Environment | The Guardian

Entire slate of councilors in Milton defeated after grassroots revolt to proposal for facility close to treasured riverA citizens' revolt in a small Florida city ousted an entire slate of councilors who were pushing for a new sewage plant to be built close to one of the state's most pristine and treasured rivers.The Save Blackwater River campaign, in partnership with a citizen action group, toppled all four Milton politicians running for re-election last month in a remarkable victory for grassroots activism. Continue reading...

Report calls for course correction to avoid land abuse compromising Earth's capacity to support human and environmental wellbeing'Land degradation is expanding worldwide at the rate of 1m sq km every year, undermining efforts to stabilise the climate, protect nature and ensure sustainable food supplies, a study has highlighted.The degraded area is already 15m sq km, an area greater than Antarctica, the scientific report says, and it calls for an urgent course correction to avoid land abuse irretrievably compromising Earth's capacity to support human and environmental wellbeing". Continue reading...

Sea Shepherd's Paul Watson talks about his arrest on behalf of the Japanese government, his interesting' Greenland prison, and separation from his childrenThe humpback whales watched by Paul Watson from his prison cell this summer have long since migrated from the iceberg-flecked Nuup Kangerlua fjord to warmer seas. It is over four months since Watson - an eco-terrorist to some and a brave environmentalist to others - was brought here to Anstalten, a high-security jail perched on the frozen coast of south-east Greenland after being arrested while refuelling his ship, MV John Paul DeJoria, in nearby Nuuk, the capital of the autonomous Danish territory.He had been on his way with a 32-strong crew to practise his decades-long policy of non-violent aggression" by intercepting a new Japanese whaling mothership", the 7.5bn ($47.4m) Kangei Maru. But shortly after tying up his vessel in the harbour a nice police car turned up" and 12 armed officers boarded. Continue reading...

Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds says there is no route to net zero' that ignores concerns of businesses after wave of closures Jonathan Reynolds: If we delay the UK's drive for electric vehicles, our rivals will overtake usThere is no route to net zero" that ignores the real concerns of businesses, a cabinet minister has warned, as the government prepares to reduce financial penalties handed to carmakers not selling enough electric cars.Ministers are also looking at how cheaper loans could be introduced to help people buy an electric vehicle (EV), after a wave of job losses and closures in which carmakers blamed the onerous fines they were facing. Continue reading...

Nature is going to solve the problem by eliminating the modern humanIn response to Ashish Ghadiali's story last week (Yes, there is a lot of greenwashing, but Cop summits are our best chance of averting climate breakdown", Comment, last week), nearly 70 years ago Gilbert Plass coined the term climate change" in a paper in the journal Tellus.Most of that 70 years has been spent arguing over the reality of climate change, an argument by vested interests that continues to this day. Meanwhile, global warming has continued to rise due to the burning of fossil fuels. Now, polar ice caps and glaciers are melting at an alarming rate, causing sea level rises and threatening the survival of over half the world's population living on islands and in coastal zones near sea level. Continue reading...

PM overruled negotiations between environment minister and the Greens after speaking with WA premier last week

Woman weaves through traffic at 80km/h before fleeing from snake in car barefoot and attempting to flag down passing motorists

Findings highlight how built environment in low-income neighborhoods presents multiple PFAS exposure routesNew research aimed at identifying which US neighborhoods face increased exposure to toxic PFAS forever chemicals" found those living near superfund" sites and other major industrial polluters, or in areas with limited access to fresh food, generally have higher levels of the dangerous compounds in their blood.The study looked at hundreds of people living in southern California and found those who do not live within a half mile of a grocery store have 14% higher levels of PFOA and PFOS - two common PFAS compounds - in their blood than those who do. Continue reading...

Items such as coffee cups and bin liners are wrongly labelled compostable', leading to calls for governments to impose standards

Some in the US are reconsidering children, with fears over reproductive healthcare and the climate crisis front of mindChris Peterson wasn't surprised that Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election. But he was surprised by how quickly he and his wife started asking one another: should we try to have another baby before a possible nationwide abortion ban takes effect? Or should we give up on having a second child?Peterson and his wife, who live in North Carolina, are thousands of dollars in debt because their first child needed to spend weeks in the hospital after being born prematurely. They had wanted to pay off that debt and wait a few years before having a second baby. But now, reproductive rights are again in the balance - Trump has said he would veto a nationwide abortion ban, but his allies are emboldened to push through more restrictions. Continue reading...

Government puts forward 1.98bn in funding over three years, an increase of about 40% on last pledgeThe UK has increased its contribution to the World Bank, in a move that will boost prospects for climate finance.Next week, at a meeting in Seoul of the International Development Association (IDA) - the body that funds the World Bank's support for low-income countries - the UK will put forward 1.98bn in funding over three years, an increase of about 40% on the previous pledge. Continue reading...

Campaigners say news that Walleys Quarry in Silverdale has been told to close has given them huge relief, just elation'A landfill site in Staffordshire which has plagued residents with noxious fumes for years has been told to permanently shut down, with local campaigners hailing the news as absolutely amazing".The Environment Agency said it had brought the closure of Walleys Quarry forward after exhausting other enforcement options", and said it had to stop accepting new waste from Friday. Continue reading...

Important shift' made in global attempts to address plastic pollution though final treaty text yet to be agreedPressure from an increasingly large bloc of countries has offered hope that a breakthrough at critical international plastic treaty talks could be in sight at last, after two years of deadlock. But some warned that fragile progress could disappear again in the last stages of negotiations over the weekend.For some time, the talks have been split over demands for the treaty to include plans to reduce the amount of plastic that is being produced - a production cap. A draft text for a final deal published on Friday included language for a global target to reduce the amount of plastic made. But it also included another option for no text - meaning no action would be taken to reduce plastic production worldwide. The final text, which may use either of those options, will hopefully be decided this weekend. Continue reading...

Juneau's residents are divided over whether to embrace the economic benefits of millions of visitors, or reclaim their town from an industry that has reshaped it

Ban on new petrol and diesel cars starts in 2030 but government may change rules for some modelsCar manufacturers may be allowed to sell Toyota Prius-style hybrid models in the UK until 2035, as the government looks at ways to loosen electric vehicle sales rules.Earlier this week the government launched a fast-track consultation to determine what types of electric vehicles carmakers can sell after a ban on new petrol and diesel cars, which is due to come into force from 2030. Continue reading...

The Tories' targets glossed over the impact on carmakers and cash-strapped drivers - but the move to net zero won't be cheap or simpleHave cake, will eat. For years it has been the default political response to awkward questions about the climate crisis, with successive governments insisting that going green would create jobs, not destroy them, and that the planet could be saved without stifling growth or demanding uncomfortable sacrifices. Keir Starmer promised only this month not to tell people how to live their lives", suggesting the road to net zero would not be quite as painful as some think. And then, this week, he hit a pothole.The carmaker Stellantis, which owns Vauxhall, announced it was closing its van factory in Luton, putting 1,100 jobs at risk; its rival Ford is axing 800 jobs. In Sunderland, Nissan has warned of an industry at crisis point".Gaby Hinsliff is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

The best of this week's wildlife photographs from around the world Continue reading...

It is one of the world's most dangerous materials, and global leaders are meeting in South Korea to thrash out a treaty to curb its effectsThis week, world leaders are gathering in Busan, South Korea, to hammer out a global plastics treaty to try to curb pollution from one of the most dangerous materials on the planet. While such a high-level event might seem far removed from our everyday lives, it is the products we use every day that are at the heart of the negotiations. Some plastics are worse than others and have a unique impact in various parts of the world. Here, we look at five of the worst offenders. Continue reading...

Satellite data analysis suggests algal blooms could be behind mass die-off in Botswana that sparked flurry of theories in 2020More than 350 elephants that died in mysterious circumstances probably drank toxic water, according to a new paper that warns of an alarming trend" in climate-induced poisoning.The deaths in Botswana's Okavango delta were described by scientists as a conservation disaster". Elephants of all ages were seen walking in circles before collapsing and dying. Carcasses were first spotted in north-eastern Botswana in May and June 2020, with many theories circulating about the cause of death, including cyanide poisoning or an unknown disease. Continue reading...

Early deaths from air pollution in US could be reduced by between 4,000 and 15,000 a year by 2035, study showsThe burning of fossil fuels that harms our climate also produces air pollution that damages ecosystems and harms our health. But we fail to tally up the benefits of reduced air pollution in our climate policies, and overlook opportunities to tackle these problems together.A reminder of this failure is illustrated in a new study which has found that reduced air pollution from net zero policies in the US could result in a health gain of between $65bn (51bn) and $128bn in 2035 alone. Continue reading...

Lord Howe Island is thriving, and so are the raucous local woodhens

Record $6.7bn expected to be spent from Friday to Monday but some brands choosing to opt out over overconsumption concerns

Government approves up to four days of paid leave so workers can avoid travelling during weather emergenciesSpain's leftwing government has approved paid climate leave" of up to four days to allow workers to avoid travelling during weather emergencies, a month after floods killed at least 224 people.Several companies came under fire after the 29 October catastrophe for ordering employees to keep working despite a red alert issued by the national weather agency. The firms said the authorities failed to inform them sufficiently and sent telephone alerts too late during the European country's deadliest floods in decades. Continue reading...

Temperatures of this week would be exceptional for summer, says climatologist, never mind late NovemberTowns in south-west France roasted in completely extreme" heat in the early hours of Tuesday, with overnight temperatures hitting 26.9C (80.42F).It's very exceptional temperatures - even for the summer, let alone late November," said Matthieu Sorel, a climatologist at Meteo France. Continue reading...

Restoration projects awarded grants to convert defunct bogs to bring environmental benefits and restore wildlifeAs millions of cranberries were being harvested for Thursday's US Thanksgiving holiday, Massachusetts farmers were working to convert defunct cranberry bogs to back to wild wetlands, amid climate crisis woes.Several restoration projects were awarded $6m in grants to carry out such initiatives, state officials announced this week. Continue reading...

In a booming sector where the biggest ships have doubled in size since 2000, pressure is growing to make cruising a greener, more sustainable way to travel

As Australia's natural environment declines, Labor appears to cave to vested interests, writes Felicity WadeOn Thursday we were hoping to be celebrating the Australian parliament passing legislation to create a federal Environmental Protection Agency, an expert watchdog to oversee our country's natural bounty. This was going to be a major moment for which my organisation, the Labor Environment Action Network (LEAN) and many others had worked for years. Promised on the eve of the 2022 election, it was the centre-piece of the Labor's commitment to the environment. But late on Tuesday afternoon the legislation was moth-balled.It is a sad and sorry tale.Felicity Wade is national co-convener of the Labor Environment Action Network Continue reading...

The case, brought by the EDO on behalf of three Tiwi Island traditional owners, was dismissed in January in a scathing judgment

Devastated by quota changes post-Brexit, fishers are pinning all their hopes on Ireland's politicians as they head into a general election

Across the globe, vast swathes of land are being left to be reclaimed by nature. To see what could be coming, look to BulgariaAbandonment, when it came, crept in from the outskirts. Homes at the edge of town were first to go, then the peripheral grocery stores. It moved inward, slow but inexorable. The petrol station closed, and creeper vines climbed the pumps, amassing on the roof until it buckled under the strain. It swallowed the outer bus shelters, the pharmacies, the cinema, the cafe. The school shut down.Today, one of the last institutions sustaining human occupation in Tyurkmen, a village in central Bulgaria, is the post office. Dimitrinka Dimcheva, a 56-year-old post officer, still keeps it open two days a week, bringing in packages of goods that local shops no longer exist to sell. Once a thriving town of more than 1,200, Tyurkmen is now home to fewer than 200 people. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Stellantis executive's recent comments to investors undermine claim Luton closure was down to emission mandate

Exclusive: National landscapes' chiefs say environment secretary has given no budget assurances and they are to expect cutsProposed cuts to England's most beautiful landscapes pose an existential threat", the managers of the National Landscapes Association have warned.These 46 regions, including the Chilterns, the Cotswolds, the Wye Valley and the north Pennines, used to be known as areas of outstanding natural beauty but were renamed this year as national landscapes". They cover 15% of England, including 20% of the coastline. Continue reading...

Source of Philadelphia's drinking water sees salt line pushed closer to city by drought and sea level riseSalty ocean water is creeping up the Delaware River, the source for much of the drinking water for Philadelphia and millions of others, brought on by drought conditions and sea level rise, and prompting officials to tap reservoirs to push the un-potable tide back downstream.Officials say drinking water is not imminently at risk, but they are monitoring the effects of the drought on the river and studying options for the future in case further droughts sap the area, amid the climate crisis. Continue reading...

Fossil fuel and chemical industry representatives outnumber those of the EU or host country South KoreaRecord numbers of plastic industry lobbyists are attending global talks that are the last chance to hammer out a treaty to cut plastic pollution around the world.The key issue at the conference will be whether caps on global plastic production will be included in the final UN treaty. Lobbyists and leading national producers are furiously arguing against any attempt to restrain the amount that can be produced, leaving the talks on a knife-edge. Continue reading...

Loyalists selected for important roles have offered staunch support to fossil fuels and downplayed climate crisisDonald Trump's cabinet picks have been eclectic and often controversial but a unifying theme is emerging, experts say, with the US president-elect's nominees offering staunch support to fossil fuels and either downplaying or denying the climate crisis caused by the burning of these fuels.Trump ran on promises to eviscerate green new scam" climate policies and to drill, baby, drill" for more oil and gas, and his choices to run the major organs of the US government echo such sentiments, particularly his picks relating to the environment, with Lee Zeldin chosen as the Environmental Protection Agency administrator, Chris Wright as energy secretary and Doug Burgum as interior secretary. Continue reading...

We've cared for our farm through war, pandemic and money worries. The inheritance tax row shows how little the government respects that

Hundreds of climate protesters joined a rally in Canberra on Wednesday - days after a protest in Newcastle

Another vast tourist resort project promising jobs and prosperity. But critics say such developments imperil the pristine environments they advertise

Ed Miliband argues the UK should race towards becoming a clean energy superpower', but costs to the consumer shouldn't be ignoredThe government's plan to decarbonise the UK's electricity system by 2030 is a vast undertaking. Energy companies will throw 40bn-plus annually at the effort, backed by financing that ultimately affects consumers' bills. So it is extraordinary that no official body seems able to answer this question: will it cost more to complete the job by 2030 rather than by the old 2035 timetable? Is it more expensive to go faster?That is not to dispute the necessity of generating electricity from clean domestic sources, an ambition shared widely across the political spectrum for reasons of security of supply and climate emergency. But the pace of decarbonisation can clearly also affect the cost for consumers, a point Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, tends to skip over too breezily when he argues that security, sustainability and affordability are now perfectly aligned. Continue reading...

Research reflects rising optimism about country's green transition as it takes leading position on climate actionNearly half of experts surveyed by a climate thinktank believe China's carbon dioxide emissions have already peaked, or will do so in 2025, reflecting increasing optimism about the country's green transition at a time when it is being called on to take a leading position on global climate action.According to a report published on Tuesday by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), a research organisation, 44% of climate experts from academia and industry believe that China's CO emissions will peak, at the latest, in 2025. In last year's survey, only 21% of experts gave the same response. Continue reading...

The environmental harm caused by this shapeshifting, underregulated industry must be tackledLocal pushback against cruise ships in the world's top tourist destinations is nothing new. More than three years ago, these vast vessels were barred from Venice's lagoon on grounds of the risk they posed to the city's historic buildings. This summer, cruise ships in Amsterdam and Barcelona were targeted by protesters, on grounds of chemical pollution but also as part of a wider movement against overtourism (as the negative impacts of huge influxes of visitors have become known). But - as revealed this week in a series of Guardian articles, The real cost of cruises - the environmental and social impact of this fast-growing industry goes way beyond individual cities, and requires action on a global scale.The carbon emissions of a cruise are roughly double that of the equivalent flights plus a hotel stay. The industry is also responsible for a vast quantity of waste discharged directly into the sea, as well as high levels of toxic air pollution in the ports where ships are docked - usually with their engines running. Once seen as the exclusive pursuit of a minority of wealthy retired people, these holidays are now mainstream, with vast floating resorts designed and marketed for families and young adults. The largest ships have up to 20 floors and room for several thousand people.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...

In this excerpt from his book Consider the Turkey, philosopher Peter Singer explains how the birds bred for maximum breast meat suffer from health problemsThe United States is the world's largest turkey producer and the largest exporter of turkey products. Its residents also consume an ever-increasing amount of these birds. In 1970, Americans ate just over 8lbs (3.6kg) per person annually; by 2021, the National Turkey Federation reports that figure had nearly doubled to more than 15lbs.That demand and modern breeding have transformed turkeys. They've been bred to put on weight quickly, and at slaughter, the average turkey today weighs almost twice as much as turkeys did in 1960. The contrast with the rate of growth of wild turkeys is even greater. At four months old, a male wild turkey will weigh no more than 8lbs, whereas at the same age, a male turkey selectively bred for meat will weigh 41lbs. Continue reading...

Scheme to fund activities such as hedge-planting paused owing to budget constraints, sources sayGrants promised to farmers in England for planting hedges and cleaning up waterways have been frozen by the government.The capital grants scheme, which was opened by the government to allow farmers to invest in infrastructure such as slurry storage so animal excrement does not go into rivers, has been abruptly paused. Farmers have said this will make it difficult for them to run their businesses in an environmentally friendly way. Continue reading...

Departmental analysis includes contentious measurements, but climate minister says government is cleaning up after decade of denial, delay, dysfunction and utter neglect'

It is only a matter of time before a mountainside is brought down. We need climate adaptation help - and we need it now

River water quality distinctly worse than that of coastal bathing sites, results from tests for harmful bacteria foundWater quality has been designated as poor in a record number of bathing areas this year after 16 rivers were included in summer testing for harmful bacteria, figures reveal.The push to clean up England's rivers has led to an increase in demand for bathing water status at river locations across the country. Rivers suffer from water company sewage pollution and agricultural pollution, and the results show river water quality is distinctly worse than that of coastal bathing sites. The results come after sewage pollution into rivers by water companies reached record levels last year. Continue reading...

A new generation is taking to the ocean in growing numbers - and fears over the environmental impact of cruise ships appear not to be denting their popularity

Survival International says Hongana Manyawa in Indonesia are at risk but mining company says the people in voluntary' contact with workersUncontacted hunter-gatherers in Indonesia are facing a severe and immediate threat of genocide" because of mining for minerals on their lands for use in electric vehicles, a report claims.In their own language, the Indigenous Hongana Manyawa people, of Halmahera island, call themselves the people of the forest". But their forest home is being destroyed in a rush for nickel, a crucial component in rechargeable batteries, campaigners say. Continue reading...

UK energy secretary played key role in $300bn deal for developing countries, branded a betrayal' by critics

Operations at a cold war lab exposed at least 1,073 people to radiation. Risks to the nearby communities persistExposed: The Human Radiation Experiments at Hunters Point is a special report by the San Francisco Public Press, an independent non-profit news organization focused on accountability, equity and the environment.In September 1956, Cpl Eldridge Jones found himself atop a sunbaked roof at an old army camp about an hour outside San Francisco, shoveling radioactive dirt. Continue reading...