Environment | The Guardian

Among 21,000 documents released by Michigan’s governor one shows officials due to discuss Flint ‘water issues’ in June 2014, within weeks of supply switchMichigan governor Rick Snyder’s top aides were probably apprised of water quality issues in Flint just weeks after the city switched its water source, according to documents released on Friday.Related: Flint water crisis: What's in that contaminated water Continue reading...

Mark Ruffalo says that David Cameron should respect the wishes of people in Lancashire and not overturn the county council’s rejection of fracking bidsThis weekend I have the pleasure and honor of coming to London for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards for Spotlight, a film honoring the victims of a terrible injustice and celebrating exceptional journalism that brought the story to light.I’m also taking this opportunity to lend my voice to residents of Lancashire who are fighting to prevent another kind of injustice, drilling and fracking in their neighbourhoods. Fracking is an extreme form of oil and gas extraction that leads to water contamination, air pollution, earthquakes, illness, exacerbates climate change, and turns communities upside down. Continue reading...

Community empowerment, an inclusive economy and small initiatives with big effects are key elements of the Green idea for running the capital

Penguins of Cape Denison in Antarctica effectively trapped by iceberg the size of Rome and face 120km round trip to feedAn estimated 150,000 Adelie penguins living in Antarctica have died after an iceberg the size of Rome became grounded near their colony, forcing them to trek 60km to the sea for food.The penguins of Cape Denison in Commonwealth Bay used to live close to a large body of open water. However, in 2010 a colossal iceberg measuring 2900sq km became trapped in the bay, rendering the colony effectively landlocked. Continue reading...

Moscar, Derbyshire The view from here is one of the best in the Peak: west is Win Hill and Mam Tor; to the right, the broad, bleak weight of Kinder Scout; at my back, the crisp blocks of Crow Chin set against the gathering darkness

More than half of the deaths were in India and China, and researchers compared air pollution problem to the conditions under centuries of industrial revolutionAir pollution caused more than 5.5 million people to die prematurely in 2013, according to research presented on Friday, with more than half of those deaths in India and China and illnesses in those countries almost certain to rise.

Water shortages affecting two-thirds of world’s population for a month every year and the crisis is far worse than previously thoughtAt least two-thirds of the global population, over 4 billion people, live with severe water scarcity for at least one month every year, according to a major new analysis.The revelation shows water shortages, one of the most dangerous challenges the world faces, is far worse previously than thought.

A wild elephant in a city, a grey wolf in the snow and monk parakeets munching on guava are among this week’s pick of images from the natural world Continue reading...

Move by India’s popular tourist state could lead to mass culling of the country’s national birdIndia’s popular tourist state of Goa has ruffled feathers with its proposal to reclassify its national bird, the peacock, as vermin, reports said.The move, which is aimed at making the bird easier to cull, comes just weeks after Goa’s legislative assembly caused similar consternation when it ruled that the resort state’s beloved coconut trees were not in fact trees, but palms. Continue reading...

The inshore fishing fleet at Redcar originated in the early 14th century with crab, lobster and fish bringing much-needed income to local fishermen. As the industry has declined, the Teesside town’s fleet has reduced in size, so that today only a small number of boats are still put to sea to continue the fishing heritage on England’s east coast Continue reading...

Amateur footage shows the Thames Barrier after it was closed on Thursday in Greenwich as the river overflows its banks. The Environment Agency issued alerts for a vast stretch of the river, from the flood defence in Greenwich, south-east London, to Putney, in the south-west of the city. The river overflowed on to flood plains in Greenwich, and levels were high in suburban areas as well as at the Embankment in central London

Our exploration of the physical world is becoming an exploration of vulnerabilities to rapid climate changes

A non-profit is trying help farmers build a profitable almond sector in the West Bank, where water and government aid are in short supply

Thames Barrier closed after river overflows in Greenwich and water nears pavement level in some areas of central LondonFlood alerts have been issued across London after the river Thames overflowed its banks and the Thames Barrier was closed for the first time this winter.Related: UK's winter floods create 30,000 tonnes of landfill waste Continue reading...

80% chance that potentially fatal virus in sheep and cattle will arrive from France, carried by midges that transmit the disease, say scientistsBluetongue virus, a potentially fatal disease in sheep and cattle, is very likely to arrive in the England in 2016, according to the government’s Animal and Plant Health Agency.The virus, which does not affect humans or food, flared up in France in 2015 and the scientists estimate there is an 80% chance that the biting midges that transmit the disease will be blown across the channel this summer. Farms in southern England suffered the first ever outbreak in 2007 but the virus was quickly eradicated after a vaccination campaign. Continue reading...

Oulu in Finland and Winnipeg in Canada are two winter cities with remarkably different stories. Oulu is just like Winnipeg – except for the bike paths stretching for miles in every direction and the thousands of people riding bicycles in the snow – says Winter Bike to Work Day founder Anders SwansonIt happened for me three years ago in Turku: the moment I realised that cycling in the snow was going to become normal. I was winding my way up Finland, en route to the world’s first ever Winter Cycling Congress, hosted by a city called Oulu some 400 miles north. It had been snowing non-stop for a week.I thought I had already found somewhere quite special. Earlier that afternoon, I had watched what I believed to be an impressive number of people riding their bicycles on Turku’s main shopping street in the falling snow. I remember thinking, as I ran around with my camera taking as many pictures as possible before sunset: “Oulu must be like this.” Continue reading...

Though well needs to be permanently sealed and inspected, announcement marked first time leak has been under control since it was reported in OctoberA blowout at a natural gas well that gushed uncontrollably for 16 weeks and drove thousands of residents from their Los Angeles homes was plugged on Thursday, a utility said.The leak is expected to cost Southern California Gas Co, a division of Sempra Energy, at least $250m, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Continue reading...

National Trust installs wooden pellet boilers at Upton House in Warwickshire, once owned by petroleum tycoon Lord Bearsted

Certified native oysters, prized for their fuller flavour, will be sold at branches of Whole Foods MarketNative European oysters that are certified as sustainable have gone on sale for the first time in the UK.

Warblington, Hampshire One particular slab had always proved to be the most desirable dwelling, so I left this until last

Last month, 13 activists were tried in court for carrying out a peaceful protest against the expansion of Heathrow airport (Report, Opinion, 25 January, theguardian.com). They were found guilty of aggravated trespass, and await sentencing on 24 February.We believe it would be unjust for these people to receive prison sentences for their actions. Continue reading...

Photographer Bob Tabor specialises in horses – his minimalist portraits of them are powerful and emotionally resonant. His latest collection is Horse/Human: An Emotional Bond, which is published by Glitterati Incorporated in March Continue reading...

An investigation of a mine waste accident that polluted rivers in three states has found evidence that government workers knew a spill could occurAn investigation of a mine waste accident in Colorado that fouled rivers in three states with arsenic, lead and other toxic substances has found further evidence that government workers knew a spill from the gold mine was possible, according to documents released on Thursday by a US House of Representatives committee.Related: After Animas river spill, experts warn of next disaster: 'We were lucky this time' Continue reading...

Scientists find levels of mercury and cadmium in the whales’ brains increased with ageScientists have found clear evidence that whales are absorbing high levels of toxic heavy metals, with cadmium found in the brains of pilot whales which washed up in Scotland.

Kasiisi school in Uganda is harnessing the power from human waste. Journalist Matthew Jenkin explores the educational and environmental issuesStudents and teachers at Kasiisi nursery and primary school in Uganda have found an innovative way to save money and protect the planet when nature calls – by building a biogas digester that allows them to harness the energy contained in human faeces.

Roger Gower, 37, died when his helicopter was shot down during a patrol of the Maswa game reserve last monthNine Tanzanians have been charged in connection with the murder of a British conservationist whose helicopter was shot down while he chased suspected poachers, a senior prosecutor has said.Roger Gower, 37, died when suspected poachers gunned down his helicopter during a patrol of the Maswa game reserve in northern Tanzania, close to the Serengeti national park, on 29 January. Continue reading...

Photographer Will Burrard-Lucas spent three months in Namibia on assignment for WWF using a specially adapted DSLR camera trap to take close-up portraits of the country’s most elusive wildlife. His incredible images will help scientists better understand migration patterns and establish additional protected areas Continue reading...

Booming market grew 27% in 2015 edging past European Union for first time, says industry group. Climate Home reportsChina installed half of all new wind capacity worldwide last year, according to the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC).The country added an “astonishing” 30.5 gigawatts (GW) to boost installations to 145.1GW, the Brussels-based industry group said on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Amid growing climate chaos, can we really afford, financially, ecologically, or morally, to be sowing tomato seeds in early February, just so we can pick fruits in June, asks John Walker

A New Jersey law makes it easier for cities to sell off municipal assets, setting a dangerous standard at a time when citizens face threats to water suppliesLast year was a disappointing year for many investors but over at American Water Works, shareholders were celebrating. They scored a 13.5% profit last year, and have continued to swim against the market tide so far in 2016.Great news if you happen to be a shareholder in the company. Not so much, perhaps, if you happen to believe that the business of providing water to our houses shouldn’t be about maximizing profits. Continue reading...

Warmer and wetter conditions facilitate transmission of mosquito-borne diseases, which may have added to spread, says lead climate change scientistThe outbreak of Zika virus in Central and South America is of immediate concern to pregnant women in the region, but for some experts the situation is a glimpse of the sort of public health threats that will unfold due to climate change.“Zika is the kind of thing we’ve been ranting about for 20 years,” said Daniel Brooks, a biologist at University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “We should’ve anticipated it. Whenever the planet has faced a major climate change event, man-made or not, species have moved around and their pathogens have come into contact with species with no resistance.” Continue reading...

Furniture, kitchen goods and carpets ‘contaminated’ by floodwater can’t be recycled and will cost councils over an estimated £2 million in landfill taxAlmost 30,000 tonnes of damaged household goods have had to be dumped in landfill following devastating winter floods, town hall chiefs have said.A snapshot analysis by the Local Government Association (LGA) estimates councils have been landed with a £2.25m landfill tax bill as a result of the clear-up after the floods. Continue reading...

Online grocery startups in Kenya, Rwanda and Gambia help farmers cut out the middleman, but challenges such as low internet access may hinder profitability

Antarctic scientist attacked by Republican Ted Cruz says Texas Senator “has confused which way is up”I have no clue how many climate science denial myths a Republican presidential candidate can fit onto the head of a pin, but given these zingers are generally huge it’s probably not that many.But we do now have some clue how many myths one of those candidates, Senator Ted Cruz, can fit into an eight-minute diatribe. At least six. Continue reading...