Two dead 5ft snakes were discovered at a nature reserve within a month of each otherA python has been found dead, slit open along the length of its body, while another was found in pieces, prompting an investigation at a nature reserve in Scotland.The 1.5-metre (5ft) snakes were discovered within a month of each other at Den of Maidencraig in Skene Road, Aberdeen. A member of the public found the slit-open snake on 7 January, while the second was found on 31 January. Continue reading...

Environment Agency boss calls for more funding to help public embrace wild swimmingGrowing pressure to clean up Britain’s rivers to meet bathing water quality is a “game changer” that will require more government funding as the public embrace the outdoors, the head of the Environment Agency has said.A growing number of river users are calling for action to tackle the routine and legal discharge of untreated sewage into Britain’s waterways, which they say amounts to treating them like an open sewer. Continue reading...

Campaigners call on PM to ‘show UK is ready to do what it takes’ before COP 26 summitBoris Johnson must flesh out plans for the UK to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 if he is to make a success of the COP 26 climate summit, campaigners have said.The government has not yet set out firm plans or systematic new measures aimed at reaching the net-zero target, which was enshrined in law by Theresa May last summer. Continue reading...

Studies have shown that populations living around refineries, often people of color and low-income, have worse asthmaAt least 10 US oil refineries have been emitting cancer-causing benzene above the federal government’s limits, according to a new report from the Environmental Integrity Project.The group reviewed a year of air monitoring data recorded at the fence lines of 114 refineries, as reported to the Environmental Protection Agency. Continue reading...

Officials claim there are no tigers in Goa. But the poisoning of a mother and three cubs has forced the issue into the open

Coalition of activists say they will continue action as Perth festival kicks offArtists and activists who oppose arts sponsorship from fossil fuel companies have said they intend to continue protesting as Western Australia’s leading international arts festival, Perth festival, prepares to open this week.Artists have been staging protests around Perth’s annual fringe festival, Fringe World, calling for the organisation to end its eight-year sponsorship arrangement with oil and gas giant Woodside in light of the intensifying climate crisis. Continue reading...

Watchdog reveals huge sum ploughed into ‘world’s dirtiest fossil fuels’ despite climate vowUK taxpayer funds totalling $750m (£577m) have been invested in new fossil fuel projects in developing African countries despite the government’s public commitment to tackling the climate crisis, according to an international watchdog.Global Witness found that a London-based investment group raised $1bn from the UK government over 16 years and spent three-quarters of this supporting oil and gas projects in some of Africa’s poorest countries. Continue reading...

Cressida Dick says police need more powers to deal with protest groups such as XRPolice officers are looking to update the offence of “public nuisance” for the 21st century to ensure they have the necessary powers to tackle protest groups such as Extinction Rebellion, the Metropolitan police commissioner has said.Cressida Dick told the London assembly she had been holding discussions with the Home Office to toughen up powers and legislation so police could clamp down on protests that aimed to “bring policing to its knees”. Continue reading...

Bank under pressure from UK’s powerful Investor Forum to adopt stricter climate policiesBarclays is facing a fresh revolt from the UK’s most powerful investor group amid mounting concerns over its role as the biggest European financier of fossil fuel companies.The Investor Forum, which holds £18.5tn in assets and represents Britain’s largest investors, is understood to be pressing Barclays to adopt stricter policies on climate change before the bank’s annual shareholder meeting in May. Continue reading...

Labour leader criticises COP 26 preparations and Johnson’s record on environmentJeremy Corbyn has accused Boris Johnson of “failing spectacularly” to measure up to the scale of the climate crisis, after the sacked president of COP 26 revealed the UK was miles behind in getting ready for the November summit.Speaking at prime minister’s questions, Corbyn raised the government’s failure to organise COP 26 properly, after Johnson’s team sacked Claire O’Neill as the summit’s president just days before its formal launch. Continue reading...

Activists also use oil barrels to make environmental point as Bernard Looney takes up roleGreenpeace members have blocked BP’s headquarters with solar panels and oil barrels to mark Bernard Looney’s first day as chief executive.About 100 environmental activists took 500 solar panels to the central London building at 3am on Wednesday as Looney prepared to take up his new role. Some protesters sat underneath the solar panels after they were prevented from installing them on the pavements and roads near the office. Continue reading...

A territory that has 0.5% of the Earth’s population plans to use up nearly a third of the planet’s remaining carbon budget

Ex-PM rejects Boris Johnson’s offer saying he already has ‘a lot of things’ to do this yearDavid Cameron has turned down an offer from Boris Johnson to head the UK’s preparations for a crucial international climate summit in Glasgow, saying he already has “a lot of things” to do this year.The former prime minister was asked by Johnson to be the president of the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 26) but Cameron rejected the offer. Continue reading...

A soil fungus that causes banana crops to wilt and die, has been detected in a Tully Valley farm close to three other already infested propertiesA suspected case of a potentially devastating disease to banana crops has been detected in the region that supplies more than 90% of the fruit to Australia.Farmers are being encouraged to maintain strict biosecurity practices after a suspected case of Panama TR4 disease – a soil fungus – was detected at a far north Queensland banana farm. Continue reading...

UK watchdog bans advert claiming lowest CO pollution of any major airline

PM reaffirms 2050 net-zero pledge but his predecessor declines offer to lead UK preparations for crucial summitBoris Johnson has set out his vision for forging a new global consensus on the climate crisis promising “we will crack it”, amid news that he approached former prime minister David Cameron to lead the UK’s preparations for a crucial summit.Johnson has brought forward the UK’s phaseout of diesel and petrol vehicles by five years to 2035, and hastened the phaseout of coal-fired power by a year to 2024. He reaffirmed the UK’s pledge to switch to a net-zero emissions economy by 2050, and urged other nations – without naming any – to do the same. Continue reading...

Federal court of appeals in a 3-0 decision rejected four challenges from First Nations to government’s approval of the projectCanada’s federal court of appeal has dismissed legal objections to the contentious Trans Mountain pipeline expansion that would nearly triple the flow of oil from the Alberta oil sands to the Pacific coast.In a 3-0 decision, the court rejected four challenges from First Nations in British Columbia to the federal government’s approval of the project. Continue reading...

Scottish government accused of behaving disgracefully over use of Glasgow science centrePreparations for this year’s climate summit in Glasgow are being overshadowed by a bitter row between the UK and Scottish governments over a key building near the venue.UK government sources have accused Scottish ministers of refusing to hand over a building the Scottish government wants to use as its base for the COP 26 climate talks in November. Continue reading...

Motoring organisations say UK is unprepared to move to electric vehicles only by 2035The government’s move to bring forward a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars to 2035 has been attacked by manufacturers as a “date without a plan”.The policy, which will now come into effect five years earlier and include hybrid vehicles, was announced as Boris Johnson launched the forthcoming UN COP 26 climate summit. Continue reading...

PM takes charge of COP 26 as ex-minister hits back at her sacking as president of talks

Nevada convention to culminate with chance to hunt deer with ‘accomplished conservationist’ Trump Jr and sonA week-long “dream hunt” with the US president’s son Donald Trump Jr is being auctioned at an annual trophy hunting convention in Reno, Nevada alongside expeditions to shoot elephants, bears and giraffes.The four-day event organized by Safari Club International (SCI) and advertised as a “hunters’ heaven”, will culminate on Saturday with an auction for a week-long Sitka black-tailed deer hunt in Alaska with Trump Jr, his son and a guide. At the time of writing, bidding for the yacht-based expedition stands at $10,000 (£7,685). Continue reading...

There are over 2,000 species of the beloved insects but experts say: ‘If people want fireflies in the future we need to look at this’The dance of lights emanating from fireflies is among the most spectacular nocturnal sights in the natural world but experts have warned certain species may be at risk of extinction.Amid a range of threats, an academic survey of firefly experts from around the world found that habitat loss is considered the heaviest pressure on the insects, which include more than 2,000 species. Pesticide spraying and the use of artificial lights at night are the other leading threats to the creatures, which are in the beetle family. Continue reading...

David Littleproud tells ABC that McKenzie’s method ‘not the best’, while calling for new coal-fired power stationDavid Littleproud has rebuked Bridget McKenzie for her handling of the sports grants saga, saying partisan allocation of projects by party representation in marginal seats is not “the best way to do it”.In a wide-ranging interview with ABC 7.30 the newly elected deputy Nationals leader also defended his record on climate change and advocated for the proposed new Collinsville coal-fired power station in Queensland. Continue reading...

Claire O’Neill says prime minister’s promises of action are not close to being metBoris Johnson has shown a “huge lack of leadership and engagement” over the UK’s hosting of the COP 26 global climate change conference and admitted he does not understand the issue, according to Claire O’Neill, the sacked head of the summit.The former minister, who was leading efforts to hold the COP gathering of world leaders in Glasgow in November, said the UK was “playing at Oxford United levels when we really need to be Liverpool” in terms of the effort to tackle the climate emergency. Continue reading...

The popular HBO series about the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor disaster has led to a surge in tourists to the site and nearby town of Pripyat Continue reading...

Michael McCormack sees off Nationals leadership challenge from Barnaby Joyce, while Adam Bandt is elected Greens leader. This blog is now closed

British Heart Foundation says 15m Britons are exposed to toxic levels of pollutionAlmost a quarter of people in the UK are being exposed to dangerous levels of air pollution with potentially devastating health consequences, according to analysis.The study by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) found that about 15 million people in the UK live in areas where average levels of PM2.5 – a tiny toxic particle that predominantly comes from vehicle emissions, wood burning and construction – exceeds guidelines set by the World Health Foundation. Continue reading...

Indigenous representative will tell Siemens it is wrong to say traditional owners support Adani’s Carmichael mineAn envoy from an Australian Indigenous group has travelled to Germany to push for a meeting with the head of technology giant Siemens, claiming the company failed to properly check that traditional owners supported Adani’s controversial Carmichael coal project in Queensland.The Wangan and Jagalingou Family Council, which has spent years challenging the Adani mine, says the company was wrong to claim the project had been approved by its people. Continue reading...

As PM announces Glasgow plan, much diplomatic work remains to be doneBoris Johnson’s first steps on the international stage after Brexit will be to hail Britain’s role in forging a new global consensus on the climate crisis – although he has not yet said who will lead that charge.The UK will host the crunch UN climate talks, COP 26, this November in Glasgow, in what experts say is the last chance for international cooperation on the crisis. The prime minister, in launching the UK’s strategy for the talks on Tuesday, stops short of promising to “get climate done”, but in making his own involvement clear he will at least reassure climate activists and governments concerned at a hitherto confused and chaotic start to the UK’s presidency. Continue reading...

Body of part-time tour guide Raúl Hernández found days after that of reserve manager Homero Gómez González in MichoacánA second worker at Mexico’s famed monarch butterfly sanctuary has been found murdered, sparking concerns that the defenders of one of Mexico’s most emblematic species are being slain with impunity.The body of Raúl Hernández Romero, a part-time tour guide, was found on Saturday, showing injuries possibly inflicted by a sharp object, according to prosecutors in the western state of Michoacán. Continue reading...

Bulldozed trees on Ron Greentree’s property caused loss of habitat for koalas and brolgas, NSW authorities allegeThe biggest wheat farmer in Australia, Ron Greentree, is again facing charges of illegal land clearing, this time in relation to a property in western New South Wales.Greentree, the former chair of Graincorp, along with his business partner Ken Harris and their companies trading under the name the Greentree Partnership, are facing 32 charges of unauthorised land clearing at Boolcarrol, near Moree, which is alleged to have occurred between 2016 and 2019. Continue reading...

About 700 PFAS-contaminated sites have been identified across the US while those exposed to enough chemicals can face devastating health consequencesIn 2002, the French multinational Saint-Gobain boosted production of chemically weatherproofed fabrics that it produced in its Merrimack, New Hampshire, plant. Soon after, serious health problems began hitting residents living near the facility.The Merrimack Citizens for Clean Water (MCCW) advocacy group says people there suffer from high levels of cancer, cardiovascular issues, autoimmune disorders, kidney disease and developmental disorders. That includes an alarming number of children facing rare and aggressive cancers, said MCCW’s Laurene Allen, who lives in the city of about 30,000 that sits an hour north of Boston. Continue reading...

Victorian environment minister ‘appalled’ by allegations and her department is investigatingInvestigators at the scene of a “koala massacre” at a cleared gum tree plantation in Victoria say the number of animals killed is likely to rise above 40 as they make their way through 10 kilometres of felled timber.A major incident response has been set up at the site, on private land near Cape Bridgewater, with koalas being treated by vets for starvation and broken bones. Continue reading...

New rules do not contain same level of safeguards as under common agricultural policyBritain’s hedgehogs could be at greater risk after Brexit because hedges may no longer be protected by agriculture regulations, a report says.Under EU law, hedgerows cannot be cut during the bird nesting season and two-metre wild “buffer” strips cannot be doused with pesticides or ploughed up. This is designed to protect hedgerow habitats that provide refuge for 80% of woodland birds and 50% of all mammals. Continue reading...

Regulator aims to support investment in low-carbon technology while protecting households from price risesBritain’s energy regulator has said it will change how it governs the industry to help meet the government’s climate targets, after coming under fire for failing to prioritise the climate emergency.The regulator published a wide-ranging climate action plan on Monday, which aims to help get 10m electric vehicles on our roads by 2030 and support a fourfold increase in offshore wind generation, while protecting homes from rising energy bills. Continue reading...

Campaigners are increasingly concerned country lacks clear strategy for Glasgow summitDeveloping countries and climate campaigners are growing increasingly concerned that the UK lacks a clear strategy for hosting vital UN talks on the climate crisis, amid fears of a conflict of interest in government between seeking post-Brexit trade deals and a global climate settlement.Boris Johnson will lead prominent British figures from climate science, business and economics to launch the UK’s strategy for the conference, known as COP26, on Tuesday. The talks, to take place in Glasgow this November, are widely seen as the last realistic chance for countries to pledge the stiff cuts needed in greenhouse gases to stave off climate breakdown. Continue reading...

The ravenous creatures are destroying vast swaths of kelp forests, which are crucial for carbon storage. Is the answer staring us in the plate?Eating as much sushi as humanly possible seems an unlikely way to help save the planet. But one company is hoping fine diners from London to LA to Tokyo will devour enough uni sushi – sea urchin roe – to help restore the planet’s kelp forests.From the North Sea to Tasmania, large parts of these underwater carbon stores – crucial for biodiversity – have vanished, leaving vast “urchin barrens” on the sea floor in their place. In Norway, the expanses of bizarre, prickly orbs are green. In California, they are purple. But wherever the urchins linger, the problems are the same. Continue reading...

It has been promised that any wild space destroyed during HS2’s creation will be replaced. But green opposition is hardeningWhen Labour announced HS2 in 2010, the 153-page launch document contained one mention of wildlife. Only “a few” protected wildlife sites would be affected, it said. There would be a line of concrete and steel crossing middle England, but any wild space that was destroyed would be compensated for with new trees, woods and ponds – “no net loss of biodiversity”, in eco-speak.Related: Will HS2 really help cut the UK’s carbon footprint? Continue reading...

Strongly worded appeal comes as new energy market analysis predicts Australia will hit 50% renewable electricity by 2030A group of more than 200 scientists will on Monday urge returning parliamentarians to urgently reduce Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions, and work diplomatically to achieve coordinated global climate action, after a catastrophic summer of fires.In an open letter timed to coincide with the resumption of the parliamentary year in Canberra, the group says scientific evidence unequivocally links human-caused climate change to the increasing risk of frequent and severe bushfires in the Australian landscape. Continue reading...

Firms may cut prices on plug-in electric hybrids to escape new EU emissions finesCarmakers are bracing for a hybrid electric car price war this year as they try to avoid steep EU fines for carbon dioxide emissions.Related: 2020 set to be year of the electric car, say industry analysts Continue reading...

Animals worth £3m were stolen from Britain’s farms in 2019, but farmers are fighting backSheep farmer Mark Candy did not realise at first that he had been targeted by rustlers. His Romney ewes graze among trees and rough ground on a Wiltshire country estate, and it was not obvious at first that some were missing.“Then I sensed that something wasn’t quite right,” said Candy, whose family have farmed in the area for five generations. “I did a rough count and it became clear many of them had gone.” Continue reading...

Thirty tortoises partially descended from extinct species found, including one of same species as famed individualConservationists working around the largest volcano on the Galápagos Islands say they have found 30 giant tortoises partially descended from two extinct species, including that of the famed Lonesome George.The Galápagos national park and Galápagos Conservancy said one young female had a direct line of descent from the Chelonoidis abingdonii species of Pinta island. The last of those tortoises was Lonesome George, who died in June 2012 and was believed to be more than 100 years old. Continue reading...

Cruel or kind? Education and conservation are cited as reasons for keeping wild animals in captivity, but many critics say zoos are outdated relics of a less enlightened era. We hear what both sides sayIn a few days, a pair of two-year-old cheetahs, Saba and Nairo, will depart from the UK on a remarkable journey. The brothers will be taken from Howletts Wild Animal Park, in Kent, and flown to South Africa to begin a new life – in the wild.It will be the first time that cheetahs born in captivity have left the UK for rewilding in Africa, says Damian Aspinall, who runs Howletts. “There are only about 7,000 cheetahs left on the planet and they are listed as vulnerable,” he says. “This reintroduction – to a reserve in Mount Camdeboo, in south of the country – is important because it will help to support the small population of cheetahs we have left in the wild.” Continue reading...

Andrea Leadsom and Michael Gove among senior figures touted to replace Claire O’Neill as talks leaderBritain needs to find a new high-level leader of its team preparing for this year’s crunch climate talks in Glasgow as a matter of extreme urgency.That is the clear message from politicians, senior scientists and climate experts following last week’s sacking of Claire O’Neill as president of the climate talks, known as COP26. Continue reading...

Warnings come after discovery of fire-ravaged Anaiwan panel on property in northern NSW that is at least 500 years oldAn important rock art site in northern New South Wales has been discovered after being irretrievably damaged by bushfire, with grave fears held for thousands of other sites.Some of the art at the site, which is on private property west of Armidale on the NSW northern tablelands, was known but had not been fully documented. Fire also destroyed a nearby site which had not been documented. The art is thought to be at least 500 years old. Continue reading...

The Guardian has become the first major global news organisation to institute an outright ban on taking money from companies that extract fossil fuels. Here, we hear from readers on their reaction, and our interim chief executive explains the policy changeIn a bid to reduce our carbon footprint, confront greenwashing and increase our focus on the climate crisis, the Guardian this week announced it will no longer run ads from fossil fuel extractors alongside any of its content in print or online. The move will come into immediate effect, and follows the announcement in October last year that we intend to reduce our net emissions to zero by 2030.Once upon a time, a newspaper was a rather straightforward business. You generated enough material of interest to attract a significant number of readers. You then ‘sold’ those readers to advertisers happy to pay to get their ideas, products or brands in front of consumers with cash to spend. Continue reading...

New study shows marine heat wave was causing marine life to cluster in an area that made feeding dangerousWhen humpback whales began to appear in large numbers off the California coast in 2015 and 2016, people celebrated the comeback of the whales after a near-miss with extinction.However, the excitement was quickly met with new worries – the whales increasingly got caught up in fishermen’s crab ropes. By 2016, there were more than 50 recorded entanglements that left whales injured or killed. Whales got ropes tangled around their mouths, making it difficult for them to eat. Crab lines cut through tissue and caused infections. Continue reading...

Plants provide key food source for pollinators as they come out of hibernationGardeners should avoid mowing over dandelions on their lawn if they want to help bees, according to the new president of the British Ecological Society.Dandelions – which will start flowering in the UK this month – provide a valuable food source for early pollinators coming out of hibernation, including solitary bees, honey bees and hoverflies. Continue reading...