Environment | The Guardian

Incident reportedly happened after baby elephant slipped over falls

Ella Mann pleaded with the Royal Shakespeare Company to end its BP sponsorship deal. Days later it did. But, she warns: ‘The fight is not over’Ella Mann is just 19 but she has already made her mark on the world. In September, feeling increasingly frightened by the quickening pace of climate change, she started writing a letter to one of Britain’s leading theatre companies.It was not a decision Mann took lightly, or one that she rushed. She spent days writing the letter which would pile pressure on the Royal Shakespeare Company to drop its longstanding relationship with oil giant BP. Continue reading...

Exclusive: UK supermarkets admit there may be soya-led deforestation in their supply chains due to problems with traceability

Residual sludge from treating waste water has been turned into a money-spinner but what are the costs to health of ‘the most pollutant-rich manmade substance on Earth’?By some estimates, Americans send about 300m pounds of feces daily from the nation’s toilets to wastewater treatment plants.Related: Ocean cleanup device successfully collects plastic for first time Continue reading...

Five-year-old vehicles are now great value and prices are rising as buyers cotton onIf the two people behind a major website championing electric cars have both done it, the rest of us should probably take note.Whisper, so not too many people hear it, but used five-year-old electric cars are arguably one of the best vehicle purchases you can make right now, whatever your environmental credentials. It makes particular sense if you are one of the millions of people who use their car most days. Continue reading...

Tree theft, which led to the deadly Maple fire in Washington, may be costing the US Forest Service up to $100m each yearWhen two men discovered a rare and valuable towering bigleaf maple tree in Washington state’s Olympic national forest last year, they allegedly set about trying to steal it.But there was a problem – the tree was home to a bee hive. The men reportedly tried to use a wasp killer to get rid of it. When that didn’t work, one allegedly poured gasoline on it, and lit it on fire. Continue reading...

More than 3,000 people gathered in the shadow of the University of Iowa on Friday afternoon to hear Thunberg speakThree days prior to Greta Thunberg’s surprise visit to Iowa City on Friday, the organizer and local climate activist, Massimo Biggers, a 14-year-old Iowa City high school student, was preparing to strike – as he has done every Friday, sometimes on his own, since the Global Climate Strike day Thunberg inspired on 15 March.Out of the blue, a message arrived from the Swedish teen activist, with whom he had been in touch, asking him if he was planning to strike again this Friday. “Of course!” he replied, and for the last 48 hours, according to his father, Jeff, neither had slept. “This was truly a miracle to have the town pull this together,” he said. Continue reading...

Most comprehensive study to date finds plastic in sediment collected from bay and tributaries and digestive tracts of fishThe most comprehensive study to date of microplastics in California has turned up a mind-boggling amount of plastic particles in the San Francisco bay.An estimated 7tn pieces of microplastics flow into the San Francisco bay via stormwater drains alone, researchers discovered. Nearly half of the microscopic particles found in stormwater looked suspiciously like tiny fragments of car tires, which rainfall washes off the streets and into the ocean. Continue reading...

Florida clinic says the problem is so common that they have a drop-off point for residents to leave sickly turtlesWhen Emily Mirowski took in a tiny loggerhead turtle that had been washed up in Boca Raton, Florida, she knew it wasn’t healthy. It was lethargic, almost lifeless, with a drooping head – healthy turtles are normally so full of energy that they are hard to hold.But she hoped it would live: its shell was immaculate and healthy looking, a beautiful orange brown, and the turtle was small enough to fit in the palm of the 29-year-old’s hand. It died soon after. Continue reading...

Chief executive lauded for rescuing oil firm from 2010 Deepwater Horizon disasterBP boss Bob Dudley will step down as chief executive almost a decade after steering the oil major back from the brink of collapse following the Deepwater Horizon disaster.The company said Dudley would end his four-decade career at BP early next year and be replaced in February by insider Bernard Looney, 49, currently head of exploration and production. Continue reading...

A crayfish crossing a road, fur seals living on a volcanic island and dissected seahorses

Move comes as opposition grows to fossil fuel firms’ linsk with UK arts bodies

‘Ministry of sanctuary’ could run more liberal immigration system, conference to be toldThe Green co-leader Jonathan Bartley says the Home Office should be broken up in response to failures over the hostile environment policy, as he seeks to position the party as “the antidote to populist authoritarianism” from Boris Johnson and others.The Greens are holding their annual conference in Newport following success in local and European elections. Bartley’s speech to the event calls for radical change to tackle the anxieties of voters, exemplified by the Brexit vote. Continue reading...

By being on the road, women seem to be transgressing a boundary that some men find intolerableI commute in London by bike. Run-ins with aggressive drivers are as much a part of my daily routine as brushing my teeth. Recently though, I’ve started to wonder whether there is a distinctly gendered dimension to the frequency and intensity with which I am shouted, sworn and honked at.When I talk to friends who cycle, I’m struck by the instant recognition of this phenomenon by fellow women, who are quick to share their stories. Sometimes the abuse is explicitly sexual, more often it’s simply aggressive and unpleasant, or merely patronising. Almost without exception, it’s perpetrated by men. Continue reading...

Climatic change may be behind expanded range of very rare native mammal of British IslesOne of Britain’s and northern Europe’s rarest and most elusive mammals has been discovered living in the east of England for the first time in 115 years.The return to Kent of the greater horseshoe bat has delighted and astounded conservationists, who are now examining whether climate change is shifting the species’ range. The bat is normally found only in Wales and the west of England. Continue reading...

Naya, the first wolf sighted in Belgium for a century, believed to have been killed by huntersEnvironmental groups are offering a €30,000 (£27,000) reward for information that helps identify who killed Naya, the first wolf sighted in Belgium for a century when she entered the country last year.The wolf’s arrival completed the return of the predator to every mainland country in Europe, turning back decades of persecution. Continue reading...

RBA says it is becoming increasingly important for investors and institutions to actively manage carbon riskAustralia’s central bank has delivered a clear warning that climate change is exposing financial institutions and the financial system more broadly to risks that will rise over time if action isn’t taken.The RBA’s financial stability review, released Friday, concluded that while climate change is not yet a significant threat to financial stability in Australia, it is becoming increasingly important for investors and institutions to actively manage carbon risk. Continue reading...

Police say media reports that trained marksmen would be brought in to control the town’s magpies were incorrectPolice in the northern New South Wales town of Casino have denied they planned to deploy specially trained officers to shoot and kill magpies, contrary to media reports.On Friday the Northern Star reported that elite police officers would descend on the town to shoot local magpies which have been deemed too dangerous to live. Continue reading...

Possible rail line insurer Canopius says it is ‘not involved in any negotiations’ over the Queensland projectA Lloyd’s of London insurer – considered one of the few remaining possible underwriters for elements of the Carmichael coal project – has distanced itself from Adani and says it is not involved in negotiations.Canopius was one of two global companies understood to have held discussions with a broker about insuring the construction of Adani’s proposed rail line, linking the Carmichael mine site to the Queensland freight network.

NSW blames Queensland’s shark control program after humpback whale drags net hundreds of kilometres southThe humpback calf freed from netting in waters off Sydney’s northern beaches is one of an unprecedented number of whale entanglements this migration season.The tired and distressed calf, swimming south alongside its mother, became entangled in a shark mesh panel from Queensland’s shark control program. Continue reading...

IFS warns the switch from fossil fuel to electric will cause tax revenue to drop £28bnBritain should move to a system of road pricing to combat congestion and compensate for the £28bn loss of revenue from fuel duty as the country makes the transition to electric vehicles, the Institute for Fiscal Studies has said.The thinktank said the government’s pledge that the UK would reach zero net emissions by 2050 meant the tax take from petrol and diesel would shrink to nothing over the coming decades and a new way to raise money from drivers was needed. Continue reading...

Fatberg found in Sidmouth, Devon, contained no toxic chemicals or microplastic beadsThe dirty secrets of a huge fatberg discovered lurking under the seafront of a Devon town have been laid bare after scientists carried out an “autopsy” of the monster.As expected, household cooking fats, wet wipes and other hygiene products were key components of the 64m-long beast (bigger than the Leaning Tower of Pisa) but it also contained bits of bone, twigs, string – and false teeth. Continue reading...

Exclusive: discovery comes as authorities investigate tonnes of sediment choking creek near development siteContaminated water has been discovered spilling from a luxury Gold Coast estate development into a Ramsar-listed wetland site, amid a broader investigation into an unfolding “environmental catastrophe” at the once-pristine waterway.On Thursday the Gold Coast council notified the Queensland Department of Environment and Science that a “private recycled water main” at the Serenity Cove site had broken. Guardian Australia understands the contamination is likely grey water, which authorities advise has the potential to turn septic or breed micro-organisms. Continue reading...

SNP minister says licences will be refused, but campaigners say permanent ban is neededThe Scottish government has extended its ban on fracking after ministers confirmed it would not grant permission for any onshore drilling projects.Paul Wheelhouse, the environment minister, said his devolved government would also refuse to issue licences for onshore unconventional oil and gas projects, including fracking, shale gas or coalbed methane projects. Continue reading...

Four arrested after activists lose control of fire engine hose and bystander gets drenchedFour Extinction Rebellion activists have been arrested after trying to spray fake blood at the Treasury in Westminster from the top of a fire engine.Dressed in funeral attire on the out-of-commission vehicle – which had a banner reading “Stop funding climate death” on its side – the protesters criticised the UK’s military role in the Middle East and the UK’s investments in companies that cause vast fossil fuel emissions, and called on others to rebel. Continue reading...

Massive global expansion of tuna fisheries also poses a threat to sharks and other species, says studyScientists have warned that existing levels of tuna fishing are unsustainable after researchers found that global catches have increased more than 1,000% over the past 60 years.A study in the journal Fisheries Research estimated that about 6m tonnes of tuna are now caught annually, a rate that “risks driving tuna populations to unsustainable levels and possible extinction”. Continue reading...

Companies that run UK’s energy pipes and wires earning double-digit returns, says OfgemThe regulator has allowed energy network companies to make bigger than expected profits at the expense of household bills, according to its own state of the market report.Ofgem admitted the companies that run Britain’s energy pipes and wires had earned double-digit returns in the last year despite its efforts to keep a lid on energy bills. Continue reading...

Animal rescue services criticised for killing animal that ran on to motorwayAnimal rescue services in Germany have been criticised for shooting dead a zebra after it escaped from a circus and ran on to a motorway.The runaway beast was one of two zebras that escaped from their cages when the travelling Circus Barlay pitched up at a new location in Tessin in north-east Germany in the early hours of Wednesday. Continue reading...

Low-carbon structures fed by water treatment plants can grow 10% of homegrown cropPeople in Britain will soon be able to feast on tomatoes grown with the help of a water treatment plant in what backers say is a world first.One of the UK’s largest clean energy funds has revealed plans to invest £120m in a pair of low-carbon greenhouses in Norfolk and Suffolk, in eastern England, large enough to grow 10% of the UK’s homegrown tomato crop. Continue reading...

Investor action group says the insurer joins 57 other companies refusing to support the Queensland coal projectAnother major insurer, Axis Capital, has shunned the Adani Carmichael coal project and withdrawn a bid to underwrite the construction of the mine’s rail line.The withdrawal, first reported by Reuters, follows announcements from 15 of the world’s leading insurers which say they either won’t support the Carmichael mine, or won’t insure thermal coal projects. Continue reading...

President had said agency would issue a notice because city allowed waste from homeless population to flow into the oceanThe Trump administration issued an environmental notice of violation to San Francisco on Wednesday, fulfilling Donald Trump’s threat to cite the city over an inaccurate claim that linked water pollution with the city’s homeless crisis.Trump said the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would issue a notice because the city allowed needles and waste from its homeless population to flow from the sewer system into the ocean – an allegation city officials disputed. In a letter Wednesday, the EPA administrator, Andrew Wheeler, accused the city of improperly discharging waste into the bay, but avoided mentioning Trump’s comments directly. Continue reading...

Former Nationals leader says he agrees with Labor that government needs to ‘get cracking’ on dam constructionBarnaby Joyce says the Coalition risks “political annihilation” in the bush if the drought worsens and it does not start building dams, as Labor lashes the government for failing to produce a national drought strategy.The Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, toured drought-affected Stanthorpe in Queensland on Wednesday, saying parts of the state were clearly suffering “natural disaster” and criticising the government for failing to build a single dam since being elected in 2013. Continue reading...

Scotland Yard plans ‘proactive and swift’ counter-action as forces send extra officers to London for October protestSpecialist police teams will be heading to London this weekend to help deal with two weeks of protests planned by Extinction Rebellion, the environmental activists who brought the capital to a standstill over Easter.Metropolitan police will be put on 12-hour shifts from Monday, the first day of Extinction Rebellion’s action, to free up as many officers as possible from regular duties. Continue reading...

Sailing ship leaves Amsterdam for COP25 climate summit with 36 campaigners on boardA group of environmental activists have set sail from Amsterdam on a seven-week voyage to South America to attend the UN climate conference.It had been raining on the Amsterdam waterfront on Wednesday but the sun came out in the early afternoon as a small crowd waved farewell to the 36 activists and five crew on the boat. Continue reading...

Theatre company’s move comes after growing criticism over its links with oil firmThe Royal Shakespeare Company is to end its sponsorship deal with BP amid growing opposition to fossil fuel companies’ sponsorship of many of the UK’s leading cultural institutions.The RSC announced that after months of deliberations and a vociferous campaign from artists, the public and environmentalists, it had decided to curtail its eight-year relationship. Continue reading...

Exclusive: species added to at-risk list with wild Atlantic salmon as numbers fall, but hake and plaice are booming

Move comes after Minerals Council attacked planning decisions that cited carbon emissions as a reason for rejecting or imposing conditions on a mineThe New South Wales government is considering legislation that could limit the ability for planning authorities to rule out coalmines projects based on the climate change impact of emissions from the coal once it is burned.It comes after a campaign from the NSW Minerals Council over decisions that have referenced the impact of “scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions” as a reason for either rejecting a mining project entirely or for imposing conditions on it. Continue reading...

Biggest offshore windfarm in North Sea will generate electricity for 4.5m homesThe largest offshore wind turbines ever built will begin powering millions of British homes using blades more than 100 metres long by the early 2020s.Each of the new mega-turbines planned for the world’s biggest offshore windfarm at Dogger Bank in the North Sea will reach 220 metres high and generate enough electricity for 16,000 homes. Continue reading...

Robin Hood Energy may have licence revoked if it fails to pay total sum to OfgemRobin Hood Energy, the energy supplier owned by Nottingham city council, has failed to pass on £9.5m in renewable energy subsidies after collecting them from customers through their bills.The supplier has already claimed the sum from its customers, to be used to support renewable energy projects, but missed the deadline to pay its share of the money to the industry regulator, Ofgem last month. Continue reading...

PM’s cup snatched away in what’s speculated to be evidence of No 10’s feuding tribesIt is a moment worthy of any episode of the political TV series The Thick Of It. As he walks through the Conservative party conference, Boris Johnson is handed a hot drink by one of his assistants. However, like his working parliamentary majority, the prime minister is able to hang on to it only momentarily before it is snatched away from him.“No disposable cups,” a second aide murmurs as she snatches Johnson’s drink, seemingly worried about the implications of the Tory leader being pictured using a wasteful single-use cup. Johnson shakes his hands and mutters: “Oh. Oh. Oh” as the clip finishes. Continue reading...

Greta Thunberg and her cohorts are ready to change the world – and that scares a certain kind of manThe president of the United States openly mocked a teenage girl. After dismissing the 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg in person and earning her ire, he tweeted to his 65 million followers: “She seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future. So nice to see!”Related: Greta Thunberg's 495-word UN speech points us to a future of hope – or despair | Richard Flanagan Continue reading...

Joel Fitzgibbon says Coalition’s drought funding has been ‘ad hoc, confusing and lacking in direction’Labor has asked the auditor general to investigate the government’s claimed $7bn in drought assistance, saying the response has been “ad hoc, confusing and lacking in direction”.As the government defends the roll-out of its drought package, which saw one regional council receive $1m in taxpayer support despite enjoying good rainfall, Labor’s shadow agriculture minister, Joel Fitzgibbon, has written to the auditor general, Grant Hehir, requesting a full audit. Continue reading...

U-turn announced after environment minister said populations of the ancient lizard remained stable despite influx of visitorsIndonesian authorities have cancelled plans to close Komodo island to tourists, with the country’s environment ministry saying that Komodo dragons living there are not under threat from over-tourism.In July, authorities in East Nusa Tenggara province said that the island would be closed for one year from January 2020 to stop tourists interfering with the natural behaviour of the largest species of lizard on earth. On Monday Siti Nurbaya Bakar, Indonesia’s environment and forestry minister, said the move was off. Continue reading...

Labor calls the figure the ‘most audacious lie’, saying very little of it is going to drought-affected communitiesAs Australia grapples with extended drought across the country – in many places, the worst on record – the Coalition has been talking up its $7bn drought package in support of “struggling farming families”.Labor’s Joel Fitzgibbon has called it the “most audacious lie” he has ever heard in politics, saying very little of the $7bn is actually hitting the ground in drought-affected communities. Continue reading...

The calving of the 1,636 sq km iceberg is not linked to climate change, scientists say, but could speed up further meltingA gigantic iceberg about the size of greater London has calved from the Amery ice shelf in east Antarctica, according to expert monitors.The tabular iceberg, officially named D-28, separated from the ice shelf on 26 September. The iceberg is 1,636 square kilometres in size, or about 50 x 30km, the Australian Antarctic Division said. Continue reading...

Reintroduction of species into Gloucestershire could prove setback for grey squirrelsThe shy and elusive pine marten, a woodland creature almost hunted to extinction in the UK, has been reintroduced to a forest in the English west country.Eighteen of the animals have been released at a secret and remote location in the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire. Continue reading...

Big windows and high air-conditioning needs mean radical new approaches are neededWhatever you think of skyscrapers, they guzzle energy. One study revealed that electricity use per square metre of floor area was nearly two and a half times greater in high-rise office buildings (20 or more storeys) than in low-rises (six storeys or less).The gas use for heating was about 40% more for tall buildings, and the total carbon emissions from these buildings was twice as high. Continue reading...

Thousands of fans are monitoring the new brood in their nest in a high-rise office buildingThe peregrine falcons at 367 Collins Street in Melbourne’s CBD have hatched a new brood of chicks, to the delight of the thousands of fans who monitor the birds via a livestream video feed.One of their eggs hatched on Sunday, with another cracking open early Monday: developments tracked on an almost minute-by-minute basis by the 4,000 members of the 367 Collins Falcon Watchers Facebook group. Continue reading...

Hundreds of thousands of diesel car owners take action in first-of-its-kind claimA landmark legal action against Volkswagen has begun, with hundreds of thousands of German consumers seeking compensation from the carmaker over emissions test cheating.Volkswagen has already paid out more than €30bn (£26.7bn) around the world in fines, compensation and legal costs since the scandal first came to light in September 2015. The company was found to have installed software that lowered harmful emissions of nitrogen compounds under test conditions. Continue reading...

We talk to some of the hundreds of XR protesters charged with public order offences