From science denial to xenophobia to misogyny, Trump brings out the worst in Americans, and wants to reverse 50 years of progress

We asked readers living in the area to share their thoughts with us, one month on after Lancashire council’s rejection of a fracking site was overturned

‘The officers cautiously unzipped the bag and found this gorgeous boy,’ Queensland police say of Alfred the joeyA woman taken into custody by Queensland police has stunned officers by handing over a baby koala she had been secretly carrying inside a zipped canvas bag.The East Brisbane woman, 50, was asked if she had anything to declare after her arrest on unrelated matters by officers on patrol in the city’s south on Sunday night. She produced the bag, saying it contained a joey. Continue reading...

Despite pressure from students and staff, Harvard leaders have refused to divest

Australian conservationists spent five months obtaining permissions and planning for a captive breeding programme for the Bramble Cay melomys. But when they arrived on the rodent’s tiny, low-lying island, they discovered they were too late.

Environment and climate groups publish final scorecards rating main political parties as Australians prepare to voteIf ever there was going to be a climate change election, surely this was going to be it.As May came and the election date was announced, the implications of the global Paris agreement between more than 190 countries just months earlier were still resonating – the world was moving away from fossil fuels and the challenge to keep global warming well below 2C was agreed. Continue reading...

Report is the first to examine the impact of artificial night-lighting on the seasonal behaviour of plants on a national scaleLight pollution is causing spring to come at least a week earlier in the UK, a new study has revealed.

St Dominic, Tamar Valley A handsome South Devon bull has now joined them, so the cycle will continueA herd of South Devon cattle again graces the fields opposite home. For 30 years the land, with distinctive beech trees on a hedge and an old, freestanding oak, was used mainly for a succession of cereal crops, with annual and ever dearer costs of ploughing, sowing, spraying to control weeds and moulds, and harvesting by combine and straw baler. Marauding pigeons from nearby woods were shot and once there was a mysterious double corn circle that caused consternation and wonder.Over the past few years the new tenant has resown the former arable fields with grasses that have thickened up with regular topping (cutting) and sheep grazing. This year, strong post-and-wire fences have been reinstated against the hedge-banks, and a cattle crush or pen has been installed for sorting the animals and for the obligatory TB tests. Continue reading...

The natural store of helium found in the Rift valley in Tanzania contains an estimated 54bn cubic feet of the noble gas

When mines close in Victoria, local people fear for their future and predict whole towns will die. But if the Coalition and Labor are serious about their climate change targets, are they also ready to replace the lost Australian jobs?Greg Dunn, coffee in hand, has just finished a 12-hour night shift at the Hazelwood power station. He is tired, but in his low-key way, he is resigned, too. He rattles off the members of his family who have worked in the electricity industry in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley, a list that almost certainly will end with him.Dunn’s father worked as a boilermaker in the valley. His grandfather worked here too, back in gentler days when electricity was thought an essential service for governments to run. In the valley, it was the state electricity commission (SEC).

Only 14% of men and 30% percent of women in the US use sunscreen – and about one-third of those don’t use enough. Is digestible sunscreen the answer?The US skincare market is expected to reach $11bn by 2018, proving that people are more than willing to pay to keep their skin healthy and looking youthful. But expert advice on how to maintain good skin hasn’t changed much over the years.The bottom line remains: wear sunscreen. Apply it liberally and wear a hat for insurance. Maybe just try to stay in the shade if you can. Continue reading...

Residents from region around Alawa and Mangarrayi lands say they weren’t properly consulted about work by Gina Rinehart-linked companyAn Aboriginal community is calling for a halt to exploratory drilling preparations on their traditional lands by a Gina Rinehart-linked company, claiming they weren’t properly consulted by the peak body representing them.However, the chief executive of the Northern Land Council (NLC), has defended his organisation, and blames the “confusion” on a two-year delay between traditional owners giving permission and the permits being granted, as well as “intervention by third-party groups”. Continue reading...

New report says Flint water crisis is not an anomaly, as analysis reveals 5,363 water systems – providing drinking water to 18 million – breached federal lawsMore than 18 million Americans are served drinking water by providers that have violated federal laws concerning lead in water, with only a tiny proportion of offenses resulting in any penalty, a new report has found.

Fears had been raised that EU referendum would result in deadline being missed but sources say carbon budget will be agreedMinisters will this week approve a world-leading carbon emissions reduction target for the early 2030s, the Guardian understands.Fears had been raised by green groups and industry that the EU referendum would cause the UK government to miss a deadline on Thursday for accepting carbon targets from its statutory climate advisers. Continue reading...

The overall awards winners have been announced in the 2016 Atkins Ciwem environmental photographer of the year competition, an annual international showcase for thought-provoking photography and video that tackles a wide range of environmental themes. A shortlist of 60 images has also been chosen from more than 10,000 entries for an exhibition that will run at the Royal Geographical Society, London, from 29 June to 22 August 2016. Continue reading...

After a rocky start, the American solar market is taking off. What will it take to make it go truly mainstream?Solar energy in the US has had a rocky existence. Ever since Ronald Reagan symbolically removed Jimmy Carter’s solar panels from the White House roof in 1986, federal policy has been unpredictable, such that manufacturers and consumers could never depend on reliable incentives to produce and install solar energy systems.Remarkably, the US solar energy industry is now entering what may be its most prosperous decade ever, thanks to a new wave of federal and state policies and positive economics in the industry, both at home and abroad. Continue reading...

Department of Justice says carmaker will pay billions to settle claims generated by emissions rigging scandal and buy cars from consumers at pre-scandal pricesVolkswagen has agreed to pay $14.7bn to settle claims generated by its emissions rigging scandal and to buy back cars from consumers at pre-scandal prices, the Department of Justice announced on Tuesday.Related: Volkswagen's handling of emissions scandal a shambles, say investors Continue reading...

Christiana Figueres tells business leaders that Brexit vote is not an obstacle to continued cooperation between Britain and the EU on global warmingBritain must continue to be a world leader when it comes to acting on global warming despite the EU referendum result last week, the UN’s climate chief has urged.

Christiana Figueres says the UK can still be a leader on climate change and emphasises the need for the country to ‘stay calm and transform on’Britain’s decision to leave the European Union was not a vote against climate change, nor was it a vote against the innovation key to fighting climate change, UN climate chief Christiana Figueres told an audience of business and policymakers at the annual Business & Climate summit in London today.Related: EU out vote puts UK commitment to Paris climate agreement in doubt Continue reading...

German energy firm will not make fresh plans until the UK’s European relationship becomes clearer, but existing manufacturing will not be affectedSiemens is putting new wind power investment plans in the UK on hold due to uncertainty caused by last week’s Brexit vote, the Germany energy company has told the Guardian.

Scientists hope new information will help protect the little-understood whale population that feeds and travels through the city’s watersThe habits of New York’s little-understood whale population are to be fully analysed for the first time, with scientists hoping the new information will help protect the marine behemoths that navigate one of the busiest shipping areas in the world.

The Thames estuary is home to the world’s largest offshore wind farm – a model for exploiting the potential of Britain’s gusty coastlinesAt the widest point of the Greater Thames estuary, 12 miles north of the Kent coast and 12 miles south of Essex, lies the London Array – the largest operational offshore wind farm in the world. Completed in 2013, after 10 years of planning and construction, it covers an area of 40 square miles – roughly the same size of Bristol – and comprises 175 individual turbines laid out in neat rows like an enormous nursery flower bed.It's a mature technology, and it’s a very effective way of installing new power on to the grid Continue reading...

Fisheries chiefs and campaigners say current catch quotas will continue until the UK leaves the EU, and new arrangements may not be more generousBritish fishermen have been warned that, despite the promises made by the leave campaign, they cannot expect to be granted greater catches after the UK leaves the European Union, and they may face increased economic turmoil.Fishermen will have to remain within their current catch quotas while the UK is still a member, and even if new arrangements are negotiated after a Brexit, they will not necessarily be more generous, fisheries chiefs and campaigners have warned. Continue reading...

Cecil’s death could spark a global rethink on how to protect lions – ending Africa’s dependence on hunting revenues to sustain wildlife habitats and crucial conservation projectsThe tiny lion cubs bounce down the dusty track alive with curiosity about their new world from their inquisitive faces to the tips of their tails. This new life is a symbol of the surprising good that has stemmed from the tragic death of their grandfather, Cecil.

Private sector needs to work in Africa, Asia and Latin America to drive down carbon emissions, Christiana Figueres to tell business and climate summit“Universal support” is needed from businesses across the world to tackle global warming, the United Nations climate chief says.

Analysts say Brexit will create uncertainty for energy sector, which could hit £20bn investment a year needed to replace ageing, dirty power plantsThe UK’s challenge to build a clean, secure and affordable energy system has become significantly harder amid the political and economic turmoil following the nation’s vote to leave the European Union.

Rescuers off the coast of southern California work to help a blue whale which had become entangled in fishing gear. The whale, said to measure between 70ft (21 metres) and 80ft (24 metres) long, appeared around 5 miles (8km) off the coast of Dana Point. It was not immediately clear to the marine crews whether they had succeeded in detangling the whale before it disappeared Continue reading...

Allendale, Northumberland There’s a low hum from bumblebees foraging deep inside the comfrey flowersThe day presses down, close and sultry, as I sit cross-legged in front of our three compost bins. There’s a low hum from bumblebees foraging deep inside the nearby comfrey flowers, but I’m interested in a different type of bee. In front of the wooden bins are some large stone slabs, the thumb-width gaps between them unmortared. There, coming and going, are several large black bees. One lands on my trousers, brushing golden pollen from its body on to the hairs of its hind legs. With pollen sac neatly packed, it flies to the edge of the paving and slips beneath the lip.The chocolate mining bee, Andrena scotica, is often found in gardens; firm sandy paths and terraces are favourite nesting places. They are solitary bees, the females laying eggs in separate burrows but sharing a common entrance hole. Each egg will hatch into a larva, eat the stored pollen and pupate before emerging as an adult. Continue reading...

The founder of WWF’s Earth Hour, Andy Ridley, believes the creative industries are key to building support for the circular economy

With Labor and the Greens already opposed, the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party says it will take advice from the farmers’ lobby not to support the lawsDrastic changes to land-clearing laws in NSW, which have been fiercely opposed by conservationists, have now also lost the support of farmers, leading to renewed calls for them to be dropped.The Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party told Guardian Australia it would take advice from the farmers’ lobby group not to support the laws in their current form. With Labor and the Greens opposed, the bill will have trouble passing the state’s upper house. Continue reading...

Barack Obama, Justin Trudeau and Enrique Peña Nieto to announce new ‘aggressive but achievable’ goal at ‘Three Amigos’ summit in OttawaBarack Obama, Justin Trudeau and Enrique Peña Nieto will commit to a new regional clean power goal at a summit this week in Ottawa, the White House has said.

Majority in the local referendum on the Nantes Atlantique airport ends long battle between environmental activists and the governmentVoters in western France gave the go-ahead Sunday to a controversial airport development that has been at the centre of a years-long battle between environmental activists and the government.

Youth will bear the brunt of the poor decisions being made by today’s older generations

Country diary: Dibden Purlieu Dusty paths of sun-baked sand provide firm routes into the heathland, widened by walkers seeking peace in the green lung of the forest

Spawning frogs, arrival of swallows and first oak leaves took four weeks rather than three to spread from south to northSigns of a British spring including spawning frogs, the arrival of migrating swallows and the first leaves on oak trees took a week longer to spread across the UK this year than in the last two decades, according to nature watchers.A mild winter saw spring flowers out earlier than usual, and signs of spring such as hawthorn leafing and red admiral butterflies on the wing on Christmas Day. Continue reading...

Energy authority says governments must take responsibility, and investment would pay for itself in health benefitsThe global air pollution crisis killing more than 6 million people a year must be tackled by governments as a matter of urgency and not just left to the private sector, a report from the world’s leading energy authority says.An increase of investment in energy of about 7% a year could tackle the problem, and would pay for itself through health benefits and better social conditions, the International Energy Agency estimates. Continue reading...

Originally published in the Manchester Guardian on 1 July 1916Surrey, June 30

Founder says he hasn’t seen anything like it in the music event’s 46-year history, and says it highlights climate changeGlastonbury has suffered the worst rain and mud since the festival began 46 years ago, consuming the region’s entire supply of woodchip in the process.Founder Michael Eavis said he will not consider moving the festival to later in the summer to avoid the wet, and blamed the torrential rain that hit the site in the weeks before the gates opened on global warming. Continue reading...

Plunging pound and Britain’s reliance on imports will mean higher prices, says farmers’ leader

Moves to save the tiny woodland mammal from extinction could herald the reintroduction of larger lost species such as the wolf and sea eagleMore than 100 years after they were last recorded by Victorian naturalists in Yorkshire’s Wensleydale valley, rare dormice have returned to a secret woodland location there.Last Thursday, 20 breeding pairs of rare hazel dormice (Muscardinus avellanarius) were reintroduced in the Yorkshire Dales national park as part of a national scheme to reverse the decline of one of Britain’s most threatened mammals. Continue reading...

Is having a pint ethically unconscientious? What’s the carbon footprint of getting drunk? Time to uncork the issuesAt the risk of channelling Al Murray’s Pub Landlord, the great British boozer is brilliantly ethical in some respects. In fact, the New Economics Foundation says your local is one of the top places in which to spend money on the high street if you want it to stay local. And now, in an effort to make watering holes ethical powerhouses, the Greener Retailing Publicans Guide has just launched. The report, which also identifies ways in which pubs, restaurants and bars can become more profitable, goes strong on tackling food waste, which costs UK pubs £357m a year. It reckons they easily waste at least £1,000 each year in spilled pints, too.This matters not just because it’s waste, but because a lot of water and energy is required to convert one gallon of water into one gallon of beer, whisky or wine. Brands are looking to do something to address these environmental pressures. Heineken recently opened the world’s first “major zero-carbon brewery” in Austria, and everyone from whisky makers to cideries is trying to curtail their demand for clean water. Continue reading...

Deforestation is rife in the Amazon, Colombia and the Philippines, say environmental groupsBritish shoppers could be unknowingly buying wooden furniture, flooring and even food items that are byproducts of destructive illegal logging in the Amazon, environmental campaigners are warning.Friends of the Earth is calling on ministers to make companies reveal the source of their products in order to stop the black market trade. Last week human rights watchdog Global Witness revealed that 185 environmental activists were killed in 2015, many of whom had been trying to stop illegal logging in the Amazon. An estimated 80% of Brazilian hardwood is illegally logged. Continue reading...

People in the Calder valley are picking up where they left off before their homes were inundated last DecemberPeople in West Yorkshire enjoyed their Christmas dinner yesterday, six months after floods inundated homes along the Calder valley.After unprecedented rainfall last December the river Calder burst its banks, flooding the market town of Hebden Bridge and the village of Mytholmroyd, forcing residents to abandon their Christmas festivities. Continue reading...

Leave victory risks delaying EU ratification of the Paris deal, leaving the door open for Obama’s successor to unpick the pactThe UK government won high praise six months ago for taking a leading role in the successful Paris climate change agreement, the first legally binding commitment on curbing carbon emissions by all 195 United Nations countries.

Leaving the EU puts about 70% of UK environmental safeguards at risk. But Brexit is not a mandate to make us the dirty man of Europe again – we have to make it work for the environment, from the grassroots upAnd so, Brexit has happened. I, like many people reading this, feel desperately sad today.Friends of the Earth campaigned vigorously to remain in the EU. Membership of Europe has been good for our ‘green and pleasant land’, and the plain truth is that pollution doesn’t recognise national boundaries. It seems obvious to me that the best way of solving anything other than very local environmental problems is for countries to cooperate and develop solutions under a common framework. Continue reading...

Coignafearn, Highlands There is something about wild goats that appeals to me – perhaps their look of superiority?Standing on the side of the burn, I watched the water flow past my feet, gurgling and murmuring as it continued on its way to the river Findhorn below. After the cold spring, the spring and early summer plants were all flowering together. The yellow carpets of bird’s foot-trefoil, or “eggs and bacon” as I prefer to call it, dominated the scene. On the drier areas were small groups of mountain pansies whose flowers varied from red to intense violet.The butterworts in the splash zone of the burn were such an outstanding purple that their tiny flowers looked much larger than they actually were. Lady’s smock plants – also known as cuckooflowers, because they bloom when the first cuckoo begins calling – stood out above the others. Their slender stems topped with tiny pale lilac flower heads looked as if they were just waiting for an orange tip butterfly to lay its tiny orange eggs on them. Continue reading...

Tina Louise Rothery was part of a group that occupied field near Blackpool being considered for shale gas explorationAn anti-fracking campaigner has appeared in court faced with a legal bill of more than £55,000 and a potential custodial sentence after being sued for trespass.

Coalition revived proposals after companies said last week they would push ahead with projectsGerman politicians have approved a law that bans fracking, ending years of dispute over the controversial technology to release oil and gas locked deep underground.The law does not outlaw conventional drilling for oil and gas, leaving it to state governments to decide on individual cases. Continue reading...

Feasting jackals, Yellowstone’s grizzly bears and delicate pick roseate spoonbills are among this week’s pick of images from the natural world Continue reading...

From the ‘red-tape’ slashing desires of the Brexiters to the judgment of green professionals, all indications are for weaker environmental protectionsDespite being an issue that knows no borders, affects all and is of vital interest to future generations, the environment was low on the agenda ahead of the UK’s historic vote to leave the European Union.The short answer to what happens next with pollution, wildlife, farming, green energy, climate change and more is we don’t know – we are in uncharted territory. But all the indications – from the “red-tape” slashing desires of the Brexiters to the judgment of environmental professionals – are that the protections for our environment will get weaker. Continue reading...