Environment | The Guardian

With little hope of federal action, a series of marches and events in 70 countries will focus on climate change’s effects now and the low-income and minority groups bearing the bruntClimate change activism has always had the stubbornly tough task of mobilizing the public to confront a slow-moving, largely invisible problem while being stymied by a fantastically wealthy fossil fuel industry and an array of sceptics in politics and the media.Climate campaigners would, therefore, be forgiven a few moments of despair in the era of Donald Trump. Trump's election elicited two large public howls from those concerned about climate change – the People's Climate March and the Science March, held within days of each other in April last year – but any hopes of persuasion have now given way to attritional confrontation and attempts to bypass the administration altogether. Continue reading...

A hummingbird hawk-moth, mountain lion cub and stranded pygmy whales are among this week’s pick of images from the natural world Continue reading...

Sustainability can bring benefits to everybody – including company execs with their eyes on the bottom lineWarren Buffett said, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.” It has been more than two decades now since a 1996 issue of Life magazine depicted a Pakistani boy sewing a Nike soccer ball, reportedly for six cents per hour. After the story, the company lost more than half its market capitalisation in just one year – it took Nike six years of demonstrated social responsibility to recuperate. Even today Nike is – fairly or unfairly – ranked low on lists of ethical companies. It has survived financially, but the reputation of the brand may never recover.Environmental reputations can be just as hard to rebuild. NGOs like Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund believe in the potential fragility of the environment, and they see the potential fragility of companies’ brands as a means of pressuring them to change. Continue reading...

British Fashion Council says LFW in September will be first of big fashion weeks to ditch animal furLondon has become the first of the main fashion weeks to ditch animal fur in its shows after the British Fashion Council (BFC) said none of the designers participating on the official schedule would be using it.The BFC made the announcement after carrying out a survey asking designers if they planned on using fur in their shows, and comes after rising numbers of anti-fur protesters demonstrating at London fashion week (LFW), from 25 in 2016 to more than 250 last September. Continue reading...

Minister says agreement Australia committed to ‘doesn’t actually bind us to anything in particular’Australia does not need to quit the Paris climate agreement because our commitments are non-binding, and new coal plants can continue to be constructed, according to the resources minister, Matt Canavan.Canavan told Sydney broadcaster Alan Jones on Friday he had never been to Paris, and was “happy to leave the Champs-Élysées for others”, but people needed to be clear the treaty Tony Abbott committed Australia to in 2015 “doesn’t actually bind us to anything in particular”. Continue reading...

Top climate scientist says leaders disenchanted with Australia’s promotion of coal and slowing down action on meeting Paris targetsAustralia’s regional authority and influence is being eroded by its refusal to address the threat climate change poses to many of its Pacific neighbours, according to a pre-eminent climate scientist.As part of the Pacific Islands Forum, Australia was a signatory to the Boe declaration in Nauru on Wednesday which said climate change represented “the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security and wellbeing of the peoples of the Pacific”. Continue reading...

Union tells Senate inquiry more than 90% of staff working with threatened species say Australia’s performance is poorThe Australian government is failing to meet its domestic and international obligations to protect threatened species and existing environment laws are inadequate, according to public servants working on endangered wildlife.The admissions are contained in a damning submission by the Community and Public Sector Union to a Senate inquiry investigating Australia’s high rate of fauna extinctions. Continue reading...

Industry makes biggest commitment yet to ending its use of throwaway plastic bottlesGlobal soft drink companies have made their biggest commitment yet to eliminating the use of throwaway plastic bottles, in an action plan presented to parliament.In a report sponsored by the likes of Danone, Suntory and Nestlé, the companies give unequivocal backing to a government-implemented deposit and return scheme. Their ambition is for zero plastic packaging to be sent to landfill or escape into the natural environment by 2030, and for packaging to be made entirely from recycled or renewable materials or both. Continue reading...

Something ‘fundamentally wrong’ in rural landscape, scientists say, with numbers thought to have fallen 80% since 1950sA “perfect storm” of intensive farming and rising badger populations has left most of the countryside in England and Wales devoid of hedgehogs, according to the first systematic national survey.The research used footprints left by hedgehogs in special tunnels to reveal that they were living at just 20% of the 261 sites surveyed. Hedgehogs, which topped a vote in 2013 to nominate a national species for Britain, were significantly less common where badgers were more numerous. Badgers eat hedgehogs and also compete for the beetles and worms the prickly animals consume. Continue reading...

Danish brewer will be the first to ditch pack rings in a move it says will reduce plastic by up to 76%Familiar plastic can holders used for lager and beer multipacks could be on their way out after global brewing giant Carlsberg revealed plans to replace them with recyclable glue.In a world first for the beer industry, the Danish brewer is phasing in a new “snap pack” which it claims will reduce the amount of plastic used in traditional multi-packs by as much as 76%. Continue reading...

Walney Extension will power 590,000 homes amid fears Brexit could stifle growthThe world’s biggest offshore windfarm has officially opened in the Irish Sea, amid warnings that Brexit could increase costs for future projects.Walney Extension, off the Cumbrian coast, spans an area the size of 20,000 football pitches and has a capacity of 659 megawatts, enough to power the equivalent of 590,000 homes. Continue reading...

Company will reuse, repair or recycle products and end use of real furBurberry is to end its practice of burning unsold clothes, bags and perfume and will also stop using real fur after criticism from environmental campaigners.The British fashion house destroyed unsold £28.6m worth of products last year to protect its brand and prevent unwanted stock from being sold at knockdown prices, taking the value of items destroyed over the past five years to £105m. It has previously defended its practice by saying that the energy generated from burning its goods was captured. Continue reading...

PM of Tuvalu said a country ‘starting with capital A’ wanted qualifications made to a communique on climate change and emissionsAustralia attempted to water down a resolution on climate change agreed by country representatives at the Pacific Islands Forum, a leader attending the event has claimed.

Warning of aftershocks as 10 injured in 6.6 earthquake on northern island of HokkaidoA powerful earthquake of magnitude 6.6 left residents trapped inside their homes as a landslide blocked roads, engulfed buildings and led to widespread power cuts on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido in the early hours of Thursday.A landslide along a long ridge in the rural town of Atsumi could be seen in aerial footage from the public broadcaster NHK. About 10 people had been taken to hospital with injuries, one of them serious, it said. Japanese media said two people had died and 32 were missing, but there were no official reports of fatalities. Continue reading...

Leaders of Pacific Forum Island countries call on United States to return to Paris agreement on climate changeClimate change is the single greatest security threat to the Pacific, and all countries must meet their commitments under the Paris climate agreement, the 18 countries of the Pacific Islands Forum said on Wednesday.The first assertion of the strongly worded Boe Declaration says all Pacific nations, including Australia, “reaffirm that climate change remains the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security and wellbeing of the peoples of the Pacific, and our commitment to progress the implementation of the Paris agreement. Continue reading...

After denials, government ordered to pay compensation to family of lung cancer victimJapan has acknowledged for the first time that a worker at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, destroyed by an earthquake and tsunami more than seven years ago, died from radiation exposure.A magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck in March 2011, triggering a tsunami that killed about 18,000 people and the world’s worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl 25 years earlier. Continue reading...

Prime minister claims Australia will easily meet its obligations without an emissions reduction policyScott Morrison is continuing to insist that Australia will meet its Paris climate commitments “in a canter” despite the government having no emissions reduction policies to achieve that result.The prime minister used a radio interview on Wednesday afternoon to declare “the business-as-usual model gets us there in a canter” – which contradicts advice from the Energy Security Board that says business as usual will mean the electricity sector will “fall short of the emissions reduction target of 26% below 2005 levels”. Continue reading...

Palau’s climate change coordinator says Australia provides aid to region but on world stage undermines attempts to halt global warmingAustralia’s relationship with the Pacific region on the issue of climate change has been described as “dysfunctional” and “abusive” – providing aid to the region to deal with the effects of global warming but undermining attempts to halt its progress, according to a climate change representative for the Pacific nation of Palau.Xavier Matsutaro, the national climate change coordinator for Palau, a small nation in the north-west Pacific, said Australia’s relationship with the Pacific was “dysfunctional”, adding that Australia was also responsible for diluting the strength of previous regional declarations on climate change. Continue reading...

The O-Wind Turbine captures wind from any direction and, unlike traditional turbines, could be effective in citiesA ‘spinning’ turbine which can capture wind travelling in any direction and could transform how consumers generate electricity has won its two student designers a prestigious James Dyson award.Nicolas Orellana, 36, and Yaseen Noorani, 24, both MSc students at Lancaster University, have created the O-Wind Turbine which – in a technological first – takes advantage of both horizontal and vertical winds without requiring steering. Continue reading...

Internal watchdog found the agency has no approved procedures to determine how much security the administrator neededThe millions of dollars spent on a round-the-clock security detail for the scandal-laden former head of the US Environmental Protection Agency were not justified, according to the findings of an internal watchdog.Scott Pruitt’s transition team asked for a 24/7 security team for him when he was appointed as head of the EPA by Donald Trump, even pulling agents from criminal investigations to guard him, in a move that dramatically escalated the cost for the taxpayer and broke with the protocol followed by his predecessors. Continue reading...

French president accused of doing too little, as he appoints new environment ministerFrench environment campaigners have warned Emmanuel Macron is doing too little to combat climate change and must radically rethink his environment policy if he is to honour his promise to “make this planet great again”.Renewed criticism of the centrist French president’s approach to green issues came as Macron replaced his former environment minister, the TV personality Nicolas Hulot, who quit last week saying the government was in thrall to powerful lobby groups and taking only “mini-steps” that were insufficient to deal with climate change. Continue reading...

Rockfall a growing risk as high temperatures thaw ground at higher altitudesFrance will impose a daily cap of 214 climbers on Mont Blanc next year, one of several measures taken to limit overcrowding on one of Europe’s highest peaks.“It’s a tough decision but a very good one, because Mont Blanc is a climb unlike any other. You have to be prepared,” said Jean-Marc Peillex, mayor of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, the Alpine town where the most popular route to the top of the mountain begins. Continue reading...

Charities and ministers voice concern after discovery of carcasses with tusks hacked offNinety elephant carcasses have been found in Botswana with their tusks hacked off, in what is believed to be one of Africa’s worst mass poaching sprees.Most of the animals killed were large bulls carrying heavy tusks, Elephants Without Borders said on Tuesday. Continue reading...

No 10 hopes for ‘amicable outcome’ to dispute between UK and French fishing boatsDowning Street has attempted to defuse tensions between British and French fishing industry workers harvesting scallops in the Channel after the French navy said it would intervene to prevent further clashes.Theresa May’s official spokesman said both sides were hoping for a cordial solution from talks in London on Wednesday designed to resolve the dispute, suggesting there was were no plans for British warships to be deployed. Continue reading...

Defra’s decision not to renew Europa’s licence marks victory after 1o-year legal battleMichael Gove has blocked drilling of a controversial exploratory oil well in the south of England, causing campaigners to celebrate but sparking an angry response from one of the firms involved.Concerns over the impact on ancient woodland led the environment secretary to decide against renewing the lease at the site near Holmwood in the Surrey Hills, which is on Forestry Commission land. Continue reading...

Local authorities should be investing in a greener future – not using pensions to fund the very companies they are battling

Students will be offered bottled water and coolers after testing raised concern at dozens of schoolsThe 50,000 students returning to public school classrooms in Detroit on Tuesday following the summer break will find the drinking fountains dry, after elevated levels of lead and copper forced the district to shut off the water supply.After test results evaluating all water sources, from sinks to fountains, for 16 schools showed higher than acceptable levels of the chemicals last month, the Detroit public schools community district announced it was turning off the water at all its schools. Continue reading...

Solar-powered highway signs have been placed in the city’s five boroughs as part of the Climate Signals installationThe existential threat of climate change is being spelled out to New Yorkers via a selection of flashing highway signs that have been placed around the city.The 10 large solar-powered signs have been placed in locations in each of New York’s five boroughs, including areas deemed particularly vulnerable to the sea level rise and powerful storms associated with climate change, including the Rockaways in Queens and the west side of Manhattan. Continue reading...

Exclusive: organic fresh produce and dairy are now worth a record £2.2bn a yearSupermarket sales of organic food and drink in the UK have risen by 4% this year, new figures reveal, marking seven consecutive years of growth.Despite an exceptionally cold winter and a hot, dry summer which have played havoc with crops, organic fresh produce and dairy sales remain the main drivers fuelling growth of the overall market, now worth a record £2.2bn. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Friends of the Earth says revised national planning policy makes it ‘virtually impossible’ for councils to refuse fracking schemesThe government is facing a legal challenge over its new planning policy, which campaigners say was illegally adopted because the government failed to assess its environmental impact.The revised National Planning Policy Framework, published in July, informs local policies across England, from planning permission to town and country planning and land use. It has significant weight in development decisions, from the amount and location of built development to the way environmental impacts are assessed, and also deals with policies concerning air pollution, energy generation, water management and biodiversity. Continue reading...

Imposing tariffs on energy trading could also hinder efforts to counter global warming

The disclosure of the cull, conducted under a legal loophole, comes as Japan seeks to further weaken a global ban on commercial huntsJapanese whalers have killed more than 50 minke whales in an Antarctic marine protection area this year, WWF has revealed.The disclosure comes on the opening day of the International Whaling Commission’s annual meeting in Brazil, which Japan is chairing as it seeks to restart commercial whaling. Killing whales for profit was banned in 1986, but nations including Norway and Iceland have granted themselves exemptions. Continue reading...

Analysts say sector could expand sixfold if all planned projects proceed and government focuses on carbon reduction policies

Consumers face a double whammy of prices rises brought on by the long hot summer and BrexitYields of key crops have fallen significantly in this year’s harvest as a result of the hot summer and massive swings in weather, leaving farmers counting the cost and consumers facing higher prices for food.After record heatwaves and drought, when rain finally arrived it caused problems in some areas, particularly the north and west, as farmers have struggled to bring in wet crops. Continue reading...

California’s Democratic leaders are determined to fight the climate change that’s ravaging their state

Invaders continue to seize land within the Chaparrí ecological reserve, one of Peru’s most biodiverse forestsShortly after sunset, along an isolated stretch of highway leading out of a dusty hamlet in northern Peru, a band of five weary farmers clad in reflective neon vests and armed with traditional whips made of bull penises set out on a solemn march.The Ronderos – self-governing peasant patrols – are resuming their nightly rounds five months after the brutal killing of their lieutenant governor, Napoléon Tarrillo Astonitas. Continue reading...

Lancastrians protested against it, the council rejected it, the health impacts are shocking. But this government doesn’t careOne day soon, in a field by the A583 in sight of Blackpool Tower, fracking for shale gas will resume in the UK. The first attempt to kickstart this dangerous and disruptive industry had to be abruptly halted, after fracking at a nearby site in 2011 by the same company, Cuadrilla, set off earth tremors. For nearly two years, local people have maintained a round-the-clock vigil on the roadside. Their presence reflects the overwhelming opposition of residents to the forced intrusion of fracking into this green and tranquil corner of Lancashire. Passing motorists toot support.The people of Lancashire could have been forgiven for thinking that they had seen off the threat of being turned into the UK’s shale gas guinea pigs. In 2015, responding to their well-evidenced concerns, the county council refused permission for Cuadrilla to frack in the very same field, and in the nearby secluded village of Roseacre. But, taking advantage of planning rules the coalition government had put in place to favour fracking, Cuadrilla appealed. In 2016, Sajid Javid, then communities secretary, duly overturned Lancashire council’s decision. This July, the government gave final consent for Cuadrilla to begin. Continue reading...

NFU chief says there has been little action from the environment secretaryStruggling farmers have called on Michael Gove to honour his promise of assistance after the summer drought.The first half of this year’s summer was the driest in the UK since 1961, with harvests suffering as a consequence of the hot weather. Continue reading...

Shorten to pledge a permanent control trigger that can be pulled when prices are too highLabor has proposed stronger export restrictions on gas, promising to help reduce energy costs by reserving more domestic supply.On Monday Bill Shorten will promise a permanent gas export control trigger that can be pulled when gas prices are too high, not just when a gas shortfall is forecast. Continue reading...

Greens leader also targets new prime minister and Coalition who he says ‘don’t deserve to govern’The Greens leader Richard Di Natale will promise to work with a new Labor government to get action on climate change back on track.Di Natale makes the pledge in a landmark speech to be delivered on Monday in Melbourne, kicking off a national speaking tour that anticipates the major policy battles of the next federal election. Continue reading...

Former head of federal agency that holds the government’s water entitlements says Victoria and New South Wales being overly influenced by irrigatorsThe former head of the federal agency that holds the government’s water entitlements has accused New South Wales and Victoria of undermining the Murray-Darling Basin plan by failing to do their part on enforcement and being overly influenced by irrigators.The accusation by the former commonwealth environmental water holder comes as several politicians, including the federal government’s new envoy on drought, Barnaby Joyce, call for environmental water holdings to be made available to farmers to finish growing winter fodder crops. Continue reading...

Science and industry museum accused of hypocrisy for taking money from oil companyThree partners of a major UK science festival have pulled out in protest at Shell sponsoring its headline exhibition.The Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, which organises the Manchester science festival, confirmed the partners had withdrawn their events because of the oil company’s sponsorship of its forthcoming electricity exhibition. Continue reading...

Trade minister fails to name mechanism for emissions reduction as energy policy looms as key issue in Wentworth byelection

Exclusive: Marine Park Authority scaled back surveys in 2017, when mass bleaching occurred in successive years for first timeThe Australian government-funded Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority drastically scaled back surveys of coral bleaching in the middle of an unprecedented two-year marine heatwave, as its monitoring program almost ran out of money.The authority’s field management program conducted more than 660 in-water surveys of reefs in 2016, during the first of two consecutive mass bleaching events. The program’s annual report said those surveys “played a key role in determining the extent of mortality caused”. Continue reading...

The government finds itself in a mess after the national energy guarantee was used as a catalyst to evict TurnbullWe’ve lost another prime minister in the front bar brawl that is Australian politics, but we’ve lost something else as well, something that’s a bit harder to see.

Government has not come to terms with ‘unprecedented’ water shortages, NSW Greens MP saysWater flows into the Sydney drinking water catchment are at a record low and less than half than they were during the millennium drought last decade, prompting more concern about the city’s water security.Previously the lowest inflows into the catchment had been 136 gigalitres in 1944. In 2004, during the height of Sydney’s last water shortage during the millennium drought they fell to 234 gigalitres. Continue reading...

At world’s largest farm show many say US government aid has helped ease their pain – but what they want is trade security

IOPC upholds complaint by six people arrested under obscure clause of Trade Union ActSix activists detained by police while protesting against tree felling in Sheffield were arrested on false grounds, the police watchdog has found.The four men and two women were arrested between November 2016 and February 2017 “for the prevention of harm and injury” under an obscure clause of the Trade Union and Labour Relations Act. Continue reading...

A baby freen sea turtle, a grizzly bear and her cubs, and a grey-headed flying fox are among this week’s pick of images from the natural world Continue reading...