Environment | The Guardian

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

A third farm off the tiny Hebridean island of Gigha would bring much-needed jobs - but there are fears over the impact on the ecosystem and the welfare of the fishOn the tiny Hebridean island of Gigha, a 20-minute ferry hop from Tayinloan village on the Scottish mainland, Marion Stevenson drives along the only main road, pointing out white beaches and new wilderness paths". The Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust recently built 14 miles of the paths to encourage eco-tourism. A site in the north of the seven mile-long island has been awarded dark skies" status - on a clear night you can see the Milky Way.On the west coast, there are just a handful of houses, cliffs and stunning views across the sea to Jura and Islay. But it is here that Bakkafrost, a Faroese salmon company, proposes siting eight 50-metre-wide cages and a feed barge. Continue reading...

Australia's biggest selling brand says it is broadly supportive but has asked for changes including revisiting the stringency and the timeframe

North Melbourne's Alastair Clarkson free to coach in round one after avoiding suspension for outburst in weekend's trial match. This blog is now closed

Exclusive: Research reveals byproduct PCBs may pose growing, unmonitored environmental and human health risk'Industry could be producing more cancer-causing PCB chemicals today than at any other point in history, despite their production having been banned more than 40 years ago.PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, are human-made substances that were used as coolants and lubricants in electrical equipment until they were banned due to their links to health problems and because they do not break down easily in the environment. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Firm points to risk of asbestos contamination from other sources as it seeks to have prevention order thrown out

Particular concern raised for southern areas of the reef that have not been badly bleached since 2016 with high risk' of significant coral death

Vast nuclear power plant has been on the frontline of the war since its capture in March 2022

Minns government fulfils $13m election commitment following long-running community campaign to protect the area

In the Umoho Nation, teens learn about nutrition and build tribal sovereignty by farming for their school and communityBefore joining her school's gardening program this year, 14-year-old Emilie Lyons had never encountered an eggplant. She is a freshman at Umoho Nation public school, which serves more than 600 students on the Omaha reservation in Macy, Nebraska. When she brought the vegetable home, she and her dad looked up recipes for how to prepare the peculiar purple nightshade and were surprised by how tasty it was.Umoho Nation is just one Indigenous-focused school across the US where administrators and educators are endeavoring to introduce healthy, culturally relevant foods into their lunches and other culinary initiatives. Continue reading...

Hurricanes are more frequently escalating quickly, and the places they destroy may be those disadvantaged by racist housing policyChelle Walton remembers how the water rushed into her home, the night Hurricane Ian made landfall. The 68-year-old found herself chin-deep in water, scrambling to grab essentials like her husband's medication. Strangely enough, things float in saltwater," Walton said.Walton and her husband Rob had decided to shelter in place, despite repeated evacuation notices. Continue reading...

Bangkok customs officers arrest six after finding 87 animals, including lizards, birds, a monkey and snakesThai customs officials have arrested six Indian nationals for attempting to smuggle dozens of wild animals, including a red panda and cotton-top tamarin monkey, out of the country.Officers found 87 animals, including monitor lizards, birds and snakes, packaged inside the suspects' checked luggage at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport. They were trying to fly to Mumbai. Continue reading...

Logging stopped as Australian Agribusiness Group says its teams have resolved to increase efforts on the protection of the local animal population' and that they are operating well beyond what is considered best practice for wildlife management'WARNING: contains images some viewers may find distressing

Potential investment by NatPower would create largest portfolio of battery storage projects in BritainBritain's under-pressure green power industry has received a surprise fillip after a renewables developer pledged to plough 10bn into what would become the largest portfolio of battery storage projects in the country.NatPower, a UK startup that is part of a larger European energy group, is poised to submit planning applications for three gigaparks", with a further 10 to follow next year. Continue reading...

Green economists dismayed by failure to recognise one of the fastest-expanding areas of businessOpportunities to revive the UK's flagging economy by boosting green industry were missed in one of the least green budgets of recent years, experts have said.Several said this failure to recognise one of the fastest-expanding areas of business - the net zero economy grew by 9% in key areas last year, while the rest of the economy was stagnant, according to CBI estimates - would drag down the UK in the short and long term. Continue reading...

Tesla accused Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries of favouring car companies wanting to delay action on climate crisis, Guardian Australia revealed on Wednesday

Bird - one of the 10 rarest in the US - caused the fountain display at the Bellagio hotel and casino to be switched offA rare yellow-billed loon - a bird more common to the high Arctic tundra in the summer that strays south of Canadian border in only small numbers - has caused a fountain display in Las Vegas, Nevada, to be switched off.The yellow-billed loon, with a similarly haunting call to the smaller, more abundant common loon, was spotted in the fountains of the Bellagio hotel and casino, causing hotel management to call off the propulsive displays of water. Continue reading...

New report warns of deadly health risks from fossil fuel pollution, including alarming rise in neurodevelopmental issuesChemical pollution tied to fossil fuel operations poses serious risks to human health, warns a new analysis published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday.Citing data from dozens of studies, the report points to an alarming rise in neurodevelopmental issues, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and certain cancers in young people taking place amid what the paper's author calls explosive growth" in the petrochemical industry. Between 1990 and 2019, rates of certain cancers in people under 50 increased dramatically. Meanwhile, fossil fuel use and petrochemical production have increased fifteen-fold since the 1950s, according to the report.This story is co-published with the New Lede, a journalism project of the Environmental Working Group Continue reading...

SEC rule will require large businesses to report gas emissions, but some experts say weakened version paves way for greenwashing'US regulators have voted to require large, publicly traded companies to disclose climate change-related information to investors, though the rule's scope has been significantly scaled back from the original draft proposal.The long-awaited rule which was finalized in a 3-2 vote by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Wednesday, marks the first nationwide climate disclosure rule in the US. Some experts say it will give investors more transparency into the threat the climate crisis poses to corporations and how they contribute to global warming. Continue reading...

Scientists confirm cetacean's presence but cite impact of climate change which has made North-west Passage ice-free in summerScientists have confirmed the presence of a whale off New England that went extinct in the Atlantic Ocean two centuries ago - an exciting discovery, but one they said that illustrates the impact of climate change on sea life.Researchers with the New England Aquarium in Boston found the gray whale while flying 30 miles south of Nantucket, Massachusetts, on 1 March. The whale, which can weigh 60,000 pounds (27,215kg), typically lives in the northern Pacific Ocean. Continue reading...

Focus turns to criminal investigation after NSW Environment Protection Authority completes its trawl through the supply chain

The Long Table in Gloucestershire is a not-for-profit that rescues food waste, sources local produce and pays the real living wageA Gloucestershire restaurant is rethinking relationships with customers, suppliers and the entire food economy to fuel an ambitious pay as you can" model that feeds allcomers, regardless of ability to pay.In the past year, The Long Table has fed about 20,000 people at below-cost price - many for no charge at all, no questions asked - while rescuing 3.4 tonnes of food destined for the bin and paying local suppliers fair prices for the rest. Continue reading...

For generations, residents have hauled tiny fishing shacks on to frozen lakes, but milder winters are forcing them to quit earlyNew England fishers are on thin ice this winter as warming temperatures force them to abandon their lake perches months ahead of schedule, an alarming reality that could jeopardize the future of a deeply rooted recreational tradition.Ice fishing is a way of life in places like New Hampshire, where people flock to frozen lakes each winter with their bob-houses in tow. Continue reading...

Nitrate-fouled water from concentrated animal feed operations causes a host of medical problems for nearby residentsFor nearly three decades, Jeff Broberg couldn't drink water from his tap.He lives on a sprawling, 170-acre grain and legume farm in Winona county, a rural part of south-east Minnesota saturated with animal agriculture. Like most properties in the area, Broberg's has a well connected to his faucet. On a whim, when Broberg first moved in in 1986, the now 69-year-old retired geologist started testing his water for nitrate - an invisible, odorless and tasteless compound found in animal manure and commercial fertilizer. Consuming it in high quantities has been linked to a variety of health risks. Continue reading...

Report links rise in birds trapped for human consumption to cuts in anti-poaching resources in area of British military baseMore than 400,000 songbirds were trapped and killed in Cyprus last autumn as part of a recent increase in wildlife crime, according to a new report.Organised crime networks use decoys and speakers playing birdsong to lure these small birds - including garden favourites such as robins and sparrows - to land in bushes or orchards, where they catch them with mist" nets or branches covered in glue. They are then sold via the hidden market to restaurants to be eaten as a local dish called ambelopoulia", which consists of pickled or boiled songbirds. Continue reading...

According to Thai government Srettha Thavisin asked for new standards to be gradually implemented to protect exports

Citi, BofA, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo leave framework that assesses environmental, social and governance (ESG) financingFour of the world's biggest banks have left the Equator Principles, a set of minimum industry standards and safeguards for financial institutions to address environmental and social risks in countries where they finance fossil fuel and mining projects.The Equator Principles have been around for more than two decades, and while not enforceable, they provide a basic framework of environmental standards that banks agreed would underpin financing deals on pollution-causing extractive projects. Continue reading...

We are buying more electric and plug-in hybrid cars - 8.5% of all new sales last year - and no one's weekend has ended. But that's barely half of the global sales proportion

Leaking fuel and thousands of tonnes of fertiliser could harm marine ecosystems and affect coastal fishing communitiesThe sinking of a bulk carrier off the coast of Yemen after a Houthi missile attack poses grave environmental risks as thousands of tonnes of fertiliser threaten to spill into the Red Sea, officials and experts have warned.Leaking fuel and the chemical pollutant could harm marine life, including coral reefs, and affect coastal communities that rely on fishing for their livelihoods, they said. Continue reading...

Authorities notified of dead right whale stranded off Georgia on Sunday while North Atlantic species totals less than 360The first confirmed baby right whale of the year has been found dead from a collision with a ship, a devastating blow for the vanishing species.North Atlantic right whales number less than 360 and they are vulnerable to ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear. Federal authorities were notified of a dead right whale stranded off Georgia on Sunday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) said. Continue reading...

Irrigation for grazing and evaporation due to global heating is draining Oregon's Lake Abert. Now environmentalists and ranchers are looking for common ground on how to save itThe water level in Oregon's remote, salty Lake Abert fell to unusually low levels in July 2013. As it did, the salt concentrations became too high even for the few species adapted to its saline waters. Tiny brine shrimp and alkali flies died en masse. By September, so much water had been lost that the salts precipitated into a shimmering white crust of triangular crystals.Daily counts of shorebirds had reached 350,000 in July - a higher density than is found even at the Great Salt Lake - but after the lake dried out and remained empty the following summer, bird counts dropped by 90%. Continue reading...

Mass die-off in Klamath River caused by extreme changes in water pressure amid largest dam removal project in US historyAs many as hundreds of thousands of newly hatched Chinook salmon released into the Klamath River have died due to gas bubble disease" caused by extreme changes in water pressure.The young salmon fry were released amid the largest dam removal project in US history along the 257-mile-long river, which flows across Oregon and California. Four hydropower dams are being removed, reconnecting the lower and upper portions of the Klamath River for the first time in a century and allowing fish free passage along the river. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Electric car company says Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries is running a concerted public campaign' by suggesting plan would push up price of popular cars

Research finds almost all land cleared in the state between 2016 and 2021 in areas where threatened species habitat likely to occur'

Exclusive: Wildlife groups welcome promise to ban pesticides approved by government against scientists' advice

Rural households led by women lose about 8% more income to heat stress than male-led families, data showsWomen in rural areas suffer substantially greater economic losses from the impacts of climate breakdown than men in developing countries, research has shown, and the gap is likely to widen further.Households headed by women in rural areas lost about 8% more of their income to heat stress than male-headed households, and their reduction in income when floods struck was about 3% greater than the loss to men, according to data released by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Britain spent about 26bn in three years on low-carbon measures, less than Italy, Germany, France and Spain, Greenpeace findsThe UK spends less on low-carbon energy policy than any other major European economy, analysis has shown, despite evidence that such spending could lower household bills and increase economic growth more than the tax cuts the government has planned.Spending on low-carbon measures for the three years from April 2020 to the end of April 2023 was about $33.3bn (26.2bn) in total for the UK, the lowest out of the top five European economies, according to an analysis by Greenpeace of data from the International Energy Agency. Continue reading...

Dedicated groups called Bantay Dagat aim to conserve the abundant marine life surrounding their thousands of islands, which has been under pressure for years from intensive overfishing

Homeowners in wealthy towns watching anxiously in face of heavy storms that have caused flash floods and coastal erosionThe torrents of water coming from the sky are having ripple effects on the cliffs that hold up some of California's most expensive real estate. In the first two months of the year, nearly 18in of rain has fallen in the southern California area, about 8in above normal to date - and more is on the way this week.The California governor, Gavin Newsom, declared a state of emergency in eight counties covering more than 20 million people, and flash-flood warnings were issued for parts of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. Continue reading...

Long delays after Extinction Rebellion members parked truck across three city-bound lanes

BBC presenter defends climate activists' right to target MPs' homes amid debate over politicians' safety

Invasive species could be worse than rabbits, cane toads, foxes, camels, wild dogs and feral cats combined, committee hears

Permission granted for judicial review after Planning Inspectorate overturned local council's decision to reject planCampaigners have been given permission to challenge plans for a new oilfield in an area of outstanding natural beauty - which they say threatens one of England's hidden rural treasures".The proposed oil-drilling operation is in Biscathorpe in the Lincolnshire Wolds, an important habitat for nature and wildlife that has been officially designated an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB). Continue reading...

South32's project was fast-tracked by the Biden administration, but residents are worried about its impact on a fragile ecosystemGrowing up on both sides of the Arizona-Mexico border, Denise Moreno Ramirez got respite from the border town bustle by hiking through sycamore and juniper trees in the mountains near her home. These isolated mountains - known as the Sky Islands - provide a crucial habitat for native plants and animals, but also played a special role in Moreno Ramirez's family history: like many in the area with Indigenous Yaqui or Mayo origins, her ancestors once mined the mountains for precious metals.Moreno Ramirez's great-grandfather, Alberto Moreno, dug for copper when he first came to Arizona from Mexico in the early 1900s. He found that the mining industry powered the state economy and put food on his table; eventually his son - Moreno Ramirez's grandfather - followed suit and worked in the mines, too. Continue reading...

Darren Woods tells Fortune consumers not willing to pay for clean-energy transition, prompting backlash from climate expertsThe world is off track to meet its climate goals and the public is to blame, Darren Woods, chief executive of oil giant ExxonMobil, has claimed - prompting a backlash from climate experts.As the world's largest investor-owned oil company, Exxon is among the top contributors to global planet-heating greenhouse gas emissions. But in an interview, published on Tuesday, Woods argued that big oil is not primarily responsible for the climate crisis. Continue reading...

Outgoing climate chief says he is not ready' to give up on 1.5C target he helped negotiate in Paris agreementThe US continues to be a force for good in tackling the climate crisis, despite its soaring fossil fuel production, the John Kerry has insisted.The outgoing US climate chief acknowledged, however, that strong safeguards were needed to dismantle oil and gas infrastructure before the switch to renewables could become permanent, as he prepared to leave his post as special presidential envoy. Continue reading...

Sixty years after fatal floods and subsidence halted gas extraction in the Po delta region, politicians are once again eyeing methane reserves. But at what cost to one of the Mediterranean's largest wetlands and the people who live there?To a visitor driving through Polesine in north-east Italy on a winter morning, the area might seem blessed with an abundance of wildlife. The biodiversity is among the richest in Italy, with 400 species of bird, lagoons, marshes and reed beds that have created a true natural labyrinth. Yet, it soon becomes obvious that something is not right: houses and fields are all lower than the road, visibly sunken, protected by embankments about four metres high. The reason? Without those barriers, they would be under water.The entire area of Polesine, a strip of land between the Po delta and the Adriatic Sea, has long suffered the consequences of subsidence, but it was aggravated by gas extraction, which is why the practice was banned by the government in 1961. Continue reading...

Four-metre shark euthanised after becoming beached on shore at Kingscliff on Tweed Coast

As part of the state-sponsored programme to restore arctic fox populations, Norway has been feeding the animals for nearly 20 years, helping boost numbers from as few as 40 in Norway, Finland, and Sweden, to about 550 across Scandinavia today. Without these conservation measures, the arctic fox would surely have become extinct in Norway,' said Bjorn Rangbru, a senior adviser on threatened species with the country's environment agency Continue reading...

Exclusive: Ex-employees of Australian Agribusiness Group allege dozens of injuries occurred as blue gums cleared for agricultural use, claims which the company rejectsWARNING: contains images some viewers may find distressing