Environmental groups say Line 5 poses a major threat and is run by Canada’s Enbridge which has a long record of mismanagementA coalition of environmental groups and newly elected Democrats in Michigan are seeking to shut a controversial pipeline through the Great Lakes they say represents a major environmental threat and is being run by a company with a long record of mismanagement, poor safety habits and deception.Canadian oil giant Enbridge wants to replace an ageing pipeline called Line 5 that cuts through the Great Lakes, which hold more than 90% of the nation’s freshwater. It transports about 540,000 barrels of oil and liquid natural gas daily in 4.4 miles of pipelines that are exposed on the lake floor in the Mackinac Straits. Continue reading...

There are only about 30 north Pacific right whales left after hunters nearly wiped out the slow-moving animalsMarine biologists for the first time have recorded singing by one of the rarest whales on the planet, the north Pacific right whale.Researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) used moored acoustic recorders to capture repeated patterns of calls made by male north Pacific right whales. Continue reading...

Event will take place on 22 September across 18 boroughs, with road closures and eventsSadiq Khan has announced plans to implement London’s biggest car-free day to date, closing 12.3 miles (20km) of roads in the centre of the capital in September.Roads will be closed for the event around London Bridge, Tower Bridge and much of the City of London to help tackle the capital’s air pollution crisis, which kills thousands of people each year and leaves two million – including 400,000 children – living in areas with illegally dirty air. Continue reading...

On a shopping trip to Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and other leading markets, plastic feels more plentiful than the food itself

Democrats accept the climate crisis must be confronted – but there’s a split between those who signed a pledge to no longer accept industry money those who haven’t Continue reading...

Seawalls could cost as much as the initial investment in the interstate highway system, with Florida facing $76bn, report finds

A whale that swam into the bay has earned fans and the nickname ‘Allie’, but experts say it may be seeking a place to recuperate

Female 12-year-old beluga whales Little Grey and Little White arrive at Klettsvik BayTwo beluga whales from a Shanghai aquarium have arrived in Iceland to live out their days in a unique marine sanctuary that conservationists hope will become a model for rehoming 3,000 of the creatures currently in captivity.Little Grey and Little White, two 12-year-old female belugas, left behind their previous lives entertaining visitors at the Changfeng Ocean World and were flown across the globe in specially tailored containers. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Frydenberg’s office canvassed whether he had power to weaken grasslands protections after Angus Taylor raised the issue, which was affecting a company he part-owns

Renewable energy is not only a money-spinner for the NT, it can also help mining industries expand, a new report saysEnergy development in the Northern Territory is a typically Australian story: it is backing fossil fuels – in this case gas – when it could, as one of the sunniest places on Earth, be reaping economic and environmental benefits from renewable energy.That is the message from a report that makes the alternative case, suggesting embracing clean energy could dramatically expand the electricity, mining and mineral processing industries while reducing living costs. Continue reading...

Study marks worst winter on record for beekeepers, despite intensive push to stem lossesBeekeepers across the US lost four in 10 of their honeybee colonies over the past year, as the worst winter on record for tracked bee populations raised fresh concerns over the plight of the crucial pollinators.Over the past winter, 37% of honeybee colonies were lost to beekeepers, the worst winter decline recorded in the 13-year history of a nationwide survey aimed at charting bees’ fortunes. Overall, 40% of colonies died off over the entire year to April, which is above the 38% average since the survey began. Continue reading...

Program projects state would produce 100% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2040New York state would launch the most progressive policy in the US to combat the climate crisis and one of the most ambitious in the world under a new plan devised by state legislators.The program projects that the state would produce 100% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2040 and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85% by 2050. Continue reading...

IMF, WTO and World Bank not doing enough to fight climate crisis, shadow chancellor saysFighting the climate crisis should be put at the heart of decisions made by the International Monetary Fund and other global institutions as part of a fundamental shake-up designed to reduce the influence of corporate power, John McDonnell has said.The shadow chancellor used a Guardian interview to say that Donald Trump’s hostility to international bodies was the opportunity to recast organisations set up after the second world war for the modern age. Continue reading...

Swiss-based Solway group that runs Fenix nickel mine paid 1% on revenues from unrefined ore

Four reservoirs supplying India’s sixth largest city dry up as state accused of inactionAuthorities in Chennai have been criticised for failing to deal with a crippling water shortage that has brought the Indian city to crisis point, leaving taps dry in homes and forcing schools, offices and restaurants to close as temperatures soar.The four reservoirs supplying the bulk of the city’s drinking water have completely dried up, leading the Chennai Metro Water to cut the water it provides by about 40%. Continue reading...

South-east forecast to be worst hit after Eastbourne has 1,000 lightning strikes overnightThunderstorms and rain are expected across parts of the UK as the unsettled weather continues. About 1,000 lightning strikes hit Eastbourne in East Sussex overnight and a yellow weather warning remains in place for the east of England – covering Yorkshire, East Anglia and the south coast – with forecasters warning of the likelihood of more rain, hail and lightning.Homes were left without power and roads flooded in parts of southern England after an overnight deluge. Continue reading...

Climate change is colonialism’s final frontier which is why land rights are the first order of climate justiceIn the Anthropocene we humans have become a geological force, a “force of nature” – and a self-defeating one. But this crisis in climate and extinction was first kindled by coal-fired colonialism and its ethos of extraction and elimination.Here in Australia the historical coincidence of colonialism and coal sticks out like a porcupine at a nudists’ colony. Watts’s coal-fired steam engine was invented just two years before the first fleet arrived in Sydney Cove. Coal mining began near Nobbys Head in Newcastle in the 1790s, with the first coal shipment leaving now the world’s largest coal export port in 1799. Continue reading...

State ready to disrupt or phase out the most polluting business activities to meet 2050 targetUK companies must brace for the government to deliberately disrupt or phase out business areas that are unfit for a net zero-carbon economy, according to a report.The UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) has said many companies will face fundamental change, including the phasing out of the UK’s most polluting business activities. Continue reading...

Research suggests support for urgent measures to tackle crisis is becoming mainstreamNearly 70% of British people want urgent political action to tackle climate change and protect the natural environment, according to research by a coalition of green charities.Theresa May, in one of her last acts as prime minister, has enshrined in law a commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, making Britain the first large economy to do so. Continue reading...

Research says those born since 2010 are expert at spotting fake news and handling technologyPolitical protest, spotting fake news and taking control of new technology comes naturally to the UK’s under 10s, the so-called Alpha generation and the first cohort born into the fully-fledged social media age, new research reveals.One in five children aged between five and nine have already attended their first march or protest about something they care about, and half of their parents are encouraging them to speak out as activists, according to a survey carried out for Beano Studios, which owns the comic brand. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Energy minister denies interfering with department action over alleged illegal land clearing by company he partially owns with his brother

Pair attempt to reach top of 4,450m mountain but are intercepted by police and told to turn backTwo Swiss mountaineers have landed a small plane less than 400 metres from the summit of Mont Blanc before heading for the top of Europe’s tallest peak with police in pursuit.The pair landed the aircraft 4,450 metres (14,600ft) up the mountain in the French Alps on Tuesday in an incident described as an unprecedented “provocation” by Eric Fournier, the mayor of the nearby Chamonix resort. Continue reading...

Gathering aimed at keeping global heating close to 1.5C will be most significant since ParisThe UK is to host a critical global summit on the climate crisis at the end of 2020, at which the world’s 190 nations must commit to deep cuts in emissions.It will be the most significant UN climate summit since the Paris deal was struck in 2015, when countries made pledges to curb emissions. But these pledges would only keep global heating to a 3C rise, which would bring devastating heatwaves and extreme weather. Continue reading...

Proposals, including lowering M25 and rerouting rivers, raise fears of environmental impactThe scale of the disruption from Heathrow airport’s expansion project has been revealed with the publication of detailed plans to lower the M25 for the third runway to cross, reroute rivers, replace utilities and build car parks for nearly 50,000 cars.A 12-week public consultation opened on Tuesday at 8am, with campaigners warning of the severe impact for years to come of more than 700 extra planes in the sky after 2026, when the runway is due to open. Continue reading...

Apple says it is ‘deeply committed to responsible sourcing of materials’Electronics companies, including Canon, Apple and Nokia, are re-evaluating their supply chains following reports they may be using gold extracted from a Tanzanian mine that has been criticised for environmental failures.Over the past 10 years, at the North Mara goldmine – which is operated by London-listed Acacia Mining – there have been more than a dozen killings of intruding locals by security personnel. Continue reading...

War of words as Turkish vessel begins offshore operations in eastern MediterraneanGreece and Cyprus have urged the European Union to take punitive measures against Turkey amid escalating tensions in the eastern Mediterranean over offshore energy reserves.As Ankara upped the ante by announcing it would expand exploration for potentially lucrative gas resources in the region, the Greek prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, appealed to the EU “to unreservedly condemn the illegal actions of Turkey”. Continue reading...

Study finds most sensitive plant and wildlife habitats are worst affected, yet government has no clear plans to monitor impactAmmonia and nitrogen pollution, mostly from farms, is harming more than 60% of the UK’s land area and hitting the most sensitive habitats for plants and wildlife hardest, a government report has found, despite there being no clear plans to monitor or reduce its impact.More than 85% of England’s total land area receives ammonia concentrations above the critical level set to protect lichens, mosses, liverworts and similar plants – keystone species that are vital to ecosystems – while Northern Ireland is even worse, at 88%. Just over half the land in Wales is affected, and less than a fifth of Scotland. Continue reading...

Government backs only voluntary measures for clothing industry despite rising environmental costsMinisters have rejected recommendations from MPs to clean up the huge environmental impact of fast fashion, which sees 300,000 tonnes of clothing burned or buried in the UK every year.MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) said a charge of 1p for each garment was urgently needed to raise £35m a year for better clothing collection and sorting, a move supported by many in the industry. But the government’s response, published on Tuesday, failed to commit to this, stating only that it could be considered by 2025. Continue reading...

A booming seal population is drawing the apex predator to the Massachusetts peninsula where contact with humans followsWhen beachgoers arrive at Cahoon Hollow Beach in Wellfleet on Massachusetts’ Cape Cod peninsula, the first thing they see is a large sign displaying a photo of a great white shark.“WARNING” it reads. “Great white sharks hunt seals in the shallow water at this beach. People have been seriously injured or killed by sharks along this coastline.” Continue reading...

It’s a ‘fairly rare’ event, arachnology expert says, as it’s more common to see huntsman eat small birds or frogs. Prepare for Tasmania’s spider possumPygmy possums usually aren’t on the menu for huntsman spiders.But an Australian man from Tasmania has captured the rare moment a huntsman attempted to devour a tiny possum at a lodge in the Mount Field national park, 64 km north-west of Hobart. Continue reading...

Essential poll finds 44% of Australians support nuclear power plants and 40% oppose themAustralians are slightly more inclined to support nuclear power plants than oppose them, but a clear majority of voters do not want to live near one, according to new polling.With nuclear power making a return to the national political agenda, a new survey from Essential finds 44% of Australians support nuclear power plants, up four points since the question was last asked in November 2015, and 40% oppose them. Continue reading...

Tally of deaths makes it one of most dangerous fields for journalists after war reporting

Massive increase in low-carbon energy needed to hit goal of net zero by 2045, inquiry says

Varadkar reveals ideas to curb greenhouse gases and move towards net-zero carbon emissions by 2050Ireland has unveiled an ambitious plan to tackle the climate emergency by weaning the state, businesses, farms and households off fossil fuels.The government published a long-awaited report on Monday outlining more than 180 measures to curb the country’s greenhouse gas emissions and set a path for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Continue reading...

Destructive industrial fishing practices condemned as ‘corporate, organised crime’Illegal fishing by foreign trawlers is decimating Ghana’s fish populations and costing the country’s economy tens of millions of dollars a year, according to researchers.An investigation published on Monday by the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) claims that “saiko” fishing, whereby trawlers target the staple catch of Ghanaian canoe fishers and sell it back to fishing communities at a profit, landed approximately 100,000 tonnes of fish in 2017, worth $50m (£40m) when sold at sea and up to $81m when sold at port. Continue reading...

Millions of people who use park face up to 93 low-flying aircraft an hour under planA psychologist who treats patients experiencing stress and anxiety with a dose of nature in Richmond Park says the expansion of Heathrow airport will be detrimental to mental health.Heathrow will on Tuesday publish a consultation on its “master plan” for airport expansion, including environmental aspects of building a third runway. Continue reading...

Kensington and Chelsea council has blocked a flagship plan after a campaign based largely on myths

A Guardian report from 11 countries tracks how US waste makes its way across the world – and overwhelms the poorest nationsWhat happens to your plastic after you drop it in a recycling bin?According to promotional materials from America’s plastics industry, it is whisked off to a factory where it is seamlessly transformed into something new. Continue reading...

United States of Plastic, a new series that will run for the rest of 2019, will reveal global inequality and the environmental consequences of our dependence on a miracle materialWhat happens to your plastic after you drop it in a recycling bin?According to promotional materials from America’s plastics industry, it is whisked off to a factory where it is seamlessly transformed into something new. Continue reading...

Environment Agency brings in high-volume pumps in a bid to lower water levels in WainfleetHigh-volume pumps are being used to reduce flood waters in a Lincolnshire town where nearly 600 homes have been evacuated.Police have advised residents in around 590 properties in Wainfleet and neighbouring areas to evacuate amid concerns about flood defences along the river Steeping. Continue reading...

More than 700 companies, including Amazon, Tesco and ExxonMobil, lack transparency, campaign group claimsA $10tn (£7.9tn) investor alliance has accused more than 700 companies, including Amazon, Tesco and ExxonMobil, of failing to reveal the full extent of their impact on the climate crisis, water shortages and deforestation.The major global companies, with a combined worth ofmore than $15tn, lack transparency over their effect on the environment, according to the intervention by some of the world’s biggest financial names. Continue reading...

Michael Stone on the reality of Britain’s consumption, Celia Forsyth on support for fossil fuel projects, Gemma Cantelo on making cities greener and Stephen Martin on the sustainable development goalsTheresa May is deceiving us, either deliberately or through ignorance, with regard to the goal of reducing carbon emissions to zero by 2050 (May puts 2050 zero emission target into law, 12 June). This is impossible for any economy based on mass consumption.Over decades, most British manufacturing has shifted abroad, in particular to Asia where labour is cheap. These items are usually produced with high carbon outputs, with electricity supplied through coal. For an accurate figure of Britain’s emissions, our consumption of goods produced overseas must be included. As Britain’s consumption has increased enormously over the past 30 years, this carbon addition will be substantial. Continue reading...

‘Orchard of France’ is badly hit by extreme weather that has killed two peopleFrance will declare a state of natural disaster after rain and hail storms lashed a swathe of the south-east on Saturday, devastating crops.The flash storms, which brought hailstones as big as pingpong balls to some areas, killed two people in France and Switzerland, and injured at least 10 others. Continue reading...

Military helicopters are drafted in to repair broken bank of River Steeping in WainfleetHundreds of homes have been evacuated in a Lincolnshire town following severe flooding as the local MP warned that residents are “by no means out of the woods yet”.Residents in at least 590 homes in Wainfleet and Thorpe Culvert were told to leave as waters continued to surge on Saturday. Continue reading...

At least 279 animals have been stranded, triple the usual figure, and 98% have died, prompting investigationAt least 279 dolphins have become stranded across much of the US Gulf coast since the start of February, triple the usual number, and about 98% of them have died, scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) said.Scientists will investigate whether lingering effects from the 2010 BP oil spill and more immediate effects from low salinity because of freshwater flowing from high rivers and a Louisiana spillway contributed to the deaths, said Teri Rowles, coordinator for Noaa fisheries’ marine mammal health and stranding response program. Continue reading...

A depressing picture of global power generation has coal still firmly on top. And in a vicious cycle, the very heatwaves and winter freezes high carbon emissions cause seem to be increasing themThe world’s largest sovereign wealth fund is preparing to leave fossil fuels behind. Last week, Norway’s parliament confirmed by unanimous vote that its $1tn sovereign wealth fund would dump $13bn of fossil fuel investments – and start investing billions in renewables.The move is designed to protect Norway’s state-owned investment fund from the decline in fossil fuels that will be vital if full-blown climate catastrophe is to be averted. Continue reading...

Yorkshire dairy by-products will be turned into renewable biogas to cut carbon emissionThe crumbly cheese beloved of TV duo Wallace and Gromit will soon help heat thousands of Yorkshire homes with renewable “green gas” made from cheese waste.The Wensleydale Creamery has struck a deal to supply the waste whey from its cheese factory to a local bioenergy plant that produces enough renewable biogas to heat 4,000 homes. The Leeming biogas plant, which currently runs on ice-cream residue, will use a process called anaerobic digestion to turn the dairy-based waste into renewable biogas. Continue reading...

Former Greens leader says coalmine greenlight is not the end of the environmental battle