Environment | The Guardian

Wyoming representative Liz Cheney says the study proves Biden’s policies would destroy state economies. But it has the oil and gas industry’s fingerprints all over itWyoming’s US representative, Liz Cheney, envisions a dark future for her home state under Joe Biden. Continue reading...

Concerns over carbon emissions and food crises are fuelling a move away from meat consumption as a symbol of wealth

Humane Society International, which won legal action against Queensland government last year, says 80% of sharks caught are still dyingAlmost 80% of sharks caught on drum lines in the Great Barrier Reef marine park last year died despite the Queensland government being told to try harder to eliminate deaths under its shark control program.The Humane Society International (HSI) has analysed the latest drum-line data and says the government is not even close to achieving the non-lethal program the administrative appeals tribunal ordered two years ago. Continue reading...

Support for Australian ex-minister with poor record on climate crisis would send ‘terrible message’The UK has been warned not to send a dreadful message to the rest of the world by backing a controversial Australian former minister with a much-criticised climate change record to run the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.The race to be the next secretary-general of the OECD – the Paris-based economic thinktank that advises governments across the world – has narrowed to Mathias Cormann, the former Australian finance minister, and Cecilia Malmström, the former EU trade commissioner and Swedish centrist politician. The result is due by 15 March. Continue reading...

Australian Conservation Foundation to file test case to access documents on approvals fast-tracked by federal environment ministerThe Morrison government’s claim that national cabinet deliberations are exempt from freedom of information laws will be challenged in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, setting up a test over the new body’s immunity from scrutiny.The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) will file a case with the tribunal as it seeks to access information on at least 15 environmental approvals “fast-tracked” by the federal environment minister, Sussan Ley, a task so far stymied by the government’s insistence the documents fall under traditional cabinet rules. Continue reading...

There is only one daddy longlegs – and it is looking at you right now from the corner you forgot to dust

Nature-rich sites such as woods and wetlands more valuable because of the ‘ecosystem services’ they provideThe economic benefits of protecting nature-rich sites such as wetlands and woodlands outweigh the profit that could be made from using the land for resource extraction, according to the largest study yet to look at the value of protecting nature at specific locations.Scientists analysed 24 sites in six continents and found the asset returns of “ecosystem services” such as carbon storage and flood prevention created by conservation work was, pound for pound, greater than manmade capital created by using the land for activities such as forestry or farming cereals, sugar, tea or cocoa. Continue reading...

Rising heat and humidity threatening to plunge much of the world’s population into potentially lethal conditions, study findsThe climate crisis is pushing the planet’s tropical regions towards the limits of human livability, with rising heat and humidity threatening to plunge much of the world’s population into potentially lethal conditions, new research has found.Related: 'It is the question of the century': will tech solve the climate crisis – or make it worse? Continue reading...

We asked you to tell us about women who have made a difference and how they inspired you‘She was a breath of fresh air on inauguration day’ Continue reading...

Conservation groups argue ‘excising farming and forestry zones is a catastrophic setback for the species’The NSW Coalition has agreed to new rules to protect koala habitat but will effectively exempt most rural land from more stringent rules administered through the planning process.Instead, koala habitat on rural land will be covered by yet-to-be-announced protections under land-clearing laws administered by NSW Local Land Services through the primary industries portfolio. Continue reading...

Emily Ford took thousands of online fans on a 10-week journey, helping shift narrative about who belongs in outdoor spacesTrekking across 1,200-miles of Wisconsin forests and prairies carrying a 65lb pack in temperatures as low as -37F was initially meant as a passion trip for Emily Ford, during her off season as a professional gardener.The 28-year-old ended up taking along thousands of online fans on her journey across the Ice Age national scenic trail, helping to further shift the narrative about who belongs in these outdoor spaces. And on Saturday, when she took her final steps across the frigid expanse with a crowd of supporters there to celebrate, she became the first Black woman known to have thru-hiked the trail. Continue reading...

As more women leave rural areas for cities, course forms part of drive to revive villagesThe rugged pathways crisscross Spain, sprawling across an estimated 1% of its territory. Etched into the land over centuries, the country’s livestock roads have long been the domain of solitary men leading their flocks to lush pastures.Now a new initiative is looking to change this with the launch of the country’s first shepherding school for women. The aim of the School for Shepherdesses of the 21st Century is twofold: offering women a foothold in a trade long dominated by men, while also throwing a lifeline to the thousands of Spanish towns that are slowly fading from the map. Continue reading...

Programme may help to ensure the survival of the critically endangered variable harlequin toadOne of the world’s rarest toads has been bred in captivity for the first time, thanks to the scientists at Manchester Museum.The critically endangered variable harlequin toad, Atelopus varius, lives deep in the central American rainforests of Panama and Costa Rica, breeding only in turbulent streams filled with stones and boulders on which they lay their eggs. Continue reading...

Investigation questions eco-friendly claims of incineration industryWhen it comes to planet-friendly habits, recycling is by far the UK’s most popular, with 87% of householders claiming they do so regularly, according to the Waste and Resources Action Programme. But an investigation by Channel 4’s Dispatches into where our rubbish goes, and the role played by energy-from-waste incineration plants, has found that millions of tonnes of our carefully sorted empties are simply being burned after they’re collected.Freedom of information requests reveal that, on average, 11% of rubbish collected for recycling is incinerated. In some areas the figures are far higher: 45% in Southend-on-Sea and 38% in Warwickshire. Continue reading...

The predators, protected in the south, are widely blamed for attacks on livestock but some think coexistence is possible“There have always been wolves. We humans have hunted and killed all the animals around us because we want everything for ourselves,” says Laura Serrano Isla, who tends her flock of 650 sheep near Burgos in north-west Spain.“We think we rule the world but if we kill all the rest of the animals, the wolf will come for our livestock.” Continue reading...

Toxic particles spewed by wildfires resulted in 10 times as many respiratory-illness related hospitalizations as other types of pollution, researchers foundThe thick, grey wildfire smoke that shrouds California each autumn and winter could be more harmful to humans than pollution from cars and other sources, a new study has found.Coming at the heels of the state’s worst wildfire season on record, the findings add to growing evidence that extreme fires, fueled by climate change, will have increasingly dire health consequences for residents in the western US. Continue reading...

Smart, low-carbon homes were once the preserve of one-off grand designs – now there are up to 30,000 projects in the pipeline

Expanding dairy herds have seen surplus male calves shipped to the continent for veal, but there is unease over welfare conditions

Without policies to encourage buyers, new EV models are unlikely to reach Australia, which could be targeted as a dumping ground for petrol carsAustralians considering buying a new electric car have less choice than motorists in the United States, Europe and the United Kingdom – and it’s throttling the take-up of electric vehicles in the country.In the UK, consumers can choose from 33 base models. That number grows to 39 in the European Union, while across the Atlantic shoppers are spoilt for choice with 43 models made by 26 different manufacturers for sale. Continue reading...

Target is in line with previous trends and could mean greenhouse gas emissions continuing to rise

The best of the week’s wildlife pictures, including a peacock in flight, otters crossing the road and kittiwakes in Newcastle Continue reading...

Move follows eight gorillas testing positive for coronavirus at the zoo at the start of 2021

The Upper Skagit Indian tribe are fighting Seattle to remove the Gorge Dam, and return the river to the section the city de-watered

The remarkable bird has outlived mating partners, and even the biologist who first placed a band on her in 1956At 70 years of age, Wisdom the Laysan albatross has hatched another chick.Regarded as “oldest known wild bird in history”, Wisdom has outlived previous mating partners as well as the biologist Chandler Robbins, who first banded her in 1956. Continue reading...

Indian Ocean states say EU pushing weakest conservation efforts for yellowfin tuna while EU ‘distant fleet’ hoovers up the most fishThe EU has been accused of “hypocrisy and neocolonialism” for proposing insufficient measures to tackle overfishing of yellowfin tuna, while being the largest fisher of the prized species in the Indian Ocean.Smaller than its Atlantic and Pacific bluefin cousins, the yellowfin tuna is one of the ocean’s fastest and strongest predators. Also called ahi tuna, this species is massively overfished in the Indian Ocean – so much so that supermarkets and brands including Tesco, Co-op and Princes recently took the surprising step of joining scientists and environmental groups to call for tough action to rebuild the $4bn population. Continue reading...

Public accounts committee report says despite green rhetoric, government policy is falling shortBoris Johnson has failed to set out a plan for the UK to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions despite the government’s green rhetoric, a committee of MPs has found.Ministers are failing to instruct their departments to take the net zero goal into account when setting policy, there has been little coordination between central and local government on achieving emissions reductions, and the public has not been engaged, the public accounts committee said in a report published on Friday. Continue reading...

Rights group calls for action after cash bounty schemes lead to reptiles being blown up and shot with a bow and arrowA spate of cruelty towards invasive iguanas in Taiwan including stuffing firecrackers in the reptiles’ mouths or shooting them with bows and arrows has prompted animal rights groups to call for a government crackdown.The Environment & Animal Society of Taiwan (East) said local and provincial government campaigns to encourage community involvement in controlling the spread of introduced species lacked guidelines, resulting in “a chaotic free-for-all at the expense of the welfare of the targeted animals”. Continue reading...

Es Devlin, stage designer to Beyoncé, wants London Design Biennale to advance UN’s sustainability planOne of the most famous stone courtyards in Europe will be dramatically transformed this summer when it is taken over by a forest of 400 trees.The stage designer Es Devlin will channel ideas of enchanted woodland when she takes over Somerset House for the 2021 edition of London Design Biennale. Continue reading...

When is a meme worth $600,000? When technology has created a ‘unique’ version that can’t be owned by anyone else

The total number of butterflies west of the Rockies has fallen 1.6% a year since 1977, a study finds – ‘You extrapolate it and it’s crazy’The varied, and beautiful, butterfly species that dot the US west are being cut down by the climate crisis, new research has found, with rising temperatures helping cause a steep decline in butterfly numbers over the past 40 years.There has been a 1.6% reduction in the total number of butterflies observed west of the Rocky Mountain range each year since 1977, researchers calculated, which amounts to a staggering loss of butterflies over the timespan of the study period. Continue reading...

Senators posed misleading questions as they cited findings of a widely criticized research reportRepublican senators cited a study commissioned by the biggest oil and gas trade association in the US in their criticisms of Deb Haaland, Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the Department of the Interior, during a confirmation hearing last week.Republicans on the Senate energy and natural resources committee referenced the study, which has been widely criticized by conservationists, as they grilled Haaland, a Democratic US representative from New Mexico, on her past statements about energy issues and the Biden administration’s climate plans. Continue reading...

Food discarded in homes is 74kg per person each year, with problem affecting rich and poor countriesPeople waste almost a billion tonnes of food a year, a UN report has revealed. It is the most comprehensive assessment to date and found waste was about double the previous best estimate.The food discarded in homes alone was 74kg per person each year on average around the world, the UN found. In the UK, which has some of the best data, the edible waste represents about eight meals per household each week. Continue reading...

Program previously disbursed billions in loan guarantees to companies such as Tesla and the failed solar company SolyndraAs part of its clean-energy agenda, the Biden administration is reviving an energy department program that disbursed billions of dollars in loan guarantees to companies such as electric car maker Tesla and the failed solar company Solyndra, the energy secretary, Jennifer Granholm, says.The loan program helped launch the country’s first utility-scale wind and solar farms as part of the Obama administration’s efforts to create “green jobs” but largely went dormant under Donald Trump. Continue reading...

Imminent economic blueprint has implications for planet – and whether Paris agreement likely to be metChina is to publish a new blueprint for its economy on Friday, with vast implications for the future of the planet – including whether the goals of the Paris climate agreement are likely to be met.The five-year plan, of which this will be the 14th since 1953, forms the cornerstone of economic governance for the one-party state, and sets out social and environmental aspirations as well as GDP and industrial targets. Continue reading...

Environmental protection minister says suspect ship is now anchored in Iran but offers no evidence spill was intentionalIsrael’s environmental protection minister has said Iran was responsible for a recent oil spill that ravaged its shores and has claimed – without evidence – the incident was a form of “environmental terrorism”.Gila Gamliel said after a two-week investigation aimed at “getting our hands on the criminal ship” responsible for the tar slick, her ministry had identified a Panama-flagged tanker called Emerald, which was smuggling oil from Iran to Syria in breach of international sanctions. Continue reading...

Conservation groups welcome aspects of the largely voluntary packaging and recycling targets but warn regulation will be necessaryPolystyrene foam commonly used to package consumer goods will be phased out in Australia by mid-2022 as part of a national plan to combat mounting plastic waste.Conservation groups have welcomed many aspects of the plan, which also includes an end to polystyrene food and beverage containers by the end of 2022, but also criticised its largely voluntary approach to reaching ambitious goals, calling for those targets to be mandated. Continue reading...

In Jackson, where 80% of residents are Black, the cold led to breakages in the city’s ageing pipes, leaving thousands of its residents without running waterAs the sound of rainwater droplets crescendoed around him, Rodrick Readus stood by his front door and took a moment to reflect on the many indignities of the past fortnight.“It’s just the simple fact you can’t wash your hands,” he said. “You can’t take a bath. Every time I touch something I know I’m not clean.” Continue reading...

Scientists say restoring the lush habitats would boost wildlife, protect coasts and store carbonThe UK has lost more than 90% of the lush seagrass meadows that once surrounded the nation, research has found.Scientists described the decline as catastrophic, but the latest analysis also shows where the flowering plants could be restored. A resurgence of seagrass meadows would rapidly absorb the carbon dioxide that drives the climate crisis and provide habitats for hundreds of millions of fish, from seahorses to juvenile cod. Continue reading...

Water resources officials found that the snowpack, which supplies a third of the state’s water each year, had a water content of just 61% of averageCalifornia will face another critically dry year, and residents will need to adapt quickly to cope with water shortages and a warmer, drier climate that has helped fuel destructive wildfires.Officials with the state’s department of water resources announced on Tuesday they had found that the water content of the overall snowpack for 2 March amounted to 61% of the average. The state’s largest reservoirs were storing between 38% and 68% of their capacity, officials said, meaning that the state would have a lot less water to carry it through the rest of the year. Continue reading...

Cross-party environmental audit committee welcomes decision but urges Treasury to go further

Kills quickly exceeded statewide limit, forcing the state to end the hunting season earlyHunters and trappers in Wisconsin killed 216 gray wolves last week during the state’s 2021 wolf hunting season – more than 82% above the authorities’ stated quota, sparking uproar among animal-lovers and conservationists, according to reports.The kills all took place in less than 60 hours, quickly exceeding Wisconsin’s statewide stated limit of 119 animals. Continue reading...

Equivalent falls in emissions over a decade required to keep to safe limits of global heating, experts sayCarbon dioxide emissions must fall by the equivalent of a global lockdown roughly every two years for the next decade for the world to keep within safe limits of global heating, research has shown.Lockdowns around the world led to an unprecedented fall in emissions of about 7% in 2020, or about 2.6bn tonnes of CO, but reductions of between 1bn and 2bn tonnes are needed every year of the next decade to have a good chance of holding temperature rises to within 1.5C or 2C of pre-industrial levels, as required by the Paris agreement. Continue reading...

The energy industry is like a smoker who goes from one pack a day to two – but claims they’re quitting because they switched to filtered cigarettesThe United Nations campaign Race to Zero recently published a paper identifying 20 pathways to reach net zero carbon emissions. In December, the British Oil & Gas Authority published a requirement that oil and gas development be “consistent with net zero” (despite approval of new offshore permits). BP, Shell and other multinational companies have all now published their “net zero” pathways.Related: The climate crisis can't be solved by carbon accounting tricks | Simon Lewis Continue reading...

Disaster looms if big finance is allowed to game the carbon offsetting markets to achieve ‘net zero’ emissionsAn astonishing global shift is under way: 127 countries have now stated that by mid-century their overall emissions of carbon dioxide will be zero. That includes the EU, US, and UK by 2050 – and China by 2060. Companies are enthusiastically signing up to similar “net zero” goals. Finally the international community seems to have accepted the scientific fact that we need to stop adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere to stabilise our climate. Dare we hope that the climate crisis can be brought under control?Perhaps, but big problems remain. Long-term commitments have not resulted in sufficient near-term actions. The world is on track for emissions to be just 0.5% below 2010 levels by 2030, compared with the 45% needed on the road to net zero by 2050. The pivotal Glasgow Cop26 climate talks in November will need to tackle this. But a more insidious problem is emerging. Net zero increasingly involves highly questionable carbon accounting. As a result, the new politics swirling around net zero targets is rapidly becoming a confusing and dangerous mix of pragmatism, self-delusion and weapons-grade greenwash. Continue reading...

Ojok Okello is transforming his destroyed village into a green town where social enterprises responsibly harness the shea treeThe village of Okere Mom-Kok was in ruins by the end of more than a decade of war in northern Uganda.Now, just outside Ojok Okello’s living-room door, final-year pupils at the early childhood centre are noisily breaking for recess and a market is clattering into life, as is the local craft brewery, as what has become Okere City begins a new day. Continue reading...

The pygmy hog is still endangered but a reintroduction programme in Assam, India, has given it a greater chance of survivalThe greyish brown pygmy hog (Porcula salvania), with its sparse hair and a streamlined body that is about the size of a cat’s, is the smallest wild pig in the world, and also one of its rarest, appearing on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list as endangered.Named after the sal grasslands where they were first found, they once thrived in the lush plains of the sub Himalayas from Nepal to Uttar Pradesh. But today, there are thought to be less than 300 in the wild, in Assam, India. Continue reading...

Drivers of decline likely to be habitat loss, intensive farming, climate change and light pollutionMoths in Britain have declined in abundance by a third over the past 50 years, according to a new study.The declines of 39% in the abundance of larger moth species over southern Britain and a 22% fall across northern Britain add to the picture of calamitous declines in flying insects in the industrialised world. Continue reading...

Greenhouse gas stored in country’s marine world heritage sites about same as four years of national emissionsThree of Australia’s world heritage-listed marine sites have more than 2bn tonnes of carbon dioxide locked away in their vast seagrass meadows, coastal mangroves and tidal marshes, according to a new report from a UN agency.Unesco has for the first time calculated all the so-called “blue carbon” stored across its 50 world heritage marine sites and finds they contain about 5bn tonnes of CO2 and other greenhouse gases. Continue reading...

UK campaigners seeking ban on lower-standard imports dismayed by agriculture and trade commission’s adviceMinisters have been advised to consider tariffs on imports of lower-standard food and farm produce from overseas, in order to protect the UK’s high standards of food safety and animal welfare.The recommendation, by an independent commission advising the government, was greeted with dismay by some farmers and food campaigners, who wanted an outright ban and regulations to prevent lower-standard imports in trade deals after Brexit. Continue reading...

Call comes at event hosted by UK government, which is under pressure over planned coalmine in CumbriaAll planned coal projects around the world must be cancelled to end the “deadly addiction” to the most polluting fossil fuel, the UN secretary-general António Guterres said on Tuesday.Phasing out coal from the electricity sector is the single most important step to tackle the climate crisis, he said. Guterres’s call came at the opening of a summit of the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA), a group of governments and businesses committed to ending coal burning for power. Continue reading...