South Uist, Outer Hebrides A mere 30ft away the small otter holds my gaze until, overtaken by a breaking wave, disappearing in a flurry of foamMiles of empty white beach stretch ahead and there is not another soul in sight. Piles of creamy cumulus drift across a summer blue sky while along the horizon a band of deeper but entirely unthreatening clouds only strengthens and enriches the colours of the sea.There is an unexpected warmth in the sun and not even a hint of approaching autumn in the breeze crossing this Outer Hebrides island. The tide is almost but not quite at its height. Rank after rank of small waves break on the beach, the occasional one reaching just a short distance further up the still dry sand. Continue reading...

Marine life has been halved in a single generation, according to the WWF Living Blue Planet report. In 18 years as a National Geographic photographer, Brian Skerry has seen these losses. He’s snapped the sub-marine world of Mexico, remote coral reefs in the central South Pacific, and countless endangered animals. Touring Australia, Skerry will speak on the value of storytelling, and how pictures can make a difference

Miami zoo announced on Thursday that Patty, their Matschie’s tree kangaroo became the oldest of her species ever documented. Patty is 27 years, two months and 12 days old. Tree kangaroos are native to the Huon peninsula of north-eastern New Guinea. Under International Union for Conservation of Nature classification, they are an endangered species Continue reading...

Measures announced on Thursday aim to avoid up to 1bn tonnes of carbon pollution globally by 2025 ahead of December’s climate change summit in ParisBarack Obama used his executive authority to fight climate change once again on Thursday, targeting the powerful “super pollutants” used in air conditioners and refrigerators that account for a rising share of carbon pollution.

The Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation has formally told Energy Resources Australia they are against extension plans of the Jabiluka uranium depositShares in Energy Resources of Australia have plunged more than 20% after Kakadu’s traditional owners rejected the miner’s plans to expand development of the Jabiluka uranium deposit.The community’s opposition could mean the Rio Tinto-owned miner has to write down the value of its assets. Continue reading...

South expected to be cooler and drought-stricken California may get more precipitation than usualEl Niño this winter will leave a big, wet but not necessarily snowy footprint on much of the United States, including parched California, forecasters said Thursday.The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration issued its winter forecast and “the driver of this winter’s outlook is El Niño”, said Mike Halpert, deputy director of NOAA’s climate prediction center. Continue reading...

Theo Bronkhorst, accused of failing to stop Walter Palmer’s illegal hunt of lion, says he believes he will be vindicatedA Zimbabwean hunter accused of failing to stop the killing of Cecil the lion has said that his family and business were destroyed amid the outcry that followed the lion’s death and that charges against him should be dropped.The Zimbabwean government said on Monday it would not charge American dentist Walter Palmer, who killed its most prized lion with a bow and arrow in July, because he had obtained legal authority to conduct the hunt. Continue reading...

Business secretary Sajid Javid announces further step in government’s privatisation of bank designed to fund renewable energy and waste projectsThe government’s controversial plan to privatise the Green Investment Bank (GIB) has taken a major step forwards on Thursday, as business secretary Sajid Javid announced plans to repeal the legislation that gives ministers control over the bank.In a written ministerial statement, Javid said the government intended to repeal sections of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 which was passed alongside the bank’s launch. The centrepiece of the legislation gives ministers a veto over any move to change the articles of association of the bank, including the five governing principles that require it to fulfil a green remit. Continue reading...

Volkswagen announces plan to remove emissions-rigging measures from vehicles after German authorities reject proposals for voluntary schemeVolkswagen is to recall 8.5m diesel cars across the European Union in the wake of the emissions scandal.The full extent of the work required by the manufacturer to deal with the defeat devices in its diesel vehicles became apparent on Thursday after German authorities rejected its proposals for a voluntary scheme.

Southern Solar’s 22 employees will lose their jobs as chief executive Howard Johns blames government cuts to feed-in tariffsAnother solar company has gone out of business, blaming the government for “killing off” support for the industry.

From snake bites to TB, big pharma is pulling out of investment into diseases affecting the poorest, but many argue non-profit medicines aren’t their jobWhen pharma company Sanofi Pasteur was criticised last month for ceasing its production of Africa’s only snakebite anti-venom, the spotlight fell once again on the industry’s apparent lack of interest in the developing world.

The grid says electricity margins will be ‘tight but manageable’ and has asked companiesto be ready to cut output at peak timesNational Grid has said it is more likely to draw on additional sources of power to keep the country’s electricity running after the chance of blackouts rose to its highest in a decade.The operator of pipes and pylons said it had enlisted power stations to provide extra capacity and asked companies to be ready to reduce usage to help it meet peak demand. Continue reading...

The wind speed in this breeziest of cities once hit 154mph just a few miles from the centre, but it’s not as bad as it sounds – 62 turbines generate the city’s electricity, while air pollution is non-existent as any fumes are whipped awayOn the harbour front in Wellington stands the figure of a man. Naked, eyes closed, he leans forward into a never-ending gale, a look of abandonment – perhaps joyful – moulded onto his cast-iron face.“Wellington and its elements provided me with a degree of solace in a time of unrest,” says Max Patte, the sculptor behind the self-portrait. “A transitional period of my life following a move from my home in London.” Continue reading...

Number-two reactor at Sendai has gone on line more than four years after a quake-sparked tsunami swamped a plant at FukushimaJapan on Thursday restarted a second nuclear reactor after a shutdown triggered by the 2011 Fukushima crisis, as the government pushes to return to a cheaper energy source despite widespread public opposition.

Carmaker facing hefty bill as Which? finds owners are worried about environmental impact of their vehicles and expect cash payoutsNine out of 10 Volkswagen drivers in Britain affected by the diesel emissions scandal believe they should receive compensation, increasing the pressure on the carmaker as it attempts to recover from the crisis.Almost 1.2m diesel vehicles in Britain are involved in the scandal, out of 11m worldwide, and VW faces a hefty bill if it is forced to make payouts to motorists. The company has put aside €6.5bn (£4.8bn) to deal with the cost of recalling and repairing the affected vehicles, but it also faces the threat of fines and legal action from customers and shareholders. Continue reading...

Despite several scandals worthy of Watergate over the past decade, Stephen Harper could win a fourth Canadian election next week. Can the master manipulator work his dark magic? By Nick DaviesAn unkind cartoon this summer showed the Canadian prime minister, Stephen Harper, kneeling before the statue of another politician, asking: “What now, O Great One?” That in itself would not be unkind. The punchline is that the statue is clearly labelled as that of Richard Nixon, famed above all for his attempts to corrupt democracy.As Harper tries for a fourth term in office at the Canadian federal election next week, he is trailed by an extraordinarily long list of allegations. In the Watergate scandal, all the president’s men were accused primarily of breaking the law to get Nixon a second term in the White House. In Canada, some of the prime minister’s men and women have been accused not simply of cheating to win elections but of conspiring to jam the machinery of democratic government. Continue reading...

Party also pushes for Australia’s vehicle emissions standards to be tightened to be brought into line with European levelsThe Greens will attempt to bring Volkswagen executives in front of MPs to answer questions about the emissions scandal as the government ponders its options to tighten Australia’s vehicle emissions standards.

Liz Truss says putting price tag on environment would help decision-making by businesses and government

Southern Solar is industry’s third high-profile casualty this month and founder Howard Johns is expected to blame government policyOne of Britain’s leading solar entrepreneurs is set to announce that his business has gone into liquidation, in the third high-profile casualty for the sector this month.Howard Johns, the former chairman of the Solar Trade Association and a government adviser on renewable energy, is expected to blame the collapse of Southern Solar on the government for failing to support the industry properly. Earlier this month the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) denied that proposed cuts of 87% in solar subsidy levels have tipped solar companies into crisis. Continue reading...

Enlarged industry can stay within legal limits with government help, director of Sustainable Aviation tells MPs as they meet to discuss Heathrow expansion

Study finds that a global temperature increase of 3C would cause ice shelves to disappear, triggering sea-level rise that would continue for thousands of yearsA team of researchers has found that steep cuts to emissions during the next decade are the only way to avoid a catastrophic collapse of Antarctic ice sheets and associated sea-level rise that will continue for thousands of years.The study, published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, found that should the global temperature increase to around 3C (5.4F) above the pre-industrial era then the ice shelves that hold back the giant continental ice sheets would be lost over the next few centuries. Continue reading...

No arrests made after rangers in Hwange national park discover carcasses of 26 elephants killed by cyanide poisoningRangers in Zimbabwe’s Hwange national park have discovered the carcasses of 26 elephants at two locations, dead of cyanide poisoning along with 14 other elephants which were found last week.Patrolling rangers discovered the carcasses on Tuesday, according to the Bhejane Trust and the National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority. The Bhejane Trust undertakes joint animal monitoring and welfare work with the parks agency. Continue reading...

Climate and international security are closely linked, says French foreign minister in the run-up to landmark UN climate change conference in ParisA UN conference on climate in Paris this year will also be a “conference for peace”, given that global warming threatens the world’s security, a top French official said on Wednesday.Government officials from several African and island nations gathered in Paris on Wednesday to discuss the implications of climate change for defense issues. Continue reading...

A dead whale measuring about 10.5 metres (35 feet), thought to be a minke, has been discovered on a Kent beach on Wednesday morning. Daniel Knowlton captured this footage at Forness Point at Botany Bay seafront in Thanet. Emergency responders can be seen surveying the scene. Experts from the Institution of Zoology will be dissecting the whale and taking samples which can provide an insight into the cause of death Continue reading...

The Conservative government is wiping away everything vital about Canada’s society and environment. They must be voted outThe threat of barbarism is grave, insidious and far-reaching. Those responsible are a small group nurturing a foreign-inspired ideology on Canadian soil. They pore over rigid doctrines in cloistered rooms. They scheme to impose their values, attractive only to a minority, on the majority of Canadian people. They have carefully veiled their true selves but their agenda is unmistakable: to erase the country’s achievements in security and fairness.This threat comes not from a handful of niqab-wearing Muslim women. It has always come from Canada’s Conservative party. Their imported neoconservative ideology, baked into homegrown resentment toward the federal state, has never been palatable to a country with progressive ambitions. They have risen to power through other means: money and economic clout; a deep network of right-wing media and think tanks that have shaped policy options; and an unreformed electoral system that has allowed a party with only a quarter of the electorate’s support to rule unhindered. Continue reading...

Investigation finds tuna from Thailand is not 100% traceable as company promisesGreenpeace has accused John West of making a “plainly false” claim that customers can trace its tuna back to the vessel that caught it.A tool on John West’s website allows customers to enter the can code and “see exactly where your fish came from”. Continue reading...

Ahead of Paris climtae summit, Erna Solberg says governments should end fossil fuel subsidies and introduce carbon price, reports BusinessGreenErna Solberg, the Norwegian Prime Minister, has called on the world to immediately set a global carbon price and phase out fossil fuel subsidies in order to better drive investment in low carbon technologies.Speaking at a conference hosted by the Norwegian British Chamber of Commerce in London today, Solberg argued Norway’s 26 year old carbon tax had been crucial in helping to drive development of “climate friendly” technologies. Continue reading...

Türkiye yakında dünyanın en büyük kömür santralinin sahibi haline getirebilir. Kömür atılımı kapsamında planlanan 80 yeni santrale tepkiler büyürken, muhalifler güneş enerjisi potansiyelinin göz ardı edildiğine dikkat çekiyor

Four of the five contenders call for action on the issue despite its relegation to a single question in the final part of the CNN eventDemocratic contenders promised repeatedly to take forceful action against climate change in their first presidential debate on Tuesday night – even before they were asked.

Survey shows support for shale gas has fallen to its lowest level as more women find out about the controversial processSupport for extracting shale gas in the UK has fallen to its lowest level as women find out more about the controversial process, according to a long-running survey.The University of Nottingham and YouGov polling comes as the government promises to fast track bids and with North Yorkshire council poised to make a decision on a fracking application next month.

Letter to singer, who called the plan ‘idiocy’ and actor, who said it was ‘animal genocide’, says feral cats have caused the extinction of 27 native speciesThe Australian government has written to Morrissey and Brigitte Bardot to defend its decision to kill 2 million cats.