Exeter University study has origins in 1950 discovery by ornithologists who chanced upon a spectacle'It is a weird and wonderful sight: millions of migratory insects funnelling through a single narrow pass high in the Pyrenees, looking like a dark flying carpet and emitting a low, deep hum.A team of scientists from a British university that has been studying the phenomenon for the last four years has now concluded that more than 17 million insects fly each year through the 30 metre-wide Puerto de Bujaruelo on the border of France and Spain. Continue reading...
Liv Garfield's pay included a 584,000 bonus despite firm's 2m fine for spilling 260m litres of sewage into River TrentThe boss of Severn Trent Water has been awarded a 3.2m pay deal, including a 584,000 bonus, despite the company being fined 2m for spilling 260m litres of sewage into the River Trent.Liv Garfield, who has been the head of the utility firm for a decade, saw her pay increase by 2.1%, bringing her total take-home pay during her time as Severn boss to more than 28m. Continue reading...
Conservationists criticise disappointing' and dangerous' move to allow harpooning of fin whales after curbs last yearIceland has granted a licence to Europe's last whaling company to kill more than 100 animals this year, despite hopes the practice might have been halted after concerns about cruelty led to a temporary suspension last year.Animal rights groups described the news as deeply disappointing" and dangerous". Continue reading...
Record-breaking temperatures in the last few years shatter the myth that air conditioning alone will keep people safeGloria Gellot, 79, takes a careful seat in a kitchen chair in front of her only air-conditioning unit, massaging her knees. She's hung a sheet in the doorway to keep the cool air in the kitchen, and drawn shades to keep the sun - already blazing in May - out of her second-floor New Orleans apartment. Her home was badly damaged by Hurricane Ida in 2021, and heat radiates from the gutted walls.All the heat's up here," she says. I don't have to go out in the sun. I get a suntan inside." Continue reading...
by Maeve Shearlaw, Christopher Cherry and Jem Talbot on (#6NEPR)
In the run-up to July's general election, the Guardian video team is touring the UK looking at the issues that matter to voters. After swimmers and rowers fell sick from sewage discharges into the River Thames we went to the seat of Henley and Thame to see how environmental concerns rank for voters in a seat that has been Conservative for more than 100 years Continue reading...
New research reveals levels of ethylene oxide more than 1,000 times above previous measurementsThe air throughout south-east Louisiana's Cancer Alley" is probably being poisoned with a highly carcinogenic gas at levels much higher than previously thought, new research reveals.Using cutting-edge equipment that more accurately checks for the gas, ethylene oxide, which is primarily used in plastic production, researchers found levels more than 1,000 times above previous measurements, and about 10 times higher on average than regulators' modeling. Continue reading...
Institutions alleged to have given billions of dollars to oil and gas companies involved in projects that are harming the rainforestsFive of the world's biggest banks are greenwashing" their role in the destruction of the Amazon, according to a report that indicates that their environmental and social guidelines fail to cover more than 70% of the rainforest.The institutions are alleged to have provided billions of dollars of finance to oil and gas companies involved in projects that are impacting the Amazon, destabilising the climate or impinging on the land and livelihoods of Indigenous peoples. Continue reading...
Families in Taranto, Italy, watch their kids play in polluted soil in the shadow of a steelworks, knowing that many people there have lost their lives to cancer. Lisa Sorgini captures their struggle Continue reading...
Open letter signed by naturalist Chris Packham and comedian Paul Whitehouse says pollution from United Utilities treatment plants is degrading lakeThe next government must give Windermere greater protection from sewage pollution, campaigners including the naturalist Chris Packham and the comedian Paul Whitehouse have urged in an open letter to all party leaders.The campaign group Save Windermere, which organised the letter, says the lake has huge ecological significance, is home to rare and protected species and brings in about 750m to the economy. But the signatories, who include the Wildlife Trust, the countryside charity the CPRE and WildFish, say it is being degraded by sewage pollution from United Utilities treatment plants. Continue reading...
Court seeks Biden administration's view as fossil fuel industry fights to avoid trial in lawsuitsThe supreme court on Monday asked the Biden administration to weigh in on big oil's request to thwart litigation that could put them on the hook for billions of dollars.The one-line order will delay the litigation from advancing to trial. It follows an unprecedented pressure campaign from far-right fossil fuel allies on the court. Continue reading...
North Warwickshire council seeks to extend controversial order against persons unknown' for Kingsbury terminalA council is trying to extend a controversial injunction against persons unknown" to stop any future protests outside an oil terminal operated by Shell UK.Lawyers for North Warwickshire borough council will argue in the high court on Tuesday that an interim injunction granted in 2022 should be made permanent to stop protests outside Kingsbury oil terminal in Tamworth. Continue reading...
Supporters hospitalized following rallies in Las Vegas and Phoenix, where temperatures have broken recordsDozens of Donald Trump's supporters have been requiring medical help at his rallies in the scorching US south-west but it seems lost on him that his plans to reverse climate policies and drill, baby, drill" for fossil fuels will only worsen extreme weather, campaigners say.A total of 24 people at a Trump rally in Las Vegas on Sunday required medical attention due to the heat, according to the Clark county fire department, with six taken to hospital for treatment. The hospitalizations come after a further 11 people needed to be admitted to hospital for heat exhaustion as they waited for Trump to speak at a rally in Phoenix on Thursday. Continue reading...
Blue crabs with no natural predators have been disrupting prized shellfish populations on Italy's coast. So revenge is on the menuIn a down-to-earth suburb of Catania on Sicily's east coast, smoke billows from street stands selling traditional grilled horse meat, and local youngsters gather around kiosks selling the region's unique handmade drink, seltz limone e sale (seltzer with lemon and sea salt). It is here that a family of charismatic ex-fishers have opened a seafood restaurant that bravely challenges long-held regional conventions.The Salamone family sell all the usual local specialities in their slick new business La Fish", such as Sicily's famous swordfish, sardines and tuna. However, the feature of tonight's tasting menu - attracting customers who range from local families to food connoisseurs - is a relative newcomer to these shores and to Sicilian tables: the Atlantic blue crab. Continue reading...
Former Nationals leader says aspirations have to take a secondary position to the economic reality' after Peter Dutton said he would oppose government's targets
by Oliver Milman with graphics by Andrew Witherspoon on (#6NDN6)
The White House has a goal to conserve 30% of US land and water by 2030 - Trump has different plansA week after his presidential inauguration, Joe Biden cited the climate and biodiversity crises as reasons to set a sweeping new goal - to conserve at least 30% of America's vast lands and waters by the end of the decade.Three years on, new protections have spurred meaningful progress towards meeting the target by 2030. Continue reading...
More than 400 scientists write to political parties urging ambitious action or risk making Britain and the world more dangerous and insecure'After five years of record heat and record floods, one might assume British politicians would also pay record attention to the climate issue in the current election campaign.But with the manifestos due this week, concerns are growing that the response of the two main parties will range from tepid progress to a great leap backwards, despite the certainty of further climate chaos during the next parliament. Continue reading...
Reports and emails show a landfill at the top of a hill is leaching dangerous toxins into the Napa RiverFamous for its lush vineyards and cherished local wineries, Napa valley is where people go to escape their problems.When you first get there, it's really pretty," said Geoff Ellsworth, former mayor of St Helena, a small Napa community nestled 50 miles north-east of San Francisco. It mesmerizes people." Continue reading...
Groups linked to billionaire Leonard Leo, who seems to have ties to Chevron, are pressing the court to intervene in lawsuits that could cost billionsFar-right fossil fuel allies have launched a stunning and unprecedented campaign pressuring the supreme court to shield fossil fuel companies from litigation that could cost them billions of dollars.Some of the groups behind the campaign have ties to Leonard Leo, the architect of the rightwing takeover of the supreme court who helped select Trump's supreme court nominees. Leo also appears to have ties to Chevron, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Continue reading...
Riot police use teargas to disperse demonstrators at site of A-69 near Puylaurens in southern FrancePolice and masked activists clashed at a protest over a motorway project in southern France on Saturday, leaving five people hurt, local officials said.Thousands of demonstrators ignored a ban on the gathering to turn out for the protest at the site of the A-69 motorway between Castres and Toulouse in the south-west. Continue reading...
Extreme temperatures and flammable grass fed by a wet winter are among this year's biggest risks, experts sayThis week's broiling heatwave in the US south-west is just the start of what experts warn will be a brutally hot summer, setting the stage for an active wildfire season - even in places that don't burn often.Thanks to a wet winter, the dangers could be delayed in many fire-prone regions across the west, including in California forests where the threats from catastrophic blazes are often high. But the extra rainfall also helped seed invasive grasses that spread across sparse arid landscapes, and rapidly dried as temperatures rose. Continue reading...
by Damian Carrington Environment editor on (#6NCHN)
Imogen May has withheld payments since 2019 and is thought to be one of thousands boycotting water chargesSouth West Water has taken a legal stake in a customer's home after she withheld her bill payments in a protest over sewage dumping in rivers and the sea.Thousands of water company customers are thought to be withholding payments but this is the first known case of a company enforcing a claim against a customer's home. Continue reading...
by Adam Morton Climate and environment editor on (#6NCGR)
Opposition leader reportedly told News Corp he would oppose the legislated 2030 emissions target - a 43% cut compared with 2005 levels - at the next election
Biden's rule for 2% fuel-economy increase a year met with disappointment by some environmental groupsNew vehicles sold in the US will have to average about 38 miles per gallon (mpg) of gasoline in 2031 in real-world driving, up from about 29mpg this year, under new federal rules unveiled on Friday by the Biden administration.The final rule will increase fuel economy by 2% a year for model years 2027 to 2031 for passenger cars, while SUVs and other light trucks will increase by 2% a year for model years 2029 to 2031, according to requirements released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Continue reading...
The hoodwinker sunfish, or Mola tecta, is a different species from the more common ocean sunfish, Mola molaAn enormous rare fish thought to live only in temperate waters in the southern hemisphere has washed up on Oregon's northern coast, drawing crowds of curious onlookers intrigued by the unusual sight.The 7.3-ft (2.2-metre) hoodwinker sunfish first appeared on the beach in Gearhart on Monday, the Seaside Aquarium said in a media release. It was still on the beach on Friday and may remain there for weeks, the aquarium said, as it is difficult for scavengers to puncture its tough skin. Continue reading...
John Browne appears to back Labour energy policy as he underlines need for green transitionThe former boss of BP John Browne has appeared to back a key Labour energy policy by calling for an end to new North Sea oil and gas drilling licences.The oil industry veteran, who was known as the Sun King when he ran the oil company between 1995 and 2007, said an important test for the UK's political parties before next month's general election was whether they have serious plans for the country's green energy transition". Continue reading...
by Sarah Marsh Consumer affairs correspondent on (#6NC35)
Professional body says outbreaks of foodborne illnesses will increase unless urgent action takenOutbreaks of foodborne illnesses, such as E coli, will increase in the UK unless urgent action is taken to tackle severe shortages of environmental health officers, a body representing the profession has said.The warning comes after more than 100 E coli cases were reported in a fortnight, having spread via food distributed across Britain. Continue reading...
A new, cleaner ship points way as US ports in the region are spending millions on upgrades in pursuit of net zeroIt's just after 9.30pm on a Thursday night in late May when a conveyor belt begins dumping 21,000 tons of road salt into the cavernous hull of the MV Mark M Barker at a dock in Cleveland.As the first US-flagged freighter to be built on the Great Lakes in nearly 40 years, the 639ft (195-meter)-long ship - launched in 2022 - is the only vessel of its kind in the region powered by cleaner, tier four" marine engines that meet the federal Environmental Protection Agency rules governing hydrocarbons and particle matter emissions. Continue reading...
The Guardian contacted 11 major organizations that run fossil-fuel ads after Wednesday's speech by Antonio GuterresMajor news and tech media that have run fossil-fuel ads were largely staying quiet after the UN's secretary general called for governments and companies to place bans on advertisements for coal, oil and gas.Stop taking fossil-fuel advertising," Antonio Guterres implored in a major speech on Wednesday after railing against energy companies for distorting the truth, deceiving the public, and sowing doubt" about the climate crisis. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Party wants to appeal to voters' patriotism by improving access to nature and green spacesLocal communities would be given the right to buy up derelict eyesores and turn them into parks under a Labour government, while walkers and swimmers would gain access to hundreds of miles of river pathways, the party has pledged.Labour will make a direct appeal to voters' patriotism, presenting the restoration of nature as a matter of national identity and status. Continue reading...
Patrice Miller was found dead in her home in what authorities confirm is first known attack of its kindA 71-year-old woman was mauled to death by a black bear in a Sierra Nevada community in 2023 in what is believed to be California's first fatal black bear attack, the state department of fish and wildlife confirmed this week.Patrice Miller was found dead in her Downieville home in November by a Sierra county sheriff's deputy who was called to the residence to check on the senior after she had not been seen for several days, KCRA3 reported. Continue reading...
Climate advocates say Hochul missed crucial opportunity to follow cities around the world in reducing gas emissionsAn 11th-hour decision to halt a plan to charge a fee for cars entering the heart of New York City has provoked outrage from environmental advocates and Democratic lawmakers, potentially scuppering hopes of congestion pricing taking hold in any US city in the near future.New York City was, on 30 June, primed to be the first American city to toll drivers in its traffic-clogged centre, with cars entering Manhattan south of 60th Street set to be charged $15 a day in a plan heralded as a landmark moment in tackling air pollution, helping curb carbon emissions and providing a funding boost for New York's sprawling yet beleaguered public transit system. Continue reading...
NYC Bird Alliance dropped name of 19th-century conservationist and abolition opponent John James AudubonOne of the nation's largest birding and conservation groups is changing its name to distance itself from a 19th-century enslaver.New York City Audubon announced on Thursday that it would become the NYC Bird Alliance in an effort to broaden our reach and deepen our impact across the diverse communities of New York City" after an overwhelming majority" of members voted in favor of the change. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Data shows implementing policy that closes 92% of English countryside cost 69m over five yearsEngland's model for countryside access cost six times more to implement than Scotland's right to roam policy, new figures reveal.In England, only 8% of the countryside is open for walking, picnicking and other outdoor activities. This includes footpaths, the coastal path, mountains, moors, heaths and downs. In Scotland, all of the countryside is open for access as long as guidelines are followed such as leaving no trace and not harming farmland. Continue reading...
by Samuel Gilbert on the Hopi reservation, Arizona on (#6NB47)
The hubs seek to produce, store and distribute food to the one-quarter of Native Americans experiencing food insecurityOn the Hopi reservation in the high desert of northern Arizona, construction is underway.A dilapidated auto garage is being converted into a fully-equipped kitchen, food storage areas, dining room and an attached greenhouse. The new facilities will become the first-ever Hopi-region food hub, used to increase Indigenous access to fresh, healthy and affordable food through farm shares, farmer's markets, agricultural workshops, seed sharing, cooking lessons and other programs. Continue reading...
Child killed and mother critically injured in Michigan when twister uprooted a tree and sent it crashing into their homeA two-year-old boy was killed and his mother critically injured after a fast-developing tornado struck and caused a tree to fall on their home in the suburban Detroit city of Livonia on Wednesday.Meanwhile, tornadoes also struck in Maryland on the east coast and a brutal heatwave affected the south-west and California as extreme weather continued to mark the start of summer in the US. Continue reading...
Oceans are critical to life but have never been so vulnerable. In her new book, marine biologist Helen Scales outlines how to halt the declineSome ocean species and habitats struggle to recover on their own and need help. Take sea otters, which were virtually eliminated by the end of the 19th century by commercial hunting for their super-dense pelts. Continue reading...
by Nina Lakhani Climate justice reporter on (#6NAWQ)
Reconstructing buildings destroyed in first four months of Israeli assault will generate nearly 60m tonnes of CO2 equivalent - studyThe carbon cost of rebuilding Gaza will be greater than the annual greenhouse gas emissions generated individually by 135 countries, exacerbating the global climate emergency on top of the unprecedented death toll, new research reveals.Reconstructing the estimated 200,000 apartment buildings, schools, universities, hospitals, mosques, bakeries, water and sewage plants damaged and destroyed by Israel in the first four months of the war on Gaza will generate as much as 60m tonnes of CO equivalent (tCOe), according to new analysis by researchers in the UK and US. This is on a par with the total 2022 emissions generated by countries such as Portugal and Sweden - and more than twice the annual emissions of Afghanistan.The planet-warming emissions generated by aerial and ground attacks during the first 120 days of the war on Gaza were greater than the annual carbon footprint of 26 of the world's most climate-vulnerable nations including Vanuatu and Greenland, according to the research, which is yet to be peer-reviewed.More than 99% of the estimated 652,552 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO equivalent/COe) estimated to have been generated in the first four months after the Hamas attack on 7 October are linked to Israel's aerial bombardment and ground invasion of Gaza.Almost 30% of the total COe emissions were generated by the 244 American cargo planes known to have flown bombs, munitions and other military supplies to Israel in the first 120 days.According to the calculation, which is almost certainly a significant underestimate due to missing military emissions data, the carbon cost of the first 120 days of Israel's assault on Gaza was equivalent to the combined annual energy use of 77,200 American households.Hamas rockets fired into Israel between October 2023 and February 2024 generated an estimated 1,140 tCOe. Another 2,700 tCOe were attributed to the fuel stored by the group prior to 7 October. Combined, the Hamas carbon footprint over the first 120 days was equivalent to the annual energy use of 454 American homes. Continue reading...
Environment | The Guardian