Environment | The Guardian

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...

Five members of Spain’s Vidal family of fishing barons are among those arrested for illegally catching Patagonian toothfish, in joint raids by Spanish police and InterpolSix people have been arrested on charges of illegal fishing of protected species in raids carried out jointly by Interpol and Spanish police in Galicia in northwest Spain.

For investors who seek long-term low-risk investments, the 20 year lifespan of an onshore wind farm is an attractive prospectFour years ago, Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas was on the brink of bankruptcy. The company famous for sending in the bailiffs to evict employees occupying their Isle of Wight site, axed more than 3,700 jobs. Relations were in turmoil as the chair, deputy chair, chief financial officer and deputy chief executive left in quick succession. The CEO himself followed one year later as net losses escalated sevenfold to £53m.Fast forward to 2016 and the world’s biggest turbine manufacturer is reporting historic successes, including a record €685m (£530m) net profit last year and a 22% increase on revenue to €8.4bn (£6.5bn). It also recently announced it had been awarded a contract to supply turbines for Europe’s largest ever onshore wind project in Norway. Continue reading...

As the Paris climate deal requires developing countries to monitor their emissions, organisations are using online courses to train a new breed of green accountants capable of the complex task, reports Environment 360Michael Gillenwater is so tired he is mixing up his words, worn out from weeks of conference calls with the United Nations, the German government, and more. “I’m exhausted,” he says. In the wake of the Paris climate agreement last December, everyone wants advice from the Greenhouse Gas Management Institute (GHGMI) – Gillenwater’s non-profit organization based in Washington, DC – on how to step up the developing world’s capacity for counting carbon.The institute offers online courses in greenhouse gas monitoring to practitioners around the globe, and since the Paris agreement was reached, business has been brisk. “We’re excited,” he says. “There’s a window here to make something permanent happen.” Continue reading...

Iron ore price soars as Tangshan’s steel mills go on buying spree ahead of enforced closures for the horticultural expoA dramatic spike in the price of iron ore this week has been blamed on an upcoming flower show that is designed to showcase green-living in one of China’s most smog-choked industrial cities.Steel mills in Tangshan – a city of about 7 million inhabitants in China’s steel-producing heartlands – reportedly sent prices rocketing by nearly 20% on Monday, after going on an unexpected shopping spree for the commodity ahead of an enforced shutdown later this year. Continue reading...

Coalition energy secretary Ed Davey says Tories would have accepted a much higher price as they were ‘gagging for nuclear’The deal to provide a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point would have cost even more if George Osborne had had his way, the former energy secretary Ed Davey has said.The Lib Dem former member of the coalition cabinet said the £18bn plan to build Hinkley Point C represented a good deal, and claimed the cost would have been higher without his involvement. Continue reading...

Order to close two reactors previously declared safe comes days before fifth anniversary of Fukishima atomic disasterA Japanese court has ordered the closure of two nuclear reactors previously declared safe under strict post-Fukushima safety rules.The order, made just days before the fifth anniversary of the atomic disaster, would bring the number of operating reactors in Japan down to two. Dozens were shut in the wake of Fukushima, the worst nuclear accident in a generation. Continue reading...

The wetlands are this Indian city’s free sewage works, a fertile aquatic garden and, most importantly, a flood defence – but they’re under threat from developers. One environmentalist is leading the resistanceThe trees on the streets of Kolkata in January are dusty, like neglected pot plants. At traffic lights, salesmen offer feather dusters for drivers to wipe their grimy cars. Shrubs are planted on the central reservation of the city’s new flyovers, surrounded by the implausible boasts on signs proclaiming a “clean and green” city. But the most frequently recurring poster, above almost every street corner, appeals for investors to “Come to Bengal – Ride the Growth”.Kolkata, a famously cultured city of 14.5 million people – once the second city of the British empire after London – is keen to catch up with Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore, the dynamic and rapidly modernising megacities of the fastest growing major economy in the world. Continue reading...

Wenlock Edge An ancient oak shows signs of awakening after another winterThe oak loomed above other trees in a scrubby corner of the field. Despite claims that it was officially spring, and with no respect for meteorology, calendars or tradition, the great oak seemed to feel as though it was holding on to winter and would not turn until it was good and ready.It must have been an important landmark for centuries, visible from all cardinal points, growing on flat pasture close to a spring that issues from the hillside and pours into a wooded ravine to join the brook, which then enters the river Severn. A boundary marker, a meeting place, a preaching tree, a tree for wakes and waits, fairs and festivals, a gallows? Continue reading...

India’s new tax on car sales is a step in the right direction, but can the country address the wealth and power imbalance driving the health disaster?The news that India is introducing a new tax on car sales to help combat severe air pollution and congestion problems has unsurprisingly been decried by the country’s car industry.

Ice core records going back 800,000 years reveal a lot about carbon dioxide and temperature, but climate researchers want to go back furtherSomewhere deep below the ice in Antarctica lies a time capsule. It’s the holy grail of climate science and promises to reveal the past and future of Earth’s atmosphere. And right now, scientists are meeting in Hobart to work out a plan to dig it up.We’re pretty sure there is ice one million years old or older towards the bottom of the Antarctic ice sheet Continue reading...

Continue reading...

The animals, a large number of them pregnant, were found herded against a fence – dead from shock or crush injuriesMore than 100 sheep have died in what has been described as the UK’s worst case of sheep-worrying in living memory.Related: Flock of sheep helps police end 90-minute car chase in New Zealand Continue reading...

A dog got stuck on a small island in the middle of the rushing waters of the flooded Rimac river in the Peruvian capital Lima on Monday. A policeman attempts to rescue the pup but he is dragged underwater by the strong currents. A resident manages to reach the dog by using a tire. A rope is then tied around the dog who gets pulled by to the river edge by rescue workers Continue reading...

Jay Faison’s pledge part of tentative effort among small number of Republicans to try to move party away from default position of climate denialA conservative entrepreneur pledged to bankroll Republican candidates who support clean energy on Tuesday in an attempt to break down the party’s wall of climate denial.

Bipartisan group of mayors say it would be ‘unconscionable for these issues of grave concern to Florida’ not to be considered at Miami debatesA coalition of Florida mayors has pleaded for presidential candidates to be asked about climate change and sea level rises during forthcoming debates in Miami, fuelling criticism of the “ridiculous” lack of questions on the subjects in TV debates so far.Related: Republican hopefuls reap $62m in support from donors with fossil fuel ties Continue reading...

Daily showering is expensive, polluting and unnecessary. The old-school weekly bath or shower – with a brief daily sink-wash – is healthier for the environment, and for usWhen I was a kid, bathtime was a once-a-week affair. We weren’t an unhygienic family – this is just how most of us lived in the 1960s, and I do not remember any horrific body odours resulting from it. By the time I was an adult, I was showering every day. With hindsight, I should have stuck to the old ways.Related: Why the modern bathroom is a wasteful, unhealthy design Continue reading...

Almarai, the largest dairy business in Saudi Arabia, has purchased land in California to grow alfalfa for its cattle – and it’s rubbing some people the wrong wayIf you are the largest dairy producer in Saudi Arabia and you are running out of water to grow cattle feed, there’s only one thing to do if you want to stay in business: go shopping.Which is exactly what dairy giant Almarai has done, undertaking a global search for land and water to grow alfalfa to feed its dairy cows. The search brought Almarai to a most surprising place: California, which is suffering its worst drought in recorded history. Continue reading...

Semi-desert Karoo region believed to hold shale gas reserves, but environmentalists argue semi-arid area’s water supply is at risk from frackingThe South African government said on Tuesday that exploration for shale gas will begin in the next 12 months, ending years of speculation over the project.

Four EU states force delay of a vote to renew the licence for glyphosate, which has been found to be ‘probably carcinogenic’A mutiny by several EU states has forced the postponement of a vote in Brussels on relicensing a widely used weedkiller that the World Health Organisation has found is probably carcinogenic.

Not only are hurricanes, disease and mosquitoes natural, the way the word is defined by regulators can render it practically meaninglessI’ve repeatedly come across the idea that natural means good among eco-friendly folks like myself. It has emerged in online forums, conversations with friends, and discussions at health food stores. It has also popped up regularly in the comments section of this column, where astute readers can often be found cautioning against making this assumption.I happen to agree with them: the assumption that natural equals good is wrong. But it’s understandable that people would feel that way, isn’t it? Natural just sounds good; easy. Natural sounds like puppies and sunshine and fresh air. Natural! The way nature intended! Before meddlesome mankind stuck our big noses in and ruined everything, that is. Continue reading...

US and Canadian leaders expected to announce a series of common measures including methane emissions cuts and protections for rapidly warming ArcticBarack Obama and Justin Trudeau will commit to work together to fight climate change and protect an Arctic experiencing the mildest winter ever recorded, sources familiar with the initiatives said.The two leaders were expected to announce a number of common climate measures at a meeting at the White House this week, from a 45% cut in methane emissions from the oil and gas industry to protections for a rapidly warming Arctic. Continue reading...

Access to land, capital and poor wages are just some of the problems faced by women working in the palm oil industry, producing a product found in everything from shampoo and lipstick to bread and margarine Continue reading...