Radical change needed to make UK food and farming system sustainable within 10 yearsThe true cost of cheap, unhealthy food is a spiralling public health crisis and environmental destruction, according to a high-level commission. It said the UK’s food and farming system must be radically transformed and become sustainable within 10 years.The commission’s report, which was welcomed by the environment secretary, Michael Gove, concluded that farmers must be enabled to shift from intensive farming to more organic and wildlife friendly production, raising livestock on grass and growing more nuts and pulses. It also said a National Nature Service should be created to give opportunities for young people to work in the countryside and, for example, tackle the climate crisis by planting trees or restoring peatlands. Continue reading...

Council in Victorian town to vote whether to re-home birds popular on social media, following reports of ‘intimidating’ behaviourA plan to relocate a flock of domestic geese in the Victorian tourist town of Daylesford has drawn concern from some local tourism operators, who say the geese are a popular Instagram drawcard.The Hepburn shire council will vote on Tuesday night on whether to relocate the 30-odd domestic geese, which have been living on Lake Daylesford in increasing numbers for several years. Continue reading...

Committee urges action over flame retardants found in breast milk and umbilical cordsBritons are being exposed to a “cocktail of chemicals” from the womb onwards, with potentially life-threatening consequences, MPs have warned.Ministers were accused of “sitting on their hands” while “unnecessary and potentially toxic” chemicals continued to enter people’s homes. Continue reading...

Meeting of carmakers also told of plan for new houses to have EV charging pointThe government has handed Jaguar Land Rover a £500m loan guarantee to help accelerate its progress in the global electric vehicle race.Theresa May said the loan would help Britain’s biggest carmaker sell the next generation of electric cars around the world. She told a meeting of industry leaders at Downing Street on Monday that the funding pot would include £500m from UK Export Finance alongside another £125m from commercial lenders. Continue reading...

Divers stayed close to giant animal for an hour before it swam awayA giant barrel jellyfish has been spotted off the coast of Cornwall by divers.“I’ve never seen one that big,” said Lizzie Daly, a biologist who saw the creature near Falmouth. “We had seen a few smaller jellyfish at a beautiful reef nearby, and then out of the murk came this huge, beautiful jelly fish. You just take a double look and ask yourself if it’s actually a metre and a half long.” Continue reading...

Former Greens leader says Robbins Island proposal could harm critically endangered birds and affect landscape’s natural beautyBob Brown, one of Australia’s most prominent environmental activists, says he opposes a major windfarm development because its towers will affect Tasmania’s natural beauty and could kill endangered wildlife without any economic benefit for the state.The former Greens leader said the $1.6bn Robbins Island development could harm migratory and critically endangered birds, and transmission lines to link the plant to a new power cable across Bass Strait would require a path to be cut through the Tarkine wilderness. Continue reading...

They’re cheaper than cabs, less effort than a bike and more convenient than buses. But as the number of e-scooter accidents rises, a backlash is growingMost of the people riding electric scooters around Copenhagen glide like swans, bodies motionless and serene with heads tilted into the sunshine.I am the ugly duckling, wobbling and jerking while I struggle to figure out exactly how this two-wheeled contraption works. Where do I put my feet? How hard do I thumb the accelerator? And how on earth am I meant to indicate left and press the brake with my left hand at the same time? Continue reading...

Ministers are expected to announce plans to bolster nuclear industry this weekThe government will set out plans to resuscitate the UK’s struggling nuclear ambitions with a new scheme which would leave taxpayers liable for rising costs or delays.The funding model, expected this week, could help bankroll the multibillion pound plans for a follow-on to EDF Energy’s Hinkley Point C project in Somerset, which ministers aim to build at the Sizewell site in Suffolk. Continue reading...

Prospectors in Russia dig up remains of extinct animals for trade worth an estimated £40m a yearActivists and officials in northern Russia have warned of a “gold rush” for mammoth ivory as prospectors dig up tusks and other woolly mammoth remains that can net a small fortune on the rapacious Chinese market.Melting permafrost from global heating has made it easier for locals to retrieve the remains of woolly mammoths, which have been extinct for thousands of years, and sell them on to China, where the ivory is fashioned into jewellery, trinkets, knives, and other decorations. Continue reading...

Labour in power would change law to reveal imported emissions and ‘carbon leakage’The UK will stop hiding its “true impact” on the climate by revealing its consumption of carbon emissions from across the world, Jeremy Corbyn was due to pledge on Sunday.In an attempt to place his party at the forefront of the battle against the climate crisis, the Labour leader was due to say, is “even greater than we think” and demands an end to “passing the buck to poorer countries”. Continue reading...

Ambitious export plan could generate billions and make Australia the centre of low-cost energy in a future zero-carbon worldThe desert outside Tennant Creek, deep in the Northern Territory, is not the most obvious place to build and transmit Singapore’s future electricity supply. Though few in the southern states are yet to take notice, a group of Australian developers are betting that will change.If they are right, it could have far-reaching consequences for Australia’s energy industry and what the country sells to the world. Continue reading...

Other events included mass bike ride through A10, Olympic park traffic blocks as well as talks and panels in London FieldsExtinction Rebellion has staged a blockade in Dalston, east London, disrupting traffic at its busiest central junction. Car horns, sirens and swearing competed with drumming protesters, singing and hula dancing. On Saturday the group kicked off a weekend of activity ahead of its summer uprising this week, which aims to disrupt five major UK cities and shock people into action against the climate crisis.About 50 protesters lined the road with banners reading “thank you for your patience” and “sorry for the disruption” in the hope of placating the public for the seven-minute intervals during which they blocked traffic. Some drivers were bored, others were furious. Continue reading...

More living walls are being created in cities to tackle pollution, but keeping them alive can be a major challengeWhen Andrea Carnevali’s son started at St Mary’s Catholic primary school in Chiswick he was alarmed to find that pupils were sometimes kept indoors at break times, despite a large playground.The reason was the nearby six-lane A4 road, which has up to 100,000 vehicles thundering past the school each day. As evidence mounted about the impact of poor air quality on children’s health, the headteacher restricted time outside. Continue reading...

Aruanas aims to make the environment an ‘everyday topic’ at a time when politics is dominated by the interests of agribusinessDeep in the Brazilian Amazon, an environmental activist meets with a journalist who warns that a mining company is responsible for a looming environmental disaster. “People are already getting sick,” he warns, before promising to bring her documentary proof the next day.But in the jungle, someone is watching. Driving to their next meeting, the activist hears a phone ringing in the back of her car. She opens the trunk – and finds the journalist’s dead body. Continue reading...

Campaigners say PVC used in footwear is made from fossil fuels and is difficult to recycleThe footwear equivalent of Crayola crayons and lunchboxes, the jelly shoe is back for the summer. But with most of the shoe made from PVC, it might seem an odd trend for our plastic-anxious times.Online searches for jelly sandals have significantly increased since April on global fashion search platform Lyst. The 82% month-on-month increase comes after the sandals dominated the season’s catwalks. At Alexa Chung they came elevated with jewels, while at Simone Rocha jelly sliders were decorated with feathers. There are plenty of high street versions available from Asos to Next and New Look, where prices start at around £6. Continue reading...

EPA said studies it considered, most of which were sponsored by industry, found sulfoxaflor isn’t dangerous for the pollinatorsThe Trump administration is approving the pesticide sulfoxaflor – thought by some experts to harm bees – for use on a wide variety of crops.The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says the studies it considered, most of which were sponsored by industry, found the chemical is not dangerous for the pollinators responsible for $15bn in US crops each year. Continue reading...

This week: Hungary’s insect of 2019, and bluehead wrasse courtship and sex change Continue reading...

More than 30 activists have been charged with a range of public order offencesMore than 30 Extinction Rebellion protesters have appeared in court in London charged with a range of public order offences.The charges relate to demonstrations led by the movement in April – when thousands of people blocked landmarks across the capital over 10 days to highlight climate breakdown. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Study shows associated damage to critical pumping muscles, even in childrenThe hearts of young city dwellers contain billions of toxic air pollution particles, research has revealed.Even in the study’s youngest subject, who was three, damage could be seen in the cells of the organ’s critical pumping muscles that contained the tiny particles. The study suggests these iron-rich particles, produced by vehicles and industry, could be the underlying cause of the long-established statistical link between dirty air and heart disease. Continue reading...

Mini replicas were previously discovered by environmental groups on beaches and in waterwaysColes is relaunching its Little Shop promotion with 30 new mini replicas, despite ongoing criticism from environmental groups about plastic waste.The promotion helped deliver the company record growth when it ran in 2018. Continue reading...

Fund donates £500,000 to grassroots Extinction Rebellion and other groups, with promise of more to comeA group of wealthy US philanthropists and investors have donated almost half a million pounds to support the grassroots movement Extinction Rebellion and school strike groups – with the promise of tens of millions more in the months ahead.Trevor Neilson, an investor and philanthropist who has worked with some of the world’s richest families, has teamed up with Rory Kennedy – daughter of Robert Kennedy – and Aileen Getty, whose family wealth comes from the oil industry, to launch the Climate Emergency Fund. Continue reading...

The native birds were bleeding from their mouths, according to rescuers at One Tree Hill near AdelaideNearly 60 native birds have died after they fell out of the sky in front of horrified onlookers and a nearby primary school in a suspected case of mass poisoning in South Australia.Bird rescuers said it was like “something out of a horror movie” as dozens of birds fell, bleeding from their eyes and beaks at One Tree Hill near Adelaide. Continue reading...

Species’ expansion threatens South Australia’s habitat and biodiversity, report saysAnimals including koalas and kangaroos could be culled in parts of South Australia, where high population numbers are damaging the landscape.A report from a parliamentary inquiry has recommended the state’s environment minister make an immediate decision to declare koalas, western grey kangaroos, long-nosed fur seals and little corellas overabundant in some areas. Continue reading...

Steep fines and social credit penalties face people violating complex waste sorting rules – but some say the answer is all about pigsFor the last two weeks, Shanghai residents have grappled with a singular question: “What kind of trash are you?”The question is aimed at the city’s daily 22,000 tonnes of household waste that, according to new rules implemented on 1 July, must be sorted into one of four colour-coded bins: dry, wet, recyclable and hazardous. Continue reading...

Highly contagious virus can live for months in processed meat and would have ‘devastating implications’ if passed to live pigsAfrican swine fever has been picked up in meat seized by port authorities in Northern Ireland, the first time the ASF virus has been detected in the UK.Officials confiscated more than 300kg of illegal meat and dairy products from airport passengers’ luggage in June. Samples tested by the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute in Belfast confirmed traces of the virus, which is highly contagious and can survive for several months in processed meat. Continue reading...

Drilling at Preston New Road is last-ditch effort to convince regulators to relax safety rulesThe first company to drill for shale gas in the UK plans to restart fracking at its Preston New Road site in Lancashire in a last-ditch effort to convince policymakers to relax safety rules.Cuadrilla will drill a second well near Blackpool after it was forced to abandon the first, which caused multiple earth tremors. Continue reading...

The Netherlands’ national airline urges people to ‘fly responsibly’ and to invest in its carbon-offsetting schemeDutch airline KLM has launched a campaign asking people to fly less. The video and open letter from CEO Pieter Elbers asks: “Do you always have to meet face-to-face?” and “Could you take the train instead?”The campaign aims to encourage travellers and the aviation industry to consider the environmental impact of flying. It describes the “shared responsibility” of travellers and airlines to “fly more responsibly”, and says those in the industry need to “create a sustainable future for aviation”. Continue reading...

Labor says deputy premier John Barilaro’s plan is outrageous while the Greens label it ‘criminal’New South Wales Labor has demanded Gladys Berejiklian rule out Liberal party support for a Nationals bill that would open up the Murray Valley national park to logging.The premier refused to comment on Thursday after the deputy premier, John Barilaro, vowed to de-gazette the park in the state’s Riverina region or reduce its size. Continue reading...

Groups say expanding access to contraception can improve lives and help save wildlifeA UN-backed campaign has been launched to help tackle the destruction of wildlife by boosting people’s access to contraception.Growing human populations often underlie the destruction of nature, and barriers to family planning are the “most important ignored environmental challenge”, say the campaigners. Continue reading...

Owners failed to assess environmental and community concerns, court rules, while US ambassador wades into debate in support of coal power

Restricted scheme would have far less benefit to UK economy, government data suggestsA comprehensive deposit return scheme (DRS) for plastic bottles, cans and glass could boost the economy by £2bn, government assessments show, as ministers weigh up which type of system to adopt.Government data highlighted by the Campaign to Protect Rural England indicates that a more restricted DRS involving only bottles of 750ml and under would benefit the economy by just £250m. Continue reading...

Survey finds holiday clothing is biggest extravagance, with consumers set to spend £700mBritons will spend £2.7bn this summer on more than 50m summer outfits that will be worn only once, a poll reveals.By far the biggest extravagance is new clothing for holidays, where consumers splash out more than £700m on 11m items bought for the trip which will never be worn again, according to research carried out by Censuswide for the charity Barnardo’s. Continue reading...

Coral bleaching, crown-of-thorns starfish and cyclones cause 10% to 30% decline over past five yearsHard coral cover on the Great Barrier Reef remains near record lows in its northern stretch and is in decline in the comparatively healthy south, government scientists have found.A report card by the government’s Australian Institute of Marine Science says hard coral cover in the northern region above Cooktown is at 14% – a slight increase on last year but close to the lowest since monitoring began in 1985. Continue reading...

Ankara hits back at Greek and EU officials and vows to press ahead with offshore operationsTurkey has hit back at Greek and EU officials, denying claims it is acting illegally by drilling for gas in waters off Cyprus.The country’s foreign ministry criticised EU condemnation of its efforts to tap the region for potentially lucrative energy resources, saying the bloc could not be considered an impartial mediator for the divided island. Continue reading...

By 2050, National Grid predicts, 35m electric cars will supply energy when neededA fleet of 35m electric vehicles could help the UK reach its net-zero carbon target by forming large battery hubs to store renewable energy, according to the country’s energy system operator.National Grid predicts that by 2050 millions of electric cars will use wind and solar power to charge up within minutes to act as battery packs for when the grid needs more energy. Continue reading...

John Barilaro wants to remove protection by either de-gazetting the entire park or reducing its sizeThe NSW deputy premier has vowed to introduce legislation to open up a national park in the state’s Riverina region to logging.John Barilaro wants to remove protection of the 42,000 hectare Murray Valley national park by either de-gazetting the entire park or reducing its size. Continue reading...

Kickstart the domestic market so Asian countries rejecting Australian waste is no longer a problem, industry suggestsAustralia could quickly solve the problem of Indonesia and other countries rejecting its waste if governments invested in recycling manufacturing as promised and required the use of recycled material in public projects, industry and environmental groups say.Jakarta announced on Tuesday it would return 210 tonnes of Australian household rubbish – the latest demonstration of opposition in south-east Asia to receiving exported waste. Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia have each turned back shipments and warned they would not become dumping grounds for developed countries after China banned imports of foreign plastic rubbish. Continue reading...

Celebrated naturalist’s most vivid impression of human impact on the planet is Great Barrier Reef bleachingDavid Attenborough has highlighted Australia as an “extraordinary” example of a country where people in power remained climate change deniers despite the country facing some of the worst effects of global heating.Appearing before the UK parliament’s business, energy and industrial strategy committee on how to tackle the climate emergency, the celebrated broadcaster and natural historian was asked about claims people were overreacting to the threat of a climate emergency. Continue reading...

Overall rating ‘unacceptable’ with Southern and Yorkshire Water criticised for pollutionWater companies in England have been warned to clean up their act after the environment watchdog described their performance last year as “simply unacceptable”.Southern Water and Yorkshire Water were singled out for high levels of serious pollution incidents, where sewage is discharged into bathing water. Continue reading...

More than 4,000 sign petition to overturn decision, which aimed to appease neighboursA national debate has been sparked in the Netherlands after a council ordered a primary school playground to be shut for being too noisy.Questions have been raised in the Dutch parliament and a campaign has been launched to save the playground in the wake of the decision by Nijmegen council. Continue reading...

Tourists warned not to feed the animals after plastic waste found in stomachs of several dead deerAuthorities in Japan’s ancient capital Nara are warning visitors not to feed the city’s wild deer – a major tourist attraction – after several of the animals died after swallowing plastic bags.Large amounts of plastic waste were found in the stomachs of nine of 14 deer to have died since March, according to a local wildlife conservation group. Continue reading...

Grantham Research Institute found half do not factor climate crisis in decision-makingAbout a quarter of the world’s highest-emitting publicly listed companies fail to report their greenhouse gas emissions and nearly half do not properly consider the risks from the climate crisis in their decision-making, new research has found.The findings show the distance even the world’s biggest companies still have to cover to meet the goals of the Paris agreement on climate change, according to the group of investors coordinating the report. Continue reading...

Union worries about ‘reporting culture’ at Queensland mines, where most workers are now employed as casualsContract and casual mineworkers in Queensland are fearful of “retribution” if they complain about questionable safety practices, their union says, as the sector grapples with a sixth workplace death in the past year.The recent cluster of accidents and deaths, the worst on record in Queensland for 22 years, has prompted the state government to commission two independent reviews into mine safety. Continue reading...

Researchers say ‘eye-opening’ findings that 20% of silver gulls nationwide carry pathogenic bacteria should be a wake-up callAustralian gulls are carrying superbugs resistant to antibiotics, raising fears that disease-causing bacteria may spread from the birds to humans, livestock and pets.A team of scientists led by researchers at Perth’s Murdoch University found more than 20% of silver gulls nationwide were carrying pathogenic bacteria, such as E coli, that are resistant to drugs. E coli can cause urinary tract infections, life-threatening sepsis and meningitis. Continue reading...

Mayor of German capital considering €365 annual ticket to reduce traffic and pollutionBerliners could pay as little as €1 a day to use public transport for a year under plans to wean the German capital off its cars and reduce air pollution, its mayor has announced.“Step by step I want to follow the goal of introducing an annual public transport ticket for €365,” Michael Müller told Neue Zürcher Zeitung. An annual ticket normally costs €761. Continue reading...

The Green party MEP for the south-west on why social justice is key to making the transition to a carbon-neutral economy by 2050Molly Scott Cato can hardly contain herself. Having spent more than 30 years as an activist in the ecology and the sustainability movement, the Green MEP for the south-west region feels the UK is finally starting to appreciate the scale of the climate emergency. “People are suddenly waking up to it, which is very exciting for someone like me who’s been banging on about this for years,” she says.Take aviation. “We’re really getting a grip on that now. That was something where I was really out of line with other people. But in the last year, people have stopped thinking that I’m a loony not flying anywhere. They start by being admiring and then they start thinking ‘Oh God, I’m going to have to start doing that’. We’ve reached that point, it’s really encouraging.” Continue reading...

Judge says there is no evidence that decision not to retest for bovine TB was unlawfulAn alpaca farmer has lost a high court battle to prevent one of her prized animals from being killed.Helen Macdonald took legal action against the government in a last-ditch attempt to save her stud alpaca, Geronimo, who was earmarked for slaughter after twice testing positive for bovine tuberculosis (bTB). Continue reading...

Naturalist tells MPs radical action needed to tackle crisis but attitude of young people gives him hopeThe attitude of young people towards tackling the environmental crisis is “a source of great hope”, David Attenborough has told MPs, as he predicted that polluting the planet would soon provoke as much abhorrence as slavery.Giving evidence to the business, energy and industrial strategy committee on how to tackle the climate emergency, the naturalist and TV presenter said radical action was required. Continue reading...