Environment | The Guardian

The city has been on stage-one water restrictions since May, and the outlook for spring is for more dry conditionsSydney’s dam storage levels have dropped below 50% for the first time in more than a decade.Storages dropped to 49.7% on Thursday, a 0.4% decline on the previous week. Continue reading...

Scathing report says Tory governments have held back progress on clean energy goalsThe government should discourage personal vehicle use and reward energy-efficient homebuilding to meet its legally binding target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, MPs have saidIn a scathing parliamentary report, the cross-party science and technology select committee said recent Conservative governments have promised more but done less on the climate crisis, which has left several gaping policy holes that need to be filled. Continue reading...

There are tens of thousands of pythons in the Florida wild, attacking animals and damaging ecosystems – and the quest to stop them has become a collective crusade

Chief executive says hard-to-recycle plastic on own-brand products will be eliminated

Queensland Labor gearing up to criminalise activism is only a taste of the kind of intimidation that’s likely to come“Even though I was the one who had been assaulted, I was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. […] I will never forgive or forget what came next. I was ‘verballed’ by the police who manufactured the most incredible statements about the whole thing.”That was Peter Beattie, who would later become ALP premier of Queensland, detailing his treatment by police during anti-apartheid protests against the South African rugby team in July 1971. Continue reading...

Michael McCormack offers qualified apology after remarks about climate change and seasonal workers caused outrageMichael McCormack has apologised to Pacific Island nations for his comments that they will survive the climate crisis – in part – “because many of their workers come here to pick our fruit”.The deputy prime minister offered a qualified apology at a doorstop in Brisbane, six days after the remarks which further soured a bitter experience at the Pacific Islands Forum, where Australia was roundly criticised for watering down a communique on the climate crisis. Continue reading...

Democrat who had built his campaign around tackling climate crisis says it was clear he would not winJay Inslee, the governor of Washington and a 2020 Democratic hopeful, has dropped out of the presidential race.Inslee, who launched his campaign in March with a singular focus on fighting climate change, announced he was suspending his campaign during an appearance on MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Resources minister defends his extraordinary spray accusing engineering firm of being ‘weak as piss’ and giving in to anti-coal ‘bullies’

A sense of futility haunts us all, so I sought to distill in as few words as possible what could be done by us as a people. Writing them, I felt my despair lift

Frank assessment by Aemo says it has been taking ‘reactive action’ to prevent summer blackouts, but that has come at a high costThe energy market operator has used its latest 10-year forecast of reliability in Australia’s power supply to highlight the urgent need for more investment in dispatchable energy and in transmission infrastructure.In a frank assessment, the chief executive of Aemo, Audrey Zibelman, says the energy market operator has been engaged in “reactive action” to ensure the risks of blackouts are reduced during the summer peaks. Continue reading...

Brazilian president blames green groups for rise in blazes, but offers no evidence for claimThe Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, has accused environmental groups of setting fires in the Amazon as he tries to deflect growing international criticism of his failure to protect the world’s biggest rainforest.A surge of fires in several Amazonian states this month followed reports that farmers were feeling emboldened to clear land for crop fields and cattle ranches because the new Brazilian government was keen to open up the region to economic activity. Continue reading...

198 had an increase in the average number of days each year that felt 90F or hotter and 106 cities had an increase in ‘danger’ days that felt 105F or hotterNearly 200 US cities have seen an increase in the number of days each year that soar beyond a heat index of 90F (32.2C) or higher, according to an analysis of the last four decades.Related: How US cities are scrambling to protect people from extreme heat Continue reading...

An $87m corridor will extend over Highway 101 to reconnect the ecosystem and possibly save mountain lions from extinctionEngineers in southern California are hard at work designing the biggest wildlife corridor in the world, to extend over US Highway 101 to the north-west of Los Angeles.The corridor will connect different parts of the Santa Monica Mountain chain, which is crucial to the future of mountain lions – but it will help other species as well. The $87m bridge has entered its final design phase and is on track to open in 2023. Continue reading...

UK supermarket guarantees market for unwanted offspring of dairy cows on suppliers’ farms that might otherwise be slaughtered immediatelyMorrisons is guaranteeing a market for all male calves born on its dairy suppliers’ farms in a bid to stop them being killed at birth.

Jadestone CEO says it could cover the cost of cleaning up a major spill, even though company has never made a profitThe new operator of the site of Australia’s worst ever oil spill has dismissed concerns it might not have the financial capacity to clean up should disaster strike again.Ten years ago on Wednesday an estimated 40 million litres of oil leaked from a faulty rig in the Montara field, in the Timor Sea, and for 10 weeks spread over tens of thousands of square kilometres of ocean. Continue reading...

Los Angeles faces a doubling of its extreme heat days but has fresh ideas to keep residents cool - and tackle the inequality of who suffers

Climate crisis pushes retailers to reduce their impact on the environmentThere have been few fashion statements over the years at G7 summits (dress code: world leader suit, sensible shoes).But this year, G7 leaders will be joined by more than 20 fashion retailers and brands, including the owner of Gucci, Kering, H&M and Zara’s parent company, Inditex, for a key fashion moment – a global pact to fight the climate crisis and protect biodiversity and the oceans. Continue reading...

Documents obtained by the Guardian suggest interior secretary is promoting effort tied to his former firmThe US interior secretary, David Bernhardt, is promoting a fossil fuel project for which his former employer, a lobbying firm, is a paid advocate, e-mails obtained by the Guardian suggest.Experts say Bernhardt is probably violating ethics guidelines issued by the Trump administration with the stated goal of “draining the swamp”. Based on these rules, Bernhardt should be recused from specific issues involving a former client for at least two years. Continue reading...

Australia’s largest garbage company buys $60m of debt, aiming to get SKM ‘back to capacity’The garbage company Cleanaway has taken effective control of most of the Victorian recycling group SKM and says it wants to stem the state’s rubbish crisis.Cleanaway said it had paid about $60m to the Commonwealth Bank to buy out the bank’s position as SKM’s major lender and had appointed Mark Korda and Bryan Webster as receivers to run the business. Continue reading...

Mine has been subject to allegations of contaminating environment and mismanagement of toxic wasteGlencore has been given the green light to start work on its plans to vastly extend its controversial mining operations at McArthur River in the Northern Territory.The resource company, McArthur River Mine (MRM), has sought to extend its mining operation until 2048, which will add on a further 1,000 years of rehabilitation and monitoring. Continue reading...

Investor action group says Carmichael coalmine project makes Indian giant ‘brand kryptonite’The global engineering and consultancy firm Aurecon has severed a longstanding business relationship with the Adani Group, amid ongoing efforts by anti-coal activists to target firms working for the Indian conglomerate’s Australian mining arm.Adani Australia released a statement on Wednesday saying it was “surprised” by the decision but that the “concerted campaign” against the Carmichael project by environmental groups had not succeeded, and that construction of the central Queensland thermal coalmine was under way. Continue reading...

Lower Darling pushed into drought three years early because of sheer volume of water extraction by just a few licence holdersA handful of big irrigators are responsible for 86% of water extracted from the Barwon-Darling river system, pushing the lower Darling into drought three years early, an expert report has found.The NSW Natural Resources Commission released the report by the Australian Rivers Institute professor Fran Sheldon on Monday night, after it received criticism for the claim that extraction of water by cotton growers had pushed the river system into hydrological drought three years early. Continue reading...

Closure of tiger farms among urgent steps needed to protect species, wildlife summit hearsTwo illegally smuggled tigers per week are being seized by officials, according to a report, but this represents only a tiny fraction of those being killed.The report, by the wildlife trade experts Traffic, was released at a summit of 183 countries under the Convention in the International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites), where many delegates have called for stronger action. Continue reading...

Correlation found between poor air quality and disorders including schizophreniaPeople who spend their childhood in areas with high levels of air pollution may be more likely to later develop mental disorders, research suggests.Air pollution has become a matter of growing concern as an increasing number of studies have found links to conditions ranging from asthma to dementia and various types of cancer. Continue reading...

Climate emergency and population growth blamed for deteriorating water quality, with ‘cocktail of chemicals’ changing as countries become richerThe planet is facing a mounting and “invisible” water pollution crisis, according to a hard-hitting World Bank report, which claims the issue is responsible for a one-third reduction in potential economic growth in the most heavily affected areas.The study, which assembled the world’s largest database of water pollution, assesses how a combination of bacteria, sewage, chemicals and plastics suck oxygen from water supplies and transform water into poison for people and ecosystems. Continue reading...

Supermarket giant is the latest in a series of companies that have turned to renewable energy to reduce power billsSupermarket giant Coles has signed a long-term contract to get electricity from three new solar farms, the latest in a series of companies that have turned to renewable energy to lower power bills.It comes as a group of 41 retailers and businesses including Bunnings, Harvey Norman, Ikea and JB Hi-Fi plan an unprecedented joint electricity purchase in a bid to reduce costs. Continue reading...

The president’s daughter shared photos of a vacation in Wyoming, causing blowback over her father’s poor environmental recordIvanka Trump shared a series of pictures on social media over the weekend of herself, husband Jared Kushner and their children availing themselves of the natural wonders of Wyoming.“Love. Wonder. Wander. Repeat,” the president’s daughter and adviser captioned in one photo, in front of a painterly backdrop. Continue reading...

University of Nottingham says new techniques give lower estimate than in 2013 reportThe UK’s underground shale gas reserves may deliver only a fraction of the gas promised by fracking firms and government ministers, according to a study.Research by the University of Nottingham found that early estimates may have exaggerated the UK’s shale reserves up to sixfold. Continue reading...

EDF Energy is expected to restart reactor a year after it was shut down over safety concernsBritain’s nuclear watchdog has agreed to allow one of the country’s oldest nuclear reactors to restart, one year after it was shut down to investigate cracks in its graphite core.EDF Energy is expected to restart reactor 4 at its 40-year-old Hunterston B nuclear plant within weeks after the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) said the plant was safe. Continue reading...

Monitoring stations ceased transmitting data two days after the 8 August blastRussia has told international nuclear test ban monitors that it does not have to share information on the blast that caused a brief spike in radiation levels in Arkhangelsk region, bolstering speculation that Russia may have tampered with monitoring stations that failed to transmit scientific data after the accident.Two Russian-operated monitoring stations for the comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty ceased transmitting data two days after the 8 August blast, when a projected radioactive plume from the deadly accident would be expected to reach them. Continue reading...

Senate inquiry hears that major threats to wildlife are not being recognised because of environment department budget cutsAustralia is taking at least six years to list habitats as threatened under national environment laws, an inquiry examining the country’s extinction crisis has heard.The Humane Society International (HSI) also said that potential major threats to Australia’s wildlife are going unexamined because “we’re not even spending the meagre funds required” to look into them. Continue reading...

From power cuts to infrastructure failure, the impact of climate change on US cities will be huge – but many are already innovating to adaptBetween record heat and rain, this summer’s weather patterns have indicated, once again, that the climate is changing.US cities, where more than 80% of the nation’s population lives, are disproportionately hit by these changes, not only because of their huge populations but because of their existing – often inadequate – infrastructure. Continue reading...

Despite huge profit, BHP’s Andrew Mackenzie is cautious on global outlookThe rise of nationalism and governments that interfere in markets pose a threat to the global economic system, the boss of BHP, the world’s biggest mining company, has warned.Despite announcing a 124% rise in profits to $US8.31bn (£6.84bn), helped by booming iron ore sales to China, Andrew Mackenzie said on Tuesday that there were “a number of things abroad” that were causing concern for the Anglo-Australian behemoth. Continue reading...

Crackdown includes new laws that make it illegal to possess a device used for locking on, and comes as Extinction Rebellion ramps up activitiesQueensland police will be given new powers to search suspected climate change protesters, as the state government attempts to crack down on an escalating campaign of civil disobedience.Extinction Rebellion protesters have regularly disrupted traffic in the Brisbane CBD. They have indicated those stoppages would escalate in the coming months. Other groups have attempted to stop the operations of mining companies, contractors and coal freight networks across the state. Continue reading...

Singer reveals he paid for a flight for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their son ArchieSir Elton John has defended the Duke and Duchess of Sussex over their use of private jets, revealing that he had paid for a flight for them and their son Archie to “maintain a high level of much-needed protection”.The singer hit back at what he called “these relentless and untrue assassinations on their character”, after Prince Harry and Meghan faced mounting criticism for reportedly taking four private jet journeys in 11 days, rather than opting for commercial flights, despite speaking out on environmental issues. Buckingham Palace declined to comment. Continue reading...

Plan to prevent 5,000 primates being caged in UK comes ahead of possible general electionA total ban on keeping monkeys as pets would be brought in under a Labour government to stop up to 5,000 primates being kept in cages in the UK.Labour announced it would make it illegal to train or keep marmosets, capuchins, squirrel monkeys and lemurs, as the political parties begin to set out their policies ahead of a possible general election this autumn. Continue reading...

Environmental groups called deaths of wolves that had killed or wounded cows since 2018 ‘unbelievably tragic’

Couple in hot water as Italian authorities get tough on issue blighting island for yearsA pair of French tourists could face up to six years in jail after allegedly stealing 40kg (6st 3lbs) of sand from one of Sardinia’s pristine beaches.Border police found the white sand, taken from Chia beach in the south of the Italian island, stashed into 14 large plastic bottles in the boot of the couple’s car. The pair were about to board a ferry for Toulon, in southern France, from Porto Torres. Continue reading...

Conservation groups split on impact of move agreed at international wildlife summitSouth Africa has won permission to almost double the number of black rhinos that can be killed as trophies after arguing the money raised will support conservation of the critically endangered species.The decision was made at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) after receiving support from some African nations and opposition from others. Continue reading...

National Farmers’ Union says only farms in south-east England able to start harvestAugust’s wet weather has brought this year’s wheat harvest to a “shuddering halt”, the deputy president of the National Farmers’ Union has said.Guy Smith said farmers outside the south-east of England had been left unable start their harvest their crop because of heavy rainfall this month. Continue reading...

Campaigners call for stiffer penalties after Alan Wilson given community sentenceA sheriff has criticised Scotland’s weak wildlife crime laws after a gamekeeper convicted of killing protected birds of prey and mammals avoided a prison term.Alan Wilson, 60, pleaded guilty in July to shooting and trapping badgers, an otter, goshawks and buzzards and installing 23 illegal snares in a small wood on a grouse- and pheasant-shooting estate at Longformacus near Duns. Continue reading...

National Trust for Scotland says fish farm could harm the environment and economyThe National Trust for Scotland has warned that a large salmon farm beside the Hebridean island of Canna could destroy the island’s culture and wildlife.The trust, Scotland’s largest heritage charity, said the proposed fish farm posed unacceptable risks to the sea and the birdlife around the tiny island, and would put its booming tourism economy under great strain. Continue reading...

Coal-fired stations in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley and NSW’s Lake Macquarie region among biggest hotspots for deadly sulphur dioxide, report findsPower stations in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley and New South Wales’s Lake Macquarie region have been named on a list of the world’s biggest hotspots for toxic air pollution.A new report by Greenpeace, published on Monday, used satellite data published by Nasa to analyse the world’s worst sources of sulphur dioxide (SO2) pollution, an irritant gas known to affect human health and one of the main pollutants contributing to deaths from air pollution worldwide. Continue reading...

Researchers say eradication of feral cats is required to reduce the prevalence of the parasite and the diseaseFeral cats are not just predators that kill large numbers of Australian wildlife, they may also be spreading parasitic disease to native animal species, according to new research analysing the impact of cat populations in South Australia.The study, published in the journal Wildlife Research, examined Toxoplasma gondii (T gondii), a cat-borne parasite that can cause the disease Toxoplasmosis in a range of species. Continue reading...

Australia Institute says claim Australia is only responsible for 1.2% of emissions hides real contribution to climate crisisAustralia’s role as a leader in the global fossil fuel trade is underscored by a report that finds it is the world’s third biggest exporter and fifth biggest miner of fossil-related emissions.While political debate sometimes emphasises that Australia is responsible for 1.2% of global emissions at home, the analysis by progressive thinktank the Australia Institute says it trails only Russia and Saudi Arabia in exporting fossil fuels. Continue reading...

Climate activist is four days into a two-week journey on solar-powered yachtFour days into its two-week Atlantic crossing, the solar-powered yacht carrying climate activist Greta Thunberg is becalmed in the ocean after a choppy start to the trip, still 2,500 nautical miles from New York.In an update posted to Twitter around midday on Saturday, the 16-year-old said she was eating and sleeping well and had no sea sickness so far. Continue reading...

Number of flights taken by BEIS staff rises to 4,500 from 2,700 in previous year despite carbon footprintThe Whitehall officials responsible for tackling the climate crisis dramatically increased their domestic flights last year despite the huge carbon footprint associated with aviation.Officials from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) took more than 4,500 domestic business flights in the last financial year, according to its annual report. The number of flights taken the year before was fewer than 2,700. Continue reading...

Things are not under control when it comes to Australia meeting our Paris target, even if Scott Morrison wants us to believe thatWe’ll get to climate, and the rumble in the Pacific, but I want to begin closer to home. It’s been a busy news week, so you might have missed an excellent story from my colleague Adam Morton on Tuesday revealing that a coalmine in Queensland has nearly doubled its greenhouse gas emissions in two years without penalty under a Morrison government mechanism that is supposed to impose limits on industrial pollution.According to documents released under freedom of information laws, mining company Anglo American was given the green light under the safeguards mechanism to increase its emissions by about 1m tonnes at its Moranbah North mine, in central Queensland. The case study matters, because it helps us separate spin from substance. Continue reading...

Endangered bonobo, migrating storks and one of the world’s biggest raptors

Compostable bowls are considered eco-friendly, but they are covered in chemicals that persist indefinitely and are linked to troubling health effectsFor years, disposable bowls have been a stalwart ally of the fast-casual restaurant. Beige, earthy-looking and made from molded plant fibers, these receptacles appear less wasteful than single-use plastic, lending an aura of social responsibility to the eateries that use them. Some varieties are even certified compostable, which means they’re guaranteed to break down in commercial composting facilities, if not the backyard leaf pile. And while only a few chains actually run composting programs, these bowls still feel lighter-touch somehow – even when they’re simply shipped to the landfill. They suggest a higher-minded way of eating, one based on a form of packaging that’s almost as ephemeral as our encounters with it.But fast-casual bowls have a troubling secret: virtually all of them contain worrisome chemicals that never biodegrade, polluting soil, water and our bodies in the process. The truth is that, though you might only handle your salad bowl for five minutes, traces of it will stick around in the environment for ever. Continue reading...