Agriculture is often seen as the enemy of biodiversity, but in an excerpt from her new book Sophie Yeo explains how techniques from the middle ages allow plants and animals to flourishThe Vile clings on to the edge of the Gower peninsula. Its fields are lined up like strips of carpet, together leading to the edge of the cliff that drops into the sea. Each one is tiny, around 1-2 acres. From the sky, they look like airport runways, although this comparison would have seemed nonsensical to those who tended them for most of their existence.That is because the Vile is special: a working example of how much of Britain would have been farmed during the middle ages. Farmers have most likely been trying to tame this promontory since before the Norman conquest. Continue reading...

After old rivalries between Dogon farmers and Fulani herders erupted into violence, exacerbated by Islamist rebels, thousands of the semi-nomadic pastoralists have fled to camps in towns, leaving their cherished animals and way of life. Many must beg to survive at sites lacking food and clean water, with no end in sight to the conflict Continue reading...

In Fort Mohave, Arizona, even Republican voters are fighting gas power plants as utilities try to lock in fossil fuelsRetirement was pretty idyllic for Mac and Debbie McKeever, who moved to Fort Mohave in Arizona for the desert views, starry nights and fresh air. The couple hosted cocktails by the pool and taco Tuesdays with their neighbors - an active bunch of Republican voting retirees with a penchant for gas-guzzling RVs and side-by-sides, and the unlikeliest environmental activists.However, in late November 2023, the McKeevers found out that the local government, the Mohave county board of supervisors, was about to vote on a zoning proposal for a gas fired peaker plant less than 1,200ft (0.2 miles) from their middle-class neighborhood Sunrise Hills. Continue reading...

Infrastructure firm raises 6.8bn to connect homes to renewable energy sources across US and UKNational Grid has tapped shareholders for nearly 7bn to fund a 60bn spending spree to upgrade its networks to cope with the switch to low-carbon energy on either side of the Atlantic.The energy infrastructure company announced a 6.8bn rights issue - where existing shareholders are offered new shares - to provide fresh funds for investment in thousands of miles of cables to connect homes with renewable energy projects in the UK and the US. Continue reading...

Conservationists say Barbara Creecy has failed to implement vital changes to stop fishing around colonies amid fears African penguins could be extinct by 2035It's 3.40pm on a Thursday and Penguin 999.000000007425712 has just returned to the Stony Point penguin colony in Betty's Bay, South Africa, after a day of foraging. She glides elegantly through the turquoise waters before clambering comically up the rocks towards the nest where her partner is incubating two beige eggs. She doesn't realise it, but a rudimentary knee-high fence has funnelled her towards a state-of-the-art weighbridge. When she left the colony at 6.45am this morning she weighed 2.7kg. Now, after a full day of hunting, she has gained only 285g.Eleanor Weideman, a coastal seabird project manager for BirdLife South Africa, is concerned. In a good year they come back with their stomachs bulging," she says. Penguins can put on up to one-third of their body weight in a single day of foraging. But there's just no fish out there any more." Continue reading...

The loss of the ecosystems, which are vast stores of carbon, would be disastrous for nature and people across the globe', says IUCNHalf of all the world's mangrove forests are at risk of collapse, according to the first-ever expert assessment of these crucial ecosystems and carbon stores.Human behaviour is the primary cause of their decline, according to the analysis by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with mangroves in southern India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives most at risk. Continue reading...

NSW Labor agreement with Origin to keep Eraring plant open for two more years to 2027 leaves environmental groups deeply disappointed'

Charity says tech problems and poor customer service mean millions in Great Britain missing out on promised benefitsThe number of gas and electricity smart meters that are not working properly is likely to be higher than government figures suggest - possibly 20% to 30% of the total - according to research from Citizens Advice.The charity said millions of households were missing out on the promised benefits from smart meters due to problems with technology" and poor supplier customer service. Continue reading...

As frozen ground below the surface melts, exposed minerals such as iron are giving streams a rusty color that pose a risk to wildlifeDozens of rivers and streams in Alaska are turning rusty orange, a likely consequence of thawing permafrost, a new study finds.The Arctic is the fastest-warming region in the globe, and as the frozen ground below the surface melts, minerals once locked away in that soil are now seeping into waterways. Continue reading...

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Representative Jamie Raskin highlight decades-long efforts to sow doubts about climate crisisDemocrats from two powerful committees are urging Joe Biden's justice department to investigate the fossil fuel industry over its decades-long attempts to sow doubt about the climate crisis.We believe that there is adequate evidence that fossil fuel industry companies and trade associations may have violated one or more federal statutes," the Senate budget committee chair, Sheldon Whitehouse, and Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House oversight committee, wrote in a Wednesday letter to the attorney general, Merrick Garland. Continue reading...

Projections of the size and scale of a future CCS industry should come with heavy doses of scepticism

Older adults face a shortage of affordable and accessible homes as climate change worsensFrom their hillside home above Barre, Vermont, Doug and Rhoda Mason thought they were safe. It was 11 July 2023, and record rains were flooding their small city.Then, just before 5am, a landslide crashed into the Masons' house. The mud hit with such force it pushed the structure 10ft off its foundation. Continue reading...

MP, not renowned for action on environment, chosen for efforts to tackle global deforestation and restore UK's wildlife habitatsTo the surprise of many, the Conservative Environment Network named their favourite MP as ... Chris Grayling.Despite not being renowned for his action on the environment, the former Cabinet minister was chosen as parliamentarian of the year by the network, which said it was honouring his efforts to tackle deforestation internationally and restore the UK's vital wildlife habitats. Continue reading...

As I report more, I've stopped thinking of UPFs as food at all - and I suspect corporations don't care how their products affect consumers

Five nature reserves will be created each year for next five years to celebrate coronation of King CharlesA temperate rainforest in the Lake District has been declared a national nature reserve in a move that will protect the rare ancient habitat for future generations.The Borrowdale rainforest is one of the few surviving examples of a mysterious and untouched" landscape that covers less than 1% of the UK. Continue reading...

Humid climate makes Texas city attractive to the insects, but with rainfall and major flooding, residents are forced indoorsAmid the severe weather that has battered parts of the country in recent weeks, particularly the US south, the city of Houston in Texas can add one more thing to their worries: mosquitos.Houston's usually humid climate already makes it attractive to mosquitos, but the additional rainfall and major flooding it is seeing makes it an ideal habitat for the bothersome insects. Continue reading...

Met Office issues amber warning for next few days, with persistent rain across much of the country

Winter downpours also made 20% wetter and will occur every three years without urgent carbon cuts, experts warnThe seemingly never-ending" rain last autumn and winter in the UK and Ireland was made 10 times more likely and 20% wetter by human-caused global heating, a study has found.More than a dozen storms battered the region in quick succession between October and March, which was the second-wettest such period in nearly two centuries of records. The downpour led to severe floods, at least 20 deaths, severe damage to homes and infrastructure, power blackouts, travel cancellations, and heavy losses of crops and livestock. Continue reading...

Photographer Gideon Mendel has filmed and photographed floods around the world extensively. He travelled by boat through the historic town centre of Port Alegre, documenting the reflections across a city that had become a liquid landscape Continue reading...

Department of Conservation fines 50-year-old after seeing footage of stunt on social media, and described his behaviour as a blatant example of stupidity'The actions of a New Zealand man filmed jumping off a boat in what appears to be an attempt to body slam" an orca have been described as shocking" and idiotic" by the country's Department of Conservation.In a video shared to Instagram in February, a man can be seen jumping off the edge of a boat into the sea off the coast of Devonport in Auckland, in what appears to be a deliberate effort to touch or body slam" the orca, the department said. He leaps into the water very close to a male orca, as a calf swims nearby, while someone on board the boat films it. Others can be heard laughing and swearing in the background. Continue reading...

The New Zealand Department of Conservation has released vision of a man appearing to attempt to 'body slam' an Orca, describing the behaviour as 'shocking and stupid'. The 50-year-old Auckland man has been fined $600. Hayden Loper, a principal investigator at the department, says the man showed reckless disregard for his own safety and that of the orca. The video speaks for itself, it is shocking and absolutely idiotic behaviour."Subscribe to Guardian Australia on YouTube

Report calls for curb on many activities and recommends making protest organisers pay towards policingProtest groups have condemned a long-awaited report on their activity that recommends a review of undercover surveillance of activists and making protest organisers pay towards policing.The 292-page report by John Woodcock, now Lord Walney, entitled Protecting Democracy from Coercion, calls for a curb on many activities, including a blanket ban on face coverings at protests and making it easier for businesses to claim damages from protesters who cause disruption. Continue reading...

High temperatures in Mexico have been linked to dozens and perhaps hundreds of deaths of howler monkeysIt's so hot in Mexico that howler monkeys are falling dead from the trees.At least 83 of the midsize primates, who are known for their roaring vocal calls, were found dead in the Gulf coast state of Tabasco. Others were rescued by residents, including five that were rushed to a local veterinarian who battled to save them. Continue reading...

Environmental Protection Agency says brownfield revitalization spending has quadrupled under Bipartisan Infrastructure LawThe US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $300m in new funding to clean up and redevelop 200 industrial sites across the country.Speaking on Monday from what was once an oil station in south-west Philadelphia's Kingsessing neighborhood, the EPA's administrator, Michael Regan, said his agency would allocate $2m to transform the site - which officials say is contaminated with lead and semi-volatile organic compounds - into a waterfront bike trail and office buildings. With this funding, Philadelphia will be able to work with this site and reconnect Kingsessing to the riverfront," Regan said. Continue reading...

First-time exhibitor Ula Maria scoops best in show for garden designed for muscular dystrophy charityA garden demonstrating the joys of forest bathing has won best in show at the Chelsea flower show.Designed by the first-time exhibitor Ula Maria, the garden was inspired by the ancient Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, which means being calm and quiet among trees, breathing deeply and observing nature. Continue reading...

Eight of 21 cars tested underperformed against their marketed efficiency rates, Australian Automobile Association says

Report finds nuclear energy more expensive than renewable alternatives and calculates costs for large-scale reactors for first time

Oil Change International says plans do not stand up to scrutiny and describes US fossil-fuel corporations as the worst of the worst'Major oil companies have in recent years made splashy climate pledges to cut their greenhouse gas emissions and take on the climate crisis, but a new report suggests those plans do not stand up to scrutiny.The research and advocacy group Oil Change International examined climate plans from the eight largest US- and European-based international oil and gas producers - BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Eni, Equinor, ExxonMobil, Shell and TotalEnergies - and found none were compatible with limiting global warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels - a threshold scientists have long warned could have dire consequences if breached.This story has been updated to add comments from Shell, Eni and Equinor. Continue reading...

Supplier hands out 127m to investors as it says normal service has been restored for 85% of customers

Also on Sunday, in Alaska, a man was killed as he tried to photograph newborn moose calves when their mother attackedA grizzly bear attacked and seriously injured a man in western Wyoming's Grand Teton national park, prompting closure to the public of a mountain there on Monday.That mauling was one of at least two serious animal attacks on people in the US wilderness on Sunday. Elsewhere, in Alaska, a 70-year-old man who was attempting to take photos of newborn moose calves was attacked and killed by their mother, authorities said. Continue reading...

In 2010, Mexico led the way, followed by Ecuador, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Argentina and Colombia

Utilities attach themselves to social justice causes amid culture war over attempts to phase out gasUS gas utilities are partnering with one of the nation's most trusted non-profits as part of a cynical PR stunt" to combat efforts to curb fossil fuel usage, a Guardian investigation has found.Local Habitat for Humanity affiliates have teamed up with at least four utilities across 10 states to build zero-net energy homes", which are meant to produce more energy than they use. Continue reading...

Case alleges French company's exploitation of fossil fuel contributed to deaths of victims in extreme weather disastersA criminal case has been filed against the CEO and directors of the French oil company TotalEnergies, alleging its fossil fuel exploitation has contributed to the deaths of victims of climate-fuelled extreme weather disasters.The case was filed in Paris by eight people harmed by extreme weather, and three NGOs. The plaintiffs believe it to be the first such criminal case filed against the individuals running a major oil company. The public prosecutor who received the file has three months to decide whether to open a judicial investigation or dismiss the complaint. Continue reading...

Authorities cut short school term as weather bureau warns of severe heatwave conditions this weekAuthorities in the Indian capital, have ordered schools to shut early for the summer holiday, after temperatures in Delhi hit 47.4C (117F).City officials told schools to shut with immediate effect" due to the blistering heat, according to a government order quoted by the Hindustan Times on Tuesday, cutting the term by a few days. Continue reading...

Tassal staff legally killed 53 of the native birds with permission from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment

The well-preserved huia bird feather was expected to fetch up to NZD$3,000 but ended up selling for more than NZD$46,000A rare and highly prized feather from the extinct New Zealand huia bird has sold for NZD$46,521 (US$28,365), making it by far the world's most expensive feather ever sold at auction.The hammer price far exceeded initial estimates of between $2,000-$3,000, and blew the previous record-holder's price out of the water. Until Monday's sale, the previous record sale was another huia feather that sold in 2010 for $8,400. Continue reading...

Species, with only a few dozen seen by humans since first discovered, usually lives in darkness up to 3,300ft below sea levelOregon beachgoers stumbled across a rare find over the weekend, after a deep-sea anglerfish washed up from the ocean depths.The discovery marked the first time this creature, which typically dwells in the darkness up to 3,300ft below sea level, was seen on Oregon shores according to the local Seaside Aquarium, which posted about it on Facebook. Continue reading...

Critical slowing down' of recovery raises concern over forest's resilience to ecosystem collapseMore than a third of the Amazon rainforest is struggling to recover from drought, according to a new study that warns of a critical slowing down" of this globally important ecosystem.The signs of weakening resilience raise concerns that the world's greatest tropical forest - and biggest terrestrial carbon sink - is degrading towards a point of no return. Continue reading...

Butler is among several writers refusing to appear at the literary festival over sponsor Baillie Gifford's alleged involvement in technology and arms in Israel'Labour MP Dawn Butler and author Grace Blakeley are among those who have withdrawn from scheduled appearances at Hay festival over its sponsorship by investment management firm Baillie Gifford.Butler said in a video posted to X that she was withdrawing from the literary festival because Baillie Gifford is involved directly or indirectly in technology and arms in Israel". Continue reading...

More than 216,000 fish died in 2022-2023, when England recorded a 54% increase in sewage spillsMass deaths of fish in England's rivers have increased almost tenfold since 2020, with fears sewage pollution is exterminating life in the country's waterways.Environment Agency (EA) data from the past four years shows an alarming rise in the number of fish deaths linked to sewage pollution, with figures escalating from 26,690 in 2020-2021 to 216,135 in 2023-2024. Continue reading...

Sensing election-year traction, coalition of 20 environmental groups also demand entrenchment of pause in gas-export licencesJoe Biden's administration is coming under renewed pressure to escalate its curbs on the US's booming trade in fossil fuels by halting new deepwater oil-export facilities, as well as entrenching its pause in gas-export licences.A coalition of 20 environmental groups, sensing election-year traction with Biden as he seeks a second term as US president, has written to officials demanding a freeze on deepwater oil-export facilities, similar to the move announced by the Biden administration earlier this year when it paused new licenses for liquified natural gas (or LNG) exports. Continue reading...

The FDA is developing front-of-package labels that corporations may have to start printing as early as 2027

From maltodextrin to guar gum, these additives are found in 73% of the US food supply - and are linked to health impacts

A growing number of grocery-store foods, from fruit-flavored yogurts to packaged bread, are being tied to health concerns

Jeff Bezos's $10bn climate and biodiversity fund has garnered glittering prizes, but concerns have been voiced over the influence it can buy - and its interest in carbon offsetsLate last month, the coronation of Jeff Bezos and his partner Lauren Sanchez as environmental royalty was complete. At Conservation International's glitzy annual gala in New York, with Harrison Ford, Jacinda Ardern and Shailene Woodley looking on, the couple were given the global visionary award for the financial contribution of the Bezos Earth Fund to the natural world.Jeff and Lauren are making history, not just with the sum of their investment in nature but also the speed of it," said the Conservation International CEO, Dr M Sanjayan, whose organisation received a $20m grant from Bezos in 2021 for its work in the tropical Andes. Continue reading...

Five years after her last companion died and the aquarium's owner pledged to free her, Bella still languishes in a tiny tank amid shopsIn the heart of Seoul, amid the luxury shops at the foot of the world's sixth-tallest skyscraper, a lone beluga whale named Bella swims aimlessly in a tiny, lifeless tank, where she has been trapped for a decade.Her plight is urgent, with campaigners racing to rescue her from the bare tank in a glitzy shopping centre in South Korea's capital before it is too late. Continue reading...

Comms Declare asks ACCC to investigate show sponsor Australian Gas Networks for alleged greenwashing

Scottish government accused of missing deadlines to take action on overfishing and effects of climate breakdownFragile and damaged marine life around Scotland's coasts is not being properly protected because ministers in Edinburgh have broken their promises, environment campaigners have warned.Prominent charities including the Marine Conservation Society and the National Trust for Scotland accuse the Scottish government of repeatedly missing its deadlines to protect vulnerable marine life from overfishing and the effects of climate breakdown. Continue reading...

Exclusive: EPA chief executive says foundational' rule changes put climate impacts front and centre' of planning process