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Updated 2025-09-19 02:31
Heathrow submits ‘shovel-ready’ plans for third runway
Government says expanding Europe's largest airport could create 100,000 jobs and drive growth
Top Texas emergency official says he was sick and asleep as deadly floods hit
William Thomas of Kerr county tells hearing illness meant he did not take part in emergency planning meetingsA key emergency official was sick and asleep for most of the day before devastating flash flooding swept through Texas hill country and killed more than 130 people over the Fourth of July weekend.Kerr county's emergency management coordinator, William B Thomas, had not spoken publicly since the floods, one of the state's worst ever natural disasters. Questions have swirled about his absence and the lack of sufficient warnings to residents about the impending storm before the Guadalupe river surged to record levels in the early hours of 4 July. Continue reading...
Jason White on water management – cartoon
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Farmers and scientists join forces in Cornwall to vaccinate badgers against TB
The groups have long been at odds over culling of badgers in England as a way to control TB in cattleThe first farmer-led programme to vaccinate badgers against tuberculosis is beginning in Cornwall with an aim to prevent transmission of the disease to cattle.The programme is significant because farmers and scientists have long been at loggerheads over the culling of badgers as a way to control TB. The three-year trial will start with 70 farms and involve farmers trapping, testing and vaccinating badgers, with training provided by scientists. An earlier pilot study of the approach showed TB rates in badgers fell from 16% to zero in four years. Continue reading...
Coalition is wedging itself on climate crisis with net zero debate, warns Liberal MP in Scott Morrison’s former seat
Exclusive: Simon Kennedy warns closed-door party meeting against backsliding on efforts to cut carbon emissions
Trump bids to scrap almost all pollution regulations – can anything stop this?
EPA tries to rescind endangerment finding' - part of drill, baby, drill' agenda that experts say poses grave threatThe Trump administration is attempting to unmake virtually all climate US regulations in one fell swoop.At an Indiana truck dealership on Tuesday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unveiled a proposal to rescind the 16-year-old landmark legal finding which allows the agency to limit planet-heating pollution from cars and trucks, power plants and other industrial sources. Continue reading...
Chinese official makes rare admission of failings over deadly Beijing floods
Local Communist party secretary says there were gaps' in city's readiness for extreme weather after at least 40 killedA Beijing city official has issued a rare public acknowledgment of official failings in the authorities' response to the severe flooding that hit China's capital this week.Yu Weiguo, a Communist party secretary for Miyun, the northern district worst affected by this week's extreme weather, said in a press conference on Thursday that there were gaps" in the city's readiness for the deadly floods. Continue reading...
After nearly 100 years, adult winter-run Chinook salmon seen in California river
State's fish and wildlife department posted a video showing an adult female guarding a nest of eggsAdult winter-run Chinook salmon have been spotted in northern California's McCloud River for the first time in nearly a century, according to the California department of fish and wildlife (CDFW).The salmon were confirmed to be seen near Ash Camp, tucked deep in the mountains of northern California where Hawkins creek flows into the McCloud River. A video posted by CDFW and taken by the Pacific states marine fisheries commission shows a female Chinook salmon guarding her nest of eggs on the river floor. Continue reading...
‘Best job in the natural world’: seed collector enlisted as modern-day Darwin to document the world’s plants
Newly appointed expedition botanist Matthew Jeffery feels daunted' but inspired by his unique globetrotting role collecting wild speciesIt was described as the best job in the natural world": an expedition botanist for Cambridge University Botanic Garden who would follow in the footsteps of Charles Darwin and go on plant-collecting adventures around the world.Within days of the job advertisement going viral, six people had sent it to Matthew Jeffery and suggested he apply. Continue reading...
Supersized stick insect discovered in high-altitude trees in Australia
The 40cm-long insect, named Acrophylla alta, weighs slightly less than a golf ball and may be the heaviest insect in Australia
Fears for South Australia’s annual cuttlefish gathering amid deadly algal bloom
Breeding event known as Cuttlefest takes place in waters off Point Lowly but this year scientists warn the effect of toxic algae could be catastrophic'
Countries failing to act on UN climate pledge to triple renewables, thinktank finds
Fossil fuel reliance likely to continue and Cop28 target of limiting global heating to below 1.5C will be missedMost global governments have failed to act on the 2023 UN pledge to triple the world's renewable energy capacity by the end of the decade, according to climate analysts.The failure to act means that on current forecasts the world will fall far short of its clean energy goals, leading to a continued reliance on fossil fuels that is incompatible with the target of limiting global heating to below 1.5C. Continue reading...
The Guardian view on England’s riverbanks: landscapes that everyone should be able to enjoy | Editorial
Only a small sliver of riverside land is accessible to the public. Rights of way shouldn't depend on the goodwill of landownersIn a country often said to be racked by division, criticising the condition of rivers is one of England's few unifying pastimes. Sewage dumping, which occurred for nearly 4m hours in English rivers and coastal waters last year, has become a potent source of anger, inspiring campaigners to push for cleaner water. Despite the concern that people show for England's rivers, however, it is remarkably difficult to stroll along their banks, let alone take a dip.The Guardian's recent reporting on the River Dart in Devon has shown that large stretches of its bank are privately owned, and many of these are difficult to access. The researcher Lewis Winks, who used Land Registry data to map the Dart's ownership, found the 47-mile long river has no fewer than 108 separate owners. The Duchy of Cornwall owns 28 miles of riverbank; two aristocratic estates own a further 13; 11.6 miles are owned via offshore companies. Continue reading...
Four Montagu’s harrier chicks take flight in first UK breeding success since 2019
Young birds were closely monitored and protected from predators after six summers without fledging successA pair of Montagu's harriers have raised four chicks in an English wheat field, the first success for Britain's rarest breeding bird since 2019.The fledglings took their maiden flights this week after being closely monitored by the RSPB and the local farmer, with a protective wire-mesh fence installed around the nest to repel predators such as foxes. Continue reading...
Adani claims its export program helps contribute to sustainable energy – but experts say that’s ‘wilful disinformation’
Indian conglomerate's claim about exporting coal and its role for developing nations is meaningless sustainability waffle' and amounts to greenwashing, one says
UN holds emergency talks over sky-high accommodation costs at Cop30 in Brazil
Concerns poorer countries could be priced out of negotiations in Belem as room rates soar amid shortageThe UN climate bureau has held an urgent meeting about concerns that sky-high rates for accommodation at this year's Cop30 summit in Brazil could price poorer countries out of the negotiations.Brazil is preparing to host Cop30 this November in the rainforest city of Belem, where representatives of nearly every government in the world will gather to negotiate their joint efforts to curb the climate crisis. Continue reading...
Hundreds evacuated after series of rockfalls in Italy’s Brenta Dolomites
Experts say thawing of permafrost due to climate breakdown is causing increase in rock collapses across AlpsHundreds of hikers and tourists were evacuated and dozens of trails closed after a series of rockfalls on the slopes of Cima Falkner in the Brenta Dolomites in the north of Italy, as experts warned of a sharp rise in landslides in the area linked to thawing permafrost.In recent days, visitors reported hearing loud booms followed by rockfalls and thick clouds of dust rising from Monte Pelmo in the Val di Zoldo after rocky pinnacles broke away and crashed down into the valley below in the municipality of Selva di Cadore in Italy's Belluno province. Continue reading...
Council recognises right of River Test to flow unimpeded and unpolluted
Test is one of only about 200 chalk streams in the world and councillors says biodiversity in and around it has declinedLocal politicians have recognised the right of a famous chalk stream, the Test in Hampshire, to flow freely and unpolluted.Councillors on Test Valley borough council voted unanimously to acknowledge the intrinsic rights" of the rivers within its boundaries, including the Test, which is renowned for its trout and fly fishing. Continue reading...
Elon Musk is turning US liberals off not just Tesla but electric vehicles in general
Disgust at the CEO's rightwing activism is casting a pall but conservatives are no more likely to buy EVsUS liberals have become so disgusted with Tesla since Elon Musk's rightward turn that they are now not only far less likely to purchase the car brand but also less willing to buy any type of electric car, new research has found.The popularity of Tesla among liberal-minded Americans has plummeted since Musk, Tesla's chief executive and the world's richest person, allied himself with Donald Trump and helped propel the president to election victory last year. Continue reading...
Experts baffled as rarely seen beaked whales involved in series of strandings
Incidents across northern Europe on 26 and 27 July have left scientists trying to understand why so many of the deep-diving whales have appearedA series of strandings of one of the world's deepest dwelling and most rarely seen types of whale in the last few days has left experts baffled over why they might have appeared in such numbers.Beaked whales are used to deep ocean waters and are so rarely seen that some species have only ever been identified through dead specimens. But on 26 and 27 July there were reports from western Ireland, Orkney in Scotland and the Netherlands of these whales being stranded, raising concerns that human actions could be implicated in the animals' deaths. Continue reading...
Scheme to release beavers into wild in England has stalled, say nature experts
Not a single licence granted since first beavers let loose in March, raising questions over application processWhen the first pair of beavers to be legally released in England crawled sleepily from their crates into the ponds of Purbeck Heath in Dorset, it seemed like a watershed moment for wildlife in the UK.Wildlife charities rejoiced as ministers finally agreed for the nature-boosting rodents to be released, subject to licence, into the wild. Nature-friendly farmers kept an eager eye out for the application forms, hoping they could host the fascinating creatures on their land. Continue reading...
Ethnic minorities in England at higher risk of heat-related deaths, says study
Research links poor housing, access to cooling and other economic factors to higher mortality rates during heatwavesEthnic minorities and people living in the most deprived areas of England are at increased risk of dying due to excess heat, according to research.A study, published in BMJ Public Health, is the first of its kind to assess the role of socio-environmental factors in the risk of heat-related deaths. Continue reading...
Half of UK councils still use pesticides in public places, research finds
Pesticide-free movement has grown, but many local authorities still spray weedkiller linked to wildlife declines and cancerMore than half of councils in the United Kingdom continue to use pesticides in parks, playgrounds, pavements, playing fields and housing estates, research revealed on Wednesday.But increasingly, local authorities are taking action to end or reduce their use of pesticides, according to research by the Pesticide Action Network. Continue reading...
Deadly China floods leave trail of destruction – in pictures
Floods have caused extensive damage in Beijing and northern China, killing 30 people and forcing tens of thousands to evacuate.
Charity in legal action against minister for failing to act over Thames Water
River Action says failure to publish and put into practice policy on nationalisation of failing water firms is unlawfulA river charity is taking legal action against the environment secretary, Steve Reed, accusing him of an unlawful failure to publish his policy on taking failing water companies into temporary nationalisation.Lawyers for River Action argue that Thames Water has breached its duties and violated its licence conditions seriously and repeatedly, making it the clearest possible case for special administration. Continue reading...
Trump moves to scrap climate rule tying greenhouse gases to public health harm
EPA administrator Lee Zeldin announced plans to revoke key scientific finding that allows for US climate regulationDonald Trump's administration on Tuesday proposed revoking a scientific finding that has long been the central basis for US action to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change.The proposed Environmental Protection Agency rule rescinds a 2009 declaration that determined that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare. Continue reading...
‘Shooting ourselves in the foot’: how Trump is fumbling geothermal energy
Former energy officials raise alarm about tariffs, cuts and other policies creating uncertainty in geothermal industryGeothermal is one of the most promising clean energy sources in the US, providing 24/7 renewable power that could meet rising energy demand from AI datacentres. But former Department of Energy officials are alarmed that Donald Trump is fumbling its potential.Compared with other clean energy sources such as solar and wind, geothermal enjoys rare bipartisan support. The US energy secretary, Chris Wright, has praised the technology, calling it an awesome resource that's under our feet". And Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act preserved tax credits for geothermal. Continue reading...
I’m obsessed with snorkelling in Scotland: starfish below, sea eagles overhead – and it really isn’t that cold
Developing snorkelling trails is part of my job, but I never tire of the teeming underwater life and seeing some of the least crowded parts of Britain's coastPeople always ask me: isn't it too cold to snorkel in Scotland? And I reply that while it's obviously much cooler than it would be in Spain, the sea does warm up from May, when the temperature rises from about 9C to as high as 12-15C by August and September.I go snorkelling in Scotland all year round. I work for the Scottish Wildlife Trust, developing snorkel trails on the Scottish coast and creating guides to the places you can go to enjoy snorkelling in a particular area. But even so, the Wildlife Trust always recommends wearing a wetsuit. Continue reading...
Only 0.5% of 90,000 oil slicks reported over five-year period, analysis finds
Pollution incidents reported between 2014 and 2019 were compared against scientific study that used satellite imagery to count slicksJust 474 out of more than 90,000 oil slicks from ships around the world were reported to authorities over a five-year period, it can be revealed, and barely any resulted in any punishment or sanctions.The figure, obtained from Lloyd's List by the Guardian and Watershed Investigations, shows the pollution incidents reported between 2014 and 2019, compared against a scientific study using satellite imagery that counted the number of slicks from ships over the same period. Continue reading...
Anglian Water to pay £63m over sewage failures
Ofwat finds company breached its legal obligations in how it operated its wastewater treatment works
Devon campaigners call for ‘right to riverbank’ after finding Dart has 108 owners
Research shows difficulties ahead for ministers if they are to keep manifesto pledge to extend riverside public accessCampaigners in Devon are calling for a right to the riverbank after finding their local river, the Dart, has 108 separate owners, with an eighth of it owned via offshore companies.Locals used site visits, angling maps, Companies House records and Land Registry data to find out who owns the River Dart. Continue reading...
Minns government’s environmental integrity condemned as ‘nonexistent’ amid 40% surge in land clearing
Independent MP Jacqui Scruby says she saw fresh koala scratchings on trees just metres from clear-felling' in parts of proposed Great Koala national park
Gorilla habitats and pristine forest at risk as DRC opens half of country to oil and gas drilling bids
Government launches licensing round for 52 fossil fuel blocks, potentially undermining a flagship conservation initiative and affecting an estimated 39 million peopleThe Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is opening crucial gorilla habitats and pristine forests to bids for oil and gas drilling, with plans to carve up more than half the country into fossil fuel blocks.The blocks opened for auction cover 124m hectares (306m acres) of land and inland waters described by experts as the world's worst place to prospect for oil" because they hold vast amounts of carbon and are home to some of the planet's most precious wildlife habitats, including endangered lowland gorillas and bonobo. Continue reading...
China floods: more than 30 killed in Beijing and tens of thousands evacuated
Authorities relocated 80,000 residents from China's capital after registering rainfall of up to 543 mm in some districtsMore than 30 people have been killed by heavy rain and flooding in Beijing and a neighbouring region, state media have reported, as tens of thousands more were evacuated from China's capital.State broadcaster CCTV said that as of midnight on Monday, 28 people had died in Beijing's hard-hit Miyun district and two others in Yanqing district as of midnight. Both are outlying parts of the sprawling city, far from the downtown. Continue reading...
England’s farmers to get new payments for cleaning up waterways
Environment secretary says Defra will be launching changes to post-Brexit scheme for sustainable farmingFarmers in England will get new payments for cleaning up the waterways near their land, the environment secretary has said.Agricultural pollution affects 40% of Britain's lakes and rivers, as fertiliser and animal waste washes off the land into waterways. Continue reading...
I was terrified of bees – until the day 30,000 of them moved into my house | Pip Harry
Two huge swarms have made themselves at home inside author Pip Harry's house - but learning to live together revealed bees can be excellent housemates
Self-imposed lockdowns, surveillance fears and forced separations: life for California’s undocumented farmworkers
Undocumented migrants form the backbone of the salad bowl of the world' - Trump's crackdown has led to hyper-vigilanceDriving into the Salinas valley, about two hours south of San Francisco, hand-painted signs fly by, advertising cherries, pistachios, avocados and garlic.From above, the valley looks like a quilt stitched together out of a thousand shades of green - the fields of lettuce, spinach and strawberries that give the region its nickname, the salad bowl of the world". Continue reading...
The life of microplastic: how fragments move through plants, insects, animals – and you
Microplastics have been found in the placentas of unborn babies, the depths of the Mariana Trench, the summit of Everest and the organs of Antarctic penguins. But how do they travel through the world, and what do they do to the creatures that carry them? Here is the story of how plastic contaminates entire ecosystems - and even the food we eat. Illustrations by Claire Harrup Continue reading...
Trial to remove shark nets from three Sydney and Central Coast beaches a good first step, scientists say
Experts welcome move by NSW government, saying nets are ineffective at preventing shark bites and indiscriminately' kill marine life
Missionaries using secret audio devices to evangelise Brazil’s isolated peoples
Exclusive: Solar-powered units reciting biblical passages have appeared in the Javari valley, despite strict laws protecting Indigenous groups
Thousands of tons of invasive seaweed ‘overwhelming’ Spanish beaches
Alga from east Asia is major threat to biodiversity, say experts as they warn of environmental catastropheThousands of tonnes of an aggressive invasive seaweed from east Asia are piling up on the beaches of the strait of Gibraltar and Spain's southern coast in what local environmentalists say is a major threat to the region's biodiversity.Since May, the local authority in Cadiz has removed 1,200 tonnes of the alga Rugulopteryx okamurae from La Caleta, the city's most popular beach, including 78 tonnes in a single day. Continue reading...
Rare water world: Australia’s Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre from the air – in pictures
The vast salt lake in the South Australian outback is dry for most of its life, having only filled to capacity three times in the past 160 years. So when water does arrive, this enormous landscape becomes a riot of colour Continue reading...
‘The sorest my legs have ever been’: hordes to descend on Hackney for litter-picking world cup
The public-spirited sport of spogomi is catching on across Britain, which boasts its world champion teamArmed with gloves, metal tongs and plastic rubbish sacks, hordes of determined litter-pickers will descend on Hackney Marshes in east London this weekend.Spogomi, a Japanese litter-picking sport, has come to the UK. Invented in 2008, it was intended as a competition to encourage people to clean up public spaces. It is now played in schools across the country as people gamify collecting rubbish. Continue reading...
Call to make wet wipe producers pay for polluting England’s waterways
Water firms claim wet wipes, which shed microplastics and cause blockages, are main source of sewage pollutionWet wipe producers should be charged to remove their pollution from England's waterways, the author of a government review into reforming the sector has said.Sewage has been a critical factor in the devastating pollution of our waterways, but other sources of pollution include microplastics, consumer products such as wet wipes, and the byproducts of modern manufacturing, such asPfas (forever chemicals"), as well as fertiliser and pesticides from farming. Many of these have been linked to harmful effects on human health and the natural environment. Continue reading...
‘Excellent size’: UK blueberry crop up nearly a quarter after warm spring
New technology also helps fruit yield, while strawberry, raspberry and blackberry output has risenBritish blueberries are the latest fruit to benefit from the warmest spring on record, with the harvest up by almost a quarter so far this year.Growers say the weather has produced an early crop with more and larger berries, while new varieties can bring higher yields and better resilience. About 5,133 tonnes are expected by the end of August, up significantly from almost 4,187 tonnes by the same point last year. Continue reading...
Two top Noaa officials linked to Trump’s ‘Sharpiegate’ incident put on leave
Two men led inquiry into 2019 debacle involving incorrect hurricane projections that tarnished federal agency's recordTwo high-ranking officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration were placed on administrative leave on Friday, fueling speculation that the Trump administration was retaliating against them for actions taken during the president's first term.Jeff Dillen, who was serving as deputy general counsel, and Stephen Volz, who heads the agency's satellites division, led the investigation into whether agency administrators abdicated their scientific ethics when they altered the forecast of a deadly hurricane to match statements made by the president. Continue reading...
US heat dome causes dangerous conditions for more than 100 million people
High temperatures and humidity across north-eastern coast increase risk of heat exhaustion, illnesses and deathMore than a 100 million people in the US will face dangerous conditions over the weekend as a heat dome that has scorched much of the center of the country nudges eastward.Heat advisories were in place on Friday all across the north-eastern coast from Portland, Maine, to Wilmington, North Carolina, with the daytime heat index temperatures 10 to 15F above average in some places. Continue reading...
‘It’s spectacular’: volunteer Dorset divers see summer of surging seahorses
After efforts to make conditions better for the elusive creatures in Studland Bay, sightings are greatly increasingThe divers emerged from the water smiling with satisfaction. They had found what they were looking for in the undersea meadows off the south coast of England.Seahorses are tricky to spot," said Mark Fox. The seagrass sways and they blend into it pretty well. It helps if it's sunny and not too choppy but you have to get your eye in. When you see them, it's brilliant." Continue reading...
As food prices rise, Mamdani wants public grocery stores in New York. Can it work?
Experts say there's plenty of precedent both in the US and abroad for state-supported food infrastructureWhen Zohran Mamdani sailed to a surprising but decisive victory in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary last month, he did so propelled by a platform laser-focused on making the country's largest city more affordable for working people. Among his proposed policies for achieving that vision - which include free childcare and a rent freeze for tenants - is the proposal to create a network of city-owned grocery stores focused on keeping food prices low rather than on making a profit.Without having to pay rent or property taxes, they will reduce overhead and pass on savings to shoppers," Mamdani said on his website. They will buy and sell at wholesale prices, centralize warehousing and distribution, and partner with local neighborhoods on products and sourcing." Continue reading...
‘Intrinsically connected’: how human neurodiversity could help save nature
Biodiversity is linked to people's diversity, and nature lends itself to people who are different, says author Joe HarknessWhen Joe Harkness received a message from a friend about macerating moth abdomens to check their genitalia to identify the species, it sparked an idea for a new book about wildlife obsessions. But over time, this developed into a completely different book: a clarion call to embrace neurodiversity in the fight against the extinction crisis.Across Britain, 15% of people are thought to be neurodivergent. In the process of writing Neurodivergent, By Nature, Harkness discovered that an estimated 30% of conservation employees were neurodivergent. Why? Continue reading...
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