Families keen on saving money and stopping plastic waste ditch the disposablesIf the idea of cloth nappies conjures images of towelling squares loosely held by a large safety pin, think again. Modern versions have come a long way and are now available in bright colours and a variety of materials, including cotton, bamboo, microfibre and hemp.Growing consumer concern over plastic waste, and a more pragmatic desire to save money, means boom times for the reusable nappy industry. Continue reading...

Emails obtained by New York Times show workers worried that companies could get away with using asbestos in ways the EPA did not listThe Environmental Protection Agency’s own staffers objected to a controversial new US rule governing the use of cancer-causing asbestos, according to internal emails.Related: EPA ordered to ban pesticide linked to learning disabilities Continue reading...

The Carr fire, one of 13 large fires burning in California, was ignited in late July when a trailer tire blew out and created sparks as it ground on the asphalt. It killed seven people and destroyed 1,077 homes in the small city of Redding, in the far north of the state. New photos released by the city show the extent of the damage Continue reading...

A Sumatran orangutan, fireflies mating and a sea lion cooling off in record-breaking Californian heat are among this week’s pick of images from the natural world Continue reading...

Reduced yields are putting national dish and ‘symbol of Belgium’ under threatFood vendors in Belgium are praying for rain as the hot weather threatens the supply of the country’s national dish, frites.The Europe-wide heatwave has shrunk Belgium’s early crop of potatoes by about one-third compared with an average year. Without significant rainfall over the next few weeks, the key September and October harvests could be smaller still. Continue reading...

It and the Queensland government were aware polluted water could spill during 2017 cyclone, says Mackay Conservation GroupAdani and the Queensland government were aware that polluted water could be released from the company’s Abbot Point coal terminal during cyclone Debbie in 2017, conservationists say.Adani was granted a temporary emissions licence on 27 March last year, before cyclone Debbie made landfall, to pollute the nearby Caley Valley wetlands in an area referred to as W1. Continue reading...

The summer of heatwaves and forest fires leaves my friends feeling helpless and a little hysterical. And who can blame us?The New York Times has devoted an entire edition of its magazine, some 30,000 words, to a terrifying piece about climate change. With 2C warming – an unlikely best-case scenario at this point, scientists were quoted as saying – the planet faces “long-term disaster”. With 3C warming, we are looking at “the loss of most coastal cities”. The possibility that the Earth might warm by 5C, wrote the author, Nathaniel Rich, had prompted some of the world’s leading scientists to warn of the end of human civilisation.Related: Huge rise of people at risk from wildfires as western US population grows Continue reading...

Retailers given six months to stop providing lightweight plastic bags or face fines of up to NZ$100,000New Zealand will ban single-use plastic bags over the next year, the government has announced.Retailers in the country will be given six months to stop providing lightweight plastic bags, or face fines of up to NZ$100,000 (£51,000). Continue reading...

Helicopters, divers and hundreds of firefighters involved in rescue after torrent swept through campsite in Gard region

A24’s pillars for a better society sound a little like the manifesto of a left-leaning Scandinavian nationWhat would the Australia of your dreams look like? That was the question civil society groups, unions, welfare groups and Indigenous representatives asked themselves nearly three years ago.Faced with competing world views of the US president, Donald Trump, One Nation, the Business Council of Australia, alongside the pragmatic visions of Australia’s major parties, the group – known as A24 – began asking themselves: why do we do what we do? What’s our common vision of society that underpins our daily activism? Continue reading...

Michael Myer says size of grant ‘unheard of’ as Josh Frydenberg refuses to say where idea originated

NGO says it used GPS units to track waste from collection points at Officeworks to Hong Kong and ThailandElectronic waste dropped at government-approved recycling points at Officeworks stores was allegedly exported to developing countries, potentially breaching a global waste treaty, a non-government organisation has said.The US-based Basel Action Network (Ban) – which embeds GPS units inside discarded electronics and monitors them – said in a report to be released on Thursday that two LCD monitors the organisation placed at Officeworks’ “Bring IT Back” drop zones in Brisbane were tracked to an area of Hong Kong’s New Territories known for “e-waste trafficking”. Continue reading...

Comics, including Stephen Colbert, Trevor Noah and Kimmel, discussed Paul Manafort’s trial and the threat of climate changeLate-night hosts on Tuesday discussed the trial of former Donald Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and Trump’s approach to climate change.Related: Trevor Noah: 'Trump gets a vacation, but we don't get a vacation from him' Continue reading...

Italian officials and vigilantes tackle tourists taking souvenirs of island’s beachesSardinian authorities are getting tough with tourists who steal sand from the island’s pristine beaches as a souvenir and are issuing fines of up to €3,000 (£2,700).Earlier this week, a 40-year-old Italian who lives in the UK but is originally from Naples, was fined €1,000 after police caught him in possession of a bottle of sand from Gallura beach, on the island’s north coast.

Former prime minister says it’s not true that the Coalition party room has given the policy the green lightTony Abbott has fired a significant broadside ahead of the resumption of federal parliament next week, declaring the party room has not agreed to the national energy guarantee, and should not be forced to “rubber stamp Labor’s policy”.As the energy minister, Josh Frydenberg, attempts to coax his reluctant state counterparts into a deal on the policy, Abbott has thrown down the gauntlet, declaring the Neg “bad policy” and the economic modelling underpinning it “fanciful”. Continue reading...

Distrust in government mingles with fears for cannabis industry while fires spread across hundreds of square milesHaze from the largest fire in California history filled the air near the town of Clearlake on Tuesday as Jim Steele, a local supervisor, drove his pickup truck through a landscape of smoldering hillsides and charred trees to check on the homes of citizens in his district.Related: Largest wildfire in California's history expected to burn for rest of August Continue reading...

The popularity of plant-based diets has created huge demand for the oil-rich seeds, prompting a farm in Essex to plant a cropThe first UK-grown chia seeds go on sale this week, as demand for the plant native to the Americas is fuelled by the explosion in the popularity of plant-based diets.The company Hodmedod, pioneers of British-grown pulses, grains and seeds, has been working with farmers Peter and Andrew Fairs, of Great Tey in Essex, to bring the new British crop to market.

Three scientists explain the unprecedented danger facing the western US and call for new solutions to a growing threatCalifornia is no stranger to fire. The temperate winters and reliably dry summers that make the Golden state such an attractive place to live are the same conditions that make this region among the most flammable places on Earth.But even for a region accustomed to fire, the continuing wildfire siege has proven unprecedented. Although it is only early August, numerous very large, fast-moving, and exceptionally intense fires have already burned vast swaths of land throughout the state – consuming hundreds of thousands of acres and thousands of homes and claiming at least nine lives, including four firefighters. State and national firefighting resources are stretched to their limits; choking smoke inundated the state capital of Sacramento; and much of Yosemite national park is closed indefinitely. Continue reading...

Puerto Rico’s small farms – aided by outside groups such as World Central Kitchen – have seized a post-disaster opportunity to challenge the island’s import-reliant food economyNestled between a chemical factory and sparkling blue ocean sits a wonderland filled with rowdy goats, sturdy passionfruit plants and tiny chive blossom flowers that when bitten, erupt with garlicky flavor 50 times more potent than their size.That this farm in Manatí, Puerto Rico, exists at all is a marvel, considering owners Efrén Robles and Angelie Martínez could not enter the property after Hurricane Maria tore through on 20 September. The couple said the hurricane destroyed 80% of the farm’s infrastructure and leveled its production capacity to zero. Continue reading...

ACT offers compromise on emissions target in bid to end standoff with Turnbull governmentThe Australian Capital Territory has floated a compromise on setting an emissions reduction target in an attempt to break the current impasse on the national energy guarantee, as Victoria toughens its negotiating stance.The Andrews government, after a cabinet deliberation on Monday, has now set four concrete conditions it says it wants met, which if insisted upon, could torpedo the national energy guarantee. Continue reading...

Subsidies similar to those for offshore wind could help meet emissions targets and boost exports, experts sayBritain should offer developers of mini nuclear plants subsidies similar to those made available to the offshore wind industry, an independent review commissioned by the government has recommended.Britain needs to invest in new power-generating capacity to replace ageing coal and nuclear plants that are due to close in the 2020s, and is seeking low-carbon options to help meet its emission reduction targets. Continue reading...

Bar Council say planned new UK watchdog lacks teeth, as it will not be able to take the government to court

Makenzie Noland’s pose with 14ft Big Tex has become an internet sensationMakenzie Noland, a Texas student, poses for her graduation photo in cap, sash and – somewhat unusually – with an alligator.The student shared the image on Facebook and Instagram with the caption “not your typical graduation photo”, and found herself at the centre of the internet’s attention. Continue reading...

Anna Marsden tells ABC’s 7.30 the foundation is ‘uniquely placed’ to deliver government objectivesThe head of the foundation given a $444m grant to protect the Great Barrier Reef said it is uniquely placed to fundraise and deliver environmental projects, in response to criticism from Labor about the grant.Anna Marsden, the managing director of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, conceded the grant came as a “complete surprise” when first proposed by Malcolm Turnbull and the environment minister, Josh Frydenberg, but rejected Labor claims about the foundation’s fundraising record and plans for the money. Continue reading...

As warming temperatures caused by climate change is strengthening hurricanes, leaders in the region plead with Trump to rejoin the Paris climate dealCaribbean states and territories have rounded on the Trump administration for dismantling the US’s response to climate change, warning that greenhouse gas emissions must be sharply cut to avoid hurricanes and sea level rise threatening the future of their island idylls.

Thousands of firefighters battle blaze as it destroys 87 homes and 82 other structures, and forces evacuations

Voracious caterpillar that cost Africa billions of pounds in lost crops now threatens food security across Asia, scientists warnA crop-chomping caterpillar that has devastated food stocks across Africa has now arrived in southern India, and scientists warn the insect could spread throughout Asia to become a major threat to global food security.The voracious fall armyworm, which was first spotted on the African continent two years ago and has since cost billions of pounds in crop losses, is best known for gnawing on maize but eats an additional 186 plant species, including sorghum and soya beans. Continue reading...

Money was awarded at a meeting with Malcolm Turnbull and Josh Frydenberg, with no tender processLabor has called for a $444m government grant to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation to be returned.It comes after the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, defended the decision to award the money to the small private foundation and said it had been subject to “a very thorough process”. Continue reading...

Farmers’ union says supply would dry up by August 2019 if Britain had to be self-sufficientBritain would run out of food on this date next year if it cannot continue to easily import from the EU and elsewhere after Brexit, the National Farmers’ Union has warned.

Agriculture minister David Littleproud tells ABC audience he doesn’t ‘give a rats’ whether climate change is man-madeThe agriculture minister says linking the drought affecting much of Australia to man-made climate change is a “big call” and he does not “give a rats if it’s man-made or not”.David Littleproud made the comment on the ABC’s Q&A program on Monday, which was filmed in Lismore in the northern rivers region of New South Wales. His comment was booed by the audience. Continue reading...

Project already showing signs of deterioration months after it was officially completedA multimillion-pound flood defence project protecting thousands of homes has started to deteriorate just months after it was unveiled.Engineers from a construction company were on Monday accused by local councillors of botching the four-year scheme in Blackpool, which cost £27.1m.

Exclusive: Government report says change in priorities from 2013 saw a loss of expertise and project oversightA decreased emphasis on climate change and cuts to the foreign aid budget under the Abbott government caused a loss of expertise, a lack of oversight and early closure of some projects, according to an internal government report.Two-thirds of selected projects by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade achieved a modest or significant impact on climate outcomes, the evaluation said. Continue reading...

The pool is closed, the kids can’t play outside – we’re all trying to avoid harmful smoke from wildfires burning far awayLast week my kids went to a nature daycamp in Klamath Falls, Oregon, near the California border, where we live. It was meant to be a week of roaming the hills, learning about local species like fence lizards and sagebrush. Instead, they looked at pictures of these species while staying inside with all the windows firmly shut.Related: California's wildfires: why are they so intense and what can be done? Continue reading...

The New York Times magazine blames ‘human nature,’ but fingers have already been pointed at the true culprits

Exclusive: Figures released after eight-month FOI battle by the Guardian shows clearing spiked sharply in 2015-16Only two prosecutions for illegal land-clearing were launched in New South Wales in 2015-16, down from 10 the previous year, the long-awaited report card on the state of land-clearing shows.However, the Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) appears to have had more success with cases already under way the year before, with four convictions secured, up from just one in 2014-15. Continue reading...

Farmers put up earth banks and dry ditches to block criminals who use 4 x 4 vehicles to get on to farm landFarmers are resorting to medieval methods to combat rural crime which has risen to its highest level in four years, an increase being blamed on organised criminal gangs and policing cuts.Offences against farmers and other rural businesses cost an estimated £44.5m last year, an increase of 13.4% from 2016, according to insurer NFU (National Farmers Union) Mutual. Continue reading...

Jamie Smith has had two vehicles stolen from his farm in Worcestershire in 15 monthsJamie Smith’s Worcestershire farm has been broken into three times in 15 months. On the first two occasions, he had a quad bike stolen. In the most recent burglary, two months ago, his workshop was broken into but fortunately his quad bike was not there.The 65-year-old, who has been a farmer for 30 years, estimates that over the same 15-month period about 35 quad bikes have been stolen from farms in a 20-mile stretch from Pershore through to Moreton-in-Marsh in Gloucestershire. Continue reading...

Developers made proposals for 35,000 homes in protected parts of England in 2017Applications to build an additional 35,000 homes on green belt land were submitted last year, taking the total number proposed for construction on protected land to a record 460,000. Continue reading...

Survey comes as Victoria and Queensland urged to block national energy guarantee and business groups call for deal to be approvedMore than 70% of Australians want the government to set a high renewable energy target to put downward pressure on power prices, according to a new poll.The ReachTel poll, commissioned by Greenpeace, was released on Monday as progressive campaign group GetUp and environmentalists stepped up pressure on the Victorian and Queensland governments to block the national energy guarantee and business groups called for it to be approved. Continue reading...

Petition calls on snacks firm to end use of plastic in the 11 million packets a day produced at Leicester factoryThe UK’s biggest crisp brand, Walkers, will come under pressure this week to explain why it is helping to fuel the plastic waste littering the streets and seas by producing more than 7,000 non-recyclable crisp packets every minute.A new analysis carried out by campaign organisation 38 Degrees has found that Walkers is set to produce an additional 28bn plastic crisp packets by 2025 – the date by which the company has pledged to make its crisp packets 100% recyclable, compostable or biodegradable. Continue reading...

Wildlife in most of the lawless high seas faces an existential threat from fishing, shipping and the military. Next month, a landmark UN conference could finally bring hopeThe leatherback turtle is one of our planet’s most distinctive creatures. It can live for decades and grow to weigh up to two tonnes. It is the largest living reptile on Earth and its evolutionary roots reach back more than 100 million years.“Leatherbacks are living fossils,” says oceanographer Professor Callum Roberts, of York University. “But they are not flourishing. In fact, they are being wiped out at an extraordinary rate, particularly in the Pacific Ocean, where their numbers have declined by 97% over the past three decades. They are now critically endangered there.” Continue reading...

Lump-sum payments and boost in mental health services part of $190m relief packageFarmers will get up to $12,000 in cash payments to help them and their communities fight one of the worst droughts of the past century.

Shadow environment minister says researchers would be forced to apply to private foundation for taxpayer fundsThe shadow environment minister has condemned the “completely unprecedented” grant of $444m to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, claiming the not-for-profit group “doesn’t yet know what it’s going to do with the money”.Appearing on ABC’s Insiders on Sunday, Tony Burke questioned the appropriateness of conditions on the federal funding, which he said would allow the foundation to lobby the mining industry for sponsorship but force researchers to apply to the private foundation to get taxpayer funds. Continue reading...

Alerts issued in Portugal and Spain as Met Office forecasts 31C for southern EnglandMuch of southern Europe is sweltering in near record-breaking temperatures with the mercury expected to exceed 45C (113F).A scorching 46C was forecast for Setúbal, near Lisbon, on Saturday, as emergency services in Portugal issued a red alert until Sunday and urged people to avoid picnics and outdoor activities. Continue reading...

Scrap ‘smorgasbord’ of plastics used in packaging, town hall chiefs tell manufacturersOnly a third of the plastic in packaging pots and trays for food can be recycled, local authorities have said.

Minister fighting marine pollution says she wants to give next generation ‘the eyes’ to appreciate the marine worldIndonesia’s maritime affairs minister has come up with an unconventional way to help preserve precious reefs from marine pollution: distribute boatloads of free goggles to children in the archipelago’s remote coastal regions.An avid snorkeler who is known for blowing up illegal fishing boats, minister Susi Pudijastuti said she wanted to give the next generation of Indonesians “the eyes” to fully appreciate their marine environment. Continue reading...

A quarter of a million roosting gannets in Yorkshire, an orca whale mother keeps her dead calf afloat and Norwegian reindeer seek cool in busy road tunnels – it’s the week in wildlife Continue reading...

What happens when our smart toaster and smart fridge tech is scaled up to create entire smart cities – and what are the limits to this expansion?Subscribe and review: Acast, Apple, Spotify, SoundCloud, AudioBoom,Mixcloud. Join the discussion on Facebook, Twitter or email us at chipspodcast@theguardian.com.The term “smart city” is widely used and recognised – but there’s some disagreement over what exactly makes a city smart. If you take the core concept of a city that is made more efficient, sustainable, or just more enjoyable based on information gathered, most are cities smart already. When it comes to gathering the data that enables these improvements, what are the limits? Continue reading...

Bank helped create reserve for endangered primates, but has since funded studies used to approve dam that would flood newly created habitatLess than a year after it helped to create one of the planet’s most important chimpanzee sanctuaries, the World Bank is accused of backing a dam project that could flood the newly protected habitat.The 6,426 square-kilomet re Moyen-Bafing national park was established by the government of Guinea last November with the support of the International Finance Corporation , the private sector lending arm of the World Bank.

Citizens urged to wage all-out battle to preserve food stocks amid ‘unprecedented’ droughtThe North Korean government has called on its people to wage an “all-out battle” against a record heatwave as the country’s already fragile crops face drought and the authorities struggle to respond.The drought represented an “unprecedented natural disaster”, reported the Rodong Sinmun newspaper, the mouthpiece of the ruling Workers’ party. It urged citizens to “join the struggle” to save food production in a country that is no stranger to famine. Temperatures have reached more than 40C (104F) in some regions since late July and there have been sporadic reports of deaths from the heat. Continue reading...