Businesses and residents say they feel helpless as they brace for next high tidesAs tourists posed for selfies at St Mark’s Square on Wednesday evening, shop owners mopped the floors of their premises and cleared debris while assessing the cost of the damage caused by record high tides.“An apocalypse happened,” said Antonella Rossi, who owns a handmade jewellery shop under the portico that surrounds the square. Continue reading...

The lying, the scheming and the intrigue puts storylines on The Bold and the Beautiful to shameIf this was a poll on which Australian bird is featured most frequently on homewares, superb fairy-wrens would win by a mile. Teacups, plates, tea towels and cushions across the country are adorned with their image. The combination of their tiny size (they weigh about the same as a 20c piece), pointing up tail and the way they cuddle together makes them pretty darn adorable. I’m going to argue though that there are many more reasons that you should vote for them in 2019 than simply “they look cute”.It is not only the public that is drawn to this gorgeously sweet bird. Superb fairy-wrens are actually one of our most well-studied Australian birds (heck I did my PhD on them). The more we learn about them the more we realise that that image of a sweet happy family unit is far from reality. Continue reading...

Cows missing for two months were located on North Carolina’s Outer Banks after ‘mini tsunami’ carried wildlife awayThree cows swept off an island during the raging storm of Hurricane Dorian have been located on North Carolina’s Outer Banks after apparently swimming four miles during the storm.Related: ‘Insect apocalypse’ poses risk to all life on Earth, conservationists warn Continue reading...

‘This is result of climate change,’ says Venice mayor, who declares state of emergency

Netherlands takes ‘rotten measure’ of reducing 130km/h limit to protect nature reservesThe Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, has taken what he has described as the “rotten measure” of cutting the maximum speed limit on roads in the Netherlands to 100km/h (62mph) after being ordered by the courts to cut pollution.The reduction from the current limit of 130km/h followed a Dutch court ruling earlier this year that found government policies breached EU rules in regard to the protection of nature reserves from ammonia and nitrous oxide. Continue reading...

As parts of the north remain inundated, Labour has accused the Conservatives of skewed spendingClaim Jeremy Corbyn has said the government’s spending on flood defences until 2021 “heavily favours London and the south-east of England”.Background About 5.4m properties in England are at risk of flooding from rivers, the sea and surface water. Annual flood damage costs the country an estimated £1.1bn. Continue reading...

Judges criticise government for failing to prevent noxious conditions around capitalThe Indian government has said it intends to use hydrogen-based fuel technology to help combat pollution, as Delhi was once again enveloped in “severe emergency” levels of smog.Pollution levels in the capital peaked to dangerously high levels just over a week after the city suffered its longest spell of hazardous air quality since public records began. Continue reading...

PM appears in Stainforth, South Yorkshire, as troops help shore up battered defencesBoris Johnson has been accused of doing nothing to help flood victims as he visited one of the worst hit areas and told residents: “We’ve been on it round the clock”.The prime minister appeared in Stainforth, in South Yorkshire as 100 soldiers were deployed to help shore up the region’s battered flood defences. Continue reading...

Report claims 400,000 insect species face extinction amid heavy use of pesticidesThe “unnoticed insect apocalypse” should set alarm bells ringing, according to conservationists, who said that without a halt there will be profound consequences for humans and all life on Earth.A new report suggested half of all insects may have been lost since 1970 as a result of the destruction of nature and heavy use of pesticides. The report said 40% of the 1million known species of insect are facing extinction. Continue reading...

Wildfires are not getting worse globally, the Liberal MP says, but ‘actually declining’. All the day’s political events, live5.00am GMTNothing is happening (that’s Senate only week for you) and my capacity to deal with stupid is at an all time low after this week so far, so we are going to finish up a little earlier.Plus, the main thing is that everyone stay on top of what is happening with the fires, so make sure you continue to follow the coverage with that.4.27am GMTI can’t see this tweet, because Malcolm Roberts blocked me on Twitter a really long time ago (about the time Adam Gartrell and my reporting got him section 44’d, and also our reporting on his staffer being accused, and then later convicted, of rape).But apparently Roberts has responded to this quote from Justine Keay with “Ok Doomer”Go away for a very, very long time, YOU IDIOT. 11,000 scientist or you....REALITY CHECK, you’re the stupid one. Continue reading...

IEA says deep disparity between words and action on climate change risks failing to cap global temperaturesThe world’s existing climate policies will not be enough to end the upward march of record energy emissions rising beyond 2040 without a “grand coalition” of governments and investors, according to the global energy watchdog.The International Energy Agency said carbon emissions from the global energy industry reached a new record in 2018 despite progress in renewable energy in recent years. Continue reading...

PM chairs Cobra meeting after being criticised for not declaring national emergencyBoris Johnson has been accused of displaying an “utterly outrageous” lack of concern about the severe floods that have devastated hundreds of homes and caused more than 1,200 properties to be evacuated in northern England.Under increasing pressure over the issue, the prime minister chaired a meeting of the government’s emergency committee Cobra on Tuesday after he was criticised by Jeremy Corbyn for not declaring a national emergency. Continue reading...

The industry’s carbon footprint is under increasing scrutiny, but critics argue that offsetting lessens guilt rather than reducing harmTiny clutch bags, conceptual knitwear and carbon neutrality – the ideas that fashion chooses to embrace each season aren’t always those you might expect. But thanks to a recent shift, no doubt spurred on by the “Greta Thunberg effect”, carbon – as well as the practice of offsetting it – has become a hot topic for many of the biggest names in the fashion industry.At New York fashion week in September, luxury fashion designer Gabriela Hearst staged fashion’s first carbon-neutral catwalk show. Hot on its heels, Gucci announced it would go carbon neutral with chief executive, Marco Bizzarri, stating that “the planet has gone too far”. Next up, luxury fashion conglomerate Kering, owner of big-name brands such as Saint Laurent, Balenciaga and Bottega Veneta, announced that its entire group would offset 2.4m tonnes of carbon dioxide in a bid to “become carbon-neutral within its own operations and across the entire supply chain.” Continue reading...

‘This is our climate emergency’ say residents as fire chiefs warn dangerous conditions to returnMore than 100 fires continue to rage across eastern Australia, dozens of them running out of control, but the nation escaped its predicted “catastrophic” fire day without further loss of life.However, fire chiefs have warned that despite cooler conditions expected on Wednesday and Thursday, dangerous fire conditions will return late in the week. Continue reading...

Pentagon officials view climate breakdown as an existential threat to human society – and are already taking actionWe have heard from the scientists on climate change, with their meticulous data on ecosystem degradation and species loss. We have heard from the climate deniers, with their desperate attempts to deploy countervailing arguments. Both groups have mobilized substantial blocs of voters in pivotal countries, producing gridlock in global efforts to slow the pace of global warming. It is time, then, to hear from another group of informed and influential professionals: senior military officers.Military leaders have not said much in public about global warming, in part because they’re reluctant to become involved in partisan political issues (as climate has become) and partly because top government officials—in the United States, at least—have actively discouraged such involvement. Nevertheless, senior officers are fully aware of warming’s deleterious effects and have devised a thorough analysis of its strategic implications. As I demonstrate in my new book, All Hell Breaking Loose: The Pentagon’s Perspective on Climate Change, senior American officers believe that global warming is already threatening the survival of many poor, resource-deprived countries and poses a significant risk to even the wealthiest of nations. Continue reading...

Thousands of visitors who flock to La Pelosa in Sardinia pose threat to its ecosystemVisitors will soon have to pay to enjoy one of Sardinia’s most beautiful beaches as local authorities try to mitigate the damage done by overcrowding.La Pelosa, a white sandy beach in Stintino, north-west Sardinia, has been described as a slice of heaven, attracting thousands of visitors each summer. However, environmental studies show that excessive numbers of beachgoers threaten the beach’s ecosystem, prompting Antonio Diana, the mayor of Stintino, to introduce entry tickets and set a cap on visitor numbers to 1,500 a day from next summer. Continue reading...

Never mind how many electric cars are sold there – Norway has to change tack and end prospecting for new oil reserves

Residents in Sydney and other parts of the east coast advised to stay indoors where possible to avoid air pollution• NSW and Qld fires: army training exercise may have started Gold Coast blaze – liveAuthorities are warning New South Wales residents not to underestimate the damaging effects of smoke as air quality worsens amid the state’s bushfire crisis.About 80 fires are burning across NSW, filling Sydney’s skies with smoke pollution of “hazardous” proportions, according to the environment department. Continue reading...

Energy minister to face further questioning over highly inflated travel figures as well as the grasslands saga

Tribal leaders to testify before Congress in battle against Trump administration’s assault on environmental protectionsTribal leaders, fishermen and environmentalists from Alaska will testify before Congress on Wednesday in an effort to save America’s biggest national forest – the latest battle against the Trump administration’s assault on environmental protections.The Tongass national forest, one of the world’s last intact temperate rainforests which plays a crucial role in fighting the climate crisis, is under threat of logging as Alaska seeks exemption from the Roadless Rule, which protects millions of acres of pristine forests across the US. The Tongass is considered the “crown jewel” of the national forest system, sequestering huge amounts of carbon dioxide to keep the greenhouse gas out of the atmosphere. Continue reading...

Jordon Steele-John uses energy debate to attack Labor and Coalition support of coal industry. Earlier, Barnaby Joyce claimed two people who died in fires ‘most likely’ voted for Greens. Follow all the day’s event’s live ...5.49am GMTWe end the blog with emergency warnings for South Turramurra in Sydney being issued.Stay safe, everyone. Do what you need to do.5.20am GMTThe Northern Australia Infrastructure Fund, (which is often called the “no actual infrastructure fund” around these halls, because of the lack of infrastructure) is not only undergoing another inquiry – it will also lend $20m to the North Queensland Cowboys for a training centre.The fund which was designed to turn the north into an economic powerhouse will also help the Cowboys train its Thurstons of the future.Funding for the new state-of-the-art Cowboys Community, Training and High Performance Centre continues to take shape with the advancement of a Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) loan moving to the next stage of approval.The North Queensland Toyota Cowboys’ application to NAIF has progressed, with NAIF’s Board making an investment decision to approve a loan to the project. Continue reading...

Young Belgian activists are among the most enthusiastic, but their country is lagging behind on actionWhen Greta Thunberg began her school strike outside the Swedish parliament in 2018, she was alone. Within months, thousands and then millions followed her example.Some of the most enthusiastic school strikers have been in Belgium, inadvertently launching a national movement that bridges the country’s entrenched linguistic divide. Continue reading...

Hundreds of votes were cast in Russia, but organisers say the email addresses appeared to be legitimateIt’s an election that has spawned meme wars, full-size billboards, trash talking between rival campaigns, and now, accusations of Russian electoral fraud. Organisers of New Zealand’s bird of the year contest – a wholesome poll that raises awareness about the plight of native species – have denied claims the 2019 result was marred by fowl play after revealing a high number of votes cast from other countries.“People are coming up with all kinds of theories about Russian involvement in New Zealand elections,” said Megan Hubscher, a spokesperson for Forest and Bird, the independent conservation group that runs the annual vote. “But we can assure everyone that everything seems above board this time around.” Continue reading...

A range of organisations are asking for financial aid to assist people, communities and wildlife affected by the firesThe scale and ferocity of bushfires sweeping NSW and Queensland is testing the resources of firefighters, charities, and animal rescue groups. Many have issued public pleas for financial help, warning of a worsening bushfire threat and a long road to recovery for affected communities. Most organisations are calling for financial donations - rather than donated goods - to help them best meet the varying needs of victims.Here are the main groups working on the ground right now and accepting donations. Continue reading...

Development has long been given priority over the endangered bird’s welfare – and is set to again with the Carmichael coalmine

Approval ratings dip for both Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese in latest surveyAustralians are divided about a controversial plan, telegraphed by Scott Morrison, to curb environmental activism against the resources sector – with the Guardian Essential sample split between support, opposition and indifference.In the wake of the prime minister using a combative speech to the Queensland Resources Council to unload on “apocalyptic” progressivism and float potential curbs on activism, voters were asked whether they would support a change that could make consumer or environmental boycotts illegal in Australia. Continue reading...

Response follows Jeremy Corbyn urging PM to ‘take personal charge’ as locals tell of ruined homesBoris Johnson has agreed to chair a meeting of the government’s emergency committee on Tuesday to discuss the response to the recent severe floods, after he was urged by Jeremy Corbyn to “take personal charge” of the situation.The announcement by Downing Street came as residents began a clean-up operation, and warned that further damage was likely unless existing water was pumped away. Continue reading...

Long-running survey finds 1976 heatwave boom has been followed by dropping numbersMoths are declining in abundance by 10% each decade in Britain but the average weight of moths caught in traps is still double what it was in 1967, according to a new study.Researchers studying the biomass of moths caught in the world’s longest-running insect survey said their findings suggested that if there had been an “insect armageddon” in Britain, it had occurred before scientific recording began in 1967. Continue reading...

More than 575 NSW schools to close as conditions forecast to worsen on Tuesday, while dozens of bushfires continue to burn across Australia’s east coast. This blog is now closed

‘For heaven’s sake stay away from bushland,’ Gladys Berejiklian warns as conditions to worsen on TuesdayAcross New South Wales more than 575 schools will shut their doors on Tuesday, while aged care homes remain on high alert and animal shelters scramble to re-home pets as much of the state prepares for catastrophic fire conditions.The NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, declared a week-long state of emergency on Monday in the wake of devastating fires on the state’s mid-north coast in which three people died and at least 150 homes were destroyed. Continue reading...

Project links solar-fitted premises in ‘milestone’ to form a mini virtual power plantHundreds of homes and businesses in Cornwall have started selling electricity to their local energy network and the national energy system in a pioneering move.The trial is the first time that traditional energy users – such as homes, hotels and businesses – have acted as suppliers in a microcosm of a full energy system. Continue reading...

Federal regulator wants to know more about the consultation Equinor conducted and the risks posed by oil spillsNorwegian energy company Equinor has been ordered to modify and resubmit an environmental plan to drill an oil exploration well in the Great Australian Bight.The company has exploration rights on a site about 370km off the South Australian coast and first submitted its environmental statement on the drilling proposal in April. Continue reading...

Brown to Green report highlights Australia’s poor response on deforestation, transport, energy supply and carbon pricingAustralia’s response to climate change is one of the worst in the G20 with a lack of policy, reliance on fossil fuels and rising emissions leaving the country exposed “economically, politically and environmentally”, according to a new international report.Australia’s progress to meeting its already “unambitious” Paris climate targets was third worst, fossil fuel energy was on the rise and policies to tackle high transport emissions and deforestation were also among the worst across the G20 countries. Continue reading...

The Senate-only sitting week has started in the midst of a debate on climate change as ‘catastrophic’ blazes threaten swathes of NSW and Queensland. All the day’s events, live• Follow all the latest news on NSW and Queensland bushfires – live5.01am GMTOn that note, we are going to wrap up the blog for the day.But we’ll back tomorrow morning for day two of Senate-palooza.4.32am GMTSomeone is having fun.STATEMENT | Nationals kill dairy rescue bill.

For the first time since new fire ratings were introduced in 2009, the highest fire danger has been forecast for SydneyCatastrophic fire danger has been forecast for the greater Sydney, greater Hunter and Illawarra/Shoalhaven regions on Tuesday 12 November. This includes the central coast and the Blue Mountains.It’s the first time since the new fire ratings were introduced in 2009 that catastrophic conditions have been forecast for Sydney. Continue reading...

More than 140 flood warnings and alerts in place as South Yorkshire villagers evacuateFurther heavy rainfall has been forecast for the UK this week and more flooding is expected as communities already affected struggle to cope.Seven severe “danger to life” flood warnings remain in place in South Yorkshire in areas along the River Don. The Met Office also issued 41 active flood warnings and 94 flood alerts, and said a weather system moving across Europe would bring a “fair amount” of rainfall to England and Wales. Continue reading...

Australians to shoulder the risk of oil and gas exploration while Norway enjoys the financial gain, Australia Institute warnsThe Norwegian government stands to gain $400m more from drilling in the Great Australian Bight than the South Australian and federal governments combined, according to a new study.A report by the Australia Institute, to be released on Monday, finds that through its two-thirds ownership of Equinor the Norwegian government stands to make $8.1bn from oil and gas exploration in the Bight. Continue reading...

From humble beginnings, Market Forces is now in the crosshairs of the Coalition’s war on environmental boycottsWhen Market Forces, a small climate activist group, was singled out as the target of the government’s push to stop environmental campaigns that advocate boycotts of fossil-fuel companies, its leader was briefly taken aback but not disappointed.“You know you’re doing something right when the Morrison government tries to bring you down,” Julien Vincent, the group’s executive director and founder, says from its base in Melbourne. “It’s unpleasant, but it’s only happening because we are getting results.” Continue reading...

Defra revealed that more than £300,000 of public money has been spent on the devicesHundreds of thousands of pounds of UK taxpayers’ money has been spent on equipping badger cull marksmen and women with tracking devices so that their movements could be mapped by co-ordinators and police.Anti-cull activists have criticised the expense, arguing that the cost of the cull should be met by farmers rather than the public purse. Continue reading...

Torrential rain has cost one life and blighted communities that feel they are being left to fend for themselvesDriving north on a foggy Saturday morning on the M1, the signs say “Derbyshire flooding”. It sounds like the present continuous tense, ominous and ongoing. Twenty-four hours earlier, the body of Annie Hall, a former high sheriff of the county, had been found. She had been swept away by the River Derwent at Darley Dale, not far from Matlock.If that fatality lends a tragic note to the floods that hit the east Midlands and northern England on Friday, the streets are awash with many more mundane stories of hardship. Though the flooding has now subsided in most areas, in Doncaster people are still struggling to cope with the aftermath. Continue reading...

Backlash to prohibition on reef-harming chemicals frames issue as one of public health focused on skin cancer riskWhen city leaders in the Florida resort town of Key West voted earlier this year to ban the sale of sunscreens that scientists say are harmful to coral reefs, it was, in the words of mayor Teri Johnston, “a black and white issue”.Related: Florida county refuses to pay for New York Times in libraries: 'It's fake news' Continue reading...

Seven people unaccounted for, as fuller picture emerges of the devastation

Project by Argentinian artist Andrés Iglesias is poised for completion next week in eco-conscious citySan Francisco, a city that prides itself on its eco-consciousness, will soon have a giant likeness of Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg gazing upon its downtown, reminding residents to respect the planet.Related: 'Greta Thunberg effect' driving growth in carbon offsetting Continue reading...

Environment ministers sign off on timeline after Scott Morrison promises to tackle plastic waste in oceansA ban on the export of waste glass, plastic, paper and tyres will be phased in from mid next year after environment ministers agreed to a timetable for changes in the way Australia deals with recyclable material.The federal environment minister, Sussan Ley, and state and territory environment ministers signed off on the timeline, which will see the export of all of these waste materials banned by no later than 30 June 2022. Continue reading...

Activists of all ages join actor in Washington for her fifth ‘Fire Drill Friday’, focused on the militaryHundreds of protesters joined the celebrity activist Jane Fonda in Washington DC for her fifth Friday urging radical change to fight the climate crisis.In front of the US Capitol, Fonda spoke of the “urgency of the climate crisis and need for activism on an unprecedented scale”. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Aberdeen Standard Investments defends role of environmental groups including Market ForcesGlobal funds management giant Aberdeen Standard Investments has rejected prime minister’s Scott Morrison’s call for companies to listen to “quiet shareholders” as part of a comprehensive rebuff of the government’s attack on activist investors and the environmental movement.The UK’s biggest listed fund manager, which controls assets worth more than £550bn, also defended the role of environmental groups including Market Forces, which has been accused by the attorney general, Christian Porter, of pressuring companies through “widespread, co-ordinated harassment and threats of boycotts”. Continue reading...

Brexit poetry | Reporting abuse | Tom Watson’s resignation | Film ratings | GCSE marking | FrackingRhiannon Lucy Cosslett’s description of Brooke’s The Soldier as “snivelling ethnocentricity” (Brexit poetry offers pleasure and catharsis, Journal, 7 November) showed a marked lack of empathy for the catharsis of others. During and after both world wars, many soldiers and their wives/widows, children/orphans have found solace in Brooke’s stirring words. One could debate the merits of patriotism, but this poem is not “snivelling ethnocentricity”.

Andrew Wheeler’s top agency lawyer argues political staffers have leeway to decide what information to provide to investigationTop political appointees at Donald Trump’s environment agency are hindering an investigation into the agency’s chief of staff, who pressured a prominent scientist to alter her congressional testimony to make it more favorable for the agency, according to an ethics watchdog.In the latest development of the fight, the inspector general of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has forced the agency’s head, Andrew Wheeler to explain his position in a letter to Congress. Wheeler’s top agency lawyer is arguing that political staffers have leeway to decide what information to provide to the watchdog, while investigators are warning that agency leaders are trying to subvert their legally mandated independence. Continue reading...