Beijing postpones plan to lift ban on their use in traditional medicine after global outcryConservation groups have welcomed an apparent U-turn by China over the use of rhino and tiger products in traditional medicine.The Chinese government announced on Monday that it would postpone a plan to lift the 25-year ban on the endangered animals, following a storm of international protest. Continue reading...

Project will trace tortoiseshell products in shops back to where they were poachedResearchers will use DNA technology to try to stop the illegal poaching of hawsksbill turtles for use in tortoiseshell products.The population of the critically endangered species has declined by more than 75% in the Pacific Ocean in the past century and a key threat to the species’ survival is illegal trade. Continue reading...

LNG is often touted as a good alternative to coal but the increase in production means increased emissions that will cancel out any recent savingsAustralia’s carbon footprint has expanded for the last three years straight – and the coal industry is not to blame. The biggest driver has been liquefied natural gas, known as LNG.Science and policy institute Climate Analytics found that between 2015 and 2020 the emissions growth from LNG will effectively wipe out the carbon pollution avoided through the 23% renewable energy target. Continue reading...

Twenty-two held over protests at Department for Business, Energy and Industrial StrategyTwenty-two people have been arrested after protesters daubed the windows of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in London and blocked passing traffic in an effort to provoke society into action over climate change.One protester climbed above the revolving doors of the main entrance of the building in Westminster and wrote “frack off” in black spray paint, and another sprayed the extinction symbol in red on windows facing traffic on Victoria Street. Continue reading...

Environmental lawyers say reliance on local authorities to take action is not workingThe government’s plan to tackle air pollution in some of the worst affected cities in the UK is unravelling into a “shambolic and piecemeal mess”, according to environmental lawyers.ClientEarth, which has successfully defeated the government three times in court, said the emphasis on local authorities taking action was backfiring with no joined-up strategy, delays and poorly researched proposals. Continue reading...

Trump’s interior secretary has been remaking the agency charged with protecting public lands as an ally of big energy, e-mails and records revealSince his first day on the job, when he surrounded himself with a National Park Service police escort and rode through Washington DC on a white-nosed horse named Tonto, the US interior secretary, Ryan Zinke, has exhibited a flair for ostentation.Not long after taking office in March 2017, the new secretary started flying a special flag, adorned with the agency’s bison seal, above the interior department’s elegant New Deal-era headquarters. At a cost of more than $2,000, he also commissioned commemorative coins emblazoned with his name to hand out to visitors and staff. He replaced the doors in his office to the tune of more than $130,000, and installed a hunting-themed arcade game in the department’s cafeteria. Continue reading...

Councils say residents also erroneously putting recyclable waste into plastic bags before disposing of themThrowing soft plastics into the recycling bin is still the most common recycling mistake made by Australians, according to new research by Planet Ark.A survey of 180 councils commissioned by the environment organisation for Recycling Week asked councils to identify what were the most common recycling mistakes made by their residents. Continue reading...

Readers take Attenborough to task for ignoring the human impact on the natural worldI strongly agree with George’s Monbiot’s comments regarding David Attenborough’s latest BBC series, Dynasties (Attenborough has betrayed the living world that he loves, 7 November). Why have most of his wonderful programmes been blind to the tsunami of environmental destruction we have unleashed? Some years ago I confronted Alastair Fothergill, series producer of many of Attenborough’s programmes, at a public meeting: “The Earth is in distress: why do you ignore human impacts?” His response: “Our audience does not want to be disturbed.” What about the mess that future generations will be left with?In the 1980s I worked at Channel 4 for Fragile Earth, which broadcast some 20 environmental documentaries a year. But as soon as Michael Grade took over as CEO in 1988, he sacked the commissioning editor – advertisers did not like disturbing programmes. And so the global devastation continues largely unreported in TV documentaries. Continue reading...

Drilling at Preston New Road site in Lancashire has triggered 37 minor quakes in three weeksA senior executive at the fracking company Cuadrilla privately said this summer it did not expect to cause earthquakes that would be serious enough to force it to halt operations.But despite that confidence, the company has triggered 37 minor quakessince it started fracking for gas at its Preston New Road site in Lancashire three weeks ago. Continue reading...

Environmental law group submits objection over proposed 3.6GW Drax plantPlans to build a huge new UK gas power station are facing a challenge from an environmental law group that argues the project would breach the government’s recommendations on climate change.ClientEarth, which has repeatedly defeated the government in court over its air pollution strategy, has submitted an objection to the planning inspectorate over Drax Group’s proposed 3.6GW plant in North Yorkshire. Continue reading...

Exclusive: ministers seeking to make firms pay more towards recycling their own wasteSupermarkets, retailers and major drinks brands are set to pay tens of millions of pounds more towards recycling their used packaging under the government’s new waste strategy expected to be published this month, the Guardian understands.Supermarkets and other major producers of packaging waste currently pay a small fraction of the cost of collecting and recycling the 11m tonnes of packaging waste produced in the UK. Continue reading...

The collapse of Toshiba’s project underlines the fact that new nuclear is a more unreliable proposition than wind and solarToshiba’s decision to pull out of building a nuclear power station in Cumbria last week will cause shockwaves far beyond the north-west of England.The outcome is a disaster for the surrounding area, which is heavily reliant on the nuclear industry for jobs and prosperity. Local politicians admit it is a blow and a disappointment for Cumbrians hoping for roles at the proposed Moorside plant. They say they genuinely believe a new buyer for the site will come forward. But that looks like wishful thinking. Continue reading...

Shortage of sheep and goats in Cyprus coupled with growing taste for grilled cheese in China ‘threatens global supplies’It’s on restaurant menus from London to New York and has become a barbecue favourite far and wide.But, on the Mediterranean island where it has been made since medieval times, halloumi’s unprecedented global popularity has also begun to cause concern. Fears are being voiced that local dairy farmers soon won’t be able to keep up with demand. Continue reading...

Starlings, a goldfinch, flamingos and winners of wildlife photography awards are among this week’s pick of images from the natural world Continue reading...

District court judge Brian Morris rules Trump administration did not consider environmental consequences before pushing aheadA federal judge has ordered a temporary halt to construction of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, ruling that the Trump administration didn’t properly consider the environmental consequences before pushing ahead with the enormous oil project.Related: 'Treating protest as terrorism': US plans crackdown on Keystone XL activists Continue reading...

Vehicle discovers school of blackmouth catsharks around thousands of egg casesThe largest shark nursery to have been found in Irish waters has been discovered among cold-water coral reefs 200 miles west of Ireland.A remotely operated vehicle surveying the deep ocean floor revealed thousands of egg cases, popularly known as “mermaid’s purses”, deposited on coral skeletons at depths of up to 750 metres (2,500ft). Continue reading...

Herds of cows provide meat and dairy for influential purveyors, but environmentalists say they despoil the landscapeAn hour north of San Francisco lie two-dozen dairy and meat farms that have produced some of the most beloved artisanal brands in northern California – along with a farm-fresh, locally sourced foodie ethos that has become globally influential.All the dairies in Point Reyes are organic, and the beef is grass-fed. They are models of sustainable farming, providing the raw ingredients for cheesemaker Cowgirl Creamery, the Straus Family Creamery, and Marin Sun Farms meats, to name a few. Continue reading...

Supermarket’s Greenpeace film on palm oil’s impact on orangutan deemed rule breachIceland’s Christmas campaign has been banned from TV because it has been deemed to breach political advertising rules.As part of its festive campaign the discount supermarket struck a deal with Greenpeace to rebadge an animated short film featuring an orangutan and the destruction of its rainforest habitat at the hands of palm oil growers. Continue reading...

Fossil fuels make us ‘safe from’ climate change, says MP who is working with Tony Abbott to move Liberals to the rightCoral bleaching has been happening for centuries, threats of rising sea levels to countries such as the Maldives and Tuvalu are greatly exaggerated and temperature gains have been grossly exaggerated by scientists.These are the assessments of the member for Hughes, Craig Kelly, who is part of a Tony Abbott-led speaking campaign to pull the Liberal party back from the centre. Continue reading...

Center for Biological Diversity says new program bypasses findings and leaves decisions to employees who are not expertsEnvironmental advocates are suing Donald Trump’s interior department for using what they call a secretive process that ignores science in refusing protections for at-risk species.Related: Hawaiian conservationists vow to fight telescope plans despite court approval Continue reading...

As Cumbria reactor plan stalls, it is clear that huge resources are needed for such projectsIf the government was keen to boost Britain’s nuclear industry, it was always clear that the private market would struggle to deliver.The decision by Toshiba to close down its UK operations is a case in point. After the deal to build new reactors at Hinkley Point with the French firm EDF, Toshiba was favoured by ministers to design and construct a smaller power station on the Cumbrian coast. Continue reading...

Broadcaster synonymous with BBC documentaries will record voiceover for eight-part seriesSir David Attenborough will front a new natural history documentary for Netflix, in the latest example of the streaming company muscling in on the BBC’s territory.The 92-year-old broadcaster has been synonymous with the BBC’s natural history output for decades but will now provide the voiceover for Netflix’s eight-part series Our Planet, which will be released in April. Continue reading...

Observers have crowded Central Park in the hopes of seeing the ‘hot duck’ since it first appeared on 10 October – but no one knows where it came from

Vitol, Glencore and Trafigura feature in report by campaign group Global WitnessThree global oil trading companies with strong ties to the UK face being dragged into Brazil’s “Car Wash” investigation, after a report raised questions about their connections to businessmen named in the vast corruption scandal.Vitol, Glencore and Trafigura, which boast combined annual revenues of more than half a trillion dollars, feature in a report by campaign groups Global Witness and Public Eye that uncovers links to men accused or convicted of involvement in the bribery scandal. Continue reading...

Kilometre-long aerial runway to be erected on remote mountain pass to dismay of conservationistsA kilometre-long zip wire will be erected in the Lake District following a seven-year planning battle.Conservationists have long opposed the plan by Honister slate mine to erect the aerial runway on the remote mountain pass between Borrowdale and Buttermere. Continue reading...

Firm’s nuclear arm to wind up next year and scrap Cumbria plant leaving big hole in UK energy plansPlans for a new nuclear power station in Cumbria have been scrapped after the Japanese conglomerate Toshiba announced it was winding up the UK unit behind the project.Toshiba said it would take a 18.8bn Japanese yen (£125m) hit from closing its NuGeneration subsidiary, which had already been cut to a skeleton staff, after it failed to find a buyer for the scheme. Continue reading...

Pacific Explorer cruise ship spilled liquid food waste into reef’s protected watersCarnival Australia has been compelled to provide a “$2.1m undertaking” after spilling 28,000 litres of liquid food waste into the Great Barrier Reef’s protected waters.The Australian Maritime Safety Authority detained the Pacific Explorer cruise ship on its way back to Sydney in early September until it paid the amount, which was equal to the maximum fine available, an AMSA spokesman said on Thursday. Continue reading...

Density of fine pollutants was nearly 1,665 in one part of the city – the safe limit is 25Pollution in the Indian capital Delhi exceeded the safe limit by 66 times on Thursday, shrouding the city in toxic fumes the morning after millions of firecrackers were burst for the Hindu festival Diwali.Delhi government monitors showed the density of fine pollutants — small enough to evade the body’s natural defences and breach the blood-brain barrier — reached 1,665 in Anand Vihar, a central neighbourhood. The World Health Organisation’s safe limit for pollutants that size is 25. Continue reading...

Redeployment of 400 staff jeopardises vital work protecting wildlife and overseeing recycling, pollution and flood preventionHundreds of staff who protect biodiversity and enforce environmental regulations in the UK have been redeployed to work on Brexit.The raid on staff from the Environment Agency, which is responsible for enforcing rules on recycling, air pollution and protecting the country from flooding, and Natural England, which protects habitats and species, has been condemned by MPs. Continue reading...

Berejiklian government urged to acknowledge ‘the extensive, serious and potentially irreparable damage’ the horses are causingDozens of Australia’s top scientists are demanding the New South Wales government repeal legislation that abandoned the culling of feral horses in the Kosciuszko national park.In Canberra on Thursday 145 scientists met to hear evidence of the damage feral horses are causing to the park, the worst of which includes the destruction of nesting habitat of critically endangered corroboree frogs. Continue reading...

Measure known as Initiative 1631 would have put a $15 fee on each ton of carbon dioxide emitted in the state

Offer of comparison rate for consumers falls short of call for lower prices by 1 JanuaryPower retailers have advanced a proposal to standardise comparison rates for all customers but have given no undertakings they will lower prices by January, during a roundtable with the energy minister, Angus Taylor.Taylor has claimed Wednesday’s Sydney talks as a win because retailers had proposed voluntary action during “constructive discussions” by offering up a standardised rate, making it easier for consumers to “compare apples with apples” when they shop around between retailers for the best deal. Continue reading...

Hundreds say they will skip school, urging politicians to treat climate change as an emergencyHundreds of students around the country are preparing to strike from school because of what they say is a failure by politicians to recognise climate change as an emergency.They’ve been inspired by 15-year-old Greta Thunberg, a Swedish student who has been sitting outside the parliament in central Stockholm to draw attention to the fears younger generations hold about the global climate crisis and the failure of countries to take urgent action. Continue reading...

Use of deadly 1080 bait has led to New Zealand government staff being abused, locked in national parks and harassed onlineThe New Zealand prime minister has been the subject of a death threat from environmental campaigners who have intensified their opposition to the government’s use of the poison 1080 to tackle invasive wildlife.Jacinda Ardern told a local television station on Tuesday that she had received a number of threats from anti-1080 protesters, including at least one against her life, but said she was more concerned about increasing levels of harassment and violence to conservation staff. Continue reading...

Collins Dictionary picks term referring to products made to be used once and thrown away as word of the year after rise in environmental awarenessSingle-use, a term referring to products – often made of plastic –that are made to be used once and thrown away, has been named Collins Dictionary’s word of the year for 2018.Backstop Continue reading...

Action launched in Liverpool against Anglo-Australian mining company after 2015 tragedy that killed 19 peopleThe worst environmental disaster in Brazil’s history has triggered one of the biggest legal claims ever filed in a British court.The Anglo-Australian mining company BHP Billiton is being sued for about £5bn by Brazilian victims of the Samarco dam collapse in Mariana three years ago. Continue reading...

The cost of bacon and sausages would double if the harm they cause to people’s health was taken into accountTaxing red meat would save many lives and raise billions to pay for healthcare, according to new research. It found the cost of processed meat such as bacon and sausages would double if the harm they cause to people’s health was taken into account.Governments already tax harmful products to reduce their consumption, such as sugar, alcohol and tobacco. With growing evidence of the health and environmental damage resulting from red meat, some experts now believe a “sin tax” on beef, lamb and pork is inevitable in the longer term. Continue reading...

The presence of wind turbines can reduce the number of birds and lizards in an area, a new study has found. Should we start tearing the farms down?Name: wind turbines.Age: Early examples date to the 7th century. Continue reading...

Boreholes near Redruth would be UK’s deepest and could kickstart zero-carbon power source across countryA trailblazing energy project has started drilling the UK’s deepest ever borehole in Cornwall in a bid to use heat from hot rocks as a zero-carbon source of electricity.The team behind the £18m scheme hopes to create the UK’s first deep geothermal power station and ignite a renewed interest in the technology’s wider potential. Continue reading...

Plans for a road through wildlife-rich areas break EU laws and send a worrying message ahead of Brexit, say MEPsGovernment plans to build an Oxford-Cambridge motorway over some of the UK’s most biodiverse nature reserves break EU laws and should be put on hold, according to a cross-party group of MEPs.Up to a million homes could be built in the planned conurbation link-up which would carve across some of the UK’s richest floodplain habitats such as the Otmoor Basin and Bernwood forest. Continue reading...

The world has two years to secure a deal for nature to halt a ‘silent killer’ as dangerous as climate change, says biodiversity chiefThe world must thrash out a new deal for nature in the next two years or humanity could be the first species to document our own extinction, warns the United Nation’s biodiversity chief.Ahead of a key international conference to discuss the collapse of ecosystems, Cristiana Pașca Palmer said people in all countries need to put pressure on their governments to draw up ambitious global targets by 2020 to protect the insects, birds, plants and mammals that are vital for global food production, clean water and carbon sequestration. Continue reading...

Renewable capacity has tripled in past five years, even faster growth than the ‘dash for gas’ of the 1990sThe capacity of renewable energy has overtaken that of fossil fuels in the UK for the first time, in a milestone that experts said would have been unthinkable a few years ago.In the past five years, the amount of renewable capacity has tripled while fossil fuels’ has fallen by one-third, as power stations reached the end of their life or became uneconomic. Continue reading...

The 33-year-old was bitten in Cid Harbour in the same waters where two tourists were mauled in SeptemberA man who was attacked by a shark in Cid Harbour in the Whitsundays has died in hospital.The 33-year-old Victorian had been on a charter boat with friends on Monday and had gone paddle boarding, police said, before he was bitten about 5.30pm. Continue reading...

Upper layer above northern hemisphere should be completely repaired in 2030sThe ozone layer is showing signs of continuing recovery from man-made damage and is likely to heal fully by 2060, new evidence shows.The measures taken to repair the damage will also have an important beneficial effect on climate change, as some of the gases that caused the ozone layer to thin and in places disappear also contribute to warming the atmosphere. Phasing them out could avoid as much as 0.5C (0.9F) of warming this century. Continue reading...

Rare sighting in the Canadian Arctic as a growing number of species expand their range into warming watersA rare sighting of sperm whales in the Canadian Arctic is the latest sign of a quickly changing ecosystem, say scientists, as a growing number of species expand their range into warming Arctic waters.Brandon Laforest, a marine biologist with the World Wildlife Fund, and guide Titus Allooloo were working on a project monitoring the effect of marine traffic on the region’s narwhal population when they spotted the pair of large whales just outside Pond Inlet, a community at the northern tip of Baffin Island in September. Continue reading...

Nine who died in Sicily may be latest of thousands of victims of unauthorised constructionThe villa in the Sicilian town of Casteldaccia where a family of nine died during floods last Saturday could have been demolished two years ago.The property was built too close to the Milicia River, in an area of high hydrological risk, but the owners appealed against a demolition order and it was never carried out. Continue reading...

New research reveals that cryptocurrencies require far more electricity per-dollar than it takes to mine most real metalsThe amount of energy required to “mine” one dollar’s worth of bitcoin is more than twice that required to mine the same value of copper, gold or platinum, according to a new paper, suggesting that the virtual work that underpins bitcoin, ethereum and similar projects is more similar to real mining than anyone intended.One dollar’s worth of bitcoin takes about 17 megajoules of energy to mine, according to researchers from the Oak Ridge Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio, compared with four, five and seven megajoules for copper, gold and platinum. Continue reading...

Four states across America are on the eve of introducing new cannabis legislation Continue reading...

Leaked memo shows managers were given 24 hours to name 75 staff to be redeployed to work on a no-deal scenarioThe environment department has been accused of “panic” over Brexit after a leaked document revealed the emergency redeployment of staff to prepare for a no-deal scenario.Managers at the Environment Agency (EA) were given just 24 hours to name 75 staff to be sent to the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). In September, the National Audit Office said Michael Gove’s department will not be ready for a no-deal Brexit, with meat and dairy and chemicals exports especially threatened. Continue reading...

Fair trade retailer was facing closure after poor sales compounded by weaker poundPioneering fair trade retailer Traidcraft, which had warned it was facing closure, has launched a turnaround plan that involves targeting younger ethical consumers.The faith-based group has traditionally relied on thousands of volunteers selling its coffee and tea at church hall stalls and school fairs. But in September the company warned it would cease trading unless it could come up with a profitable model after poor sales were compounded by the Brexit shock to the pound. Continue reading...