Power station produces 13% of Victoria’s and 3% of national emissions and employs 500 peopleOne of Australia’s dirtiest coal-fired power stations, Yallourn in Victoria’s Latrobe valley, will close four years earlier than scheduled and be replaced, in part, by a grid-scale battery.EnergyAustralia announced on Wednesday it would shut the 1970s-built, 1,480-megawatt brown coal plant in mid-2028. Continue reading...
Green groups say move ‘beggars belief’ but cut will offer some relief to troubled aviation industryAir passenger duty is set to be cut on domestic flights after the prime minister signalled his support for reform to bolster air links around the UK.Lower rates for UK internal flights or an exemption for return legs will be considered. Continue reading...
Nine-tonne timber harvester clears trees as part of 50-year project to restore Border Mires dating from ice ageTo the uninitiated a vertical mulcher might sound like the creation of a feverish nightmare, but the tree-chipping machine might be the saviour of one of the UK’s most important peat habitants.The mulching is a continuation of a 50-year project to restore the Border Mires, a network of bogs in and around Kielder Forest in Northumberland that dates from the ice age. Forestry England will use the nine-tonne timber harvester to munch through 23 hectares (57 acres) of trees in order to speed up restoration of the mires. Continue reading...
Rob Stokes letter opposed carving out rural zones, which government has effectively adopted as policyA senior New South Wales government minister last year warned rules intended to protect koalas in the state would be “ineffective” if rural areas were excluded as it would mean about 80% of land was exempt.The advice was given in a letter sent in August last year by the planning minister, Rob Stokes, to the deputy premier, John Barilaro. Continue reading...
‘Fish aggregating devices’ have been linked to depletion of yellowfin populations and increased bycatch in the Indian OceanGlobal condemnation is growing at the increasingly widespread use of harmful “fish aggregating devices” (FADs) in the fishing industry, as retailers including Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer and the German chain Edeka joined calls for restrictions.A letter signed by more than 100 NGOs, retailers and artisanal fisheries urges this week’s meeting of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) to consider proposals by Kenya and Sri Lanka to monitor, manage and restrict FADs. The signatories warn of an “urgent need” to improve management of FADs in order to reduce overfishing and rebuild populations of yellowfin tuna. Continue reading...
Biden administration is set to unveil a new greenhouse gas reduction target at a climate meeting on 22 April, Earth DayThe US needs to commit to slashing its planet-heating emissions by at least half by the end of the decade to address the climate crisis and spur other countries to greater action, a coalition of American environmental groups has urged.Joe Biden’s administration is set to unveil a new national emissions reduction target at a climate meeting it has convened with other major economic powers on Earth Day, 22 April, which it hopes will galvanize countries that are currently dangerously lagging in efforts to stave off disastrous climate change. Continue reading...
Twice before, humanity has mitigated severe global environmental threats. In both cases we did this not with ‘cap and trade’ systems, taxes, or offsets, but with bansTime is running out to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and avoid catastrophic climate change. The 2018 special report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) “suggests a remaining budget of about 420 Gigatonnes (Gt) of CO2 for a two-thirds chance of limiting warming to 1.5°C.” The clock on this so-called remaining carbon budget started ticking at the beginning of 2018. Despite this stark warning, the world keeps emitting over 40 Gt of CO2 per year. In other words, the policy instruments that are currently being used across the globe to reduce CO2 emissions aren’t working. It is therefore time to ban fossil fuels.Since we have already drawn down over 120 Gt of CO2 from this carbon budget, we have now less than 300 Gt left. Combining the proved fossil fuel reserves reported in British Petroleum’s Statistical Review of World Energy with CO2 emission factors from the IPCC yields 3,600 Gt of CO2 emissions. This means that we can only afford to burn one twelfth of the fossil fuels we have already found. And this does not account for any greenhouse gas emissions from the ongoing melting of permafrost. The Arctic region alone is estimated to have 1,500 Gt of carbon stored in its soils, some of which is already being converted to CO2 by microbes and released into the atmosphere. Continue reading...
by Emily Holden for Floodlight and Cooper McKim for W on (#5F3N7)
Wyoming representative Liz Cheney says the study proves Biden’s policies would destroy state economies. But it has the oil and gas industry’s fingerprints all over itWyoming’s US representative, Liz Cheney, envisions a dark future for her home state under Joe Biden. Continue reading...
Humane Society International, which won legal action against Queensland government last year, says 80% of sharks caught are still dyingAlmost 80% of sharks caught on drum lines in the Great Barrier Reef marine park last year died despite the Queensland government being told to try harder to eliminate deaths under its shark control program.The Humane Society International (HSI) has analysed the latest drum-line data and says the government is not even close to achieving the non-lethal program the administrative appeals tribunal ordered two years ago. Continue reading...
Support for Australian ex-minister with poor record on climate crisis would send ‘terrible message’The UK has been warned not to send a dreadful message to the rest of the world by backing a controversial Australian former minister with a much-criticised climate change record to run the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.The race to be the next secretary-general of the OECD – the Paris-based economic thinktank that advises governments across the world – has narrowed to Mathias Cormann, the former Australian finance minister, and Cecilia Malmström, the former EU trade commissioner and Swedish centrist politician. The result is due by 15 March. Continue reading...
Australian Conservation Foundation to file test case to access documents on approvals fast-tracked by federal environment ministerThe Morrison government’s claim that national cabinet deliberations are exempt from freedom of information laws will be challenged in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, setting up a test over the new body’s immunity from scrutiny.The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) will file a case with the tribunal as it seeks to access information on at least 15 environmental approvals “fast-tracked” by the federal environment minister, Sussan Ley, a task so far stymied by the government’s insistence the documents fall under traditional cabinet rules. Continue reading...
Nature-rich sites such as woods and wetlands more valuable because of the ‘ecosystem services’ they provideThe economic benefits of protecting nature-rich sites such as wetlands and woodlands outweigh the profit that could be made from using the land for resource extraction, according to the largest study yet to look at the value of protecting nature at specific locations.Scientists analysed 24 sites in six continents and found the asset returns of “ecosystem services” such as carbon storage and flood prevention created by conservation work was, pound for pound, greater than manmade capital created by using the land for activities such as forestry or farming cereals, sugar, tea or cocoa. Continue reading...
Rising heat and humidity threatening to plunge much of the world’s population into potentially lethal conditions, study findsThe climate crisis is pushing the planet’s tropical regions towards the limits of human livability, with rising heat and humidity threatening to plunge much of the world’s population into potentially lethal conditions, new research has found.Related: 'It is the question of the century': will tech solve the climate crisis – or make it worse? Continue reading...
We asked you to tell us about women who have made a difference and how they inspired you‘She was a breath of fresh air on inauguration day’ Continue reading...
Conservation groups argue ‘excising farming and forestry zones is a catastrophic setback for the species’The NSW Coalition has agreed to new rules to protect koala habitat but will effectively exempt most rural land from more stringent rules administered through the planning process.Instead, koala habitat on rural land will be covered by yet-to-be-announced protections under land-clearing laws administered by NSW Local Land Services through the primary industries portfolio. Continue reading...
Emily Ford took thousands of online fans on a 10-week journey, helping shift narrative about who belongs in outdoor spacesTrekking across 1,200-miles of Wisconsin forests and prairies carrying a 65lb pack in temperatures as low as -37F was initially meant as a passion trip for Emily Ford, during her off season as a professional gardener.The 28-year-old ended up taking along thousands of online fans on her journey across the Ice Age national scenic trail, helping to further shift the narrative about who belongs in these outdoor spaces. And on Saturday, when she took her final steps across the frigid expanse with a crowd of supporters there to celebrate, she became the first Black woman known to have thru-hiked the trail. Continue reading...
As more women leave rural areas for cities, course forms part of drive to revive villagesThe rugged pathways crisscross Spain, sprawling across an estimated 1% of its territory. Etched into the land over centuries, the country’s livestock roads have long been the domain of solitary men leading their flocks to lush pastures.Now a new initiative is looking to change this with the launch of the country’s first shepherding school for women. The aim of the School for Shepherdesses of the 21st Century is twofold: offering women a foothold in a trade long dominated by men, while also throwing a lifeline to the thousands of Spanish towns that are slowly fading from the map. Continue reading...
Programme may help to ensure the survival of the critically endangered variable harlequin toadOne of the world’s rarest toads has been bred in captivity for the first time, thanks to the scientists at Manchester Museum.The critically endangered variable harlequin toad, Atelopus varius, lives deep in the central American rainforests of Panama and Costa Rica, breeding only in turbulent streams filled with stones and boulders on which they lay their eggs. Continue reading...
Investigation questions eco-friendly claims of incineration industryWhen it comes to planet-friendly habits, recycling is by far the UK’s most popular, with 87% of householders claiming they do so regularly, according to the Waste and Resources Action Programme. But an investigation by Channel 4’s Dispatches into where our rubbish goes, and the role played by energy-from-waste incineration plants, has found that millions of tonnes of our carefully sorted empties are simply being burned after they’re collected.Freedom of information requests reveal that, on average, 11% of rubbish collected for recycling is incinerated. In some areas the figures are far higher: 45% in Southend-on-Sea and 38% in Warwickshire. Continue reading...
The predators, protected in the south, are widely blamed for attacks on livestock but some think coexistence is possible“There have always been wolves. We humans have hunted and killed all the animals around us because we want everything for ourselves,” says Laura Serrano Isla, who tends her flock of 650 sheep near Burgos in north-west Spain.“We think we rule the world but if we kill all the rest of the animals, the wolf will come for our livestock.” Continue reading...
Toxic particles spewed by wildfires resulted in 10 times as many respiratory-illness related hospitalizations as other types of pollution, researchers foundThe thick, grey wildfire smoke that shrouds California each autumn and winter could be more harmful to humans than pollution from cars and other sources, a new study has found.Coming at the heels of the state’s worst wildfire season on record, the findings add to growing evidence that extreme fires, fueled by climate change, will have increasingly dire health consequences for residents in the western US. Continue reading...
Without policies to encourage buyers, new EV models are unlikely to reach Australia, which could be targeted as a dumping ground for petrol carsAustralians considering buying a new electric car have less choice than motorists in the United States, Europe and the United Kingdom – and it’s throttling the take-up of electric vehicles in the country.In the UK, consumers can choose from 33 base models. That number grows to 39 in the European Union, while across the Atlantic shoppers are spoilt for choice with 43 models made by 26 different manufacturers for sale. Continue reading...
The remarkable bird has outlived mating partners, and even the biologist who first placed a band on her in 1956At 70 years of age, Wisdom the Laysan albatross has hatched another chick.Regarded as “oldest known wild bird in history”, Wisdom has outlived previous mating partners as well as the biologist Chandler Robbins, who first banded her in 1956. Continue reading...
Indian Ocean states say EU pushing weakest conservation efforts for yellowfin tuna while EU ‘distant fleet’ hoovers up the most fishThe EU has been accused of “hypocrisy and neocolonialism” for proposing insufficient measures to tackle overfishing of yellowfin tuna, while being the largest fisher of the prized species in the Indian Ocean.Smaller than its Atlantic and Pacific bluefin cousins, the yellowfin tuna is one of the ocean’s fastest and strongest predators. Also called ahi tuna, this species is massively overfished in the Indian Ocean – so much so that supermarkets and brands including Tesco, Co-op and Princes recently took the surprising step of joining scientists and environmental groups to call for tough action to rebuild the $4bn population. Continue reading...
by Fiona Harvey Environment correspondent on (#5EZ2R)
Public accounts committee report says despite green rhetoric, government policy is falling shortBoris Johnson has failed to set out a plan for the UK to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions despite the government’s green rhetoric, a committee of MPs has found.Ministers are failing to instruct their departments to take the net zero goal into account when setting policy, there has been little coordination between central and local government on achieving emissions reductions, and the public has not been engaged, the public accounts committee said in a report published on Friday. Continue reading...
Rights group calls for action after cash bounty schemes lead to reptiles being blown up and shot with a bow and arrowA spate of cruelty towards invasive iguanas in Taiwan including stuffing firecrackers in the reptiles’ mouths or shooting them with bows and arrows has prompted animal rights groups to call for a government crackdown.The Environment & Animal Society of Taiwan (East) said local and provincial government campaigns to encourage community involvement in controlling the spread of introduced species lacked guidelines, resulting in “a chaotic free-for-all at the expense of the welfare of the targeted animals”. Continue reading...
Es Devlin, stage designer to Beyoncé, wants London Design Biennale to advance UN’s sustainability planOne of the most famous stone courtyards in Europe will be dramatically transformed this summer when it is taken over by a forest of 400 trees.The stage designer Es Devlin will channel ideas of enchanted woodland when she takes over Somerset House for the 2021 edition of London Design Biennale. Continue reading...
The total number of butterflies west of the Rockies has fallen 1.6% a year since 1977, a study finds – ‘You extrapolate it and it’s crazy’The varied, and beautiful, butterfly species that dot the US west are being cut down by the climate crisis, new research has found, with rising temperatures helping cause a steep decline in butterfly numbers over the past 40 years.There has been a 1.6% reduction in the total number of butterflies observed west of the Rocky Mountain range each year since 1977, researchers calculated, which amounts to a staggering loss of butterflies over the timespan of the study period. Continue reading...
Senators posed misleading questions as they cited findings of a widely criticized research reportRepublican senators cited a study commissioned by the biggest oil and gas trade association in the US in their criticisms of Deb Haaland, Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the Department of the Interior, during a confirmation hearing last week.Republicans on the Senate energy and natural resources committee referenced the study, which has been widely criticized by conservationists, as they grilled Haaland, a Democratic US representative from New Mexico, on her past statements about energy issues and the Biden administration’s climate plans. Continue reading...
by Damian Carrington Environment editor on (#5EY07)
Food discarded in homes is 74kg per person each year, with problem affecting rich and poor countriesPeople waste almost a billion tonnes of food a year, a UN report has revealed. It is the most comprehensive assessment to date and found waste was about double the previous best estimate.The food discarded in homes alone was 74kg per person each year on average around the world, the UN found. In the UK, which has some of the best data, the edible waste represents about eight meals per household each week. Continue reading...
Program previously disbursed billions in loan guarantees to companies such as Tesla and the failed solar company SolyndraAs part of its clean-energy agenda, the Biden administration is reviving an energy department program that disbursed billions of dollars in loan guarantees to companies such as electric car maker Tesla and the failed solar company Solyndra, the energy secretary, Jennifer Granholm, says.The loan program helped launch the country’s first utility-scale wind and solar farms as part of the Obama administration’s efforts to create “green jobs” but largely went dormant under Donald Trump. Continue reading...
by Fiona Harvey Environment correspondent on (#5EXP8)
Imminent economic blueprint has implications for planet – and whether Paris agreement likely to be metChina is to publish a new blueprint for its economy on Friday, with vast implications for the future of the planet – including whether the goals of the Paris climate agreement are likely to be met.The five-year plan, of which this will be the 14th since 1953, forms the cornerstone of economic governance for the one-party state, and sets out social and environmental aspirations as well as GDP and industrial targets. Continue reading...
Environmental protection minister says suspect ship is now anchored in Iran but offers no evidence spill was intentionalIsrael’s environmental protection minister has said Iran was responsible for a recent oil spill that ravaged its shores and has claimed – without evidence – the incident was a form of “environmental terrorism”.Gila Gamliel said after a two-week investigation aimed at “getting our hands on the criminal ship” responsible for the tar slick, her ministry had identified a Panama-flagged tanker called Emerald, which was smuggling oil from Iran to Syria in breach of international sanctions. Continue reading...
Conservation groups welcome aspects of the largely voluntary packaging and recycling targets but warn regulation will be necessaryPolystyrene foam commonly used to package consumer goods will be phased out in Australia by mid-2022 as part of a national plan to combat mounting plastic waste.Conservation groups have welcomed many aspects of the plan, which also includes an end to polystyrene food and beverage containers by the end of 2022, but also criticised its largely voluntary approach to reaching ambitious goals, calling for those targets to be mandated. Continue reading...
by Oliver Laughland in Jackson, Mississippi on (#5EXJM)
In Jackson, where 80% of residents are Black, the cold led to breakages in the city’s ageing pipes, leaving thousands of its residents without running waterAs the sound of rainwater droplets crescendoed around him, Rodrick Readus stood by his front door and took a moment to reflect on the many indignities of the past fortnight.“It’s just the simple fact you can’t wash your hands,” he said. “You can’t take a bath. Every time I touch something I know I’m not clean.” Continue reading...
by Damian Carrington Environment editor on (#5EXFV)
Scientists say restoring the lush habitats would boost wildlife, protect coasts and store carbonThe UK has lost more than 90% of the lush seagrass meadows that once surrounded the nation, research has found.Scientists described the decline as catastrophic, but the latest analysis also shows where the flowering plants could be restored. A resurgence of seagrass meadows would rapidly absorb the carbon dioxide that drives the climate crisis and provide habitats for hundreds of millions of fish, from seahorses to juvenile cod. Continue reading...
Water resources officials found that the snowpack, which supplies a third of the state’s water each year, had a water content of just 61% of averageCalifornia will face another critically dry year, and residents will need to adapt quickly to cope with water shortages and a warmer, drier climate that has helped fuel destructive wildfires.Officials with the state’s department of water resources announced on Tuesday they had found that the water content of the overall snowpack for 2 March amounted to 61% of the average. The state’s largest reservoirs were storing between 38% and 68% of their capacity, officials said, meaning that the state would have a lot less water to carry it through the rest of the year. Continue reading...
Kills quickly exceeded statewide limit, forcing the state to end the hunting season earlyHunters and trappers in Wisconsin killed 216 gray wolves last week during the state’s 2021 wolf hunting season – more than 82% above the authorities’ stated quota, sparking uproar among animal-lovers and conservationists, according to reports.The kills all took place in less than 60 hours, quickly exceeding Wisconsin’s statewide stated limit of 119 animals. Continue reading...
by Fiona Harvey Environment correspondent on (#5EWN6)
Equivalent falls in emissions over a decade required to keep to safe limits of global heating, experts sayCarbon dioxide emissions must fall by the equivalent of a global lockdown roughly every two years for the next decade for the world to keep within safe limits of global heating, research has shown.Lockdowns around the world led to an unprecedented fall in emissions of about 7% in 2020, or about 2.6bn tonnes of CO, but reductions of between 1bn and 2bn tonnes are needed every year of the next decade to have a good chance of holding temperature rises to within 1.5C or 2C of pre-industrial levels, as required by the Paris agreement. Continue reading...
The energy industry is like a smoker who goes from one pack a day to two – but claims they’re quitting because they switched to filtered cigarettesThe United Nations campaign Race to Zero recently published a paper identifying 20 pathways to reach net zero carbon emissions. In December, the British Oil & Gas Authority published a requirement that oil and gas development be “consistent with net zero” (despite approval of new offshore permits). BP, Shell and other multinational companies have all now published their “net zero” pathways.Related: The climate crisis can't be solved by carbon accounting tricks | Simon Lewis Continue reading...
Environment | The Guardian