New government analysis on electric vehicles suggests Labor’s election policy was not out of step with path country is already on

The UK’s first nuclear plant to be built since 1995 is expected to cost more than £20bn

Several workers on nuclear plant have killed themselves or attempted to, says union

‘Furthest north lightning strikes in Alaska forecaster memory’ hit as high temperatures and widespread fires plague regionMultiple lightning strikes have been observed 300 miles from the North Pole, according to the US National Weather Service, in the latest sign of extreme changes to the Arctic environment.The strikes, detected by the NWS station in Fairbanks, Alaska, were produced by towering storm clouds. They were detected on Saturday, and while not unique, come as the region is experiencing record-low sea ice levels, high temperatures and widespread fires on areas of tundra. Continue reading...

Black squirrel result of interbreeding between grey and fox squirrels – and they both carry virusIn popular myth they are an aggressive new “super” species pushing out the grey squirrel just as it has displaced the red squirrel.But the black squirrels seen scampering through southern England are a form of grey squirrel created by wild interbreeding between greys and fox squirrels in North America, according to research. Continue reading...

Area around site sealed off for 10 days to remove hazardous dust that has settled since fire in AprilClean-up workers have begun a huge “decontamination” operation around Notre Dame Cathedral after a health scare over lead particles from the fire.It is the second attempt to remove hazardous dust spread across a swath of central Paris that settled on homes, schools and on the ground after the blaze in April that destroyed the cathedral’s roof and spire. Continue reading...

Discovery raises new questions about the amount of plastic waste permeating the air, water, and soil virtually everywhere on EarthPlastic was the furthest thing from Gregory Wetherbee’s mind when he began analyzing rainwater samples collected from the Rocky Mountains. “I guess I expected to see mostly soil and mineral particles,” said the US Geological Survey researcher. Instead, he found multicolored microscopic plastic fibers.The discovery, published in a recent study (pdf) titled “It is raining plastic”, raises new questions about the amount of plastic waste permeating the air, water, and soil virtually everywhere on Earth. Continue reading...

About 450 overseas pests have been introduced to US forests, a climate crisis resource, due to international trade and travelAbout 40% of all forests across the US are at risk of being ravaged by an army of harmful pests, undermining a crucial resource in addressing the climate crisis, new research has found.Tree-damaging pests have already destroyed swathes of US woodland, with the American chestnut virtually wiped out by a fungal disease and elms blighted by Dutch elm disease. About 450 overseas pests that damage or feed on trees have been introduced to US forests due to the growth in international trade and travel. Continue reading...

Australian Council of Recycling warns 4.5m tonnes of waste could end up in domestic landfill without investmentAustralia’s recycling industry has said the “nice words” of a government agreement on recycling must be backed up with funding and action to be “transformative” to the sector.The Australian Council of Recycling welcomed a Council of Australian Governments deal to end recycling exports, but warned the 4.5m tonnes of waste could instead end up in domestic landfill without major public investment in the recyclables industry. Continue reading...

Under a policy that promised to put a limit on industrial pollution, Anglo American was given the green light to increase annual emissionsAn Australian coalmine has nearly doubled its greenhouse gas emissions in two years without penalty under a Coalition climate policy that promised to put a limit on industrial pollution.Mining company Anglo American was given the green light to increase emissions at its Moranbah North mine, in central Queensland, twice since 2016, according to documents released under freedom of information laws. Continue reading...

Wholesale prices rise by 400% as restaurants advised to take cauliflower-related meals off menusBritain is in the grip of a cauliflower crisis, with supermarket shelves emptying after heavy rain destroyed this year’s crop in Lincolnshire, while alternative European supplies are drying up after the continental heatwave.Tesco only has organic cauliflowers left for sale on its online site, telling buyers that standard single cauliflowers and large cauliflowers are not available. Continue reading...

Anyone looking around for bad economic news in this ‘silly season’ is spoilt for choiceEvery now and then, August belies its reputation as a sleepy month when nothing happens and throws up an event that shakes financial markets.The Latin American debt crisis began in August 1982; oil prices soared after Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990; the Asian debt crisis had its genesis in the same month in Thailand seven years later. Then there are the crises that simmer away in August and finally come to the boil in September: the buildup to Black Wednesday in 1990; the weeks leading up to the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008. Continue reading...

Plume from unprecedented blazes forecast to reach Alaska as fires rage for third monthA cloud of smoke and soot bigger than the European Union is billowing across Siberia as wildfires in the Arctic Circle rage into an unprecedented third month.The normally frozen region, which is a crucial part of the planet’s cooling system, is spewing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and worsening the manmade climate disruption that created the tinderbox conditions. Continue reading...

Changes to how Endangered Species Act is implemented come as world scientists warn biodiversity crisis will put humanity at riskThe Trump administration is scaling back the US government’s latitude to protect species nearing extinction, as world scientists warn that a biodiversity crisis will soon put humanity at risk.The changes to how the government implements the Endangered Species Act, lauded by industry, will make it harder to protect the most vulnerable creatures. Continue reading...

Scottish Natural Heritage warns of potential ‘significant effects’ on birds and marine lifeSignificant environmental concerns have been raised about plans to build a large salmon farm just off the coast of Canna, a tiny Hebridean island near Skye.Mowi, the world’s largest salmon producer, has tabled outline plans to install eight fish farm cages to grow thousands of tonnes of organic salmon in one of the most environmentally protected areas of sea in the UK. Continue reading...

Pacific leaders say they need more than money from Australia as they demand concrete actions to reduce emissionsScott Morrison will unveil a $500m climate change and oceans funding package for the Pacific region when he attends the Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting in Tuvalu this week.The funding package, which will use existing aid funds to help Pacific nations invest in renewable energy and climate and disaster resilience, will build on the $300m given by the government for that purpose in 2016-2020. Continue reading...

Islanders are struggling to reconcile impact of global heating with traditional way of life, survey findsLife on thin ice: mental health at the heart of the climate crisisThe climate crisis is causing unprecedented levels of stress and anxiety to people in Greenland who are struggling to reconcile the traumatic impact of global heating with their traditional way of life.The first ever national survey examining the human impact of the climate emergency, revealed in the Guardian on Monday, shows that more than 90% of islanders interviewed fully accept that the climate crisis is happening, with a further 76% claiming to have personally experienced global heating in their daily lives, from coping with dangerous sea ice journeys to having sled dogs euthanised for economic reasons tied to shorter winters. Continue reading...

Bright Blue calls for zero VAT on electric cars and rewards for reporting idling vehiclesVehicle fuel taxes should rise to combat the air pollution crisis in the UK, with an extra charge on diesel, according to the conservative thinktank Bright Blue.A report calls for VAT to be abolished on electric cars and for citizens to be able to report idling vehicles and receive a share of fines levied. It also proposes that the speed limit in all urban areas is cut from 30mph to 20mph and that local authorities should be able to profit from pollution charging schemes to fund clean-air projects. Continue reading...

MPs want mandatory climate reporting within three years to avoid risk to investmentsBritain’s biggest companies, investors and pension funds must come clean to investors on the financial risks they face due to the climate crisis, MPs have said.The environmental audit committee (EAC) has called for the City of London to face mandatory climate reporting within the next three years to avoid jeopardising hundreds of billions of pounds worth of pension savings. Continue reading...

Speaking in Puerto Rico at the International Congress of Youth Voices, David Wallace-Wells warns the the devastation could be routinely replicated – but youth activism offers hope

Appalachia’s main industry is dying and some workers are looking to a new economic promise after Trump’s proves emptySet in a wooded valley between the Tug Fork river and the Mate creek, Matewan, West Virginia was the site of the 1920 Matewan Massacre, a shoot-out between pro-union coal miners and coal company agents that left 10 people dead and triggered one of the most brutal fights over the future of the coal industry in US history.The coal industry in Appalachia is dying – something that people there know better than anyone. Some in this region are pinning their hopes on alternative solutions, including rising Democratic star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal. Continue reading...

Frank Bainimarama appeals to larger neighbour to ‘more fully appreciate’ climate risks and reduce carbon emissionsThe prime minister of Fiji has warned Australia to reduce its coal emissions and do more to combat climate change as regional leaders prepare to gather in Tuvalu ahead of the Pacific Islands Forum this week.Speaking in Tuvalu at a climate change conference ahead of the forum on Monday, Frank Bainimarama appealed directly to Australia to transition away from coal-powered energy and asked its government “to more fully appreciate” the “existential threat” facing Pacific nations. Continue reading...

Party points to environmental impact of driven shooting as well as £3m a year subsidy to largest moors

Big Highland estates turn away from driven shooting in the name of rewilding

Millennials’ desire to nurture and care for something also contribute to riseIndoor plants sales are booming as a result of urbanisation, interior design trends and millennials’ desire to have something to nurture and care for.According to experts, the rise in sales of indoor plants and plant accessories, as well as the prominence of Instagram influencers – social media personalities with tens of thousands of followers – speaks to a growing trend among young people. Continue reading...

Supermarket’s freezers will help power 8,500 homes by matching defrost times to blackouts or surges in demandHundreds of Asda supermarket stores will help power the UK’s electricity system this winter by using their fridges as a virtual battery pack for the energy grid.Britain’s third-largest supermarket chain has signed up 300 stores and 18 distribution depots to schemes which can earn the grocery giant extra revenue while helping to balance the electricity grid. Continue reading...

Climate crisis is more than a meeting agenda item in a host country that could be left uninhabitable by rising sea levels

The 16-year-old climate change activist has galvanised young people to read more about saving the planetSome seek to convey the wonder of endangered animals while others give tips on how to tackle waste or tell tales of inspirational environmental activists.All are part of what children’s publishers are calling “the Greta Thunberg effect”: a boom in books aimed at empowering young people to save the planet. Continue reading...

Last week’s widespread disruption illuminated the brittle nature of our infrastructureNearly a million people without power; parts of the rail network crippled; Newcastle airport plunged into darkness; a hospital temporarily without power. Friday’s power cut caused chaos across much of Britain’s transport network, leaving people stranded at stations for hours and causing traffic light failures across parts of the country.The National Grid has pointed out that this was caused by a highly unusual event: two simultaneous power station failures, one at a gas-fired power station in Cambridgeshire, the other at an offshore wind farm in the North Sea. It also said the system operated “as planned” in reaction to the resulting fall in power frequency, by disconnecting “an isolated portion of electricity demand”, allowing power to be restored quickly. A cyber attack or wind power supply problems – which critics of renewable energy have been quick to try to pin the disruption on – have been ruled out. Continue reading...

NSW government wants to be ready to increase water supply if the drought worsensThe New South Wales government has begun preliminary planning to boost output at Sydney’s desalination plant, in a bid to secure the city’s water supply as dam levels continue to drop.The Kurnell plant, which can currently supply drinking water for up to 1.5 million people in Sydney, returned to operation in January for the second time since 2012. Continue reading...

Despite a successful breeding season, the endangered birds still face serious threatsA row has broken out between conservation groups over the wellbeing of one of Britain’s most critically endangered birds of prey: the hen harrier. The dispute reveals a basic divide between experts on how to save the birds from eradication in Britain.Natural England announces on Sunday that 2019 has been a record year for breeding success in England. A total of 15 nests had 12 successful breeding pairs and produced 47 chicks – improving on the previous high point of 46 set in 2006, news that was hailed “as a positive result” by the organisation. Continue reading...

Minister says the debate is different this time around, but critics say it’s best left to experts rather than ‘energy illiterate MPs’Political arguments about nuclear power in Australia are not new, but the energy minister, Angus Taylor, says this time is different.Announcing a parliamentary inquiry into what would be necessary to develop a nuclear energy industry, Taylor suggested people should no longer be thinking of the large-scale plants that had dominated the global industry since the 1950s. The future of nuclear, if it had one, was small. Continue reading...

Boris Johnson aide, a strident critic of Brussels, is accused of hypocrisy over paymentsBoris Johnson’s controversial enforcer, Dominic Cummings, an architect of Brexit and a fierce critic of Brussels, is co-owner of a farm that has received €250,000 (£235,000) in EU farming subsidies, the Observer can reveal.The revelation is a potential embarrassment for the mastermind behind Johnson’s push to leave the EU by 31 October. Since being appointed as Johnson’s chief adviser, Cummings has presented the battle to leave the EU as one between the people and the politicians. He positions himself as an outsider who wants to demolish elites, end the “absurd subsidies” paid out by the EU and liberate the UK from its arcane rules and regulations. Continue reading...

The felling of ancient woodland to make way for a giant coal mine brings together two linked battles for the activistGreta Thunberg started her long journey to climate summits in the Americas by joining a treetop protest in Germany’s Hambach forest, where environmentalists have been fighting for years to stop the ancient woodland being torn up for open-cast coal mining.The battle to save the last remaining oak and hornbeam trees reflects the young activist’s entwined fights to protect the natural world from human exploitation and to halt carbon emissions. Continue reading...

Animal ‘fled the scene’ after smashing hood and windshield, causing vehicle to roll onto its side and burst into flamesThey probably don’t train people for this at the sheriff’s academy.A patrol car was struck by a falling bear in northern California last weekend, causing the vehicle to crash and explode. Continue reading...

Environment Agency analysing Somerset stream but says there are no reports of dead wildlifeA mysterious substance that has turned a tributary of a river in the West Country bright blue is being investigated by the Environment Agency.Tests are being carried out on the River Frome in Somerset this weekend after the water turned a luminous colour. The Environment Agency said it was treating it as a suspected pollution incident but there were no reports of dead wildlife. Continue reading...

Even with major efforts to reduce greenhouse gases, 80% of the trees’ habitat will be whittled away by the end of the centuryJoshua trees have dotted the Mojave desert for 2.5m years, but even if humans take urgent action to combat the climate crisis, their decimation is all but ensured by the end of this century, a study has found.Only .02% of the tree’s current habitat in Joshua Tree national park would remain viable amid unmitigated climate change, according to research published in the journal Ecosphere. Even in a best-case scenario, with major efforts to reduce greenhouse gases, 80% of the trees’ habitat will be whittled away. Continue reading...

Rosatom says five staff died in accident that caused radiation levels to spike in Arkhangelsk

Team of ex-firefighters given go-ahead to legally process crop for cannabidiol extractionJersey has become the first place in the British and Irish Isles to grant a licence for farmers to harvest hemp flowers for cannabis oil.A former Royal Marine commando and two former colleagues will be the pioneers who process hemp for cannabidiol (CBD) extraction. Continue reading...

This week, wild elephants, baby baboons and sharks that glow in the dark Continue reading...

Picking city as likely venue of COP26 may be seen as move to shore up pro-union sentimentA crucial climate change conference expected to be co-hosted by the UK would take place in Glasgow, the government has announced, in a move that will be seen as trying to dampen pro-independence sentiment in Scotland.The UK is bidding to host COP26, the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations framework convention on climate change (UNFCCC), alongside Italy. Continue reading...

Peruvian government warned it must be consulted over plans to locate airport near world heritage sites that include the Inca citadel and Sacred ValleyUnesco has sent a letter to the Peruvian government demanding information about the construction of a new airport near Machu Picchu and what impact it could have on the Inca citadel, the country’s biggest tourist attraction and a world heritage site.The letter, which has not been made public, reminds Peru of its obligation to protect its world heritage sites and directly refers to Chinchero, the historic village in the Sacred Valley, near the town of Cusco, where the controversial new airport is being built – to the horror of archeologists. Continue reading...

In interview with the Guardian, Ricardo Galvão says if the far-right leader doesn’t change tack the Amazon will be ruinedIllegal loggers are ramping up a “brutal, fast” assault on the Brazilian Amazon with the blessing of the far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, the sacked head of the government agency tasked with monitoring deforestation has warned.Speaking to the Guardian five days after his dismissal, Ricardo Galvão said he was “praying to the heavens” the far-right leader would change tack before the Amazon – and Brazil’s international reputation as an environmental leader – were ruined. Continue reading...

State environment ministers will consult industry to develop a timeline to improve the recycling systemThe prime minister has vowed to do more to tackle plastic waste in the world’s oceans, saying the export of waste plastic, paper, glass and tyres will be banned.Scott Morrison said only about 12% of materials are properly recycled in Australia and he wanted that to change. With state and territory leaders, he has laid out a plan for environment ministers to improve the recycling system. Continue reading...

Giovanni Tamacas starved himself for 10 days in the US capital to protest about a ‘criminally complicit’ government’s inactionFood shortages, social disruption and riots. That’s the future 19-year-old Giovanni Tamacas envisioned during the 10 days he starved himself in the nation’s capital in a hunger strike protest at the lack of action to thwart the climate crisis.A student at the University of California in San Diego, Tamacas spent seven days baking in the sun in front of the White House and three more at an American Civil Liberties Union advocacy institute. He also staged a “die-in” in front of the US Capitol building. Continue reading...

Inexperienced hobbyists force bees to search often in vain for suitable habitats across the cityHumans are not the only ones in Berlin struggling to find accommodation. A beekeeping boom has led to swarms of bees forming novel new hives using anything from motorbikes to balconies in the German capital.Germany’s beekeeping association has been forced to dispatch a growing band of swarm-catchers – or schwarmfänger – reachable via telephone hotlines, to deal with a deluge of incidents in which thousands of bees cluster round objects while scout bees go in search of suitable homes, such as a tree hollow, more often than not in vain. Continue reading...

Energy minister leaves all options open for taskforce studying Liddell closureAngus Taylor has announced a taskforce to study the expected closure of the Liddell power station, leaving all options on the table including extending the life of or replacing the ageing coal plant at taxpayer expense.The energy and “emissions reduction” minister who has presided over steadily increasing greenhouse gas emissions announced the review on Friday, a week after AGL revealed it would extend the life of Liddell from 2022 to April 2023. Continue reading...

The poison-filled, spring-loaded traps, called M-44s, are used by Wildlife Services for the benefit of farmers and ranchersThe Trump administration has reauthorized government officials to use controversial poison devices – dubbed “cyanide bombs” by critics – to kill coyotes, foxes and other animals across the US.The spring-loaded traps, called M-44s, are filled with sodium cyanide and are most frequently deployed by Wildlife Services, a federal agency in the US Department of Agriculture that kills vast numbers of wild animals each year, primarily for the benefit of private farmers and ranchers. Continue reading...

Alcohol is free of radioactivity and could help economic recovery in regionWhat do you call vodka produced from grain grown in the exclusion zone around Chernobyl, scene of the world’s worst nuclear disaster 33 years ago?Atomik, of course. Continue reading...