Environment | The Guardian

Conservative environmental policies since 2010 have been characterised by confusion and mixed messages

Party under pressure on climate crisis as Corbyn says Johnson can not be trusted

Italian city suffers worst series of high tides since 1872, with an estimated cost of €1bnVenice has closed St Mark’s Square as the city suffered a third major flooding in less than a week, while rain lashed the rest of Italy and warnings were issued in Florence and Pisa.Venice was hit with an “acqua alta”, or high water, of 150cm (5ft) on Sunday, lower than Tuesday’s 187cm – the highest level in half a century – but still dangerous. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Newly elected QFF head promoted tour by controversial scientist Peter Ridd and said reef regulation was based on ‘dodgy modelling’The Queensland Farmers’ Federation’s newly elected president once called Great Barrier Reef science “unsubstantiated scaremongering”, which has prompted calls for the suspension of the organisation’s reef foundation grants.The peak body for Queensland farmers, the QFF manages water quality improvement grants from the Great Barrier Reef Foundation totalling $4.6m – among the most awarded to a single organisation under a controversial $443m federal funding deal. Continue reading...

Australians are embracing the ‘virtual power plant’, which advocates say can protect the grid, save money and combat the climate crisisPower to the people might remain a political pipe dream, but changes taking place in the energy market across Australia are making suburban homeowners the unlikely disruptors in an Uber-style revolution that promises to change how we all live.Despite a toxic political debate about energy that cost the last prime minister his job, thousands of households are showing Canberra the way forward as they group their individual solar systems together to form local networks that help to slash bills, stabilise the electricity grid and cut carbon emissions. Continue reading...

Mark Ibbertson and his son helped children, elderly people and a hedgehog to safetyWhen the floodwaters rose in Bentley in Doncaster on Friday last week, Mark Ibbertson and his teenage son Logan ventured out with their summer holiday dinghy and began to rescue people from their homes.By the end of the day they had taken to safety more than 20 people, including babies and older people, and even a hedgehog. Continue reading...

Jo Swinson sets out ‘largest tree-planting programme in UK history’ to fight climate crisis

Tracking technology has been developed to reduce emissions in climate change fightThe type of fuel used by ships has a substantial effect on cloud formation. Exhausts from dirty heavy oils leave a telltale trail of such dense cloud that they can be tracked from space. While ship emissions contain many chemicals including black carbon, researchers have discovered that it is the sulphate aerosols formed from the sulphur in the oil that is responsible for the clouds that sometimes trail behind ships for hundreds of miles.The tracking technology was developed because researchers are trying to discover what effect this pollution is having on climate change and rainfall but also it will help enforce new regulations to curb these emissions. Continue reading...

Hunters and government biologists searching for explanations after unusual sounds recorded in forests of north-western OntarioA series of howls and shrieks recorded in the Canadian wilderness have left a hunter and government biologists searching for explanations.Gino Meekis was out hunting grouse with his wife and grandson in the forests of north-western Ontario – more than 50km from the closest town – when they heard a series of eerie noises in the distance. Continue reading...

Group of 157 children aged 10 to 17 make recommendations on environment to politiciansIreland’s first youth assembly on the climate crisis has challenged politicians to lead a transformation of schools, supermarkets, farms, forests and businesses.A group of 157 children aged 10 to 17 filled the chamber of the Dáil, Ireland’s lower house of parliament, in Dublin to debate environmental priorities and issue 10 recommendations. Continue reading...

Heavy rains have led to 107 flood warnings across much of England and parts of WalesFlood barriers were erected in the historic town of Stratford-upon-Avon on Friday as more than 100 warnings were issued across the country following November’s wet weather.The Environment Agency (EA) moved to protect some of the key sites associated with William Shakespeare, including the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, which is on the banks of the Avon. Continue reading...

Rightwing parties reject proposals as lagoon city faces worst flooding in 53 yearsVeneto’s regional council rejected a plan to combat climate change minutes before its offices on the Grand Canal, in Venice, were flooded, it has emerged as the city continues to battle high water levels.Venice has been hit by recurrent flooding since Tuesday, with 70% of the lagoon city engulfed on Friday morning as the acqua alta, or high water, level reached 1.54 metres amid heavy downpours. Continue reading...

The pick of this week’s best flora and fauna photos from around the world, including a tired tiger and sea goldies Continue reading...

America Recycles Day promoted by EPA is brainchild of not-for-profit backed by companies that produce plastic productsAmerica’s government-backed national recycling awareness day is being used as cover by large corporations that are churning out enormous volumes of plastic that end up strewn across landscapes, rivers and in the ocean, critics have said.The America Recycles Day event on Friday is being vigorously promoted by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a way to encourage Americans to recycle more. Continue reading...

Young XR members travel by canoe into heart of Amazon to form ‘forest pact’ with indigenous groups and land activistsThe search for solutions to the climate crisis does not get any more radical, far-reaching or deeper into nature than the alternative climate conference currently taking place in the heart of the Amazon rainforest.In the past few days, European climate strikers and Extinction Rebellion youth activists have travelled by motor canoe deep into a region known as Terra do Meio to share ideas with indigenous leaders, forest dwellers, environmental activists and Brazil’s leading climate scientists, anthropologists and archaeologists. The Russian punk anarchist Nadya Tolokonnikova, of Pussy Riot, was also set to join the gathering along with local artists and Catholic bishops. Continue reading...

Since climate campaigner’s transatlantic adventures, more people are looking to travel by sailHitching a ride on a sailing boat across the Atlantic might sound like a far-fetched endeavour reserved for the famous and well-connected. But Greta Thunberg has now managed it twice in three months – and her antics appear to be inspiring a growing, if nascent, movement in sail-hitching.Maritime hitchhiking has hitherto been reserved for sailors looking for experience on different routes and vessels. Continue reading...

EU’s lending arm to become first ‘climate bank’ by ending financing of oil, gas and coal projects after 2021The European Investment Bank has agreed to phase out its multibillion-euro financing for fossil fuels within the next two years to become the world’s first ‘“climate bank”.The bank will end its financing of oil, gas, and coal projects after 2021, a policy that will make the EU’s lending arm the first multilateral lender to rule out financing for projects that contribute to the climate crisis. Continue reading...

Millions of tonnes belched into atmosphere as bad as shipping and aviation emissions combined, researchers findThe methane emissions leaking from the world’s coalmines could be stoking the global climate crisis at the same rate as the shipping and aviation industries combined.Coalmines are belching millions of tonnes of methane into the atmosphere unchecked, because policymakers have overlooked the rising climate threat, according to new research. Continue reading...

Richard Berman is running a campaign to educate the public on plant-based meat burgers such as Impossible and Beyond BeefThe food industry has a “weapon of mass destruction”. His name is Richard Berman. And he has his sights set on destroying the growing appetite for meatless burgers and plant-based meat substitutes.Berman has form in this line of work. A longtime Washington DC lobbyist and PR strategist, he has advised – and tried to shield – some of America’s most powerful industries from criticism. Continue reading...

The final votes in the Guardian/BirdLife Australia poll have been counted and the results are in• How the highly endangered black-throated finch harnessed support of conservationists10.36pm GMTAnd with that, we’ll be wrapping up our live coverage for this morning.The black-throated finch, on debut, has landed with the biggest winning margin in bird of the year history.10.24pm GMTMagpies, the 2017 winners, have staged a walkout after learning this morning’s result.Lorena Allam, Guardian Australia’s Indigenous affairs editor and magpie supporter, captured this image from her home this morning. Continue reading...

• Hamilton’s been talking with Chase Carey ’for nearly three years’

Highly endangered finch, which is under threat from the Adani Carmichael coalmine, harnessed support of conservationists

Former heads of state fire services say government ‘fundamentally doesn’t like talking about climate change’

While the ibis may be trailing in bird of the year, it has made it into the top 10 most commonly seen birds in the Aussie backyard bird count

Global energy watchdog issues warning in climate forecast for the next two decadesThe world’s thirst for oil will continue to grow over the next two decades, with climate-damaging emissions climbing until at least 2040, the global energy watchdog has warned, pointing the finger at the growing appetite for gas-guzzling cars.Growing demand for SUVs in the US, China, Europe and elsewhere could negate all the environmental benefits of the increased use of electric cars, the International Energy Agency (IEA) says. Because of their size, SUVs are harder to electrify than smaller vehicles. Continue reading...

Urgent national action is needed to prevent serious declines in public health from climate change, the multi-institutional Countdown study saysThe federal government’s lack of engagement on health and climate change has left Australians at significant risk of illness through heat, fire and extreme weather events, and urgent national action is required to prevent harm and deaths, a global scientific collaboration has found.On Thursday, international medical journal the Lancet published its Countdown report, a multi-institutional project led by University College in London that examines progress on climate change and health throughout the world. Continue reading...

Government working ‘round the clock’ to help deluged regions, prime minister saysBoris Johnson declined to apologise over his government’s slow response to the flooding across parts of the north of England, insisting that a huge amount of work was going on to help and compensate victims.The prime minister faced difficult questions over whether enough had been spent on flood defences in deluged regions of Yorkshire, the east Midlands and Lincolnshire, after giving a speech on how he would give billions of pounds to research and development. Continue reading...

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...