Exclusive: Sunshine and available land offer a ‘world-class’ opportunity, expert saysQueensland has the potential to draw all of its electricity from renewable sources in a 15-year transition away from fossil fuels that would generate almost 10,000 jobs, according to analysis commissioned by the Queensland Conservation Council.Almost 11,000 ongoing jobs would then operate and maintain a suite of energy sources either existing or proposed in the state, including wind and solar and farms, hydro plants and battery projects. Continue reading...

Calls for urgent funding from state and federal governments to deal with one of the world’s worst invasive speciesOne of the world’s worst invasive species could spread into Queensland’s wet tropics world heritage area unless there is urgent intervention from the state and federal governments, conservationists have warned.Yellow crazy ants, which spit formic acid and can form supercolonies that overwhelm native species, have long been an issue in the country’s north, including in Cairns where they have encroached on the world heritage area. Continue reading...

Sergey Gorshkov left a hidden camera in a Russian forest for 11 months to capture the big catAn image of a clearly ecstatic tigress hugging an ancient Manchurian fir tree in a remote Siberian forest has won one of the world’s most prestigious photography prizes.It took Russian photographer Sergey Gorshkov 11 months to capture the moment using hidden cameras. His patience led to him being named 2020 wildlife photographer of the year by the Duchess of Cambridge at a ceremony at London’s Natural History Museum. Continue reading...

It was a treat to see this busy bird in Somerset, but then they do venture far from their Siberian breeding groundsOf the thousand-plus waders at the high tide roost, all but a handful were either asleep or standing still, patiently waiting for the waters to recede. But one bird was feeding as if its life depended on it: methodically making its way across the muddy banks of the River Brue, picking up morsels of food with its long, decurved bill.The bird’s frantic activity and elegant appearance identified it as a scarce visitor to the Somerset coast: a juvenile curlew sandpiper – named because its bill resembles that of its much larger relative. Continue reading...

Ex Investec banker raises additional £4m to tap ‘globally significant’ reserves of metal used in electric car batteries

It is imperative to curb the use of fossil fuels, whatever the economic cost, writes Michael Bassey, while Christopher Tanner wonders what it will take for leaders to actThe question asked in your editorial (11 October), “whether the growth of real GDP is too destabilising for global ecosystems”, is answered by Nemonte Nenquimo in the heading to her letter addressed to world leaders (This is my message to the western world – your civilisation is killing life on Earth, 12 October).It is atmospheric carbon dioxide, liberated by burning fossil fuels, in industry, in our homes and by travel, that is the major cause of the destabilisation of global ecosystems. Continue reading...

Scientists call for an organisation similar to the Bureau of Meteorology to help halt biodiversity loss

The new ‘climate league’ is calling on insurers, banks and companies to sign up to a goal of reducing national emissions by about 45% by 2030Major investors and super funds will lead a push for the private sector to make much deeper cuts in national greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 than planned by the Morrison government, including setting a target based on what scientists say is necessary.The newly created “climate league 2030” is calling on investors, insurers, banks and companies to sign up to a goal of reducing national emissions by at least 230m tonnes a year more than the government forecasts by 2030. Continue reading...

Former energy minister Lady Verma had previously denied she broke the rules

Particles released by drilling could damage the health of nearby residents, say scientistsThe radioactivity of airborne particles increases significantly downwind of fracking sites in the US, a study has found.The Harvard scientists said this could damage the health of people living in nearby communities and that further research was needed to understand how to stop the release of the radioactive elements from under the ground. Continue reading...

Ex-Bank of England boss tells UN summit that boardroom pay link can help meet climate targets fasterFormer Bank of England governor Mark Carney has said banks should link executive pay to climate risk management, as part of efforts to align the finance industry with Paris climate goals.Speaking at the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative roundtable on Tuesday, the former central bank boss said lenders should – at the very least – be transparent over whether or not pay is being tied to climate targets. Continue reading...

International Monetary Fund warns window for holding temperature increases to safe levels is ‘rapidly closing’The International Monetary Fund says a combination of carbon pricing and an “initial green stimulus” would turbocharge economic recovery from the coronavirus, and help put the global economy on a sustainable growth path post-pandemic.The IMF has used the World Economic Outlook, which analyses the impact of the pandemic on the global economy, to castigate existing policies to reduce emissions as “grossly insufficient to date”. Continue reading...

Bar-tailed godwit flies more than 12,000km from Alaska to New Zealand in 11 days

The region is unravelling faster than anyone could once have predicted. But there may still be time to act

Group with total portfolio of $5tn seek cuts of 29% from companies they invest in

A pioneering project uses water pipes suspended in the trees to allow the endangered primates to gather food in safetyPhotographs by Andrew WalmsleyLargely solitary, nocturnal, venomous and pint-sized, slow lorises are strong contenders for the primates that least resemble humans. Which may be why they are among the least studied, least protected and most poorly understood primates, according to Anna Nekaris, professor of primate conservation and biological anthropology at Oxford Brookes University.“Out of over 600 primate species, we have five great apes, and everybody wants to study them,” she says. Continue reading...

Arctic permafrost is melting at an increasing rate, impacting lives and jeopardizing the planet’s future. Photographer Katie Orlinsky has documented this drastic shift in Siberia and Alaska

Participants reduced waste by 76% by meal planning, using up leftovers and freezing moreHouseholders reduced their food waste by 76% in a recent trial in which they took steps such as making better use of leftovers and using their freezers more.Two-thirds of the participants said they slashed their weekly food bill by an average of £16.50 per week – equivalent to £858 over a year. The findings from the six-week experiment mean that each of the households could stop more than 76kg of food ending up in the bin if they continued their new habits for a year. Continue reading...

Eastern Guruma say royalties are being held up because they have been asking about FMG’s plan in areas with numerous sacred sitesFortescue Metals Group is allegedly withholding $1.9m in royalty payments from Aboriginal people in the Pilbara because the owners “asked for information about their plans” for several mining leases before signing them, a federal parliamentary inquiry has been told.FMG is withholding $1.9m in royalties it owes to the Wintawari Guruma Aboriginal Corporation (WGAC), which was due to be paid on 31 January. The Guruma say the royalties – which relate to a separate agreement – are being withheld because they have been asking about FMG’s plan for nine leases in areas that contain numerous sacred sites. Continue reading...

Governments are not doing enough to prevent rapid rebound, says agency’s reportThe coronavirus pandemic is expected to cause a record 7% decline in global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in 2020, but governments are not doing enough to prevent a rapid rebound, according to an influential report.Carbon dioxide emissions from energy use are expected to fall to 33.4 gigatonnes in 2020, the lowest level since 2011 and the biggest year on year fall since 1900 when records began, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in its annual world energy outlook. Continue reading...

Party leader confirms he will consider dumping Coalition’s third round of tax cutsAnthony Albanese has attempted to leave himself breathing room as the Labor party debates setting emission reduction targets for the 2030s, saying he will go to the next federal election with “interim targets or a pathway”.During an appearance on the ABC’s Q+A program on Monday evening, the Labor leader also confirmed he would consider dumping the government’s third round of income tax cuts – which are scheduled to occur after the election – because the measures favour higher income earners. Continue reading...

Sharp rise in number of droughts, floods and wildfires has claimed 1.23 million lives and affected 4.2 billion people

Denial of endangered species protections threatens species at risk amid climate crisis, conservationists sayThe US Fish and Wildlife Service has denied protection to wolverines under the Endangered Species Act, frustrating conservation groups who argue the species faces an existential threat from the climate crisis.According to the ruling announced on Thursday, the FWS considers wolverine populations in the lower 48 states to be stable and threats against wolverines to be less significant than they previously thought. The agency is consequently withdrawing a proposal to federally protect the species. Continue reading...

Trillions of dollars of GDP depend on biodiversity, according to Swiss Re reportOne-fifth of the world’s countries are at risk of their ecosystems collapsing because of the destruction of wildlife and their habitats, according to an analysis by the insurance firm Swiss Re.Natural “services” such as food, clean water and air, and flood protection have already been damaged by human activity. Continue reading...

We Indigenous people are fighting to save the Amazon, but the whole planet is in trouble because you do not respect itDear presidents of the nine Amazonian countries and to all world leaders that share responsibility for the plundering of our rainforest,My name is Nemonte Nenquimo. I am a Waorani woman, a mother, and a leader of my people. The Amazon rainforest is my home. I am writing you this letter because the fires are raging still. Because the corporations are spilling oil in our rivers. Because the miners are stealing gold (as they have been for 500 years), and leaving behind open pits and toxins. Because the land grabbers are cutting down primary forest so that the cattle can graze, plantations can be grown and the white man can eat. Because our elders are dying from coronavirus, while you are planning your next moves to cut up our lands to stimulate an economy that has never benefited us. Because, as Indigenous peoples, we are fighting to protect what we love – our way of life, our rivers, the animals, our forests, life on Earth – and it’s time that you listened to us. Continue reading...

Industry news sources report that Beijing has told several state-owned steelmakers and power plants to stop imports with immediate effectChina’s customs authorities have told several Chinese state-owned steelmakers and power plants to stop importing Australian coal, according to two industry newswire services.The move comes amid ongoing tensions in the relationship between China and Australia and reportedly affects both thermal and coking coal. Continue reading...

Farmers say UK food safety and animal welfare could be compromised as agriculture bill returns to parliamentCampaigners are staging a last-ditch attempt to enshrine food safety and animal welfare standards in UK law after Brexit, as the agriculture bill returns this week for debate and a series of votes in both houses of parliament.The government is said to be adamantly opposed to legislating for a continuation of the high standards required under EU law, with farmers asked instead to rely on ministerial assurances that standards will be upheld after Brexit. A spokesperson dismissed concerns as “unhelpful scaremongering”. Continue reading...

Research also found 73% would pay for food that would otherwise be wasted

Charity says licensing system is needed to prevent ‘unacceptable’ damage to countryside, plus stricter enforcement of existing lawsThe RSPB is demanding new regulations and better enforcement of existing laws to control the shooting of game birds in the UK. The charity made the call yesterday at its AGM after publishing a review that found self-regulation by the shooting community had failed to address the environmental impacts of the game bird industry.Illegal killing of birds of prey, the use of poisonous lead ammunition, the burning of vegetation on peatlands and the release of 57 million game birds - mainly non-native pheasants and red-legged partridges - into the countryside each year are now causing unacceptable damage, the organisation claims. Continue reading...

Navy divers remove live bomb after fisherman called in find on Lord Howe Island’s Elizabeth reefAn unexploded 45kg bomb has been towed into deep waters five months after being found off the New South Wales coast.The weapon was found in late April by a fisherman on Lord Howe Island’s Elizabeth Reef. Defence personnel said it could have posed “a significant risk to the general public”. Continue reading...

More than 12,000 pages of US government documents show military operations contaminating the Pacific with radioactive waste, nerve agents, and chemical weapons like Agent OrangeIn 1968, Leroy Foster was a master sergeant in the US Air Force, assigned to the Anderson Air Force Base in Guam, a United States island territory in the Pacific. The day after he arrived on the island, he recalled being ordered to mix “diesel fuel with Agent Orange”, then spraying “it by truck all over the base to kill the jungle overgrowth”.Soon after, Foster suffered serious skin complaints and eventually fell sick with Parkinson’s and ischemic heart disease. Later, his daughter had cancer as a teenager, and his grandchild was born with 12 fingers, 12 toes, and a heart murmur. Foster died in 2018. Continue reading...

Activist’s claim of racist assault on bypass adds to litany of alleged violations of human rights sent to UN rapporteursA campaigner against the HS2 rail line whose head and back were knelt on by police after he says he was thrown to the ground during a peaceful protest believes he was singled out because he is black. He has lodged a complaint of assault amid rising calls for UK government action on the policing of environmental protests.Video footage shows William Harewood, the only person of colour in a small group of activists at a bypass in Wendover, Buckinghamshire, offering no resistance as he is held face down by Thames Valley police officers, two of whom kneel on his head and upper back while two others pin his legs down with their knees. Continue reading...

The government’s high-profile commitment to renewable energy could bring a decade of opportunities for young peopleThe Hywind offshore windfarm stands 15 miles off the coast of Peterhead, and firmly on the cusp of Britain’s most dramatic energy revolution since the discovery of North Sea oil.The world’s first floating windfarm was one of the first low-carbon energy projects developed by Norway’s state oil giant Equinor, and today is one of the best performing windfarms ever built. Continue reading...

William Perry Pendley says ‘I have the support of the president’ despite court ruling he is serving illegally as head of the Bureau of Land ManagementA controversial environment chief in the Trump administration has said he has no intention of leaving his post after a US district court judge deemed his tenure and ongoing occupation of the position illegal.William Perry Pendley, head of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), said this week that the judge’s ruling “has no impact, no impact whatsoever”. Continue reading...

Reports of rare bat species in ancient woodland being cleared for high-speed rail lineLawyers have warned HS2 it might be felling trees illegally, after an ecology report found evidence of one of the UK’s rarest bat species in an area of ancient woodland being cleared for the high-speed rail line.Legal firm Leigh Day has written to HS2 Ltd urging the company to halt activity at Jones’ Hill wood, near Wendover in Buckinghamshire, as it does not have a licence to carry out work that could disturb rare barbastelle bat roosts. They say to continue doing so could be a criminal offence. Continue reading...

The president’s energy stance may not play well in a swing state threatened by pipeline projects and supportive of climate actionIn early August, Ginny Kerslake’s lush green yard in a middle-class Pennsylvania suburb turned into a muddy river, thanks to another spill at the pipeline drilling site opposite her house. A couple of days later, 10,000 gallons of drilling mud, or bentonite clay, contaminated a popular recreational lake that also provides drinking water for residents of Chester county.The spills are down to construction of the Mariner East (ME) pipelines – a beleaguered multibillion-dollar project to transport highly volatile liquids extracted by fracking gas shale fields in western Pennsylvania to an export facility in Delaware county in the east, ready to ship to Europe to manufacture plastics. Continue reading...

Count Us In urges actions such as eating local, making clothes last or buying an electric carIf a billion people around the world were to take a few small steps and make them into permanent lifestyle changes, global greenhouse gas emissions could be significantly reduced, a new campaign argues.These actions can be as simple as eating local food, forgoing meat at some meals, and wearing clothes to last instead of throwing them away after a few outings. Continue reading...

The pick of the world’s best flora and fauna photos, including a ‘most wanted’ bear and a lost elephant seal Continue reading...

£2bn scheme risks becoming ‘postcode lottery’ without government action, says expertHouseholders trying to apply for the government’s £5,000 Green Homes Grants to make energy improvements have described how it is nearly impossible to find an accredited installer to do the work.Homeowners in Cornwall have been pointed towards installers as far away as Scotland, Manchester and south Wales – who understandably, are not interested in quoting for their work. Continue reading...

Away from the headlines, there’s an important fight happening that is pitting real estate developers and utilities against efforts to make America’s new homes more climate friendlySome challenges to US climate action are obvious – like when Donald Trump boasts about leaving the international Paris agreement and rolling back pollution rules.But many more play out behind the scenes. One of those is the battle over efforts to make America’s new homes and buildings more energy-efficient. Continue reading...

Clean energy and sustainable food supplies will be the planet’s most pressing issues over the next 30 years“Experts” have had a raised profile during the Covid-19 pandemic, standing – albeit somewhat embarrassed – alongside Boris Johnson during his press conferences. In coping with health-related matters, scientific advice is crucial. We will also need optimally applied science in meeting other global challenges: developing affordable clean energy, feeding the world and preserving the environment.The UK has for centuries punched above its weight in science and invention. It’s crucial to sustain our standing in a more competitive world: if we don’t get smarter, we’ll get poorer. Enough of our brightest and best must opt for science, engineering and technology, as millions do each year in east Asia. Continue reading...

Papillon, whose recapture angered environmental groups, is caged at wildlife centreItalian prosecutors have launched an investigation into the alleged mistreatment of the country’s most famous bear, nicknamed Papillon, who is currently detained in a wildlife centre in north-eastern Italy after being recaptured for the third time.The 149kg young brown bear is accused of having slaughtered dozens of cows and sheep in the mountains of the Trentino region, and until his capture last month was Europe’s most wanted wild animal. Continue reading...

Increasing numbers of people are discovering the pleasures of the turning of the seasons

In focusing on targets, activists from rich countries risk putting metrics above the lives of vulnerable peopleThe dissonance is enough to make me uninstall Twitter from my phone. Maybe it’s compassion fatigue, maybe it’s 2020. But if I’m honest with myself, it’s a world-sized rift in how we perceive the climate emergency on the different timelines I doom-scroll. On one feed, everyone – American or not – is forced to tune in to each candidate’s climate policy because the US’s electoral fate is inextricably linked to the future of the planet. On another feed from back home in India, 40 new coalmines in the last great sal forests are being served up to any bidder who’ll take them, while civil rights activists from a different era of environmental organising languish in jail, their health deteriorating.We’re at an inflection point in climate politics, where some governments are readying 30- and 40-year carbon-neutral plans and others are looking to coast into the next decade with pledges that are already five years old. Meanwhile people who have always suffered are contending with the fallout of inaction in the here and now. We need to align these two timelines and to broaden our definition of climate justice, if we are to achieve any measure of justice for the most vulnerable. But in order to do this, we must accept that climate politics are not so black and white any more. Continue reading...

By reporting on issues across the world affecting the climate crisis the media can influence change

Council is latest to push for bathing status for a stretch of river in order to protect it

Vessels spent 200,000 hours in 2019 bottom trawling or dredging the seabed in protected areas set up to safeguard vital ecosystemsMore than 97% of British marine protected areas, created to safeguard ocean habitats, are being dredged and bottom trawled, according to data shared with the Guardian.Nearly a quarter of the UK’s territorial waters are covered by MPAs, set up to protect vital ecosystems and species, including harbour porpoises and dolphins. This network of parks is a symbol of the government’s “world leading” target to protect 30% of ocean biodiversity by 2030. Continue reading...

US artists, hunters and conservationists concerned stamps promote the idea that conservation always involves hunting

Airline is retiring its two remaining jumbo jets early owing to impact of coronavirusThe last two Boeing 747s operated by British Airways have made their final flights from Heathrow airport, after coronavirus meant the national carrier could no longer afford to fly its jumbo jets.The distinctive four-engine planes, the backbone of BA’s long-haul fleet for almost 50 years, were beloved by pilots, enthusiasts and many passengers – but their noise and fuel consumption will mean few airline accountants, let alone environmentalists, will be sorry to see them go. Continue reading...

Project aims to find meaning in age of greenwashing in collaboration with artists such as Jeff KoonsStella McCartney has launched a sustainability manifesto in collaboration with artists including Jeff Koons, Ed Ruscha and Cindy Sherman.Peter Blake, Olafur Eliasson, Alex Israel, Sam Taylor-Johnson, Joana Vasconcelos, Chantal Joffe and Rashid Johnson also took part in the project, which takes the form of an A-Z and seeks, in part, to drill down on the meaning of certain terms – from A for accountable to Z for zero waste – in an age of mass greenwashing. Continue reading...