Everybody in the ecosystem benefits from gopher tortoises being there,' says ranger at park where the animals settledDozens of gopher tortoises survived a perilous sea crossing after being swept from their homes during Hurricane Helene last summer, and are enjoying a new lease of life on a remote stretch of Florida coastline.Rangers at Fort de Soto county park near St Petersburg say that before the September storm only eight of the vulnerable species were known to be living there. Continue reading...

We do not have the luxury of rejecting solutions before we have thoroughly investigated their risks, trade-offs and feasibilityAs a lifelong scientist, I have always believed that if something is possible, we can find a way to achieve it. And yet, one of the starkest realities we now face is that the world is failing to meet its climate goals. Last year marked a historic and deeply troubling threshold: for the first time, global temperatures exceeded 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. Without drastic and immediate climate action, this breach will not be temporary. The consequences - rising sea levels, extreme weather and devastating loss of biodiversity - are no longer projections for the distant future. They are happening now, affecting millions of lives, and likely to cause trillions in damages in decades to come.But we must think beyond our immediate horizons. When I read The Iliad, I am reminded that it was written 2,800 years ago. I often wonder: in another 2,800 years, what will people - if humanity as we know it still exists - read about our time? Will they see us as the generation that failed to act or one that made the choices necessary to safeguard the planet for the future? Continue reading...

By learning to live with its ursine neighbours, mountainous Pettorano sul Gizio has drawn tourists and new residents, bucking a trend of rural declinePettorano sul Gizio is a medieval mountain town full of alleys, watchful cats and wooden doors locked sometime in the last century. In the lower parts of town, rustic charm turns into abandonment - branches grow out of walls and roofs have fallen in. The only bar closed at Christmas, after the owner died. Some For Sale" signs have been up so long the phone number is illegible.The town, with its faded ochre and orange hues, is listed as one of Italy's I Borghi piu belli (an association of historic towns). In 1920, about 5,000 people lived here, now the population is 390. It resembles many others in Italy's south-central Abruzzo region, home to a shrinking, ageing population. One nearby town has been almost completely abandoned, and is home to just 12 people. Continue reading...

Guardian readers around the world voted in the this year's contest, celebrating our spineless, friendly neighbours. But which creature won?If you didn't vote in the recent ballot, you missed out. Here was a vote where all 10 candidates were creative and morally upstanding, a vote unsullied by dubious lobbies, dodgy polls or demagogues. And if you're seeking inspiration from a figure of strength who is also strangely cute then look no further than the winner of 2025: Milnesium tardigradum, a microscopic multisegmented animal that resembles a piglet wrapped in an enormous duvet.Thousands of Guardian readers around the world voted in the contest, which we invented to celebrate the overlooked, unsung heroes of our planet. Continue reading...

Proposal that ships pay levy on emissions to fund climate action in poor countries opposed by powerful economiesPoor countries have accused the rich world of backsliding" and betrayal of their climate commitments, as they desperately tried to keep alive a long-awaited deal to cut carbon from shipping.Nations from 175 countries have gathered in London this week at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to hammer out the final details of a deal, more than a decade in the making, that could finally deliver a plan to decarbonise shipping over the next 25 years. Continue reading...

Now in its 10th year, the Parrtjima festival is a free event showcasing installations, interactive workshops and performances all centred around this year's theme, Timelessness'. The festival is on now at Alice Springs desert park until 13 April Continue reading...

Without the strongest conservation efforts, it can't be long before the Maugean skate - and other marine living fossils in Australia - are wiped out

Energoatom CEO, Petro Kotin, says major problems' need to be overcome before it can safely generate powerIt would be unsafe for Russia to restart the occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and would take Ukraine up to two years in peacetime if it regained control, the chief executive of the company that runs the vast six-reactor site has said.Petro Kotin, chief executive of Energoatom, said in an interview there were major problems" to overcome - including insufficient cooling water, personnel and incoming electricity supply - before it could start generating power again safely. Continue reading...

Exclusive: State makes no admissions as it settles case with activist who alleged police misconduct during 2019 arrest at Melbourne mining conference

Eva Czislowski, a student and activist, says Carnaby's black cockatoos used to blacken the sky. I can't believe that I won't be able to experience that,' she says. The endemic WA bird is just one of 2,000 Australian species listed as under threat, in what scientists are calling an extinction crisis

A wildlife crossing across the 101 freeway will connect two parts of the Santa Monica mountains for animalsAbove the whirring of 300,000 cars each day on Los Angeles's 101 freeway, an ambitious project is taking shape. The Wallis Annenberg wildlife crossing is the largest wildlife bridge in the world at 210ft long and 174ft wide, and this week it's had help taking shape: soil.This is the soul of the project," says Beth Pratt, the regional executive director, California, at the National Wildlife Federation, who has worked on making the crossing become a reality over the last 13 years. She says she's seen many milestones, like the 26m pounds of concrete poured to create the structure, but this one is special. Continue reading...

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If a car generates more potholes, takes up more space and poses more risk, it is only fair that its owner pays moreBritain is facing an unusual crisis: carspreading. Our road vehicles are getting bigger as people buy more and more SUVs of increasing dimensions and weight. At the same time, our streets and parking places remain the same size.The consequences of this uncontrolled vehicular expansion have become profound. Potholes are being created in greater numbers as our roads are pounded by heavier vehicles; multiple parking spaces are being taken over by single, giant cars; and road accidents are now producing more severe injuries to drivers and passengers of other vehicles. This last issue is of particular concern. Continue reading...

Constitutional expert says Tory leader's break from political consensus over target for greenhouse gasses will require monarch to choose his words carefullyKing Charles will have to temper his public support for net zero after Kemi Badenoch broke the political consensus over the UK's greenhouse gas emissions.Senior royal sources have conceded that the 76-year-old monarch, who has spent more than half a century highlighting environmental challenges, will have to choose his words more carefully now that the Conservatives under Badenoch have said it will be impossible for the UK to hit net zero by 2050. Continue reading...

Many of the suburbs and cities hit hardest in recent years were caught off-guard, and key stakeholders are racing to understand the dynamics that drive these firesCommunities across the US that were once considered beyond the reach of wildfires are now vulnerable to disaster. As fires increasingly spread deep into neighborhoods, researchers estimate roughly 115 million people - more than a third of the US population - live in areas that could host the next fire catastrophe.The understanding that many more Americans are at risk of losing their homes to wildfires comes as the climate crisis turns up the dial on extreme weather, drought and heat. But it's also the result of new research that has exposed deep and dangerous gaps in our understanding of the threat. Continue reading...

EPA bids to change chemical risk evaluations, which could expose public to higher levels of PFAS and other pollutantsThe Trump administration is quietly carrying out a plan that aims to kill hundreds of bans on highly toxic PFAS forever chemicals" and other dangerous compounds in consumer goods.The bans, largely at the state level, touch most facets of daily life, prohibiting everything from bisphenol in children's products to mercury in personal care products to PFAS in food packaging and clothing. Continue reading...

Groundbreaking' tool aims to help tree-planting efforts and identify areas to create nature-rich habitatsEngland's non-woodland trees have been mapped for the first time, using cutting-edge methods of laser detection and satellite imagery.Tree scientists at the UK's Forest Research agency have built a comprehensive picture of trees in urban and rural areas in a groundbreaking" map that goes live on Saturday. Continue reading...

Government also considering blocking more profitable farmers from a revised future schemeFarmers fear they will no longer be able to afford to restore nature in England and reduce their carbon footprint after government funding for doing this was frozen.The environment secretary, Steve Reed, recently announced that the sustainable farming incentive (SFI), which pays farmers for making space for nature on their land, would be paused and overhauled before June's spending review. The scope of the scheme - and its budget - are being reassessed. Continue reading...

We forced the government to take some action, but still it closes it eyes to the impending climate collapse. A new method of confrontation is needed

Verdict marks end of the first trial of 42 lawsuits filed about 12 years ago, alleging firm's projects destroyed the regionsChevron has been ordered to pay more than $744m in damages for destroying parts of south-east Louisiana's coastal wetlands over the years.The ruling, which came in the form of a civil jury verdict on Friday, marks the conclusion of the first trial among 42 lawsuits filed about 12 years earlier which alleged that the company's oil and gas projects have led to the degradation of the region's wetlands. Among other things, the wetlands play a key role in offering the area a measure of protection from hurricanes. Continue reading...

Dangerous weather comes after Trump administration job cuts left nearly half of offices with 20% vacancy ratesDonald Trump on Friday approved an emergency declaration for Kentucky as the central US braces for what experts in the region have warned could be a generational" flooding event, as severe spring storms that have killed at least seven continue to wreak havoc.Millions are affected across a swath of the US stretching from Texas to Ohio, and the powerful storm system that has raged for two days is expected to stall over the country's midsection, the National Weather Service (NWS) said, fueling further deluges and possible tornadoes in areas already drenched from thunderstorms bringing heavy rains. Continue reading...

Move ends bid for site near Whitehaven, Cumbria after planning permission was quashed by high courtThe Whitehaven coalmine's planning application has been withdrawn, bringing an end to a process that could have created the UK's first deep coalmine in 30 years in Cumbria.Planning permission for the mine was quashed in the high court last year which meant the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government had to reassess the planning application. However, the company has now written to the government withdrawing its planning application. Continue reading...

Plan to add 90 turbines to Rampion will create 4,000 jobs in construction and could power 1m homesThe government has approved plans to build an offshore windfarm capable of powering about 1m British homes before the end of the decade.The plan to extend the Rampion offshore windfarm by adding 90 turbines off the Sussex coast is expected to add about 1.2 gigawatts of clean power for British households and businesses. Continue reading...

Devices similar to those used during pandemic to be deployed to help stamp out trade in threatened fishLast year, a colleague of Diego Cardenosa sent the international shark trade researcher a few pieces of shark fin taken from a bowl of soup in New York City. Using a PCR test similar to those used during the Covid-19 pandemic to test for the virus, Cardenosa was able to identify the species behind the fin as sandbar shark, an endangered species found in tropical and warm-temperate waters.Now, Cardenosa and other scientists from Florida International University, alongside law enforcement officials from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), plan to deploy the tests at ports across the country in order to crack down on seafood fraud and fish trafficking. Continue reading...

Two lawmakers introduced a resolution to repeal a 2024 Biden rule that closed a low volume exemption' loopholeA new Republican plan would exempt many new toxic Pfas or forever chemicals" from health and safety review, a move criticized by opponents because it would allow the dangerous man-made substances to be used and sold with little effective scrutiny.Two House Republican lawmakers introduced a resolution under the Congressional Review Act that would repeal a 2024 Joe Biden rule that closed the low volume exemption" loophole for Pfas. The loophole allowed Pfas and chemicals produced in small enough quantities to be sent to the marketplace with virtually no review from federal regulators. Continue reading...

NSW environment watchdog investigation finds debris that washed up on Sydney beaches in 2024 consistent with a land-based sewage source'

The best of this week's wildlife photographs from around the world Continue reading...

The project in Uganda has captured the disastrous effects of the climate crisis on a vital source of water that is central to the lives and sacred beliefs of the local Bakonzo community Photographs by Project Pressure Continue reading...

Authorities race to complete clean-up operation after devastation from gales and heaviest rainfall in 20 yearsPeople on the Aegean islands, more used in April to the sight and scent of spring's blossoms, have been left reeling from flash floods spurred by typhoon-strength gales, with authorities calling a state of emergency in some of Greece's most popular destinations less than three weeks before Easter.It's a total catastrophe and it happened in just two hours," said Costas Bizas, the mayor of Paros, the island worst hit by weather not seen in decades. We need all the help we can get." Continue reading...

Campaign network calls on government to prioritise smaller cars and introduce higher charges for SUV ownersMore than 1m cars too big to fit in parking spaces are being sold in the UK each year, and numbers are growing, research has found.A trend for cars bigger than the average urban parking space means new vehicles are outgrowing towns and cities. Continue reading...

Animal rights charity argues surcharge of 40-60p discriminates against dairy-free customersA leading animal rights charity has launched a campaign calling for Gail's Bakery to drop its surcharge on plant-based milks, claiming it unfairly discriminates" against customers with dairy intolerances or those trying to make more ethical choices.Gail's, a chain that is expanding rapidly in Britain, charges 40p to 60p extra if customers want oat or soya milk in their coffee or tea. Continue reading...

White House approves Tennessee's state of emergency request as further fatalities expected to be confirmedViolent storms and tornadoes have torn across the US south and midwest, killing at least seven people and downing power lines and trees, smashing homes and upturning cars across multiple states.The outbreak of storms and tornadoes has resulted in at least seven deaths in Tennessee and Missouri, with further fatalities expected to be confirmed. One of the victims has been named: a 68-year-old man named Garry Moore who was a fire chief in Cape Girardeau county, Missouri. At least a dozen injuries have also been reported from the storms. Continue reading...

Rainfall near Memphis, Tennessee, is expected to exceed 12in over the next three daysA prolific tornado outbreak will give way to a rare and widespread flooding threat across the midwest and southern US this week, stressing the nation's short-staffed weather forecasting and disaster response efforts.At least seven people have reportedly died so far as nearly 100 tornadoes struck on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Transport secretary Heidi Alexander grants consent to London's fourth-biggest airport to allow potential 32m passengers a yearLuton airport will be allowed to almost double in capacity after the government overruled planning inspectors who recommended blocking the scheme on environmental grounds.The transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, granted a development consent order for the airport's plans to expand its perimeter and add a new terminal, allowing for a potential 32 million passengers a year. Continue reading...

Application, submitted by Cranswick, would have created one of the largest industrial poultry and pig units in EuropeA megafarm that would have reared almost 900,000 chickens and pigs at any one time has been blocked by councillors in Norfolk over climate change and environmental concerns.Councillors on King's Lynn and West Norfolk borough council unanimously rejected an application to build what would have been one of the largest industrial poultry and pig units in Europe. Continue reading...

Energy Transfer, a top backer of US president, has received requests to power even more energy-guzzling data centersOil and gas barons who donated millions of dollars to Donald Trump's presidential campaign are on the cusp of cashing in on the administration's support for energy-guzzling data centers - and a slew of unprecedented environmental rollbacks.Energy Transfer, the oil and gas transport company behind the Dakota Access pipeline, has received requests to power 70 new data centers - a 75% rise since Trump took office, according to a new investigation by the advocacy non-profit Oil Change International (OCI) and the Guardian. Continue reading...

Firm makes product used to waterproof clothing and allegedly polluted water with some kinds of PfasThe makers of Gore-Tex, a popular product commonly used to waterproof clothing by companies such as the North Face and Mountain Hardware, poisoned drinking water and sickened residents around their facilities in rural Maryland, two lawsuits allege.The facilities, about 90 miles north-east of Baltimore, polluted drinking water with levels up to 700 times above federal limits with some kinds of Pfas, a group of toxins known as forever chemicals" due to their environmental longevity. The tainted water caused high rates of cancers and other diseases linked to Pfas exposure in the area, a class action suit alleges. Continue reading...

Traditional methods benefit hundreds of species but as new agricultural techniques take over, the distinctive haystacks mark a vanishing way of lifeGolden haystacks shaped like teardrops have been a symbol of rural life in Romania for hundreds of years. The 3-metre-high (10ft) ricks are the culmination of days of hard work by families, from children up to grandparents, in the height of summer.Together they cut waist-high grass, leave it to dry in the hot sun and stack it up to be stored over the winter, combing the hay downwards to protect it from harsh winds, heavy rain and snow. Throughout winter, clumps of it are removed from the haystacks and fed to livestock. Continue reading...

ANU climate scientist says everyone is getting fatigued these records keep falling - it's now incredibly predictable'

Animals affected by domoic acid are known to exhibit erratic behavior and poisonings are becoming frequentA teenager was attacked by a sea lion in southern California, raising concerns that a recent increase in algae-induced poisonings among marine mammals could have elicited the erratic behavior.Phoebe Beltran initially feared it was a shark when she was bitten repeatedly during a 1000-yard swim test for the Junior Lifeguards cadet program in Long Beach on 30 March. Relatives onshore saw the sea lion pop its head out of the water before it swam away, the Los Angeles Times reported. Continue reading...

Reports predict global heating will bring catastrophes and that air conditioning market could grow by 41%The world is on track for disastrous global heating - but this will create profits for some air conditioning companies, according to forecasts by leading Wall Street financial institutions.Recent reports by Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase and the Institute of International Finance all make clear the finance sector considers the Paris climate agreement limiting global temperatures, signed a decade ago by nearly 200 nations, is effectively dead and investors should plan accordingly. Continue reading...

Hurricane Helene proved a hard truth: a freezer of seeds is the literal version of putting all your eggs in one basketAbout a month after Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina last fall, Rodger Winn and I met in an Asheville, North Carolina, supermarket parking lot. He'd driven two hours from Little Mountain, South Carolina, where the passing storm had also left its destructive mark.When the power finally came back on," Winn said, two of my freezers didn't work." Winn was worried not about spoiled food inside, but his seed collection. On that autumn day, in an act of forced downsizing and seed philanthropy, Winn handed over two boxes filled with seeds. He wanted me, as founder of the non-profit Utopian Seed Project, to share the seeds with farmers across the region. The boxes contained a trove of Appalachian varieties: speckled field peas, white mountain half-runner beans, purple-podded bush beans and lots of butterbeans. Continue reading...

Appeal court finds in favour of anglers who said plans to clean up river were so vague as to be totally ineffectual

If Peter Dutton needs to court the crossbench to form minority government after the election, he would risk putting his Coalition partner offside on climate and environment policy

Experts are desperate to analyse rusty patched bumblebee nests for information that might help save them. But they are extremely hard to find - unless you're a trained conservation canine

Wild 5.5 metre swells hammer the eastern NSW coastline, causing damage to key walkways and closing beaches

A 19th-century zoologist found the little salt dweller', which could be a portal to the past - if only we could locate it againLast February, with colleagues Gert and Philipp and my daughter Francesca, I made the long journey to an unremarkable city called Rio Cuarto, east of the Argentinian Andes. We went in search of a worm of unusual distinction.Why a worm? As humans, we naturally love the animals that are most familiar. But from a zoologist's point of view, the vertebrates, from mammals and birds to frogs and fish, can be seen as variations on a single theme. We all have a head at one end (with skull, eyes and jaws); in the middle, a couple of pairs of limbs (a goldfish's fins, or your arms and legs); and, holding all this together, a backbone ending in a tail. Continue reading...

More than half of Britain's 59 native species are in long-term decline, UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme findsLast summer was the fifth worst in nearly half a century for butterflies in Britain, according to the biggest scientific survey of insect populations in the world.For the first time since scientific recording began in 1976, more than half of Britain's 59 native species are in long-term decline. Continue reading...

The minor party makes pledge as Labor faces calls to explain its nature policy and plans for a federal EPA

Government wants to spur economic growth and drive housebuilding but charities say nature should be priorityWildlife groups have expressed alarm after ministers promised a radically streamlined" approach to UK environmental regulation intended to drive economic growth and speed up new housing, as well as major projects such as airports.While officials said the plans should boost nature conservation overall, the removal of what one called bat by bat" decisions, a reference to the 100m bat shelter constructed for part of HS2, could water down individual protections. Continue reading...