Horticulturists urge better sex mix of city trees to mitigate rising asthma and CO pollution levelsEight years ago Tom Ogren, a horticulturist, was in Sacramento, California, when he noticed that the ground around the State Capitol building was covered in thick yellow pollen.Scanning the trees along the street with his binoculars, he saw the trees were all deodar cedars (Cedrus deodara) and all cultivated males. Continue reading...
Agreement with British Columbia and Ottawa may help settle pipeline dispute but other Indigenous groups are unhappyA group of Indigenous leaders have struck an unprecedented deal with Canada’s government to resolve a dispute over territorial rights near the site of a controversial pipeline project which provoked fierce protests, police raids and a nationwide rail blockade.At a virtual signing ceremony on Thursday, hereditary chiefs of the Wet’suwet’en people agreed to a memorandum of understanding with the federal government and the province of British Columbia – a landmark agreement many hope will grant the Wet’suwet’en title rights to 22,000 sq km of territory. Continue reading...
Rural towns on the edge of parks split between fear of infection and imperative to revive tourism-dependent economiesOn Wednesday, Zion national park in Utah, one of the most popular natural attractions in the US, received its first visitors in more than a month as the Trump administration continued its push to reopen the nation’s outdoors as well as it cities and businesses.Related: 'Please don't come': calls to close US national parks over virus fears Continue reading...
Charity says lockdown has been seen as green light to target birds in belief there is less chance of getting caughtThe RSPB has been “overrun” with reports of birds of prey being illegally killed since lockdown began.Police have been called out to investigate multiple cases of raptors being shot, trapped or suspected of having been poisoned, with the charity saying most incidents were on or close to sporting estates managed for game bird shooting. Continue reading...
Australia’s 3.7m domestic cats wreak environmental havoc and should be contained, authors of new study sayDomestic cats are killing an estimated 230m native Australian birds, reptiles and mammals every year, according to new research that quantifies the pet’s national toll on native animals for the first time.Researchers said owners of Australia’s 3.7m domestic cats needed to make sure their pets were indoors or contained to reduce their impact on native species. Continue reading...
Endangered species have sought refuge in forest slated for housing development, says Manyana community groupA dispute over plans by a property developer to raze a local forest on the bushfire-ravaged south coast of New South Wales has been escalated to the federal environment minister amid concerns the project could threaten endangered species.Residents of Manyana have been protesting against plans by Ozy Homes to clear 20 hectares of unburnt mature-growth forest to make way for nearly 180 housing lots. Continue reading...
This inconclusive documentary charts the scary history and, in the era of climate crisis, revised views about the prospects for nuclear powerVicki Lesley’s sprightly, inconclusive documentary tackles a perennially controversial subject: nuclear power and its contested ethical status. Like almost all documentaries these days, this begins with a clip of some sonorous 1950s propaganda film – shorthand for the hilariously naive, reactionary stance that we’ve supposedly overcome. It is an amusing gimmick, but in danger of being overused here.Nuclear power was idealistically embraced after the war as part of our white-hot technological future (a notable partisan was once Labour politician Tony Benn) but then rejected with the news of terrifying accidents, notably the partial meltdown at Three Mile Island in the United States in 1979. (Lesley perhaps should have mentioned the very real importance of James Bridges’ movie The China Syndrome, a nuclear-disaster drama that came out just before Three Mile Island; praised as prophetic and genuinely instrumental in popularising anti-nuclear attitudes.) Continue reading...
Rural self-isolation has given one Guardian writer a chance to reappraise – and video – the natural world she grew up withI’ve moved back to my parents’ farm in Sevenoaks, Kent, after an absence of 10 years. Old school photos hang on my bedroom wall, my dad still has a fax machine, the radio in the kitchen is 1.5ft long and the freezer is full of meat. Veganism is off the menu.Like many children, boredom was a familiar foe growing up. Two of my brothers, now in their 30s, have moved back home too, and we have to look to each other for entertainment. We’ve dusted off board games – last week we played Catan every evening – and have familiar arguments about who helps out the least around the house. Continue reading...
‘They are the living dead,’ researcher says of last trees in the wild to have escaped fungal disease myrtle rustAn invasive plant disease may be ready to claim its first victim in the wild with Australia’s native guava now almost extinct, a study has found.Monitoring of 66 populations of native guava in Queensland and New South Wales has found 23% “could not be located” with another 61% reduced only to root suckers below a dead canopy. Continue reading...
Wildlife groups welcome ruling as high court dismisses judicial review by NFU on all groundsFarmers have lost a challenge to the government’s cancellation of the badger cull in Derbyshire in a high court ruling that has been welcomed by wildlife groups.A judicial review of the environment secretary’s decision to halt a planned expansion of the cull to Derbyshire last September brought by the National Farmers’ Union was dismissed on all grounds. Continue reading...
Trillion-dollar fund also puts BHP on ‘observation list’ carrying risk of future divestmentNorway’s gigantic sovereign wealth fund has dumped its stake in the Australian energy company AGL, which owns coal-fired power stations including the carbon-intensive Liddell plant in New South Wales, after tightening up its rules on fossil fuels.Norges Bank, which manages the US$1.1tn Government Pension Fund Global, has also put Australian mining giant BHP on an “observation list”, placing it at risk of divestment in the future. Continue reading...
Environmentalists call for crackdown on ‘destructive’ vessels after fleet spottedA fleet of Russian supertrawlers has been spotted fishing off the coast of Scotland in a protected area, raising concerns by environmentalists over the impact of industrial vessels on marine life in UK waters.The 11 vessels, among the largest trawlers in the world, have spent “significant time” fishing in the Wyville-Thomson Ridge, a British special area of conservation (SAC), according to data analysed by Greenpeace. Continue reading...
Welcome to our monthly roundup of the biggest issues in farming and food production, with must-read reports from around the webUS senators have called for pork producers to be given financial assistance to ensure the “humane euthanization and disposal” of up to 7 million pigs that could be left on-farm due to the high number of meat processing plants in the country either temporarily shut down, or having to slow down because of the coronavirus pandemic. The disposal of farm animals could also have serious consequences for air and drinking water. Continue reading...
European commission finds welfare gaps, non-compliance and poor planning in trade of animals to North Africa and the Middle-EastThe welfare of millions of cattle, sheep and goats exported from the EU is being put at risk by failings including heat stress, bad planning and a lack of information from the destination country, a new European commission report has found.Among the systemic problems identified were poor planning for high temperatures, an issue that has been raised repeatedly by campaigners. In summer, the report said, animals “in many vehicles arriving to ports” must sometimes “endure temperatures of over 35C”. Continue reading...
Companies want to power greener economic recovery following Covid-19 pandemicBritain’s biggest green energy companies are on track to deliver multi-billion pound wind farm investments across the north-east of England and Scotland to help power a cleaner economic recovery.Scottish Power plans to “repower” Scotland’s oldest commercial wind farm as part of a £150m scheme to develop a clean energy cluster in central Scotland capable of supplying 100,000 homes with green electricity. Continue reading...
Exclusive: FoI documents reveal struggling systems were ‘clear candidates’ for protection but Sussan Ley ‘unlikely to support’ itStruggling river and wetland systems in the Murray-Darling Basin were not assessed for listing as critically endangered after officials warned the Morrison government would not support protecting them.Environment department staff said the two ecological communities were “clear candidates” for assessment for a critically endangered listing, documents released under freedom of information show. But the environment minister, Sussan Ley, was “unlikely to support” their inclusion on the 2019 list of species and habitats under consideration for protection, they told the threatened species scientific committee. Continue reading...
Finding could help solve mystery of where plastic goes after it leaks into the seaHundreds of thousands of tonnes of mismanaged waste could be blowing ashore on the ocean breeze every year, according to scientists who have discovered microplastics in sea spray.The study, by researchers at the University of Strathclyde and the Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées at the University of Toulouse, found tiny plastic fragments in sea spray, suggesting they are being ejected by the sea in bubbles. The findings, published in the journal Plos One, cast doubt on the assumption that once in the ocean, plastic stays put, as well as on the widespread belief in the restorative power of sea breeze. Continue reading...
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Exclusive: group of former fire and emergency services leaders tell bushfire royal commission rapid detection technologies are vitalAustralia should deploy new “fast-attack strategies” to combat bushfires and stop small remote blazes turning into unstoppable mega fires, a group of 33 former fire and emergency services leaders have said.In a submission to the bushfires royal commission, the group said climate change was increasing the risk of extreme bushfire seasons. Continue reading...
The Mediterranean island swirls with colour every spring as millions of tiny creatures take a break on their epic migration from the Middle East to EuropeFor eight hours a day, from March until May, research biologist Will Hawkes surveys huge swarms of insects landing on the Karpaz Peninsula on the north-east corner of Cyprus. “This place is a migratory hotspot for millions of painted lady butterflies, drone fly hoverflies, seven-spot ladybirds and vagrant emperor dragonflies – it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before,” says Hawkes, a PhD student at the University of Exeter’s Genetics of Migration lab who first studied the phenomenon here a year ago.“This island is a pit stop for millions of insects that fly at high altitudes over the sea then come to land to rest as they migrate, possibly thousands of kilometres from the Middle East to western Europe. It’s just astonishing that these creatures migrate such long distances and in such vast numbers in order to find the right food to eat and to reproduce in environments at particular temperatures,” he says. Continue reading...
Funding will benefit species including the Wollemi pine and koala, but more must be done to combat impact of climate-change related events, they sayThe government has been praised for committing an additional $150m for wildlife and habitat recovery after the recent bushfire crisis but conservationists also warn it should be coupled with stronger policy to protect species and address threats related to climate change.The environment minister, Sussan Ley, said $110m of the new funds would be for on-ground recovery work in fire-affected regions, including in vulnerable areas of the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area and in rainforests on the NSW north coast. Continue reading...
Coronavirus highlights weakness of food and health systems, as Global Nutrition Report finds one in nine of world’s population is hungryAn overhaul of the world’s food and health systems is needed to tackle malnutrition, a “threat multiplier” that is now the leading cause of ill health and deaths globally, according to new analysis.The Global Nutrition Report 2020 found that most people across the world cannot access or afford healthy food, due to agricultural systems that favour calories over nutrition as well as the ubiquity and low cost of highly processed foods. Inequalities exist across and within countries, it says. Continue reading...
River mouth is being managed correctly, scientists say – despite the claims of irrigators in NSW and VictoriaA CSIRO review of the lower lakes of the Murray-Darling system has found that the lakes were largely fresh before European settlement, and that environmental flows and barrages used to keep out seawater are appropriate, a finding that will please South Australia but disappoint irrigators in New South Wales and Victoria.Sending water down the Murray to maintain its flow and keep seawater out has been a major point of contention under the Murray-Darling basin plan. Continue reading...
Global emissions are expected to be 8% lower this year but the long-term impact is unclearEnergy demand has plummeted during the Covid-19 crisis and global carbon dioxide emissions are anticipated to be 8% lower this year, compared with 2019. Is this affecting our weather and will it affect the global climate in years to come?Carbon dioxide hangs around in the atmosphere for decades so it takes a long time for the impact to play out. Keith Shine, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Reading, estimates the Covid-19 effect might reduce warming by a measly 0.0025°C in about 20 years time. This is far below anything we can observe. If we were to sustain this 8% reduction over the coming years, Shine calculated, we would avoid about 0.15°C of warming but sadly we would still massively overshoot our Paris agreement target of 1.5°C. “This emphasises the scale of the task we have ahead of us,” said Shine. Continue reading...
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Company that owns factory admitted it did not have valid environmental clearanceThe chemical factory that leaked gas into a coastal Indian city on Thursday morning, killing at least 12 people and putting hundreds in hospital, was operating illegally until at least the middle of 2019, documents show.In an affidavit [pdf] filed by LG Polymers in May 2019, as part of its application to expand the plastic plant’s operations, the South Korean multinational admitted it was operating its polystyrene plant without the mandatory environmental clearance from the Indian government. Continue reading...
Mundey led Sydney’s green bans movement which helped save many historic sites in the 1970sTrade union leader Jack Mundey, who led Sydney’s green bans movement in the 1970s, has died at the age of 90.Mundey led the movement which helped save many historic Sydney sites, including The Rocks, in the 1970s. Continue reading...
Report says steel made with renewable hydrogen could become a multibillion-dollar export industryA new Australian green steel industry could create tens of thousands of jobs in regional areas reliant on coalmining, particularly in central Queensland and the Hunter Valley, giving them a future as demand for carbon-intensive goods falls.That is the conclusion of a report by the Grattan Institute, a thinktank linked to the University of Melbourne, which examined claims Australia has the potential to become a green energy “superpower”. Continue reading...
Signatories including Dr Wolfgang Knorr say it is game over for preventing dangerous climate change, Colin Hines says a green infrastructure should be prioritised in a post-Covid-19 world, and Andy Radford on why we should consider permanent changes to the way we liveLast month, the Guardian quoted Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, saying if we put post-pandemic bailout money in the wrong place “we will lock ourselves in a dirtier energy system, making it much more difficult to reach our climate targets” (‘Coronavirus profiteers’ condemned as polluters gain bailout billions, 17 April).We beg to differ. It is game over for preventing dangerous climate change now that governments are planning the cheapest and quickest return to consumption. Riding on the wave of cheap oil and fossil-fuel bailouts is incompatible with keeping the average global temperature rise below 2C, let alone 1.5C. Continue reading...
Supply chain problems and workplace infection risks mean experts are urging US producers to focus on sustainabilityAmericans are nearing a future where the nation’s beloved steak dinners, cheeseburgers and barbecue are under threat, if the world’s second largest meat processor is to be believed.Related: Millions of farm animals culled as US food supply chain chokes up Continue reading...
Welsh plan to reopen stores offers hope for UK-wide industry closed in prime sales seasonGarden centres are preparing for a surge in plant and flower sales that could help salvage a catastrophic year for the horticulture industry.The UK’s 2,000 garden centres and nurseries were forced to close in March because, unlike DIY chains such as B&Q and Homebase, they were not granted “essential” retailer status. The shutdown came at a critical time of year, with 70% of sales rung up in spring, forcing devastated growers to throw away millions of plants. Continue reading...
Scientists identify thousands of extreme events, suggesting stark warnings about global heating are already coming to passIntolerable bouts of extreme humidity and heat which could threaten human survival are on the rise across the world, suggesting that worst-case scenario warnings about the consequences of global heating are already occurring, a new study has revealed.Related: One billion people will live in insufferable heat within 50 years – study Continue reading...
Oceans rising faster than previously thought, according to survey of 100 specialistsSea-level rise is faster than previously believed and could exceed 1 metre by the end of the century unless global emissions are reduced, according to a survey of more than 100 specialists.Based on new knowledge of climate sensitivity and polar ice melt, the experts say coastal cities should prepare for an impact that will hit sooner than predicted by the United Nations and could reach as high as 5 metres by 2300. Continue reading...
Shareholder vote in favour of global mining giant adopting binding targets grew sixfold since last yearShareholders in global miner Rio Tinto have rebuked the company over its climate stance, with 37% voting at a meeting in Australia for a resolution that would require it to set binding emissions targets.While the resolution did not pass, its sponsor, environmental group Market Forces, said it attracted six times as much support as an identical one put up at the same meeting last year. Continue reading...
As lockdown eases, travelling by bike will be a safe, healthy and potentially addictive optionThere are many reasons you might want to think about cycling for commuting or other transport when the coronavirus lockdown starts to ease, particularly if you live in a city.With physical distancing remaining in place for some time to come, capacity on public transport will be limited. If more people drive it will create gridlock. Continue reading...
Parks Victoria wins legal challenge to continue removing feral horses, but conservationists blame NSW for failing to control brumbies across the borderThe removal of feral horses from the Australian Alps can resume after Parks Victoria won a legal challenge to its plans to manage the invasive species.The Australian Brumby Alliance had challenged plans to remove feral horses that have overrun the Bogong high plains and eastern Victorian Alps within the Australian Alps national parks. Continue reading...
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