Scientists searching for reasons fear breeding cycle will be disrupted for years to comeAn estimated 5,000 Cape fur seal foetuses have been found along the shores of Namibia, a large portion of the expected new pup arrivals.The bodies were spotted by Naude Dreyer of Ocean Conservation Namibia (OCN), who flew his drone over Walvis Bay’s Pelican Point seal colony on 5 October and counted hundreds of bodies. “This is tragic, as it makes up a large portion of the new pup arrivals expected in late November,” he tweeted. Continue reading...
Exclusive: report reveals far more microfibers than there are stars in the Milky Way – and they can easily enter oceans and waterwaysA study in California has laid bare the staggering scale of pollution from plastic microfibers in synthetic clothing – one of the most widespread, yet largely invisible, forms of plastic waste.The report, whose findings were revealed exclusively by the Guardian, found that in 2019 an estimated 4,000 metric tons – or 13.3 quadrillion fibers – were released into California’s natural environment. The plastic fibers, which are less than 5mm in length, are primarily shed when we wash our yoga pants, stretchy jeans and fleece jackets and can easily enter oceans and waterways. Continue reading...
As the election nears, young Americans are calling on US politicians to take action on climate, police brutality and immigrationIt was a Saturday night in September when 160 or so middle and high school students logged on to a Zoom call about how to confront American politicians using tactics inspired by young civil rights activists fighting for the abolition of slavery.The teenagers were online with the Sunrise Movement, a nationwide youth-led climate justice collective, to learn about organizing Wide Awake actions – noisy night-time protests – to force lawmakers accused of ignoring the climate emergency and racial injustice to listen to their demands. Continue reading...
US, Russian, Canadian and Chinese forces are taking an active role in the polar region but the real threat is the rapidly changing climateThis month Arctic sea ice reached its second lowest extent on record, and modeling shows it will completely melt in summer by 2035. But where many see a disaster, some global powers discern an opportunity to secure geopolitical and commercial interests – and military ones. Continue reading...
Soaring popularity of the birds, who have nested in the CBD for years, and their new family, has become a symbol of freedomExactly two weeks ago, the kids arrived. All three. Since then the Collins Street falcons, who live in a small nook above the now-empty CBD, have become Melbourne’s favourite family.Thousands of people tune in every day to a 24-hour webcam stream of the nest, located on the side of a skyscraper, hosted on YouTube and the building’s own special website. Continue reading...
Local media say release could begin in 2022 and would take decades to complete, but local fishermen say move will destroy their industryJapan’s government has reportedly decided to release more than 1m tonnes of contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea, setting it on a collision course with local fishermen who say the move will destroy their industry.Media reports said work to release the water, which is being stored in more than 1,000 tanks, would begin in 2022 at the earliest and would take decades to complete. Continue reading...
Out of 24 indicators of ecological health, 14 show long-term decline, according to new reportThe UK is failing on its long-term biodiversity targets and seeing “relentless” declines in wildlife, according to government data that shows public sector investment in conservation falling in real terms by 33% in five years.Out of 24 biodiversity indicators, 14 showed long-term decline, including continued deterioration of UK habitats and species of European importance, as well as a decline in priority species, according to the 2020 UK biodiversity indicators report, which gives the most comprehensive overview of the action the government is taking on the most pressing wildlife issues. Continue reading...
Dr David Lowry on the risk of the radioactive gas radon being pumped into homesI was very interested to read your report (13 October) on recent research by Harvard University scientists on radiation risks from fracking.I have raised this concern in several letters to the Guardian over the past seven years. Indeed, seven years ago this month, Public Health England said in a review of potential risks that “there is … the potential for radon gas to be present in natural gas extracted from UK shale”. Continue reading...
by Dom Phillips in Guadalupe, Rio de Janeiro on (#594WR)
Most of city’s last flatland area along with 180,000 trees would be destroyed if project goes aheadLocals say anteaters, caimans, capybaras, and a 4-metre boa constrictor have all been seen near Rio de Janeiro’s Camboatá Forest recently. The 200-hectare (494-acre) forest is an island of wildlife in a city of 6.7 million people, and local prosecutors say it is home to 21 endangered species including black-backed tanager birds and the cloud-fish, a tiny orange creature whose eggs survive in dried-out water holes and hatch when the rains return.But most of Rio’s last flatland area of sub-tropical Atlantic Forest and its 180,000 trees will be demolished if plans go ahead to build a new Formula One racetrack over it. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Environment Agency takes action against one site and looks into more than 50 othersThe UK environment watchdog is examining whether more than 50 sites that supply salad and vegetables to supermarkets and other businesses are discharging chemical pollution into rivers and streams.The action follows revelations that a salad producer supplying retailers including Waitrose was washing pesticides into a protected chalk stream in Hampshire. Continue reading...
Voluntary action of companies including Tesco and Princes aims to put pressure on regulatory body to tackle overfishingBritish supermarkets and brands, including Tesco, the Co-op and Princes, are stepping up action to cut yellowfin tuna catches in the Indian Ocean, amid warnings the stock is in a “critical” state.The effort, by companies reliant on healthy fish stocks, represents a counterintuitive effort to force regulators to act, rather than the other way around. Continue reading...
Claims of violent treatment and cows being passed off as organic have been presented to the Department of AgricultureEvidence of what appears to be aggressive animal abuse, practices leading to heightened disease risk and cows being passed off as organic at a Texan auctioneers has been presented to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) by undercover welfare investigators. A second, separate abuse investigation at a dairy farm is on its way to court in California.The allegations come at a time of upheaval for US dairy. The first half of 2020 was blighted by Covid-19-related milk dumping, 10-year price lows and a slump in demand from schools and restaurants.
Solastalgia means a feeling of homesickness without ever leaving home - and for Inuit in Canada’s north it describes the psychological impact of the climate crisisWith snow just beginning to dust the hills surrounding the city of Iqaluit, the hunters scramble off in boats. They’re hunting Canada geese, as they have always done, only now using rifles and motorboats instead of the spears and kayaks of their ancestors.Across Baffin Island, Inuit are harvesting before autumn begins to transition into winter. Later in the year, when the snows arrive in force and the fjords and harbours become thick with ice, the boats will be replaced by snowmobiles and the area will once again teem with human life. Continue reading...
All types of glitter affect life forms at base of food web, say researchers at CambridgeBiodegradable glitter causes the same ecological damage to rivers and lakes as the ordinary product, according to the first study of its kind on the impact of the microplastic on the environment.Tests on ordinary glitter and so-called biodegradable or eco glitter were carried out by Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in Cambridge. Continue reading...
by Fiona Harvey Environment correspondent on (#593YH)
Restoring degraded natural lands highly effective for carbon storage and avoiding species extinctionsRestoring natural landscapes damaged by human exploitation can be one of the most effective and cheapest ways to combat the climate crisis while also boosting dwindling wildlife populations, a scientific study finds.If a third of the planet’s most degraded areas were restored, and protection was thrown around areas still in good condition, that would store carbon equating to half of all human caused greenhouse gas emissions since the industrial revolution. Continue reading...
A group of European ministers and the EC’s commissioner for international partnerships call for measures to foster long-term resilience in the global economy and environmentThe world is facing an unprecedented crisis. In just a few months, the Covid-19 pandemic has swept across the world, bringing human tragedy and causing an economic shock of historic proportions. While it poses a tremendous challenge to our economies and societies, the Covid crisis also gives us an opportunity to work towards a future that is more fair, equal and green.This week, the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund are holding their annual meetings. We will discuss our efforts to fight poverty and hunger, support socioeconomic recovery and respond to the emerging debt crisis. “Business as usual” is not an option. It is imperative that the World Bank’s development financing of $160bn for the coming year is directed towards a sustainable and inclusive future. This is the time to strengthen our economies in line with the sustainable development goals and the Paris climate agreement. Continue reading...
Chairman Ken MacKenzie tells AGM that fossil fuels will be part of the energy mix for decadesBHP management has batted away shareholder criticism of the miner’s intention to continue investing in gas despite claiming it will dramatically reduce its greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade.Speaking at BHP’s Australian annual meeting on Wednesday evening, chairman Ken MacKenzie also addressed the fallout from rival Rio Tinto’s decision to blow up 46,000-year-old rock shelters at Juukan Gorge in the Pilbara. Continue reading...
Kate Bosworth shines in a juicy role as a cigar-smoking oil matriarch in this drama directed by veteran actor Edward James OlmosEdward James Olmos is an actor-film-maker with a long history of advocating for Latino screen representation, and he has cast himself as something of what you might call a “magical Latino” stock character in this environmental courtroom drama. He plays Santiago, the right-hand man of Fred Stern (David Strathairn), a recently widowed California almond farmer, who is locked in a legal battle with a big bad oil firm. Santi always has some old-west wisdom to offer his old pal, such as “Don’t confuse fightin’ with livin’”; or “Who knows the true meaning of ‘covfefe’?”It’s a forgivable indulgence, since The Devil Has a Name is also providing juicy roles for several other character actors who have long been underserved and unappreciated. Former child star Haley Joel Osment and Pablo Schreiber (“Pornstache” from Orange Is the New Black) are both having a high old time as scenery-chewing grifters with nefarious motives, while Martin Sheen recycles some of that President Bartlet twinkle as Stern’s dragon-slaying lawyer. The real revelation, though, is Kate Bosworth, a rising star of the early noughties (Blue Crush, Superman Returns) who never quite rose. As Gigi Cutler, however, she’s a new woman; a swaggering, cigarillo-chomping, femme-fatale version of cinema’s great rapacious oil men, who’ll drink your milkshake and probably your whiskey, too. Continue reading...
The cost of responding to bushfires, storms and cyclones after the fact is likely to be 11 times greater, Apra warnsAustralia’s banking and insurance regulator has estimated the country should be spending about $3.5bn a year to limit damage from climate-related natural disasters, warning the cost of responding to them after the fact is likely to be 11 times greater.In a speech on Wednesday, Geoff Summerhayes, an executive board member of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority, said the cost of pre-emptive action to avoid the impact of disasters exacerbated by the climate crisis was far cheaper than dealing with the aftermath. Continue reading...
Warming ocean contributes to sea level rise and to more extreme weather such as hurricanesEven the pitch black, nearly freezing waters at the bottom of the ocean – far from where humans live and burn fossil fuels – are slowly warming, according to a study of a decade of hourly measurements.The temperatures are rising quicker than previously thought, as recorded at stations at four different depths in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Uruguay. Between 2009 and 2019, the water there at points between 1,360m (4,462ft) and 4,757m deep warmed by 0.02-0.04C.
The world is anxiously watching the election, with the candidates far apart on issues such as the climate crisis and nuclear weaponsForeign policy barely gets a mention in this US election, but for the rest of the world the outcome on 3 November will arguably be the most consequential in history.All US elections have a global impact, but this time there are two issues of existential importance to the planet – the climate crisis and nuclear proliferation – on which the two presidential candidates could hardly be further apart. Continue reading...
Bob Inglis tells Australian thinktank that Fox News and Wall Street Journal are holding back progress on climateA former Republican congressman has blamed Rupert Murdoch’s media outlets for fuelling “climate rejectionism” among conservatives, suggesting they could be part of the reason why the United States is failing to lead the world to tackle global heating.Bob Inglis, a former South Carolina congressman who has renounced his previous climate denialism and now leads a group seeking to rally conservatives to act, questioned the role of News Corp and Fox Corporation during an event hosted by the Australia Institute. Continue reading...
Academics warn cuts of nearly 30% will affect Australia’s ability to cope with drought, bushfires, coral bleaching and global heatingEnvironmental science degrees have been hit with funding cuts of nearly 30%, as experts warn that it will affect Australia’s ability to cope with drought, bushfires, mass extinction, coral bleaching and the effects of global heating.Prof Dianne Gleeson, the president of the Australian Council of Environmental Deans and Directors (Acedd), said the cut to environmental sciences was “one of the largest funding cuts to any university course”, and had flown under the radar. Continue reading...
Researchers studying the area in the Arctic for years describe the day of the calving event – and where they go from hereIn August, Adrienne White – an ice analyst at the Canadian Ice Service who monitors the Canadian Arctic for changes in sea ice – was reviewing satellite imagery when she spotted something remarkable. The enormous Milne ice shelf, which was the last intact ice shelf in Canada and which White had studied closely before as a PhD student, was dissolving. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Sunshine and available land offer a ‘world-class’ opportunity, expert saysQueensland has the potential to draw all of its electricity from renewable sources in a 15-year transition away from fossil fuels that would generate almost 10,000 jobs, according to analysis commissioned by the Queensland Conservation Council.Almost 11,000 ongoing jobs would then operate and maintain a suite of energy sources either existing or proposed in the state, including wind and solar and farms, hydro plants and battery projects. Continue reading...
Calls for urgent funding from state and federal governments to deal with one of the world’s worst invasive speciesOne of the world’s worst invasive species could spread into Queensland’s wet tropics world heritage area unless there is urgent intervention from the state and federal governments, conservationists have warned.Yellow crazy ants, which spit formic acid and can form supercolonies that overwhelm native species, have long been an issue in the country’s north, including in Cairns where they have encroached on the world heritage area. Continue reading...
Sergey Gorshkov left a hidden camera in a Russian forest for 11 months to capture the big catAn image of a clearly ecstatic tigress hugging an ancient Manchurian fir tree in a remote Siberian forest has won one of the world’s most prestigious photography prizes.It took Russian photographer Sergey Gorshkov 11 months to capture the moment using hidden cameras. His patience led to him being named 2020 wildlife photographer of the year by the Duchess of Cambridge at a ceremony at London’s Natural History Museum. Continue reading...
It was a treat to see this busy bird in Somerset, but then they do venture far from their Siberian breeding groundsOf the thousand-plus waders at the high tide roost, all but a handful were either asleep or standing still, patiently waiting for the waters to recede. But one bird was feeding as if its life depended on it: methodically making its way across the muddy banks of the River Brue, picking up morsels of food with its long, decurved bill.The bird’s frantic activity and elegant appearance identified it as a scarce visitor to the Somerset coast: a juvenile curlew sandpiper – named because its bill resembles that of its much larger relative. Continue reading...
It is imperative to curb the use of fossil fuels, whatever the economic cost, writes Michael Bassey, while Christopher Tanner wonders what it will take for leaders to actThe question asked in your editorial (11 October), “whether the growth of real GDP is too destabilising for global ecosystems”, is answered by Nemonte Nenquimo in the heading to her letter addressed to world leaders (This is my message to the western world – your civilisation is killing life on Earth, 12 October).It is atmospheric carbon dioxide, liberated by burning fossil fuels, in industry, in our homes and by travel, that is the major cause of the destabilisation of global ecosystems. Continue reading...
The new ‘climate league’ is calling on insurers, banks and companies to sign up to a goal of reducing national emissions by about 45% by 2030Major investors and super funds will lead a push for the private sector to make much deeper cuts in national greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 than planned by the Morrison government, including setting a target based on what scientists say is necessary.The newly created “climate league 2030” is calling on investors, insurers, banks and companies to sign up to a goal of reducing national emissions by at least 230m tonnes a year more than the government forecasts by 2030. Continue reading...
by Damian Carrington Environment editor on (#592ET)
Particles released by drilling could damage the health of nearby residents, say scientistsThe radioactivity of airborne particles increases significantly downwind of fracking sites in the US, a study has found.The Harvard scientists said this could damage the health of people living in nearby communities and that further research was needed to understand how to stop the release of the radioactive elements from under the ground. Continue reading...
by Kalyeena Makortoff Banking correspondent on (#592B5)
Ex-Bank of England boss tells UN summit that boardroom pay link can help meet climate targets fasterFormer Bank of England governor Mark Carney has said banks should link executive pay to climate risk management, as part of efforts to align the finance industry with Paris climate goals.Speaking at the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative roundtable on Tuesday, the former central bank boss said lenders should – at the very least – be transparent over whether or not pay is being tied to climate targets. Continue reading...
International Monetary Fund warns window for holding temperature increases to safe levels is ‘rapidly closing’The International Monetary Fund says a combination of carbon pricing and an “initial green stimulus” would turbocharge economic recovery from the coronavirus, and help put the global economy on a sustainable growth path post-pandemic.The IMF has used the World Economic Outlook, which analyses the impact of the pandemic on the global economy, to castigate existing policies to reduce emissions as “grossly insufficient to date”. Continue reading...
A pioneering project uses water pipes suspended in the trees to allow the endangered primates to gather food in safetyPhotographs by Andrew WalmsleyLargely solitary, nocturnal, venomous and pint-sized, slow lorises are strong contenders for the primates that least resemble humans. Which may be why they are among the least studied, least protected and most poorly understood primates, according to Anna Nekaris, professor of primate conservation and biological anthropology at Oxford Brookes University.“Out of over 600 primate species, we have five great apes, and everybody wants to study them,” she says. Continue reading...
Arctic permafrost is melting at an increasing rate, impacting lives and jeopardizing the planet’s future. Photographer Katie Orlinsky has documented this drastic shift in Siberia and Alaska
Participants reduced waste by 76% by meal planning, using up leftovers and freezing moreHouseholders reduced their food waste by 76% in a recent trial in which they took steps such as making better use of leftovers and using their freezers more.Two-thirds of the participants said they slashed their weekly food bill by an average of £16.50 per week – equivalent to £858 over a year. The findings from the six-week experiment mean that each of the households could stop more than 76kg of food ending up in the bin if they continued their new habits for a year. Continue reading...
Eastern Guruma say royalties are being held up because they have been asking about FMG’s plan in areas with numerous sacred sitesFortescue Metals Group is allegedly withholding $1.9m in royalty payments from Aboriginal people in the Pilbara because the owners “asked for information about their plans” for several mining leases before signing them, a federal parliamentary inquiry has been told.FMG is withholding $1.9m in royalties it owes to the Wintawari Guruma Aboriginal Corporation (WGAC), which was due to be paid on 31 January. The Guruma say the royalties – which relate to a separate agreement – are being withheld because they have been asking about FMG’s plan for nine leases in areas that contain numerous sacred sites. Continue reading...
Governments are not doing enough to prevent rapid rebound, says agency’s reportThe coronavirus pandemic is expected to cause a record 7% decline in global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in 2020, but governments are not doing enough to prevent a rapid rebound, according to an influential report.Carbon dioxide emissions from energy use are expected to fall to 33.4 gigatonnes in 2020, the lowest level since 2011 and the biggest year on year fall since 1900 when records began, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in its annual world energy outlook. Continue reading...
Party leader confirms he will consider dumping Coalition’s third round of tax cutsAnthony Albanese has attempted to leave himself breathing room as the Labor party debates setting emission reduction targets for the 2030s, saying he will go to the next federal election with “interim targets or a pathway”.During an appearance on the ABC’s Q+A program on Monday evening, the Labor leader also confirmed he would consider dumping the government’s third round of income tax cuts – which are scheduled to occur after the election – because the measures favour higher income earners. Continue reading...
Denial of endangered species protections threatens species at risk amid climate crisis, conservationists sayThe US Fish and Wildlife Service has denied protection to wolverines under the Endangered Species Act, frustrating conservation groups who argue the species faces an existential threat from the climate crisis.According to the ruling announced on Thursday, the FWS considers wolverine populations in the lower 48 states to be stable and threats against wolverines to be less significant than they previously thought. The agency is consequently withdrawing a proposal to federally protect the species. Continue reading...
by Damian Carrington Environment editor on (#5919E)
Trillions of dollars of GDP depend on biodiversity, according to Swiss Re reportOne-fifth of the world’s countries are at risk of their ecosystems collapsing because of the destruction of wildlife and their habitats, according to an analysis by the insurance firm Swiss Re.Natural “services” such as food, clean water and air, and flood protection have already been damaged by human activity. Continue reading...