Environment | The Guardian

Miner’s board also says it supports suspending membership of industry associations that lobby against climate actionThe board of Rio Tinto has backed a shareholders push that would require the company to set emissions targets consistent with the Paris agreement and suspend membership of industry associations that lobby against action on the climate crisis.In a statement to the ASX on Friday afternoon, the mining company recommended shareholders endorse two resolutions brought by activist groups, the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility (ACCR) and Market Forces, ahead of Rio’s annual general meeting in May. Continue reading...

The drive to restore ecosystems has resulted in Saturday’s worldwide celebration, with many British habitats to supportLake-wading water buffalo in Suffolk, forests of waist-high “wee trees” on Scottish mountain peaks, and even the idea of lynx roaming Northumberland. These are just a fraction of the nature projects being given a push by the rewilding movement in the UK, and which will be marked by the first Global Rewilding Day on the spring equinox on Saturday.Backed by the Global Rewilding Alliance, an umbrella group for organisations in more than 70 countries that are looking to restore ecosystems by returning land to nature, the day will be celebrated with virtual events to share knowledge, skills and connections. Continue reading...

Australian climate campaigners hail decision: ‘An announcement like this changes the national story’

Covid pandemic continues to hamper plans for key gathering to agree targets on protecting natureA key United Nations summit to negotiate an accord for nature similar to the Paris climate agreement has been postponed for a second time, it has been announced.The UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) said in a a statement that Cop15, the biggest biodiversity summit in a decade, had been moved to October due to delays related to the coronavirus pandemic. The negotiations in Kunming, China, had been scheduled for May after they were moved from October 2020. Continue reading...

While Australia has spent US$2bn, France pledged $57bn, the UK $42bn and Japan $24bn, Oxford University study findsAustralia is the worst performer on a list of the world’s 50 largest economies for “green recovery” spending to kickstart economic growth after the Covid pandemic, according to research conducted for the United Nations environment program.The research suggests Australia spent US$2bn on green initiatives during the coronavirus recovery, compared with US$57bn in France, US$54bn in South Korea, US$47bn in Germany, US$42bn in the United Kingdom, US$41bn in China and US$24bn in Japan. Germany spent $9bn on hydrogen alone. Continue reading...

Transport minister cites £2bn fund as evidence of commitment to supporting ‘active travel’The public’s growing enthusiasm for walking and cycling around UK towns and cities must be supported and encouraged as the country emerges from Covid-19 lockdowns, a minister has said.The transport minister Chris Heaton-Harris said there was huge interest in “active travel” in the UK and called on people to walk and cycle wherever possible. Continue reading...

Alok Sharma sets out UK’s aims as host of climate talks, including new emissions targets for 2030

WallStreetBets members spend gains on donations for endangered animals also including elephants and turtlesGorillas, elephants, pangolins and sea turtles have been handed a lifeline by amateur investors who played the stock market at its own game.Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent helping endangered animals by users of a Reddit trading tips community, giving conservation organisations across the world a much-needed financial boost during a difficult year. Continue reading...

Car industry dismayed as green car subsidy cap also lowered with immediate effectThe UK government has cut grants for electric car buyers, to the horror of the automotive industry as it tries to rapidly shift away from fossil fuels.The maximum grant for electric cars has been reduced to £2,500 with immediate effect on Thursday, from £3,000. The government has also lowered the price cap for cars eligible for the subsidy from £50,000 to £35,000. Continue reading...

The chemicals to blame for our reproductive crisis are found everywhere and in everythingThe end of humankind? It may be coming sooner than we think, thanks to hormone-disrupting chemicals that are decimating fertility at an alarming rate around the globe. A new book called Countdown, by Shanna Swan, an environmental and reproductive epidemiologist at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, finds that sperm counts have dropped almost 60% since 1973. Following the trajectory we are on, Swan’s research suggests sperm counts could reach zero by 2045. Zero. Let that sink in. That would mean no babies. No reproduction. No more humans. Forgive me for asking: why isn’t the UN calling an emergency meeting on this right now?Related: US urged to cut 50% of emissions by 2030 to spur other countries to action Continue reading...

Exclusive: documents seen by Guardian show companies fought clean-air rules despite being aware of harm caused by air pollutionThe oil industry knew at least 50 years ago that air pollution from burning fossil fuels posed serious risks to human health, only to spend decades aggressively lobbying against clean air regulations, a trove of internal documents seen by the Guardian reveal.The documents, which include internal memos and reports, show the industry was long aware that it created large amounts of air pollution, that pollutants could lodge deep in the lungs and be “real villains in health effects”, and even that its own workers may be experiencing birth defects among their children. Continue reading...

Boris Johnson set the goal, but the developers of the Beha had to get private investment for their unique craftIn the shadows of the old Spitfires and Hurricanes that helped win the Battle of Britain, Faradair, a UK startup operating from the historic Duxford airfield, is hoping to help Britain fight the new war against climate change by developing a revolutionary 18-seat bioelectric hybrid plane which will eventually, hopes its designer, be carbon neutral.The plane, currently in development, will use electric motors to power take-off and landing, the part of any flight with the highest noise and carbon emissions. Once cruising, at a speed of about 230mph, the plane will switch to its turbogenerator, powered by biofuel, which will also recharge the motors with assistance from solar panels, ready for the aircraft’s descent. Continue reading...

National Trust aims to build on success of last year’s campaign and help lift lockdown gloom

Researchers found cows belched out 82% less methane after putting small amount of seaweed in their feed for five monthsFeeding seaweed to cows is a viable long-term method to reduce the emission of planet-heating gases from their burps and flatulence, scientists have found.Researchers who put a small amount of seaweed into the feed of cattle over the course of five months found that the new diet caused the bovines to belch out 82% less methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. Continue reading...

Sovereign debt downgrades in store for many nations unless they act on climate crisis, researchers saySovereign debt downgrades are in prospect for Britain, the US and scores of other countries around the world unless they urgently step up their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to a study.In the first attempt to adjust credit ratings to take account of the economic consequences of the climate emergency, a team of academics led by Cambridge University said failure to act would leave governments paying billions of dollars more to borrow. Continue reading...

Dragging heavy nets across seabed disturbs marine sediments, world’s largest carbon sink, scientists report

Hong Kong-based firm, whose logo appears on Spurs shirts, has bowed to pressure from activists

Nearly 8m addresses affected by high levels of toxic particulates and nitrogen dioxideOne in four UK homes are surrounded by air pollution exceeding safety limits set by the World Health Organization, a study has shown following research revealing that road pollution affects virtually every part of Britain.Nearly 8m UK addresses are affected by high levels of particulate matter or nitrogen dioxide, the study commissioned by campaigning group the Central Office of Public Interest (Copi) showed. Continue reading...

Campaigners welcome ruling that ‘tradition is no excuse’ and practice is not selective and breaks EU rulesEuropean judges have ordered France to outlaw the hunting of songbirds using glue sticks, a practice described by campaigners as barbaric and a threat to endangered species.French hunters argued the method was traditional and justified exemption from an EU ban introduced in 1979. Continue reading...

Statement by energy secretary is the clearest indication yet of opposition within the governmentThere are “very compelling reasons” not to open a controversial planned coalmine in Cumbria, the business and energy secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, said on Wednesday.The statement is the clearest indication to date of opposition to the project within the government, which has been heavily criticised for allowing the mine as the UK prepares to host a vital UN climate change summit, Cop26. Continue reading...

Wainscott, a hamlet in the Hamptons, offers a new obstacle in Biden’s renewable energy plans as ‘Nimbys’ fight back with petitions, lobbyists and lawsuitsShould Joe Biden’s plans for a huge expansion of renewable energy across the US survive the gamut of congressional bickering, a very different obstacle threatens progress – wealthy homeowners who enjoy sweeping scenic views.Wainscott, a hamlet in the wealthy New York enclave of the Hamptons, is the unlikely setting for a rancorous battle over what would be the state’s first offshore wind farm. A flurry of angry letters to the local newspaper has escalated to petitions, the hiring of high-powered lobbyists and now lawsuits, in what could presage similar quarrels elsewhere as the Biden administration seeks to support a national boom in new wind turbines at sea and on land. Continue reading...

Senator Rex Patrick and Labor demand an explanation of the $80m purchase from Eastern Australia Agriculture, saying it’s a scandalThe independent senator Rex Patrick has called for the resignation of the bureaucrat in charge of the federal government’s $250m program of water buybacks after it was revealed the department of agriculture may have misinterpreted a valuation and paid $13m too much for one purchase.Labor has also demanded an explanation from the government over the $80m purchase of water from Eastern Australia Agriculture (EAA), labelling it a scandal and a waste of taxpayers’ money. Continue reading...

Figures from International Energy Agency dash hopes that world consumption had peakedThe world’s oil demand could exceed pre-Covid 19 levels within the next two years unless concrete government action and legislation leads to a much stronger move towards clean energy, according to the International Energy Agency.Figures from the global energy watchdog threaten to dash hopes that the world’s consumption of oil may have peaked in 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic caused oil demand to plummet by 9m barrels a day. Continue reading...

PM cites ‘protecting jobs and livelihoods’ while ambassador to US says Canberra wants to ‘really move dial’ on emissions reductionScott Morrison has reiterated his intention to reach net zero emissions “as soon as possible and preferably by 2050”, and transition Australia to a “new energy economy”, in a conversation with Joe Biden’s special presidential envoy for climate, John Kerry.An Australian readout circulated by the prime minister’s office after the conversation on Wednesday stated Morrison flagged his mid-century intention in the context of “the work that needed to be done together to achieve such a goal while protecting jobs and livelihoods, especially in regional areas, that rely on energy-intensive industries”. Continue reading...

Whalers’ logbooks show rapid drop in strike rate in north Pacific due to changes in cetacean behaviourA remarkable new study on how whales behaved when attacked by humans in the 19th century has implications for the way they react to changes wreaked by humans in the 21st century.The paper, published by the Royal Society on Wednesday, is authored by Hal Whitehead and Luke Rendell, pre-eminent scientists working with cetaceans, and Tim D Smith, a data scientist, and their research addresses an age-old question: if whales are so smart, why did they hang around to be killed? The answer? They didn’t. Continue reading...

Investigation appears to show unnecessary cruelty, suffering and disregard for Covid health precautions at more than a dozen farms

Board belonging to big wave surfer Danny Griffiths believed to have made the journey via New ZealandAn Australian surfer has found a surfboard he lost four years ago after it floated at sea for thousands of kilometres, from the bottom of Australia to the top – potentially via New Zealand.Danny Griffiths, a big wave surfer, lost his favourite board after he crashed off a wave at the very southern tip of Tasmania. It was found, covered in barnacles, by two brothers near Townsville in north Queensland, more than 2,700km away. Continue reading...

New study suggests young regent honeyeaters are not getting the chance to learn mating callsWhat happens to a species if the music starts to die, or when their songs become corrupted or their singers have never heard the original tunes?A new study has found that a loss of melody and song could be a bad sign for one of Australia’s rarest songbirds – the regent honeyeater. Continue reading...

Colliers International tells auditor general the way the agriculture department used its valuation to set record purchase price was ‘not reasonable’An internal investigation is under way into why the federal government paid at least $13m over the odds for an $80m water buyback from Eastern Australia Agriculture – a company linked to federal MP Angus Taylor – in 2017.The auditor general, Grant Hehir, who reviewed the government’s water purchase program last year, contacted the valuer used by the Department of Agriculture for the sale, Colliers International, after receiving a complaint from a senator about the audit findings. Continue reading...

Host of Cop26 overseeing policies that will increase greenhouse gas emissions, campaigners sayBoris Johnson put the global climate crisis at the heart of the UK’s foreign policy on Tuesday, setting out his vision of “global Britain” after a government review placed climate as “the UK’s foremost international priority”.The prime minister told MPs: “We will host Cop26 [climate summit] in Glasgow in November, and rally as many nations as possible behind the target of net zero [greenhouse gas emissions] by 2050, leading by example since the UK was the first major economy to accept this obligation in law.” Continue reading...

Australian National University report author says green energy transformation will surprise ‘on the upside, not the downside’

The Mayni people are harvesting shade-grown coffee from under the canopy of mature trees, with huge benefits for wildlife and the communityDeep within the Peruvian cloud forests, a six-hour drive from the town of Satipo, the remote Mayni community is busy growing organic coffee beneath the canopy of the native forest in order to preserve the rich mosaic of life there.Most of the forest is kept intact, with just a little undergrowth cleared to plant Coffea arabica trees. Dahlia Casancho, who is leading the Mayni in their eco-friendly coffee-growing endeavours, sees shade-grown coffee farming as a positive development for the community, who traditionally believe in a forest god and river god. “Nature is our home. Nature gives us water, feeds us and also allows us to grow our coffee,” she says. “That’s why we take great care of our forest and we want it to be sustainable so that our children can also enjoy it. Continue reading...

The government spent millions subsidizing new wood heaters supposed to burn more cleanly. But an investigation has discovered critical flawsGlenn Helkenn lives in a spruce forest, in a tiny log cabin he built himself on the outskirts of Fairbanks, Alaska’s third largest city. Continue reading...

Relaxation of planning regulations has led to rise in temporary campsites but campaigners are worried about cost to nature

Robert Del Naja tells MPs one band cancelling a tour as Coldplay did will not ‘change a thing’

Big industry players pushing techno-fixes are ignoring the only realistic solution to the climate crisis: renewablesNow that the whole world seems to be aligned behind the goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, the nuclear industry is straining every sinew to present itself as an invaluable ally in the ambitious aim. Energy experts remain starkly divided on whether or not we can reach this global net zero target without nuclear power, but regardless, it remains a hard sell for pro-nuclear enthusiasts.The problems they face are the same ones that have dogged the industry for decades: ever-higher costs, seemingly inevitable delays, no solutions to the nuclear waste challenge, security and proliferation risks. Continue reading...

The industry has backed polluters for decades. Now, amid growing pressure, Wall Street says it’s going greenWildfires burned nearly 10.4m acres across the US last year. The most costly thunderstorm in US history caused $7.5bn in damage across Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. As the climate crisis swept the globe on a biblical scale it left in its wake a record number of billion-dollar disasters.And yet out of these ashes has emerged an unlikely savior: Wall Street. After decades of backing polluters and opposing legislation to rein them in, finance says it’s going green. Continue reading...

‘Drop-in’ replacement for gas boilers may help tackle challenge of cutting emissions from home heatingThe creators of the world’s first microwave-powered boiler have said it can provide a straightforward, zero-emissions replacement for the gas boilers that heat most homes in the UK.The boiler uses electricity to heat water which can then be pumped through existing radiators and to taps and showers and baths. The company, Heat Wayv, is building prototypes and expects to trial the boilers in homes by the end of 2022, with the first sales to customers targeted for 2024. It says a unit suitable for a three- or four-bedroom home would cost about £3,500, the same as an equivalent gas boiler. Continue reading...

A legacy of Scotland’s shale oil industry, these once barren spoil heaps now provide a refuge for rare wildlife – and a sense of hope for the futureFifteen miles south-west of Edinburgh, a knuckled red fist rises from a soft green landscape: five peaks of rose-gold gravel stand bound together by grass and moss, like a Martian mountain range or earthworks on the grandest of scales. They are spoil heaps.Each peak rises along a sharp ridge from the same point on the ground, fanning outwards, in geometric simplicity. Along these ridges, tracks once bore carriages aloft, carrying tons of steaming, shattered rock: discards from the early days of the modern oil industry. Continue reading...

‘Skybrators’ generate clean energy without environmental impact of large windfarms, say green pioneers

Buglife investigation finds show did not have permission for Turkish crayfish used in bushtucker trialsThe makers of I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! brought invasive crayfish to north Wales without a licence, according to an investigation by a UK wildlife charity, prompting fresh calls for police to investigate the popular ITV show.Turkish crayfish were used in “bushtucker trials” in episode five of the series, hosted live from Gwrych Castle in north Wales at the end of last year, but the show did not have permission to possess them, the Buglife investigation found. Continue reading...

Interior secretary from New Mexico will be responsible for US’s land, seas and national resourcesDeb Haaland has been confirmed as the secretary of the interior, making her the first Indigenous cabinet secretary in US history.The 60-year-old from New Mexico will be responsible for the country’s land, seas and natural resources, as well as overseeing tribal affairs. Continue reading...

International Renewable Energy Agency says $131tn investment in renewables could be required over three decadesRenewable electricity production needs to grow eight times faster than the current rate to help limit global heating, according to a report.The International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) said urgent action was needed to keep pace with rising demand for electricity, which could require a total investment of $131tn in renewables by 2050. Continue reading...

Canadian Energy Centre, funded by Alberta government, says Bigfoot Family ‘brainwashes’ youngsters and ‘peddles lies’The animated film Bigfoot Family has come under fire in Canada – but not because of its stilted dialogue or confusing plot.Instead, a government-funded lobbying group has targeted the movie – a fantasy epic featuring a human family whose father is Bigfoot – on the grounds that it “peddles lies” about the oil and gas industry. Continue reading...

Joe Biden wants zero emissions by 2050, but time is ticking. So how will the country have to change over the next 30 years?If America finally weans itself off planet-heating emissions, the country will look and feel very different.Landscapes from coast to coast would be transformed, carpeted in wind turbines and solar panels, with enough new transmission lines to wrap around Earth 19 times. The populace would whiz past in their electric cars, to and from homes equipped with induction stoves and heat pumps. The air would be near-pristine. Hundreds of thousands of people who would have prematurely died from the toxic fossil-fuel age would still be alive. Continue reading...

The US’s most destructive invasive species numbers in the millions, clashing with a growing human population and boosting a lucrative hunting industryDimas “Pompi” Rodriguez is standing in his front yard before dawn, his neck shielded from a bitter wind by the collar of his canvas jacket. He splits a cigarillo lengthwise and empties the guts on to his filthy swamp boots.Related: Furry, cute and drooling herpes: what to do with Florida's invasive monkeys? Continue reading...

Organisers say 2,022 acres in the West Midlands will be forested, with mini-forests in urban areasThousands of acres of forest will be created in and around Birmingham under plans to make the 2022 Commonwealth Games in the city carbon neutral.In an announcement to mark 500 days to the start of the Games, organisers pledged carbon-offsetting initiatives including the creation of 2,022 acres of forest and 72 mini-forests, each the size of a tennis court, to be created in urban areas across the West Midlands. Continue reading...

Guardian analysis of 44 studies finds nearly 40% of 9,000 products from restaurants, markets and fishmongers were mislabelled

Capital of China suffers ‘hazardous’ levels of air pollution with authorities issuing second-highest safety alertA massive sandstorm has combined with already high air pollution to turn the skies in Beijing an eerie orange, and send some air quality measurements off the charts.Air quality indexes recorded a “hazardous” 999 rating on Monday as commuters travelled to work through the thick, dark air across China’s capital and further west. Continue reading...

‘Rocks under where the dam will be built is not safe … If there is a fault in the structure, the dam will give way,’ says West Sepik officialA proposed dam to hold billions of tonnes of mine waste near the head of Papua New Guinea’s longest river is a potential environmental disaster that could wipe out entire villages if there was a natural disaster, government officials, environmental advocacy groups and villagers living along the river say.The Frieda River gold and copper mine – slated for development by Chinese state-owned, Australian-based miner PanAust for northern New Guinea island – would be the largest mine in PNG’s history, and one of the biggest in the world. Continue reading...