Cameras stationed by Swellnet to monitor swells on Australia's east coast show the difference a couple of days can make when a tropical cyclone like Alfred approaches. The cameras record how eight beaches, in Queensland and New South Wales, change from Monday to Thursday. Continue reading...
Cyclone Alfred is heading for the south-east Queensland coast, causing high winds and big surf. It's expected to make landfall late on Friday or early Saturday between Noosa and Coolangatta.Alfred's slow progress to the mainland could prolong already severe conditions to the south of its projected path, particularly in parts of the Gold Coast and northern New South Wales
Drop in line with rate of overall insect loss as scientists point to habitat loss, pesticide use and the climate crisisButterflies may be among the most beloved of all creatures, routinely deified in art and verse, but they are in alarming decline in the United States with populations plummeting by a fifth in just the past two decades, according to the most comprehensive study yet of their fortunes.The abundance of butterflies in the US slumped 22% between 2000 and 2020, the new analysis of more than 76,000 mostly regional surveys, published in Science, found. For every five butterflies fluttering daintily around at the start of the century, just four remain today. Continue reading...
Caroline Cotto's research group taste-tests meat alternatives so plant-based companies can attract new customers - and help the climateI am sitting in a Manhattan restaurant on a frigid Thursday in January, eating six mini servings of steak and mashed potatoes, one after another. The first steak I am served has a nice texture but is sort of unnaturally reddish. The second has a great crispy sear on the outside, but leaves behind a lingering chemical aftertaste. The next is fine on its own, but I imagine would be quite delicious shredded, drenched in barbecue sauce and served on a bun with vinegary pickles and a side of slaw.If you peeked into this restaurant, you'd see nothing out of the ordinary - just a diverse range of New Yorkers huddled over plates of food. But everyone present is here for more than just a hot meal. We're participating in a blind taste test of plant- (or sometimes mushroom-) based steaks, organized by a group of people who hope that better-tasting meat alternatives just might be a key to fighting the climate crisis. Continue reading...
Murray Auchincloss paid 5.4m in 2024 as oil company ditched green investment strategyBP cut the pay of its chief executive after a chastening year in which the British oil company missed profit targets and ditched its green investment strategy as it came under pressure from a US-based activist investor.Murray Auchincloss's pay decreased by 30% to 5.4m for 2024, according to the company's annual report published on Thursday. Continue reading...
The term polycrisis' has gained traction as we face one disaster after another. It's overwhelming - but diagnosing the catastrophe is the first step to addressing itTwo months into 2025, the sense of dread is palpable. In the US, the year began with a terrorist attack; then came the fires that ravaged a city, destroying lives, homes and livelihoods. An extremist billionaire came to power and began proudly dismantling the government with a chainsaw. Once-in-a-century disasters are happening more like once a month, all amid devastating wars and on the heels of a pandemic.The word unprecedented" has become ironically routine. It feels like we're stuck in a relentless cycle of calamity, with no time to recover from one before the next begins. Continue reading...
Move to expand landfill for US hazardous waste stirs disputes between leaders in Quebec and Montreal suburbThe proposed expansion of a Quebec landfill that accepts hazardous waste from the United States has ignited a turf war between the Quebec provincial government and local leaders, who say they oppose putting US trash into a local peat bog.Local leaders are protesting against the move - saying the province is capitulating to a US company in the midst of a tariff war between Canada and the United States. Continue reading...
by Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield on (#6VQKA)
Companies can sue governments for closing oilfields and mines - and the risk of huge damages is already stopping countries from passing green laws, ministers say
Vow in 2020 aimed to keep shot out of human food chain but study finds most game carcasses still contain leadA voluntary promise to phase out toxic lead shot in the UK has failed, meaning wildlife and human health are being put at risk, a study has found.The vow, made in February 2020 by the UK's nine leading game shooting and rural organisations, aimed to benefit wildlife and the environment and keep toxic lead out of the human food chain. They aimed to phase lead shot out by 2025, and hoped to avoid a full government ban. It is recommended birds are shot with non-toxic cartridges made of metals such as steel instead. Continue reading...
Only 20 miles from Italy's capital, Isola Sacra was ignored for years but now Royal Caribbean has plans to turn it into a major new portOn a cloudy day in January, Isola Sacra, a hamlet in Fiumicino, 20 miles from Rome, does not look like a place that would attract masses of tourists. Low-rise family homes with small gardens alternate with meadows and fields and life has the sedate pace of a provincial town.An old lighthouse now lies in ruins and not far away is the darsena dei bilancioni, the beach that takes its name from the stilt houses, or bilancioni, once used for fishing. Continue reading...
by Ajit Niranjan Europe environment correspondent on (#6VQG2)
Scientists called the news particularly worrying' because ice reflects sunlight and cools the planetGlobal sea ice fell to a record low in February, scientists have said, a symptom of an atmosphere fouled by planet-heating pollutants.The combined area of ice around the north and south poles hit a new daily minimum in early February and stayed below the previous record for the rest of the month, the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said on Thursday. Continue reading...
Wildlife experts claim nutria, which destroy habitats with voracious eating habits, taste like rabbit or dark turkey meatWildlife officials are encouraging California residents to add a rodent to their daily diet as part of efforts to control the invasive species' population.The nutria, a large, semi-aquatic rodent native to South America, is threatening the state's ecosystems by destroying habitats and outcompeting native wildlife. The nutria's harmful impacts have prompted wildlife officials to promote hunting and consumption as possible solutions. Continue reading...
Group claims regulator signed off on broken system' making customers pay for industry's neglectAn environmental group is to take legal action against Ofwat, the water regulator, accusing it of unlawfully making customers pay for decades of neglect by the water industry.River Action will file the legal claim this month, arguing that bill rises for customers that have been approved by the regulator could be used to fix infrastructure failures that should have been addressed years ago. Continue reading...
Plaintiffs say Florida Crystals' farming method that blights minority neighborhoods belies its climate-friendly claimsA major sugar company has been accused of harmful environmental practices while claiming to be a leader in the fight against the climate crisis, in a class-action lawsuit filed on Wednesday.Florida Crystals, one of the US's biggest sugar firms, and its parent company, the Fanjul Corporation, are accused of deceiving consumers and endangering public health by continuing to use environmentally harmful pre-harvest burning. Continue reading...
Gas and oil industry cautiously welcomes government proposals that could ease tax burden on sectorThe UK government has unveiled proposals that could ease the tax burden on the offshore oil and gas sector but confirmed that it would also ban new drilling licences as part of a pledge to unleash the North Sea's clean energy future".The windfall" tax on North Sea drillers, introduced in 2022 to help support households facing rising energy bills after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, would be scrapped from 2030, the Treasury confirmed on Wednesday. Continue reading...
He is surrounded by people who have grandiose plans and dreams beyond our planet. Vengeful nihilism is a big part of the Maga projectIn thinking about the war being waged against life on Earth by Donald Trump, Elon Musk and their minions, I keep bumping into a horrible suspicion. Could it be that this is not just about delivering the world to oligarchs and corporations - not just about wringing as much profit from living systems as they can? Could it be that they want to see the destruction of the habitable planet?We know that Trump's overriding purpose is power. We have seen that no amount of power appears to satisfy his craving. So let's consider power's ultimate destination. It is to become not only an emperor, but the last of the emperors: to close the chapter on civilisation. It is to scratch your name indelibly upon a geological epoch. Look on my works, ye vermin, and despair.George Monbiot is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...
Another day, another health scare. I'm struggling to know which dangers I should take seriouslyIf you want to stir up online controversy, wooden spoons are the perfect tool with which to do so. Every few years, influencers go viral with warnings about how the wooden spoons in your kitchen are covered in disgusting gunk and if you don't boil them immediately you will poison yourself and everyone you love.In 2023, for example, a woman called Lulaboo Jenkins posted a TikTok video of her boiling spoons. Millions of people watched the water turn brown and it triggered a deep-cleaning craze. The Guardian's Tim Dowling had a go, detailing the results in an article that prompted more than 1,000 comments. Who knew spoons could inspire such a feverish response? (Well, Jenkins, I suppose.) Continue reading...
by Patrick Greenfield and Phoebe Weston on (#6VPP1)
Guardian analysis finds fossil-fuel and mining firms have won $92bn of public money from states, with a growing number of cases backed by financial speculatorsRead more: Fearing toxic waste, Greenland ended uranium mining. Now, they could be forced to restart - or pay $11bnFinancial speculators are investing in a growing number of lawsuits against governments over environmental laws and other regulations that affect profits, often generating lucrative awards, the Guardian has found.For a long time, litigation finance thrived primarily in the realm of car crashes and employment claims. Had an accident that wasn't your fault?" was the industry's billboard catchphrase, offering to finance lawsuits in exchange for a cut of any payout. Continue reading...
The plant multiplies quickly, is rich in vitamins, and eaten across Asia. Why isn't it on supermarket shelves?In the summer sun, duckweed (Wolffia globosa) can be a menace. It grows so fast it covers a pond in a few days, blocking out the light for the life below. But it is this ability to multiply and its high nutritional value that has made it a potentially valuable food.Although commonly eaten in Asia, where varieties of duckweed are also known as water lentils or watermeal, it has taken nearly 10 years for scientists to convince the European Food Safety Authority that it is a vegetable that is safe to eat. Continue reading...
by Lanre Bakare Arts and culture correspondent on (#6VPJF)
Curator of Design Museum show says human-centric' approach to design needs overhaul amid climate crisisDesigners need to fundamentally rethink our relationship with the natural world", according to the curator of a new exhibition which argues the needs of nature and animals should be considered when creating homes, buildings and products.Justin McGuirk, the curator of the upcoming More Than Human exhibition at the Design Museum in London, said our current human-centric" approach to design needs to be radically overhauled as the world adapts to the climate crisis. Continue reading...
by Damian Carrington Environment editor on (#6VPHV)
Researchers say data strengthens case for holding firms to account for their contribution to climate crisisHalf of the world's climate-heating carbon emissions come from the fossil fuels produced by just 36 companies, analysis has revealed.The researchers said the 2023 data strengthened the case for holding fossil fuel companies to account for their contribution to global heating. Previous versions of the annual report have been used in legal cases against companies and investors. Continue reading...
Jackie and Shadow, eagles in Big Bear valley recorded on a live webcam, regain hope three years after their last chickBald eagles named Jackie and Shadow are in the midst of cuddling with two new members of their nest after a couple of chicks hatched between Monday night and Tuesday morning, restoring hope after ravens ate their eggs two years ago.The pair of bald eagles at Big Bear valley in the San Bernardino national forest in California welcomed their first chick after days of anticipation. The hatching process began the day before with the first visible pip, which is a crack in the eggshell. Continue reading...
Powerful thunderstorms likely to sweep through Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and AlabamaSevere thunderstorms are forecast to batter the southern and central United States on Tuesday, with a threat of tornadoes, damaging winds, blizzards, flash flooding and dust storms possible from the southern Plains into the lower Mississippi Valley and south-east.Meteorologists warn that a line of powerful thunderstorms will probably sweep through Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, and could include destructive tornadoes. The main threats are strong destructive gales, tornadoes and at least some areas of large hail. Continue reading...
Ruling by the court, which has a Republican super majority, undermines the 1972 Clean Water ActThe US supreme court has weakened rules on the discharge of raw sewage into water supplies in a 5-4 ruling that undermines the 1972 Clean Water Act.The CWA is the principle law governing pollution control and water quality of the nation's waterways. Continue reading...
How do you stop people worrying about the climate emergency? By sacking anyone whose job it is to keep an eye on it. Chalk up another win for Project 2025Some politicians go whichever way the wind blows. Not, however, the US's esteemed leader, Donald Trump. He is such a force of nature that he can dictate the direction of the wind. During his first term, he suggested nuking hurricanes" to stop them from hitting the country. A few weeks after that, Trump seemed to think he could alter the course of Hurricane Dorian with a black marker, scribbling over an official map to change its anticipated trajectory in an incident now known as Sharpiegate. Weirdly, Dorian did not end up following Trump's orders. Hurricanes can be uncooperative like that.Six weeks into Trump's second term, the president hasn't bombed any hurricanes, but he has nuked the US's weather-forecasting capabilities. Last week, hundreds of workers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), the US's pre-eminent climate research agency, were abruptly fired.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...
Researchers at University of Exeter warn many of the hunted species are important crop pollinatorsInvasive Asian hornets are eating hundreds of different species of insects in Europe, including many which are important pollinators, researchers have warned.The findings, from tests of the guts of more than 1,500 larvae, raise new concerns over the extra threat" the hornet poses to native insects already under pressure from farming, changes in land use and chemical pollution. Continue reading...
As layoffs under Trump bleed out, workers in the Mountain West fear devastating consequences for their communitiesRepublican representative McKay Erickson walked through the halls of the Wyoming capitol with a Trump 2024 pin on the front of his suit jacket. Much of Erickson's home district in Lincoln county falls under the jurisdiction of the Bridger-Teton national forest and Grand Teton national park.With that federal land, comes federal workers. While it appears districts in Wyoming crucial to US energy dominance have been spared the brunt of the layoffs, McKay said his forest-heavy district has not been so fortunate. He's hearing from his constituents about the layoffs, and he's troubled about the implications for his district's future. Continue reading...
The highly concentrated egg market may be contributing to soaring consumer prices - and the spread of the virus, data shared exclusively with the Guardian showsMajor egg corporations may be using avian flu as a ruse to hike up prices, generating record profits while hurting American consumers, new research suggests.The cost of a dozen large eggs hit almost $5 in January - a record high in the US and more than two and a half times the average price three years ago before the avian flu outbreak. This signifies a 157% inflation rate for eggs - a previously go-to affordable protein source for many American families. Continue reading...
Gasps from dockside crowd watching Bigg's orca pod in event described as once-in-a-lifetime experience'A pod of orcas swam close to shore and amazed onlookers in Seattle by treating the whale watchers to the rare sight of the apex predators hunting a bird.The pod of Bigg's killer whales visited Elliott Bay and were seemingly on a hunt underwater just off Seattle's maritime industrial docks. The pod exited the bay close to the West Seattle neighborhood across from downtown, where people were waiting to catch sight of them. Continue reading...
President's move to expand tree cutting across 280m acres evades rules to protect endangered speciesDonald Trump has ordered that swathes of America's forests be felled for timber, evading rules to protect endangered species while doing so and raising the prospect of chainsaws razing some of the most ecologically important trees in the US.The president, in an executive order, has demanded an expansion in tree cutting across 280m acres (113m hectares) of national forests and other public lands, claiming that heavy-handed federal policies" have made America reliant on foreign imports of timber. Continue reading...
Regional governments bow to pressure from agricultural industry, often amplified by far-right Vox partyOnly last year it was hailed as a conservation success story: the Iberian lynx, which had been close to extinction, had sprung back to life thanks to a two-decade-long effort to expand the population.Now, however, that progress is at risk after several regional governments in Spain acceded to pressure from farmers and hunters to block the reintroduction of the species into the wild. Continue reading...
Sudden stratospheric warming event expected to develop in next two weeks and will probably weaken the jet streamA sudden stratospheric warming event is expected to develop over the next two weeks, leading to a rapid collapse of the polar vortex.This will be the second and probably final disruption of the polar vortex this winter in the northern hemisphere, the first having taken place earlier last month, which was associated with a severe cold spell across much of the eastern half of the US. Continue reading...
Scottish Wildlife Trust plans to create rainforest, restore peatland and end deer stalking on Highland sporting estateScottish conservationists hope to convert a Highland sporting estate into a rewilding showcase after a mystery benefactor gave them more than 17.5m to buy it.The Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT), best known for its small nature reserves, has bought Inverbroom estate near Ullapool in north-west Scotland, complete with an 11-bedroom lodge that boasts an indoor swimming pool. Continue reading...
Bold pledges to fund climate projects now appear under threat, exposing deeper fiscal constraints and policy dilemmas within the governmentIn October, the prime minister, chancellor and energy secretary pledged billions to kickstart the UK's first carbon capture projects - one of the biggest green spending promises of the parliament. By December, EdMiliband was signing contracts, Sir Keir Starmer vowed to reignite our industrial heartlands" and Rachel Reeves warned that without bold action, Britainwould be stuck with low growth and falling living standards. More importantly, net zero targets wouldn't be met without removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.Fast forward and the Treasury is, reportedly, preparing to scrap the 22bn plan, after economic growth failed to materialise. What a difference a fewweeks make. Continue reading...
Inaugural Tune into Nature prize is aiming to highlight how the natural world is central to creative lifeOne is a dreamy soundscape collected from the peaks of the Dolomites. The other is a drum'n'bass track that samples a nightingale's quickfire song.These contrasting tunes have won the inaugural Tune into Nature music prize, a contest that seeks to showcase new music by upcoming artists that is inspired by the natural world. Continue reading...
With a beauty that belies its name, the sea slug is an invertebrate that reminds me of a happy Scottish summerIt has been a long time since I've thought about nudibranchs, let alone spotted one. But a lifetime ago, as a zoology undergraduate at Glasgow University, I spent hours underwater, swimming through kelp forests, corals and shipwrecks, looking out for the tiny, colourful creatures.Diving on the west coast of Scotland is spectacular for all the reasons you might expect: the drama of the islands, bays and meandering sea lochs against the mountains, the rugged rocky shores, the awe-inspiring wildness. Continue reading...
Self-denial will save the Earth, we're told. But big emitters seemingly haven't had the memoThat I fully expect to be dead by the time the UK achieves net zero is, of course, no reason to dodge interim advice from the Climate Change Committee (CCC), the UK's official climate authority. Its latest report to government is of particular interest to the public, in arguing that a third of the emissions cuts required to achieve net zero by 2050 will have to come from consumers themselves.Unless we - individual households - accept heat pumps and electric cars and deterrents to flying and less meat (skipping two kebabs per week), the CCC explains, the target cannot be met. And assuming the introduction of a selective news blackout that reduces public awareness of UK plutocrats, celebrities and influencers with colossal carbon footprints, such a behavioural transformation may not be impossible. Continue reading...
Environment | The Guardian