Environment | The Guardian

Culling aims to reduce population in fragile ecosystems from about 22,500 to 3,000 by mid-2027

Attempts to rescue those trapped on hospital roof being thwarted by continuous rain that is stopping helicopters attending

Roughly a third of global greenhouse gas emissions are due to food systems, but Cop had avoided agreements until nowFood systems - what we eat; how we grow, ship and cook it; and how we dispose of (and sometimes waste) it - are responsible for roughly a third of global greenhouse gas emissions. But for the better part of three decades, the final agreements that emerge from the UN's yearly climate summits have left out the impact food systems have on our climate.That changed this year in Dubai. The conference opened with a declaration on sustainable agriculture signed by more than 130 countries. For the first time ever, it featured a whole day devoted to food and agriculture and saw a food systems road map laid out by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Perhaps most strikingly, the final agreement document that was revealed at the end of the conference acknowledged sustainable agriculture as a part of responding appropriately to climate change. Continue reading...

Exclusive: the plan is more than a year behind schedule, with peak bodies saying there is no viable alternative' to the material

Footage emerging from far north Queensland shows flooded homes, bridges and roads - and an animal being rescued from the Barron River, north of Cairns. One resident, Bazz Goes, documents his walk across the Barron Bridge in Karunda, noting that the water is at the level of the bridge, normally high above the river. 'The police and SES [state emergency service] are over here, and people are actually doing a cow rescue,' Goes says. Authorities on Sunday afternoon warned residents to expect continuous heavy rainfall for at least another day in what they called a 'life-threatening event'

Floods exceeding 1977 levels expected, Steven Miles says, as heavy rain leaves 10,500 homes without power

Major flood warnings for state's far north as storm system moves towards Northern Territory

UK lender is a major European funder of oil and gas projects and university has said it does not want to back fossil fuel expansionCambridge University could cut ties with Barclays after more than 200 years over the bank's refusal to stop financing new oil and gas projects, according to the Financial Times.It reported that Cambridge is looking for an institution with robust climate policies to manage several hundred million pounds" in cash and money market funds - a mandate expected to cover more than 200m in assets and generate about 10m in fees a year. Continue reading...

From Eurovision super fans to solar eclipses and star celebrities, here is a selection of the finest work by our photographers Continue reading...

The UN summit's deal heralds the end of coal, oil and gas. The real test is whether producers back it up with action Get our morning and afternoon news emails,free app or daily news podcastFrom the start, Cop28 appeared beyond the reach of satire. About 100,000 politicians, diplomats, lobbyists, business people, investors, activists, scientists, policy wonks and journalists from across the globe registered for a two-week climate summit hosted by an authoritarian oil state in a city, Dubai, known for skyscrapers and extravagant, energy-hungry consumerism.The president of the summit, Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber, is the chief executive of the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, which is planning a US$150bn oil and gas expansion. The United Arab Emirates is also investing in renewables - its Noor Energy 1 concentrated solar thermal plant is bigger than 6,000 football fields - but a more prominent sight in central Dubai is the world's biggest gas-fired power plant.Sign up for Guardian Australia's free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...

Roy Scholten has been interested in birds ever since he can remember. In his 50 Birds series, the Netherlands-based artist and printmaker has created handmade prints of local species including pied flycatchers, skylarks and blue-headed wagtails. Each print is made using Lego letterpress, combining individual building blocks into stamps to recreate the birds' shapes and patterns, a technique perfected over the past decade by his frequent collaborator, the artist Martijn van der Blom. Birds are daily reminders of the richness of our natural surroundings. They can fly! How cool is that!" says Scholten. Sadly most species are in decline, which makes it all the more worthwhile to really look and appreciate them."

Karen McCormack says regulators at environmental agency are discouraged from speaking up about dangerous chemicalsFederal regulators are discouraged from speaking up about potentially dangerous pesticides, according to a former agency official.Karen McCormack, a retired Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) scientist who spent 40 years with the agency, told Al Jazeera's investigative show Fault Lines that she believed the EPA was not fulfilling its mission to protect the public from harmful chemicals. Continue reading...

Stephen Gingell, 57, thought to be first to receive prison sentence under new Public Order ActA climate activist has been jailed for six months after pleading guilty to taking part in a peaceful slow march protest on a London road.The sentence handed to Stephen Gingell, 57, is thought to be the first jailing under a new law that critics say makes anyone walking in a road liable for prosecution for interference with key national infrastructure". Continue reading...

Exclusive: Sultan Al Jaber says Adnoc has to meet demand for fossil fuels, and hails unprecedented' Cop dealThe president of the Cop28 climate summit will continue with his oil company's record investment in oil and gas production, despite coordinating a global deal to transition away" from fossil fuels.Sultan Al Jaber, who is also the chief executive of the United Arab Emirates' national oil and gas company, Adnoc, told the Guardian the company had to satisfy demand for fossil fuels. Continue reading...

The summit's moves to intermesh nature and climate goals are welcomed by campaigners, but concerns remainConservation groups have hailed the inclusion of biodiversity and a 2030 global deforestation goal in the UAE consensus that emerged from Cop28, along with positive wording on the role of Indigenous communities.Some hope the deal could help to intermesh nature and climate more closely, rather than treating the two as separate subjects. But many expressed concerns that tepid language on fossil fuel emissions would fail to control the global heating responsible for eroding forest resilience to drought, fire and disease, threatening to tip carbon-rich ecosystems into becoming a source of the greenhouse gas emissions that are heating the planet. Continue reading...

Climate experts say lack of unambiguous statement is tragedy for the planet and our future'The failure of Cop28 to call for a phase-out of fossil fuels is devastating" and dangerous" given the urgent need for action to tackle the climate crisis, scientists have said.One called it a tragedy for the planet and our future" while another said it was the dream outcome" for the fossil fuel industry. Continue reading...

Simon Paul and Travis Branson accused of making significant sums of cash' from killing birds in Montana over several yearsTwo men in the US have been charged with illegally killing about 3,600 birds over the course of several years and selling the parts and feathers on the black market.A grand jury in Montana indicted Simon Paul and Travis Branson on charges of conspiracy, violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, and illegal trafficking. Continue reading...

Government says insufficient hydrogen production available to replace home gas suppliesA plan to test the use of hydrogen to heat homes in a village in the north-east of England has been abandoned after months of strong opposition from concerned residents.The government said the Redcar hydrogen village" scheme, which had been expected to start in 2025, wouldnot go ahead because of insufficient local hydrogen production for the trial to replace the home gas supplies with the low-carbon alternative. Continue reading...

Leader will refocus climate debate on job creation in rural areas to remove tension between resource-rich regions and urban south-east, sources say

Solar and wind farms will need to triple by 2030 to 57GW and expand seven-fold by 2050 to 126GW

Could I live and breathe seaweed - and reduce my use of plastics - for 24 hours?Seaweed Day starts at 8am. Haunted by pervasive news that so many of our everyday habits harm our planet, I wonder how to minimize my personal use of plastics. I embark upon a day of replacing the microplastics that pollute our atmosphere, our water and even our bloodstreams.How much of my daily life can I accomplish with seaweed? Eating, washing, dressing? Armed with a budget of $500, I set out on a seaweed-based product shopping spree. Continue reading...

Former British Gas executive tasked with leading turnaround in face of debts and controversy over sewageThames Water has appointed a former British Gas executive as its new boss with a pay package of up to 2.3m a year and a brief to turn around the heavily indebted utility.Chris Weston takes up the role on 8 January and replaces Sarah Bentley, who resigned with immediate effect in June after three years in post amid a backlash over the company's dumping of sewage in British waterways. Continue reading...

I realised other ancient trees could have survived, right under our noses. In France, they discovered one tree that had started growing before the Romans leftI'll be 75 in March, and we old people often reflect on why certain things happened in our lives. This is very personal, but I was tall and skinny as a kid - I was always the one who was beaten up at school. The only refuge I had was in plants and bugs, and animals in general.Nothing in nature ever tried to get me" - even predators. They weren't after me. I always felt a sympathy with critters that were under attack or vulnerable. Your personality guides your research, and this got me interested in the idea of harshness" in environments. Continue reading...

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Columnist lashes out after climate change minister makes speech during Cop28 declaring profound respect' for Indigenous people's care for land

Investigations suggest a large share of used' cooking oil being imported could be wrongly labelled as demand outpaces supplyTighter rules are needed to ensure that the imported used" cooking oil that airlines hope will power cleaner flights is not in fact virgin palm oil, campaigners have warned.About 80% of waste oil is imported to create biofuels that are mostly still used in cars, vans and lorries despite growing demand from aviation. About 60% of those imports come from China. Continue reading...

A female Mexican gray wolf that was part of reintroduction efforts for the endangered species has been recaptured by officialsA match made in the wilds of New Mexico?An endangered Mexican wolf captured last weekend after wandering hundreds of miles from Arizona to New Mexico is now being readied for a dating game of sorts as part of federal reintroduction efforts. Continue reading...

Developing countries call agreement to transition away from fossil fuels unfair' and inequitable'As the leaders of the developed world hailed the Cop28 agreement to transition away" from fossil fuels as historic, Indigenous people, frontline communities and climate justice groups rebuked the deal as unfair, inequitable and business as usual.The global stocktake (GST) - and the entire UN talks - were dominated by whether or not agreement could be reached to phase out or phase down fossil fuels in order to curtail global heating. Continue reading...

Delayed consultation could lead to heat pumps being installed as standard in newbuilds in England from 2025The UK government has formally backed plans to ban gas and hydrogen-ready" boilers from newbuild homes in England from 2025, in a long-delayed consultation on low-carbon building standards.The proposals could mean heat pumps being installed as standard as part of measures to make all new homes net zero ready" from 2025. Continue reading...

Summit president hails historic package to accelerate climate action' but critics decry litany of loopholes' in final textNearly 200 countries at the Cop28 climate summit have agreed to a deal that for the first time calls on all nations to transition away from fossil fuels to avert the worst effects of climate change.After two weeks of at times fractious negotiations in the United Arab Emirates, the agreement was quickly gavelled through by the Cop28 president, Sultan Al Jaber, on Wednesday morning. He received an ovation from delegates and a hug from the UN climate chief, Simon Stiell. Continue reading...

Activists at Cop28 have highlighted what they see as loopholes and insufficient progress after UN climate negotiators directed the world on Wednesday to transition away from planet-warming fossil fuels in a move the president of the talks called historic, despite the concerns of many observers. Within minutes of opening the session, Sultan Al Jaber gavelled approval of the central document - the global stocktake that says how off-track the world is on climate and how to get back on - without asking for comments

Coalition alleges glyphosate, the most heavily applied herbicide in history, does not meet required safety standard set by federal lawCiting new scientific research, a coalition of farm worker, public health and environmental advocates on Wednesday filed a legal petition with US regulators demanding they immediately suspend authorization for the controversial weed-killing chemical called glyphosate.The petition, filed with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), alleges that the chemical does not meet the required safety standard set by federal law and the EPA has no valid assessment demonstrating otherwise". Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed, you can read more on this story hereWe are shortly expecting a plenary to take place. The plenary sessions are the decision-making sessions of the Cops. They can be formal, in which a final decision will be made at the end, or informal (also called stocktaking), in which the purpose is to get reaction to the text before a new version is worked on. This one is informal to begin with, according to the UNFCCC, which suggests we may still be some time away from the end of this Cop.In practice, the plenaries means every country gets a chance to share their view of the new text in an open forum, with discussion and debate taking place in the hope of reaching a final agreement. Sometimes this can be quite dramatic, and it is a rare moment in which countries from around the world, developed and developing, have to listen to each other. We will be following it live and posting excerpts from the country delegate speeches, as well as ongoing wider reaction to the text.If this text is adopted ... it will show a collective recognition that we must turn away from fossil fuels and move towards a cleaner future. Champions for this vision - both small island states and major economies - have worked tirelessly overnight. However, it is clear that not everyone is ready to admit the truth of what's needed. This text alone might help avoid disaster in Dubai but it does not avoid disaster for the planet."I suspect that the language in this new draft text on the Global Stocktake, calling for countries to contribute to a transition away from fossil fuels in energy to achieve net zero by 2050, will be too weak for some Parties.For the first time in three decades of climate negotiations the words fossil fuels have ever made it into a Cop outcome. We are finally naming the elephant in the room. The genie is never going back into the bottle and future Cops will only turn the screws even more on dirty energy.Although we're sending a strong signal with one hand, there's still too many loopholes on unproven and expensive technologies like carbon capture and storage which fossil fuel interests will try and use to keep dirty energy on life support. Continue reading...

Some say the deal is historic, others that it is weak. We look closely at the text for the truth of the matterThe decision text from Cop28 has been greeted as historic", for being the first ever call by nations for a transition away" from fossil fuels, and as weak and ineffectual" and containing a litany of loopholes" for the fossil fuel industry. An examination of the text helps to explain this contradiction.Limiting global warming to 1.5C [above pre-industrial levels] with no or limited overshoot requires deep, rapid and sustained reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions of 43% by 2030 and 60% by 2035 relative to the 2019 level and reaching net zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. [Countries] further recognise the need for deep, rapid and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in line with 1.5C pathways.Tripling renewable energy capacity globally and doubling the global average annual rate of energy efficiency improvements by 2030.Accelerating efforts towards the phase-down of unabated coal power.Transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner, accelerating action in this critical decade, so as to achieve net zero by 2050 in keeping with the science.Accelerating zero- and low-emission technologies, including, inter alia, renewables, nuclear, abatement and removal technologies such as carbon capture and utilisation and storage (CCUS), particularly in hard-to-abate sectors, and low-carbon hydrogen production.Phasing out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that do not address energy poverty or just transitions, as soon as possible.Recognises that transitional fuels can play a role in facilitating the energy transition while ensuring energy security.Results-based payments for policy approaches and positive incentives for activities relating to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries. Continue reading...

Student pressure pushes higher education institutions to commit to divesting from fossil fuelsMore UK universities are cutting ties with the fossil fuel industry in response to student campaigns, according to the annual survey of sustainability in higher education.The student network People and Planet has published its sustainability university league showing that 72% of the universities it surveyed have committed to divesting from fossil fuels - up from 65% last year. Continue reading...

Mike Johnson's creationist beliefs clash with environmental realities in a district where many residents hold deep concerns about pollutionMike Johnson was a few months away from assuming elected office in late 2014 when he was confronted with an impassioned appeal by the man he would later pay tribute to in his first speech as House speaker: his father Patrick.The elder Johnson, a former firefighter in the Louisiana city of Shreveport, had survived a near fatal industrial explosion when Mike was 12 years old, a defining event in both men's lives. He had just joined a local community environmental group, working to fight against US government plans to burn - in the open air - over 15m pounds of toxic munitions. It had thrust Patrick and his future wife Janis Gabriel on to the frontlines of Louisiana environmental advocacy. Continue reading...

It may seem incredible, but it has taken 30 years of summits to come up with an agreement on the future of fossil fuels

The Cop28 climate summit has approved a deal that its supporters said would, for the first time, push nations away from fossil fuels to avert the worst effects of climate change. The final text avoided the words 'phase out' and 'phase down', which had been the source of much debate among countries, instead referring to a need to 'transition away' from fossil fuels. Sultan Al Jaber of the United Arab Emirates, the president of the summit, said: 'It is a balanced plan that addresses emissions ... it is built on common ground. It is strengthened by full inclusivity. It is a historic package to accelerate climate action. It is the UAE consensus' Continue reading...

Forever chemicals' at Dutch resorts comparable to high concentrations detected along Belgian coast, study findsThe Dutch government has warned people to stop children and pets swallowing foam at the seaside, after a study showed forever chemicals" were concentrated in the spume.After research into foam at the Belgian seaside showing a concentration of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) - used widely for their waterproofing qualities but difficult to destroy - the Dutch public health institute RIVM measured the coast in Zeeland, north and south Holland in April and August. Continue reading...

Supporters say carbon credits can fund solutions, but others say they allow companies to avoid reducing emissionsGovernment officials, conservation organisations and industry groups have sought to revive confidence in the unregulated voluntary carbon market at Cop28 amid concerns it does little to mitigate the climate crisis or the destruction of nature.Supporters of carbon markets say that through buying high-quality credits, countries and companies can transfer some of the billions of dollars required to fund nature-based solutions, support Indigenous communities, phase out coal power, and pay for new renewables in developing countries. Initiatives are under way to certify successful carbon projects and curb greenwashing claims from companies that buy credits, although there is disagreement about the appropriate role of offsets in a company's sustainability efforts. Continue reading...

Latest draft does not include a commitment to phase out or phase down fossil fuels, as many countries, civil society groups and scientists have urged

New iteration of flagship vehicle is JLR's first foray into building electric cars in UKBritish carmaker Jaguar Land Rover has begun road testing prototypes of its electric Range Rover, in its first foray into building electric cars in the UK as it tries to catch up with rivals.JLR, which makes the Jaguar and Land Rover brands, said it had opened a waiting list for pre-orders of the new Range Rover, its flagship vehicle, which is seen as a crucial step towards its electric future. Continue reading...

Development plans to pave over allotments in Isleworth rejected on grounds it would harm heritage assetsLocal campaigners fighting to preserve a 1.2-hectare space in west London that is under threat from one of Britain's oldest aristocratic families have landed a victory in a long-running saga to turn the green space into flats.Development plans to pave over much of the Park Road allotments in Isleworth were rejected by the Planning Inspectorate on Tuesday, on the grounds that it would harm protected local open space and heritage assets - and would be detrimental to allotment provision in an area where demand outstripped supply. Continue reading...

Sultan Al Jaber, the Cop president, engaged in shuttle diplomacy past deadline to finalise text on fossil fuelsThe hosts of the Cop28 climate summit will make a last-ditch attempt on Wednesday to forge a fresh deal on the future of the climate, after their original attempt was roundly rejected by rich and many poor countries.A new text laying out a potential deal on fossil fuels was under preparation for more than 24 hours, as the fortnight-long talks stretched nearly a day past their official deadline of Tuesday morning in Dubai. Continue reading...

Developing countries argue they don't lack ambition when it comes to phasing out fossil fuels - it's all about the meansWhy do some developing countries appear to be resisting a fossil fuel phase-out? The answer is fundamentally about implementation - how countries struggling to eradicate poverty and provide basic services (including energy) for their people fund the transition away from fossil fuels.The means of implementation" has become a sticking point at the talks, with developing countries united in demanding that developed countries honour their legally binding obligations under the Paris agreement. Developing countries that have contributed so little to the climate crisis but are suffering the worst impacts argue that a phase-out must be centred around equity, which means it must be fast, fair, funded and forever". Continue reading...

The first study to quantify what our felines eat on a global scale finds they have a significant impact on wildlifeCats may be adored human companions, but they are also highly effective killers, according to a study that shows they eat more than 2,000 species globally - including hundreds that are of conservation concern.Since domestication 9,000 years ago, house cats have spread to all continents except Antarctica. In the paper, published in Nature Communications, researchers describe them as amongst the most problematic invasive species in the world". Continue reading...

Sharing recipes and making food from their homeland has become a means of asserting their identity and connecting with their people as the Israeli assault of Gaza continuesWhen Heifa Odeh first moved to Chicago, she felt homesick for her mom's Palestinian cooking and a desire to master the dishes she grew up with - so she started writing down her mom's recipes and sharing them online. Whether she was whipping up stuffed grape leaves or hand-shaping shish barak (meat dumplings cooked in yogurt), she simply wanted to evoke the tastes of her mother's kitchen and the frequent summer trips her family would take to Palestine.But as the years passed and she built a successful food blog called Fufu's Kitchen and later published a cookbook called Dine in Palestine, she started to see sharing Palestinian recipes as something more: an assertion of identity and connection to a land and people under threat. That's never felt more crucial to her than in the last two months, as more than 20,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by Israeli forces to date, following a Hamas attack that killed 1,200 Israelis. Continue reading...

Eastern Green Link 1 has been designed to carry enough clean electricity to power 2m UK householdsOne of Britain's biggest power grid projects has awarded contracts worth 1.8bn for a 190km subsea electricity superhighway to bring renewable power from Scotland to the north of England.National Grid and Scottish Power plan to begin building the transformative" 2.5bn high-voltage power line along the east coast of the country from East Lothian to County Durham from 2025. Continue reading...

Watchdog finds 86 foundations, including New Venture Fund and Pew Charitable Trusts, that share firms with fossil fuel companiesDozens of US charities, including ones prioritizing climate action, are employing lobbying firms who also work for fossil fuel companies, new data shows.Pew Charitable Trusts work on environmental issues while sharing a lobbying firm with Chevron. New Venture Fund's priorities include a range of conservation, climate, and energy issues", yet it employed lobbying firms representing oil and gas companies in six states since the beginning of 2022. And Ballmer Giving funds climate and Indigenous rights programs, yet represents a company building fossil fuel infrastructure on tribal land. Continue reading...

Raw sewage held in open tanks in Camberley for six months during hottest summer on recordMore than 200 tankers of raw sewage were driven to a Surrey town and left there for six months, causing a nightmare" for residents after all of Thames Water's 360 treatment plants reached critical capacity.Thames Water has apologised but is refusing a request from Surrey councillors to make a financial acknowledgement to the community by reducing bills for 11,000 people. Continue reading...