Exclusive: Bosses who signed letter eight years ago now highly critical of PM's plans to roll back net zero policiesBusiness leaders who warned against Ed Miliband in 2015 have now turned on Rishi Sunak, criticising the prime minister's plans to roll back net zero policies.Some of Britain's top entrepreneurs have told the Guardian that the plans have caused uncertainty for business, reduced the country's international standing and punished investors who made early decisions on net zero based on the original timeline. Continue reading...
by Damian Carrington Environment editor on (#6F7W8)
Even if the 2050 goal is still met, postponing action - as the UK has done - will cause more heat and damagePostponing action and taking a slower route to net zero emissions by 2050 will worsen the climate crisis even if the goal is still reached by that date, the new chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned.Prof Jim Skea also said that approving new oil and gas fields only increased the already large amount of reserves that will have to be kept in the ground if global heating limits are to be reached. Continue reading...
More than 600,000 people are released from prisons every year in the US and face an array of barriers to re-entry. For many, food has been a refugeWrite this down: Put together ramen noodles, cheesy crackers and squeeze cheese - that's your dough. Mix barbecue sauce and salsa to layer on a marinara. Break your shaving mirror in half to create an edge just sharp enough to slice a cheddar block.Now, the tricky part. Make a funnel out of a toilet paper roll and light the inside. Stick a pencil in either end of a summer sausage like you would for a barbecue. Twist the pencils on the edge of the toilet, over the flame, making sure the smoke goes down the funnel, inside the toilet. Chop up the now-cooked sausage, and you've got Michael Carter's jailhouse pizza. Continue reading...
The irony of having too many salmon as global populations fall is not lost on locals, who have seen the pristine Tana River littered with the rotting corpses of an invasive Pacific species that is pushing out the local Atlantic speciesAlong the border between Norway and Finland lies the world's greatest Atlantic salmon river. To the Norwegians, it is the Tanaelva or Tana; the Finns call it the Tenojoki or Teno. But to both countries it is known as one of the purest and cleanest rivers, passing through largely unspoiled and unpolluted regions from Finnmark, Norway's northernmost county, into Lapland.Now, however, the river's waters and banks are crowded with rotting fish, their skin peeling away, and the air is thick with the odour of decaying flesh. It's a mess. It's quite dramatic, says Aino Erkinaro, a doctoral researcher from the University of Oulu in Finland. And, oh man, it smells so bad now." Continue reading...
Everyone knows Australia's largest bird, the emu, but how many are familiar with our smallest? At only 8cm to 9cm long, the weebill generally goes unnoticed due to its small stature and earthy colours, even though it is found across much of the country. It's most often found gleaning insects from eucalyptus leaves, which at times are bigger than the bird itself
by Robyn Vinter North of England correspondent on (#6F7C4)
Kieran Chapman, 27, says removal of young sycamore he planted at site of historic felled tree is devastating'A man who planted a sapling at the site where the Sycamore Gap tree previously stood at Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland has said it is devastating" that it has been removed.The National Trust dug up the young sycamore planted by 27-year-old Kieran Chapman metres away from the stump of the historic tree, which was illegally felled overnight on Wednesday. Continue reading...
Each year gets hotter but there's still barely any air conditioning in the state's prisons. I know what it's like to be cooked aliveThis essay was published in partnership with Prison Journalism Project, which publishes independent journalism by incarcerated writers and others affected by incarceration.Almost everybody has visited a fast-food restaurant or roadside gas station at some point in their lives. Can you picture the rotisserie chickens, slowly rotating under the red-hot light? Continue reading...
William became largest private landholder in the national park when he inherited Duchy of CornwallCampaigners are urging Prince William to invest in significant rewilding across swathes of Dartmoor's predominantly farmed land.The land became William's after he inherited the Duchy of Cornwall, an extensive landholding including the largest privately owned area of Dartmoor national park, from his father, King Charles, when he succeeded to the throne. Continue reading...
Countries including France, Germany and Poland all had their hottest Septembers on recordAustria, Belgium, France, Germany, Poland and Switzerland have all experienced their hottest Septembers on record, with unseasonably high temperatures set to continue into October, in a year likely to be the warmest in human history.As 31C (88F) was forecast in south-west France on Sunday and 28C in Paris, the French weather authority, Meteo-France, said September's average temperature was 21.5C, between 3.5C and 3.6C above the norm for the 1991-2020 reference period. Continue reading...
The Chumash tribe had advocated for California's central coast to be protected, but a draft management plan left out the stretch they had hoped would be protectedViolet Sage Walker stands on the bow of Greenpeace's Arctic Sunrise ship and looks out at Morro Rock jutting up from the Pacific Ocean. The dramatic promontory - known as Lisamu' in Chumash, the language of Walker's tribe - is part of a stunning stretch of California coastline she hoped would soon be part of a sprawling new marine sanctuary six times the size of Yosemite.Walker is the chairwoman of the Northern Chumash Tribal Council, a small group of Indigenous Americans who once lived along the coast of San Luis Obispo county. Records of their occupation of the central coast date back to 18,000 years. Continue reading...
Investigation begins as people complain of diarrhoea and vomiting after swimming in Hever Castle's lakeThe organisers of a triathlon on a lake fed by the River Eden in Kent have launched an investigation after a number of competitors fell ill with diarrhoea and vomiting.The Castle Race Series, organisers of the triathlon and other competitions at Hever Castle last weekend, said rigorous tests in the days and weeks leading up to the event had indicated the water was safe to swim in. Continue reading...
Ngo Thi To Nhien detained over charges of appropriating documents', a government spokesperson confirmedVietnam state media has confirmed the arrest of the director of an independent energy policy thinktank - the sixth expert working on environmental issues to be taken into custody in the past two years.A rights group reported last month that Ngo Thi To Nhien, executive director of the Hanoi-based Vietnam Initiative for Energy Transition (Viet), had been detained, although at the time there was no official confirmation. Continue reading...
Arrival result of Enfield reintroduction scheme, started last year as part of natural flood defence projectA baby beaver has been photographed in London for the first time in 400 years, 18 months after an initiative began to reintroduce the species to the capital.Enfield council began London's beaver reintroduction programme last year as part of a wider rewilding and natural flood-management project. Continue reading...
Household staple is now on the menu of a wide range of restaurants, and featured in recipe books by famous chefsSmashed green vegetables for brunch have become a fixture on British tables over the last decade - but the avocado might finally be edged off the organic sourdough by a new topper. Peas on toast is now officially a thing.The hashtag #peasontoast has had more than 3.3m views on TikTok and Google searches for peas on toast" have increased by 133% this month. The dish is now on the menu of a wide range of restaurants and featured in recipe books by some of the UK's most celebrated chefs. Continue reading...
Governor says 28 people have been rescued, including 15 from cars and six from flooded basement apartmentsAs flash flooding swept over parts of the New York City region on Friday, residents reeled from powerful downpours and surging waters. On Saturday, some localities in Connecticut and Long Island braced for still more rain.While no fatalities have been reported, scenes of chaos emerged as residents waded through knee-deep water in search for higher ground and drivers abandoned their vehicles on overwhelmed highways. In one north Brooklyn, New York City, building, residents said raw sewage seeped into their apartments amid the torrent. Continue reading...
Beloved, closely watched ursine popularity competition judging the stockiest bear before hibernation threatened by shutdownA looming government shutdown threatens to claw its way into a crowd-pleasing Alaska tradition: Fat Bear Week.Alaska's most-watched popularity contest, Fat Bear Week involves residents picking their favorite fat brown bear who's been stocking up for winter by noshing on salmon in Katmai national park & preserve. Viewers of the bears vote online in tournament-style brackets for those they want to advance to the next round until a champion is crowned in the weeklong contest. Continue reading...
by Karen McVeigh in Westfjords, Iceland on (#6F6FZ)
Aquaculture is bringing jobs and money to rural regions, but a huge escape of farmed fish in August could devastate local salmon populationsClad in black waders, Gumundur Hauker Jakobsson jumps into the River Blanda, whose freezing waters run down from the Hofsjokull glacier. Armed with a net, he casts around the ascending pools of the river's fish ladder", built to aid wild salmon migrating up this powerful waterway from the sea.Within minutes, he pulls out a 15lb silver fish, which thrashes and writhes against the net, then another, then another - five in all. The wild salmon of the Blanda here in north-west Iceland are some of the largest and most athletic in a country where the rivers are considered among the world's best. King Charles has fished for salmon here, as have David Beckham and Guy Ritchie; Eric Clapton is a regular.Gumundur Hauker Jakobsson draws a salmon from the river Continue reading...
by Peter Walker Deputy political editor on (#6F5RK)
Low-traffic neighbourhoods and fines also face clampdown under plans condemned by active travel groupsRishi Sunak has pledged to end anti-car measures" as he set out a series of ideas to prioritise the needs of drivers at the likely expense of other road users such as bus passengers, cyclists and pedestrians.Outlining what he called a long-term plan to back drivers", the prime minister unveiled a clampdown on 20mph limits, bus lanes, low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs), and the ability of councils to fine drivers who commit offences. Continue reading...
The interior department's contingency plan emphasizes the need to protect park resources and ensure visitor health and safetyNational parks across the US will close to visitors as soon as Sunday if Congress is unable to avert a government shutdown, the Department of Interior has announced.Gates will be locked, visitor centers will be closed, and thousands of park rangers will be furloughed," the interior department wrote in a news release on Friday. Accordingly, the public will be encouraged not to visit sites during the period of lapse in appropriations out of consideration for protection of natural and cultural resources, as well as visitor safety." Continue reading...
Rising temperatures could be passing tolerance threshold for endangered animals as Lake Tefe reaches 39CThe sudden die-off of more than a hundred Amazonian river dolphins in recent days has prompted fears that rising global heat could be passing the tolerance threshold of species in vulnerable areas.The floating corpses of the endangered mammals, along with thousands of dead fish, have appeared at Lake Tefe where the temperature is now like a hot bath after a protracted drought has dried up most of the water. Continue reading...
Party urged to commit to revoking licence for site in North Sea and back comprehensive Green New DealYoung climate activists staged sit-down protests outside the offices of every member of Labour's shadow cabinet on Friday, calling on the party to take a tougher line on the proposed new Rosebank oilfield and back a comprehensive Green New Deal.This week the UK's biggest untapped oilfield was given the go-ahead despite widespread opposition from scientists, poverty campaigners and climate and energy experts. Continue reading...
Fish Legal win permission to summon firm to face allegations linked to diesel pollution of River TestA judge has given permission for a private prosecution to go ahead against a water company accused over the pollution of one of the UK's most cherished fishing rivers.Southern Water will appear in court in February to face allegations linked to diesel pollution in the River Test in Hampshire. Continue reading...
Administration releases plan, which represents lowest number of lease sales since 1980, but is still set to increase oil productionThe Biden administration on Friday released a plan to sell as many as three offshore oil and gas leases over the next five years, garnering criticism from some climate advocates.Set to govern potential sales through late 2028, the hotly anticipated plan from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, a part of the interior department, includes no auctions for next year, and represents the lowest number of lease sales since the program began in 1980. Continue reading...
Disgust spreads across country as travellers post videos apparently showing insects on Paris public transportFrance's growing bedbug crisis has sparked a political row as Paris city hall said the invasion of bloodsucking insects must be tackled before next year's Olympic Games and the transport minister summoned train and bus operators to prevent the bugs multiplying on seats.A wave of panic and disgust has spread across the country as travellers have posted photos and videos purportedly showing the insects on the Paris local transport system, high-speed trains and at Charles de Gaulle airport. Continue reading...
Competition aimed at encouraging Gotland residents to save water is being copied elsewhereDry, brown grass is no longer a source of shame on one Swedish island where residents have been competing over the ugliest lawn" in an attempt to save water - and it seems the trend is spreading.It was the easiest competition to win, I didn't have to do anything," said this year's winner Stina Ostman, a resident of Sweden's largest island of Gotland, who has mixed feelings about her victory. It's always nice to win, even if you are the worst," she said. Continue reading...
Robert Macfarlane says tree's felling was part of hostile culture and calls for forest to be planted in its honourThe felling of the Sycamore Gap tree at Hadrian's Wall symbolises a wider attack on nature in the UK, according to an award-winning landscape writer and poet.Robert Macfarlane said the sight of the downed 300-year-old tree made him and many others feel sick. I just see this as part of a piece with a much broader hostile environment towards the living world in this country," he told the BBC. Continue reading...
by Alice Fowle and Morgan Thomas (MetDesk) on (#6F5MD)
Cape Town mayor declares major incident as roads closed and 80,000 people left without electricityExtreme rain and strong winds across South Africa's Western Cape province have caused flooding, torn off roofs, destroyed crops and damaged roads this week. It is estimated that the 48-hour rainfall totals between Sunday and Monday were between 100mm to 200mm (4-8in) in this region.According to the Cape Town Disaster Risk Management Centre, 12,000 people were affected, but a further 80,000 people were left without electricity, according to the national power utility. The mayor of Cape Town signed a major incident declaration for additional resources and relief measures as 80 roads have been closed, 200 farm workers have been stranded and rail services have been suspended in the Western and Eastern Cape provinces. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: A stunning new report lays bare the threats to British wildlife's biodiversity, however all is not lost Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. Sorry to bring you more bad news, but with this one there is - hopefully - something we can collectively do to make it less bad.A frankly alarming 16% (or one in six) of all the 10,000 wildlife species in Great Britain are at risk of extinction, according to a report by 60 research and conservation organisations. Among those at risk are some of the country's most well known and loved birds, animals and plants, including turtle doves, water voles, lady's slipper orchids, hazel dormice and European eels. The future is particularly bleak for birds, with about 43% of species facing the risk of extinction.Tax | UK households are facing an average tax rise of 3,500 a year by the next election, the country's leading economics thinktank has said - the biggest increase over a parliament on records dating back more than 70 years.Conservatives | Rishi Sunak is to set out his plan for motorists" that will limit the number of 20mph speed restrictions and favour drivers over bus passengers - setting ministers on a collision course with local authorities.Prison | Growing numbers of criminals in England and Wales are being spared jail sentences because of overcrowding, the Guardian has revealed.UK news | The victim of a stabbing on a busy street in south London during morning rush hour has been named by police as 15-year-old Elianne Andam, who was described by family as the light of our lives".Environment | A 16-year-old boy was been arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage in connection with the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree in the north of England, police said. Continue reading...
After 180 years, flowers and floral sculptures make a return to the famous stone circle this weekendWith the autumn equinox gone and the winter months not far away, Salisbury Plain can take on a rather chilly, sombre air.But not this weekend when displays of 5,000 blooms - cerise pinks, deep crimsons, vibrant oranges - will light up the landscape to celebrate a largely forgotten Victorian tradition: the Stonehenge dahlia shows. Continue reading...
The 300-year-old tree, set in a dramatic dip near crumbling Roman walls, drew photographers and tourists from all over the world until it was felled in a suspected act of vandalism
Members of Sunrise Movement refused to vacate House speaker's office entrance until he pledged to avert US government shutdownScores of young activists with the Sunrise Movement, a youth-led climate organization, protested in the office of the House speaker, Kevin McCarthy, on Thursday morning, demanding he avert a complete government shutdown.Capitol police arrested 18 of the youth who blocked the office entrance and refused to vacate until McCarthy pledged to support bridge funding to keep the government open, including to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema). Continue reading...
Green campaigners relieved after last week's decision to delay ban on petrol and diesel carsThe government has confirmed the majority of new cars sold in Britain will have to be electric by 2030 despite Rishi Sunak's decision last week to delay a ban on petrol and diesel cars by five years.Under the long-awaited zero emissions vehicle (ZEV) mandate, 80% of sales must be fully electric, or another alternative, within seven years. Carmakers would have to pay 15,000 for each petrol or diesel engine above that threshold, the Department for Transport said on Thursday. Continue reading...
Toxic substances pollute the Boeing and government-owned site and are probably contaminating nearby river used to water cropsTwo highly toxic chemicals polluting a former Nasa research site are also probably contaminating the Los Angeles River and aquifer from which the region's agricultural growers draw their water, watchdog groups and a whistleblower charge.The Santa Susana field laboratory about 30 miles north of downtown Los Angeles is already notorious for its radioactive waste, but the site, which is owned by the federal government and Boeing, is also now suspected of leaching polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) forever chemicals" into the water. Continue reading...
Lloyd's of London, Zurich and Swiss Re among top 10 insurers of largest US coalmines, study findsLloyd's of London and other big European insurers are underwriting almost a third of US coal production despite their net zero pledges, according to research, with the Lloyd's insurance market emerging as the second-biggest player.A report from the Insure Our Future campaign group found that Lloyd's, Zurich and Swiss Re are among the top 10 insurers of the 25 biggest US coalmines, which produced more than 60% of the country's output last year. They underwrite 13 mines producing 30.7% of US coal. Continue reading...
by Robyn Vinter North of England correspondent on (#6F4QE)
Police investigating after former tree of the year winner, estimated to be several hundred years old, felledA police investigation has been launched into the felling of one of the most photographed trees in the UK, the Sycamore Gap tree at Hadrian's Wall, Northumberland, which was found cut down on Thursday morning.The world famous tree, voted English tree of the year in a Woodland Trust competition in 2016 and featured in the 1991 film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, is thought to have been deliberately felled. Continue reading...
by Leyland Cecco in Haida Gwaii. Photographs by Cole on (#6F4R0)
Thirty years ago, when the people of Haida Gwaii blockaded logging roads in British Columbia, few foresaw the result - the remarkable Gwaii Haanas agreement that has reshaped how to manage contested areasOn summer days, Haley and Samantha Garvie hop barefoot between barnacle-crusted black rocks, scouting for tiny crabs and periwinkle shells. Depending on the tides, they might even spot colourful glass fishing floats - a rare treat carried by ocean currents to the southern tip of Haida Gwaii all the way from Japan, more than 4,000 miles away. In the evenings, they join their mother, Grace, and older sister, Joey, treading the paths their ancestors once walked, gathering the same berries and listening to the same birds.There's always so much to learn here, like the path of the kingfisher or the way the oystercatchers chase off hawks," says Grace, a member of the Haida Watchmen programme, tasked with guarding a string of historic sites. Continue reading...
The climate crisis has intensified the rodents' bloodthirsty fighting. From a chalet high on the French-Italian border, scientists are documenting their battlesThe ecologist Christophe Bonenfant strides down the mountainside, a metal cage strapped to his back. Inside, a hessian bag twitches and squirms. His cargo is 4kg of befuddled alpine marmot, a mountain rodent admired by hikers, immortalised by Goethe and Beethoven, and the star of a beloved French ad for Milka chocolate.The creatures' cuddly reputation, however, belies a vicious reality. The life of an alpine marmot is a never-ending bloody battle for dominance. They are, Bonenfant's colleague Rebecca Garcia says, mega-violent". And now the climate crisis is making their fight for survival in the Alps more deadly than ever. Continue reading...
Emails show David Bernhardt of interior department overrode superintendent of California park, causing chaos and destruction'By the time superintendent David Smith decided to close Joshua Tree national park on 7 January 2019, the list of problems was already long. Tire tracks wove through the wilderness mapping a path of destruction where rare plants had been crushed and trees toppled. Charred remains of illegal campfires dotted the desert, and historic cultural artifacts had been plundered. Trash piles were growing, vault toilets were overflowing and park security workers were being pushed to their limits.It was week three in what would become the longest shutdown of the US government, and the famed California park was feeling the consequences of operating without key staff, services and resources. Continue reading...
Volume lost during hot summers of 2022 and 2023 equal to total depletion between 1960 and 1990, says reportSwiss glaciers have lost 10% of their volume in just two years, a report has found.Scientists have said climate breakdown caused by the burning of fossil fuels is the cause of unusually hot summers and winters with very low snow volume, which have caused the accelerating melts. The volume lost during the hot summers of 2022 and 2023 is the same as that lost between 1960 and 1990. Continue reading...
by Victor Moriyama in Cacoal, Rondônia on (#6F4KN)
The photographer Victor Moriyama follows an Indigenous fire brigade as they try to fill the gap left by the Brazilian state in Rondonia, one of the most deforested regions of the AmazonPreserving the world's largest tropical forest poses an immense challenge for the governments of Latin America. This task is exacerbated by the inefficiency of public policies and the escalating land conflicts that plague various Brazilian biomes.In response to these threats, Indigenous peoples have taken matters into their own hands, rallying to oversee and protect their territories. Continue reading...
by Dan Sabbagh Defence and security editor on (#6F4GJ)
International regulators unable to properly monitor Russian-held site, says dossier sent to western leadersInternational regulators are incapable of properly monitoring safety at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, according to a critical dossier compiled by Greenpeace that is being sent to western governments on Thursday.The environmental campaign group concludes the International Atomic Energy Agency has too few inspectors at Europe's biggest nuclear plant - four - and that there are too many restrictions placed on their access. Continue reading...
Environment | The Guardian