Environment | The Guardian

Groundbreaking' tool aims to help tree-planting efforts and identify areas to create nature-rich habitatsEngland's non-woodland trees have been mapped for the first time, using cutting-edge methods of laser detection and satellite imagery.Tree scientists at the UK's Forest Research agency have built a comprehensive picture of trees in urban and rural areas in a groundbreaking" map that goes live on Saturday. Continue reading...

Government also considering blocking more profitable farmers from a revised future schemeFarmers fear they will no longer be able to afford to restore nature in England and reduce their carbon footprint after government funding for doing this was frozen.The environment secretary, Steve Reed, recently announced that the sustainable farming incentive (SFI), which pays farmers for making space for nature on their land, would be paused and overhauled before June's spending review. The scope of the scheme - and its budget - are being reassessed. Continue reading...

We forced the government to take some action, but still it closes it eyes to the impending climate collapse. A new method of confrontation is needed

Verdict marks end of the first trial of 42 lawsuits filed about 12 years ago, alleging firm's projects destroyed the regionsChevron has been ordered to pay more than $744m in damages for destroying parts of south-east Louisiana's coastal wetlands over the years.The ruling, which came in the form of a civil jury verdict on Friday, marks the conclusion of the first trial among 42 lawsuits filed about 12 years earlier which alleged that the company's oil and gas projects have led to the degradation of the region's wetlands. Among other things, the wetlands play a key role in offering the area a measure of protection from hurricanes. Continue reading...

Dangerous weather comes after Trump administration job cuts left nearly half of offices with 20% vacancy ratesDonald Trump on Friday approved an emergency declaration for Kentucky as the central US braces for what experts in the region have warned could be a generational" flooding event, as severe spring storms that have killed at least seven continue to wreak havoc.Millions are affected across a swath of the US stretching from Texas to Ohio, and the powerful storm system that has raged for two days is expected to stall over the country's midsection, the National Weather Service (NWS) said, fueling further deluges and possible tornadoes in areas already drenched from thunderstorms bringing heavy rains. Continue reading...

Move ends bid for site near Whitehaven, Cumbria after planning permission was quashed by high courtThe Whitehaven coalmine's planning application has been withdrawn, bringing an end to a process that could have created the UK's first deep coalmine in 30 years in Cumbria.Planning permission for the mine was quashed in the high court last year which meant the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government had to reassess the planning application. However, the company has now written to the government withdrawing its planning application. Continue reading...

Plan to add 90 turbines to Rampion will create 4,000 jobs in construction and could power 1m homesThe government has approved plans to build an offshore windfarm capable of powering about 1m British homes before the end of the decade.The plan to extend the Rampion offshore windfarm by adding 90 turbines off the Sussex coast is expected to add about 1.2 gigawatts of clean power for British households and businesses. Continue reading...

Devices similar to those used during pandemic to be deployed to help stamp out trade in threatened fishLast year, a colleague of Diego Cardenosa sent the international shark trade researcher a few pieces of shark fin taken from a bowl of soup in New York City. Using a PCR test similar to those used during the Covid-19 pandemic to test for the virus, Cardenosa was able to identify the species behind the fin as sandbar shark, an endangered species found in tropical and warm-temperate waters.Now, Cardenosa and other scientists from Florida International University, alongside law enforcement officials from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), plan to deploy the tests at ports across the country in order to crack down on seafood fraud and fish trafficking. Continue reading...

Two lawmakers introduced a resolution to repeal a 2024 Biden rule that closed a low volume exemption' loopholeA new Republican plan would exempt many new toxic Pfas or forever chemicals" from health and safety review, a move criticized by opponents because it would allow the dangerous man-made substances to be used and sold with little effective scrutiny.Two House Republican lawmakers introduced a resolution under the Congressional Review Act that would repeal a 2024 Joe Biden rule that closed the low volume exemption" loophole for Pfas. The loophole allowed Pfas and chemicals produced in small enough quantities to be sent to the marketplace with virtually no review from federal regulators. Continue reading...

NSW environment watchdog investigation finds debris that washed up on Sydney beaches in 2024 consistent with a land-based sewage source'

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

The project in Uganda has captured the disastrous effects of the climate crisis on a vital source of water that is central to the lives and sacred beliefs of the local Bakonzo community Photographs by Project Pressure Continue reading...

Authorities race to complete clean-up operation after devastation from gales and heaviest rainfall in 20 yearsPeople on the Aegean islands, more used in April to the sight and scent of spring's blossoms, have been left reeling from flash floods spurred by typhoon-strength gales, with authorities calling a state of emergency in some of Greece's most popular destinations less than three weeks before Easter.It's a total catastrophe and it happened in just two hours," said Costas Bizas, the mayor of Paros, the island worst hit by weather not seen in decades. We need all the help we can get." Continue reading...

Campaign network calls on government to prioritise smaller cars and introduce higher charges for SUV ownersMore than 1m cars too big to fit in parking spaces are being sold in the UK each year, and numbers are growing, research has found.A trend for cars bigger than the average urban parking space means new vehicles are outgrowing towns and cities. Continue reading...

Animal rights charity argues surcharge of 40-60p discriminates against dairy-free customersA leading animal rights charity has launched a campaign calling for Gail's Bakery to drop its surcharge on plant-based milks, claiming it unfairly discriminates" against customers with dairy intolerances or those trying to make more ethical choices.Gail's, a chain that is expanding rapidly in Britain, charges 40p to 60p extra if customers want oat or soya milk in their coffee or tea. Continue reading...

White House approves Tennessee's state of emergency request as further fatalities expected to be confirmedViolent storms and tornadoes have torn across the US south and midwest, killing at least seven people and downing power lines and trees, smashing homes and upturning cars across multiple states.The outbreak of storms and tornadoes has resulted in at least seven deaths in Tennessee and Missouri, with further fatalities expected to be confirmed. One of the victims has been named: a 68-year-old man named Garry Moore who was a fire chief in Cape Girardeau county, Missouri. At least a dozen injuries have also been reported from the storms. Continue reading...

Rainfall near Memphis, Tennessee, is expected to exceed 12in over the next three daysA prolific tornado outbreak will give way to a rare and widespread flooding threat across the midwest and southern US this week, stressing the nation's short-staffed weather forecasting and disaster response efforts.At least seven people have reportedly died so far as nearly 100 tornadoes struck on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Transport secretary Heidi Alexander grants consent to London's fourth-biggest airport to allow potential 32m passengers a yearLuton airport will be allowed to almost double in capacity after the government overruled planning inspectors who recommended blocking the scheme on environmental grounds.The transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, granted a development consent order for the airport's plans to expand its perimeter and add a new terminal, allowing for a potential 32 million passengers a year. Continue reading...

Application, submitted by Cranswick, would have created one of the largest industrial poultry and pig units in EuropeA megafarm that would have reared almost 900,000 chickens and pigs at any one time has been blocked by councillors in Norfolk over climate change and environmental concerns.Councillors on King's Lynn and West Norfolk borough council unanimously rejected an application to build what would have been one of the largest industrial poultry and pig units in Europe. Continue reading...

Energy Transfer, a top backer of US president, has received requests to power even more energy-guzzling data centersOil and gas barons who donated millions of dollars to Donald Trump's presidential campaign are on the cusp of cashing in on the administration's support for energy-guzzling data centers - and a slew of unprecedented environmental rollbacks.Energy Transfer, the oil and gas transport company behind the Dakota Access pipeline, has received requests to power 70 new data centers - a 75% rise since Trump took office, according to a new investigation by the advocacy non-profit Oil Change International (OCI) and the Guardian. Continue reading...

Firm makes product used to waterproof clothing and allegedly polluted water with some kinds of PfasThe makers of Gore-Tex, a popular product commonly used to waterproof clothing by companies such as the North Face and Mountain Hardware, poisoned drinking water and sickened residents around their facilities in rural Maryland, two lawsuits allege.The facilities, about 90 miles north-east of Baltimore, polluted drinking water with levels up to 700 times above federal limits with some kinds of Pfas, a group of toxins known as forever chemicals" due to their environmental longevity. The tainted water caused high rates of cancers and other diseases linked to Pfas exposure in the area, a class action suit alleges. Continue reading...

Traditional methods benefit hundreds of species but as new agricultural techniques take over, the distinctive haystacks mark a vanishing way of lifeGolden haystacks shaped like teardrops have been a symbol of rural life in Romania for hundreds of years. The 3-metre-high (10ft) ricks are the culmination of days of hard work by families, from children up to grandparents, in the height of summer.Together they cut waist-high grass, leave it to dry in the hot sun and stack it up to be stored over the winter, combing the hay downwards to protect it from harsh winds, heavy rain and snow. Throughout winter, clumps of it are removed from the haystacks and fed to livestock. Continue reading...

ANU climate scientist says everyone is getting fatigued these records keep falling - it's now incredibly predictable'

Animals affected by domoic acid are known to exhibit erratic behavior and poisonings are becoming frequentA teenager was attacked by a sea lion in southern California, raising concerns that a recent increase in algae-induced poisonings among marine mammals could have elicited the erratic behavior.Phoebe Beltran initially feared it was a shark when she was bitten repeatedly during a 1000-yard swim test for the Junior Lifeguards cadet program in Long Beach on 30 March. Relatives onshore saw the sea lion pop its head out of the water before it swam away, the Los Angeles Times reported. Continue reading...

Reports predict global heating will bring catastrophes and that air conditioning market could grow by 41%The world is on track for disastrous global heating - but this will create profits for some air conditioning companies, according to forecasts by leading Wall Street financial institutions.Recent reports by Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase and the Institute of International Finance all make clear the finance sector considers the Paris climate agreement limiting global temperatures, signed a decade ago by nearly 200 nations, is effectively dead and investors should plan accordingly. Continue reading...

Hurricane Helene proved a hard truth: a freezer of seeds is the literal version of putting all your eggs in one basketAbout a month after Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina last fall, Rodger Winn and I met in an Asheville, North Carolina, supermarket parking lot. He'd driven two hours from Little Mountain, South Carolina, where the passing storm had also left its destructive mark.When the power finally came back on," Winn said, two of my freezers didn't work." Winn was worried not about spoiled food inside, but his seed collection. On that autumn day, in an act of forced downsizing and seed philanthropy, Winn handed over two boxes filled with seeds. He wanted me, as founder of the non-profit Utopian Seed Project, to share the seeds with farmers across the region. The boxes contained a trove of Appalachian varieties: speckled field peas, white mountain half-runner beans, purple-podded bush beans and lots of butterbeans. Continue reading...

Appeal court finds in favour of anglers who said plans to clean up river were so vague as to be totally ineffectual

If Peter Dutton needs to court the crossbench to form minority government after the election, he would risk putting his Coalition partner offside on climate and environment policy

Experts are desperate to analyse rusty patched bumblebee nests for information that might help save them. But they are extremely hard to find - unless you're a trained conservation canine

Wild 5.5 metre swells hammer the eastern NSW coastline, causing damage to key walkways and closing beaches

A 19th-century zoologist found the little salt dweller', which could be a portal to the past - if only we could locate it againLast February, with colleagues Gert and Philipp and my daughter Francesca, I made the long journey to an unremarkable city called Rio Cuarto, east of the Argentinian Andes. We went in search of a worm of unusual distinction.Why a worm? As humans, we naturally love the animals that are most familiar. But from a zoologist's point of view, the vertebrates, from mammals and birds to frogs and fish, can be seen as variations on a single theme. We all have a head at one end (with skull, eyes and jaws); in the middle, a couple of pairs of limbs (a goldfish's fins, or your arms and legs); and, holding all this together, a backbone ending in a tail. Continue reading...

More than half of Britain's 59 native species are in long-term decline, UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme findsLast summer was the fifth worst in nearly half a century for butterflies in Britain, according to the biggest scientific survey of insect populations in the world.For the first time since scientific recording began in 1976, more than half of Britain's 59 native species are in long-term decline. Continue reading...

The minor party makes pledge as Labor faces calls to explain its nature policy and plans for a federal EPA

Government wants to spur economic growth and drive housebuilding but charities say nature should be priorityWildlife groups have expressed alarm after ministers promised a radically streamlined" approach to UK environmental regulation intended to drive economic growth and speed up new housing, as well as major projects such as airports.While officials said the plans should boost nature conservation overall, the removal of what one called bat by bat" decisions, a reference to the 100m bat shelter constructed for part of HS2, could water down individual protections. Continue reading...

Silver fire leading to fears about Methuselah, a nearly 5,000-year-old bristlecone pine in eastern part of stateFirefighters have managed to make strong progress" containing a fire burning through eastern California near the world's oldest trees, but the blaze remains an active threat, officials said.Since igniting on Sunday afternoon, the Silver fire has scorched nearly 1,600 acres (647 hectares) in the eastern Sierra Nevada and forced residents of about 800 homes to evacuate. Strong winds fanned the flames, which burned through dry grass and brush in Inyo county, threatening neighborhoods, endangered species and the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. Continue reading...

Conservative party leader says she believes show is based on real story', a claim described as wholly untrue by writer and co-creator of seriesRichard Hughes, chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility, is giving evidence to the Treasury committee. There is a live feed here.Hughes started by telling the committee that he wrote to the chancellor earlier this year to say that, when his five-year term ends later this year, he would like to have a second term in office.We are of course negotiating an economic deal which will, I hope ... mitigate the tariffs.The US is our closest ally. Our defence, our security, our intelligence are bound up in a way that no two other countries are.So it's obviously in our national interest to have a close working relationship with the US, which we've had for decades, and I want to ensure we have for decades to come.We are obviously working with the sectors most impacted at pace on that.Nobody wants to see a trade war but I have to act in the national interests. Continue reading...

Invertebrates may be the unsung heroes of the planet but they have received a lot of love and recognition from Guardian readers. A dazzling array of nominations have flown in for insects, arachnids, snails, crustaceans, corals and many more obscure creatures for our invertebrate of the year competition. Natural history reporter Patrick Barkham reviews this year's shortlist of 10

Inferno spread to nearby homes, trapping residents, while full extent of damage still being assessedA fireball erupted from a burst gas pipeline outside Malaysia's largest city, injuring 145 people as it burned for several hours before being extinguished.

Hundreds of projects supported by USAID have been thrown into doubt, as fears grow of an increase in crimes such as poaching and traffickingWhen the guns finally fell silent in 1992, little was left alive in Gorongosa national park. During the 15 years of Mozambique's civil war - in which more than a million people died - the country's wildlife also paid a terrible price. Poaching for meat and ivory was so intense that the small surviving elephant population rapidly evolved to lose their tusks. Leopards, wild dogs and spotted hyenas had all disappeared. Populations of zebra, buffalo and other herbivores had collapsed.In the following years, a huge effort to restore the park took shape. Led by the philanthropist Gregory Carr and Mozambique's government, it was the start of the park's journey to becoming one of Africa's most celebrated wildlife conservation success stories. Today, elephants, lions, hippos, antelope, painted wolves, hyenas and leopards all thrive in the park once again - thanks to work that for the past 20 years has been supported by a long-term partnership with USAID. Continue reading...

Land speculation to blame for lack of progress amid Labour drive to build 1.5m new homes, says Wildlife Trusts head

Industry leaders say there is little detail on how the opposition's policy will work and it is difficult to predict' what the final price would be

The flood-affected area in outback Queensland has grown to double the size of Victoria after experiencing its worst deluge in 50 years. Water broke the banks of a makeshift levee in Thargomindah in the state's south-west, forcing the evacuation of 100 residents. Stock losses are expected to be catastrophic and more rain is forecast for the coming week

Exclusive: Moetai Brotherson fears environmental risks of controversial practice and says independence from France must not be rushed'

Council leader says situation causing harm and distress' with 17,000 tonnes of rubbish uncollectedBirmingham city council has declared a major incident over an ongoing bin strike, saying the daily blocking of depots by picket lines means vehicles are unable to pick up 17,000 tonnes of uncollected rubbish across the city.The council said it was unable to carry out its contingency plan due to striking workers blocking lorries on the picket line, and that there was now a risk to public health. Continue reading...

You can forget the advice on disguises, secret codes and spreading propaganda by dropping leaflets in train carriages. But there is something for us all here about the need for actionThe SOE Syllabus was a series of lectures given to prospective secret agents in Britain during the second world war. These lessons in ungentlemanly warfare" were released from the top secret bit of the Public Record Office (now known as the National Archive) and published as a historical curio in 2001, when my esteemed colleague John Crace picked out the sillier bits in one of his Digested Read reviews. There was a whole lecture about how to craft a disguise, in which people with sticky-out ears were advised to use glue to pin them back.But now, 24 years later, I have picked up the book with a graver purpose - just on the off-chance that if we end up having to resist a fascist state, the past might have something to offer. They won't know everything, these ungentlemanly gentlemen, being as they didn't have the internet. But they can't have known nothing.Zoe Williams is a Guardian columnistDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...

Head of Riverkeeper, which helped clean up Hudson River, talks about challenges during the second Trump termDonald Trump's push to repurpose the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) amid funding cuts and staffing losses poses a huge threat to water safety and environmental advances in one of the big environmental success stories in the US in recent decades: the clean-up of the Hudson River.Once a byword for environmental degradation, the Hudson River is now recovering, in part due to the work of Riverkeeper, a non-profit environmental organization that established a model of legal activism for water protection and inspired more than 300 programs globally. It is also where Robert F Kennedy Jr cut his teeth as an environmental lawyer, before becoming a senior member of Trump's rightwing cabinet. Continue reading...

Unsustainable logging is one of the global north's best-kept secrets. We're running out of time to stop itThe world is running out of time to halt deforestation and forest degradation. Yet instead of stepping up, the United States is dismantling forest protections and undermining global progress - highlighting the dangers of global forest policy that fails to hold the wealthiest, most powerful countries accountable.Unsustainable logging is one of the global north's best-kept secrets. Each year, millions of acres of old-growth and primary forests across North America, Europe and Australia are clearcut under the guise of sustainable forest management". International policy, by design, looks the other way, focusing attention instead on deforestation in the tropics. This double standard allows the world's wealthiest nations to evade accountability for industrial logging's catastrophic consequences.Jennifer Skene is director of global northern forests policy for the Natural Resources Defense Council Continue reading...

We asked 18 Republicans whose districts benefit most from Biden's IRA climate law if they back Trump's demandsBillions of dollars in clean energy spending and jobs have overwhelmingly flowed to parts of the US represented by Republican lawmakers. But these members of Congress are still largely reticent to break with Donald Trump's demands to kill off key incentives for renewables, even as their districts bask in the rewards.The president has called for the dismantling of the Inflation Reduction Act - a sweeping bill passed by Democrats that has helped turbocharge investments in wind, solar, nuclear, batteries and electric vehicle manufacturing in the US - calling it a giant scam". Trump froze funding allocated under the act and has vowed to claw back grants aimed at reducing planet-heating pollution. Continue reading...

First-quarter deliveries will be significantly down, say analysts, with the CEO and his links with Donald Trump the core toxic issue'

Meanwhile, Adelaide records driest period in decades and Perth swelters through temperatures above 35C