Environment | The Guardian

Oil firm blames ‘challenging business environment’ and says decision was not influenced by climate activists’ protestsBP is to end its 26-year sponsorship of the Tate next year.The oil firm blamed the “extremely challenging business environment” rather than years of protest against the sponsorship, the Independent reported. Continue reading...

Cour des Comptes urges greater study of nuclear project’s risks given poor recent investments and the fact EDF must fund likely cost overrunsEDF’s £18bn project to build nuclear reactors in Britain is potentially risky for the state-owned utility, whose foreign investments in recent years have proved disappointing, France’s top public auditor has said.

Policy uncertainty abounds – superannuation, education funding, parental leave funding and childcare subsidies to name a fewHundreds of thousands of students are swatting through their final years of high school right now, pondering what to do with their lives. But they have no idea what university courses are going to cost in the future or even whether they will still be offered under the Coalition’s yet-to-be-announced policy.

Fed up with an eight-month garbage crisis that has seen their city turned into a rubbish dump, protesters have used drones to spoof a tourism ministry filmIn February, Lebanon’s tourism ministry released a promotional video shot using drones. It shows off the country’s postcard beauty: its historic cities, snow-capped mountains and pristine rivers, a country where you can (supposedly) ski in the morning and swim in the ocean in the afternoon.

An £800 tax would fund old diesel scrappage, encourage move to low-emission vehicles and reduce air pollution, according to Policy Exchange thinktankAn £800 pollution tax should be put on sales of new diesel cars, with the proceeds used for a scrappage scheme for older diesels, according to the thinktank Policy Exchange.The move, proposed ahead of George Osborne’s budget on 16 March, would encourage motorists to move towards lower emission vehicles and significantly reduce air pollution, according to the thinktank, which is close to Osborne. The idea is also backed by the mayor of London, Boris Johnson, and an influential committee of MPs. Continue reading...

Wildlife ‘firsts’ include Norfolk’s only sighting of a Balearic shearwater and a beetle not seen in Northern Ireland for more than 100 yearsThe biggest survey to date of nature along Britain’s coastline has uncovered a host of “wildlife firsts”.

Langstone Mill Pond The first of the next generation of herons has arrived after courting in DecemberFor most of the year, grey herons live a relatively solitary existence, lone individuals standing sentinel in the stream, stalking the mudflat pools on the low tide, or sailing silently over the house at dusk in pterodactyl-like silhouette. In spring, they assemble for the nesting season, usually returning to long-established heronries, but while they have always roosted alongside little egrets in the alder carr that borders the mill pond, the heronry here was only founded in 2014.There are only eight nests, messy jumbles of twigs like giant witch’s broom galls. Several of them are clustered in a squat, evergreen holm oak, the others in neighbouring trees. Herons are early nesters, with females usually beginning to lay in February, but the Langstone colony’s 2016 season got off to a premature start. Two pairs were seen courting in mid-December and both were sitting by January. Continue reading...

David Cameron says without single market cost of exporting British beef will soar to £240m, with £90m added to lamb exportsThe prime minister will warn that Britain’s exit from Europe would harm lamb and beef farmers, costing them an extra £330m a year to export their goods.“If we left this single market and, as some suggest, relied on World Trade Organisation rules, the extra costs of exporting British beef would be £240m a year. An extra £90m would be added to the cost of British lamb exports,” he will say on Friday. Continue reading...

Despite the pressing concerns of low-lying debate host city Miami, polling shows climate change is a concern of less than 1% of Republican votersThe subject of climate change was raised on Thursday at the Republican debate in Miami – a city with pressing concerns about its effects.Marco Rubio, the Florida senator fighting strongly on home ground as he sought to revive his presidential campaign, was asked: “Will you acknowledge the reality of the scientific consensus of climate change?” Continue reading...

Removal of nuclear fuel from power plant that suffered triple meltdown following 2011 tsunami could take 40 years or moreIn the chaotic two years after its name became forever associated with nuclear disaster, the Fukushima Daiichi power plant “resembled a field hospital”, according to the man who is now in charge of the most daunting task the nuclear industry has ever faced: removing hundreds of tons of melted fuel from the plant’s stricken reactors.“Now it really does feel like the situation is settling down and we can look ahead,” said Naohiro Masuda, head of decommissioning at the plant’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco). Continue reading...

After directly fuelling the disaster at Fukushima, Australia should have taken steps to review and reconsider its role in the global nuclear tradeFive years ago this week the world held its breath, crossed its fingers and learnt a new word.

As Obama nears the end of his term and Trudeau is just beginning his, it seems as if the US president has found a like-minded champion of liberal causesWould that the battle for the White House were as congenial, sunny, optimistic and unabashedly inclusive and outward-looking as the symbolic handover for the job of liberal leader of the English-speaking world that took place on Thursday between Barack Obama and Justin Trudeau.The two leaders – Obama gray and nearing the end of his term, Trudeau in the first months of his prime ministership – affirmed that when it came to what they called the “big ideas” of climate change and economic inclusion the two shared a common global vision.

The dead eagles were found on 20 February and were thought to have fallen victim to a disease – but now officials say ‘these were human-caused deaths’Wildlife officials have said 13 bald eagles found dead in Maryland last month did not die from natural causes. A hunt for whomever killed the birds is under way.

No jumping lights, whacking cars or effing and jeffing: the Olympic champion tackles the issues of everyday cyclingLondon’s fleet of Boris bikes are sturdy, convenient even, but hardly famed for their speed and handling. However, if you see one ridden by a tall, bearded man unexpectedly vanish into the horizon when the lights change, don’t be alarmed. It is probably just Sir Bradley Wiggins getting about town.The 35-year-old will retire from top-level competition after the Rio Olympics, so his mind is turning to such everyday riding, and Wiggins predicts London will become as packed with bikes as the Netherlands. Continue reading...

Ministers urged to give go ahead to tidal energy scheme as doubts grow over Hinkley Point nuclear power stationMinisters have been urged to commit to plans for a huge tidal energy lagoon to keep the lights on in the UK, amid mounting concerns about whether the Hinkley Point nuclear power station will ever get built.MPs and peers are applying pressure for the government to get behind the tidal power project, saying it is an essential “plan B” to ensure energy security. Continue reading...

US president Barack Obama has appeared alongside Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau to vow to work together in the fight against climate change, saying that both countries are threatened by ‘rising seas, melting permafrosts and disappearing glaciers and sea ice’. Trudeau, who is on an official state visit to the US along with his wife and children, said he and Obama ‘share the same goal’ when it comes to climate policy Continue reading...

The US Department of the Interior said the ‘conservation success’ meant the subspecies no longer required protection but will continue to be monitoredThe Louisiana black bear, the animal credited with spawning the phrase “teddy bear”, is to be removed from the federal list of endangered wildlife following a two-decade conservation effort.

Keen cyclist but yet to brave the daily journey to work? Laura Stewart offers 10 top tips to put your bike on the roadCommuting by bike is a great way to breathe in some fresh air, move your legs and get your heart pumping. Unfortunately, on busy roads it can also be very daunting – trying to dodge drivers, potholes, and pedestrians can seem terrifying. No one likes to show up for work frazzled and exhausted from the effort of just getting there, so here are 10 tips on how to make your commute bike-friendly. Continue reading...

Chunks of Argentina’s Perito Moreno glacier collapse on Thursday as large chunks of ice break off and crash into the water. The Patagonian glacier known as the “White Giant” is one of Argentina’s biggest attractions. The river of ice 18 miles (30 km) long ends in a sheer wall blocking Lago Argentino where large pieces tumble into the water from time to time Continue reading...

The last time the Earth saw such a sustained increase was over 11 millennia ago, says US science agency. Climate Home reportsAtmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide last year rose by the biggest margin since records began, according to a US federal science agency.Fossil fuel burning and a strong El Niño weather pattern pushed CO2 levels 3.05 parts per million (ppm) on a year earlier to 402.6 ppm, as measured at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) said on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Countries previously seen as climate change villains present shared vision on cutting emissions as Justin Trudeau meets Barack Obama at White HouseThe US and Canada declared they would help lead the transition to a low-carbon global economy on Thursday, in a dramatic role reversal for two countries once derided as climate change villains.

Beer made from old bread; chutney from windfalls; shops that sell excess stock at cut prices – there are many ways to tackle the scourge of squandered foodIf they think about it at all, most people think of food waste, or surplus, as the “reduced to clear” section in the supermarket. But that is just a tiny fraction of what exists. The truth is that most food surpluses in the supply chain never even reach our supermarket shelves.Let me take you back to the Queen’s diamond jubilee in 2012. What a glorious weekend we were planning – barbecues, street parties and garden games, while we watched the 1,000-strong flotilla cruise down the Thames. Retailers had been planning for months, ensuring that their manufacturers and suppliers had a bumper supply of burgers, sausages, Pimms, cucumber and fruit ready to meet demand. Continue reading...

High ocean temperatures helped cause toxic bloom that has wiped out up to 20% of Chile’s total production for the yearA deadly algal bloom has hit the world’s second biggest salmon exporter, Chile, where nearly 23 million fish have already died and the economic impact from lost production has soared to $800m (£565m), industry and government sources told Reuters.The dead fish could easily fill 14 Olympic-sized swimming pools, said Jose Miguel Burgos, the head of the government’s Sernapesca fisheries body. Continue reading...

More than 20,000 people are expected to turn out for four days of wrangling, milking and even eating. But opposition from animal welfare groups is mountingIf you are thrilled by the idea of gawping at a giant vat of writhing rattlesnakes, taking part in a rattlesnake-eating competition or witnessing a beauty queen decapitate a rattlesnake, then west Texas is the place to be this weekend.The world’s largest rattlesnake “roundup” kicks off in the remote town of Sweetwater on Thursday. The four-day event attracted 20,000 paying spectators – double the town’s population – last year, with a bumper haul of snakes set to draw large numbers again this time around. Continue reading...

Overgrazing and a cycle of summer drought and winter snow has degraded vital pastureland in Mongolia, killing livestock and jeopardising livelihoodsDaashka and his brother tear across the Mongolian steppe on a motorbike in a desperate search for somewhere to graze their herds. Pastureland is dwindling rapidly as the country is beset by a cycle of drought and harsh winter that is killing off livestock in droves.“The summer ends early now and the fall is short and dry. Then there’s the long winter,” said Daashka, a 19-year-old herder who uses just one name and lives in the central Ulziit region. Continue reading...

Baltic Sea proposal would allow catches well above current sustainable levels needed to restore healthy fish stocks, putting some species at risk, conservationists warnFishermen could soon be given carte blanche to overfish without needing to worry about restoring fish populations to a healthy state under a leaked European commission proposal seen by the Guardian.If it is approved, the blueprint for the Baltic Sea could soon be applied to the North Sea too, potentially threatening the future of some cod species, MEPs say. Continue reading...

Figures show 62% cut to R&D budget to improve forecasting and defences over seven years, despite calls for such evidence in the wake of winter floodingFunding for “vital” research to improve flood forecasts, warnings and defences has been slashed by almost two-thirds since 2009, figures obtained by the Guardian show.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who pledges to clean Yamuna riverbank after World Culture event, vows to challenge penaltyIndia’s environmental watchdog has fined a group led by a Hindu guru 50m rupees (£520,000) for constructing features that altered the topography and flow of a Delhi river before a cultural festival this weekend.The National Green Tribunal ruled it would allow the Art of Living Foundation to hold the World Culture festival on payment of the fine, which the group’s leader refused. Continue reading...

On the anniversary of the 2011 disaster that killed 19,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands more, life and hope continue a steady resurgence, writes Justin McCurryOn 11 March 2011 a powerful earthquake and tsunami struck the north-east coast of Japan and triggered a triple meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.Related: Five years after Japan's tsunami, orphan victims lament their lost parents Continue reading...

It began with Fairtrade. Almost 30 years later, with hundreds of different certifications is it time to question what they all do and who benefits?In 1988, the first Fairtrade label, Max Havelaar, was applied to packs of Mexican coffee sold in Dutch supermarkets. At the time, using a product label to say something about standards in a supply chain was revolutionary, but today it is routine. The Ecolabel Index currently lists 463 certifications in 199 countries.On the face of it, certifications on everything from fish to timber can be seen as progress, promising higher standards and transparency in the pursuit of sustainability. But what purpose are the certification labels actually serving? Can we assume that they are beneficial to producers? Do consumers understand what’s behind a certification label, and does it even matter if they do? These were some of the questions asked at a recent roundtable discussion hosted by the Guardian and supported by Mondelēz International. Continue reading...

Sandy, Bedfordshire My focus was on the stylised gestures that would have been clearly read by the bird on the next branchA fevered burst of birdsong drew more than one pair of eyes to the branch of a hedgerow tree. Fraught with seasonal urgency, the robin’s song was a liquid stream; not a gentle brook, but a gushing beck, some notes thrown high and uncontrollably as if dashed against a rock, others pitched down a waterfall, and all poured out in a tumbling, erratic, attention-seeking rush.There was a pause. Another robin worked its way down the hedge towards it, then alighted on a near parallel perch about a metre away. The first bird threw out its chest, arched its back so that its head all but touched its shoulders and began to rear up and down in poised sweeps, a series of movements that – in human terms – would not look out of place on a yoga mat. Continue reading...

If allowed to go forward, plaintiffs in Oregon will ask court to hold government responsible for violating their rights to life, liberty, property and equal protectionTwenty-one teenagers appeared in an Oregon courtroom to challenge the federal government over what they claim is a failure to protect them from the impacts of climate change, while several hundred schoolchildren protested outside.While the mass of children, their parents, chaperones and local activists lined up in the rain on Wednesday, trying to get in to watch the proceedings, Judge Thomas Coffin of the US district court in Eugene, Oregon, questioned the lawyers on the government’s claim that the case should be thrown out. Continue reading...

Volkswagen did not explain why Horn was leaving the company now, six months after company was caught using software to cheat on regulators’ testsThe head of Volkswagen in the US resigned “effective immediately” on Wednesday night as the company struggles to agree on a settlement with the US government over its emissions cheating scandal.Michael Horn, who had served as VW’s US president and chief executive since 2014, was not quoted in the company’s three-paragraph statement announcing his immediate exit from the firm after more than 25 years of service. Continue reading...

Increase in numbers poached in Namibia and Zimbabwe offset reduction in South Africa, with 1,338 killed continent-wide, IUCN figures showA record number of rhinos were killed by poachers across Africa last year, driven by demand in the far east for their horn.The number slaughtered in their heartland in South Africa, which has four-fifths of the continent’s rhino, dipped for the first time since the crisis exploded nearly a decade ago. Continue reading...

The government claims the seal-fur industry is lucrative, but protesters argue it costs more to monitor the practice than the hunts generate in revenueJustin Trudeau’s government has come under renewed pressure to ban seal hunting after it emerged that Canada is spending far more on monitoring seal hunts than it receives in the export value of seal products.

The famous killer whale that drowned a trainer, and later became the subject of a film that sparked a backlash against SeaWorld, has a fatal infectionThe popular orca at SeaWorld Orlando and star of the documentary Blackfish, Tilikum, is dying, the entertainment park company announced.“We are saddened to report that over the past few weeks, Tilikum’s behavior has become increasingly lethargic, and the SeaWorld veterinary and animal care teams are concerned that his health is beginning to deteriorate,” the company said on Tuesday in a post on their website. Continue reading...

Australian researchers say a global tracker monitoring energy use per person points to 2C warming by 2030The world is on track to reach dangerous levels of global warming much sooner than expected, according to new Australian research that highlights the alarming implications of rising energy demand.Related: The carbon counters: tracking emissions in a post-Paris world Continue reading...

The post office is far from dead. With Trudeau’s support, it can become the catalyst of a more caring, equal economy

An $18bn proposal aims to reduce the more than 52m tons of food waste that goes to landfill every yearBusinesses could save nearly $2bn a year by cutting the amount of half-eaten entrees, unsold milk and other foods that get tossed into trash bins across the US by 20% over the next decade, according to a new report.The report, Roadmap to Reduce US Food Waste, released Wednesday, lays out strategies that companies, along with governments, consumers and foundations, can implement to reduce the amount of discarded food in the country by 13m tons a year. Continue reading...

Company has agreed to provide an undisclosed ex-gratia payment as part of deal to end dispute over poisoning allegations at factory in Tamil NaduThe Indian arm of global consumer giant Unilever on Wednesday said it had reached a deal with hundreds of former employees to end a long-running dispute over allegations of mercury poisoning at one of its manufacturing plants.

Charity Commission advice to steer clear is misguided and will lead to an EU debate conducted only by business leaders and politiciansEarlier this week the Charity Commission warned, in new guidance, that charities should only enter the EU referendum debate in exceptional circumstances, and those that do will be closely watched by the regulator. It is clearly intending to deter charities from getting involved – which, in my opinion, will be detrimental to the debate.This European referendum is arguably the single most important decision of a generation and the ramifications are too great to be allowed to be dominated by private sector and party political voices alone. The new guidance is also at odds with what the prime minister said in Davos on 21 January: “that business, NGOs and other organisations won’t hold back” in campaigning to stay in the EU. Continue reading...