Environment | The Guardian

Environmentalists say incinerating a vast stockpile of firefighting foam containing harmful PFAS is putting communities at riskThe Department of Defense is polluting the environment with toxic chemicals by continuing to incinerate a vast stockpile of firefighting foam in a move environmentalists say is in breach of new regulations.In a letter sent last week to the secretary of defense, Mark Esper, several environmental organizations argue the defense department is already out of compliance with new provisions regulating the disposal of the material and insist that it “immediately cease” incineration of the foam – called AFFF – which puts communities at risk. Continue reading...

Sainsbury’s, Lego and H&M feature on list that rewards shift to renewable energy and reducing emissions

Hail smashes into Parliament House and brings down trees in the ACT, with heavy rainfall hitting NSW, Queensland and VictoriaAustralia’s south-east has been lashed by severe thunderstorms and large hailstones that destroyed buildings and cars in Canberra and left two tourists in hospital after they were injured by lightning.Two supercell thunderstorms brought hail and heavy rain to cities and towns across the east coast on Monday, battering the outer suburbs of Sydney about 3pm, with 4.5cm hailstones recorded and strong winds bringing trees down over cars in the Sutherland area. Continue reading...

Yorkshire campaigners shine spotlight on water firms’ practice of discharging untreated sewage into riversLocal people in a Yorkshire town are pressing for their river to become the first in the UK to be designated as a bathing area to force the authorities to clean up the water they say is being used as an open sewer.In the spa town of Ilkley a grassroots campaign has uncovered the regular and routine dumping of untreated sewage by Yorkshire Water – with the approval of the Environment Agency – into the River Wharfe. Continue reading...

Ahead of the World Economic Forum, Elizabeth Maruma Mrema urges governments to take definitive action on climate, deforestation and pollutionHumanity will have given up on planet Earth if world leaders cannot reach an agreement this year to stop the mass extinction of wildlife and destruction of life-supporting ecosystems, the United Nation’s new biodiversity chief has warned.Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, the acting executive secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, has implored governments to ensure 2020 is not just another “year of conferences” on the ongoing ecological destruction of the planet, urging countries to take definitive action on deforestation, pollution and the climate crisis. Continue reading...

Nearly 50 threatened species believed to have had more than 80% of their area affected, including seven critically endangered plantsNearly 50 nationally threatened animal and plant species are believed to have had at least 80% of the area in which they live affected by bushfire, a federal environment department analysis has found.Another 65 have had more than half their area in the fire zone. Scientists have warned some affected species could be pushed to extinction. Continue reading...

32 schemes eligible for funding despite being unnecessary under move from fossil fuels

Some companies have taken steps to combat crisis but report says more could be doneThe world’s energy watchdog has warned the oil and gas industry that it risks a public backlash by failing to act on the climate crisis in favour of making short-term profits.The International Energy Agency (IEA) said oil companies must balance their desire for near-term returns and a long-term future by playing a much more significant role in combating the climate crisis. Continue reading...

Videos posted to social media show the clouds turning day into night in some areasDamaging winds produced by thunderstorms across central New South Wales have whipped up dust storms that turned daytime into night in some towns.The Bureau of Meteorology issued a series of severe thunderstorm warnings on Sunday evening for inland NSW with the associated winds generating massive dust clouds. Continue reading...

PM rebukes NSW environment minister over call to review emissions policy, saying most of the federal cabinet wouldn’t know who Kean wasScott Morrison has issued an extraordinary rebuke of the New South Wales environment minister, Matt Kean, for suggesting federal Liberals are pushing the government to increase its ambition on emissions reduction.Asked about Kean’s call for the federal government to abandon its use of Kyoto carryover credits to meet its 2030 emissions target, Morrison told ABC’s AM that “Matt Kean doesn’t know what he’s talking about, he doesn’t know what’s going on in the federal cabinet [and] most of the federal cabinet wouldn’t even know who Matt Kean was”. Continue reading...

Exclusive: New documents raise further questions about deal with company founded by energy minister Angus TaylorThe government rejected several offers from Eastern Australia Agriculture over the past decade to sell its overland-flow water rights because the deals were “not value for money”, before paying $80m for the same rights, new documents show.The water purchase in the Condamine Balonne catchment has been controversial because it cost taxpayers $80m, was concluded without tender and the company was founded by the energy minister, Angus Taylor. Continue reading...

Awareness training across London led to ‘intelligence’ tip-offs, according to reportA police force in London labelled Extinction Rebellion one of its “key threats” in a counter-terrorism assessment and provided awareness training on the climate crisis group across the capital, resulting in “intelligence” tip-offs.City of London police grouped the environmental protest movement alongside “far-right organisations” in an assessment of its counter-terrorism operations seen by the Guardian. Continue reading...

East Yorkshire councillors bemoan lack of national guidance and funding

Plastic bags to be banned in all major cities by end of 2020, says state plannerChina is stepping up restrictions on the production, sale and use of single-use plastic products, according to the state planner, as it seeks to tackle one of the country’s biggest environmental problems.Vast amounts of untreated plastic waste are buried in landfills or dumped in rivers. The United Nations has identified single-use plastics as one of the world’s biggest environmental challenges. Continue reading...

The population is down to six. But the community believes its radical experiment could be the key to the Hebrides’ futureAt Scotland’s western edge, made jagged by ancient elements, a new model for living is taking shape. Ulva, a small island in the Inner Hebrides, off the west coast of Mull, is beginning to reverse decades of population decline.The island’s current population is six but before another generation has passed it’s expected to grow tenfold. Once, it had a population of more than 800 but many were driven out, their homes set alight by brutal landowners who replaced them with more economically sound sheep. Continue reading...

The lions, which live on the edge of the national park, will be moved to avoid conflicts with people and livestockTanzania will find a new home for 36 lions following a slew of attacks by the big cats on people and cattle.The lions, an increasingly endangered species, live on the edge of the safari mecca of the Serengeti national park, but have been affected by encroaching human activity. Continue reading...

Planning experts call for state governments to buy back land from people in most bushfire-prone areasState governments have been warned against promising to recreate some communities destroyed by the bushfire crisis and urged to consider preventing homeowners from rebuilding their homes in the riskiest areas.Three planning experts, including two who appeared on a planning panel convened for the Victorian Black Saturday royal commission, told Guardian Australia to avoid repeating what they considered the mistakes of past bushfire recoveries. Continue reading...

Despite the climate crisis, ‘no emission spared’ round-the-world holidays in private jets are selling outForget cruises. The super-rich have found a new way to see the world in the luxurious style of an ocean liner but taking a fraction of the time: private jet round-the-world tours.This week, 50 members of the wealthy elite will board a privately chartered Boeing 757 to begin a 24-day guided tour of the globe, taking in Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, the Galápagos islands and mountain gorillas in Rwanda. Continue reading...

Giant sequoias were thought to be immune to insects, drought and wildfires. Then the unthinkable happened: trees started to die – and scientists began the search for answers

Deadly interaction between insects, drought and fire damage have forced California’s park officials to trigger climate crisis plans intended for the 2050s

Jane Shepherdson introduces her new fashion rental site My Wardrobe HQ as shoppers warm to hiring other people’s outfitsJane Shepherdson was once named the most powerful woman in British fashion. As the boss of Topshop when it ruled the high street and delivered £100m in profit a year for Philip Green’s Arcadia retail empire, she was the high priestess of fast fashion. But times have changed: Shepherdson now wants us to ditch the shopping bags and get our style fix by renting everything from dresses to sunglasses and shoes instead.Related: Is fast fashion giving way to the sustainable wardrobe? Continue reading...

Residents on fastest-eroding coastline in northern Europe told of ‘imminent risk’For those who long to live by the sea, the thought of gently breaking waves and waking by the beach sums up the irresistible charm of coastal life. But not, perhaps, in the Yorkshire village of Skipsea.Residents in the tiny seaside parish were warned this week that a large number of homes are at “imminent risk” of tumbling into the North Sea within 12 months because of the rapid erosion of the East Yorkshire coast. Continue reading...

Ecologist fears the Macleay River may take decades to recover, with heavy rains likely to affect other waterwaysHundreds of thousands of native fish are estimated to have died in northern New South Wales after rains washed ash and sludge from bushfires into the Macleay River.Parts of the Macleay River – favoured by recreational fishers – have been turned into what locals described as “runny cake mix” that stank of rotting vegetation and dead fish. Continue reading...

Court confirms government’s contribution to the issue, but judges find they lack power to enforce climate policy decisionsThe ninth circuit court of appeals ordered dismissal of a lawsuit brought by 21 youth plaintiffs against the federal government over climate crisis, citing concerns about separation of powers.The case was brought against the government in 2015, charging that it sanctioned, permitted and authorized a fossil fuel system that compromised the youth plaintiffs’ civil right to property. It implied a constitutional right to a stable climate, and alleged that the government violated the public trust by failing to protect assets held in trust, notably the atmosphere. Continue reading...

The pick of the best flora and fauna photos from around the world, including an iguana and an injured leopard Continue reading...

Mayor’s pledge on air pollution to form part of vision for green new deal for LondonSadiq Khan will promise to put London on a par with Scandinavian capitals by making it a carbon-neutral city by 2030 if he is re-elected as mayor of the capital later this year.The Labour politician’s pledge to tackle air pollution forms part of his first major pitch to voters in the upcoming mayoral race, in which he will go up against Conservative, Lib Dem, Green and independent rivals. Continue reading...

Head of Police Scotland says UN climate gathering will mean ‘acute operational demands’The cost of policing the UN climate conference in Glasgow this November could exceed £200m, according to Scotland’s chief constable, who said it was “fanciful” to suggest that hosting one of the largest events ever staged in the UK would not have an impact on the wider community.Iain Livingstone, the head of Police Scotland, told a board meeting of the Scottish Police Authority on Friday that accommodation for officers alone – many of whom will be drafted from forces in England and Wales – could cost “tens of millions”. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Extinction Rebellion and Peta also named in anti-extremism briefing alongside Combat 18 and National Action

Bird is one of six released on Isle of Wight as first residents in England for 250 yearsIt is one of the country’s top predators, with a 2.4-metre (8ft) wingspan and a preference for plucking fish from the ocean.So a young sea eagle’s choice of landlocked Oxfordshire as its home is unexpected. More surprising still is that the bird has lived for four months almost completely unnoticed by the public close to the M40 and the commuter belt. Continue reading...

The president just launched one of his most grievous attacks on the environment yet. Democrats must recognize the stakesWhat are the consequences of a second term of Donald Trump? To even consider the question sends the left-leaning mind into a paroxysm. Everything from nuclear war to the utter collapse of American democracy looms large in the imaginations of otherwise sober-minded people.Related: Warren and Sanders appear to move on following debate tensions – live Continue reading...

Fears grow companies may use it to get around temporary fracking moratoriumCampaigners have warned that the fracking moratorium announced by the UK government does not apply to acid fracking, a process that involves injecting acid into the earth to dissolve and fracture rock.More than 500 academics, politicians and campaigners have signed an open letter initiated by Brockham Oil Watch calling on the government to ban the practice over fears companies may use it to get around the moratorium. Continue reading...

Bushfires across NSW and Victoria have caused road closures, making it difficult to get product to consumersWidespread damage to farms and crops as well as critical infrastructure from the unprecedented bushfires could affect the price and availability of fresh produce, experts say, but the effect is only expected to be short-term.Shaun Lindhe, a spokesperson for industry body AusVeg, says that damage from the fires has already had an impact on vegetable growers. Continue reading...

Two cases of upset stomach and diarrhea confirmed as norovirus, as park says it is undertaking ‘extensive cleaning’ effortsRoughly 170 people who have visited Yosemite national park in recent weeks have suffered upset stomachs and diarrhea, symptoms that park officials say are consistent with norovirus.Two of those cases have been confirmed as norovirus, park officials say. The park spokesman Scott Gediman issued a written statement that most of those who fell ill had spent time in Yosemite Valley around the first week of January. Continue reading...

Up to 100mm of rain has fallen in parts of NSW over Thursday and Friday with more forecast for the state and VictoriaFrom dancing cows to the overdue shaving of a two year old beard, Australians across drought-stricken and fire-hit parts of New South Wales and Victoria have celebrated the arrival of much-needed rain.Up to 100mm of rain has fallen in parts of NSW over Thursday and Friday, in what was, for some areas, the most significant rainfall in months. Continue reading...

Commitments to phase out deforestation by 2020 are out of reach for many, reports findSome of the world’s biggest brands are failing in their commitments to banish deforestation from their supply chains through their use of palm oil, despite making public claims to environmental sustainability, according to two reports.Scores of the world’s biggest consumer brands have agreed to phase out deforestation through the use of sustainable palm oil by 2020, but this goal looks far out of reach for many, according to separate reports from the campaigning groups WWF and Rainforest Action Network. Continue reading...

In past two years, proportion of Britons who have eaten meat substitutes has risen to 65%Almost a quarter of all new UK food products launched last year were labelled vegan, while nearly two-thirds of Britons chose to eat meat substitutes, figures show.Over the past two years, the proportion of Britons who have eaten food containing meat substitutes has risen from 50% in 2017 to 65%, the analysts Mintel said. Continue reading...

British naturalist says climate change is an ‘urgent crisis’ that must be solvedSir David Attenborough has said it is “palpable nonsense” to suggest that Australia’s bushfire crisis has nothing to do with climate changeas he warned “the moment of crisis” has arrived.The 93-year-old British naturalist made the direct link between the ongoing bushfires and climate change during an interview with the BBC published on Thursday. Continue reading...

Conservative government critics blame Treasury’s dramatic cut in subsidiesBritain’s green economy has shrunk since 2014, heightening concerns that the government will miss targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions by the middle of the decade.The number of people employed in the “low carbon and renewable energy economy” declined by more than 11,000 to 235,900 between 2014 and 2018, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Continue reading...

In fight against climate crisis, operators will be compensated for early switch-offsGermany will pay its utility companies billions of euros to speed up the shutdown of their coal-fired power plants as part of the country’s efforts to fight climate crisis, the government has said.The agreement reached between federal ministers and representatives of four coalmining states removes a key hurdle in Germany’s plan to curb greenhouse gas emissions over the coming decades. Continue reading...

Calls grow for mental health support for volunteers as images of animals killed in fires cause widespread distressThe bushfire crisis has caused a “collective grief” among wildlife carers, who say the “scent of death [is] in every breath” in fire-affected areas.The scale of the devastation – with more than a billion animals estimated to have died – has prompted renewed calls from some wildlife experts for mental health support for wildlife carers, almost a third of whom already experience “moderate to severe grief” as part of the ordinary course of their work. Continue reading...

Guardian Australia analysis reveals the frightening amount of world heritage area burned in Australia’s ongoing fire crisisAt least 80% of the Blue Mountains world heritage area and more than 50% of the Gondwana world heritage rainforests have burned in Australia’s ongoing bushfire crisis.The scale of the disaster is such that it could affect the diversity of eucalypts for which the Blue Mountains world heritage area is recognised, said John Merson, the executive director of the Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute. Continue reading...

Investment from Korean giants means startup is valued at £3bn, giving it ‘unicorn’ statusThe UK-based electric van maker Arrival has secured an £85m investment from South Korean car firms Hyundai and Kia – a cash injection which values the business at £3bn, defying the struggles of the British automotive industry.The money will be used by Arrival to fund the next stage of its development as it prepares to scale up production of an electric van it hopes will rival those from more established manufacturers. The Korean companies will work with Arrival to develop new commercial vehicles with zero exhaust emissions. Continue reading...

Students say law firm Paul Weiss has cultivated liberal reputation despite representing oil companies, tobacco and big banksHarvard law students have disrupted a recruiting event for Paul Weiss, the law firm representing ExxonMobil in climate lawsuits, in an escalation the protesters hope will open a new front in climate activism in the legal world.Related: James Murdoch's climate stance distances him from family empire Continue reading...

Shoppers in Middleton will be able to bring containers for cereal, tea and other groceriesThe supermarket chain Asda is joining forces with some of the UK’s best-known food and drink brands to create a “sustainability” store, in the latest drive to find and test new ways to eliminate unnecessary plastic and packaging.From May, its store in Middleton, Leeds, will become the first Asda in the UK where shoppers can fill up their own containers with a range of products, from big brands to own-label coffee and pasta. Continue reading...

In a new film, A Life on Our Planet, the broadcaster rails against the imminent, man-made dangers behind the climate emergencyDavid Attenborough has warned that humans have “overrun the world” in a trailer for A Life on Our Planet, a forthcoming documentary looking at the changes on Earth during his lifetime.The 93-year-old naturalist and broadcaster describes the project as a “witness statement” of the effects of the climate crisis, adding that the actions of humanity are sending the planet into decline. Continue reading...

Regional Community Energy Fund never opened and Gladys Berejiklian’s government refusing to explain whyThe New South Wales government has failed to act on a promise to provide regional towns with renewably sourced emergency backup power during disasters, leaving funding unavailable ahead of the state’s bushfire crisis.In 2018, the NSW government announced a $30m program to fund small-scale renewable energy generation and storage in regional and remote communities, through a scheme known as the Regional Community Energy Fund (RCEF). Continue reading...

Scott Morrison suggest he will ‘evolve’ his government’s climate policy but many still openly doubt the scienceThe science minister, Karen Andrews, has said it’s “time for everyone to move on” from ideological debates on climate change.“Every second that we spend discussing if climate change is real is a second we don’t spend addressing these issues,” she told Nine Newspapers. “Let’s move on and get over this.” Continue reading...

National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility funding was discontinued in 2017, while Scott Morrison was treasurerThe Coalition’s decision to axe funding to a climate change adaptation research body in 2017 has left Australia “not well positioned” to deal with fires, the “silent killer” of drought and other global heating impacts, its director has said.Jean Palutikof, the director of the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF), told Guardian Australia the decision to discontinue funding in 2017 – when Scott Morrison was treasurer – had hollowed out the research community and “the capacity to take action on climate change is smaller than it was decade ago”. Continue reading...

‘Bright and breezy’ day follows disruption of Storm Brendan, but wintry weather will returnMuch of the UK is to enjoy a brief respite from the wind and rain brought by Storm Brendan before a return to wintery conditions on Thursday, the Met Office has said.A 48-hour period of disruptive weather began on Monday as Storm Brendan hit Ireland, causing thousands of homes to lose power, before bringing winds in excess of 80mph to parts of Scotland and England. Continue reading...