Environment | The Guardian

Exclusive: environmental regulator has known for more than a decade that contaminated soil fill might have been used in childcare centres, schools and parks

Chemours and state regulators say the Fayetteville Works plant has reduced air emissions, but we found levels of forever chemicals' as much as 30 times higher than state testsDownwind from chemical giant Chemours' PFAS manufacturing plant in North Carolina, Jamie White's life is a series of unpleasant negotiations.She fears the plant's toxic forever chemicals" are in the air she breathes and the rain replenishing her well. She suffers from a thyroid disorder - an issue linked to PFAS exposure. Continue reading...

Two environmental protesters hurled soup on to the Mona Lisa at the Louvre in Paris, calling for 'healthy and sustainable food'. The painting, which was behind bulletproof glass, appeared to be undamaged. Gallery visitors looked on in shock as two women threw the yellow-coloured soup before climbing under the barrier in front of the work and flanking the splattered painting. One of the two activists removed her jacket to reveal a white T-shirt bearing the name of the activist group Riposte Alimentaire (Food Response)

Visitors at Louvre look on in shock as Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece attacked by environmental protestersTwo environmental protesters have hurled soup at the Mona Lisa at the Louvre in Paris, calling for healthy and sustainable food". The painting, which was behind bulletproof glass, appeared to be undamaged.Gallery visitors looked on in shock as two women threw the yellow-coloured soup before climbing under the barrier in front of the work and flanking the splattered painting, their right hands held up in a salute-like gesture. Continue reading...

Farnborough airport submits plans to increase number of flights amid calls for a ban on private jetsThe climate activist Greta Thunberg has marched alongside local residents and Extinction Rebellion activists to protest against an airport's expansion plans.Farnborough Airport Ltd has submitted a planning application to Rushmoor borough council to increase the number of flights from 50,000 to 70,000 a year. The Swedish climate activist joined the march from Farnborough town centre, in Hampshire, to Farnborough airport. Continue reading...

Glen Affric in the Highlands has joined more than 10 rivals in bidding to gain the new status - and the benefits that go with itGlen Affric in the Highlands is home to deer, ospreys, otters and one of Scotland's largest Caledonian pine woods. Often described as one of the country's most beautiful glens, its scenic landscapes and diverse wildlife are such that it is protected as a national nature reserve.Now, local community groups have launched a bid for it to become Scotland's third national park, in a race which has so far seen more than 10 other areas also submit theirinterest. Continue reading...

Grand Rapids saw just five minutes of sun in the first week of the year, while January was the cloudiest in Chicago in 129 yearsFor the 34 million people who call the US's Great Lakes region home, last winter was a particularly gloomy one due to a dearth of sunlight - a reality that could afflict residents' mental health in years to come.Grand Rapids, Michigan, saw just five minutes of sun during the first eight days of January 2023. The same month was the cloudiest January in Chicago in 129 years. At one stage, the 6.3 million people living in the greater Toronto area didn't see the sun for more than three weeks. Continue reading...

Tens of millions have been spent on human-made defences over the years, but the impact of the climate crisis means flooding is inevitableWhen Jo Bloom saw the monitoring station on the River Severn above Shrewsbury register water levels of 6.5 metres as Storm Henk struck in early January, she began preparing for the worst. Bloom, who runs the Bewdley Flood Group, a local initiative to disseminate information to the community, was crouched over her computer checking Environment Agency alerts on river levels as the storm battered southern and central Britain, bringing with it heavy rain on to already saturated ground.We have had one peak, we are all watching Crew Green gauge above Shrewsbury, which is 10cm off its 2000 record level," she told the flood group. Continue reading...

It's time to stand up for nature and say no to the projects that damage the wildlife and places we love

Climate activists cheer decision to pause all pending liquified natural gas export licenses, but is it just a delay till after November elections?Joe Biden has, at least for a while, defused a ticking carbon bomb. Climate activists and the fossil fuel industry are now left wondering how long it will last.The decision on Friday by the Biden administration to pause all pending export licenses for liquified natural gas (LNG) to consider the climate impact of the projects has been hailed as a momentous shift in the status quo by those concerned by the unfolding climate crisis. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Head of government taskforce calls for evidence not anecdote in debate over the beaver, white-tailed eagle and othersCulture wars by ministers over the reintroduction of animals such as the beaver and the lynx must end if we are to restore nature in England, the head of the government's taskforce on the issue has said.Dr Andy Clements, an ornithologist who helped establish the government regulator Natural England, runs the species reintroduction taskforce, and he's well placed to do so. He was one of those behind the hugely successful reintroduction of red kites into England. Continue reading...

Community organizations say grants coming from the government have too many requirements to be truly accessibleBella Romero Academy, a K-8 school, sits 1,200ft from a fracking site in Greeley, Colorado.Air on the playground is often thick with benzene - a chemical that can cause dizziness and headaches in the short term, and blood illnesses like leukemia with long-term exposure. In 2019, independent researchers found that benzene spiked above healthy levels 113 times there in a seven-month period. Continue reading...

Experts call for review after two sets of water samples from the Darling-Baaka River reported by the state's top scientific bodies contained different results

Doug Maw posted videos of animals caught in wire nooses and was charged with damaging and stealing snares and trapsAn animal rights campaigner who posted videos of a distressed hare and fawn caught in snares has been found not guilty of nine charges of criminal damage and theft.Doug Maw, who is campaigning for snares to be banned in England, filmed a screaming hare and a fawn running in circles caught in legal snares on farmland inside the South Downs national park. He then freed the animals. Continue reading...

Claims that Icon of the Seas, the vast new ship described as human lasagne', runs on clean fuel have been labelled greenwashing as LNG's methane emissions are a more potent climate gas than COThe largest cruise ship in the world, which embarks on its first commercial voyage from Miami on Saturday, was launched amid a fanfare of superlatives. Longer than the Eiffel Tower is tall, the Icon of the Seas towers 20 decks above the waves, can accommodate more than 7,000 passengers and crew, and, at a quarter of a million gross tonnes, could swallow five Titanics for breakfast.Coloured slides on its upper deck mark out Thrill Island", the largest waterpark at sea, and it boasts a 17-metre (55ft) indoor waterfall. The president of Royal Caribbean, Jason Liberty, told reporters it was the biggest, baddest ship on the planet", though it quickly became known on social media as human lasagne". Continue reading...

Sawangjit Kosoognern charged with illegal possession after video showing animal being driven around Pattaya gains 2.6m viewsA Thai woman has been charged with illegal possession of a lion cub, police said on Friday, after a video of the animal cruising in a Bentley went viral online.The police ordered an investigation after a video showing a lion cub riding around the raucous Thai resort town of Pattaya in a Bentley gained more than 2.6m views online. Continue reading...

Pause on pending export permits is hailed by environmental groups, and could imperil projects along Gulf of Mexico coastJoe Biden's administration has hit the brakes on the US's surging exports of gas, effectively pausing a string of planned projects that have been decried by environmentalists as carbon mega bombs" that risk pushing the world further towards climate breakdown.On Friday, the White House announced that it was pausing all pending export permits for liquified natural gas (LNG) until the Department of Energy could come up with an updated criteria for approvals that consider the impact of climate change. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Actors and musicians condemn harsh deportation' of Dartford Crossing protester Marcus DeckerLeading actors and musicians including Bob Geldof, Olivia Colman and Emma Thompson are calling on the Home Office to reconsider the harsh deportation" of a climate activist who is serving one of the longest prison sentences in modern British history for peaceful protest.Along with the musicians Brian Eno and Jacob Collier, they are among about 600 artists who are urging James Cleverly to withdraw the deportation order issued to Marcus Decker. Continue reading...

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

From a self-build nestled in the Devon countryside to an eye-catching terrace in London Continue reading...

People encouraged to record sightings of mohican-sporting birds in RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch this weekendThe scale of this waxwing winter will be revealed this weekend when people are encouraged to spend an hour recording the birds they see in their gardens, balconies, parks and school grounds.The spectacular migratory, mohican-sporting birds have been spotted across Britain during the colder weather and will be recorded alongside more familiar sparrows, blackbirds and robins in the RSPB's annual Big Garden Birdwatch. Continue reading...

Mining companies and their joint venture Samarco ordered by Brazilian judge to pay AU$14.7bn over disaster that killed 19 peopleA Brazilian judge has ruled that mining companies Vale and BHP and their joint venture Samarco must pay 47.6bn reais (AU$14.7 bn) in damages for a 2015 tailings dam burst, according to a legal decision seen by Reuters.Vale, a Brazilian company, and BHP, an Australian listed company, said in separate statements they were not informed by the judiciary about the decision. Continue reading...

Call for companies to clean up their mess' as Athabasca oil sands emissions vastly exceed industry-reported levelsToxic emissions from the Canadian tar sands - already one of the dirtiest fossil fuels - have been dramatically underestimated, according to a study.Research published in the journal Science found that air pollution from the vast Athabasca oil sands in Canada exceed industry-reported emissions across the studied facilities by a staggering 1,900% to over 6,300%. Continue reading...

Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah opens claim against environment, health and transport departments in pursuit of right to clean air'The mother of a nine-year-old girl who became the first person in the UK to have air pollution cited on their death certificate has launched a high court claim against the government.Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah is suing three government departments for compensation for personal injury arising from the illness and premature death of her daughter Ella. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department for Transport and the Department of Health and Social Care have all been named as defendants in the claim. Continue reading...

New report shows babies born in notorious industrial corridor experience low birth weight at three times the national averageNewborns living in the worst-polluted areas of Louisiana, including an 85-mile industrial corridor known as Cancer Alley", experience low birth weights at more than three times the national average, according to data cited in a report released Thursday. The rate of preterm births there is also twice the national average, researchers found.In parts of Louisiana near fossil fuel and petrochemical plants, low birth weight rates reached 27% and preterm births rates 25%, according to research from Tulane University that was published in a Human Rights Watch report on Thursday. The full paper linking pollution and reproductive health is currently under peer review for publication in the journal Environmental Research: Health. Continue reading...

Outrage across Denmark as 2m tonnes of garbage' moves towards Olst resident's homes and a riverPeople in a Danish village are living in fear of their homes being overrun by a landslide of contaminated soil in one of the worst environmental disasters in the country's history.The landslide is slowly moving towards Olst, a village of 400 inhabitants south of Randers in Jutland, after the soil started moving at a nearby plant, run by Nordic Waste, where it has already demolished buildings. Continue reading...

Lobbying group spent nearly $30m on ads touting the clean energy' potential of propane - and downplaying its full climate impacts

Large companies are claiming intellectual property over new seed varieties, inhibiting small-scale breeders and diversityFor nearly 40 years, Frank Morton has been breeding plants. Particularly drawn to lettuce, he began breeding specialty salad greens, once a rarity in the produce market. Using an organic farm system, 68-year-old Morton developed entirely novel lettuce varieties and eventually started the Philomath, Oregon-based Wild Garden Seed company with his wife, Karen.Though he loves the work, being a small-scale plant breeder doesn't come without challenges. Over the years, Morton has watched large corporations take over the seed industry, using utility patents to claim seeds as an invention. Continue reading...

Research finds 14 different types of PFAS chemicals commonly used in ski wax on slopes in Austrian ski resortsSkiers are leaving forever chemicals" in the snow on ski slopes, a study has found.Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) - a group of 10,000 or so human-made chemicals widely used in industrial processes, firefighting foams and consumer products - are colloquially known as forever chemicals" due to their persistence in the environment; they do not easily break down. Continue reading...

The Hklea's oceanic voyages, navigated by the stars, have led other Indigenous people to revive their own ancient traditions - and serve as a call to action on the climateA double-hulled Polynesian sailing canoe glides up to a busy dock in San Diego, California. Hklea's two short wooden masts are dwarfed by the historic schooner that escorted the boat into the harbour. Dozens of small outrigger canoes trail in its wake, honouring the crew's arrival.Once the docklines are secure, Hklea's 13 crew members put on ceremonial leis - floral garlands - and request permission from the local Indigenous tribe to come ashore. In response, 30 members of the Kumeyaay Nation sing and dance to welcome them to their native lands. Hundreds of onlookers snap photos before joining the festivities at a nearby park. Continue reading...

Everyone told me there is no water on top of this Brazilian mountain, there won't be any frogs. Now I've dedicated my life to preserving this incredible speciesI remember the park rangers saying: Why are you going up there? There is no water on the top, and you're not going to find any frogs." I said: Well I'm going to check it out."The Espinhaco mountain range in the east of Brazil is a very special place, and it's mostly unknown. My house looks on to the mountain in Pico do Itambe state park, so I have my breakfast looking at it each morning. You're surrounded by thunderstorms and strong winds, and the humidity is high. I waited for heavy rains and went to climb to the top. Continue reading...

Fast-growing monocultures are less able to withstand extreme weather events than varied woodlands, researchers findAs 90mph winds whip across the UK and Europe this week, new research shows forests containing diverse tree species are more likely to stay standing than monocultures when hit by extreme weather.Forests with two or three tree species are on average 35% more resilient to storms than forests with only one species, simulations created by researchers found. The type of trees also matters - forestry plantations are typically made up of fast-growing tall trees such as conifers, but they are more vulnerable to high winds than slower-growing hardwood species such as oak. Continue reading...

Emperor penguins are the largest but least prevalent Antarctic penguin species, with scientists estimating a total population of about 600,000Four new emperor penguin colonies have been discovered in Antarctica after their guano was spotted from space, giving what a leading scientist believes is a near-full picture of the species' population as it comes under threat due to disappearing sea ice.A peer-reviewed study last year found a record drop in the amount of floating sea ice in the Bellingshausen Sea in late 2022 could have caused a catastrophic breeding failure" that killed thousands of emperor penguin chicks across four breeding colonies. Continue reading...

Calcasieu Pass 2, positioned near the rapidly eroding Louisiana shoreline, would be the biggest such export terminal in the USThe Biden administration will reportedly pause a decision on approving what would be one of the world's largest gas export hubs, amid concern from climate experts that greenlighting the project would create a carbon mega bomb".The project, Calcasieu Pass 2, or CP2, would be positioned near the rapidly eroding Louisiana shoreline and be the biggest such export terminal in the US and part of a huge expansion of new gas infrastructure along the Gulf of Mexico. Continue reading...

US Fish and Wildlife Service completes review of petitions and finds 10 new species that may be added to Endangered Species ActFederal wildlife officials announced on Wednesday they will consider adding 10 new species to the Endangered Species Act, including a big bumblebee that serves as an important pollinator across the United States.US Fish and Wildlife Service officials said they had completed 90-day reviews of petitions to add the species to the list and determined that listing may be warranted. The finding triggers reviews of the species' status. Continue reading...

Environment secretary, Steve Barclay, tells firms he will toughen regulatory approach but gives no timescaleThe environment secretary has told water companies in England that they will no longer be able to monitor and report on pollution from their own treatment works.Steve Barclay told the privatised industry he would put an end to operator self-monitoring in a toughening of the regulatory approach. Continue reading...

Extreme weather threatens world's biggest carbon store as the rainforest is already close to tipping pointThe climate crisis turned the drought that struck the Amazon rainforest in 2023 into a devastating event, a study has found.The drought was the worst recorded in many places and hit the maximum exceptional" level on the scientific scale. Without planet-warming emissions from the burning of oil, gas and coal, the drought would have been far less extreme, the analysis found. Continue reading...

Terms such as green', sustainable' and environmentally friendly' understood only by minority, says studyThe British public has a worryingly low understanding of language around the climate crisis and environmental policies to reduce waste, according to the findings of a survey.Only a quarter of people questioned clearly understood the term green" and about the same number could accurately describe what sustainable" - making something in a way that causes little or no damage to the environment - meant. Continue reading...

Victoria and NSW set records for the wholesale electricity prices at zero or negative levels

Increasingly fearless predators found to be serious threat to safety in national parksDutch authorities can shoot deviant" wolves that could pose a danger to the public with paintball guns, a court has ruled, as debate rages in Europe over protecting the animals.After a lengthy legal battle, the court in Utrecht, central Netherlands, decided on Wednesday that the behaviour of some of the wolves in a national park was a serious threat to public safety". Continue reading...

Spending watchdog calls for biomass subsidy scheme to have tougher environmental requirements

Hazardous material found in mulch at railway substations in Dulwich Hill, Canterbury and Campsie and alongside Prospect Highway, authorities say

Experts say world is past peak fossil power' but warn against uneven development of energy projectsNuclear power generation is likely to break records in 2025 as more countries invest in reactors to fuel the shift to a low-carbon global economy, while renewable energy is likely to overtake coal as a power source early next year, data has shown.China, India, Korea and Europe are likely to have new reactors come on stream, while several in Japan are also forecast to return to generation, and French output should increase, according to a report on the state of global electricity markets published by the International Energy Agency (IEA) on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Torrential rain swept through a large part of the US on Monday, days after a cold spellA furious rainstorm unleashed record levels of rain on communities across San Diego county on Monday, inundating homes and overturning cars. Hundreds of people had to be rescued from flooded areas as the San Diego River surged over its banks, fueled by downpours that left the city grappling with the fourth wettest day in history.States of emergencies have been declared across the county by local officials, and hundreds of unhoused people were displaced when water rushed into homeless shelters. Residents described harrowing escapes from Alpha Project's Bridge Shelter that was quickly overtaken by waist-deep water, which had also previously flooded in 2018, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. Continue reading...

Decision helps clear path for Formosa Plastics to build US's largest petrochemical complex of its timeA Louisiana appellate court has upheld air permits for a giant proposed petrochemical complex in a region known as Cancer Alley, enraging local advocates.The decision, issued on Friday, will help clear a path for Formosa Plastics to build the nation's largest petrochemical complex of its kind. The project has long faced staunch opposition from local and national environmental justice groups. Continue reading...

Scientists say billions of lives' under threat as symbolic clock stays at closest point to midnight since it was established in 1947The Doomsday Clock, a symbolic countdown to human extinction, has stayed at 90 seconds to midnight, the closest it had been since it was established in 1947, a panel of international scientists has said.The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists cited the continuing threat of a nuclear escalation in Ukraine, the horrors of modern war" in Israel and Gaza and the lack of action on the climate crisis, which threatens billions of lives". Continue reading...

Thames Water struggled to rebuild pressure to homes after an incident at Pangbourne treatment worksHouseholds across Reading, the UK's biggest town, have been without water for three days after water mains burst in the cold weather.An incident at the Pangbourne water treatment works meant that water pressure dropped across the town on Saturday. Thames Water, which has its headquarters in Reading, said that subsequent pipe bursts then made it impossible to increase water pressure to homes, meaning some people have been without water for days. Emergency bottled water stations have been set up in the affected areas. On Monday, some schools and offices were forced to close as the low water pressure meant it was unsafe to stay open. Continue reading...

Exclusive: consultancy firm supported oil and gas industry lobbying while being paid for independent advice on Albanese's signature climate policy

As UN expert says UK's actions are chilling and regressive, we look at some of the cases

UN special rapporteur on environmental defenders says he is seriously concerned about regressive new laws'A severe crackdown on environmental protest in Britain with draconian" new laws, excessive restrictions on courtroom evidence and the use of civil injunctions is having a chilling impact on fundamental freedoms, the United Nations special rapporteur has said.As the world faces a triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, environmental protesters were acting for the benefit of us all" and must be protected, Michel Forst, the UN special rapporteur on environmental defenders, said on Tuesday. Continue reading...