British documentary I Am Chut Wutty has been watched tens of thousands of times online following the government banA documentary about the murder of a rainforest activist has been viewed tens of thousands of times online after being banned by the Cambodian government.

The story of Acuña – a subsistence farmer from Peru – is a lesson that even the world’s largest companies can be held to account by activistsAs owner of some of the largest and most lucrative gold mines in the world, Newmont Mining Corporation is used to getting its own way. Not in Peru though. In a David-and-Goliath battle, community activists have, so far, succeeded in seeing off the creation of a $5bn (£3.8bn) open-caste mine next to a pristine lake.At the centre of that battle is Máxima Acuña de Chaupe, a 47 year-old subsistence farmer who owns an 60-acre plot of land precisely where Newmont’s local joint-venture, Yanacocha, wants to dig. Acuña’s refusal to sell up, despite huge pressure and persistent threats, has effectively stalled the proposed Conga mine. A spokesperson for Newmont has said that it does not anticipate developing the mine in the foreseeable future. Continue reading...

Authorities are looking into whether pollution is to blame for a spate of mysterious mass fish deaths along the country’s central coastVietnam said on Thursday it was investigating whether pollution is to blame for a spate of mysterious mass fish deaths along the country’s central coast after huge amounts of marine life washed ashore in recent days.Tonnes of fish, including rare species which live far offshore and in the deep, have been discovered on beaches along the country’s central coastal provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Tri, Quang Binh and Hue. Continue reading...

In southern Malawi and Zimbabwe, drought is overwhelming communities, forcing families to rely on meals of leaves and watermelon soupChidyamakondo high school, near Masvingo in southern Zimbabwe, has won the national girls’ football championships three years in a row. But that cherished record – and far, far more – is now at risk.“Students are fainting, struggling to concentrate in lessons, dropping out of school … we’re having to shorten our assemblies and cut back on sport,” says headteacher Morrison Musorowegomo. Continue reading...

The kākāpō has had its most successful breeding season since conservation efforts rescued it from the brink of extinction in the 1970sThe world’s heaviest parrot, a critically endangered bird that only lives in a remote part of New Zealand, has had its most successful breeding season since conservation efforts began more than two decades ago.Thirty-seven kākāpō chicks are currently surviving, providing a much-needed boost to the population of 123 adult kākāpō which live on predator-free islands. Continue reading...

Tech capital is first major US city to require all new buildings of 10 storeys or under to have solar panels, reports BusinessGreenSan Francisco has this week passed landmark legislation requiring all new buildings under 10 storeys in height to be fitted with rooftop solar panels.The city’s San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously passed the new rule on Tuesday, making the metropolis the largest in the US to mandate solar installations on new properties. Continue reading...

Months on from widespread flooding across the north of England and Scotland, many business owners are still out of pocketJayne Shepherd and her son, Michael, had only run their restaurant Winner Winner in King’s Staith, York, for 15 months when the Boxing Day floods hit last year. When they raced to their restaurant that evening, there was little left to salvage. Sewage-contaminated water had surpassed 4ft, destroying stock, kitchen equipment and furnishings. “We were scrambling to pick up anything we could,” she says. “But we lost pretty much everything.”The floods had a devastating impact on many small businesses across the north of England and parts of Scotland. Months later, thousands of pounds out of pocket and with questions remaining over insurance payouts, affected businesses are fighting to get back to normal. The government has introduced Flood Re, a scheme to help provide affordable cover for homeowners, but it does not include small companies. And that’s something the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) wants to change. Continue reading...

South Australia is expected to generate more than half its electricity from wind and solar power this year. Who says you can’t run a modern economy on renewables?The sunbaked streets of Snowtown were deserted when I drove up from Adelaide in late 2000, 18 months after the dismembered remains of eight people were found in barrels of acid in a disused bank vault. The gruesome discovery brought the glare of publicity to the little country town in South Australia’s mid north, and – although no one from Snowtown was among the murderers or victims – the unwelcome attention persisted for years, as the protracted trials were followed by a film and four books.Talk to any local, though, and they will tell you that even before those tragic events, the place, like many rural communities, was in decline. And they will also tell you that Snowtown, if not exactly booming, is nowadays much rejuvenated, in large part due to the gales that howl across the nearby Barunga and Hummock Ranges. Continue reading...

The Paris agreement puts real pressure on Australia to close the gap between scientific and international reality and an unedifying climate policy paralysisFirst the good news. Greg Hunt is about to join 60 heads of state and representatives from more than 150 countries at the United Nations signing ceremony for last year’s Paris climate agreement, and has said Australia will move to ratify it by the end of the year.

Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand looking for new partners to source biofuel, amounting to about 5% of total useThis week Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand held a conference with the biofuel industry after joining forces to investigate options for locally produced biojet fuel for their domestic and international routes.This striking step signals the two airlines’ intention to aggregate their purchasing power in order to reduce their reliance on a single fuel, while at the same time significantly reducing their carbon emissions. Jet fuel, a petroleum distillate, has been used to power air travel since the first flights in the 1940s because of its high-energy density and thermal stability. And each year, the world’s airlines burn about 300bn litres, which represents about 10% of global oil consumption. Continue reading...

Ranked top in a list of populations most at risk from natural disasters, India must find solutions to make its economy less exposed

From deadly protests to billion dollar insurance schemes, we look at the impact of extreme weather and what the world’s fastest growing major economy is doing about it

Residents warned of toxic fumes from fire at Coatzacoalcos works in Gulf state of Veracruz that produces chemicals for making plasticsA large explosion has rocked a major petrochemical facility of Mexican national oil company Pemex in the Gulf state of Veracruz, killing at least three people, injuring dozens more and pumping a black cloud into the sky.Related: New US oil drilling regulations aim to prevent another Deepwater disaster Continue reading...

Several deaths and dozens of injuries were reported after an explosion at the Clorados 3 plant of Petroquimica Mexicana de Vinilo in Mexico. Javier Duarte, the mayor of Mexico’s Veracruz state, said authorities were co-ordinating with the operators and the state oil company, Pemex, to deal with the emergency Continue reading...

Climate Council pays for full-page advert as expert says the Courier Mail, Queensland’s biggest newspaper, is not covering coral bleaching properlyScientists say they are fed up with Queensland’s biggest newspaper not covering the worst bleaching event to hit the Great Barrier Reef, so have taken out a full page ad to get the message out.The ad comes as a survey revealed 93% of the Great Barrier Reef was affected by the bleaching. That finding motivated the Queensland government to call on the federal government to convene an urgent meeting of the nation’s environment ministers to talk about measures to address climate change in light of bleaching. Continue reading...

Michigan officials facing multiple felonies and misdemeanors accusing them of misconduct, tampering with evidence, and ‘willfully’ misleading federal officialsThree state and local officials involved in Flint’s water contamination crisis were criminally charged on Wednesday for their roles in the two-year public health debacle, the first round of what’s expected to be many charges against government employees.The officials are facing multiple felonies and misdemeanors accusing them of misconduct, tampering with evidence, and “willfully” misleading federal officials, more than six months after Governor Rick Snyder of Michigan admitted his administration gravely misunderstood the extent of a lead contamination problem in Flint. Continue reading...

Berta Cáceres’s daughter urges Europeans to suspend aid and investment in hydro projects until human rights are respectedThe daughter of murdered environmental leader Berta Cáceres has called for a suspension of European aid to Honduras and investment in its hydro projects until the country complies with human rights norms.Cáceres was shot as she slept on 2 March, after her family say that Honduran authorities failed to adequately respond to a slew of escalating death threats. Continue reading...

Activists in London and Yorkshire call on government to ‘axe Drax’, which they claim receives £1m a day in renewable energy subsidiesDrax faced protests during its annual general meeting in London over its use of public subsidies to support its massive coal and wood-burning power station.Banners were unfurled by campaigners seeking to “axe Drax” outside its AGM in the capital on Wednesday, as well as at the Drax power station site near Selby, North Yorkshire. Continue reading...

The government’s job is to ensure our families and businesses have energy supplies they can rely on. And we are doing it by taking the long-term decisions to ensure secure, clean, affordable supplies now and in the decades ahead. That’s the key role for the Department of Energy and Climate Change and we’ve never said otherwise, despite the very strange claims in your article (Minister: Hinkley no risk to power supply, 20 April).The reason we are backing the construction of Hinkley Point C is that new nuclear is the only proven low-carbon technology that can provide continuous power, irrespective of whether the wind is blowing or the sun is shining. We are tackling a legacy of underinvestment and need to replace our ageing power stations. Hinkley will power close to 6m homes for 60 years. But we’re only paying for 35. It will also bring billions of pounds of investment into the UK and create 25,000 jobs during construction. We need electricity that’s safe, clean and reliable at any time of the day or night. New nuclear is one of the best ways of providing this. That’s why we back Hinkley, and I have never said it’s for any other reason.

21 April is the deadline that Judge Breyer has set for VW to respond to the scandal caused by installing “defeat devices” to evade emissions regulations on 567,000 “clean diesel” cars sold in the US (VW emissions cheat software came from Audi – report, 20 April).As owners of a diesel Jetta, we have been waiting for VW to respond for seven months since the scandal broke. The defeat device eliminates the reason we purchased the car: low-emission “clean transport”. In buying it we relied on VW’s compliance with regulations and the company’s “clean diesel” advertising. Continue reading...

Research finds most Americans have seen a pleasant mix of warmer winters and tolerable summers since 1974, but the situation is set for a radical reversalA large majority of Americans have enjoyed more pleasant weather due to global warming over the past 40 years, research has found, but there is set to be an unpleasant sting in the tail as temperatures escalate further this century.Vast areas of the contiguous US have warmed considerably during winters without becoming unbearably hot during the summers, making the climate generally more agreeable to the public. A new study has found that 80% of the American population lives in areas where the weather has become more “preferable” since 1974. Continue reading...

Belgium’s nuclear safety agency says 40-year-old Tihange 2 and Doel 3 reactors meet ‘strictest possible safety requirements’Belgium on Wednesday rejected a request by neighbouring Germany to shutter two ageing nuclear plants near their shared border, arguing the facilities met with the strictest safety standards.German Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks earlier on Wednesday requested that the 40-year-old Tihange 2 and Doel 3 reactors be turned off “until the resolution of outstanding security issues”. Continue reading...

Sometimes, the best way to understand what’s happening on the other side of the world is to see it for yourself. Here are some of our favorite Instagrammers who focus on capturing our changing planet Continue reading...

Yale Environment 360: The fate of a tree planted at poet Emily Dickinson’s home raises questions about whether gardeners can - or should - play a role in helping plant species migrate in the face of rising temperatures and swiftly changing botanical zonesOn rare occasions, the townsfolk of Amherst, Massachusetts, would catch a glimpse of a ghostly figure dressed in white, leaning over to tend her flowers by flickering lantern light. The mysterious recluse, who was better known to neighbors for her exquisite garden than for her lyric poems that revealed a passionate love of nature, differed from fellow 19th-century American writers whose thinking became the bedrock of modern environmentalism. While Thoreau famously declared wild places to be “the preservation of the world,” Emily Dickinson was finding nature’s truth and power in an ordinary dandelion.Among the plants that survive on the family property where Dickinson confined herself for much of her adult life are picturesque old trees called umbrella magnolias (Magnolia tripetala) — so named because their leaves, which can reach two feet long, radiate out from the ends of branches like the spokes of an umbrella. Continue reading...

A decade ago today, the Conservative leader visited the Arctic to witness the effects of climate change. But since coming to power, his government has dropped or watered down a succession of green policiesIt is one of the most successful political reinventions ever. In just a few years as its new leader, David Cameron turned around the Tories’ toxic “nasty party” image - at least with enough voters to form a coalition government.One of the most eye-catching moments came 10 years ago today with his “hug a husky” trip to the Arctic to highlight the impact of climate change. It was followed by Cameron’s commitment to lead the “greenest government ever”. Continue reading...

Oil giant warned industry would pull out of EU if laws to cut pollution and speed clean energy take up were passed, letter obtained by the Guardian revealsThe EU abandoned or weakened key proposals for new environmental protections after receiving a letter from a top BP executive which warned of an exodus of the oil industry from Europe if the proposals went ahead.In the 10-page letter, the company predicted in 2013 that a mass industry flight would result if laws to regulate tar sands, cut power plant pollution and accelerate the uptake of renewable energy were passed, because of the extra costs and red tape they allegedly entailed. Continue reading...

Government says quarter of the population suffering, as NGO asks supreme court to order Modi government to do more to helpAbout 330 million people are affected by drought in India, the government has said, as the country reels from severe water shortages and desperately poor farmers suffer crop losses.A senior government lawyer, PS Narasimha, told the supreme court that a quarter of the country’s population, spread across 10 states, had been hit by drought after two consecutive years of weak monsoons. Continue reading...

Share your stories and contribute to our coverage marking the anniversary of the biggest nuclear catastrophe in history

Former energy and climate change secretary warns leaving EU would be ‘environmental madness’, reports BusinessGreenSir Ed Davey has today added his voice to the ranks of energy and climate change experts warning ‘Brexit’ would undermine the UK’s energy security, its ability to combat climate change threats, and its burgeoning green economy.Writing on BusinessGreen today ahead of a roundtable event on the implications of Brexit for energy and climate policy this morning at MHP Communications, where Davey now holds a senior adviser role, the former energy and climate change secretary warned a vote for Brexit can “only be bad for Britain’s green businesses”. Continue reading...

Week of BBC programming, including Zoo Quest, will mark naturalist’s 90th birthdaySome of David Attenborough’s first natural history films will be shown in colour for the first time as part of a week of programming to mark the broadcaster’s 90th birthday.

With only 10% of Chinese firms carrying out sustainability initiatives, the country’s business sector will need to step up its game if China is to meet its emissions targetChina’s offshore oil drilling firm and the country’s largest oil producer with $98.53bn in revenue in 2014, China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) inevitably disturbs marine life as it probes seabeds around the world for resources. Like other big oil firms, the company has caused its share of environmental disasters, including a 2011 oil spill that contaminated 840 sq km (324 sq miles) of Bohai Bay, off China’s northeastern shore. CNOOC got in trouble with government regulators for initially concealing the spill and has since been named in a lawsuit.Related: Carbon emissions: here's what we can do to hit 'science-based targets' Continue reading...

American Lung Association’s ‘state of the air’ report finds 166 million Americans are living in unhealthy ozone or particle pollution with serious health risksMore than half of the US population lives amid potentially dangerous air pollution, with national efforts to improve air quality at risk of being reversed, a new report has warned.

Inaccurate tests covered four of its mini-cars, two of which it manufactured for NissanMitsubishi Motors has admitted manipulating test data to overstate the fuel efficiency of 625,000 cars.The Japanese carmaker said the inaccurate tests covered four of its mini-cars, two of which it manufactured for Nissan. The number of Nissan cars affected was 468,000, while 157,000 were sold under the Mitsubishi brand. Continue reading...

Reducing global oil demand would drive down prices and free up funds for oil importing countries to spend on other areas of the economy, report findsA switch to low-carbon transport such as electric cars would save countries including the UK billions of pounds a year, a report has suggested.

Senate committee wants an immediate ban on production or importation of beauty products containing the tiny plastic beadsThe production or importation of cosmetics containing microbeads should immediately be halted in order to protect vulnerable marine life, a Senate inquiry has recommended.Related: The microbead battle and the search for a greener replacement Continue reading...

St Dominic, Tamar Valley They dance the length of the expanding bank, like a strange flock of black-feathered waders in the distanceOn the day with the lowest tide of the year, people converge on the river banks just upstream of Halton Quay. Here, on the Cornish side by Chapel Farm (reputed to be the site of a religious settlement founded by the parish’s patron saint and her brother from Ireland), holm oaks overhang the stony beach and derelict lime-kiln.Opposite, by North Hooe, shining mud banks are edged with an expanse of pale reeds. Support boats from the Cargreen Yacht Club ferry participants across the choppy water of the ebbing tide towards a sandbank that is revealed only at extremely low tides. Over there, near to Devon, the Wreckers morris side, in black and gold tatters, dance the length of the expanding bank, like a strange flock of black-feathered waders in the distance. Continue reading...

Architects, designers and urban planners are borrowing from natural phenomena as diverse as termite mounds and resilient grapefruits to design smart, sustainable citiesWith soaring glass skyscrapers and swaths of concrete, modern cities often seem actively to work against nature, pushing it down and suppressing it rather than working alongside it.Yet a growing number of progressive architects, designers, engineers, scientists and urban planners are looking to the Earth’s systems for inspiration. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Amount needed would require a renewable energy plant with 15 wind turbines or 250,000 solar panelsAustralia’s first large renewable energy project driven by a group of big energy consumers is a step closer to reality today, with the Melbourne Renewable Energy Project advertising its call for tenders for 110 gigawatt hours of renewable energy.

Australian Conservation Foundation condemns advice to refuse access to federal environment department officers investigating land clearingA former north Queensland Liberal National party official has urged landholders to “hang up” on commonwealth officers who are investigating whether land-clearing plans breach federal conservation laws.Peter Spies, a land-clearing consultant and one-time Atherton LNP branch president, has also suggested landholders refuse access to federal environment department officers unless they have search warrants. Continue reading...

Comprehensive aerial survey reveals full extent of the devastation caused by abnormally warm ocean temperaturesAlmost 93% of reefs on the Great Barrier Reef have been hit by coral bleaching, according to a comprehensive survey revealing the full extent of the devastation caused by abnormally warm ocean temperatures sweeping the globe.

Re “How the cauli got hip” (G2, 14 April), on a trip to France a few years ago we booked a night in St-Omer, Pas-de-Calais, both en route south and at the end of our holiday. It’s a lovely town but, like many places in northern France, deserted in August, so we felt we’d “done” the place that first night. I was not looking forward to a dead Sunday on our weary way home. We arrived to find it was one of the days of the year in St-Omer: La fête du chou-fleur. The streets were packed with local people and local cauliflowers, we had to fight our way through to see the floats on the waterway, each tableau made out of cauliflower crates, including a spindly wooden version of the town’s cathedral and, of course, the evening finished with fireworks. Since then cauliflowers have never been boring, they always bring back that late summer evening. Vive le chou-fleur and please let’s stay part of Europe.

French president and ministers expected to consider financing options for project to build two nuclear reactorsThe French president, François Hollande, is expected to hold a meeting of government ministers at the Elysée palace on Wednesday to discuss whether or not the construction of the £18bn Hinkley Point nuclear power plant in Britain will go ahead.The French government is not yet expected to reach a final decision on the controversial plans for France’s state-controlled utility EDF to build two nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point. But the president and top ministers are expected to consider the various financing options for the project. Continue reading...

UK energy secretary admits for the first time that any delays or cancellations to new nuclear reactors would not compromise national energy supplyThe UK’s energy secretary has admitted for the first time that the lights would stay on if new nuclear reactors at Hinkley were cancelled or delayed.Amber Rudd has previously said that “energy security has to be the number one priority” and that new gas and nuclear power would be “central to our energy-secure future”. Continue reading...

Celebrating Earth Day on 22 April is nice, but is one day truly enough? Madeleine Somerville describes five small lifestyle shifts that will make a big impactOne of the questions I receive most frequently from readers is whether our individual actions truly make a difference. If you choose to recycle, compost, carpool, reduce consumption and refuse plastic bags, does it have an effect? Does it matter at all? Will it do anything to eliminate the Great Pacific garbage patch?The answer is yes. Continue reading...

Instead of approaching banks, small, local farms are finding cash and loyal fans online

Maxima Acuña de Chaupe has won a major environmental prize for defending her land from the biggest gold-mining project in South AmericaEnvironmental activism may not have been what Maxima Acuña de Chaupe had in mind when in 2011 she refused to sell her 60-acre plot of land to the biggest gold-mining project in South America.

Admittedly, calling a boat Boaty McBoatface was a bad idea, voted for by idiots. But it was our bad idea. It was the British character writ large, and this cruel government killed itBoaty McBoatface was too beautiful to live. He was a rare and precious flower, simply not cut out for these ugly times. We created Boaty McBoatface. We created him after our own image, in a rush of optimism, deluding ourselves that he was ever worth a damn. Boaty McBoatface was a perfect idea in an imperfect world. He was all that we were not. He was strong. He was resolute. Truly, he was Boaty McBoatface.Boaty McBoatface is dead. The government killed him. Continue reading...

Three members of Plane Stupid fined £200 each for wilful obstruction of a public highway during protest against a third runway last NovemberThree environmental activists who blocked a tunnel at Heathrow airport last year have been issued fines of £200 each by a court on Tuesday.The protest by Plane Stupid activists last November was part of a series of actions by the group against the expansion of the airport, including the so-called Heathrow 13 who in February were spared prison sentences for occupying the airport’s runway. Continue reading...

Canadian prime minister seeks to bring global agreement into force as soon as possible in bid to reverse reputation as ‘carbon bully’Justin Trudeau will lobby governments to approve the Paris climate agreement and bring it into force as soon as possible, reversing Canada’s past reputation as a “carbon bully”.The Canadian prime minister will join 155 other countries at the United Nations on Friday for a symbolic signing ceremony. Continue reading...