Environment | The Guardian

Analysis of policies of nearly 150 countries shows shortfall to hit target viewed as vital for transition from fossil fuelsThe world is off track to meet the goal of tripling renewable electricity generation by 2030, a target viewed as vital to enable a swift global transition away from fossil fuels, but there are promising signs that the pace of progress may be picking up.Countries agreed last December on a tripling of renewable power by the end of this decade. But few have yet taken concrete steps to meet this requirement and on current policies and trends global renewable generation capacity would only roughly double in developed countries, and slightly more than double globally by 2030, according to an analysis by the International Energy Agency. Continue reading...

Figures show breaches have rarely led to prosecution by Drinking Water Inspectorate since 2021The drinking water regulator for England and Wales has brought only three prosecutions against water companies for providing poor quality water since 2021, despite 362 instances in which water was flagged as being unfit for human consumption.Periodically, members of the public or companies have informed the Drinking Water Inspectorate about water that has not been not safe for human consumption. In those instances, the DWI can issue legal instruments that require companies to put in place a package of measures. Continue reading...

Band announces their carbon footprint after two years of touring is 59% lower than what was generated on their previous tour, thanks to some creative solutionsColdplay has announced that they have reduced their touring carbon footprint by 59% compared with their previous world tour - via some creative methods that include kinetic dancefloors that allow dancing fans to generate electricity, recyclable LED wristbands and the band travelling by train.On Monday the British band announced that they were happy to report that direct CO2e emissions from the first two years of this tour are 59% less than our previous stadium tour (2016-17), on a show-by-show comparison". Continue reading...

Kilauea, one of the most active volcanoes in the world, has begun erupting in a remote area that last saw an eruption half-century ago, the US Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said. The eruption is about 1.6 km (1 mile) south of the Kilauea caldera, in an area within Hawaii Volcanoes national park that last erupted in December 1974. The area surrounding the caldera has been closed to the public since 2008 because of other hazards, including ground cracking, instability in the crater wall and rockfalls.

Governors say president has done nothing but attack American energy' and urge end to US fossil-fuel rules and regulationsRepublican governors gathered in the fossil-fuel rich state of Louisiana on Monday to rail against the Biden administration's climate agenda and lay out plans to unleash American energy", alarming community advocates and climate experts.President Biden has done nothing but attack American energy," said the Louisiana governor Jeff Landry, who led the Wednesday press conference. Continue reading...

Scientists say calamities on same scale as disaster that has killed 169 will become more common if emissions not cutThe unusually intense, prolonged and extensive flooding that has devastated southern Brazil was made at least twice as likely by human burning of fossil fuels and trees, a study has shown.The record disaster has led to 169 deaths, ruined homes and wrecked harvests, and was worsened by deforestation, investment cuts and human incompetence. Continue reading...

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse tells Guardian quid pro quo is very evident' amid investigation into Mar-a-Lago meeting in AprilDonald Trump's brazen pitch to 20 fossil-fuel heads for $1bn to aid his presidential campaign in return for promises of lucrative tax and regulatory favors is the definition of corruption", a top Democrat investigating the issue has said.It certainly meets the definition of corruption as the founding fathers would have used the term," Senator Sheldon Whitehouse said in an interview about Trump's audacious $1bn request for big checks to top fossil-fuel executives that took place in April at his Mar-a-Lago club. Continue reading...

US families could be having to sacrifice other aspects of their lives in order to just maintain power', researcher saysMany people in the US can expect to see an 8% rise in their utility costs this summer, according to a new report. Soaring electricity bills put low-income households at risk from extreme heat, the report noted.Last year was the Earth's hottest one on record. In the US alone, about 11,000 people are estimated to have died of heat exposure. Continue reading...

Heat is the number one cause of weather-related deaths in the US. What happens to our bodies when we overheat?The US Southwest is bracing for a dangerous heat wave, with millions of people under a heat advisory. Triple-digit temperatures are expected across Texas, Arizona, Nevada, and California starting Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. The heatwave has already shattered records in Mexico, where government officials have recorded 48 deaths.Heat is the main cause of weather-related death in the US. How does it affect the body?FatigueHeadacheLightheadednessNauseaDry mouthVomiting Continue reading...

The Museum of Australian Photography (MAPh), the proud custodian of more than 3,860 photographs, is holding a fundraising auction in Melbourne, with the proceeds of the sales shared equally with the contributing artists Continue reading...

My grandmother's orchard stopped me in my tracks, and I only have to read the word to feel the shade of those trees

Discovery of three queen hornets in East Sussex means it is likely the bee-killing insect will be here for goodDNA testing has confirmed that Asian hornets overwintered in the UK for the first time this year, meaning it is very likely the bee-killing insect will be here for good.Asian hornets (Vespa velutina) dismember and eat bees, and have thrived in France, where they have caused concern because of the number of insects killed. They sit outside honeybee hives and capture bees as they enter and exit, and chop up the smaller insects and feed their thoraxes to their young. Continue reading...

Willie Walsh, now boss of Iata, also calls for more investment in sustainable aviation fuelsGreen aviation policies should be abandoned if the costs outweigh the benefits, the head of the world's most influential airlines body has said.Willie Walsh, the director general of the International Air Transport Association (Iata) and a former British Airways boss, said achieving net zero by 2050 was existential, not optional". Continue reading...

Opponents of bills argue offramp' to keep gas or coal plants running will be triggered if energy-heavy centers are builtMichigan Democrats are poised to pass legislation aimed at attracting big-tech data centers, but opponents say the bills would destroy nation-leading climate laws the same legislators approved in November because the centers consume massive amounts of electricity.The November climate bills included an offramp" that would keep gas or coal plants running if renewable sources could not handle the energy grid's load, and the stipulation would almost certainly be triggered, opponents say. Continue reading...

Campaigners have written to broadcasters expressing concern that climate is not a more prominent discussion topicThe climate crisis must be discussed as a key priority in the TV debates between Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer, say green groups.A number of NGOs have written to the TV networks expected to host the live debates, the first of which is on Tuesday at 9pm on ITV. Continue reading...

Claude the koala was caught eating 4,050 food tree seedlings at Eastern Forest Nursery near Lismore in 2023. The bandit has been captured returning for a meal at the nursery, as workers look on. Conservationists say Claude's behaviour is part of a bigger problem as heavy land clearing has meant that there isn't enough food in the local area for koalas to eat

Koala became online hit after sampling wares at NSW nursery, but conservationists say increasingly brazen behaviour highlights serious issue

Writer tells Hay festival about his new book, Blossomise, and his hopes to inspire people to preserve the natural worldPoets can help fight climate breakdown by making us spellbound, full of wonder and beguiled" by nature, the poet laureate has said.Simon Armitage, who pledged to dedicate his writing and thinking to environmental issues when he was appointed poet laureate in 2019, has written a new book of poems called Blossomise, which he hopes will remind readers of the beauty of nature. Continue reading...

Heavy rain that trapped people in their homes and reportedly caused a train derailment is forecast to continueA volunteer firefighter died during a rescue operation during heavy rain and flooding in the south of Germany, local police said on Sunday.Four emergency workers were attempting to reach people trapped by the flood waters near Pfaffenhofen in the region of Bavaria when their boat capsized. Continue reading...

In a new Quarterly Essay, Joelle Gergis says that while Rome wasn't built in a day, the Albanese government's lack of action on climate change does not reflect the urgency of the crisis

Program developed by the CSIRO and Bureau of Meteorology allows farmers to better understand the risks of the climate crisis, study found

For decades, the Chevron deference doctrine has given broad powers to federal agencies. Now it could be overturned - with major consequencesThe US supreme court is poised to decide the fate of a decades-old legal framework that has helped determine how the federal government regulates everything from pollution to financial markets.With cases on abortion, homelessness and Donald Trump grabbing the spotlight, the so-called Chevron deference doctrine has flown somewhat under the radar. But it could be among the court's most influential decisions this year, upending the way Congress legislates, how bureaucrats carry out presidential directives and how courts rule when conflicts arise over the regulatory process.Is a statute ambiguous?Is the agency's interpretation reasonable? Continue reading...

For decades, the Chevron deference doctrine has given broad powers to federal agencies. Now it could be overturned - with major consequencesThe US supreme court is poised to decide the fate of a decades-old legal framework that has helped determine how the federal government regulates everything from pollution to financial markets.With cases on abortion, homelessness and Donald Trump grabbing the spotlight, the so-called Chevron deference doctrine has flown somewhat under the radar. But it could be among the court's most influential decisions this year, upending the way Congress legislates, how bureaucrats carry out presidential directives and how courts rule when conflicts arise over the regulatory process. Continue reading...

With elections affecting half the world's population this year, campaigners offer their views on the chances of real changeThis year elections are taking place across the globe, covering almost half of the world's population. It is also likely to be, yet again, the hottest year recorded as the climate crisis intensifies. The Guardian asked young climate activists around the world what they want from the elections and whether politics is working in the fight to halt global heating. Continue reading...

A decision from Unesco on giving the peat-rich Flow Country the same standing as the Great Barrier Reef is just weeks awayIt is a land of mire, mist and midges that could soon be awarded a special status among the planet's wild habitats. In a few weeks, Unesco is set to announce its decision on an application to allow the Flow Country in north Scotland to become a world heritage site.Such a designation is only given to places of special cultural, historical or scientific significance and would put this remote region of perpetual dampness on the same standing as the Great Barrier Reef, the Grand Canyon and the Pyramids. Continue reading...

Woman from Riposte Alimentaire arrested after sticking poster on impressionist painter's CoquelicotsA climate activist has been arrested for sticking an adhesive poster on a Monet painting at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris to draw attention to global heating, a police source said.The action by the woman, a member of Riposte Alimentaire (Food Response) - a group of environmental activists and defenders of sustainable food production - was seen in a video posted on X, placing a blood-red poster over Coquelicots (Poppies) by the French impressionist painter Claude Monet. Continue reading...

On first day of predicted intense Atlantic hurricane season, Nature Conservancy urges action and warns against misinformationMisinformation spread by climate deniers such as Florida's extremist Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, increases the vulnerability" of communities in the path of severe weather events, scientists are warning.The message comes on Saturday, the first day of what experts fear could be one of the most intense and dangerous Atlantic hurricane seasons on record, threatening a summer of natural disasters across the US. Continue reading...

Meteorologists found 52.9C reading to be false, though new record does appear to have been setA record temperature registered this week for the Indian capital of 52.9C (127.22F) was too high by 3C, the Indian government has said.The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had investigated Wednesday's reading by the weather station at Mungeshpur, a densely packed corner of New Delhi, and found a 3C sensor error", the earth sciences minister, Kiren Rijiju, said. Continue reading...

With hundreds of highly prized species, bird tourism is thriving in the country - and farmers are increasingly turning their land into nature reservesWhen it came to dividing up his late father's farm between five brothers, Vinicio Bacuilima says he drew the short straw. Maraksacha, on the main road out of Ecuador's capital Quito, is a tiny patch of land on the edge of a steep ravine, making it very difficult to make a living from farming.Then Bacuilima's wife Anita Cajas had an idea: turn their paltry inheritance into a site to attract visiting birders. Creating the Maraksacha Reserve was a risky venture, but it paid off, with feeders attracting a host of colourful hummingbirds and tanagers. Continue reading...

Bright hue of Clear Lake, state's largest freshwater basin, may have been caused by cyanobacteria and other phytoplanktonCalifornia's largest freshwater lake has turned bright green due to algae blooms so intense they are visible from space, Nasa has announced, sharing satellite images from mid-May.The photographs showed that bright green swirls were visible across most of the lake's area", the space agency said, and may have been caused by cyanobacteria, commonly known as blue-green algae, as well as other kinds of phytoplankton. Continue reading...

Climate Superfund Act compels oil companies to pay potentially billions of dollars for climate impacts caused by their emissionsVermont has become the first state to enact a law holding oil firms financially responsible for climate damages, after the Republican governor, Phil Scott, allowed it to pass without his signature late on Thursday.Modeled after the Environmental Protection Agency's Superfund program, the Climate Superfund Act directs the state to charge major fossil fuel companies potentially billions of dollars to pay for climate impacts to which their emissions have contributed. It is expected to face legal challenges from the industry. Continue reading...

Western Texas briefly looked like a winter wonderland' amid dramatic temperature drop and hailstormJust as people start bringing out their shorts for the start of summer, one Texas town had to reach for something rarely seen in late May: a snowplough.Parts of the state saw a dramatic 50F temperature drop on Wednesday thanks to a giant dump of hail, some DVD-sized". The storm made western Texas look, briefly, like a winter wonderland. Continue reading...

Labour leader says it was most efficient form of transport' from Wales and party has offset the carbonKeir Starmer has admitted he used a private jet to travel to a campaign rally in Scotland where he promised to create tens of thousands" of clean energy jobs with a new publicly owned energy company in the country.Responding to media questions after speaking to activists in Greenock, Inverclyde, Starmer said: We did use a private jet because we did need to get very quickly to Scotland from Wales yesterday and it was the most efficient form of transport in the middle of a very busy general election campaign." Continue reading...

Rules target contaminants such as mercury, benzene and lead released by coke ovens used by facilities to burn coalNew Environmental Protection Agency rules aim to crack down on toxic air pollution from US steelmakers by limiting pollutants such as mercury, benzene and lead that have long poisoned the air in neighborhoods surrounding the plants.The rules target contaminants released by steel facilities' coke ovens. Gas from the ovens creates an individual cancer risk in the air around steel plants of 50 in 1,000,000, which public health advocates say is dangerous for children and people with underlying health problems. Continue reading...

Zoo welcomes 11 Humboldt chicks, its highest number in a decade, including Thistle and DaffodilIn previous years Chester zoo's new penguin chicks have been named after crisps - Frazzle, Wotsit - and local football club owners - Ryan, Rob - but the names p ... p ... p ... picked this year are notably less frivolous.We've decided to go with plants," said Zoe Sweetman, the penguins and parrots team manager at the zoo. Two of the spikier new arrivals have been named Nettle and Thistle while two others with colourful personalities" have been named Daffodil and Tulip. Continue reading...

EPA says proposal to keep Hunter Valley Operations mines going to 2050 would release almost 30m tonnes of CO2

The best of this week's wildlife photographs from around the world Continue reading...

Negative scientific and press reports on the efficacy of carbon credit projects has led to a direct pullback in buyer investment'The market for carbon offsets shrank dramatically last year, falling from $1.9bn (1.5bn) in 2022 to $723m in 2023, a new report has found. The drop came after a series of scientific and media reports found many offsetting schemes do nothing to mitigate the climate crisis and biodiversity loss.The research by Ecosystem Marketplace, a nonprofit initiative that collects data about the carbon market from brokers and traders, found the market had shrunk 61%. Continue reading...

Campaigners suspect block on new applications for at least two years was imposed to limit burden on water firmsThe government has suspended all applications for bathing water status in waterways, delaying the cleanup of rivers and coastal waters for at least two years.River campaigners fear the block on new applications to create bathing water areas, which are regularly tested for water quality, has been introduced to stop water companies facing huge resource implications to tackle poor water quality in new bathing areas. Continue reading...

For many on Ghoramara, the general election is about the climate crisis and survival. The island, 150km south of Kolkata and named the sinking island' by the media, has lost nearly half its area to soil erosion in the past two decades and could disappear if a solution is not found.As voters across India cast their ballots on issues ranging from the cost of living to jobs and religion, politicians trying to win votes in Ghoramara need to put the climate crisis to the fore as the island's dwindling population fight to save their homes from the sea amid rising water levels and increasingly fierce storms Continue reading...

Meeting WHO guidelines would avoid many cases of diseases and save the NHS millions, research showsA study has revealed that cleaning up the air in the West Midlands could prevent the early deaths of about 2,000 people a year.If the region were to meet World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for air pollution, it could also avoid 2,000 new asthma cases, 770 new cases of heart disease, 170 new lung cancers and 650 strokes annually, the study found. Continue reading...

Festival bows to pressure from authors and activists over investment firm's links to Israel and fossil fuel companiesThe Edinburgh international book festival (EIBF) has announced the end of its 20-year partnership with Baillie Gifford. Last week the Hay literary festival also dropped its sponsorship from the investment management firm after a series of last-minute drop-outs.The singer Charlotte Church, the comedian Nish Kumar and the politician Dawn Butler were among those due to appear at Hay who decided to boycott the festival because of Baillie Gifford's links to Israel and fossil fuel companies. By the end of the festival's second day, Hay's organisers announced the sponsorship has been suspended" for 2024. Continue reading...

Researchers say world has enough fossil fuel projects planned to meet demand forecasts to 2050 if net zero is reachedThe world has enough fossil fuel projects planned to meet global energy demand forecasts to 2050 and governments should stop issuing new oil, gas and coal licences, according to a large study aimed at political leaders.If governments deliver the changes promised in order to keep the world from breaching its climate targets no new fossil fuel projects will be needed, researchers at University College London and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) said on Thursday. Continue reading...

Temperatures of more than 45C have left population of 29 million exhausted - but the poorest suffer mostAs the water tanker drove into a crowded Delhi neighbourhood, a ruckus erupted. Dozens of residents ran frantically behind it, brandishing buckets, bottles and hoses, and jumped on top of it to get even a drip of what was stored inside. Temperatures that day had soared to 49C (120F), the hottest day on record - and in many places across India's vast capital, home to more than 29 million people, water had run out.Every morning, Tripti, a social health worker who lives in the impoverished enclave of Vivekanand Camp, is among those who has to stand under the blazing sun with buckets and pots, waiting desperately for the water tanker to arrive. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Documents reveal offer was made three years before Origin and government reached deal to keep Australia's biggest coal-fired power station open

FTSE 100 firm DS Smith, which works with firms over alternatives, urges next government to match global standardsWhoever wins the UK general election must tighten regulations to reduce the use of plastic packaging, match global standards and drive green consumption", the boss of one of the sector's biggest manufacturers has urged.Miles Roberts, the chief executive of the packaging firm DS Smith, made the call to the next government as the company celebrated passing its target to replace more than 1bn pieces of plastic 16 months early. Continue reading...

The bipartisan proposal that would remediate farms affected by toxic PFAS contamination is gaining speed in CongressThe US may soon bail out farmers whose livelihoods were destroyed by toxic PFAS forever chemical" contamination.The proposal for a $500m fund aims to head off a crisis for the nation's growers and is moving through Congress amid increasing evidence that PFAS-contaminated sewage sludge used as a cheap fertilizer alternative poisoned crops and livestock. Separately, around 4,000 farms nationwide have been contaminated by PFAS from neighboring military bases. Continue reading...

The golden state legalised marijuana production in 2016, but strict curbs have led to a thriving black market. Its hub is in Siskiyou county, where the environmental damage is clear to seeIn the shadow of Mount Shasta in northern California, a sea of makeshift greenhouses and plywood huts sprawls between the conifer trees of the high desert. From the air, many of the polytunnels look in bad shape, their plastic covers torn by the wind to reveal what's inside: hundreds of cannabis plants packet tightly together, their distinctive green leaves easily identifiable against the volcanic soil.This remote area of Siskiyou county is known for its goldrush history, black bears and returning grey wolves, but in the last few years it has also become a hub for California's parallel market in cannabis production. More than 6,000 hectares (15,000 acres) of illicit cannabis farms cover the Republic-leaning county, which voted not to legalise commercial farming despite the statewide vote for legalisation in November 2016. Continue reading...

Analysis of the carbon offset projects used by top corporations including Delta, Gucci and ExxonMobil raises concerns around their emission cuts claimsSome of the world's most profitable - and most polluting corporations - have invested in carbon offset projects that have fundamental failings and are probably junk", suggesting industry claims about greenhouse gas reductions were likely overblown, according to new analysis.Delta, Gucci, Volkswagen, ExxonMobil, Disney, easyJet and Nestle are among the major corporations to have purchased millions of carbon credits from climate friendly projects that are likely junk" or worthless when it comes to offsetting their greenhouse gas emissions, according to a classification system developed by Corporate Accountability, a non-profit, transnational corporate watchdog. Continue reading...