Environment | The Guardian

Sunday 20 March is World Sparrow Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness of the house sparrow and the threats facing urban birds’ environments Continue reading...

Google has celebrated the astronomical start of the season – the spring equinox – but in reality spring has been arriving weeks early for yearsGoogle has marked the first day of spring with one of its famous doodles – in this case, a charming little blobman watering a handful of lovely flowers. Google’s chap obviously doesn’t live in England, which has suffered its wettest winter in 250 years and where the daffodils definitely don’t need watering.But there’s also something curiously dated about announcing the start of spring after daffodils, crocuses and other buds of spring have been out for several months in some parts of the country. 20 March is the spring equinox which, in the astronomical system of seasons, is the first day of spring. Continue reading...

From Alaska to Australia, an unprecedented heating of planet Earth is underway with rising temperatures across huge swathes of land mass and oceansOur planet went through a dramatic change last month. Climate experts revealed that February was the warmest month in recorded history, surpassing the previous global monthly record – set in December. An unprecedented heating of our world is now under way.With the current El Niño weather event only now beginning to tail off, meteorologists believe that this year is destined to be the hottest on record, warmer even than 2015. Continue reading...

Solar-powered civic lighting could play a key role in tackling Britain’s energy crisisNot far from the House of Commons, a stone’s throw from Westminster bridge, two streetlamps will soon be erected.Paid for by Transport for London, these are no ordinary lights. According to their manufacturer, they could play a major role in tackling Britain’s energy crisis. Continue reading...

Major landmarks, businesses and households in cities around the world turned their lights off for one hour at 8.30pm on Saturday 19 March to raise awareness about climate change and show support for renewable energy Continue reading...

Unrest in Brazil, daily life in Cuba, whales, pelicans and moths – the best photography in news, culture and sport from around the world this week Continue reading...

As the dawn chorus fills the early morning skies again, Maria Ana Peixe Dias and Inês Teixeira do Rosário share inspiration and nature discovery tips from their wondrous book Outside, with beautiful illustrations by Bernardo P Carvalho Continue reading...

By Alison BrackenburyWe may know the trees but rarely wood.

Highland Water, New Forest We come across beech trunks with extensive rich brown and vanilla etchings – the destructive work of poniesThe national red maple leaf symbols on the two large flags at the back of the Canadian war memorial are luminous in the afternoon sun as I arrive with my family visitors from Dublin. The emblems triggered a memory of two brothers, distant relatives of theirs who had served with the Canadian forces; only one returned. Had they trained here-abouts, and did the memorial include them? Having phoned these questions to Ireland for further information, we walk down the track towards Highland Water.Two pines stand on the edge of an area of clear-fell. One would make a ship’s mast. Why had its crooked companion been left? A black, deeply fissured stem growing among conifers contrasts with that of its orange algae-covered neighbour. Another is cloaked in moss. Only one in this group of silver birches shows the shining white bark that gives the tree its name. Why is that individual so distinctive? Continue reading...

Land clearing surge in Queensland since 2012 could create emissions roughly equal to those saved by the federal government’s emissions reduction schemeThe latest federal government carbon emissions inventory shows Australia has increased its emissions and has come under fire for allegedly vastly underestimating the amount of land clearing that has occurred, and its associated emissions.The Quarterly Update of the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report, which counts emissions in Australia up to September 2015,says greenhouse gas emissions from land clearing have fallen to record lows. Continue reading...

Swedish environment ministry says Maine lobster could wipe out European species with deadly diseasesOversexed, overfed and over here: that, in a nutshell, is what the Swedes think of the American lobster from Maine, New England. It may be much sought after in restaurants but Sweden does not want the American crustacean to darken EU waters in case it spreads diseases and kills off its smaller cousin.The Swedish environment ministry on Friday asked the EU to list the Maine lobster as an invasive species and ban the import of the live creatures. Continue reading...

New polling data shows that public concern about climate change is at a new high, as the US emerges from its warmest-ever winterA record number of Americans believe global warming will pose a threat to their way of life, new polling data shows, amid strengthening public acceptance that rising temperatures are being driven by human activity.Related: February breaks global temperature records by 'shocking' amount Continue reading...

The Flint water crisis hearings were an exercise in blame, but there was little solace for those poisoned by lead

On Saturday 19 March many of us will be turning off the lights for Earth Hour. While this will make for a nice romantic meal, if you truly want to combat climate change, cross off meat, eggs and dairy foods from your shopping list. Foods derived from animals, whether eaten by candlelight or not, require more resources and cause more greenhouse gas emissions than plant-based foods do. Each year, humans kill 60 billion land animals for food – that’s about 7 million animals every hour. All these animals produce massive amounts of waste, which releases powerful greenhouse gases into our atmosphere. The livestock sector is the single largest source of both methane and nitrous oxide, greenhouses gases that are 25 and 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide, respectively. A person who follows a vegan lifestyle produces the equivalent of 50% less carbon dioxide than a meat-eater and uses 1/11th of the oil, 1/13th of the water and 1/18th of the land, which is why the United Nations has stated that a global shift towards a vegan diet is essential to combat the worst effects of climate change. So blow out the candle, turn on the lights and get into the kitchen and cook a vegan meal this Earth Hour. It’s the best thing any of us can do for the environment as well as for animals.

Expert on indigenous rights demands consumers boycott ‘blood-tainted’ products from land grabs amid weak state response, Climate Home reports

Dutch diplomat denies tour, offered to 28 energy attaches and organised by the energy giant and Dutch presidency of the EU, is a ‘lobby exercise’A tour for EU diplomats jointly organised by Shell and the Dutch presidency of the EU has been branded a “blatant PR exercise” by campaigners.An email seen by the Guardian invites energy attaches from the EU’s 28 countries to visit the Shell technology Centre, take an ‘oil majors and oil paintings’ tour of the Van Gogh Museum, and have lunch with Shell’s president in the Netherlands. Continue reading...

The UK government has denied that there’s a plan to tax coffee cups, but would you be for or against one? Here are some of our readers’ reactionsWith less than one in 400 paper cups handed out by high street coffee chains currently being recycled, environment minster Rory Stewart suggested a tax on coffee cups could be issued to tackle the growing recycling problem. While this suggestion has been ruled out by The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, here are some of your thoughts on a coffee cup tax. Continue reading...

A baby gorilla, boxing hares and bald eagles are among this week’s pick of images from the natural world Continue reading...

Every Friday we apply critical attention to things that don’t normally get it. This is an important function that might hold civilisation together. Or, more likely, not. Drop your suggestions for reviews in the comments or tweet them to @guideguardian Continue reading...

The film-maker and conservationist is as determined to protect the marine world and indigenous peoples, in places like Mexico and the Amazon, as her famous forebearsPeople always think that my grandfather Jacques or father [oceanographic explorer] Jean-Michel were my main influences. But my mother was a great influence too. She was an expedition photographer and from when I was about nine and living in France she travelled for around three months of the year – I used to swing by her office and see her leaning over the light table looking at slides from her latest expedition. It was natural to see all these far-flung places brought back home.I’m passionate about the ocean and its conservation. I spent time recently in Cancun, Mexico with the Mesoamerican Reef Leadership Program. It’s the second largest reef system on the planet and there are scientists working on amazing projects, replanting coral and trying to understand its resilience to shifts in ocean activity. It’s crucial work – coral is such an important ecosystem in terms of sustaining life. Continue reading...

Public left with huge liability for a government closure of power plant before 2060 under UK’s agreement with EDFThe Hinkley nuclear power deal contains a “poison pill” which could leave taxpayers with a £22bn bill if a future UK government closed the plant before 2060, according to an official document seen by the Guardian.The huge liability shows Hinkley is a “terrible deal” for the UK public, according to critics, with the company also guaranteed three times today’s price for electricity for 35 years. The project has recently been battered by financial warnings and resignations at its prime backer EDF, although on Thursday France’s economics minister, Emmanuel Macron, said that the French state would bail the company out. Continue reading...

Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda are taking part in a scheme to revive trees, with manifold benefits for farmers and their environmentStephen Tumhaire rakes through the knee-high grass in his field to get rid of fallen tree branches that might stop the grass from growing. Sweat shines on his face, and he repeatedly mops it with his palm.In 1972, Tumhaire’s grandfather moved from the west of Uganda to the central Nakasongola district, a once sparsely populated area now made up of small farms created when farmers started dividing land among their children. Continue reading...

Animal wandering along one of Kenyan capital’s main roads became agitated and swiped at 63-year-old man, say officialsA Kenyan man was clawed by a lion that was wandering along a busy road during morning rush hour in Nairobi on Friday, wildlife officials said.It is the third time in a month that lions have caused panic as they roamed outside of Nairobi national park, a 117 sq km (29,000-acre) reserve almost surrounded by the Kenyan capital, a fast-growing city of over 3 million people. Continue reading...

Defra says minister was wrong to suggest levy could be introduced after revelation only one in 400 cups is recycledThe Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has said one of its own ministers was wrong to suggest coffee cups could be taxed to tackle a “huge” recycling problem in Britain.Rory Stewart made the remarks in the House of Commons after it was revealed that just one in 400 coffee cups are recycled each year. Continue reading...

Queensland Nickel Sales took samples from two creeks and advised environment department that excessive ammonia levels were detectedClive Palmer’s north Queensland nickel refinery has contravened its environmental licence because of elevated ammonia levels in two creeks, tests show.The Yabulu facility, which is being operated by a skeleton staff after 550 workers were sacked last week, is required to report excessive chemical levels to the environment department within 10 business days, in accordance with its environmental authority. Continue reading...

East Asian box tree caterpillar, that feeds on box plants, has beaten slugs and snails to become gardeners’ top foe, says Royal Horticultural SocietySlugs and snails are traditionally the gardener’s worst foe but they have been knocked off the top spot for pests by an invasive hedge-eating caterpillar.

A new breed of insurers, risk analysts and designers is aiming to help businesses and homeowners prepare for rising sea levelsAs climate change risks go, rising sea levels fail to sound the same alarm bells as dramatic weather events and melting ice caps. Yet their long-term effects are among the most alarming. Flooded cities, submerged coastal areas, mass migrations.According to recent research, the world’s oceans rose by 14cm last century. If we’re lucky, that number will merely double during the course of this century. If we’re not, an almost tenfold increase could be in store. Continue reading...

South Uist Wind has hurled loose grains of sand into the air, scouring the steeply sloping face of the ridgeFrom a distance it appears as if a freak blizzard has left a layer of snow on the landward side of the dunes and the edges of the neighbouring fields. But what has been deposited by the wind is actually sand, the fine white sand that makes up the island’s beaches and is a key component of its coastal soils.With the exception of one or two small rocky headlands, South Uist’s western coast consists of almost unbroken beach backed by a line of dunes. These are the machair’s line of protection but they face constant onslaught from the sea and the weather. Continue reading...

The vessels were researching climate change in the Pacific before being blown off course and sending a distress signalThe Chilean navy has rescued 14 people aboard two balsa wood rafts that were swept up in strong currents hundreds of kilometres off the coast.The Kon-Tiki 1 and 2 rafts set sail in early January from Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean toward the Chilean port city of Valparaiso with the aim of documenting climate change, pollution and marine life. Continue reading...

Former Labour leader deeply critical of government cuts to green policies, such as cancelling carbon capture and storage competitionDavid Cameron’s government is to blame for overseeing the fraying of the UK’s cross-party consensus for action on climate change, according to Ed Miliband.Related: UK cancels pioneering £1bn carbon capture and storage competition Continue reading...

The mayor, state regulator, governor and the US Environmental Protection Agency all blame each other for the lead-poisoned water in the Michigan cityThree bruising congressional hearings into the Flint water crisis, possibly the gravest US public health emergency since Hurricane Katrina, have produced plenty of bluster and finger-pointing, but also troubling suggestions that America’s system of government is fundamentally broken.A procession of elected officials, mayors, regulators and an emergency manager have appeared before the inquiry since February, to be berated over how a poverty-stricken city of 100,000 people was fed poisoned water for over a year before anyone started to heed warnings that all was not well. An estimated 8,000 Flint children risk growing up with learning and developmental problems due to the lead that leached into their drinking supply. Continue reading...

Money will be made available to help build nuclear plant, says economics minister, as union repeats call for project to be shelvedThe French government has promised a financial bailout for cash-strapped energy group EDF so that it can proceed with the £18bn plan to build the first nuclear reactors in Britain for 20 years.France’s economics minister, Emmanuel Macron, said it would be a mistake for the 85% state-owned company not to build a new Hinkley Point C power plant in Somerset and he would ensure it happened. Continue reading...

A federal judge has ordered NYC housing authority to produce evidence of elevated blood lead levels and other safety issues, amid concerns over toxic paintThe US Department of Justice (DoJ) announced an investigation into the general health and safety of New York City housing authority (NYCHA) developments Wednesday, including a probe for evidence of elevated blood lead levels among residents.Related: High levels of lead found in Mississippi capital's water likened to Flint crisis Continue reading...

Switzerland-based mining company gives up looking for survivors after wall collapses at open pit mine in the Democratic Republic of CongoGlencore’s efforts to reduce fatalities among its staff have suffered a setback with the announcement that the death toll from an accident at a Congolese mine has risen to seven.Rescuers have been searching for survivors for 10 days, after the wall of an open pit mine owned by a Glencore subsidiary, Katanga, collapsed on employees performing upgrade work. It had previously reported three fatalities at the operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), saying it would keep looking for four people who were unaccounted for. Continue reading...

£540m in new funding, announced in George Osborne’s budget, means flood defence projects left unbuilt due to previous cuts will now be able to go aheadEnglish cities and towns left without planned flood defences by government cuts will now get the projects after a surprise £540m boost in funding in Wednesday’s budget.The north of England, devastated by winter floods, will get at least £150m of the new money, giving better protection for thousands of homes. Continue reading...

‘While the deal is not enough by itself, it is a major step forward,’ says former US vice president and climate campaigner during visit to PhilippinesWorld leaders must show their commitment to tackling global warming by signing the Paris climate agreement at a ceremony in April at the United Nations, climate change activist and former US vice president Al Gore said.