The warbling of robins and the trilling of wrens, a singing song thrush, the high-pitched roundel of a goldcrest, and a chiffchaff calling out its name, could only mean one thing: spring had finally come to this little corner of the West Country.Yet despite the birdsong, the blue sky and the delicate breeze, this was not mid-March, but the end of December. So although hearing birds sing is always cheering, today’s chorus came with a health warning: that this winter’s topsy-turvy weather may be an early sign of climate chaos to come. Continue reading...

In Britain, since we are surrounded by the sea, it seems hardly necessary to tell people about the role of the oceans in our lives, but the European Union thinks we need more education. The idea is to get all European citizens to realise that oceans are changing because of our activities and that this is having an affect on our health and food supply, as well as climate.Considering how long it has taken to convince people that climate change is real it is a big ambition to get the same level of understanding about oceans. Continue reading...

When a northern bottlenose got stranded in 2006 it caused mass hysteria. Next Thursday, a memorial march commemorates the event, with puppeteers and the Whale Song Orchestra

Shadow chancellor, whose constituency includes UK’s largest airport, is prominent opponent of third runwayThe shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, will give evidence in the trial of 13 climate change activists who are alleged to have occupied a Heathrow runway in July in protest at the airport’s expansion.

Christiana Figueres says countries cleared multiple hurdles to reach accord, showing that ‘if we want to do something we can’The Paris climate agreement kindled “a huge flame of hope”, establishing a new model of 21st-century diplomacy, the woman behind the deal has declared.In her first public reflections on the climate accord signed in December, Christiana Figueres, the UN climate change official, said that after two decades of meandering negotiations, countries had at last discovered their “higher purpose” and risen to the challenge of dealing with global warming. Continue reading...

Growing up in remote Orkney Amy Liptrot couldn’t wait to get away. But after 10 years in London, unhappy and drinking too much, she finally got sober and ‘washed up’ on her home island. It was the best thing she could have done…

An extract from Amy Liptrot’s memoir The Outrun, in which she maintains her sobriety by banishing herself to her home island to walk and write

From Lands End’s basking sharks to fantastic jewel anemones in the Celtic Sea, 23 new conservation zones offer better protection to a wealth of marine life and habitats Continue reading...

Discarded fast food wrappers make up much of our rubbish – but we’re a long way off biodegradable packagingThe charity Keep Britain Tidy (KBT) is urging you to clean up for the Queen’s 90th birthday (cleanforthequeen.co.uk). Cigarette butts are the most littered item on our streets, followed by fast-food and snack packaging, and plastic bags.Litter is an ecological nightmare. Our rubbish fragments into bits of plastic that are washed into water courses, poisoning wildlife and choking the ecosystem. Every wrapper or container made from virgin materials that isn’t recycled is a blow to the ambitions of a smarter, more circular economy. KBT’s report How Clean is England? tells us that litter disproportionately affects low-income neighbourhoods, so it is a social justice issue, too. Continue reading...

An architect has built a revolutionary low-energy ‘passive house’ in his back gardenWhen Judith and Barry Richards sold their family home in Kent two years ago it was, says Judith, “a terrible wrench”. But it was also a relief. In their 70s, the retired academics had decided to split their time between their native US, where their son lives, and east London, where their daughter Jeanine lives with her architect husband Bernard Tulkens and their three children.Judith and Barry picked their favourite pieces of Georgian furniture, left the ride-on lawnmower behind and moved into a modest two-bedroom house at the back of Jeanine’s garden. Tulkens had received planning permission to build the house in 2010, and his parents-in-law decided to release the equity in their estate to help pay for it. “We thought we would use the opportunity to see more of the children and grandchildren,” says Judith. Now they see Thalia, 13, Cecile, 21, and Oscar, 8, far more frequently. For anyone with ageing parents, it is a dream scenario. And far from being a granny flat, this is more of a miniature grand design. Continue reading...

A series of conservation zones will be announced this week. But some experts fear this will not be enough to safeguard the future of our wildlifeWill it be enough for some of the more exotic denizens of Britain’s coastal waters? Seahorses, stalked jellyfish and dolphins are among the creatures it is hoped will gain better protection from 23 new marine conservation zones.The zones, which will be announced on Sunday on Sunday, stretch from the coast of Northumberland down to Land’s End and include Europe’s longest chalk reef off Cromer in Norfolk. They will bring the number of protected sites to 50, still far below the 127 proposed by an earlier £8m government consultation. Continue reading...

Our correspondent’s children go to school in a car with air filters, in a city with a pollution hangoverIt is a very ordinary weekday morning. I am taking my children to school, a 10-minute journey if the traffic is good, double that if it is not. A very normal checklist: sports kit, spare jumper and, of course, face mask.It is eight o’clock, the worst time of the day for pollution. Through the windows of the car – pooled with a neighbour – the smog is a thick yellow. The outlines of buildings, even trees, only a hundred or so metres away are blurred and vague. I check the air monitor readings on my phone. The levels of PM2.5, the tiny particulates that embed in lungs and can reach the bloodstream, are more than 300 micrograms per cubic metre. This is 12 times the European Union legal maximum. The level has previously topped 500. Continue reading...

The number of annual deaths caused by pollution around the world is now greater than malaria and HIV combined, according to a recent study, with scientists warning that fatalities could reach 6 million a year by 2050During these cold winter days, Anumita Choudhury dare not leave her small second-floor apartment in Delhi’s northern suburbs. Elderly now, she has developed asthma. The last time she ventured into the streets of the world’s second most populous city she began gasping for breath and had to be helped home by her neighbours.The story is the same in many of the world’s great cities. From Kabul in Afghanistan to Hong Kong and Shijiazhuang in China, and from Lima to São Paulo in Latin America, people are increasingly suffering in severe toxic smogs – leaving hospitals and health clinics flooded with people with respiratory and heart problems. Continue reading...

Glut of pork – thanks in part to Russian ban – sends prices plungingThe great British breakfast is under threat. Agriculture experts warn that Britain’s pig farmers are braced for a horrendous year, as a glut of pork on the global markets sends prices plunging and prompts an increasing number to quit.There are fears that, if farmers’ numbers dwindle, Britain will become heavily reliant on other European producers for its bacon, sausage and other pork products. Britain’s pig farmers make a loss of £7 on every pig slaughtered as global demand for pork lags behind supply. Continue reading...

World Health Organisation describes new data as ‘health emergency’, with rising concern likely to influence decision over Heathrow expansionThe World Health Organisation has issued a stark new warning about deadly levels of pollution in many of the world’s biggest cities, claiming poor air quality is killing millions and threatening to overwhelm health services across the globe.Related: ‘Yucky pollution,’ says my daughter, as Delhi chokes Continue reading...

After the water supply was found to contain high levels of lead, evidence is mounting that officials ignored or neglected indicators of a growing crisisLee and Ernie Perez knew something was amiss when their three cats started throwing up after drinking water.

Senior Labour peers confirm party will seek to strike out clause again if government closes Renewable Obligation schemeThe government is expected to be forced into a renewed standoff with the House of Lords over David Cameron’s reversal on green energy subsidies.After a series of constitutional rows, the tensions between the government and the upper chamber will reach a new flashpoint as the energy secretary, Amber Rudd, presses ahead with a scheme to end subsidies for new onshore windfarms. Continue reading...

Increasing renewables to 36% of the global energy mix by 2030 would provide about half emissions reductions needed to hold warming to 2C, says International Renewable Energy AgencyCountries can deliver on the promises of the historic Paris climate change agreement by rapid scaling up wind and solar power to 36% of the global energy mix by 2030, an international energy gathering will be told on Saturday.

The UK’s food and drink firms would have to meet EU food laws to export but have no power to influence those rules, says analyst Kate TrollopeBrexit could create a nightmare scenario for Britain’s food and drink industry, where companies have to abide by EU food regulations if they want to export to the EU but have no say over the regulations.

Godshill Inclosure, New Forest In the hollow of a fallen branch is a bees’ nest that has met with disaster. The combs are askew. Some have spilled onto the woodland floorThe New Year is only a few days old when we walk along the margin of Godshill Inclosure. There’s a chill in the air following a night of frost but the sun is raking this ridge with enough warmth to entice a host of insects to break cover. Little spirals of minute midges dance beneath overhanging branches. A bumblebee shoots out of the woodland edge, making a bee-line for the bank of glowing gorse blossoms. After days of overhanging clouds, and often drenching rain, the ground is a quagmire in places. This bright morning offers a very short opportunity for insects that have survived so far to refuel.Other bees have worked through the months past to build their nests, stocking their combs with sufficient honey to see them through the months ahead. As we press on into the Inclosure we come across a woeful sight. In the hollow of a fallen branch is a bees’ nest that has met with disaster. The insects are still tending their home but they are sluggish and look dispirited, for there is little warmth in this dark corner nor hope for them. Continue reading...

World’s fourth largest hydropower plant’s license was suspended weeks before testing turbines because operators failed to compensate local communitiesThe start of operations at Brazil’s Belo Monte dam could be held up following a court judgment that operators have yet to provide adequate support to indigenous groups affected by the giant construction.Related: Belo Monte, Brazil: The tribes living in the shadow of a megadam Continue reading...

• ‘Delta 5’ had attempted to illegally block trains carrying crude oil near Seattle

A 20-inch snake was discovered near San Diego on Tuesday, the third reported instance since October of the deadly animal washing up on California beachesCalifornia beachgoers have been urged to steer clear of a species of highly venomous sea snake following a third, and unprecedented, instance of an aquatic serpent washing up on to the state’s beaches.A 20-inch yellow-bellied sea snake was discovered on a beach near San Diego on Tuesday, where it was placed into a bucket before dying. The sighting was the third reported instance since October of the species, which prefers the tropical waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans, washing up on California’s beaches. Continue reading...

Groups applaud review that will assess how federal coal production fits in with the US’s commitment to reduce its greenhouse gas emissionsThe Obama administration will halt new coal mining on public land for the next three years with immediate effect as it undertakes a review of the “environmental and public health impacts” of coal production.

Who will win in the fight against climate change: mounting scientific evidence, or a lone climate change denier? Play our game to find out. Guide The Lone Denier through the levels as he tries to shut down evidence that climate change is real Continue reading...

A snowy owl, beached whales and a majestic fan throated lizard are among this week’s pick of images from the natural world Continue reading...

England set to break extended deadline to meet EU water pollution targets and already risks legal action for failing to meet original 2015 deadline, reports ENDSMost rivers, lakes and coastal and ground waters in England will still not meet legally binding EU water pollution targets by 2021 – six years after the initial deadline.According to the Environment Agency’s (EA) draft river basin management plans (RBMPs), analysed by ENDS, compliance with Water Framework Directive (WFD) standards will have risen to just 25% in 2021, up from 17% in 2015 (see table 1).

Italian city’s mayor postpones daytime curb of pre-1999 motorcycles intended to reduce smog after #handsoffmyvespa social media campaignScooter owners in Genoa, birthplace of the Vespa, are celebrating a partial victory after the city’s mayor postponed a ban on models produced before 1999 intended to tackle pollution.The hashtag #handsoffmyvespa went viral on social media, with furious riders in the north-west coastal city – which boasts more motorcycles per capita than anywhere else in Italy – taking up the slogan: “Born in Genoa, dies in Genoa.” Continue reading...

South Uist Those flying with the wrong species extricate themselves quickly and dash after their companionsWhatever the season, the machair is alive with birds. In spring and summer it is the story of singles and then pairs, as individuals sing and perform their aerial displays to advertise their worth as breeding partners. In autumn and winter it is about flocks both large and small, as resident birds congregate and are joined by others who have flown in from the north to find an easier winter.Today 100 or so lapwing are roosting in a field adjacent to the machair track. All facing the same direction, they stand motionless, apart from the occasional shift of position from a restless bird. Much as I dislike the idea of disturbing a resting flock, I’m going to have to pass close to them. Hoping to appear less of a threat, I turn my head slightly away and look down, shooting a sidelong glance now and again to see if there is any sign of unease among the lapwing. Continue reading...

A camera trap captured pictures of a herd roaming through the remote Cardamom mountains, spelling success for 14-year conservation effortRare footage of an elephant herd roaming through Cambodia’s biggest forest sanctuary has signalled the success of a 14-year conservation programme and raised hopes for the endangered species’ survival.

In a vision of the Biblical plagues and with an almighty stench, thousands of squid have washed up on Chilean shores. Residents of the Island of Santa Maria in the country’s south first noticed the molluscs on Sunday night, lying as a fleshy film over the sand. The decomposing molluscs are raising concerns of health risks for locals Continue reading...

Move comes in ongoing dispute with Delaware North, the company that lost a $2bn bid to run the national park’s hotels, restaurants and outdoor activitiesThe names of iconic hotels and other landmarks in the world-famous Yosemite national park will soon change in an ongoing battle over who owns the intellectual property, park officials said Thursday.

Hurricane Alex develops near Azores in water barely warm enough for any storm to form, say US researchersA hurricane has formed far out in the Atlantic Ocean, the first time such an event has happened in January since 1938, US officials said.Hurricane Alex’s maximum sustained winds were near 85mph (140kmh) and residents of Portugal’s mid-Atlantic Azores islands were warned to expect waves up to 60ft (18 metres) high and wind gusts up to 100mph. Continue reading...

California gas company’s own samples from Porter Ranch community contained at least twice the amount of benzene that air regulators consider normalThe utility whose leaking natural gas well has driven thousands of Los Angeles residents from their homes has publicly understated the number of times airborne levels of the cancer-causing chemical benzene have spiked over the past three months, the company’s own data suggests.

State officials argue the EPA is responsible for a Colorado mining spill in August 2015 that deposited 3m gallons of toxins into riverbeds and lands in four statesNew Mexico announced on Thursday that it plans to sue the US Environmental Protection Agency over the toxic Colorado mining spill that sent 3m gallons of waste into the Animas and San Juan rivers.New Mexico officials have filed a notice of intent to sue, the first step in filing a lawsuit against the federal government, arguing that the EPA is responsible for the massive spill on 5 August that deposited toxins into the riverbeds and agricultural lands of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Arizona. Continue reading...

Rosia Montana declared site of historical interest, granting it protection from Gabriel Resources, which has tried for 15 years to extract 300 tonnes of goldA Romanian village where a Canadian firm is planning a controversial open-cast goldmine has been declared a site of historical interest, granting it protection from mining activity.“Rosia Montana village has been designated a place of historic site of national interest which has a radius of two kilometres [just over a mile],” said Adrian Balteanu, the Romanian culture ministry’s adviser on cultural heritage. Continue reading...

Down is wonderfully warm, but campaigners say the live-plucking of geese is cruel and prevalent. Companies have brought in new policies but doubts lingerThis year’s El Niño-inspired warm winter is probably a source of frustration for anyone who shelled out hundreds of dollars on a down coat last year, and was looking forward to showing it off again. Last year, Canadian jacket-maker Canada Goose became so popular that the company experienced a problem with counterfeiting, and the company says it’s on course for US sales to grow 50% in 2016. You can be sure that when the temperature finally drops (and it’s starting to), the ubiquitous Canada Goose logo will probably regain its place on every other sleeve in America.Other brands, such as North Face and Patagonia, are also finding plenty of takers for their down coats, despite the often eye-watering prices confronting shoppers. But animal welfare groups warn that consumers should be careful over their purchases due to increasing awareness of the suffering that can go into the production of warm jackets with down, the soft fluffy feathers that lie next to the skin of geese and ducks.

Research from the University of Sheffield argues audits are working for corporations but failing workers and the environment

Study finds global warming made Britain 50-75% more likely to receive catastrophic rainfall that caused floods, but natural variation also played a roleClimate change made the UK’s record December rainfall, which caused the devastating floods, 50-75% more likely, a preliminary scientific investigation has found.“Greenhouse gas emissions are loading the weather dice towards these warmer, wetter winters,” said Friederike Otto, scientific coordinator of the climateprediction.net project, which harnessed the collective power of roughly 70,000 home computers to run thousands of climate models extremely quickly. Continue reading...

Conservation action plan for England’s most threatened bird of prey has taken traditionally opposing groups more than four years to agreeLandowners, shooters, gamekeepers and conservationists have backed a long-delayed government plan to resolve a deep-rooted conflict over England’s most threatened bird of prey.The fate of the hen harrier in the English uplands has been of serious concern following years of illegal persecution by gamekeepers who have used poisoned bait to protect the grouse-shooting interests of landowners. Continue reading...