called Cochrane Hill goldmine, has become the focal point of mounting public opposition to goldmining in Nova Scotia. Continue reading...

Birmingham and Liverpool among local authorities with lowest rates, analysis shows

About 205 megatonnes emitted in June and July alone as Siberia hit by heatwaveThe amount of carbon dioxide emitted by Arctic wildfires this year is already 35% higher than the figure for the whole of 2019.The latest data, provided by the EU’s Copernicus atmosphere monitoring service, shows that up to 24 August 245 megatonnes of CO2 had been released from wildfires this year. The figure for the whole of last year was 181 megatonnes. Continue reading...

About half of staff at poultry plant in Norfolk have had to self-isolate after 75 tested positive for coronavirus

Exemption for smaller shops to end, and campaigners say ‘bags for life’ are next targetThe government is to double the charge for single-use plastic carrier bags in England from 5p to 10p and end the exemption for smaller shops from April 2021, as it steps up efforts to tackle plastic pollution.Since the introduction of the charge in October 2015, shoppers have used billions fewer thin-gauge plastic shopping bags. Continue reading...

Electricity demand fell by 13% in second quarter which helped renewables grow to 40% of energy mixCarbon emissions from Britain’s electricity system plunged by more than a third during the coronavirus lockdown after renewable energy played its largest ever role helping to keep the lights on, according to a report.During the spring bank holiday weekend in May, the energy grid’s carbon intensity reached a record low of 21 grams of COper kilowatt-hour due to a slump in energy demand triggered by Britain’s lockdown measures and a surge in renewable energy. Continue reading...

Analysis shows state and federal governments not exercising their powers to require companies to increase offsetsOnly 1.2% of the greenhouse gas emissions released by Australia’s top 65 emitting companies had to be offset under federal and state laws last financial year, an analysis has found.The analysis by Footprint, a sustainability news site, examined both regulatory constraints imposed on businesses with emissions greater than 1m tonnes and any voluntary offsetting commitments they made. Continue reading...

Giantess is one of the biggest geysers in the national park, and typically explodes between twice and six times a yearIn these troubled times there comes a point where we all need to let off steam.For this huge geyser in Yellowstone park, the moment was now and the eruption was spectacular, after a six-year wait. Continue reading...

Peak employer body warns Australia faces ‘costly increase in climate-related impacts and risks’ even in best-case scenarioThe Morrison government should spend $3.3bn over 10 years on renewable energy and $500m over two years on capital grants to improve energy efficiency and management, according to the Australian Industry Group.The peak employer body made the calls in its pre-budget submission, released on Monday, which also proposes it bring forward income tax cuts, cut business tax, extend the coronavirus supplement on jobseeker and make a further round of $750 payments to households. Continue reading...

Cbus superannuation expands pledge to hit zero emissions by 2050 across its entire portfolioConstruction and mining industry super fund Cbus says it will slash emissions from its investments by 45% within the next 10 years, putting carbon-intensive companies on notice that they will need to demonstrate how they will cut greenhouse gas emissions in order to stay within the fund’s $54bn portfolio.Cbus has also expanded an existing pledge to hit the Paris agreement target of zero emissions by 2050 in its property and infrastructure investments to cover its entire portfolio. Continue reading...

Energy minister Angus Taylor says emissions have reduced as expected but restrictions are unsustainableCoronavirus restrictions have caused Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions to fall to their lowest level since 1998, the latest official data shows.National emissions in the June quarter 2020 were estimated to be 8% – or about 10m tonnes of carbon dioxide – lower than a year earlier. Continue reading...

Researchers to tell UN that loss of biodiversity enables rapid spread of new diseases from animals to humans

Australians are far more welcoming of change than we expect, and are furious at having been shut out of being direct participantsIn August 2015, I spent a cold night at the old TAB Royal Hotel in Manildra (population: 765), near Orange in central New South Wales. It wasn’t familiar territory. A sign behind the bar yelled: “MEN: no shirt, no shoes, no service. WOMEN: no shirt, free drinks.”My colleague and I, as part of the communications team for the renewable energy company Infigen, were there for an open day talking to community members about the company’s proposed solar farm nearby. The day had been quiet. A few locals wandered in, curious about our work, but mostly wielding questions about how they might get solar on their own rooftops. Our Sydney office staff had booked a more upmarket hotel in a larger town nearby for us, but once we arrived my colleague insisted on cancelling to stay at the Royal, which was only a few hundred metres from the planned site. Continue reading...

Company with Queensland gasfield says ‘it is envisaged there will be announcements forthcoming from PM’s office’Gas companies have touted their lobbying efforts to get pipeline and infrastructure projects on the radar of the commission advising the federal government on coronavirus recovery.The National Covid-19 Coordination Commission’s manufacturing taskforce discussions were reportedly “completely dominated” by the gas sector, and the body ultimately recommended the government should underwrite investment in new pipelines. Continue reading...

Government says it will carry out autopsies on all 40 animals and investigate spill fullyThousands of people protested in the Mauritian capital of Port Louis on Saturday, calling for an investigation into an oil spill from a Japanese ship and the death of at least 40 dolphins found near the site.Environmentalists have also called for an investigation into whether the dolphins died as a result of the spill, caused when the bulk carrier Wakashio struck a coral reef last month. Continue reading...

Volunteers accuse charity of excluding deprived and minority ethnic schoolchildren

Access to clean, safe drinking water across the Pacific is the lowest of any region in the world, raising fears for the rapid spread of coronavirusPapua New Guinea’s battle against a climbing rate of Covid-19 infections is being hampered by the most basic of shortages – access to clean water –public health experts have warned.Case numbers have jumped from just 11 cases two months ago to 424 on Friday, with four deaths. And efforts to contain escalating case numbers throughout the archipelago, and to prevent outbreaks across the Pacific region, are being hamstrung because thousands cannot access clean water for hand-washing and cleaning, the region’s key development agency says. Continue reading...

Coalition accused of ‘breach of faith’ as it seeks to introduce almost exact replica of failed Abbott government legislationConservation groups will launch an advertising campaign aimed at building support for stronger national environment laws in response to what they say is a “breach of faith” by the Morrison government.Groups including Birdlife Australia, WWF and the Australian Conservation Foundation will begin a “Before it’s gone” campaign on Sunday with radio, print, TV and billboard advertisements featuring high-profile species including the koala and greater glider. Continue reading...

The pick of the world’s best flora and fauna photos, including red wasps and giant redwoods

Trio of breeders join forces to buy Texel ram Double Diamond in tense Scotland auction

XR plans protests next week as activists call on MPs to back a climate emergency billExtinction Rebellion plan to block streets in London, Manchester and Cardiff next week as they call on MPs to back a climate emergency bill and hold a national citizens’ assembly on the crisis.On Tuesday, five XR groups will block roads leading to parliament as they descend on Westminster to demand MPs back what they call the climate and ecological emergency bill, which they say would speed up the UK’s progress on reducing its carbon emissions. Continue reading...

Authorities use boats to rescue Karachi residents trapped by monsoon rains

The Kīlauea Point national wildlife refuge is aiming to keep invasive species out and encourage native habitat to thriveSign up for monthly updates on America’s public lands. Continue reading...

The video-sharing app has 800 million users, many of them conscious young eco-influencers campaigning on issues from climate change to biodiversityPhilip Aiken has received more than 1.4m likes on the video-sharing app TikTok. But his videos don’t feature cute animals and there are no celebrities to be seen. Aiken’s posts are about soil restoration.The 27-year-old is one of a growing number of TikTok users discussing the benefits of boosting biodiversity in green spaces and gardens against a backdrop of viral sounds. “I see it as like planting seeds, and hopefully that germinates and that person wants to learn more,” says Aiken, known as Phil the Fixer on TikTok.

The Drag Race host revealed earlier this year that his Wyoming ranch leases mineral rights to oil companies, and he’s not aloneSign up for monthly updates on America’s public lands. Continue reading...

Don’t buy an amazing bike, keep it indoors and use two locksIf you’ve managed to beat the hordes and snag a new bike amid the increase in demand during the coronavirus pandemic, the challenge now is ensuring it survives the growing bicycle thievery problem.There’s no guarantee that any of the measures here will stop your bike from being stolen, but they’ll definitely help. If you’ve just bought a new bike, here’s how to lock it up properly. Continue reading...

António Guterres tells country to stop building coal-fired power stations for sake of climateIndia must swiftly and permanently turn away from coal despite its need for cheap energy, the UN secretary general has urged, aiming to revive global action on the climate crisis as the world begins to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic.António Guterres told a virtual audience on Friday morning that coal use must be phased out in India, with no new coal-fired power stations after this year, and that fossil fuel subsidies must be ended. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Queensland supreme court says company engaged in ‘unconscionable conduct’Adani has quietly begun planning to rebrand its Abbot Point coal terminal – removing all reference to Adani in its company name and branding – as financiers continue to abandon the business and a Queensland court orders it to pay $106.8m in damages.The Queensland supreme court this week ordered Adani to pay four terminal users damages for “unconscionable conduct” in a judgement that was scathing of Adani’s actions to advantage its own financial interests over other coal companies. Continue reading...

Angus Taylor introduces bill to give Clean Energy Finance Corporation $1bn for ‘grid reliability fund’The Morrison government has been accused of planning to open up the taxpayer-owned green bank to fossil fuels investments through a change that explicitly defines gas-fired power as a “low-emissions technology”.The energy and emissions reduction minister, Angus Taylor, introduced legislation to parliament on Thursday that would give the Clean Energy Finance Corporation an additional $1bn funding for a “grid reliability fund”. Continue reading...

Yannick Glemarec responds to FT report of 40 complaints including racism and sexism

Beloved by chefs and home cooks alike, gas-burning stovetops come with drawbacks for human, financial and planetary healthNikki Phillips has made a living cooking in strangers’ kitchens. As the co-owner of a catering company, Shared Affair, she always makes a request before arriving at a client’s home. “I … ask for a picture of the stove, so I know what we’re dealing with.”If the photos show the clapped-out coils of an older electric stove, she goes straight to plan B. “I just bring gas burners with us. I don’t even bother.” Between portable stoves and hot box ovens “we can set up a kitchen inside the kitchen”. Continue reading...

State Minerals Council pushing for projects despite Minerals Council of Australia goal of net-zero emissionsA New South Wales mining industry push for 21 new coal projects to be approved to boost an economic recovery from coronavirus would add seven years’ worth of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere if they were all developed, according to analysis.The NSW Minerals Council identified the unapproved coalmines, at various stages of environmental assessment and development, saying they would create about 10,000 jobs and generate billions in royalties. Continue reading...

Exclusive: EDF Energy to close Hunterston next year after spending £200m on repairsHunterston nuclear power station, one of the UK’s oldest remaining nuclear plants, is to close down next year, earlier than expected, after encountering a series of safety-critical problems in its reactors.Industry sources told the Guardian that EDF Energy, the state-owned French operator of Hunterston, decided at a board meeting on Thursday afternoon that the plant would stop generating electricity in late 2021, at least two years earlier than planned. Continue reading...

Southall residents link redeveloped site to poor health, but developer says it complies with regulationsResidents in Southall are calling on the government to urgently investigate the health impact of the redevelopment of an old gasworks in light of research suggesting the mainly south Asian community is highly susceptible to air pollution.For a year the Guardian has followed the Clean Air for Southall and Hayes (Cash) campaign as they demanded answers from Ealing council, statutory bodies and scientists as to whether a “petrol-like” odour which they say emanated from the site is causing symptoms such as breathing problems, nausea and mental confusion – and serious diseases. They want to know what will be done to eliminate future risks over the 25-year regeneration project. Continue reading...

Queensland’s supreme court rejects the mining firm’s bid, saying it could result in ‘humiliation and family distress’Coalmining company Adani asked a Queensland court for orders that would have allowed its representatives to conduct an unannounced search at the family home of an environmental activist.But the supreme court rejected the move, noting the search could result in “humiliation and family distress” for Ben Pennings and others. Continue reading...

Its stunning Moorish architecture makes the Spanish monument one of the world’s most visited. But photographer Ugo Mellone found the resident frogs, toads and newts just as fascinatingThe Alhambra, which sits on a hill in Granada, Andalucía, is the only preserved palatine city of the Islamic period and a Unesco world heritage site. Once the residence of the Nasrid sultans, it is one of the most visited national monuments in the world. Continue reading...

Three-night event aims to track creatures’ climate-driven spread into new parts of UKPeople are being invited to help track the spread of a moth that often hides its hindwings of dazzling fuchsia beneath a dowdy brown “overcoat”.The dark crimson underwing has enjoyed an “amazing” August, according to experts, appearing in many new locations, including the first ever recorded sighting in Wales. Continue reading...

The Morrison government’s new environment legislation has been described by critics as a reproduction of Tony Abbott’s failed one-stop-shop lawsThe Morrison government has been condemned for breaking its commitment to include new national environmental standards with legislation that will transfer development approval powers to the states and territories.Labor, the Greens and environment groups have described the bill, introduced on Thursday, as an almost identical reproduction of the Abbott government’s failed 2014 one-stop-shop laws. Continue reading...

Concern mounts that bill won’t include promised new national environmental standardsThe Coalition is being urged to not push through changes to conservation laws that would transfer more development approval powers to the states unless it plans to also introduce promised new national environmental standards.There is growing concern a bill due to be introduced to parliament this week will not include the new standards, which were promised last month by the environment minister, Sussan Ley. Continue reading...

Following guidelines associated with 7% lower mortality risk and 30% cut in carbon emissionsSticking to official dietary advice, including the five-a-day maxim, could reduce the chance of premature death by an estimated 7% as well as help the environment, a study has suggested.However, it found that while many people are able to follow some of the guidelines, next to no one follows them all. Continue reading...

Republicans at the convention did not lay out a plan for climate change, nor even acknowledge itThe Republican national convention, dominated by veneration of Donald Trump and bleak warnings of the dangers of socialism, has completely ignored the climate crisis, an omission that has disturbed some conservatives who warn the party risks being left behind by voters.Convention speeches have included Eric Trump praising the beauty of the Grand Canyon, a region his father’s administration has proposed opening to mining for uranium, while several speakers have attacked Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, as a threat to oil and gas worker jobs. Continue reading...

Founding partner says ‘investing in the resilience of nature is investing in the resilience of the economy’A push to better recognise the economic value of “natural capital” – water systems, biodiversity, soil and carbon stores – has prompted the creation of what aims to be the world’s largest investment firm dedicated to projects that help the planet.Multinational financial services giant HSBC and Pollination, a boutique climate advisory and investment firm, announced a joint venture that they predicted would meet a multi-billion dollar demand for environmentally friendly investment beyond renewable energy. Continue reading...

As water scarcity increases from factors including climate change, so do drivers of water theft, an ongoing problem in AustraliaBetween 30% and 50% of the world’s water supply is stolen each year, mainly by agricultural interests and farmers, yet the crime itself is not well understood, a new international study led by the University of Adelaide says.The lead author, Dr Adam Loch, from the university’s Centre for Global Food and Resources, said there was a lack of data around water theft partly because those stealing the resource were often poor, vulnerable and at-risk in developing countries. Continue reading...

Critics say plan for fields off Svalbard threatens ecosystem and relations with RussiaNorway is planning to expand oil drilling in previously untouched areas of the Arctic, a move campaigners say threatens the fragile ecosystem and could spark a military standoff with Russia.A public consultation on the opening up of nine new Norwegian oilfields closed on Wednesday. The areas in question are much further north in the Arctic than the concessions the US president, Donald Trump, announced for Alaska this month. Continue reading...

Meteorological and environmental reasons cited as reasons for record low catches

Our food supply comes from an environmentally unsustainable system that is going to unravel

As US cities cope with rising temperatures, some are investing in planting and maintaining trees – but experts warn the coverage might benefit wealthy neighborhoods moreAfter 10am, it’s too hot for Hajar Logan to work upstairs, so she moves her home office to the basement. By 11am, she can’t leave her house until the sun sets. The heat is too “suffocating”, she says, in her mostly tree-less neighborhood of Dorchester in Boston.Related: How the climate crisis is already harming America – photo essay Continue reading...

Exclusive: Lawyers for Australian Conservation Foundation warned department issuing grant money before due process could be ‘improper’The federal government quietly finalised an agreement to pay $3.6m to a company proposing a coal-fired power station at Collinsville in north Queensland this month, despite prior warnings the grant could be disallowed by the parliament and that making any payment beforehand could be “improper”.Last week, ahead of the return of federal parliament – where the grant to Shine Energy will be subject to a disallowance motion, backed by Labor and the Greens – the federal government’s grants register was updated to include the final details of the controversial handout. Continue reading...

Analysis shows the government, which has committed to a ‘gas-led recovery’, has failed to properly account for methane’s effect on global heatingAustralia’s greenhouse gas accounting underestimates national emissions by about 10%, largely due to a failure to properly recognise the impact of methane released during gas production, an analysis has found.In late June, the energy and emissions reduction minister, Angus Taylor, amended laws to reflect a scientific consensus that methane – a highly potent but short-lived greenhouse gas that leaks during gas processing – plays a greater role in heating the planet than previously thought. Continue reading...

Federal government expected to table legislation this week to address report that found unsustainable state of declineLabor has called on the Coalition not to rush changes to national environmental laws and to establish an independent watchdog to monitor and enforce the law.The government is expected to table amendments to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation [EPBC] Act on Wednesday to devolve development approval powers to the states and territories. Continue reading...