Environment | The Guardian

Report also calls for ban on black plastic and an end to bottom trawling at sea

Campaigners say move is ‘blatant contradiction’ of lender’s climate commitmentsThe World Bank has been criticised for providing $55m (£43m) to aid fossil fuel extraction in Guyana, at the same time that it has pledged to stop direct funding of oil and gas production.The Washington-based institution, which provides loans and grants to aid the development of poorer countries, will provide $20m to pay for the training of Guyanese oil and gas officials, including those involved in the marketing of oil. Continue reading...

Evacuation in Ironbridge, Shropshire, as Environment Agency warns of continued flooding until at least Sunday

Failure to fully implement 14 of 16 recommendations to regulate CSG extraction could lead to more support for moratorium across NSWSantos’s coal seam gas project near Narrabri could face further obstacles after a parliamentary inquiry delivered a scathing assessment of the state government’s progress in implementing recommendations to regulate coal seam gas extraction.A New South Wales legislative council inquiry found that 14 of 16 recommendations from the 2014 report by the chief scientist have not been implemented in full. Half were found to have not been implemented at all. Continue reading...

Russian scientists record more cases of bear-on-bear attacks amid food scarcity and sea ice meltCases of polar bears killing and eating each other are on the rise in the Arctic as melting ice and human activity erode their habitat, according to a Russian expert.“Cases of cannibalism among polar bears are a long-established fact, but we’re worried that such cases used to be found rarely while now they are recorded quite often,” said Ilya Mordvintsev, a polar bear expert, quoted by Interfax news agency. Continue reading...

OGA faces tough balancing act of sustaining industry while helping to meet climate goals

Wild Justice takes legal action, citing ‘ecological assault’ and harm to rare wildlife from mass release of birds for shooting

George Eustice rejects need for inquiry as NFU president calls for ‘seismic investment’The government has rejected calls for a public inquiry into the UK flooding disaster, arguing that it has the crisis under control.The environment secretary, George Eustice, came under sustained attack at the National Farmers’ Union annual conference, but said the government had already saved thousands of homes from flooding and would be spending “record” amounts on future defences. Continue reading...

UK oil firm withdraws from energy organisations as it pursues net zero ambitionsBP is to sever links with three US-based trade associations, including the country’s main refining lobby, because of disagreements over their climate-related policies and activities.The decision comes after the UK oil corporation’s new chief executive, Bernard Looney, set an ambitious target to shrink its carbon footprint to net zero by 2050. To achieve this it will have to cut more greenhouse gas emissions every year than the amount produced by the whole of the UK. Continue reading...

A ‘punk’ mollusc named after Joe Strummer and a snail with a bright orange shell are among the creatures at risk from deep sea miningIt takes an hour from the surface of the Indian Ocean, descending 3,000 metres in a submersible research pod, to reach the bizarre creatures that cluster around hydrothermal vents on the seabed. “You’re in a titanium sphere that is about two metres in diameter,” says evolutionary biologist Julia Sigwart, describing her voyage to Kairei hydrothermal vent field, east of Madagascar. Continue reading...

The toxin has endangered hundreds of thousands of kids. But parents in the hardest-hit neighborhoods may never be warned of the threatShanaya Ball did everything right during her pregnancy: she attended check-ups, ate well, and kitted out the nursery for her son Amari, who was born in March 2017.But by his first birthday, Amari had failed to meet almost every developmental milestone, and was unable to play, communicate or move like other infants. Continue reading...

World’s second biggest miner says it will reduce emissions by 15% by 2030, but ‘will not set targets for our customers’Mining giant Rio Tinto says it wants its globe-spanning operations to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and will spend US$1bn over the next five years to reduce its carbon footprint.The second biggest miner in the world has also committed to reducing its emissions by 15% by 2030. Continue reading...

Anthony Albanese accuses Scott Morrison of misleading parliament over his involvement in the scheme. This blog is now closed

Homes 500km west of Brisbane at risk of flooding with water levels expected to rise in coming daysFlood waters in a rural Queensland town have shut a main highway and are expected to continue rising throughout the week.About 35 homes were threatened by flood waters in the town of St George, about 500km west of Brisbane, on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Himalayan tahr numbers reach 35,000 despite controversial culling aimed at limiting them to 10,000A non-native goat-like animal is destroying New Zealand’s fragile alpine regions, and government culling has been unable to keep up with its population booms.The Himalayan tahr was introduced to New Zealand in 1904 as hunting game for sports shooters, and has thrived in the rugged, alpine environment of the South Island. Continue reading...

Nathusius’ pipistrelle sightings reported from as far apart as Cornwall and ScotlandAn elusive British mammal, the tiny bat Nathusius’ pipistrelle (Pipistrellus nathusii), may be more widespread and numerous than previously thought.Sometimes described as a rare visitor or a new coloniser because of climate change, it may have been here decades but had gone undetected. Continue reading...

Naomi Seibt, who tells YouTube followers that Thunberg and other climate activists are whipping up hysteria, to speak at CPACA German teenager dubbed the “anti-Greta” – climate sceptics’ answer to the schoolgirl activist Greta Thunberg – is set to address the biggest annual gathering of US grassroots conservatives.Related: Greta Thunberg and Malala Yousafzai meet at Oxford University Continue reading...

MPs urge review of housing policy as Environment Agency warns against developments on floodplainsThe building of tens of thousands of homes on flood-prone land is worsening the damage to surrounding areas, Conservative MPs have said, as the head of the Environment Agency warned against new developments on floodplains.Tory backbenchers called on Boris Johnson to review the government’s housing policy over concerns that new homes were either not flood-proof or were exacerbating issues in neighbouring communities. Continue reading...

Claim that celebrity campaigns cause ‘enormous damage’ draws ire from animal rights groupsHe has been called a diva and pretentious, and there are even those who don’t like his acting – but never before has Joaquin Phoenix been accused of causing mental health problems for British livestock farmers.On Tuesday, the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) president, Minette Batters, changed all that, opening a new front against the US actor by claiming that he and other celebrity campaigners for veganism had played a part in demonising the UK’s meat producers and doing “enormous damage” to their wellbeing. Continue reading...

Money will go to Eastern Australia Agriculture – founded by energy minister Angus Taylor – for additional water to save rare wetlandsThe federal government is spending up to $2m buying water from Queensland agribusiness Eastern Australia Agriculture in a bid to keep an internationally significant wetlands from dying, despite paying $80m to the same company three years ago for water rights for the same purpose.The $80m purchase of overland flows from Eastern Australia Agriculture has been controversial and is now under scrutiny by Australian National Audit Office. Continue reading...

Protecting against coastal flooding, boosting recycling and ensuring water security are now high priority initiativesRising sea levels, water security and waste management are among the environmental challenges that Infrastructure Australia has, for the first time, elevated to the top tier of its priorities list.In its latest list, to be released on Wednesday, Infrastructure Australia said it was elevating environmental concerns because climate change was altering the water cycle and was projected to cause sea level rises of 0.4 to 0.6 metres. It also cited a renewed focus on “resilience” in the face of natural disasters. Continue reading...

Industry’s largest financier pledges to end loans to Arctic oil drillers and coalminersJP Morgan Chase is to end fossil fuel loans for Arctic oil drilling and phase out loans for coal mining under new climate initiatives.The world’s largest financier of fossil fuels set out its plans at an investor event on Tuesday, days after the bank’s economists warned that the climate crisis threatened the survival of humanity. Continue reading...

The home affairs minister declares Islamic terror is leftwing extremism after being blasted by Labor for applying false equivalencePeter Dutton has declared that “leftwing terrorism” includes Islamist extremism after being blasted by Labor for applying false equivalence in the national security debate.Dutton’s intervention on Tuesday was triggered by a speech by the director general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (Asio) Mike Burgess. On Monday night, Australia’s top intelligence chief warned the threat of rightwing extremism in Australia was real and growing. Continue reading...

PM blasts Labor for adopting same 2050 target as NSW premier, saying ‘we have a plan’Scott Morrison says he’s happy to work with the New South Wales government on its ambition to hit net zero emissions by 2050 because the premier, Gladys Berejiklian, “has a plan” – although the plan the prime minister referenced on Tuesday ends in 2030.Despite blasting Labor federally for adopting the same net zero target as the Berejiklian government, the prime minister told parliament circumstances were different in NSW because there was a strategy in place to deliver a transition. Continue reading...

ICAEW and other industry groups want climate risk to be integrated into company auditsThe world’s accountants must put the climate crisis at the forefront of their work to spur global companies to adopt green policies and help prepare them for the risks, according to the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and other industry groups.They have called on a global alliance of accountants, representing more than 2.5 million professionals worldwide, to put their skills to use by helping companies prepare for a climate emergency. Continue reading...

Premier says overhaul will ‘take responsibility for our waste’ and help fix longstanding problemsThe Victorian government will double its $28m in grants for businesses to sort and process recycling as part of a $96.5m package to fix the state’s waste industry.Another $30m will be opened up for grants for technology to create new products from recyclable materials such as glass, plastic, organics, electronic waste, concrete, brick and rubber. Continue reading...

Norwegian oil company announces it has scrapped its $200m plan to deepwater drill in Great Australian Bight Marine ParkNorwegian oil giant Equinor has abandoned plans to drill for oil in the Great Australian Bight, declaring the controversial project did not make commercial sense.The company said on Tuesday it had told federal, South Australian and local authorities it had decided to scrap the $200m project to deepwater drill in the Great Australian Bight Marine Park. Continue reading...

Rapid climate change forced urgent upgrade of ‘failsafe’ doomsday storage facilityThe Arctic global seed vault has reached the milestone of having 1m varieties stored in its deep freeze. The new deposits are being made after unexpected flooding of its entrance tunnel in 2017 prompted an upgrade.Seeds from 60,000 crop varieties from across the world are being placed in the vault to back up those held in other seed banks. Continue reading...

Britain contributed only 3% of continent’s 2019 green spending, report saysBritish companies are lagging far behind their European neighbours in low-carbon investment after contributing only 3% of the continent’s €124bn (£104.2bn) green spending last year.A report has revealed that German-listed companies invested 11 times more in low-carbon investments such as electric vehicles, renewable energy and smart energy grids than UK firms. Continue reading...

Proterocladus antiquus carpeted seafloor 1bn years ago and was size of rice grainScientists have found in rocks from northern China what may be the oldest fossils of a green plant ever found: tiny seaweed that carpeted areas of the seafloor 1bn years ago and were part of a primordial revolution among life on Earth.Researchers on Monday said the plant, called Proterocladus antiquus, was about the size of a rice grain and boasted numerous thin branches, thriving in shallow water while attached to the seafloor with a root-like structure. Continue reading...

Companies would pay for damages caused by extreme weather such as floodsFossil fuel companies must pay for the damage caused by extreme weather due to the climate emergency such as the floods devastating parts of England, the Labour leadership contender Rebecca Long-Bailey has said.Long-Bailey, the most leftwing candidate in the contest, said she was calling for a “climate justice fund” to support affected households and communities, paid for by a windfall tax on oil and gas companies “responsible for knowingly heating our planet to dangerous levels”. This would include help towards affordable insurance for those suffering from repeated flooding, she said. Continue reading...

Companies spent $84m on congressional campaigns in 2018, analysis of votes and political contributions showsThe oil and gas industry substantially rewards US legislators with campaign donations when they oppose environmental protections, according to a new analysis of congressional votes and political contributions.Oil and gas companies spent $84m on congressional campaigns in 2018. Researchers found a correlation between an increase in anti-environment votes and an increase in contributions. They documented how lawmakers’ scores from the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) dipped and then were followed by campaign funding from the industry. Continue reading...

Several members of the Tyendinaga Mohawk nation arrested in growing political crisis for Justin TrudeauPolice in Canada have removed Indigenous activists from a railway line in Ontario, where a two-week protest against a contentious natural gas pipeline has blocked train traffic and fueled a growing political crisis for prime minister Justin Trudeau.The Wet’suwet’en nation have lived on their territories in what is now British Columbia for thousands of years. They have never signed treaties or sold their land to Canada. Continue reading...

Environmental group’s lawyers said they knew boarding North Sea rig was in contempt of courtGreenpeace faces a heavy fine after admitting that its climate activists boarded a North Sea oil rig in defiance of a court order last year.Transocean, the US-based drilling contractor, has asked the court of session in Edinburgh to impose unlimited fines on Greenpeace UK and consider jailing its executive director, John Sauven, for contempt of court. Continue reading...

Latest fortnightly survey shows a majority of Australian voters support net zero either strongly or somewhatA clear and growing majority of Coalition voters support the Morrison government adopting a net zero target for 2050, with support for that proposition climbing 12 points in a month, according to the latest Guardian Essential poll.The latest fortnightly survey shows a majority of Australian voters support net zero either strongly or somewhat (75%, up four points in a month), and 68% of Coalition voters in the sample hold that positive view. Last month, the proportion of supportive Coalition voters was 56%. Continue reading...

Teck Resources’ surprise decision drew outrage from politicians in oil-rich Alberta and cheers from environmental groupsA Canadian mining giant has withdrawn plans for a massive C$20.6bn ($15.7bn) tar sands mine, days before the federal government was to decide on whether to approve the controversial project.Teck Resources’ surprise decision to withdraw from open pit Frontier Mine project landed as a bombshell on Sunday night, prompting outrage from politicians in oil-rich Alberta and cheers from environmental groups. Continue reading...

Conservation groups are fighting the creation of 3,500 gas wells in Wyoming that threaten a 170-mile pathThe Path of the Pronghorn is a 170-mile migration route that the antelope-like creatures have traveled annually for 6,000 years. It is one of North America’s last remaining long-distance terrestrial migration corridors.And it is at risk. This week conservation groups filed a legal petition challenging the Trump administration’s plan to allow 3,500 new gas wells in south-western Wyoming that would block the route. Continue reading...

Environment Agency issues warning as snow and rain force closure of 250 schoolsSerious flooding from swollen rivers will threaten parts of England for several days, the Environment Agency has warned, as adverse weather continues to cause disruption.The warnings came as more than 250 schools were closed across northern England on Monday because of heavy snow and rain. Continue reading...

Ahead of the release of its technology roadmap, the Coalition tries to ramp up pressure on Labor over its net zero emissions targetScott Morrison has acknowledged there are “costs associated with climate change” but has declined to spell out what 3C heating would do to job creation and economic growth in Australia.Ahead of the release of its technology roadmap, the federal government is attempting to ramp up political pressure on Labor over its commitment to a net zero target by 2050, blasting the opposition for adopting a target without a fleshed-out strategy to meet it, and pointing out that CSIRO research cited positively by Labor assumes a carbon price of more than $200 to drive the transition. Continue reading...

Government MPs lash out at Labor over its emissions target before the parties spar on climate and more in question time, which begins with tributes to Hannah Clarke and her children. This blog is now closed

Negotiations over a 10-year agenda for nature are about to begin. Our ecological future depends on the engagement of every global citizenThe year 2020 has been designated a “super year for nature”, when the global community will rededicate itself to halting biodiversity loss with a 10-year action agenda, scheduled for agreement at the conference of the parties to the UN Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) in Kunming in China in October.On 13 January we published an initial “zero” draft of an action framework, which will be considered at negotiations being held in Rome from 24 February. Continue reading...

Given the madness in the political debate over a 2050 target, let’s establish some basic factsIt’s not news to observe that as soon as anyone mentions climate change policy in Australia, madness generally follows. A fresh outbreak of stupidity in the political debate has been triggered by Labor’s decision last week to sign up to a net zero target by 2050.Given the madness, let’s look at net zero, and establish some basic facts. Continue reading...

Organisation says it is frustrated with government’s use of vouchers in scheme that takes away farmers’ ‘dignity and choice’

75mph winds expected to bring more torrential downpours to one of wettest Februarys everA storm is expected to bring further bands of torrential rain to flood-hit communities as it sweeps across Britain.Forecasters have issued a yellow weather warning as the 75mph storm brings a fresh deluge of rain, up to 50mm (2in) in some places. Continue reading...

Environment secretary says there are ‘no plans’ to change law to clinch US trade dealThe environment secretary has refused to give a firm guarantee that the government will not allow chlorine-washed chicken to be imported into the UK as part of a trade deal with the US.While stressing that chlorinated chicken was currently illegal in the UK, and that the government was committed to maintaining high standards, George Eustice’s declaration that the government had “no plans” to change the law was more equivocal than assurances given by his predecessor, who said the current law would stay. Continue reading...

Energy board says renewables growth will cut electricity prices, but warns extreme weather and ageing coal plants a threat to energy securityRetail electricity prices are tipped to fall by 7.1% by 2022 – an average saving of $97 per household – according to the Energy Security Board.In its latest report on the health of the national electricity market, to be released on Monday, the ESB credits new low-cost renewable generation for driving down wholesale prices and warns that severe weather and ageing coal power plants are threatening reliability of supply. Continue reading...

Group’s first ever reference to global heating signals growing economic concerns over climate changeThe G20 group of the world’s wealthiest nations have agreed for the first time to collectively sound the alarm over the threat to the financial system posed by the climate emergency.Overcoming objections from Donald Trump’s US administration, G20 finance ministers and central bank governors meeting in Saudi Arabia over the weekend agreed to issue their first ever communique with references to climate change, according to reports from Reuters. Continue reading...

Campaigners seek to embarrass Bank over role of Tullow Oil executive Dorothy ThompsonEnvironmental groups have called into question the Bank of England’s commitment to tackling the climate emergency while it retains one of Britain’s most senior oil company executives on its governing board.Greenpeace joined with Friends of the Earth and the campaign group Oil Change International (OCI) to condemn the role played on the Bank’s board of directors by Dorothy Thompson, the executive chair of Britain’s largest independent oil company, Tullow Oil. Continue reading...

Labor leader tells ABC he is open to a donations cap and says ALP zero emissions target could revive the NegAnthony Albanese has given in-principle support for a cap on political donations, citing the record $83m donation from Mineralogy to Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party as an example of “obscene” donations that must be curbed.In a wide-ranging interview on ABC’s Insiders, the Labor leader also confirmed the opposition’s target of net zero emissions by 2050 will include all sectors of the economy and could be achieved in part by adopting the Turnbull-era national energy guarantee in the electricity sector. Continue reading...

Swedish opera singer Malena Ernman gives emotional account of daughter’s battles with autism and an eating disorder