Report by the chief scientist, Alan Finkel, models a clean energy target that would reduce electricity emissions by 28% on 2005 levelsAustralia’s chief scientist says a new clean energy target will deliver lower power prices to consumers than the status quo, but his report also models a scheme with a low target for emissions reduction from the electricity sector.
Tony McAvoy says traditional owners are ‘proud and independent’ and are not being used by anti-mining activists to block the $16bn mineOne of Australia’s leading native title lawyers has spoken publicly for the first time as a traditional owner fighting to stop the Adani mine, a campaign he said was driven by “proud and independent people†who were among the best-informed Indigenous litigants in the country.Tony McAvoy SC, who became Australia’s first Indigenous silk in 2015, said the Wangan and Jagalingou people were keenly aware of how their priorities differed from environmentalist allies in a battle to preserve their Queensland country from one of the world’s largest proposed coalmines. Continue reading...
Nicaragua wants a tougher deal, writes Helen Yuill; and Dorothy Starr wants her president’s state visit to the UK called offWe welcome your excellent coverage of President Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris climate agreement (Anger at US as Trump rejects climate accord, 2 June). However, there are references to the US joining Syria and Nicaragua in rejecting the agreement. Presented out of context, this comparison is flawed. Syria didn’t sign because of the catastrophic civil war. Nicaragua refused to sign because it believes the agreement is too weak to address the enormity of the consequences of climate change, particularly in vulnerable developing countries.Paul Oquist, Nicaraguan representative to the Paris talks, pointed out that the Paris carbon reduction targets are non-binding and even if fully met would lead to a catastrophic three-degree temperature rise. Oquist also highlighted the lack of political will and ambition on the part of the largest polluters, their failure to accept historical responsibility for global warming, and the lack of financial resources for technological transfer, adaptation, and compensation for losses and damages. He went on to say: “The Paris Agreement will not solve global warming problems but merely postpone them.†Continue reading...
EU’s new consensus sets out vision for European development policy, reinforcing the global goals, but critics say commitments do not go far enoughMajor European countries have pledged to keep the Paris climate agreement on track amid “wavering†world commitment in a new development consensus agreed between the EU’s member states and signed in Brussels on Wednesday.“These are challenging times,†said Neven Mimica, European commissioner for international cooperation and development. “The global commitment to the sustainable development goals – to climate action, to solidarity – this seems to be wavering globally. The significance of this new European consensus on development becomes much bigger than the sum of its parts because of this global questioning of climate action and even the sustainable development goals.†Continue reading...
by Lucy EJ Woods for Mongabay, part of the Guardian E on (#2S9N5)
Guarani-Kaiowá leader Ladio Veron is seeking international support to end violence against indigenous people and environmental destruction under the Temer administration, reports MongabayLadio Veron, leader of Brazil’s indigenous Guarani-Kaiowá people, is touring Europe and making a desperate international appeal to halt attacks and killings, land theft and environmental destruction that his people say have become a hallmark of Brazil’s Temer administration.The Guarani-Kaiowá is fighting for recognition of their indigenous land rights in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul in southwest Brazil, bordering Paraguay. After decades of violent territorial disputes with cattle ranchers, soy and sugar cane farmers, Veron hopes to galvanize support and build an international network of allies that will put pressure on Temer and the agribusiness lobby-dominated National Congress back home. Continue reading...
The president’s ‘put a solar panel on it’ policy to fund the wall may be expensive, impossible to build – and it’s unclear what the energy would be used forThe president this week proposed a radical way to fund his proposed Mexican border wall: covering it in solar panels.The same Donald Trump who has spent years criticizing renewable energy as uneconomical and who has pulled the US out of the Paris climate agreement has now floated the idea of adding solar panels to his proposed barrier along the the US–Mexico border. Continue reading...
Local and international efforts might be enough to limit the damage Trump’s scorched Earth approachI was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not ParisSo said Donald Trump in a speech justifying his irrational, historically irresponsible decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris international climate treaty. Of course, 75% of Pittsburgh residents voted for Hillary Clinton, and many city residents have since written about the outdatedness and absurdity of Trump’s invocation of Pittsburgh, which aims to be 100% powered by renewable energy by 2035. In fact, Pittsburgh joined 210 other “climate cities†representing 54 million Americans (17% of the national population), pledging: Continue reading...
Rich Thomson was surfing off Bantham beach in south Devon when a metre-long shark bit his handIt won’t go down as a great tale of derring-do on the high seas and it is very unlikely that a film or book deal will follow. But a teacher from Devon has a salty story to tell after an episode in which a “small shark†drew blood while he was surfing in south-west England.Rich Thomson, 30, a chemistry teacher at Kingsbridge community college, was off Bantham beach in south Devon when he said he felt something grab him by the leg. Continue reading...
by Katharine Murphy and Michael Slezak on (#2S8D7)
Sector will have to ensure around the clock supply as chief scientist also demands three years’ notice over station closuresNew security and reliability obligations will be imposed on power generators, and ageing plants will have to provide regulators with three years’ notice before they close, according to sweeping reforms proposed by Australia’s chief scientist.
Large-scale installations across Aarhus city depict nature, and man’s relationship with it, in three categories: the past, present and future – from a structure highlighting bee decline to a reflection on light pollution• ARoS Art Museum’s triennial The Garden – End of Times, Beginning of Times runs until 30 July; The Past section runs until 10 Sept Continue reading...
by Photographs and words by Nathan Siegel on (#2S836)
Plastic bags are an infamous problem in Nairobi. They clog its waterways and litter its streets. The Kenyan government is attempting to ban their use from August – with implications for businesses from supermarkets to recyclers. Continue reading...
Sandy Bedfordshire As the damsels flew upstream I began to wade with the fishes. It felt like a release, liberation evenWalking barefoot through a field of long grass, I poked into a molehill with my big toe. Its summit was like toasted breadcrumbs and the dislodged granules rolled down the slopes as loose scree.My rotating foot waggled deeper, finding darker, damp, earth that held firm. The moisture suggested that this molehill was an eruption from the night before; the toes told what the eyes could only surmise. Continue reading...
Safety and security concerns raised after equipment inspection at research facility just north of Tokyo goes wrongFive workers at a Japanese nuclear facility have been exposed to high levels of radiation after a bag containing plutonium apparently broke during an equipment inspection.Contamination was found inside the nostrils of three of the five men, a sign they had inhaled radioactive dust, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) said on Wednesday. All five also had radioactive material on their limbs after removing protective gear and taking a shower. Continue reading...
Exclusive: On the eve of the long-awaited Finkel review, analysis shows Australia’s emissions rose sharply in the first quarter of 2017Australia’s carbon emissions jumped at the start of 2017, the first time they have risen in the first few months of a year for more than a decade, according to projections produced exclusively for the Guardian.Emissions in the first three months of the year normally drop compared with the previous quarter, driven by seasonal factors and holidays. But in something not seen in since 2005, emissions rose in the first quarter of 2017 compared with the last quarter of 2016 by 1.54m tonnes of CO2, according to the study by consultants NDEVR Environmental. The rise was driven by increases in emissions from electricity generation. Continue reading...
In a change of tone, Utah governor Gary Herbert has backpedaled and asked the federal government not to allow oil and gas drilling around the famous parkWhen Utah governor Gary Herbert changed his mind last week and decided oil and gas companies should not be allowed to drill near Zion national park, it seemed like a remarkable change of tone.The Republican has been a staunch advocate for rolling back public land protections and had earlier endorsed the idea of drilling near the 229 sq mile park. In February, he signed a resolution urging Donald Trump to rescind national monument status for the 1.3m acres known as Bears Ears in south-eastern Utah. Doing so would allow expansion of current leases for oil and gas development and grazing. Continue reading...
In just 31 hours, Guardian US exceeded its target to support a new series on the threat to America’s public lands. We’d like to thank you for your generosity
The human-elephant conflict plays a huge role in the rapid decline elephant numbers. A panel of experts share ideas on how to mitigate this problemWe need conservation (not just fighting the illegal wildlife trade which has captured the limelight more recently) to be far higher up the political agenda. For example, we in the UK could be much more effectively linking overseas aid (budget of £12bn this year) to poverty relief, sustainable development and environmental protection, ecosystem services and conservation priorities. Will Travers, president, Born Free Foundation Continue reading...
China, US and Europe accounted for more than 90% of electric vehicle sales last year with decreasing costs driving demandThe number of electric cars in the world accelerated past the 2m barrier last year, as prices fell and manufacturers launched new models.Related: Business Today: sign up for a morning shot of financial news Continue reading...
Academic uses mining industry lecture to accuse ‘cashed-up green groups’ of harming native title ambitions in campaign to stop Carmichael mineProminent Indigenous academic Marcia Langton has blasted the campaign against the controversial Adani coalmine, saying the Greens and the “environmental industry†are treating Indigenous people as “collateral damageâ€.
Former PM says he is concerned by reports that Finkel review is aiming towards 70% renewables by 2030Tony Abbott has fired a public warning shot ahead of Friday’s release of the Finkel review, declaring it would be a “big mistake†for the government to adopt a low emissions target which knocked out new high-efficiency coal-fired power stations.
Mizen Head to Malin Head is a 510-mile trip that takes in the breathtaking Maumturk Mountains, the empty beaches of Cork and Kerry, and the wilderness of the BurrenSend anyone to the west coast of Ireland and they will fall in love with it at some point. For me it was at a junction in Maum, County Galway, where I had stopped to take a photo of a signpost but ended up having my breath taken away by the Maumturk Mountains in all their pastoral, sunlit glory. Continue reading...
Lowy Institute polling also finds 57% of people consider climate change to be a ‘critical threat’The vast majority of Australians want the government to focus on renewable energy, even if that means more money needs to be spent on making the system reliable, according to polling by the Lowy Institute.Of 1,200 adults polled in March, 81% agreed with the statement: “The government should focus on renewables, even if this means we may need to invest more in infrastructure to make the system more reliable.†Continue reading...
Guardian experts give their view on the main parties’ public service manifesto pledges. Here, our environment editor looks at energy, pollution and recycling
66% spike in captures as bumper wet season connects major river systems in Northern Territory, allowed deadly reptiles to move around more freelyThe number of crocodiles caught in the Top End has soared after Territorians endured the third wettest wet season on record.There’s been a 66% spike in crocodile captures around Darwin and Katherine in the past year, the NT Parks and Wildlife Commission says.
Wenlock Edge, Shropshire The stripy sun fly joins the summer swarm of insects to the opening of the festival of flowersThe sun fly alights on a bramble leaf and alters its position as if by the clockwise clicks of an invisible dial. Gold on black, black on gold, it radiates. The sun fly is one of the syrphid flies, a hoverfly of rough flowery places such as this verge of a long-abandoned railway line through the woods.It’s a chunky little fist of bling, folding up a cut-glass wingspan of 25mm. Its thorax is black with three vertical yellow stripes – which has earned it the nickname of the footballer or the common tiger hoverfly. It presents a regal, black-banded backside of an abdomen with crescentic yellow markings like the folded gold of Saxon hoards. Continue reading...
The famous Mount Rainier has prepared an environmental assessment to allow Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T to extend coverage, but some aren’t happy about itThey already paved Paradise and put up a parking lot. Now the famous site on the south slope of Mount Rainier National Park’s 14,410ft-tall volcano could be wired for cellular service.The park, which encompasses 230,000 acres of the Cascades mountain range in Washington state, has prepared an environmental assessment for a proposal to allow Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T to affix a wireless antenna to the park’s Jackson visitor center.
by Damian Carrington Environment editor on (#2S3AQ)
Falling solar and wind prices have led to new power deals across the world despite investment in renewables fallingRenewable energy capacity around the world was boosted by a record amount in 2016 and delivered at a markedly lower cost, according to new global data – although the total financial investment in renewables actually fell.The greater “bang-for-buck†resulted from plummeting prices for solar and wind power and led to new power deals in countries including Denmark, Egypt, India, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates all being priced well below fossil fuel or nuclear options. Continue reading...
Members of environmental organisations state their case. Plus Sylvia Milner decries the Conservatives’ record on frackingAs the Trump administration prepares to withdraw the US from the Paris agreement, we believe the UK must use its trade policy to reaffirm and strengthen a globally coordinated response to climate change – one of the greatest challenges humanity has ever faced. As such, we call on the next UK government to:• Require ratification of the Paris agreement and a commitment to its goal of avoiding more than 1.5 degrees of warming as a precondition for entering into trade and investment agreements with the UK. Continue reading...
Campaigners in call to action as it emerges EU does not intend to make extra cuts to account for US withdrawal from Paris dealEuropean leaders have been urged to scale up their efforts to tackle climate change as it emerged the EU does not intend to make extra emissions’ cuts to fill the gap left by the withdrawal of the US from the Paris agreement.
by Frances Perraudin North of England reporter on (#2S1XZ)
Real Junk Food Project co-founder summoned to formal hearing after trading standards inspection at Leeds premisesA charity that campaigns against food waste may face prosecution after a trading standards inspection found produce that was past its use-by date at one of its warehouses.The Real Junk Food Project, which has 127 affiliated cafes worldwide, aims to combat food waste by collecting produce that would otherwise be thrown away and preparing it for the general public. Continue reading...
Elliott D Woods spent time in Phillips County in northern Montana, where public land is a source of life to which ranchers are intimately connected. If the plan to transfer lands to the states succeeds, it will mean a radical restructuring of the economy and the culture of the west
A small but vocal cohort is leading efforts to transfer federal land to the states. Is your congressional representative on the list?The Trump administration has so far attempted to shrink the federal government’s role in healthcare, environmental protection – and even Meals on Wheels. Some Republicans now see another area ripe for giveaway: public lands.During the Obama administration, Republicans made numerous attempts to open up federal lands for development or cede control of areas to the states. This push was largely made by representatives from a few western states, where the federal government manages roughly half of all land. Continue reading...
The rangers, who are police reservists, were killed while trying to recover cattle stolen by nomadic herdersTwo game rangers have been shot dead in Kenya’s restive north while on a mission to recover stolen cattle.For the last year, Laikipia, one of Kenya’s most important wildlife regions, has been the scene of vicious farm invasions and battles between private ranch owners and communities bordering them. Continue reading...
For too long, liberals have been treating climate change as a third or fourth tier issue. As the US exits the Paris Climate Accord, it’s time for liberals to re-evaluate an issue that subsumes all others.On Thursday when the announcement hit that Trump was taking America out of the Paris Climate Accord, my social media feed predictably blew up. As an environmental journalist with a lot of left-leaning friends, you can imagine what it looked like: anger, frustration, shock, sadness, another outrage from the world’s most outrageous leader. All of a sudden every one I knew was talking about climate change; I’ll admit it was a nice change of pace, but after nearly ten years of covering climate change I also knew it would be fleeting.Liberals have been the champions of climate action for decades, but they’ve largely championed it as an after thought, something that comes near the end of a long to-do list, like the brussels sprouts you conveniently forget to pick up at the grocery store (polling bears this out). When I bring up climate change during chats with left-leaning friends, I often get that pause – that suspended moment – when I can see someone in the group look askance. I can see what they’re thinking, “Again, Jeremy, with the climate change?†Continue reading...
More than 50 charities say they have changed key messages during election campaign due to ‘unreasonable and unfair’ restrictionsCharities have been forced to change their key messages to the public during the general election because of the “chilling†effect of the controversial Lobbying Act, a group of leading UK organisations has warned.Democratic debate on some of the biggest issues in the election campaign has been stifled by the law, a group of more than 50 charities writes in a letter sent to the main party leaders. Continue reading...
Funnel web, trapdoor and redback spiders: their names alone are enough to provoke a thigh-clenching chill in most of us. A new publication from the CSIRO, A Field Guide to Spiders of Australia, attempts to change this. ‘No one has actually died from a spider bite in Australia for more than 30 years, but plenty of people have been injured panicking at the sight of a huntsman.’Authors Robert Whyte and Greg Anderson have produced a comprehensive guide, introducing the reader to fabulously named species like sparklemuffins, the alien butt spider, disco mirror ball spiders and dancing peacock spiders. Here are a small selection of the 1,350 photographs from the book. Continue reading...
Claxton, Norfolk Every year the house martins check properties for suitable nest sites, even examining our nonexistent eavesAs if minted out of the soil that morning, suddenly house martins were around our garden a fortnight ago. Every year the pairs in the village perform an almost ritualised house inspection, when they check properties for suitable nest sites.
High-profile doctors say Carmichael coalmine poses a ‘grave danger to public health’, including from air pollution and black lung diseaseLending money to Indian mining giant Adani to build a rail line for the Carmichael coal project is akin to supporting big tobacco to transport hundreds of tonnes of tobacco to market, an eminent former surgeon and the chair of Doctors for the Environment Australia, Prof Kingsley Faulkner, said.
Survey ahead of the release of the Finkel review of the electricity sector also suggests two-party-preferred gap narrowing between major political partiesVoters are more focused on reducing power prices than on emissions reductions or electricity grid security according to the latest Guardian Essential poll, which comes ahead of the release of the Finkel review of the electricity sector late this week.Voters in this week’s survey were asked to rank priorities ahead of the release of Friday’s much-anticipated Finkel report, after being reminded of the Turnbull government’s repeated pledge to deal with a “trilemma†of issues: lowering power costs, boosting energy security and reducing emissions. Continue reading...
Diesel sales in May are down 20% with industry insiders blaming lack of government clarity for consumer uncertaintyDemand for new diesel cars plummeted by a fifth last month amid rising concerns over air pollution.Approximately 81,500 new diesel cars were registered in the UK in May, down 20% on the same month last year, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. This represented a fall in market share from 50% to 43.7%. Continue reading...
On Last Week Tonight, the host mocked the president for his decision to withdraw from the Paris agreementJohn Oliver addressed Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord, calling the president a “fucking egomaniacâ€.Related: Late-night hosts on climate deal: 'Even Israel and Palestine are on the same side' Continue reading...
With hundreds of properties around Britain set to be lost to erosion, some are arguing that historic coastal landmarks should be allowed to decay gracefullyDo all heritage sites deserve to be saved or should some be permitted to fall into natural ruin? According to Caitlin DeSilvey, a cultural geography professor at the University of Exeter, some historic landmarks should be permitted to decay gracefully through a policy of managed “continuous ruinationâ€. In other words, thanks to a perfect storm of falling budgets, climate change, rising sea levels, and, well, loads more storms, is it time to stop viewing heritage loss as a failure but instead as a necessary, even natural process of change?“Yes, but it’s not about abandoning stuff,†stresses Phil Dyke, coast and marine adviser at the National Trust, which owns 775 miles of coastline and cares for more than 500 coastal interests. “It’s a form of adaptation. There are 90 locations around England, Wales and Northern Ireland where we’ve got significant change that we’re going to have to deal with over time. It’s going to become increasingly difficult to hang on to structures in these locations.†Continue reading...
by Fiona Harvey, Environment correspondent on (#2RW69)
Snap election and reality of EU referendum result have led to confidence levels and investment falling, farmers’ union poll showsDespite overwhelmingly being in support of leaving the EU at the Brexit referendum, farmers are increasingly gloomy now that they are staring down the reality of what leaving will entail.In two years, confidence levels on the outlook for the next three years, as measured by the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), have plummeted to just above zero from a high of 19 points on the positive side, in the wake of the general election being called and Brexit being set. Continue reading...