It is not surprising that small ports are being used to import goods and people illegally (Dispatch Norfolk, 4 June). Successive governments have cut customs staff due to their doctrinaire policies of reducing civil service staff numbers. Thirty years ago every small port had its own customs officer, and there also were coast preventive men who travelled around their local coastal area in blue mini cars, talking to harbour staff, local people, seafarers etc, gaining intelligence on unusual traffic. The key word is “preventive”; Coastwatch volunteers, however willing, are no substitute for a professional anti-smuggling force. If the government wishes to protect the UK border properly, it has to employ enough staff to do so.

Huge swells and strong winds batter the New South Wales coastline in Australia, causing flooding and dangerous conditions in Sydney and the surrounding areas. Evacuation notices have been issued in areas including Lismore, the Cooks River and Chipping Norton amid heavy rainfall, with the stormy conditions set to continue into Monday Continue reading...

Hugh Aldersey-Williams’s scholarly survey of the history of tides, from the Bristol Channel to the Bay of Fundy, is enlighteningThe subtitle of this book gives pause. The greatest force on Earth? Typhoons, volcanos and earthquakes humbled by a few metres’ change in the level of seawater? There is little in the early chapters to enforce the claim. Hugh Aldersey-Williams begins with a trip to the shore near his Norfolk home, preparing the reader for “Nature’s greatest marine performance”. The action begins an hour or so after high water. The tide ebbs. Twelve hours and 30 minutes later it has returned and started to fall again. The author notes froth, gulls and vegetation. Subsequent journeys to Venice to observe work on the lagoon’s tidal barrage, and the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia to watch a tidal bore roll up the Shubenacadie river are not thrilling.Related: The power and glory of tides – in pictures Continue reading...

On World Environment Day, we urge governments to address the growing threat to activists and indigenous people by bringing those who harm them to justiceThe enjoyment of a vast range of human rights, including rights to life, health, food, water, and housing, depend on a healthy and sustainable environment. Today, on World Environment Day, let us remember that those who work to protect the environment are not only environmentalists – they are human rights defenders. And they are increasingly at risk.

A woman who was reportedly a diver is found dead with injuries ‘consistent with a shark attack’A 60-year-old female diver has been killed by a large shark in Perth’s north, less than a week after a surfer was fatally mauled south of the city.Insp Danny Mulligan told reporters the woman was diving with a 43-year-old man at a popular spot in Mindarie about 11.50am on Sunday when she was mauled. Continue reading...

Campaigners hope the Thai temple raid will stir the world’s conscience – but the trafficking of tiger parts to China is a booming businessA week ago it cost 600 baht (£11.50) to visit the tiger temple in Thailand’s Kanchanaburi province, west of the capital, Bangkok. Tourists moved by the spectacle of such splendid creatures living side by side with human beings could also pay the saffron-robed Buddhist monks an extra £15 to help feed the cubs, or to have their picture taken with an adult tiger’s head resting on their lap.Along with nearly 250,000 people, Jay Z, Beyoncé and their daughter Blue Ivy posed with the animals last year, and marvelled that some of the world’s fiercest creatures could be so tame. Continue reading...

The Flint disaster and other cities’ ‘cheating’ called criminal in nature by some, but scientists believe the remedies are fairly straightforwardA tragedy of widespread testing failures in US drinking water is that experts believe the remedies are fairly straightforward – if there is political will.

French environment minister says she fears more bodies will be found as waters recede in central villagesA third person has died in France from the country’s worst flooding in decades, as the death toll across Europe reached at least 17 in a week.The French prime minister, Manuel Valls, did not give any details about the latest victim of the floods, which caused the river Seine in Paris to rise to 6.1 metres (20ft) overnight. Continue reading...

The adventurer is convinced that managers can transform their businesses by spending time camping out in the wildernessWhen it comes to the great outdoors, Ben Fogle is easily excited. After asking him a question about the benefits of working-age people getting out into the wilderness, he quickly launches into a passionate response.

As roads and walkways are submerged by floods, life goes on in Paris and beyond“Incredible, that’s all I can say,” muttered Catherine, a publishing editor, as she stared dumbfounded at the river water that had swallowed up the busy road running along the banks of the Seine near her Paris apartment.Roads and picturesque cobbled walkways in the French capital have disappeared, submerged by a vast expanse of brown river water carrying an unusual assortment of debris including logs, big wooden planks and a metal sign from a boat-club in its angry, swirling current. Continue reading...

Russell Reichelt says he has no problem with environmental lobbyists portraying the seriousness of the damage but a lot of the reef remains unscathedThe chairman of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Russell Reichelt, has played down a report that said he accused activist scientists and lobby groups of distorting maps and data to misrepresent the extent of coral bleaching on the reef.The authority withdrew from a joint announcement from the national coral bleaching taskforce about the extent of coral bleaching earlier in the week because Reichelt believed maps accompanying the research did not depict the full picture. Continue reading...

Trawsfynydd, Gwynedd, Wales They are constantly in motion, dancing out of the gorge in undulating flightPont y Llyn Du on the Afon Gain, in the lonely moors east of Trawsfynydd, above the old gold mines at Gwynfynydd, is one of those places at which you’d never arrive except by design. It’s one of my favourite haunts in the Welsh hills.The peaty hill stream rushes down through a miniature rocky gorge under the old humped bridge to debouch into a round pool of amber depth, encircled by green pastures. You can traverse through on rock ledges beneath the arch, plunge into the pool if you’re hardy and of the “wild swimming” persuasion. What most appeals to me are the spirits of the place. Continue reading...

Rural Australia is being progressively hollowed out of its people. Will it be reduced to a vast mechanised place of scant human habitation?These cows are in no hurry. Each just meanders to the dairy, all rolling hindquarters, swishing tails and loping heads, the blue-black and tan Rorschach ink-blot patching of their hides vivid against the washed-out Australian summer light. They stop as they please along the way. Chew cud. Moo. Drop pats. Moo again. They nudge the soft earth or a companion before snorting and continuing on up through the paddocks to the shed.

A Canadian man and his son loaded a Yellowstone bison calf into their vehicle because they thought it was an abandoned newborn, they said in an interviewA Canadian man and his son loaded a Yellowstone national park bison calf into their vehicle last month because they thought it was an abandoned newborn that would die without their help, the men said in their first interview since park officials had to euthanize the animal.

If implemented, weakened proposal means 14,000 people could die prematurely across Europe each year from 2030EU states have agreed to water down a proposed law aimed at halving the number of deaths from air pollution within 15 years, after intense lobbying from the UK that cross-party MEPs have condemned as “appalling”.Some 14,000 people will die prematurely every year across Europe from 2030 as a result, if the weakened proposal is implemented, according to figures cited by the environment commissioner, Karmenu Vella. Continue reading...

Simon Ingram tackles the forbidding rock face of the mountaineering memoir, while Fiona Reynolds mounts a passionate plea for the defence of our natural landscapeFrom Beinn Dearg to Ben Nevis, Simon Ingram’s The Sunset and the Sea: A View of 16 British Mountains takes us on a journey over sixteen of Britain’s most evocative mountainous landscapes. He talked about his motivation for climbing, the history of our national parks, and how he drew upon the history, mythology, weather and tales of endeavour that surround these mountains to write his book.After 11 years as Director General of the National Trust, Fiona Reynolds work continues in her new book The Fight for Beauty, where she argues that beauty is an essential element of all our lives, and needs protecting. She talked about how the Industrial Revolution invaded the countryside, how campaigners resisted that advance, and how the idea of beauty can support public policy. Continue reading...

Residents voice their fears as the water level of the Seine river in Paris continues to rise. Officials forecast the Seine could peak at 6.5 metres, its highest level for more than 30 years in central Paris, stressing this is still well below the level at which it would threaten residents and businesses. Photograph: Philippe Wojazer/Reuters

We’re halfway through the year with the month of June and we’d like to see your photos of the June wildlife near youThe southern hemisphere approaches winter during the month of June while the northern hemisphere basks in warm, sunny weather. So what sort of wildlife will we all discover on our doorsteps? We’d like to see your photos of the June wildlife near you.Share your photos and videos with us and we’ll feature our favourites on the Guardian site. Continue reading...

We asked you to share your May pictures of the wildlife around the world wherever you are. Here’s a selection of our favourites• You can add your June wildlife photographs by clicking on the ‘Contribute’ button below

Fighting snakes, a rare sand cat family and Belgium’s newborn giant panda are among this week’s pick of images from the natural world Continue reading...

At least 12 people killed across northern Europe in week of storms that have flooded villages and wrecked roads

Three monks among those charged as police remove more dead animals from tourist temple, including bear and leopardThai police have charged 22 people, including three Buddhist monks, with wildlife trafficking and have removed more dead animals, including a bear and a leopard, from a Buddhist temple known as the tiger temple.The temple in Kanchanaburi province, west of the capital, Bangkok, has been a major tourist attraction for more than two decades, with visitors paying 600 baht (£12) admission to pose for photographs with the tigers. Continue reading...

City is under increasing pressure to change test methods that scientists said may underestimate the amount of lead found in water after a Guardian investigationThe Philadelphia water department, accused by some experts of having water testing “worse than Flint”, is facing a class action lawsuit and a lead-testing campaign mounted by citizens concerned about water quality.

Four men face charges over images on social media showing them going off trail in fragile area of park, after earlier wake-boarding incident at Bonneville Salt FlatsAuthorities in Yellowstone national park are urging a group of Canadian men accused of tramping off trail and dabbing in a delicate hot spring to turn themselves in, after images were posted on social media of their reported antics there and across a string of American “national treasures”.Federal warrants have been issued in Wyoming for the arrest of the four friends, who market themselves under variations of their Vancouver-based clothing and entertainment brand High on Life. Continue reading...

Settlement compensates investors who claimed BP publicly underplayed amount of oil flowing from Macondo well into Gulf of MexicoBP has agreed to pay $175m (£120m) to settle claims that it deceived shareholders by underplaying the severity of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.The settlement, to be paid this year or next, ends a legal battle that began when a Houston judge ruled investors who bought shares shortly after the explosion at its Deepwater Horizon rig could sue BP. Continue reading...

Droughts, floods, forest fires and melting poles – climate change is impacting Earth like never before. From the Australia to Greenland, Ashley Cooper’s work spans 13 years and over 30 countries. This selection, taken from his new book, shows a changing landscape, scarred by pollution and natural disasters – but there is hope too, with the steady rise of renewable energy Continue reading...

Two government agencies at odds with colleagues on bleaching taskforce over extent of reef damage, even though figures are broadly similar

The capital of the Philippines has some of the worst traffic in the world, costing the metro area an estimated £45m a day. While some pin their hopes on new road projects, others think e-jeepneys could be part of the solutionDuring rush hour in Manila, it would be quicker to walk the 6.5km from Renee Karunungan’s family home to her office. Today we use public transport, and it takes almost two hours. We use a jeepney (a cross between a jeep and a van), a bus, then two more jeepneys and a motorised tricycle. The city’s 2.2 million vehicles frequently grind to a standstill, and it is not unusual for commuters to be stuck for for three to four hours. When torrential rains flood the city, it can be much worse.

London mayor Sadiq Khan has pledged to follow Nottingham and Bristol in setting up a council energy company – and it could shake up the whole marketSadiq Khan’s pledge to establish a municipal energy company, Energy for Londoners, is one of his most striking mayoral election commitments. London will not be the first authority to set up such a not-for-profit company – Nottingham and Bristol got there first – but it will be the largest, and potentially the most ambitious.

Pennines’ becks and limestone scars form backdrop for Mallerstang Yomp challengeThe wind brings tears to the eyes as I make my cautious way to the brink of Hell Gill, the limestone chasm that once marked the boundary between Yorkshire and old Westmorland. Below, the infant river Eden, at this point called Hell Gill Beck, races north en route for Carlisle and the Solway Firth.It was here, according to legend, that the 18th-century highwayman Dick Turpin eluded his pursuers by spurring his horse, Black Bess, into a flying leap across the 5ft gap. Continue reading...

An electric, zero-emission version of the three-wheeled tuk-tuk is being billed as a short-distance rival to Uber and taxis in Europe, Africa and AsiaAnyone who has been in Bangkok, Delhi or Cairo will be familiar with the lawnmower whirr of the mighty tuk-tuk. Nimble enough to weave through traffic jams and narrow streets, the three-wheeled auto rickshaw is one of the most convenient ways of getting around congested cities in the developing world. For residents, they tend to be cheaper than taxis. For tourists, they offer the novelty of an open-air view.

Huge revenues generated by the Camisea project in Peru’s Amazon, but locals suffer from health epidemics and lack of clean waterEvery year a group of experts called the South Peru Panel issues a report on the country’s largest ever energy development which extracts natural gas and natural gas liquids from the Amazon and pipes them all the way across the Andes to Peru’s Pacific coast. The conclusions of its latest report? “Very positive macroeconomic benefits” and “without precedent in Peru’s modern economic history”, but pathetic, if not disastrous, for the indigenous people living near where the gas is extracted.The South Peru Panel was established in 2009 as a condition of a $458.6m (£318m) loan by the Export-Import Bank of the United States to the Peru Liquified Natural Gas Project (Peru LNG), run by US company Hunt Oil, to build a 408 km pipeline, a gas liquefaction plant on the coast, and a marine terminal. The total cost is reported to have been almost $4bn - making it at the time the largest foreign direct investment in Peru’s history, according to the Panel, and the first and to date only LNG export project in Latin America.

Kent police warn drivers in Tunbridge Wells to check brakes before travelling after six incidents since blamed on fox cubs chewing through cables

There are two butterfly summers underway in Britain right now. If you have the good fortune to be a silver-studded blue or a large skipper in the West Country you are leaping out of your chrysalis and dancing in the sunshine.If you were unlucky enough to be an egg laid in eastern England you are still stuck in the pupal stage, perhaps so chilled and damp you will never take to the skies. Continue reading...

Shoppers in East Anchorage sit quietly for hours on Thursday and watch a mother moose give birth and then bond with her newborn calf in the parking of a Lowe’s hardware store. The store set up a safe zone for the mother and calf until the two eventually left the area Continue reading...

We seem to have forgotten that the human spirit is not satisfied by material progress alone. It’s time for us to reconnect with natureBeauty. It’s a word we all use to describe our delight in the world around us: a landscape we love; a butterfly’s wings translucent in the sunshine; or a wondrous piece of architecture. We all love beauty; we have only to watch the numbers glued to TV’s Countryfile and Springwatch, and the way we head for the beach and the countryside as soon as the sun shines, to see that it’s something that meets a real human need.Related: BBC2's Springwatch to Top Gear: ‘You can keep your Dodge Viper’ Continue reading...

Corbyn’s smile | Neoliberalism lives | Female anti-fracking activists | Sitcoms | Back alleysThe highlight of Jeremy Corbyn’s latest speech now appears to be the imperceptible “smile” he allegedly let loose during the brief booing of a journalist. The Sun has even promoted the Telegraph’s “smile” to a “smirk”. Mail on Sunday columnist Dan Hodges thinks it was a “grin”. So that the parameters of appropriate personal expression may be known to one and all, perhaps this headline-worthy “smile”, like the insufficient depth of Corbyn’s bow at the Cenotaph, could be measured, frame by frame?

When residents of Uniontown protested at the dumping of 4m tons of toxic coal ash in the poor, 91% black town, Green Group Holdings sued them for slanderResidents in tiny Uniontown, Alabama, are locked in a legal battle against a company that has dumped millions of tons of coal ash there and then filed suit for defamation against those protesting against the act.The residents formed a group, Black Belt Citizens Fighting for Health and Justice, to fight the placement of a landfill filled with the coal ash in their town that they say threatens their health and constitutes a racial injustice. Uniontown is 91% black, and is among the poorest communities in the nation: half the residents live below the poverty line. Continue reading...

Barack Obama tightens restriction on sale of elephant ivory within the US to clamp down on illegal tradeBarack Obama imposed a near total ban on the commercial trade in elephant ivory on Thursday in an effort to choke off smuggling networks and end the slaughter of African wildlife.The US Fish and Wildlife Service rules ban the sale of elephant ivory across state lines, and deepen restrictions on international ivory sales. Continue reading...

The Guardian has exposed the unreliability of water tests across the country. This goes far beyond Flint, and it’s time for all of us to demand answersRelated: More than 30 US cities' water tests may underestimate lead | The daily briefingThe worst sense of security is a false one. It’s hard for people to wrap their heads around the idea that those in charge – federal, state and local agencies – might be cheating the system. But, all too often, that is exactly what happens. Continue reading...

Brexit campaigner questions need for rules intended to prevent sheep disease from entering food chain, and makes pledge on subsidiesBoris Johnson has complained about the burden of EU regulations that protect consumers from sheep disease similar to BSE entering the human food chain.The former mayor of London told farmers he questioned the need for rules that mean spinal tissue has to be removed from sheep with more than two big teeth, as he promised Brexit would bring about deregulation of the farming industry. Continue reading...

Multiple listings of banned species found and since Guardian investigation 19 ads were closed down – but controlling the trade is akin to a game of whack-a-moleA killer algae, a monstrous pondweed, a tree that has infested the Everglades and a dozen more of the US’s most environmentally destructive plants have been discovered for sale on eBay. Online traders told the Guardian that ignorance of the law led them to create listings that had spread hundreds of illegal specimens across the country.Ebay hosted multiple listings for 15 species from the federal noxious weeds list the nation’s highest level of plant biosecurity. Most offered import to the US from abroad. But six sellers were hawking plants from within the country. Continue reading...

The world needs to move away from industrial agriculture to avoid ecological, social and human health crises, say scientistsA new approach to farming is needed to safeguard human health and avoid rising air and water pollution, high greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss, a group of 20 leading agronomists, health, nutrition and social scientists has concluded.Rather than the giant feedlots used to rear animals or the uniform crop monocultures that now dominate farming worldwide, the solution is to diversify agriculture and re-orient it around ecological practices, says the report (pdf) by the International panel of experts on sustainable food systems (IPES-Food). Continue reading...

Georgia O’Keeffe camping with Ansel Adams, paintings of the Tetons and comparisons of Yellowstone from 1871 and now are some of the highlights at the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson, Wyoming. A series of exhibitions celebrates a range of arts focused on the anniversary of the national parks, running now until 28 August Continue reading...

Out on the US Great Plains a storm is brewing and that’s great news for extreme weather fans on a tour that’s all about witnessing the power of nature up closeNot too many people go on holiday hoping for bad weather. Here I’m surrounded by them. We’re at yet another gas station, somewhere in southern Oklahoma. The sun is shining obstinately; it’s another beautiful day, apart from a distant, unremarkable line of cumulus congestus, the type you’d see on many a summer’s day in the UK. It was our second day stormchasing and I couldn’t fathom why Roger, our tour leader and a well known figure on the chase circuit, was so fired up by these innocuous-looking piles of fluff. I was soon to learn why. While we do see them in Blighty, here on the US Great Plains, a tower of cumulus can spawn a monster. And we were about to see its teeth close up.In the stuffy old Reader’s Digest compendium my grandad gave to me, the most worn of the pages are the ones about the weather. In particular, one with a photo of the elephant’s trunk of a tornado snaking outlandishly across the Great Plains. From the first time I saw that old black-and-white photo I wanted to see a tornado. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Guardian investigation reveals testing regimes similar to that of Flint were in place in major cities including Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia