Environment | The Guardian

Presenter, whose series Mammals airs on Sunday, says broadcaster has changed opinions on conservation the world overSir David Attenborough has said the BBC's natural history programmes have helped world opinion change" about conservation, as his latest series, Mammals, highlights the damage overcrowded" game reserve tourism has on cheetahs - which he says we are in danger of loving to death".In the same way Blue Planet II raised awareness of plastics, the six-part BBC One programme is likely to prompt questions about safari holidays through footage of large numbers of tourist-filled trucks chasing views of hunting cheetahs making a kill - which can often result in the animals leaving the meat and cubs dying. Continue reading...

In late 2023, Peter Kaestner was about to log his 10,000th bird species seen in the wild. Then Jason Mann showed upIn late 2023, 70-year-old birder Peter Kaestner was within striking distance of a goal that had never been accomplished: seeing more than 10,000 different species of birds in the wild.Such a record had previously been unthinkable, but with new technology facilitating rare bird sightings, improved DNA testing identifying a growing number of bird species, and public listing platforms making it easier to keep track of and share findings, more super-birders are inching towards the five digits. Continue reading...

Fewer than one in 10 investors exploring new investments in the technology, with most preferring renewables

Tulare Lake was resurrected to more than 100,000 acres, bringing fear and wonder. I went to see it - and couldn't find it

In letter to TfL boss, Khan says plans will not include new pay-per-mile road user charging scheme'Sadiq Khan has pledged not to extend the scope of London's ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) scheme if he returns to the role after May's election.In a letter to the Transport for London commissioner, Andy Lord, the capital's mayor wrote that he had categorically" ruled out the introduction of a pay-per-mile scheme as well as any tightening of Ulez emissions standards. Continue reading...

Crowds gather in Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide and regional centres urging Albanese government to better preserve native wildlife habitats

For 41 years, the charming Theodore Payne Wild Flower Hotline has led people to California's most bountiful bloomsFor Californians, it is a rite of spring to seek the yearly wildflower blooms that erupt across arid shrublands, hillsides and desert landscapes in kaleidoscopic colour.For the past 41 years, the Theodore Payne Wild Flower Hotline has helped guide their journeys. Wildflower seekers in southern California can dial (818) 768-1802, ext 7, for counsel on where to locate the best and most bountiful blooms in the region. Continue reading...

More than 100 cherry blossom trees getting the axe over the summer when crews begin work to replace crumbling seawallA legendary, gnarled old cherry tree nicknamed Stumpy that became a social media phenom is about to have its last selfies in this spring's annual cherry blossom festivities in Washington DC.Stumpy has been listed for the chop, along with more than 100 other cherry trees along the famous walks near the Jefferson Memorial in the capital - and the climate crisis is part of the equation. Continue reading...

Despite splashy climate pledges, firms including BP and Saudi Aramco have plans to expand fossil fuel production, says analysisIn recent years, virtually all of the world's largest oil companies have made splashy climate pledges. But when it comes to actually slashing emissions, those firms are way off track", a new report has found.The analysis from the thinktank Carbon Tracker assessed the production and transition plans of 25 of the world's largest oil and gas companies. None align with the central goal of the 2015 Paris climate agreement to keep global warming well under" 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels, the report found. Continue reading...

Environment secretary has been vocal opponent of waste plant plans that must be approved by body he overseesThe UK environment secretary, Steve Barclay, has come under scrutiny for failing to declare a potential conflict of interest over a proposed waste incineration plant in his constituency.Barclay has been a vocal opponent of the waste-to-energy plant in Wisbech, which is due to be one of Europe's biggest such incinerators. Continue reading...

A Bolivian conservation programme has identified at least 60 'Paddington' bears in areas where they had not been spotted before. The animal is the inspiration behind the beloved fictional character Paddington, who travels to London, is adopted by a family and eats lashings of marmalade. In 2017, Chester zoo's Andean carnivore conservation programme installed trap cameras in Tarija forest areas, and in 2023 it spotted members of the thriving bear community playing and walking among the trees. According to Ximena Velez-Liendo, the programme's coordinator, the Andean bear is vulnerable to extinction. The expert said if threats to the species, such as the loss of habitat, retaliatory hunting and the effects of the climate crisis were not addressed by 2030, the region could lose almost 30% of the population Continue reading...

The best of this week's wildlife photographs from around the world Continue reading...

The Long Table says it took thousands of hours of work to turn derelict site into a community space, but landlord has now sold itA Gloucestershire restaurant with a radical business model, in that it feeds all comers regardless of their ability to pay, is losing its premises after the owner sold the property.The community around The Long Table, featured in the Guardian earlier this month, has been left reeling after it was ordered to move out of the mill it occupies in Stroud - even as it sought to engage with the landlord to buy the building. Continue reading...

Campaigners call on banks to cease funding Ithaca, which is playing a key role in Rosebank oilfield planTwo major UK high street banks have been accused of continuing to finance fossil fuel expansion in the North Sea despite signing a pledge to align their activities with the net zero climate goal.HSBC and NatWest have provided tens of millions in finance to Ithaca Energy, a British oil and gas company that is playing a key role in plans to exploit the controversial Rosebank oilfield north-west of the Shetland Islands. Another high street bank, Lloyds, also provided finance but has since sold down the debt. Continue reading...

Police called after the 1.4-metre freshwater crocodile wandered into the Townsville business

World water development report warns that access is major source of conflict between countriesWomen and girls are the first to suffer when drought strikes poor and rural areas, and water strategies around the world must reflect this, the UN has said in a plea to countries to mend conflicts over water resources.Stress on water resources, which is being exacerbated by the climate crisis, as well as overuse and pollution of the world's freshwater systems, is a large source of conflict, according to the latest UN world water development report. Continue reading...

States including Texas, Louisiana and Florida say federal government lacks authority to broadly deny permitsSixteen US states, including Texas, Louisiana and Florida, have filed a lawsuit to challenge the US federal government's ban on approving applications to export liquefied natural gas, the office of Texas attorney general Ken Paxton said on Thursday.The lawsuit argues the federal government lacks the authority to broadly deny those permits. Continue reading...

MSPs vote for controls as it emerges another hen harrier has vanished in area notorious' for persecutionGrouse moors across Scotland will be required to hold licences and could face shooting bans as part of radical measures to combat bird of prey persecution passed by MSPs on Thursday.The Scottish parliament voted for the controls amid intense pressure from conservation scientists and campaigners after decades of illegal attacks on birds of prey by gamekeepers instructed to protect grouse on shooting estates from being eaten. Continue reading...

Port Kembla facility will be able to meet all of Victoria's needs and cover for 70% of New South Wales, according to Squadron Energy

Welney landlord fears business may not survive impact of increasingly lengthy spells of flooding on customer numbersDennis Birch estimates his pub loses about 3,000 a week when the road into the village of Welney is closed because of flooding - and this winter, it was closed for a record-breaking 89 days.Now labelled the most flooded road in Britain", Birch said he questions whether the 18th-century Lamb and Flag can survive the impact the flooding has on the number of customers coming through his door. Continue reading...

Public Citizen, a non-profit group, proposed the idea last year to prosecute companies for millions of deaths due to climate crisisEach year, extreme temperatures take 5 million lives, while 400,000 people die from climate-related hunger and disease and scores perish in floods and wildfires.Now, researchers are promoting a new legal theory that says fossil fuel companies - which, data show, are the leading contributors to planet-heating pollution - could be tried for homicide for climate-related deaths. Continue reading...

Here's what happened when two climate reporters tried to ditch natural gas This story is co-published with Grist

New industries such as cryptocurrency and cannabis are boosting industry forecasts, straining efforts to cut emissionsWhat's happening with US energy?Demand for power is soaring, creating a new energy crisis for the United States - one that could make the climate crisis even worse. Continue reading...

Suit claims bibs, produced by Bumkins, leaves babies exposed to high levels of forever chemicals' and do not have warning labelsDC and Marvel comic-themed baby and toddler bibs are contaminated with toxic PFAS forever chemicals", leaving kids exposed to carcinogens that can easily be ingested, a new California lawsuit alleges.Among others, the suit names the bibs' US producer and Amazon as defendants. Under Proposition 65, products sold in California that contain PFOA, a highly toxic PFAS compound that was phased out of production in the US, must at a minimum contain a warning. Continue reading...

Some of our favorite foods and drinks rely on these oft-misunderstood mammals, which are facing multiple threatsIf you've ever enjoyed coffee, tomatoes, corn, bananas, mangoes, walnuts, chocolate, tequila or mezcal, you may just owe bats a thank-you.While bats are often the subject of fear and scorn - they're fixtures in Halloween decor and haunted-house imagery, and are frequently portrayed as harbingers of doom - their presence is often a sign of a thriving ecosystem. Some of our favorite food and drinks would be much less plentiful, or even nonexistent, without them. Continue reading...

Stars of Avatar: The Way of Water photographed in baroque style by Christy Lee RogersPhotographs of the actors Kate Winslet, Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver seemingly floating underwater in elaborate blue dresses, with eyes shut and arms outstretched, are to be sold to raise money for ocean conservation.The images are the work of one of the world's most celebrated underwater photographers, Christy Lee Rogers, who teamed up with the stars of the 2022 film Avatar: The Way of Water and its director, James Cameron, a longtime proponent of ocean conservation, who commissioned the photoshoot. Continue reading...

High temperatures in February affected millions of people and put further pressure on chocolate pricesA searing heatwave that struck west Africa in February was made 4C hotter and 10 times more likely by human-caused global heating, a study has found.The heat affected millions of people but the number of early deaths or cases of illness are unknown, due to a lack of reporting. Continue reading...

Poet laureate produces 10 poems, haiku and a musical EP, working with National Trust as it renews its blossom campaignHe imagines blossom as fancy dress, as an artist or a magician lighting up countryside, town and city. Yes, it is a thing of beauty and joy but also, sometimes, a pertinent reminder of changing climate patterns.On World Poetry Day and to celebrate spring, the poet laureate, Simon Armitage, has launched a collection celebrating the bright blossom that sweeps through the UK at this time of year. Continue reading...

Established 24 years ago, the Carrifran Wildwood has been credited with inspiring the current surge of rewilding projects across the UK and beyondAbout 6,000 years ago, most of southern Scotland was covered by broadleaf woodland, interspersed with patches of rich scrub, heath and bog. In stark contrast, the landscape today is dominated by close-cropped, severely nature-depleted hills, punctuated by sharp-edged blocks of non-native spruce plantation.Now, thanks to the Carrifran Wildwood, one of the UK's first community-led rewilding projects, patches of habitat resembling Scotland's primeval forest are staging a comeback. Continue reading...

Nine out of ten producers and sellers do not fulfil their legal duty to help consumers dispose of e-cigarettes, study showsA quarter of a billion disposable vapes could be dumped before a ban comes in next year as most retailers are not fulfilling their legal duty to help consumers recycle them, according to new research.

Rule, hailed as historic step on climate crisis, will have slashed more than 7bn tons of carbon dioxide emissions by 2055In a move being hailed as one of the most significant climate rules in US history, the Biden administration announced on Wednesday new regulations on tailpipe emissions. The rule, which calls for a 56% reduction in fleetwide average carbon emissions by 2032, constitutes the strictest-ever limit on pollution from the nation's cars and light trucks.Today, we're setting new pollution standards for cars and trucks," Joe Biden said in a statement. US workers will lead the world on autos making clean cars and trucks, each stamped Made in America'. You have my word." Continue reading...

Authorities advise parents to keep children indoors during extreme heatwave, expected to last two weeksSouth Sudan is closing all schools from Monday in preparation for an extreme heatwave expected to last two weeks.The health and education ministries have advised parents to keep all children indoors as temperatures are expected to soar to 45C (113F). Continue reading...

For the first time in 10 years, a baby pygmy hippo has been born at Attica Zoological Park. Zoo staff said they were thrilled to welcome the birth as a lack of male pygmy hippos in captivity made breeding efforts complicated. The rare male calf was born on 19 February and joins his parents, Lizzie and Jamal, as the only pygmy hippos at the zoo. Native to western Africa, pygmy hippos are listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Continue reading...

Operator also found by Amsterdam court to have painted overly rosy picture' of sustainable aviation fuelThe Dutch airline KLM has misled customers with vague environmental claims and painted an overly rosy picture" of its sustainable aviation fuel, a court has found.In a greenwashing case brought by the campaign group Fossielvrij, the district court of Amsterdam ruled on Wednesday that KLM had broken the law with misleading advertising in 15 of the 19 environmental statements it assessed. They include claims that the airline is moving towards a more sustainable" future and statements on its website about the benefits of offsetting a flight. Continue reading...

Global witness analysis suggests 11.5 million deaths could be caused by burning of fuel produced by 2050The emissions from burning oil and gas produced by the world's leading fossil fuel companies could cause millions of excess heat deaths before the end of the century, according to a new analysis.The study from Global Witness found that the combined emissions from fossil fuels produced by Shell, BP, TotalEnergies, ExxonMobil and Chevron up to 2050 could result in 11.5 million excess deaths from heat by 2100. Continue reading...

NSW environment department spokesperson says offset program for the area has continued despite failure to file reports for three years

Executives at Texas summit claim clean-energy transition is failing and say world should abandon the fantasy' of fossil-fuel phaseoutThe bosses of the world's leading oil and gas companies have poured scorn on efforts to move away from fossil fuels, complaining that a visibly failing" transition to clean energy was being pushed forward at an unrealistic pace".The oil executives, gathered at the industry's annual Cera Week conference in Houston, Texas, have taken turns this week to denounce calls for a rapid phase-out of fossil fuels, despite widespread acknowledgment within the industry, as well as scientists and governments, of the need to radically reduce planet-heating emissions to avoid the worst effects of the climate crisis. Continue reading...

Yurok Tribe, which had 90% of its territory taken during the gold rush, will get 125 acres returned after it was stolen in the mid-1800sCalifornia's Yurok Tribe, which had 90% of its territory taken from it during the gold rush of the mid-1800s, will be getting a slice of its land back to serve as a new gateway to Redwood national and state parks visited by 1 million people a year.The Yurok will be the first Native people to manage tribal land with the National Park Service under a historic memorandum of understanding signed on Tuesday by the tribe, Redwood national and state parks and the non-profit Save the Redwoods League. Continue reading...

Shuttering of New York facility raises awkward climate crisis questions as gas - not renewables - fills gap in power generationWhen New York's deteriorating and unloved Indian Point nuclear plant finally shuttered in 2021, its demise was met with delight from environmentalists who had long demanded it be scrapped.But there has been a sting in the tail - since the closure, New York's greenhouse gas emissions have gone up. Continue reading...

Climate Change Committee finds Scottish government has repeatedly failed to make cuts required by lawScotland's pledge to cut its climate emissions by 75% by 2030 is no longer credible" and cannot be met, the UK's climate watchdog has said.In a damning report submitted to the Scottish parliament, the UK Climate Change Committee (CCC) accused the Scottish government of repeatedly failing to live up to its legally binding targets. Continue reading...

Analysis shows alarming prevalence of harmful fishing methods thought to destroy whole ecosystems'Industrial vessels suspected of using a harmful fishing method known as bottom trawling spent more than 33,000 hours in British marine protected areas last year, a new analysis of satellite data shows.Ten of these vessels, primarily from the EU, were responsible for a quarter of this activity in offshore protected areas, according to Oceana UK, a conservation group. Continue reading...

Greenhouse gases from sector could make up 44% of continent's total output by 2030, says transport groupThe failure to tackle Europe's runaway" transport emissions could lead to the sector pumping out nearly half of the continent's planet-heating pollution by 2030, a report has found.Driven by polluting cars and pushed higher by the growing thirst for flights, transport emissions in Europe have grown 26% since 1990 - even as efforts to clean up other areas of the economy have led to an overall emissions fall. Continue reading...

WARNING: contains images some viewers may find distressingFootage supplied to Guardian Australia shows koalas clinging to falling blue gums as logging occurs on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. The footage was taken across two days in November 2023 and January 2024. Logging has been stopped while an investigation takes place.

Analysis finds almost nine in 10 planned new school sites exceed three WHO targets - and all breach at least one of themEvery new school in England is being built in an area with unsafe levels of air pollution, according to a damning report that says thousands of children will experience alarmingly poor" air quality.Children are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of air pollution because their bodies, organs and immune systems are still developing. Continue reading...

Year of devastating wildfires meant Canadians were breathing worse air than southern neighbours for first time everCanada's pristine air quality has been long praised by its citizens and prized by its government. But the thick plumes of smoke and miles of haze released by a record-breaking season of wildfires deteriorated the country's air so much that it has fallen behind the United States for the first time on record, highlighting the wide-ranging and damaging effects of the blazes.In its sixth annual World Air Quality report released on Tuesday, the Switzerland-based IQAir found overall air quality in Canada was worse than its southern neighbour. Of the 15 most polluted cities in the two countries, 14 were in Canada. Overall, Canada and the United States were ranked 93 and 102 for their air quality (Bangladesh, at No 1 was the most polluted). Continue reading...

Shadow chancellor to use annual Mais lecture to set out plans to green the economy if party wins electionA Labour government will make fighting global heating a priority for the Bank of England as it seeks to put environmental sustainability at the heart of its plans to grow the economy, Rachel Reeves is to announce.The shadow chancellor will say in a speech in London on Tuesday evening that if Labour wins the general election she will reverse Jeremy Hunt's decision last year to downgrade the emphasis on the climate crisis in Threadneedle Street's main objectives. Continue reading...

Catch of 11 snakes after discovery of two mating balls' adds to total of 34,000lbs of pythons captured in one part of state since 2013Wildlife experts in Florida recently captured 500lb worth of Burmese pythons after finding two large snake mating balls" in the south-west of the state, as part of a continued effort to prevent the non-native species from harming Floridian wildlife.The catch of a total of 11 pythons was a record for the Conservancy of Southwest Florida (CSWF), the Miami Herald reported - and it adds to the total of 34,000lb of pythons captured in that part of the state since 2013. Continue reading...

Incarcerated people often must drink unhealthy water, a particularly cruel - but not unusual - form of punishmentRussell Rowe spent almost two and a half years in Washington DC's central detention facility, where rusty water flowed from taps in sinks that were connected to toilets. He remembers dawdling at the nurse's station when it was time to take his meds, in hopes she'd give him an extra, tiny portion" cup of water, the cup that often holds or accompanies pills.I was just in a state of constant dehydration," he said. My whole body felt different. I just didn't feel well." Continue reading...

Records being broken for greenhouse gas pollution, surface temperatures and ocean heatThe world has never been closer to breaching the 1.5C (2.7F) global heating limit, even if only temporarily, the United Nations' weather agency has warned.The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed on Tuesday that 2023 was the hottest year on record by a clear margin. In a report on the climate, it found that records were once again broken, and in some cases smashed" for key indicators such as greenhouse gas pollution, surface temperatures, ocean heat and acidification, sea level rise, Antarctic sea ice cover and glacier retreat. Continue reading...

Teluk has one of country's dirtiest beaches and the problem has worsened due to weatherAn Indonesian fishing village has been inundated with tonnes of rubbish after recent heavy rains resulted in stronger tides.Teluk, in the Indonesian province of Banten on the western edge of Java island, has one of the country's dirtiest beaches. But the arrival of tonnes of rubbish on the shore has shocked residents. Continue reading...