James Gaddis tanked Florida governor's secretive scheme to build hotels and golf courses over acres of preserved landFlorida's department of environmental protection has fired a whistleblower who exposed and sank governor Ron DeSantis's secretive plan to pave over environmentally sensitive state parks and build lucrative hotels, golf courses and pickleball courts.James Gaddis, who worked for the agency for two years as a cartographer, was terminated for conduct unbecoming a public employee", according to a letter he received on Saturday. Continue reading...
Finance secretary says tough decisions' are needed to fill 1bn hole in the budgetScottish ministers have raided a 460m green energy fund to help pay for higher than inflation pay deals that the government did not budget for.Shona Robison, the Scottish finance secretary, said she needed to use the fund while also cutting non-essential spending by 500m to fill a 1bn hole in this year's government finances. Continue reading...
Heatwaves and lack of rainfall have led to receding water levels in the Mornos reservoir, which submerged Kallio in the 1970sNo place is more indicative of plummeting rainfall levels in Greece than the Mornos reservoir. And no settlement is more indicative of how serious this year's drought has been than Kallio, a village submerged by the artificial lake in the late 1970s.Nearly five decades after Kallio was deliberately flooded as part of the construction of a dam to ensure water supply for Athens, people living nearby have watched in disbelief as reserves have receded to the point that the village has reappeared. Continue reading...
Venture Global's plant depletes water, emergency services and road space, say local officials, people and paramedicsWhen America's newest gas giant arrives in your town, the world turns upside down.Residents of Plaquemines parish, 70 miles south of New Orleans, say they have faced unreliable essential services, water shortages and impassible traffic since 2021, when Venture Global began construction on what will become one of the world's largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) hubs. Continue reading...
by Miranda Bryant Nordic correspondent on (#6QEDW)
Bella Nilsson's company Think Pink accused of dumping at least 200,000 tonnes of wasteEleven people, including an entrepreneur who once called herself the queen of trash", have gone on trial in Sweden accused of illegally dumping toxic waste in the country's biggest ever environmental crime case.The closely watched trial at Attunda district court in Sollentuna, near Stockholm, centres on the recycling company Think Pink, its former chief executive Bella Nilsson, who has since changed her name, and her ex-husband Thomas Nilsson. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Cut would mean at least 239,000 fewer hectares of nature-friendly farmland, according to RSPBThe government is to slash the nature-friendly farming budget in England by 100m in order to help fill what ministers say is a 22bn Treasury shortfall, the Guardian can reveal.Nature groups and farmers have called this a big mistake", saying it jeopardised the government's legally binding targets to improve nature. Continue reading...
Most of the time safety divers do not need to step in, but our presence gives athletes the security needed for their remarkable underwater feats Photography and videos by Piko Studios and Jack Lawes for the GuardianThings started to go wrong as Gary McGrath was coming up from 95 metres below the surface, a feat managed entirely on one breath. McGrath, who holds the British freediving record of 112 metres, was met on his ascent by a team of safety divers who quickly noticed he was struggling as his movements started to slow. Then he stopped rising.Protocols designed for such emergencies instantly came into play. One diver sealed Gary's airways while another grabbed his hips, bringing him to the surface together, all while holding their breaths, too.Gary McGrath in Dahab, on Egypt's Sinai peninsula. He holds the British record after freediving to 112 metres Continue reading...
by Justin McCurry in Osaka, Helen Davidson and agenci on (#6QE7K)
Climate scientists have already predicted that 2024 will be the hottest year everJapan has recorded its hottest summer on record after a sweltering three months marked by thousands of instances of extreme heat", with meteorologists warning that unseasonably high temperatures will continue through the autumn.The average temperature in June, July and August was 1.76C higher than the average recorded between 1991 and 2020, the Japan meteorological agency said, according to Kyodo news agency. Continue reading...
Friends of the Earth says pollution exceeds healthy levels for nature in 9,062 localitiesMore than a quarter of neighbourhoods in England have pollution levels that are highly harmful to wildlife, new data shows.Friends of the Earth has named 27.5% of areas nature pollution hotspots" in new research. These are defined as places where air, water, noise and light pollution all exceed levels that are damaging to nature. Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#6QE6A)
Rachel Reeves should reform vehicle taxes to fill 5bn black hole', says Campaign for Better TransportCampaigners have called on the chancellor to introduce a controversial pay-per-mile road charging scheme on electric cars, warning of a 5bn black hole" in tax revenues from motoring.In a letter to Rachel Reeves, the Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) urged her to reform vehicle taxes, with fuel duty poised to dwindle in the coming decade as petrol and diesel cars are phased out. Continue reading...
Seabirds are in a precarious position as their breeding areas are threatened by climate breakdown and overfishingFive seabirds have been added to the UK's conservation red list, meaning they are at dire risk of local extinction.The government has been urged to act as the arctic tern, Leach's storm petrel, common gull, great skua and great black-backed gull join other seabird species such as the puffin on the list after severe population declines. Continue reading...
Fourteen hiker deaths reported in the park this season, with total fatalities at almost the annual average of 15More than one dozen parkgoers have died in Grand Canyon national park this summer, with three perishing in just over one week in August, as weather extremes linked to climate change make for increasingly dangerous conditions.With 14 deaths reported in the park this season, total fatalities have already almost reached the annual average of 15, the Hill reported. Continue reading...
Activists and lawyers in Brazil say unexpected change is a big step backwards' in the investigationIndigenous activists and lawyers in Brazil have voiced shock and dismay after the federal police chief leading the investigation into the murders of Bruno Pereira and Dom Phillips was unexpectedly removed from the case.Francisco Badenes, an experienced investigator, had been running the inquiry into the 2022 deaths of the Brazilian Indigenous expert and the British journalist since the second half of that year. Continue reading...
Battle ahead for Labour as it introduces higher taxes and tougher environmental rules on producersAn oil and gas company has slowed down work on a large North Sea oilfield, citing uncertainty over the Labour government's approach to fossil fuels.The Norwegian-owned Neo Energy said it had decided to materially slow down investment activities across all development assets in its portfolio", citing the prospect of higher taxes and tougher environmental rules. Continue reading...
Mandatory reports should be published on how taxpayers' money is spent on environmental stewardship, says campaignerLandowners in England have been paid more than 9bn of taxpayers' money in the past 30 years for environmental benefits, despite the decline in nature that has taken place during that time, data reveals.The nature campaigner and author Guy Shrubsole, who unearthed the data for his new book, The Lie of The Land, said large landowners should be forced to publish regular reports showing how they are stewarding their land for nature and carbon.The Lie of the Land is published on 12 September by HarperCollins. Continue reading...
Scientists are trying to establish whether global heating caused the deaths of the rare river dolphins last year, before temperatures start to rise again Continue reading...
The new government must use its landslide majority to mend the damage to jobs and fish populations caused by neglectIt is a lonely and unglamorous job, being His Majesty's official opposition, as Labour knows only too well. There were moments when, out of the spotlight, the party's spokespeople in parliament heroically defended the public interest on some of the most important issues of the day. One example was during the post-Brexit Fisheries Act, where Labour made a formidable case that history has proved right. The question now is whether Labour will use its landslide majority to fix the extraordinary neglect of our marine environment that it previously lacked the votes for.Back in 2020, when the fisheries bill was making its way through parliament, Labour's fisheries spokesperson, Luke Pollard, made the case that the prime objective of the bill should be sustainability: there should be a duty on ministers to take the advice of scientists when allocating fishing opportunities so as to avoid overfishing. He also argued that as the right to fish was a public asset, which ministers conceded during the course of the bill, preference should be given to the part of the fleet which had the highest levels of employment and the lowest environmental impact: the smaller boats, whose activities are limited naturally by the weather.Charles Clover is the co-founder of the Blue Marine Foundation Continue reading...
by Kalyeena Makortoff Banking correspondent on (#6QDHG)
Exclusive: Campaigners claim move would offset City influence over infrastructure taskforce and better share benefitsThe government is being urged to install trade union members on the board of its new 7.3bn national wealth fund to help offset the influence of big banks and ensure that it is geared towards hitting green targets and bringing shared prosperity" to the UK population.
by Miranda Bryant Nordic correspondent on (#6QDGB)
State-owned company halts initiative after warnings over opening up right to roam' laws to large numbers of visitorsA Norwegian tourism campaign aimed at promoting the country as a destination for outdoor activities has been suspended after warnings that opening up the country's right to roam" laws to mass tourism could lead to environmental destruction.Allemannsretten - which gives Norwegians the legal right to camp, swim, ski and walk freely in nature, regardless of who the landowner is - provides the basis of friluftslivet (outdoor life), seen as foundational to the mountainous country's culture. Continue reading...
Alex Baldock wants to keep gadgets out of landfill as UK's largest electricals retailer embraces repair and reuseThe UK government should slash VAT on refurbished electrical products to keep gadgets out of landfill, according to the boss of Currys.It has already been charged once on these products," said Alex Baldock, the head of the UK's largest electrical goods retailer. I would like to see a radical reduction or entire cut on these products." Continue reading...
I've discovered the perfect way to avoid the stress of travel, the mosquito bites and the overtourism. Plus, I can stay at home and tend my tomatoes while knowing I'm saving the planetI haven't been on holiday this summer, but don't start tuning the tiny violins. I derive an unusual satisfaction from working when others aren't (burning martyr is my preferred summer fragrance) and I don't like change, or strange pillows. Plus, what would Susan, the pigeon who lives on our roof, and my bounteous crop of five unripe tomatoes do without me?A summer holiday just doesn't appeal. Is that weird? It feels as if the climate crisis is killing the notion of summer as something to look forward to and holiday hotspots (literally) are losing their lustre, with Greek islands reaching fatal temperatures and Sicily stricken with catastrophic drought. Continue reading...
Ironically named Great Outdoors Initiative that would pave over acres of state parks sent steadfast allies over the edgeIn the end, it wasn't culture war feuding over restricting LGBTQ+ rights, thwarting Black voters or vilifying immigrants that finally broke Republicans' DeSantis fever in Florida.Nor was it his rightwing takeover of higher education, the banning of books from school libraries, his restriction of drag shows, or passive assent of neo-Nazis parading outside Disney World waving flags bearing the extremist governor's name that caused them to finally stand up to him. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Figures reveal just 16% of company-controlled sites of special scientific interest are in good conditionWater companies are allowing important natural landscapes they own to fall into disrepair, data shows, with only 16% of sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) under their control in good condition.The companies have been accused of polluting for profit" by not investing to improve the status of their SSSIs. Continue reading...
Environment minister's cultural site declaration draws accusations of torpedoing a $1bn NSW project but she insists it was vital to protect Aboriginal heritage
Many of the roughly 100,000 units are illegal and do not conform to codes, making them a hazard for fires and floodsJosh Alba had lived in an illegal basement apartment in Queens, New York, for almost five years. Despite the low ceilings, he savored his chance to afford housing without roommates. But his tenure there ended during Hurricane Ida.He'd been asleep on his couch as the rain started falling. He only woke up when his cat smacked him in the face, and he noticed water coming in from outside, rising to at least an inch on the floor. Continue reading...
Defra sources say some licensed culls will continue until 2026 but it is highly unlikely any new ones will be grantedBadger culling will end in England by 2029, the government has said.Some culls under existing licences will continue until 2026, according to sources at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), but it is highly unlikely any new ones will be granted. Continue reading...
Etienne Stott among Extinction Rebellion protesters to call for citizens' assembly to tackle climate crisisAn Olympic gold medal-winning canoeist will be among climate activists protesting in Windsor this weekend to demand the Labour government takes climate action seriously.Extinction Rebellion, which is organising the three-day event, which began on Friday, said it had been disappointed by the new administration's lack of action on reducing fossil fuel emissions. Continue reading...
Discovery of Apis florea in Malta raises fears of devastating impact on native bee populationsThe red dwarf honeybee has established a colony in Europe for the first time, scientists have found.The bee, Apis florea, is native to Asia and its discovery has raised alarm among local beekeepers and conservationists, who fear the potentially devastating impact on native bee populations. Continue reading...
Before biomass firm is promised a penny extra from billpayers, Ed Miliband should commission a review of its business modelA finding that you submitted dodgy data to the regulator on where your wood pellets come from sounds like very bad news if, like the biomass power generator Drax, you are the lucky recipient of 500m-plus of subsidies every year and are trying to keep the handouts flowing beyond their scheduled end date of 2027.But shares in Drax did not collapse on Thursday. City analysts judged that the end of Ofgem's investigation represented an excellent development for the company - a clear positive", said RBC, and a positive read-across" for the chances of getting a new contract with the government, thought Jefferies. Continue reading...
Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz sat down with CNN's Dana Bash in a pre-recorded interview that airs Thursday night. Plus: peacocks in Scotland
A drone image of two humpback whales bubble-net feeding' by Western Australian photographer Scott Portelli has taken out the top prize in the 2024 Australian Geographic nature photographer of the year competition. This is a cooperative hunting strategy used by humpbacks that allows as many of them as possible to feed in a short time. It is widely believed the whales developed this feeding method after they were hunted to near extinction. The image was chosen from 1,856 entries and the exhibition is now on at the South Australian Museum until 3 November
City-wide initiative gives restaurants free solar panels to support the community' during storms and power outagesAs a restaurant owner in New Orleans, Shaka Gerel is no stranger to hurricanes.Afrodisiac, the Jamaican Creole fusion food truck he started with his wife Caron, served jerk chicken and crawfish etouffee, rain or shine, for years. When particularly bad storms took out the city's power, the couple sometimes used their bright purple truck's generator to offer their neighbors a place to charge their phones or refill on ice. Continue reading...
Tribes fought for decades to restore the Klamath to its natural state and protect the salmon that spawn thereSalmon will swim freely through a major watershed near the California-Oregon border for the first time in more than a century, as the largest dam-removal project in US history nears completion this week.Workers breached the final dams on a key section of the Klamath River on Wednesday, clearing the way for the river to run unobstructed. Continue reading...
North Atlantic populations are at a historic low, and this year 33 of the country's rivers were closed during the fishing season as salmon farming and the climate crisis threaten the fish's futureWhat is Norway without the fjords and the mountains?" asks Ann-Britt Bogen from her candlelit kitchen, the wild Gaula River flowing by outside the window, the hillside covered by low-lying cloud. For centuries, the river, which runs 153km (95 miles) from the mountains near the Swedish border to Trondheim fjord, has attracted salmon - and fishers - year after year.But this spring the salmon, particularly the medium and larger-sized fish, did not come back from the ocean, raising such alarm over the collapse of the salmon population that the river, along with dozens of others in central and southern Norway, was abruptly closed for the first time. Continue reading...
Greek authorities have started collecting hundreds of thousands of dead fish that poured into a tourist port in the central coastal city of Volos this week after being displaced from their usual freshwater habitats during flooding last year. 'It spans kilometres,' a city council member, Stelios Limnios, told Reuters. 'It's not just along the coast, but also in the centre of the Pagasetic Gulf,' he said, referring to the waters off Volos, where the coast is lined with holiday homes. There have been warnings that the rotting fish could create an environmental disaster for other species in the area
Environment | The Guardian