Environment | The Guardian

Last time CO2 was at similar level temperatures were 3C to 4C hotter and sea levels were 20 metres higherThe amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere is approaching a level not seen in 15m years and perhaps never previously experienced by a hominoid, according to the authors of a study.At pre-lockdown rates of increase, within five years atmospheric CO2 will pass 427 parts per million, which was the probable peak of the mid-Pliocene warming period 3.3m years ago, when temperatures were 3C to 4C hotter and sea levels were 20 metres higher than today. Continue reading...

Companies claim that reducing returns to cut energy bills will have impact on investment

Australians are reporting bird sightings at record rates – it’s good for the spirit, and for scienceMany Victorians returning to stage-three lockdown will be looking for ways to pass the hours at home. And some will be turning to birdwatching.When Australians first went into lockdown in March, the combination of border closures, lockdowns and the closure of burnt areas from last summer’s bushfires meant those who would have travelled far and wide to watch their favourite birds, instead stayed home. Continue reading...

Experts believe endangered shore plovers – known for their pluck and friendliness – might have flown away or been eaten by predatorsA specialist search and recovery team has been deployed to recapture the last remaining survivors of a flock of endangered birds that absconded from a predator-free island in New Zealand during coronavirus lockdown.There are only 250 shore plover or tūturuatu left in the wild and they are the world’s rarest plover. Conservationists have been painstakingly reintroducing them to the mainland after they were almost wiped out by cats and rats by 1880. Continue reading...

Sector excluded in transport emissions figures but policy change unlikely until 2023International aviation and shipping emissions are likely to be included in the UK government’s net zero target, it has emerged – but not until after 2023.The intention to review carbon accounting emerged after ministers and advisers, including climate activists, held the first meeting of the Department for Transport’s net zero board. Continue reading...

Summer statement’s focus on energy efficiency welcomed but disappointment that no boost for renewables

It may be best near-term way to remove CO2, say scientists, but cutting fossil fuel use remains criticalSpreading rock dust on farmland could suck billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide from the air every year, according to the first detailed global analysis of the technique.The chemical reactions that degrade the rock particles lock the greenhouse gas into carbonates within months, and some scientists say this approach may be the best near-term way of removing CO from the atmosphere. Continue reading...

Scientists claim widespread conservation can bring rewards if right policies are followedNearly a third of the world’s oceans and land area could be placed under environmental protections without harming the global economy, and even produce bumper economic benefits if the right policies were followed, according to a global assessment.Ecosystems around the world are collapsing or hovering on the brink of disaster, with a million species threatened with extinction. But if at least 30% of the planet’s land and oceans were subject to conservation efforts, that mass extinction could be avoided and vital habitats restored, scientists estimate. Continue reading...

Scientists use a strategy called assisted migration in an attempt to rescue tree species from inhospitable conditions

When 323 reindeer were killed by lightning on a remote Norwegian plateau, their bodies were left for nature to take its courseIn August 2016, a park ranger stumbled upon 323 dead wild tundra reindeer in Norway’s remote Hardangervidda plateau. They had been killed in a freak lightning event. But instead of removing the carcasses, the park decided to leave them where they were, allowing nature to take its course – and scientists to study this island of decomposition and how it might change the arctic tundra ecosystem.Over the years scientists observed the bloated, fly-infested bodies turn into dry skeletons. The latest paper, published by the Royal Society in June, looked at the creation of a “landscape of fear”, as top predators such as wolverines, golden eagles and arctic foxes took advantage of the carrion. Continue reading...

Wildlife Trusts report also calls for expansion of projects such as flower-rich road verges and butterfly reintroductionsThe use of pesticides in the UK must be at least halved to reverse steep losses in insect abundance and boost the natural world that depends on them, according to a report.It warns that insects are the “canaries in the coal mine” of the natural world and that everyone, including the government, local authorities, community groups and individuals, needs to become insect champions. Continue reading...

Halting Huawei hurts 5G rollout and Sino-British ties, but stopping a Chinese nuclear power plant in Essex has virtually no falloutGet ready for the “new Huawei” is the word from Westminster, meaning another flare-up in UK-China business and political relations, this time over Chinese involvement in the UK’s nuclear power programme.Ditching state-owned China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) would indeed be a political development on a political par with a Huawei exclusion. The 2016 agreement, which imagined CGN’s “progressive entry” into the UK’s “resurgent” nuclear ambitions, was given maximum hype at the time by both Beijing and David Cameron’s government. Continue reading...

Single classification system could end centuries of disagreement and improve global efforts to tackle biodiversity lossA plan to create the first universally recognised list of species on Earth has prompted hopes of an end to centuries of disagreement and confusion over how to classify the world’s library of life.The 10-point plan aims to finally bring order with an authoritative list of the world’s species and a governance mechanism responsible for its quality. Researchers hope a single recognised list would improve global efforts to tackle biodiversity loss, the trade in endangered wildlife, biosecurity and conservation. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Australia’s big four banks have loaned $7bn to 33 new or expansionary fossil fuel projects between 2016 and 2019, analysis findsSince the Paris agreement was signed, Australia’s big four banks have financed new fossil fuel projects that would cancel out the national emissions reduction target 21 times over, according to analysis by the activist investor group Market Forces.The analysis, released on Wednesday, shows the banks have loaned $7bn to 33 new or expansionary fossil fuel projects between 2016 and 2019. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Campaigners say £3bn scheme fails to comply with Paris accord and is just ‘a fig-leaf for polluters’Boris Johnson’s much-vaunted green recovery plans are inadequate and “clearly unlawful” as they do not match up to the government’s legal obligations under the Paris climate agreement and the UK’s own net zero emissions target, green campaigners have said.On Tuesday, a letter threatening court action was sent to the prime minister and the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, by the pressure group Plan B, which successfully took the government to the appeal court this year over its green light for the expansion of Heathrow airport. Continue reading...

Businesses include oil and gas drillers and coal mine operators, an analysis by Documented and the Guardian findsMore than 5,600 companies in the fossil fuel industry have taken a minimum of $3bn in coronavirus aid from the US federal government, according to an analysis by Documented and the Guardian of newly released data.The businesses include oil and gas drillers and coal mine operators, as well as refiners, pipeline companies and firms that provide services to the industry. Continue reading...

Proposed £3bn environmental funding for UK contrasts with Germany’s £36bn investmentEnvironmental groups have reacted with disappointment to details of the government’s Covid-19 economic rescue package released by the Treasury.On Monday night the government announced some details of the announcement expected on Wednesday, including a £1bn energy efficiency upgrade for public buildings and insulation for some social tenants, who could save up to £200 a year on their energy bills as a result. A Green Jobs Challenge fund will provide £40m for green charities working on improving England’s landscapes, with the money to be spent on projects such as tree-planting and cleaning up rivers. A further £50m will go to innovative approaches to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from social housing. Continue reading...

Accounts from Indonesian crew on illegal fishing operation reveal ‘inhumane’ conditions including bodies dumped at seaWhen Sepri and Ari boarded a Chinese tuna fishing vessel in February 2019, the 24-year-old best friends were excited at the prospect of working together and having adventures at sea. Lured by the promise of high wages after being jobless back in their village in Indonesia, they told their families they would bring home “a lot of money” and make them proud.Neither of them saw their families again. Both men died at sea after weeks of agony: working 18-hour days without adequate food or water and under the threat of violence, according to survivors who gave harrowing accounts of the deaths to the Guardian – including their bodies being thrown overboard. Continue reading...

Plans for new terminals may be abandoned because of glut of fossil fuel supply, says studyA multibillion-dollar pipeline of projects aiming to ship gas around the world on giant tankers could be in jeopardy because of a collapse in the global gas market, according to a report.A study by Global Energy Monitor has found that spending on new gas terminals needed to ship super-chilled liquified natural gas (LNG) on seaborne tankers has more than doubled in the past year, from $82.8bn (£66.3bn) to $196.1bn. Continue reading...

Campaigners say Rishi Sunak’s plan to decarbonise public buildings does not go far enoughRishi Sunak is to announce a £3bn package of green investment to decarbonise public buildings and cut emissions from Britain’s poorly insulated homes as part of the government’s Covid-19 economic recovery plan.The chancellor will seek to use Wednesday’s summer statement on the economy to fend off criticism that his proposals lack ambition by insisting that he can “kick start” an environment-friendly revival through the creation of thousands of green jobs in the construction industry. Continue reading...

Ongoing destruction of nature will result in stream of animal diseases jumping to humans, says report

Trailblazing system would help to stabilise the energy grid’s electrical frequencyA giant flywheel in north-east Scotland could soon help to prevent blackouts across Britain by mimicking the effect of a power station but without using fossil fuels.The trailblazing project near Keith in Moray, thought to cost about £25m, will not generate electricity or produce carbon emissions – but it could help keep the lights on by stabilising the energy grid’s electrical frequency. Continue reading...

Government hopes to generate $600m in investment and states and territories must match federal contribution to receive funding

Pink snow observed on parts of the Presena glacier believed to be caused by plant that makes the ice darker, causing it to melt fasterScientists in Italy are investigating the mysterious appearance of pink glacial ice in the Alps, caused by algae that accelerate the effects of climate change.There is debate about where the algae come from, but Biagio Di Mauro of Italy’s National Research Council said the pink snow observed on parts of the Presena glacier is likely caused by the same plant found in Greenland. Continue reading...

Steve Robertson received £2m payoff on top of £777,500 for loss of notice despite being sacked over leakagesThe former boss of Thames Water has been handed £2.8m since leaving the company, despite being sacked for leakages and fines while in charge.Steve Robertson, who stopped working for the company in May last year, was given a £2m payoff for losing his job on top of £777,500 paid to cover his 12-month notice period. Continue reading...

Record rainfall triggers landslides in western Kumamoto region, stranding hundredsDeep floodwaters and the risk of further mudslides have hampered search and rescue operations after heavy rain in southern Japan, including at elderly home facilities where more than a dozen residents died and scores were left stranded.Helicopters and boats rescued more people from their homes in the Kumamoto region. More than 40,000 troops, the coastguard and fire brigades took part in the operation. Continue reading...

Resources spokesperson Joel Fitzgibbon says a mid-century target of net zero emissions would now be the opposition’s focusLabor’s resources spokesman, Joel Fitzgibbon, says an emissions reduction target for 2030 has become “irrelevant”. He’s also declined to say whether the opposition should adopt a concrete commitment for 2035.Fitzgibbon told the ABC on Sunday Labor’s climate change policy for the next federal election would be “meaningful”, but he said a mid-century target of net zero emissions would now be the opposition’s focus. Continue reading...

The prime minister’s ‘build, build, build’ strategy could harm habitats and reduce wildlife protection, critics warnThe English countryside and its wildlife are at serious risk because of Boris Johnson’s pledge to revolutionise the planning system, leading green groups warn today.In a joint letter to the Observer, the organisations, which include the National Trust, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the Wildlife Trusts, say wide-scale deregulation leading to lower environmental standards and less protection would be a betrayal of promises by Johnson and Michael Gove to deliver a “green Brexit”. Continue reading...

Theo and Gloria Ferguson have created a garden specially designed to attract hummingbirds – and hundreds visit dailyAt the foot of Theo and Gloria Ferguson’s property stands a giant silk cotton tree. Reminiscent of those enchanted species in children’s fables, this ancient sentinel’s huge varicose limbs yawn upwards and outwards, towards a canopy of leaves that scratch the sky. Eight adults linking arms would struggle to encircle its vast girth, proof of the aeons it has stood guarding the edge of Trinidad’s Maracas valley. Continue reading...

Restoration work and wet winter have led to an explosion of colour and an increase in birdsA well known piece of the British landscape that had become depleted of flora and fauna because of years of intensive farming is alive with wildflowers, butterflies and birds this summer.Since the National Trust acquired fields on top of the white cliffs of Dover two and half years ago after a £1m national appeal championed by Dame Vera Lynn, it has worked to restore the area to rich grassland. Continue reading...

Former reality TV contestants promise ‘instant and long lasting hot water’ in campaign by gas company JemenaThe natural gas giant Jemena has defended paying Instagram influencers, including former contestants of The Block, Married at First Sight and other reality TV shows, to promote the fossil fuel in social media posts.The #GoNaturalGas campaign from the Chinese and Singaporean-owned Jemena, which manages key natural gas pipelines around and out of Australia, appears to have been running for two years online, and comes amid concern liquified natural gas could be as bad for the environment as coal. Continue reading...

Independent advice body says minister should be given emergency powers to protect habitat after natural disastersAustralia has not updated a register of habitat critical for the protection of threatened species for 15 years, prompting experts to call for it to be strengthened to protect more types of land.An independent scientific body that advises the government on threatened species also says the environment minister should be given emergency powers to protect habitat after natural disasters. Continue reading...

The pick of the world’s best flora and fauna photos, including a hatching crocodile and Mexican grey wolf cubs

Company convicted of trying to export used nappies and other contaminated materials illegallyOne of the UK’s biggest waste firms has lost a case in the court of appeal to overturn a criminal conviction for exporting dirty waste to China.The Environment Agency, which brought a successful criminal prosecution a year ago against Biffa Waste Services Ltd, which was convicted of trying to send used nappies and other contaminated materials illegally to China, welcomed Friday’s ruling and said exports of this kind of illegal waste “blighted the lives and environment of people overseas”. Continue reading...

Scottish court rules that environmental group defied court order banning the protest

Frequency of heatwaves and cumulative intensity has risen through the decades, research finds

Tees Valley mayor hails rental scheme as ‘clean energy, socially distant mode of transport’Residents of Middlesbrough in north-east England will be the first in the UK to legally ride electric scooters on the open road when the law changes on Saturday, as the government struggles to prevent a recovery from coronavirus based on cars.Though e-scooters have been whizzing illegally around many UK cities for the past few years, the pandemic has prompted the government to speed up plans to pilot public rental schemes. Continue reading...

Past presidents used the parks to inspire and unite. Trump sees them as backdrops for self-serving, divisive campaign rallies

Areas with a drier climate have seen greater loss of biodiversity from global warmingDry tropical forests are more vulnerable to the impacts of global heating than had been thought, according to new research, with wildlife and plants at severe risk of harm from human impacts.Some tropical forests are very wet, but others thrive in a drier climate and scientists had thought these drier forests would be better adapted to drought, and therefore more able to cope with the effects of the climate crisis. Continue reading...

Conservationist Sacha Dench will also log marine mammals she sees from her paramotor on the 7,000km journey across Europe and AfricaSacha Dench is not one to sit still. Known to many as “the human swan” for her record-breaking journey tracking migrating swans in a motorised paraglider, the conservationist and adventurer is planning her next aerial mission: to follow ospreys migrating 7,000km across Europe and Africa.“It’s really hard to get people to care about migratory species because they are not the responsibility of any one country,” says Dench, who founded Conservation Without Borders and was named as a UN ambassador for migratory species this year. “Birds often don’t fit within borders so they don’t sit in national action plans unless they breed there. But we need to think of conservation in terms of a species’ entire flyway or migratory track.” Continue reading...

Chancellor urged to prioritise plans to realign spending with cuts to carbon emissions

Warming water temperatures lower water oxygen levels, putting embryos and pregnant fish at risk, researchers saySixty per cent of studied fish species will be unable to survive in their current ranges by 2100 if climate warming reaches a worst-case scenario of 4-5C (7.2-9F) above pre-industrial temperatures, researchers have found.In a study of nearly 700 fresh and saltwater fish species, researchers examined how warming water temperatures lower water oxygen levels, putting embryos and pregnant fish at risk. Continue reading...

Extreme weather has contributed to the vast blazes – with the pandemic complicating the emergency responseFor residents of Tucson in southern Arizona, the Santa Catalina Mountains in the Coronado national forest are known as a hub for hiking, mountain biking and other outdoor recreation.But on 5 June lightning ignited a wildfire that has grown to engulf over 118,000 acres. The fires are still only 58% contained. Called the Bighorn fire, it is the eighth-biggest in state history, and it has transformed the Catalinas into a hub for the study of the impacts of climate change. Nasa satellite photos show large scar marks left by the fire. Continue reading...

A fast growing mountain of toxic e-waste is polluting the planet and damaging health, says new reportAt least $10bn (£7.9bn) worth of gold, platinum and other precious metals are dumped every year in the growing mountain of electronic waste that is polluting the planet, according to a new UN report.A record 54m tonnes of “e-waste” was generated worldwide in 2019, up 21% in five years, the UN’s Global E-waste Monitor report found. The 2019 figure is equivalent to 7.3kg for every man, woman and child on Earth, though use is concentrated in richer nations. The amount of e-waste is rising three times faster than the world’s population, and only 17% of it was recycled in 2019. Continue reading...

Tory Philip Dunne says he wants to ‘introduce water firms to polluter pays’ principle and launches private member’s bill

Thames Water overflow pipe pumped waste for 1,000 hours into London wetlands last year

1.8GW Vanguard project gets greenlight, with approval on 2.4GW Hornsea 3 expected in autumnThe construction of two giant offshore windfarms is poised to go ahead off the Norfolk coast in what the renewable energy industry claims could provide a “huge boost” to the UK economy.The business secretary, Alok Sharma, gave the green light on Wednesday evening to the Norfolk Vanguard project and said he was “minded to approve” the Hornsea 3 proposal later this year. Continue reading...

Letters by key legislators including North Dakota’s governor written by officials of MDU Resources, a subsidiary of WBI Energy