A cluster of new technologies aim to fulfill humanity’s ancient desire to influence the weather. But is it a good idea?Farmers in Mexico have accused Volkswagen of ruining their crops by installing “hail cannons”, which fire shockwaves into the atmosphere in an effort to prevent hail storms from damaging the cars rolling off the production line.The devices are being blamed for causing a drought during months when farmers near the German carmaker’s plant in Puebla expected plenty of rain. Continue reading...

Civic leaders representing 20 million people sign letter calling for clean air planCity leaders across England and Wales have teamed up to demand that Theresa May take immediate action to fight air pollution, which scientists say causes at least 40,000 premature deaths a year in the UK.A total of 17 mayors and civic leaders, representing 20 million people throughout the country, have signed a letter that calls for a national action plan to clean up the nation’s air to be implemented as a matter of urgency. They include the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, as well as mayors Andy Burnham (Greater Manchester), Steve Rotheram (Liverpool city region), and Dan Jarvis (Sheffield), along with leaders from authorities around the country including Cardiff, Leeds, Newcastle and Southampton. Continue reading...

Parts of drought-ravaged eastern Australia receive more rain in two days than in previous months combined

In California and beyond, lawmakers are taking action for the environment. But advocates for people with disabilities say the bans create yet another hurdle to dining in publicAt first glance, bans on plastic straws might seem like a simple – and harmless – next step for the environmentally conscious.Love sea turtles? No more straws. Want to save the planet? “Stop sucking.” Continue reading...

A genetic study has found that some specimens of the invasive reptile that has decimated local wildlife are a mixture of two Asian species which could make it an even more formidable predatorFrom carnivorous giant lizards to toxic climbing tree frogs, the Florida Everglades have become a haven to invasive species steadily destroying and devouring the flora and fauna of the state’s famed River of Grass.Now comes news of a hybrid super-predator slithering its way through the waterways of the 1.5m-acre wilderness: a genetically blended python that researchers believe might be able to better embrace the subtropical environment and expand its range more rapidly than any species before it. Continue reading...

Ministers consider doubling existing 5p levy and imposing it on even smallest storesMinisters have been considering rolling out the plastic bag levy to all shops and doubling it to 10p.The prime minister was reportedly planning to announce the proposals next week as part of a series of measures designed to encourage the reuse of carrier bags and reduce the UK’s reliance on plastics, which are harmful to the environment. Continue reading...

Red avadavat birds, pink dolphins and a bamboo rat are among this week’s pick of images from the natural world Continue reading...

Use of mechanical device to pull kelp plants from beds would destroy local ecosystem, say campaignersA proposal to mechanically dredge kelp forests off the coast of Scotland has led to an outcry from conservationists, who say it would destroy local ecosystems.Ayr-based company Marine Biopolymers has approached Marine Scotland to apply for a licence to use a comb-like device that pulls entire kelp plants from the bed. In order to inform the environmental appraisal required by Marine Scotland, Marine Biopolymers has published a report describing the potential environmental impacts to be researched further for a full assessment. Continue reading...

Funding sought to ‘reimagine 21st-century seaside resort’ in once-booming Lancashire townThe Eden Project plans to open a version of its Cornish tourist attraction in Morecambe in a move hailed as a “game-changer” for the Lancashire seaside resort.The environmental centre, which attracts more than 1 million visitors a year, said it was looking for funding for the project after carrying out a feasibility study. Continue reading...

Mayor on Île d’Oléron is leading the fight, saying the island is ‘not about mass consumption’Inside a ramshackle former holiday club on the picturesque Île d’Oléron off France’s Atlantic coast, a group of people were screen-printing old T-shirts with anti-burger slogans inspired by the student protests of May 1968. The artwork implored “comrades” to choose their side in the island’s battle with McDonald’s.“Oléron is a beautiful place, it’s important to protect it,” said Nicolas, 36, an IT worker, who volunteers on a local project to make furniture from discarded wooden pallets. “We don’t need McDonald’s in a place that is pioneering local organic food, sustainable development, zero waste – alternative ways of living that aren’t about mass consumption.” Continue reading...

Government advisers reject central bank’s proposal to sell billions held in oil stocksGovernment advisers have urged Norway not to ditch oil and gas investments from its $1tn sovereign wealth fund, in a setback for those backing the world’s biggest fossil fuel divestment.Norway’s central bank last year recommended the fund sell the billions it holds in oil stocks to avoid the risk of a permanent drop in crude prices. Continue reading...

Moderate rainfall predicted for Queensland and NSW won’t make a ‘big difference’While many in eastern Australia woke to rain on Friday, the wet weather will not be enough to bring significant relief to farmers affected by the drought in New South Wales and Queensland, the Bureau of Meteorology has said.But farmers are still hopeful forecast rain will start to make a dent in what has been described as the area’s worst drought in 50 years. Continue reading...

Russian arms maker says cutting edge elements will ensure it can take on Elon Musk’s brandThe Russian arms maker Kalashnikov has unveiled its new electric car, inspired by a rare 1970s model, saying the technology will rival Elon Musk’s Tesla.The brand, best known for the AK-47 machine gun, on Thursday presented the retro-looking pale blue prototype, the CV-1, at a defence expo outside Moscow. Continue reading...

Researchers from the Humane Society found 52 US locations in which giraffe products continue to be soldThe giraffe population has fallen by around 40% since 1990. There are now fewer than 100,000 giraffes alive in the world, and there are now fewer giraffes than elephants in Africa.Yet in America, trade in giraffe parts is booming. A report by the Humane Society of the United States, released on Thursday, found that nearly 40,000 giraffe parts have been imported to the US over the past decade, the equivalent, they estimate, of nearly 4,000 individual giraffes. Continue reading...

Almost three-quarters of motorists also think toxic air in their area is damaging their healthMore than half of UK motorists think diesel cars should be banned from urban areas due to air pollution concerns, according to a new opinion poll.The proportion backing a ban rose to 80% when drivers were asked if diesel cars should be excluded from areas around schools and hospitals. Nearly a third said diesels should be banned from all roads. Continue reading...

After nearly 60 years of lighting homes halogens will be replaced with more energy efficient LEDsAfter nearly 60 years of brightening our homes and streets, halogen lightbulbs will finally be banned across Europe on 1 September.The lights will dim gradually for halogen. Remaining stocks may still be sold, and capsules, linear and low voltage incandescents used in oven lights will be exempted. But a continent-wide switchover to light-emitting diodes (LEDs) is underway that will slash emissions and energy bills, according to industry, campaigners and experts. Continue reading...

London mayor challenges move to axe tariffs and discounts for householders installing solar PVSadiq Khan, the mayor of London, has embarked on a lobbying drive to persuade the government to keep the subsidies for household solar power.Khan has made solar one of the key planks of his energy policy, supporting community solar projects and negotiating collective solar installations for homeowners in the capital. Continue reading...

Oral vaccination campaign will use goat meat baits to pre-empt outbreaks of rabies among Ethiopian wolvesRabies vaccines hidden inside goat meat baits have been deployed in the first campaign to protect the Ethiopian wolf, Africa’s most endangered carnivore.There are less than 500 of the wolves in the high mountains of Ethiopia and they are very vulnerable to infectious diseases from domestic dogs. The oral vaccine approach will next be rolled out to cover all six surviving populations of the wolf. Continue reading...

Indigenous Sami herders urge state to help mitigate impact of climate change in Arctic circleSweden’s indigenous Sami reindeer herders are demanding state aid to help them cope with the impact of this summer’s unprecedented drought and wildfires, saying their future is at risk as global warming changes the environment in the far north.The Swedish government this week announced five major investigations aimed at preparing the country for the kind of extreme heatwave it experienced in July, when temperatures exceeded 30C (86F) and forest fires raged inside the Arctic circle. Continue reading...

Government aim to end plastic pollution undermined by keen support for fracking, says Campaign to Protect Rural EnglandThe push for a large-scale fracking operation in England will fuel the global plastic crisis and undermines the government’s claims that it is tackling the issue, according to a leading charity.The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) says fracking will not only destroy large areas of the countryside, it will exacerbate the global plastic binge which is already causing widespread damage to oceans, habitats and the human food chain. Continue reading...

A nearby town is suing over fears that the land, once home to a nuclear weapons facility, still poses a threatThe nation’s newest national wildlife refuge, filled with swaying prairie grass and home to a herd of elk, is slated to open next month just outside Colorado’s largest city.But seven Denver metro area school districts have already barred school-sanctioned field trips to the preserve. A top local health official says he would probably never hike there. And a town is suing over what the soil might contain. Continue reading...

Green deals account for half of cheapest 10 tariffs, despite public thinking they are dearer, says uSwitchGreen tariffs now account for many of the cheapest deals on the energy market, despite many consumers still wrongly believing renewable energy deals are more expensive.Half of the top 10 cheapest tariffs are green ones offered by challenger suppliers taking on the big six. Continue reading...

The stranglehold of the big six and tough market conditions bode ill for Labour policyJeremy Corbyn and Nicola Sturgeon may be big fans, but the rise of publicly owned energy companies looks like it is faltering in the face of tough market conditions.The movement was dealt a blow this month when a newly Lib Dem-controlled Portsmouth city council scrapped the former Conservative administration’s plans for an energy firm. Continue reading...

EPA proposals published on Tuesday have no national emissions reduction target and could result in 1,400 deaths per yearWhat has the Trump administration done?“Did you see what I did to that? Boom, gone,” Donald Trump said about the clean power plan last year. Trump has long targeted the plan – the cornerstone of Barack Obama’s climate change agenda – by portraying it as disastrous for coal-producing regions in particular and the US economy in general. Continue reading...

Stop the Cull group says it will not threaten cull organisers but rather disrupt themAnimal rights activists have published what they claim is a comprehensive list of farmers leading the badger cull complete with addresses, phone numbers and a map.The Stop the Cull group has suggested its supporters get in touch with the scores of cull organisers it says it has identified to express their opposition, “sabotage” their time by making misleading phone calls or arrange demonstrations outside their farms. Continue reading...

Plan would boost output from coal-fired plants and lead to as many as 1,400 premature deaths a yearThe Trump administration has put forward a greenhouse gas emissions plan that could boost output from coal-fired power plants rather than push them towards closure and result in as many as 1,400 premature deaths each year.Related: Andrew Wheeler: 'point man for Trump' focused on undoing Obama's EPA agenda Continue reading...

State’s health director to stand trial for involuntary manslaughter in two deaths linked to legionnaires’ disease in the Flint areaA judge has ordered Michigan’s health director to stand trial for involuntary manslaughter over two deaths linked to legionnaires’ disease in the Flint area, the highest-ranking official to face criminal charges as a result of the city’s tainted water scandal.Nick Lyon is accused of failing to issue a timely alert about the outbreak. District court judge David Goggins said deaths probably could have been prevented if the outbreak had been publicly known. He said keeping the public in the dark was “corrupt”. Continue reading...

Councils remind public that taking pebbles risks floods, erosion and wildlife harmA holidaymaker who took pebbles from a Cornish beach was forced to travel hundreds of miles to return the souvenirs to avoid a hefty fine.The man was traced to his home after taking a carrier bag full of stones from a beach at Crackington Haven near Bude. Continue reading...

Climate change denial is at the root of the half-baked policies and outright wrecking that have blighted the past decadeI needed to write this column really quickly, otherwise we might have had a new prime minister before I’d finished, and the climate policy we don’t have might have changed several times.I gave myself 30 minutes because that reflects the fickle care and short-termism that has been afforded climate change in Australia in recent years. Continue reading...

Experts blame a cold snap at the beginning of the year and algae bloom in the Gulf of Mexico for the fatalitiesManatees are dying in alarming numbers in Florida this year – the toll significantly increased by the “red tide” toxic algae bloom blighting large areas of the coast and threatening wildlife and tourism.More of the large, slow-moving herbivores, also known as sea cows, have died so far in 2018 than all of last year, according to state wildlife statistics reported on Monday. Continue reading...

Locals say wildlife charity acting like a ‘corporate monstrosity’ over £5-a-day feeThe RSPB has been accused of acting like a “corporate monstrosity” for attempting to impose parking charges at one of north Wales’ most scenic birdwatching locations.The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds plans to charge £5 a day for peak season visits to the South Stack reserve in Anglesey, despite renting the 780 acres of public land for just £7. Continue reading...

Fears UK export deal signals it will become normal to lower standards to secure trade dealsSenior politicians and animal welfare groups have condemned the government over a deal that allows meat from lambs slaughtered without being stunned to be exported to Saudi Arabia.They say the deal, estimated by the government to be worth £25m over the next five years, shows a shameful disregard for animal welfare and signals that after Brexit it will become acceptable to lower standards to secure trade deals. Continue reading...

Disease prevention and sanitation now top priority as bodies continue to be found

New analysis warns food loss is set to increase by a third by 2030 unless urgent action is takenThe amount of food that is wasted each year will rise by a third by 2030, when 2.1bn tonnes will either be lost or thrown away, equivalent to 66 tonnes per second, according to new analysis.The report by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) warns that the global response to food waste is fragmented and inadequate, and that the problem is growing at an alarming rate. Continue reading...

More than 70% would make homes more energy efficient given government supportMore than half of the British public would install solar panels and home batteries to tackle climate change if there was greater assistance from the government, polling has found.While many have already made their home more energy efficient, 62% said they wanted to fit solar and a surprisingly high 60% would buy an energy storage device such as those sold by Tesla. Continue reading...

Malcolm Turnbull gives in to conservative members of his party who demanded he axe carbon emission reduction targetsAustralia’s prime minister has abandoned plans to rein in greenhouse gas emissions in an attempt to stave off a leadership coup from within his own party.The Australian government had proposed using a broad energy policy, called the National Energy Guarantee, to bring in a carbon emissions reductions target in the energy sector of 26% by 2030, which would have helped Australia meet its obligations under the Paris climate agreement. Continue reading...

Supermarket group’s CEO says removal of the throwaway bags had a greater impact than the company expectedWoolworths’ ban on single-use plastic bags has hurt the supermarket group’s sales, the chief executive admitted.Although Woolworths on Monday delivered a 12.5% jump in annual net profit to $1.7bn, Brad Banducci said sales in the first seven weeks of the new financial year slowed as customers adjusted to the removal of the throwaway plastic bags from all checkouts across Australia in June. Continue reading...

New policy threatens to undermine decades of campaigns for efficient cars and other conservation programsConserving oil is no longer an economic imperative for the US, the Trump administration has declared in a major new policy statement that threatens to undermine decades of government campaigns for efficient cars and other conservation programs.Related: California vows to 'fight this stupidity' as EPA moves to scrap clean car rules Continue reading...

Focus shifts to providing help for 600,000 in relief camps as rain forecast to easeWater levels have started to fall in the southern Indian state of Kerala and rain is predicted to ease in the coming days as rescue operations continue to free thousands of people still marooned by the worst flooding in a century.With the lull in heavy rain on Sunday, focus began to shift to providing for the more than 600,000 people sheltering in relief camps, with shortages of medicine, fuel and fresh water reported. Continue reading...

Official figures show there are 50m pigs to 46.5m humans in country famed for its porkSpain’s pigs outnumber the human population for the first time, according to figures released by the country’s environment ministry, which reveal there are now 50 million pigs, 3.5 -million more than humansThe figures show an increase of about 9 million animals since 2013 and there are growing concerns about the environmental impact of an industry that produced more than 4m tonnes of pork products and generated €6bn (£5.4bn) last year. Continue reading...

The parasites, picked up on planes, trains and in hotels, are spreading into homesThe UK is facing an exponential increase in bedbug infestation as a result of this summer’s hot weather, which is exacerbating a major problem in densely populated cities, experts are warning.In higher temperatures, the reproductive cycle of the bugs – Cimex lectularius – shortens from 18-21 days to eight or nine days, according to David Cain, of extermination company Bed Bugs Limited. Continue reading...

Indian PM vows more aid and compensation for those hit by worst monsoon in 100 yearsMore than 350 people have died in the southern Indian state of Kerala in the worst flooding in nearly a century, with heavy rain predicted to continue for at least the next two days.

Daniel Andrews says owner-occupiers will have access to more than $4,000 each to install panelsVictorian owner-occupiers will get half-priced solar panels for their homes with no upfront cost under a $1.24bn election promise by the state Labor government.The premier, Daniel Andrews, unveiled the plan in suburban Moorabbin on Sunday, promising that 650,000 homeowners over 10 years will get access to more than $4,000 each to install panels, paying back half over four years with their savings. Continue reading...

Sixty affected councils across Queensland and NSW to be handed $1m eachCommunities reeling from Australia’s worst drought in more than 50 years will be given extra funding to help deal with the dry conditions in their own way.Sixty drought-affected councils across western Queensland and New South Wales will be handed $1m each by the federal government to spend on anything from trucking in drinking water to building new community facilities. Continue reading...

Apryl Rogers says she has no hard feelings as officials admit ‘the bear is as traumatized as this poor woman was’A 71-year-old New Hampshire woman who lost an eye when she was mauled by a black bear inside her house is still recovering from her injuries, but said she has no hard feelings towards the ursine home invader.Apryl Rogers was woken in her home on 17 July and discovered the bear in her kitchen. The animal apparently entered the home through a door that was not fully latched. Continue reading...

220,000 people left homeless and thousands still trapped in southern Indian state after unusually heavy rainPressure intensified on Saturday to save thousands still trapped by devastating floods that have killed more than 300 in the Indian state of Kerala, triggering landslides and sending torrents sweeping through villages in the region’s worst inundation crisis in a century.Related: Kerala floods: many thousands await rescue as downpour continues Continue reading...

Size of consultation response could lead to ‘latte levy’ and other fiscal measures in budgetAn unprecedented number of people have backed tough action against plastic waste in a government consultation that could pave the way for a series of fiscal measures in the autumn budget.The government will say response is evidence that there is broad public support for reducing single-use plastic waste through measure such as a “latte levy” on coffee cups, similar to the plastic bag charge, and tax incentives for recycling. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Giving $444m to small foundation could delay on-ground work, documents revealThe government was warned that there was a “significant” risk that on-the-ground projects for the Great Barrier Reef could be delayed because of a $443.8m grant to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, documents reveal.The documents, obtained by the Guardian under freedom of information laws, also show the environment department and the office of the environment minister, Josh Frydenberg, discussing a $5m “reef islands” grant, but do not contain any mention of the much larger grant until after the 9 April meeting where it was offered. Continue reading...

‘Capricious’ EPA forbidden from delaying the enforcement of chemical safety rule drawn up by Obama administrationA federal court has blocked an attempt by the Trump administration to delay safety regulations for chemical plants – the latest in a string of recent legal setbacks for the administration in its attempts to reverse environmental standards.Related: Weedkiller found in wide range of breakfast foods aimed at children Continue reading...

An anaesthetised polar bear, a surprising pine marten and a potty-mouthed parrot are among this week’s images Continue reading...