Environment | The Guardian

Cost of floods double that of 2009 storms, according to PricewaterhouseCoopersStorm Desmond has caused an estimated £500m of damage across Cumbria – almost double the cost of the floods that hit parts of the county six years ago.Experts at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), which made the calculation, also warned that the bill could rise further if the rain keeps falling. Continue reading...

David Cameron’s call for action at the Paris summit rings hollow when every step he’s taken on low-carbon energy has been backwardsRule one of diplomacy is, walk your talk: otherwise people stop listening. In Paris last week David Cameron called for “action today”, not excuses tomorrow, on climate change. Back home, his ministers are already making excuses for what looks increasingly like a systematic repudiation of 10 years of successful action to build a prosperous low-carbon economy in Britain. Continue reading...

Guardian learns £4m proposal to bolster barriers in Cumbria town was repeatedly postponed after funding cuts by Tory-led governmentA major flood defence scheme for the Cumbrian town of Kendal, which was submerged in up to 5ft (1.5m) of water by Storm Desmond, was repeatedly postponed, the Guardian can reveal.

Leaked letter points to plan to remove park’s grizzly bear population from endangered species list, where it was placed in 1975State and federal wildlife officials are set to strip grizzly bears of their protection from hunting around Yellowstone national park, with a plan that would remove one of the species’ last populations from the endangered species list.

China, Brazi and South Africa join India in refusing key report that state rich countries have already mobilised two-thirds of $100bn pledged for climate aidChina, Brazil and South Africa have joined India in rejecting a key OECD study stating that rich countries have already mobilised nearly two-thirds of the $100bn (£67bn) pledged to secure a new climate deal.The refusal by the world’s four most powerful developing countries to accept the methodology used by western economists, to calculate the money raised for poor countries to adapt to climate change, suggests that finance will be the major hurdle at the end of the talks on Friday. Continue reading...

Paris climate summit’s gender imbalance is detrimental to taking action on saving people from global warming, says Mary RobinsonThe climate change talks going on in Paris are too dominated by men, to the detriment of effective action on saving people from the ravages of global warming, the UN’s special envoy on climate change has said.

Glenridding was cut off during Storm Desmond, but Cumbria’s irrepressible community spirit ensured all 400 residents and guests stayed safeSam and Samantha Thompson have more reason than most couples to remember the day they got married.

Actor and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger speaks at the United Nations climate change conference in Paris on Tuesday, saying much can be achieved in the green transition by local governments who need to march on ‘like a Terminator’. The reference to the action film franchise that made his name prompts laughter from the audience at an event dedicated to the power of cities and regions Continue reading...

One of the world’s largest oil producers is getting in the way of a deal and making implausible objections, say delegates and campaignersSaudi Arabia stood accused on Tuesday of trying to wreck the Paris climate summit in order to protect its future as one of the world’s largest oil producers.

Making countries vulnerable to climate change a priority; Africa’s initiative to cut reliance on coal; honouring the principles of the Geneva conventionsIf you are viewing this on the web and would prefer to get it in your inbox every two weeks, register for the email editionAs the Paris talks enter their final week, there is increased focus on the impact of climate change in the world’s poorest nations. Representing least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing states, Gyan Chandra Acharya calls on leaders to make the most vulnerable countries the top priority. “It is a sad reality that while the world’s most vulnerable countries have contributed the least to climate change, they are most at risk from its negative effects and the least equipped to withstand and adapt to it,” Acharya writes.You can stay updated with the Guardian’s coverage of the latest news from COP 21, including Africa’s ambitious renewable energy drive backed by the continent’s leaders, the latest push from religious leaders on action against climate change, and China’s call for rich countries to take responsibility for historical greenhouse gas emissions. Continue reading...

Labour leader and Scottish first minister say the government should reverse green cuts as dangers of climate change become more evident, reports Climate HomeThe leaders of the UK’s two main opposition parties say they hope the Paris climate summit will encourage prime minister David Cameron to reconsider green policies.UK energy and climate chief Amber Rudd has been handed a key role at the UN talks, helping to mediate between almost 200 countries on global plans to boost greenhouse gas cuts before 2020. Continue reading...

Storm Desmond has devastated parts of Lancashire and Cumbria despite existing flood control systems. What are they and how should they work?What are Britain’s flood defences?

Poor communities on the climate change frontline say their voices are not being heard in Paris, and that more powerful groups are setting back their causeIn the climate talks “blue zone”, in the Parisian district of Le Bourget, are the governments, their advisers and lawyers, big business and the financiers. Facebook has a stall, along with UN agencies and scientific bodies.But the world’s 4 billion small farmers, fishermen and women, indigenous peoples, hunters and gatherers, rural workers, pastoralists, and young people on the frontline of climate change, inhabit the “green zone”, beyond the fence where the decision-makers do not go. Continue reading...

Dead lions include 17-year-old Bibi, who appeared on the BBC’s long-running Big Cat Diary seriesTwo Maasai herdsmen have been arrested for allegedly poisoning lions in the Masaai Mara game reserve after the lions killed two of their cows, according to a Narok county wildlife official.The lions are members of the Marsh pride, which has featured on the BBC’s long-running Big Cat Diary series. Two of the lions are dead, one is missing and at least five are being treated by vets, a conservation group and a BBC wildlife crew at the scene said. Continue reading...

As market town comes to terms with flood’s devastation and donations stream in to local help centre, politicians call for clarity from the governmentAfter Storm Desmond left 1,397 people in Kendal homeless, the busiest place in the Cumbrian market town was a help centre set up to aid those whose homes were devastated over the weekend.A steady stream of volunteers brought food, clothing, bedding and toys to the makeshift centre in the former tourist information office. Their generosity outstripped demand from those whose homes were ravaged by the deluge. Continue reading...

Seeing Ferne McCann chugging down a distressed animal made me, and 553 other people, pretty uncomfortable. Why is this deemed to be OK?Another year of I’m a Celebrity is over and I find myself feeling increasingly sorry for the participants. I really do. It’s hard for them. A flood of unrecognisable know-nothings thrown in to face the heat of the jungle. Barely fed and packed in like sardines. Out of their comfort zone. Burning up in the stage lights. You think I’m talking about the celebrities? No, no, no – it’s the poor spiders I feel sorry for. I’m a Celebrity is more a show about spiders, and our attitude to them and their kind, than it is about seeing celebrities “beneath the makeup”.Related: I’m a Celebrity: more than 500 complain after Ferne McCann eats live spider Continue reading...

Can the Science Based Targets initiative push companies to do better when it comes to meeting greenhouse gas emissions targets?As the UN climate meetings in Paris come to an end this week, diplomats from around the world are under pressure to reach an agreement that would reflect the plans they presented to cut their countries’ greenhouse gas emissions. These voluntary plans include targets and starting points set by each government. The US vows to cut emissions by 26% below 2005 levels by 2025; the EU by 40% below 1990 levels by 2030; and China will starting reducing in 2030.If this sounds familiar, it should: big companies have been promising to cut their carbon output for a decade or more, setting targets and timelines of their own choosing. Continue reading...

From cycling infrastructure to community projects, what’s been your city’s greatest achievement this year – and what would you like to see change in 2016?

From rapid ice melts to calving glaciers and a snow terrain poked by dark patches, Daniel Betrá’s stunning images show how rising temperatures and global pollution are literally leaving their dark imprints on Greenland’s pristine landscape. ‘Climate change is having its biggest and most visible impact in Greenland. It is like the canary in a coal mine; what is happening there will affect us all,’ he saysPhotographs by Daniel Betrá and Catherine Eldman Gallery

Former president of Mexico says the interests of developing countries are often starkly divergentDeveloping countries should not be treated as a single bloc at the climate change talks in Paris, as their interests are often starkly divergent, the former president of Mexico has said.Felipe Calderón was Mexico’s leader at the Cancún climate talks in 2010, which enshrined under the UN process commitments made a year earlier at the chaotic summit in Copenhagen. He is now the chairman of a global commission on the New Climate Economy. Continue reading...

Flooding, blackouts and checking on the neighbours: our readers on how they’ve been coping with the after-effects of Storm Desmond

We can make peace, with our energy sources, the planet and with each other if we end our addiction to oilGreed for petroleum has produced plenty of war. War can be defined narrowly, as conflict between nations, or broadly, as large-scale violence in pursuit of gain. This is why so many see the climate movement as a peace movement – especially after the recent massacres in Paris.In the fossil-fuel era, some oil corporations became powers equal to states, and some states became petroleum corporations in drag, and both were eager to fight horrific wars over resource control. The abuse of power and the destruction go all the way back to the early history of the petroleum industry in particular (though coal and natural gas extraction and industries have plenty of ugly achievements of their own). Continue reading...

Children kept at home, building sites and factories closed and cars kept off roads as pollution engulfs Chinese capital“Create a paradise,” urges the motto of Beijing’s Baijiazhuang primary school – a message stamped on to its front gate in bright red calligraphy.

Road and rail corridors threaten to wreck pristine wilderness as they open up land for mining with little guarantee of agricultural benefits, scientists warnMany new road and rail ‘‘development corridors’’ planned to crisscross Africa in the name of economic development could destroy the continent’s equatorial forests and savannahs, lead to many people invading protected areas and have only limited chances of increasing agricultural production, say scientists in a new study.Related: Climate talks: rich countries should pay to keep tropical forest trees standing | Nancy Birdsall and Pedro Pablo Kuczynski Continue reading...

Indian capital devises controversial measures in bid to to tackle world’s worst air qualityThe Delhi government has announced a plan to curb its choking pollution levels, among the worst in the world, by limiting drivers to alternative days beginning next month.From 1 January, residents in India’s capital city, which had been suffocating under a blanket of smog in recent days, will only be able to drive on alternate days based on their licence plate number; odd numbers on one day, even on the other. Continue reading...

Conservation charities hopeful of reduction in elephant poaching in Africa as value of illegal ivory halvesIllegal ivory value has halved in China according to new research, leading to hopes that the demand which drives poaching in Africa might be on the wane.Kenya-based conservation organisation Save the Elephants said on Monday that the price of illegal raw ivory in China had fallen to $1,100 (£734) per kg, down from a record high last year of $2,100. Continue reading...

If disagreement between the European parliament and commission is significant enough, the circular economy package could face serious changes

Arthur Boyt, who has been eating dead roadside animals since age 13, says flesh of dolphin he found washed up on beach is ‘quite tough’A Cornish man famous for eating badgers and other roadkill has added an even more unusual item to his Christmas larder – a dolphin he found washed up on to a beach.Arthur Boyt, 76, has spent years feasting on dead animals he has salvaged from roads including weasels, hedgehogs, squirrels and otters. Continue reading...

Kim Jong-un will turn all the mountains into golden forests, foreign minister tells climate summit in ParisNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has launched a war on deforestation, the country’s foreign minister said at the Paris climate talks, pledging to “actively engage” in global environment efforts.The reclusive country is among the 195 nations gathered in the French capital to craft a deal aimed at curbing the greenhouse gas emissions that are pushing climate change. Continue reading...

To mark cities day at the UN Climate Conference in Paris, here’s why urbanisation should be at the heart of any conversation about the planet’s future

Vehicles are ordered off the roads and schools and factories closed after polluting smog triggered Beijing’s first red alert. A red alert means businesses are urged to implement flexible working hours and all large-scale outdoor activities are cancelled. Greenpeace says the Chinese government should consider a cap on coal consumption, warning that a red alert is only a short-term measure. Photograph: EPA/Rolex Dela Pena

Hardham, West Sussex The walls are covered with figures – some very faint, some clear – like a faded Bayeux tapestryA dunnock is singing from the scaffolding on the bell tower of St Botolph’s, the small square Saxon church. I walk inside, out of the wind and rain, and open the heavy inner door.Automated lights illuminate the walls, which glow with faded red and brown paintings. The walls are covered with figures – some very faint, some clear, part-Saxon, part-Norman in style – like a large, faded Bayeux tapestry. The closer you look, the more the figures come to life. Saint George rides in gallantly on horseback, levelling his lance. Adam and Eve are tempted by a wyvern serpent. An ox and an ass watch over a child in a cradle. Continue reading...

US crude exports to Europe increase by 73% in less than a year, sparking fears that ‘flood gates’ may be being opened to tar sandsA surge in US exports of crude oil to Europe this year has been heralded as the beginning of an alarming rise in highly polluting tar sands imports by environmentalists.Strict laws prevent the US from exporting its own crude to Europe but it has been re-exporting Canadian crude to EU countries such as Italy, Spain and the Netherlands, since April 2014. Continue reading...

2016 Climate Change Performance Index released at Paris climate summit, day after Julie Bishop said Australia was meeting and beating its climate targetsAustralia has come third last in an annual assessment of 58 nations’ climate policies, with only Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan ranking worse.The assessment by Germanwatch and Climate Action Network Europe was released at the Paris climate summit, just one day after foreign minister Julie Bishop told the assembled ministers Australia was meeting and beating its climate targets and transforming its energy production. Continue reading...

In the face of mass extinction, a new report by the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) argues that every zoo should devote at least 3% of their budgets to conservation work.What do the golden lion tamarin, Przewalski’s horse, the Puerto Rican parrot and the kihansi spray toad all have in common? Well, for one thing they’ve all been on the very brink of extinction; for another, they very likely wouldn’t survive today if not for the work of zoos. Over the past century, zoos have played a crucial role in saving dozens, maybe hundreds, of species from extinction. Most often this work has stemmed from breeding captive animals inside zoo walls, but today more and more zoos are funding conservation in the field or even starting their own programmes. Now a new report by the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) has called on these institutions to raise their ambitions by spending at least 3% of their operational budgets on conservation.

Deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop ridicules her Labor counterpart, Tanya Plibersek, in parliament last week for claiming the island of Eneko has ‘disappeared’ due to rising sea levels when in fact it was a ‘beautiful and accessible beach getaway’. It was later revealed the island Plibersek had been referring to was actually Anebok, which had been submerged, but had been misnamed as Eneko in an ABC radio transcript rereissued by Plibersek. Bishop subsequently blamed the opposition leader for the confusion, saying she is not Plibersek’s ‘subeditor’ Continue reading...

Rising sea levels, coastal erosion, extreme weather and destructive king tides have put the low-lying archipelago on the front line of climate change. As Australia negotiates with other countries at the Paris talks, some of its own people need practical help now, before it’s too lateMebai Warusam sits under his stilt-supported house, facing the Pacific Ocean’s turquoise waters lapping 50 metres from his front gate. At 91, born and raised on the island of Saibai in the Torres Strait, he is an elder visitors and locals turn to for knowledge.A few years ago, he says, researchers from down south travelled to Saibai. “They said, ‘If water comes right through this island, what you will do?’ I said, ‘I will never move from this island.’” “I will jump on my boat, tie that rope on a wongai tree. I will live here; I will die here.” Continue reading...

Inhabitants of the island of Saibai in Australia’s Torres Strait reflect on how climate change is causing rising sea levels, coastal erosion, extreme weather and destructive king tides. In the first of three films, Mebai Warusam, a 91-year-old elder of the island, says he would rather die than leave his home if the planned seawall which is due to be built doesn’t succeed in halting the encroaching ocean Continue reading...

Thinktank criticises subsidy cuts for clean renewable energy while state aids profits for ‘dirtiest form of energy generation available’Owners of heavily polluting diesel generators stand to make “sky-high” profits under a government energy regime that has slashed subsidies for wind and solar, a report warns.The annual capacity market auction – under which power suppliers bid for contracts to feed electricity into the grid – is due to begin on Tuesday. Calculations by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) suggest “diesel farm” owners can expect to make millions if they succeed with bids to supply 1.5 gigawatts. Continue reading...

With pollution reaching 40 times the safe level, China’s capital has issued its first red warning, closing down schools and factories until Thursday. These images show Beijing under a layer of smog – and what it looked like on a clear day Continue reading...

Ministers from countries including the UK appointed to head special working groups to produce a revised draft text of a possible agreement on WednesdayThe French hosts of the Paris climate change conference are moving “at breakneck speed” to reach a deal by the end of this week, incorporating targets on global emissions and financial help for developing countries.Ministers from countries including the UK have been appointed to head special working groups with the aim of producing a revised draft text of a possible agreement on Wednesday. Continue reading...