It’s easy to imagine the battle for greener chemistry as a titanic struggle between government and industry – but it’s consumers who really call the shotsWhenever the battle against toxic chemicals makes headlines, it’s usually linked to huge, sprawling disasters like Flint’s poisoned water or BPA-laden plastics – the kind of thing that involves large scale poisoning and disease and defies an easy solution. And, on those rare occasions when a happy chemistry story breaks – like the ban on antibacterial ingredients like triclosan, or the reauthorization of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which will expand the government’s ability to regulate chemicals – the combination of confusing chemistry and bizarre political maneuvering makes the story almost incomprehensible for anybody who isn’t already an expert.It’s easy to imagine the battle for greener chemistry as a titanic struggle between goliath industries and sprawling governments, with consumers watching from the sidelines as their lives and health hang in the balance. But this perspective – and most stories about toxic chemicals – ignore a key part of the equation: consumer demand. For all the much-discussed push of government policies and industry innovations, it’s the pull of consumers and the market that ultimately fuels the biggest changes. Continue reading...

That the government is now at last being forced to do more to reduce the dangerous levels of nitrogen dioxide air pollution is welcome news (Court defeat for government on air pollution, 3 November). More than a year on from the “dieselgate” revelations, ministers should have been in no doubt about the dishonest and illegal methods used by some manufacturers to cheat emissions tests. Not only has the government failed to update its pollution modelling based on realistic emissions figures, it has also done nothing to support the 1.2 million UK diesel vehicle owners caught up in this scandal.If anything, the government seems to be going out of its way to protect manufacturers. Cars fitted with the defeat device software are still able to pass MOT emissions tests, so the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency seems to have turned a blind eye to this. Continue reading...

From private prisons to pharamceuticals, several industries stand to gain from the president-elect’s policy agendaOperators of private prisons are soaring on the stock market because analysts expect Donald Trump to row back on the Department of Justice’s ruling this summer to phase out privately run institutions’ housing of federal inmates. Continue reading...

Farming in Devon national park, and sheep and cattle welfare, jeopardised by climbers, cyclists and campers, says livestock societyAdventure seekers who visit one of Britain’s great wild places are making life more difficult for farmers and putting cattle and sheep in danger, a livestock welfare charity claims.The chair of the Dartmoor Livestock Protection Society, which was formed in 1963, says the “idle amusement” of millions of visitors is threatening to squeeze out hill farmers. Continue reading...

Tiny Llanbedrog community council in North Wales proves worthy adversary for TV adventurer and his development planThe television adventurer Bear Grylls may have endured some of the most extreme conditions on the planet, but his survival on a north Wales peninsula is now under threat.The Old Etonian, who has a personal fortune worth £6m, has gone head to head with a rural council over his plans to develop a local beach. Continue reading...

Mustafah Abdulaziz has spent years documenting humanity’s relationship to a precious natural resource – water. His latest work focuses on the challenges facing California, a highly populated state and a major agricultural center. Water: California was the first prize winner in the Syngenta photography award professional commission category for 2014–15, and will be on display at the National Geographic Museum in Washington DC from 12 November to 30 January 2017 Continue reading...

Changing autumn colours in the US, New Delhi’s architecture and Hurricane Matthew were among the images captured by European Space Agency and Nasa satellites last monthThe snowy landscape of the Putoransky state nature reserve, a Unesco world heritage site in the central area of the Putorana Plateau in northern central Siberia. The site, about 100km north of the Arctic Circle, serves as a major reindeer migration route – an increasingly rare natural phenomenon – and is one of the very few centres of plant species richness in the Arctic. Virtually untouched by human influence, this isolated mountain range includes pristine forests and cold-water lake and river systems. The lakes are characterised by elongated, fjord-like shapes, such as lake Ayan in the upper-central part of the image. Zooming in on the lake we can see that it is mostly ice-covered, with small patches of water peeking through around its lower reaches. Another feature of this area are the flat-topped mountains, formed by a geological process called ‘plume volcanism’: a large body of magma seeped through Earth’s surface and formed a blanket of basalt kilometres thick. Over time, cracks in the rock filled with water and eroded into the rivers and lakes we see today. Continue reading...

Anyone who voted for Trump shares the responsibility for the climate damages resulting from his presidency

Ministers reject court proposal to deliver an effective plan within eight months following their legal defeat against NGO ClientEarth last weekAction to combat the UK’s air pollution crisis has been delayed again after the government rejected a proposal to deliver an effective action plan within eight months.Environmental lawyers ClientEarth inflicted a humiliating legal defeat on ministers last week – its second in 18 months – when the high court ruled that ministers’ plans to tackle illegal levels of air pollution in many UK cities and towns were unlawfully poor. Continue reading...

Leaving more contaminated soil and rubble on-site instead of moving it to dedicated dumps is cheaper and allows for quicker clean-ups, say officialsMore contaminated soil and rubble will remain at the sites of Britain’s old nuclear power plants rather than going to a dedicated dump, under government-backed proposals.

Delivery of money through multi-donor fund coordinated by World Bank seen as slight on innate expertise of country well versed in handling climate issues

Numbers pass the level deemed viable for the raptor’s long-term survival but it remains missing from a third of its traditional territoriesBritain’s golden eagle population has soared to new heights, according to a new survey released on Wednesday.There are now more than 500 breeding pairs in the UK, up 15% and passing the threshold at which bird’s long-term future is thought viable. Continue reading...

On a panel moderated by Guardian Australia editor Lenore Taylor, the author Naomi Klein, anti-Carmichael coalmine campaigner Murrawah Johnson, climate action leader Maria Tiimon Chi- Fang, Community and Public Sector Union national secretary Nadine Flood and GetUp! human rights campaigner Shen Narayanasamy discuss the need to transition to a post-carbon Australia.

Riseley, Bedfordshire Nissen huts stored ammunition here, hidden by tall elms whose offspring are just bushes, cursed with perpetual youthAmerican servicemen came in wartime with concrete and bombs to Coppice Wood. They paved the paths with cement and put up a parking lot – a series of wide bays with Nissen huts storing explosive shells. Chipped and cracked, this network of hard standing remains, though the army is long gone. So too the elms remain, the trees that hid the ammunition stores from enemy aircraft under their canopy.The elms’ descendants are cursed with perpetual youth. Always a bush, never a tree, seems to be the mantra, the leafy sprays doomed to shrivelled adolescence by Dutch elm disease. Only a few have made it to the heights. Continue reading...

Streets around the country have been brightened by the trees’ blooms in the lead-up to summer. Here are some of our favourite snaps from Instagram Continue reading...

Caper whites descend on state’s south-east – only to be replaced by plague of flies as temperatures climb to 38 degreesFrom butterflies to plain old flies, south-east Queensland is experiencing a two-phase swarm of insects amid weather conditions that allow both species to thrive.Last Friday residents began reporting a sudden surge of butterflies, an influx of tens of millions of caper whites in what experts said was a phenomenon that occurred about once a decade. Continue reading...

Coal, pharmaceutical companies and mining groups can all expect to benefit, while renewables are out in the coldBecome a Guardian supporter or make a contribution Continue reading...

William Beaton took his first egg at the age of five in 1948 and had illegally collected hundreds more since, court toldA retired solicitor from Devon who amassed a collection of hundreds of eggs over nearly 70 years has been fined almost £5,000 and had his haul confiscated.William Beaton, 73, told Plymouth magistrates he took his first egg – from a blackbird’s nest – on a “fine April evening” when he was five. Continue reading...

Cristal Pigment Ltd has been sentenced for two serious incidents at its titanium dioxide plant that arose from poor operational practices, reports ENDS UKA global chemical company has been fined for poor operational practices that killed one of its employees and seriously hurt another when they were overcome by a toxic vapour cloud.

Many fear Donald Trump will reverse the ambitious course set by Barack Obama, withdraw the US from the accord and increase fossil-fuel spending• Become a Guardian supporter or make a contributionJust days after the historic Paris agreement officially came into force, climate denier Donald Trump’s victory has thrown the global deal into uncertainty and raised fears that the US will reverse the ambitious environmental course charted under Barack Obama.International environmental groups meeting at the UN climate talks in Morocco said it would be a catastrophe if Trump acted on his pledge to withdraw the US from the deal, which took 20 years to negotiate, and to open up public land for coal, oil and gas extraction. Continue reading...

Investment fund would help wave and tidal power to provide a tenth of the bloc’s power by 2050The EU is proposing to spend hundreds of millions of euros to help the budding ocean energy industry to provide a tenth of the bloc’s power by 2050.

From rapid genetic analysis to spectrography, high-tech advances in forensics are being used to track down and prosecute perpetrators of the illegal wildlife trade, reports Environment 360Feisal Mohammed Ali, a prominent member of the Kenyan business community, was convicted last July of trafficking two tons of elephant ivory found in a Fuji Motors parking lot in Mombasa. The landmark ruling came after two years of drama: Feisal’s flight to Tanzania, his capture and repatriation, the disappearance of nine vehicles that were major evidence in the case, and accusations of evidence tampering.The landmark wildlife crime verdict – and 20-year sentence for Feisal – in part came down to political will, courtroom monitoring by NGOs, and police work. Also key, experts say, was the ability to use genetic tests to tie the illegally trafficked elephant tusks from different shipments to the cartel headed by Feisal. Continue reading...

Government to phase out the most polluting fossil and replace it with cleaner sources, such as gas, to meet climate commitmentsThe last coal power station in Britain will be forced to close in 2025, the government said as it laid out its plan to phase-out the polluting fossil fuel.Ministers promised last year that the UK would close coal power within a decade and replace it with gas and other sources to meet its climate change commitments. Continue reading...

‘Equivalent of a Hazelwood a year’ will need to close by early 2030s to meet Paris targets, witnesses tell Senate inquiryCoal-fired power stations in Australia will need to shut at the rate of about one a year between now and the mid-2030s for the country to meet the commitments made in Paris, a Senate hearing has been told.Witnesses also told the hearing that since Australia’s coal-fired power stations are now very old – mostly built in the 1970s and 80s – they would be shutting in the coming decades regardless of climate policy, further highlighting the need for a transition plan. Continue reading...

New report by British Cycling suggests tax incentives for employees and businesses, to encourage bike commutingPeople should receive £250 a year in tax breaks if they cycle to work, according to a proposal to improve public health and business productivity backed by some of the UK’s biggest companies and the Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey.

CloudCAM technology allows operators to reliably predict the output of solar farms 15 minutes ahead of timeA new way to tackle the much-maligned unpredictability of solar energy is being deployed at a solar farm opening today in Western Australia – cloud-tracking cameras. Continue reading...

Three battalions ready to avert crisis after storms last year caused severe damage across north of EnglandTheresa May has placed three battalions of up to 1,200 soldiers on 24-hour standby to help if England suffers flooding this winter.

Energy Transfer Partners says it’s ‘mobilizing drilling equipment’ to tunnel under Lake Oahe, which activists describe as ‘unconscionable and devastating’Support our fearless, independent journalism by making a contribution or becoming a memberThe Dakota Access pipeline operator chose the day of the US presidential election to announce that the final phase of its controversial construction project will begin in two weeks – marking a bold escalation in its response to the Native American protests.Related: Dakota Access pipeline: the who, what and why of the Standing Rock protests Continue reading...

Legislation to be trialled at Lighthouse beach, Sharpes beach and Shelly beach at Ballina, Seven Mile beach at Lennox Head and Evans Head beachFive New South Wales beaches will soon be trialling mesh shark nets under legislation to be fast-tracked into parliament.The legislation will be tabled by the NSW primary industries minister, Niall Blair, on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Groups also plan to undermine government attempts to regulate parts of industry identified by the competition watchdog for price gougingA coalition of natural gas lobby groups are planning a coordinated campaign to convince Australians gas is “a long-term necessity”, top industry lobbyists have revealed.They also disclosed plans to undermine government attempts to regulate sections of the industry that have been identified by the competition watchdog for price gouging by offering the federal environment minister “something he can announce” – but which would not amount to regulation. Continue reading...

Proposal to cut emissions controversially omits several appliances on the grounds that economic benefits would not be worth the negative publicityThe EU has dropped plans to force toaster-makers to improve the energy efficiency of their products over fears of the political costs of being seen to be intruding in people’s daily lives, it has emerged.But while a new EU plan to cut emissions controversially emits several appliances, the manufacturers of electric kettles, refrigerators and hand driers will have to make their future products consume less energy. Continue reading...

Dong Energy chief executive hails ‘inflection point’ as he confirms plan to sell company’s oil and gas divisionWind turbines could soon supply most of the UK’s electricity, the boss of the country’s largest windfarm operator has said, as he confirmed plans to sell its oil and gas division.Dong Energy said the sale would underpin its plan to become a “global leader in renewables”, 44 years after the company was set up to exploit Denmark’s North Sea oilfields. Continue reading...

Dry summer, tighter regulations and more spending by water companies sees 98.5% of beaches monitored by the Environment Agency meet EU standardsEngland’s bathing waters are the cleanest ever recorded thanks to a dry summer, tighter EU regulations and increased spending by water companies.

Activists at the North Dakota pipeline site say they have little faith in either presidential candidate to bring about the kind of change they hope for

Waltham Brooks, West Sussex The bird bobs its squat body up and down, then launches low across the water, the light catching its shimmering backThe still pool reflects the blue sky. The kingfisher sits in the low willow branch. It flicks its tail up and down, up and down, like a switch, while it looks down, transfixed by something in the water below. It suddenly blurs into movement, there’s a splash, and the colourful missile returns to its perch with a tiny silver fish in its bill. It bashes the minnow on the branch twice, and swallows it.Related: Kingfisher bonds will loosen as summer fades Continue reading...

A media conference from Queensland senator Malcolm Roberts sparks debate about how journalists should respond to climate science deniersOn 28 April 1975, Newsweek ran a story on page 64 that became one of its most popular.Under the headline, “The Cooling World”, the story ran for just nine paragraphs but suggested the world could be heading for a major cooling phase, putting food production at risk. Continue reading...

Plane gets priority landing after large serpent appears on ceiling of the cabin before dropping to the floorPassengers on a commercial flight in Mexico were given a start when a serpent appeared in the cabin in a scene straight out of the Hollywood thriller Snakes on a Plane.The green reptile emerged suddenly on an Aeromexico flight from Torreon in the country’s north to Mexico City on Sunday, slithering out from behind an overhead luggage compartment. Continue reading...

In second phase of ‘waste less, save more’ scheme, funding will be extended to other regions to replicate Derbyshire experimentSainsbury’s is stepping up its drive to tackle the UK’s food waste epidemic by announcing a further £1m to help towns and cities reduce the number of items thrown away by consumers.In the second phase of the retailer’s “waste less, save more” programme, which aims to reduce food waste by 50% and save the average household £350 a year, funding is being extended to regions keen to replicate the lessons learned from an ongoing trial in Swadlincote, Derbyshire. Continue reading...

A new study has revealed that female employees who receive more support at work during pregnancy are also more likely to quit after deliveryMarjorie Greenfield has many stories to tell about how employers are failing to create a workplace that encourages women to excel.Greenfield, author of The Working Women’s Pregnancy Book, recalls an interview with a female pilot who worked for an airline that didn’t allow women to fly during the first and third trimesters of pregnancy because of morning sickness and fatigue. The first time the pilot became pregnant, she notified her boss immediately and was taken off work, despite feeling fine. Continue reading...

Reports of Sahara dust in late autumn are a signal to search for birds displaced from the desert and on to our shoresSome Novembers see southern Britain bathed in unseasonably warm sunshine, in that phenomenon known as an Indian summer. But few can match the events of early November 1984, when temperatures reached highs of 19°C, and balmy, southern breezes made it feel more like June than late autumn.Then, on 9 November, car-drivers from Sussex to Yorkshire discovered their cars covered with a thin layer of fine, pale yellow dust. Amazing though it may seem, this really was sand blown here from the Sahara desert, more than 2,500km (1,500 miles) to the south. Continue reading...

Iconic southern coastline is eroding 10 times faster than the past few thousand years due to human management and changes in storm intensityThe iconic white cliffs of southern England are eroding 10 times faster than they have over the past few thousand years, a new study has revealed.The cause of the huge acceleration is likely to be human management of the coastline, which has stripped some cliffs of their protective beaches, as well as changes in storm intensity. Climate change, which is bringing higher sea levels and fiercer waves, will make the erosion even worse, say scientists. Continue reading...

The UK’s largest asset manager will encourage companies to tackle climate change and sell shares in those that do notThe UK’s largest asset manager is to use its muscle as an investor to promote a green agenda by urging companies to tackle climate change and selling shares in those that do not.In a move that echoes a growing belief among investors that climate change poses financial as well as environmental risks, Legal & General Investment Management launched the Future World Fund. Continue reading...

My former colleague Palmer Newbould, who has died aged 87, was a champion of scientific nature conservation, an innovative university teacher and a generous, warm-hearted man with broad interests.His nature conservation work was based mainly in Northern Ireland, where wide-ranging conservation legislation was introduced only in 1965. Palmer served on two statutory committees in the 1970s – the Nature Reserves Committee and Ulster Countryside Committee – before becoming chairman of the Council for Nature Conservation and the Countryside in 1989, for which he was appointed OBE. He was also a Northern Ireland representative on the UK’s Joint Nature Conservation Committee and served on Ireland’s Nuclear Energy Board. Continue reading...

Research suggests ecological impact assessments carried out for windfarms are not adequately predicting bat activity or risksHundreds of bats are being killed in collisions with wind turbines in the UK each month, despite ecological impact assessments predicting that many windfarms were unlikely to affect such animals, according to a new study.All UK species of bats are protected by law, and ecological impact assessments - carried out before construction of windfarms or other sites - should weigh up the risks for local habitats and wildlife. But new research suggests that such assessments are simply not up to scratch. Continue reading...

ACTU seek federal body to manage move to a clean energy economy and to support workers and communities that rely on fossil fuel-related jobsAustralian unions have thrown their weight behind a transition away from coal-generated electricity, calling for a new statutory authority to manage a “just transition”, supporting workers and communities that rely on fossil fuel-related jobs.

Surcharges of 40% on beef and 20% on milk would compensate for climate damage and deter people from consuming as much unhealthy foodClimate taxes on meat and milk would lead to huge and vital cuts in carbon emissions as well as saving half a million lives a year via healthier diets, according to the first global analysis of the issue.Surcharges of 40% on beef and 20% on milk would account for the damage their production causes people via climate change, an Oxford University team has calculated. These taxes would then deter people from consuming as much of these foods, reducing both emissions and illness, the team said. Continue reading...

Trump’s anti-trade isolationism and Clinton’s Obama-esque policies diverge in how they would approach North Korea’s nuclear weapons or Isis in Syria and Iraq

As the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust celebrates its 70th birthday we would like to see your pictures from around the country – in all seasons

Marrakech summit buoyed by gathering momentum but threatened by the possibility of climate change denier Donald Trump entering the White HouseUN talks to implement the landmark Paris climate pact opened in Marrakech on Monday, buoyed by gathering momentum but threatened by the spectre of climate change denier Donald Trump in the White House.Diplomats from 196 nations are meeting in Morocco to flesh out the planet-saving plan inked in the French capital last December. Continue reading...

When the polls close, a new battle will begin – to resist a racist climate denier, or to force a centrist Democrat to deliver genuinely progressive changePresidential elections are a form of madness that comes over us once every four years. They fit the great-man or -woman narrative of history, seducing us into forgetting how powerful we are. They erase our memory of grassroots power, direct democracy and civil society. Leaders beget followers; people pin their hopes on one person, and with that they seem to shed responsibility for anything beyond getting that one person into office. Or, they wash their hands of any further involvement if it’s not their one person.We forget our own influence, the innumerable times we’ve swayed outcome Continue reading...