by Fiona Harvey Environment correspondent on (#4SG36)
Campaign for Protection of Rural England says brownfield land offers more opportunitiesOnly one in 10 homes built on green belt land in England in the last decade has been classed as affordable, undermining the case for the development of supposedly protected areas, according to countryside campaigners.The Campaign to Protect Rural England also found that only a third of the 266,000 future new homes currently proposed for green belt land around the country are likely to be affordable. In a report published on Monday, called Space to Breathe, the charity said most green belt developments were inefficient, with only 14 homes for each hectare instead of the 31 for each hectare that is the average on other land. Continue reading...
by Nicholas Williams Marina Costa Katie Lamborn & on (#4SG5E)
An oil fire burned for more than three weeks next to a freshwater lake in Vaca Muerta, Argentina, one of the world’s largest deposits of shale oil and gas and home to the indigenous Mapuche people. In collaboration with Forensic Architecture, this video looks at the local Mapuche community’s claim that the oil and gas industry has irreversibly damaged their ancestral homeland, and with it their traditional ways of life• Indigenous Mapuche pay high price for Argentina's fracking dream Continue reading...
An oil fire burned for more than three weeks next to a freshwater lake in Vaca Muerta, Argentina, one of the world’s largest deposits of shale oil and gas and home to the indigenous Mapuche people. In collaboration with Forensic Architecture, this video looks at the local Mapuche community’s claim that the oil and gas industry has irreversibly damaged their ancestral homeland, and with it their traditional ways of life Continue reading...
Fatbergs clogging city sewers consist of 0.5% fat and 93% wet wipes – so a new campaign encourages people dispose of wipes responsiblyAndy Serkis is familiar with playing malevolent creatures that lurk in the darkness, so it is perhaps fitting that the Lord of the Rings actor is now raising awareness about the unsightly horrors that lie in the UK’s sewers.A new campaign is warning against flushing wet wipes down the toilet. It turns out that the “fatbergs†clogging up our city sewers actually consist of just 0.5% fat and 93% wet wipes. Perhaps we should be calling them “wipebergsâ€. Continue reading...
Residents warned following discovery of ‘freshly shed’ skin at the Cascades Estate in SilverdaleBiosecurity officers were combing a western Sydney suburb where an adult boa constrictor was believed to be “at large†on Monday after the discovery of a huge, “freshly shed†snake skin.It was feared the dangerous snake was roaming the Cascades Estate residential complex in Silverdale. Continue reading...
UK climate body says policy would target heavy users but not penalise occasional flyersAir miles schemes should be axed as they encourage jetsetters to take extra flights in a bid to maintain “privileged traveller statusâ€, according to a report commissioned by the government’s climate change advisers.An “escalating Air Miles Levy†should also be introduced to rein in the number of trips taken by frequent flyers, without penalising those taking an annual holiday, with the income raised to be invested into low-carbon aviation technology. Continue reading...
New offshore windfarms opening in third quarter mark milestone towards zero carbonRenewable energy sources provided more electricity to UK homes and businesses than fossil fuels for the first time over the last quarter, according to new research.The renewables record was set in the third quarter of this year after its share of the electricity mix rose to 40%. Continue reading...
Party vows to go ahead with climate protest in Canberra despite ‘unprecedented decision to block air traffic’The Greens’ hopes of flying a hot air balloon over Parliament House to protest global heating have been deflated by a last-minute restriction on flights due to security concerns.Despite blocking the balloon plan, parliament’s presiding officers have approved an Extinction Rebellion protest at the authorised assembly area in front of parliament from 14 to 18 October, the Senate president, Scott Ryan, has revealed. Continue reading...
After almost 1,000 days camping out in a field near Blackpool and obstructing fracking operations, the ‘Nanas’ have seen off energy company Cuadrilla. James Cartwright meets the fearless female activists behind the yellow pinniesWhile the world applauds the child protesters taking to the streets, fewer eyes are on their mums and grandmothers, whose activism is altogether quieter. In August 2014, gangs of older women in yellow tabards and headscarves started to become a common sight on Preston New Road in Lancashire. They call themselves the “Nanasâ€, though not all are grandmas. They took the name as a nod to trust, family and tea, leaning into stereotypes of northern matriarchy. Their first project was to capture a field under planning application by Cuadrilla, a UK fossil fuels company seeking exploratory drilling rights for shale gas. They hopped over the fence, set up tents and claimed squatters’ rights, staying for three weeks. By the time they left, the Nanas had earned the support of 14,000 local residents and appointments at Manchester’s High Court, and their action, along with that of other campaigners, led to Lancashire County Council rejecting Cuadrilla’s fracking application, a decision later overturned by the then secretary of state, Sajid Javid.In the years since, the Nanas have mounted an often good-humoured war of attrition against Cuadrilla, whose drilling has caused tremors in the area. At the Bell Mouth, the entrance to the Preston New Road site, they sing, dance, knit, pray, read poems and monologues, and obstruct fracking activity wherever possible. They even have their own stage show and samba band. And every Wednesday, dressed in white, they stage a call for calm at a site where tensions between protesters and police often erupt into violence. Continue reading...
Exclusive: analysis reveals lenders provided $700bn to expand sector since Paris climate pactThe world’s largest investment banks have provided more than $700bn of financing for the fossil fuel companies most aggressively expanding in new coal, oil and gas projects since the Paris climate change agreement, figures show.The financing has been led by the Wall Street giant JPMorgan Chase, which has provided $75bn (£61bn) to companies expanding in sectors such as fracking and Arctic oil and gas exploration, according to the analysis. Continue reading...
Met may call on officers from across England and Wales on Saturday 19 October for People’s Vote march and finale of Extinction Rebellion actionPolice forces in England and Wales are on standby for what could be one of the biggest public protests in British history, the anti-Brexit march due to take place in central London on Saturday 19 October.As MPs gather in the House of Commons for an emergency weekend sitting to discuss Brexit, more than a million people are expected to mass outside parliament for a People’s Vote march, while Extinction Rebellion climate campaigners launch the finale to a near fortnight of continuous protest. Continue reading...
Carlton Ward’s photographs chart survival struggle of one of America’s last remaining big catsThe discovery of a female Florida panther lying with a broken leg on a verge outside the town of Naples, south of Tampa, triggered a widespread rescue dash.Conservationists, who had previously fitted a tracking collar to the animal, were aware she had recently given birth. The kittens would not survive long on their own, they realised, and so an urgent search for them was launched. Continue reading...
Conservation groups denounce plan, saying dams don’t provide water security and slashing water allocated to big irrigators is the best way to tackle shortagesThe federal and New South Wales governments are investing $1bn in water infrastructure for rural and regional communities impacted by the devastating drought in NSW.“Our response to the ongoing drought impacting rural and regional communities is comprehensive and committed,†the prime minister, Scott Morrison, said in a statement on Sunday. Continue reading...
The IMF’s proposed $75-per-ton tax would exacerbate rampant inequality. There are better ways to fund decarbonizationA well-circulated statistic this week, from a new book by the University of California, Berkeley, economists Emmanuel Saez and Gabriel Zucman, shows that the richest 400 families in the United States now pay a lower tax rate than the bottom 50% of families. Those 400 families – the 0.01% – own more wealth than 60% of households in the US. The top 0.1% own more than 80%. Rates for the top 0.01% and the bottom 50% have been creeping closer since 1960. Also this week, the Guardian’s polluters series found that just 20 private and state-owned fossil fuel producers are responsible for 35% of manmade carbon dioxide and methane emissions over a similar period.On Thursday, the IMF suggested a $75-per-ton global carbon tax is the most efficient way to fight greenhouse gas emissions and keep warming below 2C. The tax is, if anything, far too low. Continue reading...
State Street chief says it could use shareholder powers to force boards to act on climateThe world’s biggest fossil fuel companies must take action on climate change or their directors could face being voted out of their jobs, the head of one of the world’s leading asset managers has warned.In an exclusive interview with the Guardian, Ron O’Hanley, the chief executive of State Street, said his firm could consider taking the radical step of voting against the reappointment of entire company boards if they were not taking sufficient action to deal with the climate crisis. Continue reading...
Data reveals crucial role of BlackRock, State Street and Vanguard in climate crisisThe world’s three largest money managers have built a combined $300bn fossil fuel investment portfolio using money from people’s private savings and pension contributions, the Guardian can reveal.BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street, which together oversee assets worth more than China’s entire GDP, have continued to grow billion-dollar stakes in some of the most carbon-intensive companies since the Paris agreement, financial data shows. Continue reading...
Four people, all aged 77, among nine protesters arrested and charged at Launceston protestFour Tasmanians aged in their late 70s are among a swag of climate activists charged over a protest in Launceston.About 100 people attended the Extinction Rebellion protest in Launceston on Friday and police say most were well-behaved, but nine refused to move on when the demonstration’s permitted time ran out. Continue reading...
Adam Bandt says every MP ‘capable of supporting this motion’ since it does not condemn the governmentThe Greens have intensified efforts ahead of the return of federal parliament next week to lobby moderate Liberals to break ranks and vote for a motion declaring a climate emergency.With parliament set to resume on Monday, the lower house Greens MP Adam Bandt has written to all parliamentarians in the House urging them to support the climate emergency motion, which would be seconded by independent Zali Steggall, and has the support of most of the crossbench. Continue reading...
In a passionate address to leaders of 94 cities in Copenhagen, the congresswoman called ‘runaway’ pursuit of profit unsustainableUS congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez warned that tackling the climate crisis will involve making dramatic economic changes in a passionate closing speech at the C40 World Mayors summit in Copenhagen on Friday.In her first overseas appearance as an elected politician, the 29-year-old was invited to speak after the C40, which represents the mayors of 94 cities worldwide, and which this week pledged support for a global version of her flagship Green New Deal policy. Continue reading...
Activists say corporation’s ‘silence is deadly’, while Met commissioner faces criticism of police tacticsCamped outside the main entrance of New Broadcasting House on Friday morning, Extinction Rebellion (XR) supporters called on the broadcaster to “tell the full truth†about the climate crisis, as the number of arrests linked to its protests since Monday rose to more than 1,100.Protesters held a banner stating: “BBC, your silence is deadlyâ€, and chanted: “Whose BBC? Our BBCâ€, and: “BBC, can’t you see, this is an emergencyâ€. Continue reading...
by Fiona Harvey Environment correspondent on (#4SAT5)
Report on test areas in England hailed by farmers’ union as proof that badger cull worksThe culling of badgers in two areas of England has been linked to a marked decrease in new cases of bovine TB on farms, research suggests, bolstering farmers who support the culls.In Gloucestershire, the incidence of TB cases in cattle was two thirds lower after four years of badger culling than would have been expected from a comparison of similar unculled sites, while in Somerset the rate was 37% lower. In a third area, in Dorset, there was no significant difference. Continue reading...
They may not get much media coverage but working-class activists have long been environmental heroesEnvironmental protests are now frequently reported in the media, and the green movement is, at last, getting the attention it deserves. But most of the focus is on the activities of groups, such as Extinction Rebellion, which are not strongly rooted in working-class organisations and communities.This is a problem because, if we want to build the broad-based support necessary for a radical transition to sustainability, we must recognise and build on all strands of environmentalism, especially that of the working class. Continue reading...
by Emily Holden in Washington and agencies on (#4S9S9)
Critics say rules give water systems decades more time to replace dangerous pipes and fail to boost urgency for cleaning up leadThe Trump administration is proposing new rules for lead in drinking water, overhauling the regulations for the first time in three decades, following crises in Flint, Michigan, and other US communities, but critics say the changes appear to give water systems decades more time to replace pipes leaching dangerous amounts of toxic lead.The Environmental Protection Agency would require water systems to notify customers if levels exceed 15 parts per billion. And it would require water testing at schools and daycares. Continue reading...
‘If cities are invited to be at the table, I believe they will help accelerate the work that needs to be done’ said LA mayor Eric GarcettiUS mayors are seeking to go over President Trump’s head and negotiate directly at next month’s UN climate change conference in Santiago, they said as they met in Copenhagen for the C40 World Mayors Summit.
Readers respond to the report revealing the 20 biggest polluters responsible for a third of all global carbon emissionsYour article (Revealed: the 20 firms behind a third of all global carbon emissions, 10 October) highlights the biggest polluters and contributors to the climate crisis over the last half-century – the “uncooperative crusties†of capitalism. It is these companies that are standing in the way of progress. But we shouldn’t just look at the carbon they have pumped into the atmosphere, but also the money – our money, in banks and pension funds – that they have invested and the power that huge amount of capital gives them. They can choose to either transform their businesses into something positive for the planet or to extend the shelf life of a carbon-based business model well past its best-before date.This week, the Treasury select committee asked me, ShareAction and the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association what investors can do about the oil and gas industry. My answer was that we need to use more than just persuasion. Our money can shape the strategies of these companies directly. Savvy investors should back those that respond to change, not the ones who deny the urgency. Continue reading...
WaterNSW says South32’s proposal to extend Dendrobium mine could cause cracking in the walls of two damsWaterNSW has objected to the expansion of a coalmine under Sydney’s drinking water catchment because the project would cause unacceptable impacts, including the loss of 3.3bn litres of water a year.The government-owned water corporation has also warned that mining company South32’s proposal to extend the mining operations at its Dendrobium coking coalmine could cause cracking in the walls of two dams that supply water to the Illawarra and Macarthur regions, and may harm 26 endangered coastal swamps. Continue reading...
Fund says governments could use money to help vulnerable people or invest in green energyAvoiding dangerous global heating will require governments around the world to impose stringent taxes on fossil-fuel usage that will mean a 43% jump in household energy bills over the next decade, the International Monetary Fund has said.The Washington-based Fund said the battle against climate change could only be won if the average carbon tax levied by its member states increased from $2 (£1.63) a ton (907kg) to $75 a ton. Continue reading...
The rapper features alongside Greta Thunberg on the magazine’s annual list of young trailblazersTime magazine has named Stormzy one of its “next generation leaders†in the US news weekly’s annual list of young trailblazers. The 26-year-old rapper appears on the cover of the magazine and was interviewed by the Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race author, Reni Eddo-Lodge.The rapper sits alongside Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, American actor Tessa Thompson and Spanish musician RosalÃa on the list. Senegalese artist Selly Raby Kane, British-Somalian boxer Ramla Ali and South Korean gaming activist Kim “Geguri†Se-yeon also appear. Continue reading...
Coalition tackles climate crisis with incentives for reducing plastic and use of cars, mopeds or scootersItalian shoppers could soon enjoy a discount on products sold loose as part of a range of measures expected to be approved by the government as it strives to take action on the environment.The initiative would give financial incentives to shopkeepers to reduce the price of food items and detergents sold without packaging, and of drinks, shampoos and other liquids sold from dispensers or in reusable containers. Continue reading...
Continent could lose 389 of 604 species studied to threats from rising temperatures, higher seas, heavy rains and urbanizationTwo-thirds of bird species in North America are at risk of extinction because of the climate crisis, according to a new report from researchers at the Audubon Society, a leading US conservation group.Related: Record numbers of Australia's wildlife species face 'imminent extinction' Continue reading...
Firms including Ford and BMW respond to data about how they are exacerbating the crisis“Ford takes its responsibilities for the environment and communities around the globe very seriously. That was evident again recently, when Ford was one of only four automakers reaching agreement with California on higher gas-mileage standards to reduce emissions. We have said multiple times that Ford does not support a rollback of federal emission standards. Additionally, Ford supports CO reductions consistent with the Paris climate accord, as we’ve shared publicly.†Continue reading...
Environment | The Guardian