Environment | The Guardian

Robots being used to gather sample that will give clues about conditions inside the reactors, a step towards decommissioning plant hit by tsunami in Japan 13 years agoA difficult operation to remove a small amount of radioactive debris from Japan's stricken Fukushima nuclear plant has begun, after technical issues suspended an earlier attempt.Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) said in a statement on Tuesday that its pilot extraction operation" had started. It will take about two weeks, according to the company. Continue reading...

Latin America was the most deadly region in which to defend ecosystems from mining and deforestation, with Indigenous people among half the deadAt least 196 people were killed last year for defending the environment, with more than a third of killings taking place in Colombia, new figures show.From campaigners who spoke out against mining projects to Indigenous communities targeted by organised crime groups, an environmental defender was killed every other day in 2023, according to a new report by the NGO Global Witness.Find more age of extinction coverage here, and follow the biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield on X for all the latest news and features. Continue reading...

Vanuatu, Fiji and Samoa want international criminal court to class environmental destruction as crime alongside genocideThree developing countries have taken the first steps towards transforming the world's response to climate breakdown and environmental destruction by making ecocide a punishable criminal offence.In a submission to the international criminal court on Monday, they propose a change in the rules to recognise ecocide" as a crime alongside genocide and war crimes. Continue reading...

The last time the National Farmers' Federation marched on Canberra politicians were carefully controlled. This time the agenda looks more useful for politicians than farmers

Animal rights groups had claimed beluga named Hvaldimir, which was found dead last month, had been shotA beluga whale that rose to fame in Norway after its unusual harness prompted suspicions that the creature was trained by Russia as a spy died after a stick became stuck in its mouth, police have said.The lifeless body of the whale, named Hvaldimir - a combination of the Norwegian word for whale and the first name of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin - was found floating in the sea on 31 August by a father and son fishing in Risavika Bay, southern Norway. Continue reading...

Chongqing authorities say cloud seeding to break heatwave did not cause winds that sent laundry flyingIt was the talk of the town. After the authorities sought to break a long-running heatwave in Chongqing by using cloud-seeding missiles to artificially bring rain, the Chinese megacity was blasted by an unusual weather event - an underwear storm.Termed the 9/2 Chongqing underwear crisis", an unexpected windstorm on Monday brought gusts of up to 76mph (122km/h), scattering people's laundry from balconies on the city's high-rises. Douyin, China's sister app to TikTok, was filled with videos of pants and bras flying through the skies, landing in the street and snagging on trees. Continue reading...

Louisianans say a major accident at a sprawling Marathon refinery caused health issues. The company insists there were no offsite impacts'At 8.04am on 25 August last year, Darnell Alboudoor watched a plume of black smoke blanketing the sky and rolling in the direction of her family home.A stench like burning oil filled the air on that piping hot summer morning, as Alboudoor, 54, looked in the direction of the sprawling petroleum refinery, which sat a few hundred feet from her back yard. She called 911. Continue reading...

Support for government's environmental legislation offered in exchange for protections that deliver immediate, tangible impacts'

Solar power could enable 400 million Africans without water to tap into groundwater aquifers. However, we must ensure smaller projects do not lose out in the rush for new technologyIt's a truly dreadful irony: for many of the 400 million people in sub-Saharan Africa who lack access to even a basic water supply, there is likely to be a significant reserve in aquifers sitting just a few metres below their feet.Groundwater - the water stored in small spaces and fractures in rocks - makes up nearly 99% of all of the unfrozen fresh water on the planet. Across the African continent, the volume of water stored underground is estimated to be 20 times the amount held in lakes and reservoirs. Continue reading...

Climate crisis is driving key predators from their homes and threatening an already embattled ecosystemSharks are deserting their coral reef homes as the climate crisis continues to heat up the oceans, scientists have discovered.This is likely to harm the sharks, which are already endangered, and their absence could have serious consequences for the reefs, which are also struggling. The reef sharks are a key part of the highly diverse and delicate ecosystem, which could become dangerously unbalanced without them. Continue reading...

Moules frites are a staple, but the majority of the shellfish eaten in the country are imported. Previous attempts to farm them have foundered - but a bumper harvest this year suggests the delicate' Belgian mussel is here to stayIt is harvest day at the Westdiep sea farm and the crew are bringing their haul on to the boat: 12-metre long ropes laden with clusters of blue mussels. Bobbing on the water just three nautical miles off the Belgian coast, the four-man crew on the little red Smart Farmer use a crane to hoist the ropes on deck. The mussels go on to a steel conveyor belt, straight into the declumper", a machine that will break up bunches of molluscs into smaller groups.It may look like a typical late summer scene on the Belgian North Sea coast, but the mussel harvest is a novelty. Although Belgium is renowned for its moules frites, it has long struggled to cultivate the shellfish for its national dish on a commercial scale. Of the estimated 20,000 tonnes of mussels Belgium consumes each year, most are imported from Zeeland in the Netherlands. Continue reading...

Even a majority of Republicans support efforts to hold manufacturers accountable for allegedly deceptive claimsConcern about the fossil fuel and plastics industries' alleged deception about recycling is growing, with new polling showing a majority of American voters, including 54% of Republicans, support legal efforts to hold the sectors accountable.The industries have faced increasing scrutiny for their role in the global plastics pollution crisis, including an ongoing California investigation and dozens of suits filed over the last decade against consumer brands that sell plastics. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Experts say legislation is broken' when it's cheaper for landholders to break the law than it is to apply for permits

Uluru, the Daintree and Bondi beach among locations that could be impacted if planet hits even 2C of warming by 2050

Provisionally known as Greens Organise, the collective will fight electoral assimilation' and push for radical policiesLeftwing members of the Green party are calling for a shift towards an internationalist, anti-capitalist and ecologically transformative agenda" as they launch a new group at their party's conference this weekend.The new collective aims to combine the party's traditional environmentalist politics with new strands of ecological consciousness, from river pollution and right to roam campaigns to an internationalist and decolonial climate justice movement". Continue reading...

Environment minister lambasts opposition leader over vow to overturn her rejection of tailings dam at McPhillamys goldmine

Creating a fox-proof haven for endangered eastern quolls required a high, encircling fence. But what about the other wildlife?

The problem: a fence that protects eastern quolls threatens long-necked turtles in Booderee national park at Jervis Bay. The solution? Turtle tunnels. Nine water-filled tunnels were built beneath a 82-hectare fence that surrounds the botanic gardens which keep out feral predators, providing a safe passage for the reptiles to go between watering holes. Over a period of 123 days, conservationists recorded 73 successful instances of the turtles using the tunnels

Jacob Rees-Mogg criticises plans for 2.6m members to decide on increasing share of vegan and vegetarian optionsNational Trust members are being invited to vote on a plan to make 50% of the food in its cafes vegan and vegetarian as part of the charity's commitment to reach net zero by 2030.Cafe menus at the trust's 280 historic sites are already 40% plant-based. Now, the trust's 2.6 million members will get to vote on whether the charity should gradually increase this figure to 50% over the next two years. Continue reading...

Burning with unquenchable resentment, Restore Trust is making another attempt at taking over the institutionThe leaves are starting to change and there's autumnal coolth in the air. Which means that the opaquely funded private organisation called Restore Trust is once again making its annual attempt to take over one of the country's most successful and best-loved institutions, the National Trust. Burning with unquenchable resentment about a 2020 report that truthfully stated that Winston Churchill opposed Indian independence; armed with inflated stories about mushroom bans, cancelled Easters and vote-rigging; and furious about a single disco ball in one room of one of the National Trust's 230 historic houses, Restore Trust has once again put up a slate of candidates for the National Trust's council, with a view to turning their grievances into policy. If you're a member of the National Trust, and you'd rather not see it turned into a platform for an angry minority, vote now for its recommended candidates. Continue reading...

Big River Watch scheme asks general public to help monitor state of rivers after years of deregulationRivers will be checked for sewage and other pollution by the general public this month in an attempt to assess the health of British waterways.Cuts to the UK regulators and a change in the law to allow water company self-monitoring of pollution in England mean there is little independent monitoring of the state of rivers in the UK. Continue reading...

Driver, a 32-year-old man, escaped blaze in the early hours of Saturday unharmed

Hottest summer on record continues, with millions from Phoenix to Los Angeles to Seattle under heat alertsAn intense heatwave across the US west has brought unusually warm temperatures to the region - some of the highest of the season - and broken heat records.Millions of Americans from Phoenix to Los Angeles to Seattle are under heat alerts. Even before this latest bout of extreme weather, which began on Wednesday and is expected to last through the weekend, summer 2024 was already considered the hottest summer on record. Continue reading...

Soggy summers and warmer winters are hitting sales as climate crisis blurs seasonsWhen the season switched from summer to autumn, like clockwork clothing stores would swap out the racks of floaty frocks and fill them with heavy coats and jumpers.Now, as the nights draw in, retailers are having to rejig seasonal ranges as the UK's unpredictable weather calls for summer jackets and lighter knits. Continue reading...

This year will more than likely end up the warmest humanity has measured, reports European climate serviceSummer 2024 sweltered to Earth's hottest on record, making it even more likely that this year will end up as the warmest humanity has measured, the European climate service Copernicus reported on Friday.And if this sounds familiar, that's because the records the globe shattered were set just last year as human-caused climate change, with a temporary boost from an El Nino, keeps dialing up temperatures and extreme weather, scientists said. Continue reading...

Co-leader kicks off party conference by saying chancellor is not looking in the right place' for money

Many ready-to-drink cocktails have as much sugar as Coca-Cola - but a loophole avoids the ultra-processed' tagIf you've browsed the refrigerated section of a liquor store recently, a bevy of pre-mixed cocktails may have caught your eye - pina coladas, vodka mules, rum and cokes, even a mojito. And if you've cracked one open, you may have thought, A little sweet for my taste, but not bad." Turn the bottle around to look for the nutrition facts label to figure out exactly how much sugar or artificial sweetener is in there ... and you're likely to come up empty.Many ready-to-drink cocktails and alcopops contain as much sugar as carbonated beverages like Coca-Cola. All that sugar - and other additives - has many alcoholic beverages falling into the category of ultra-processed foods" (UPF). But unlike other sugary beverages, most alcoholic drinks aren't required to print nutrition facts - opening up a loophole for ultra-processed foods to unknowingly sneak their way into our diets. Continue reading...

Donald Trump gets everything wrong about the climate crisis. The results of the vote in November could reverberate for a million yearsHere is the biggest thing happening on our planet as we head into the autumn of 2024: the Earth is continuing to heat dramatically. Scientists have said that there's a better than 90% chance that this year will top 2023 as the warmest ever recorded. And paleoclimatologists were pretty sure last year was the hottest in the last 125,000 years. The result is an almost-cliched run of disasters: open Twitter/X anytime for pictures of floods pushing cars through streets somewhere. It is starting to make life on this planet very difficult, and in some places impossible. And it's on target to get far, far worse. Continue reading...

Authorities in Dutch capital launch Operation plant pot', saying excessive pot placement threatens accessibilityResidents have reacted with bemusement at plans by authorities in Amsterdam to crack down on what it sees as a plague of messy plant pots.In an approach named Operation plant pot" by the local media, the Dutch capital's central district is limiting residents to two pots with footprints no larger than 50cm by 50cm, made of sustainable" material and placed against their front wall. Rogue gardens of pots in parking spots and under trees will be confiscated, according to the policy memo. Continue reading...

Activists says EU court ruling on transparency makes mockery of laws to protect the environmentCampaigners have said that the EU is failing to enforce rules on illegal fishing, and allowing member states to conceal information that could help uncover breaches of fishing law.The court of justice of the EU ruled on Thursday that member states could keep vital details of their implementation of fishing rules under wraps, in a blow to environmental campaigners hoping to use the information to show whether the regulations are working. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Reliance on fossil fuels fell in August to less than one-fifth of all electricity generated across countryGreat Britain's electricity system has recorded its greenest ever summer after growing numbers of wind and solar farms cut the need for gas power plants to fresh lows.Analysis of energy generation data, commissioned by the Guardian, revealed that Britain's reliance on fossil fuels fell in August to less than one-fifth of all electricity, or 4 terawatt hours (TWh), its lowest ever level for a one-month period. Continue reading...

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

The third edition of Yeast looks at how human food consumption and production affects the social sphere and contributes to climate catastrophe Yeast photo festival: From Planet to Plate, is in Matino and Salento, Italy, from 19 September to 3 November Continue reading...

New research shows that cases of valley fever, which in rare cases can be fatal, have risen dramatically in recent yearsAt least 19 people contracted valley fever, a fungal infection that in rare cases can be fatal, after attending an outdoor music festival in southern California in May, public health officials have reported.The number of illnesses associated with the five-day Lightning in a Bottle event has almost quadrupled over the last month. Valley fever is caused by inhaling Coccidioides, a fungus endemic to the soil of the US south-west. New research shows that cases of the illness have risen dramatically in recent years. Continue reading...

Because bats feed on crop pests, their disappearance led to a surge in pesticide use. Research found a rise in infant mortality in areas where the bats had been wiped outIn 2006, a deadly fungus started killing bat colonies across the United States. Now, an environmental economist has linked their loss to the deaths of more than 1,300 children.The study, published in Science on Thursday, found that farmers dramatically increased pesticide use after the bat die-offs, which was in turn linked to an average infant mortality increase of nearly 8%. Unusually, the research suggests a causative link between human and bat wellbeing. Continue reading...

Study's authors say integrity of higher education at risk' upon finding lack of attention to role of oil and gas firmsFossil fuel companies' funding of universities' climate-focused efforts is delaying the green transition, according to the most extensive peer-reviewed study to date of the industry's influence on academia.For the study, published in the journal WIREs Climate Change on Thursday, six researchers pored over thousands of academic articles on industries' funding of research from the past two decades. Just a handful of them focused on oil and gas companies, showing a worrying lack of attention" to the issue, the analysis says. Continue reading...

Enthusiasts discovered Norfolk snout, thought to have died out in the UK in 1971, in their gardenThe Norfolk snout was always a rare moth in Britain. By the late 1960s, populations of this small beige moth with its distinctive protuberant nose" had dwindled to just one site - a working quarry in north-west Norfolk.Bad weather or possibly overcollection by a few zealots meant that the moth, which has a 20mm wingspan, became extinct in Britain in 1971. Continue reading...

Experts urge Australia not to delay target too long as report by Climate Change Authority identifies six barriers to net zero

The Climate Change Authority's sector pathways review says a huge national effort is needed and the net zero goal should become front of mind for business, investors and governments

More than 1,200 hectares of Cumbrian forest will be transformed into England's highest nature reserveSkiddaw has long stood proud in the northern Lake District, a distinctive, treeless peak that is England's sixth highest mountain. But now the fell's barren heights will spring back to life after its purchase for rewilding by Cumbria Wildlife Trust.More than 1,200 hectares of Skiddaw Forest, once a royal hunting ground, will become England's highest nature reserve and the UK's biggest project to restore Atlantic rainforest, after the site came up for sale for 6.25m. Continue reading...

California, Nevada and Arizona swelter in what could be the most intense heatwave of an already blazing seasonSearing temperatures are roasting the US west once again this week, as a brutal heatwave could bring some of the highest temperatures of the summer so far.Excessive heat warnings were in effect across parts of southern California, Arizona and Nevada, affecting tens of millions of people. The harsh weather was predicted to peak beginning on Wednesday and last into the weekend. Continue reading...

Hottest large city in US broke previous heat record from 1993 as temperatures are expected to reach 110 tomorrowPhoenix, Arizona, saw its 100th straight day of 100F (37.7C) heat this week.The hottest large city in the United States broke its previous record of 76 consecutive 100F days set in 1993. The relentless streak, which started on 27 May and hit its 100th day on Tuesday, is forecast to persist into next week. An excessive heat warning is in effect through Friday, with temperatures expected to reach 110F (43C) tomorrow. Continue reading...

Scheme helping people in England connect with nature led to better mental health, report findsA major scheme helping people in England connect with nature led to big improvements in mental health, a report has found.The prescribing of activities in nature to tackle mental ill health has benefited thousands of people across England, a government-backed project has shown. Continue reading...

ELM Mobility joint venture by Prodrive and Astheimer Design aims for 10,000 one-person quadricycles by 2030Two British automotive companies have teamed up to build thousands of electric delivery vehicles in the UK - the latest in a line of businesses attempting the risky push into vehicle manufacturing after several prominent failures.The motorsport manufacturer Prodrive and Astheimer Design have said they plan to build 10,000 of their one-person delivery vehicles by 2030, with production planned for the UK. Continue reading...

Guitarist says he is recovering after little health hiccup' last week left him unable to use his left armThe Queen guitarist Brian May has revealed he recently had a minor stroke that left him unable to use his left arm.The band's lead guitarist and astrophysicist announced he had experienced a health hiccup" last week but reassured fanshe was recovering and able to play music again after being temporarily unable to control his limb. Continue reading...

New data reveals the virus has spread to endangered species in Antarctica - yet the H5N1's risk to biodiversity, farming and human health is little exploredWith at least 280 million birds dead since October 2021, the highly infectious H5N1 strain of avian flu has devastated poultry and caused the biggest sudden drop of the world's wild bird population in decades. The millions of wild birds killed includes tens of thousands of endangered and endemic species - and tens of thousands of mammals have died too.Today, new data, published in Nature Communications, documents the disease's spread to the southernmost tip of the planet - the Antarctic region - where it has inflicted significant die-offs in elephant seals and fur seals. This outbreak has affected every continent except Oceania, and yet there has been little coverage of the impact on global biodiversity and farming systems - or of potential risks to human health. Continue reading...

Three states and the Northern Territory face an increased risk of bushfire this spring, according to fire authorities and the BoM

Take renewable energy out of the equation and there isn't much else expected to reduce fossil fuel use this side of 2030

Arithmetic over capacity does not add up, with supply chains a constraining factor

James Gaddis tanked Florida governor's secretive scheme to build hotels and golf courses over acres of preserved landFlorida's department of environmental protection has fired a whistleblower who exposed and sank governor Ron DeSantis's secretive plan to pave over environmentally sensitive state parks and build lucrative hotels, golf courses and pickleball courts.James Gaddis, who worked for the agency for two years as a cartographer, was terminated for conduct unbecoming a public employee", according to a letter he received on Saturday. Continue reading...