Critics say steps positive but modest as US president stops short of declaring climate emergencyJoe Biden announced new steps on Thursday to help Americans face the existential threat of climate change" and extreme heat.We want the American people to know help is here, and we're gonna make it available to anyone who needs it," the president said, speaking in a summer of record-breaking temperatures in the US and globally. Continue reading...
The UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, said scientists have confirmed July was on track to be the world's hottest month on record. Guterres warned 'the era of global warming has ended, the era of global boiling has arrived' after recent global temperatures shattered records. The steady rise in global average temperatures, driven by pollution that traps sunlight and acts like a greenhouse around the Earth, has made weather extremes worse
Work on Mountain Valley Pipeline, which will transport fracked gas 300 miles through West Virginia and Virginia, had been haltedThe US supreme court has allowed construction to resume on the controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline, which is a project to transport fracked gas 300 miles through West Virginia and Virginia.The new ruling clears the way for construction to restart, lifting stays from lower courts that had halted work. Continue reading...
Wildfires have turned the hills surrounding the temple of Segesta to ash after days of fires spreading across Sicily. Local authorities said the blaze was put out around the archaeological site, but it is temporarily closed to check for any damage. The island has been devastated by wildfires that have killed at least three people, while heatwaves and severe storms affected the north of Italy
Mayor of London hits back at prime minister over pathetic gesture politics'Rishi Sunak has failed to give his full backing to Sir Howard Davies, chairman of NatWest, in interviews this morning, PA Media reports.PA says that Sunak did not back calls for the resignation of Davies in a pooled interview this morning - but also that Sunak would not say whether he had confidence in him.What I said right at the start of this was that it wasn't right for people to be deprived of basic services because of banking, because of their views.This isn't about any one individual, it's about values - do you believe in free speech and not to be discriminated against because of your legally held views?As a result of this policy, a dozen classrooms of children, including some of the most traumatised and vulnerable children in the world, have gone missing and, sickeningly for us, 50 children are still missing from the hotel used in Brighton and Hove.Importantly the high court also makes clear that the home secretary already has the power to require local authorities across the country to take children into foster care via a statutory rota system called the national transfer scheme. Continue reading...
More than 230 years ago, the country parson celebrated the small but vital elements that gave the English landscape its wild majesty'. Today, Hampshire's farmers and volunteers are honouring his legacy
Drone footage from the island of Rhodes in Greece, which has been hit be a string of fierce wildfires, gives an idea of the scale of destruction left by the blaze. The footage, from the towns of Asklipio and Kiotari, shows the charred embers of several burnt out cars and scorched trees and earth. Large areas of land were burnt grey and black, in fires that prompted the island's authorities to declare a state of emergency and carry out a mass evacuation of local people and tourists. Greece is one of almost a dozen Mediterranean countries that struggled to control wildfires that broke out amid a record breaking heatwave in July
Rightwing groups penned a conservative wish list of proposals for the next conservative president to gut environmental protectionsAn alliance of rightwing groups has crafted an extensive presidential proposal to bolster the planet-heating oil and gas industry and hamstring the energy transition, it has emerged.Against a backdrop of record-breaking heat and floods this year, the $22m endeavor, Project 2025, was convened by the notorious rightwing, climate-denying thinktank the Heritage Foundation, which has ties to fossil fuel billionaire Charles Koch. Continue reading...
Better the seafloor than the rainforest, proponents argue, but marine experts beg to differ as authorities meet to decide the future of deep-sea miningIn an exclusive interview with Guardian Seascape last Saturday, James Cameron argued that it is less wrong" to mine the deep sea than mining on land. I've seen an awful lot of seafloor," said the Titanic director and accomplished deep-sea explorer. And while there are some amazing creatures, they tend to be clustered in small habitats. What you mostly have is miles and miles of nothing but clay."His view, which he conceded made him something of an outlier", is disputed by scientists and environmentalists who claim the opposite: that the ocean floor is a richer and more biodiverse place than previously thought, with new species uncovered each time they look. Deep-sea mining, said one, would result in extinction on a vast timescale". Continue reading...
One man is on a mission to promote the grazing habits of feral herds as a way to stop extreme blazes from starting and spreadingSince moving to a remote mountain region just south of Interstate 5 on the Oregon-California border in 2014, William Simpson, 70, has assumed responsibility for the care of 120 wild horses that roam his land. He has also adopted 60 more as part of an effort to study the effect that grazing has on managing grass, brush and other fuel for wildfires in the face of increasingly extreme blazes.I started watching the horses and seeing what they were doing," says Simpson. They were managing the fuel."Wild horses roam Simpson's land near the Oregon-California border Continue reading...
Freedom of information responses on design standards suggest cyclists being endangered' on shared-use pathsNational Highways has been accused of a systemic failure" on cycling provision after freedom of information requests revealed it did not know whether its infrastructure met its own design standards.The Department for Transport also admitted the government-owned body in charge of trunk roads was using a loophole to deliver substandard shared use paths in rural areas instead. Continue reading...
Despite Scottish government rhetoric, report says not enough being done to move rural land into community ownershipLand reform campaigners have accused Scottish ministers of losing their radical edge" by failing to properly confront Scotland's unequal land ownership system.A paper from the Jimmy Reid Foundation alleges there is a significant gap between the Scottish government's rhetoric on land reform and the reality, as only a tiny fraction of rural land is in community ownership. Continue reading...
All four seasons were among top 10 hottest since 1884, with extreme heat likely to occur more frequently2022 was the warmest year on record in the UK, the Met Office has confirmed, with experts warning the unprecedented heat is a sign of things to come.It was also the first year in which a temperature above 40C (104F) was recorded in the UK. A record-breaking 40.3C was recorded on 19 July at Coningsby, Lincolnshire. Continue reading...
Report says nearly 200 cases filed around the world in past 12 months challenging governments and firmsLawsuits challenging government and corporate inaction on the climate breakdown have become an important driver of change, according to a UN body.A report by the UN Environment Programme (Unep) and the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University says litigation is setting precedents for climate action all over the world, even beyond the jurisdictions in which cases are filed. But it warns of a growing legal backlash as cases are filed that could delay climate action and criminalise activists. Continue reading...
Many of the 40,000 people in the suburb of Germantown under order to avoid using water for everything except flushing toiletsA diesel fuel spill that contaminated the water supply system of Germantown, Tennessee, has left residents unable to drink their tap water as the city's public works crew rush to flush out the contaminated water.The city first told residents on 20 July that a spill at a treatment plant tainted the water supply system. The order came after residents reported a fuel smell in their water. Officials said that a generator at the plant spilled diesel fuel into a reservoir after the facility lost power during recent storms. Continue reading...
by Helen Sullivan , Lorenzo Tondo in Palermo, and age on (#6D9F2)
There is no magical defence mechanism,' says Greek prime minister as fires burn in northern Africa and southern EuropeWildfires were burning in at least nine countries across the Mediterranean on Tuesday as blazes spread in Croatia, Italy and Portugal, with thousands of firefighters in Europe and north Africa working to contain flames stoked by high temperatures, dry conditions and strong winds.At least 34 people were killed in Algeria, where 8,000 firefighters on Tuesday battled blazes across the tinder-dry north. Fires burned in a total of 15 provinces, leading to the evacuation of more than 1,500 people from their properties. Continue reading...
Officials are baffled by the remarkable behaviour of a large pod of pilot whales that grouped together in a heart shape before stranding themselves on a remote Western Australian beach on Tuesday evening.By Wednesday morning, more than 50 whales lay dead on the shore, with volunteers, government workers and scientists fighting to save 46 more
Labour leader backs mayor's call for Londoners to get more money to replace vehicles, as party tries to limit electoral falloutKeir Starmer has backed Sadiq Khan's call for the government to put money behind a more generous scrappage scheme to help Londoners upgrade older vehicles as the party seeks to limit the electoral fallout of the policy.The Labour leader said that ministers should help fund a proper scrappage scheme" for owners of more polluting cars affected by the London mayor's plans to expand the clean air zone, as they have done for similar schemes in Bristol and Birmingham. Continue reading...
Drone footage shows the scale of devastation in Algeria's northern Bouria region after wildfires spread through mountain ranges on Tuesday, killing at least 34 people. About 8,000 firefighters battled blazes in 15 provinces, with more than 1,500 people evacuated. The Algerian online news site TSA quoted the National Meteorological Office as saying that temperatures had soared to about 50C (122F) in some areas
The lumberjack-hydrologists of the wild can help contain wildfires with their elaborate dam constructionsCalifornia is embracing beavers and the role they play in the ecosystem after years of viewing the animals as a nuisance for chewing down trees and blocking up streams.The state recently enacted a new policy that encourages landowners and agencies dealing with beaver damage to find alternative solutions before seeking permission from authorities to kill the animals. California is also running pilot projects to relocate beavers to places where they can be more beneficial. Continue reading...
Earl Blumenauer has been on a 26-year quest to pass a bill to reform farming to center people, animals and the environmentEach year for the last 26 years - nearly his entire tenure in the US Congress - Earl Blumenauer has advocated for a law that would utterly transform US agriculture.Nearly every time, though, his proposals have been shut down. Even so, he persists. Continue reading...
The 90-100F readings add to previous warnings over warming water putting marine life and ecosystems in perilThe surface ocean temperature around the Florida Keys soared to 101.19F (38.43C) this week, in what could be a global record as ocean heat around the state reaches unprecedented extremes.A water temperature buoy located in the waters of Manatee Bay at the Everglades national park recorded the high temperature late on Monday afternoon, US government data showed. Other nearby buoys topped 100F (38C) and the upper 90s (32C). Continue reading...
Wildfires have been burning on the Greek island of Rhodes for nearly seven days, after an extreme heatwave hit parts of southern Europe. Local authorities ordered a mass evacuation, prompting thousands of tourists to leave their accommodation. Many were evacuated from beaches by coastguards, and thousands more spent the night in local buildings awaiting flights. Local people have been assisting firefighters in battling the flames, using fire extinguishers and towels. Some are urging authorities and neighbouring countries to provide more planes as high winds could spread the fires further
by Lorenzo Tondo in Palermo and Angela Giuffrida in R on (#6D8MJ)
Three people killed in Sicily fires and four in northern storms as hundreds forced to flee homesSeven people have died in the past 24 hours as two extreme weather events split Italy between wildfires in the south and violent storms in the north.Fires in Sicily caused the temporary closure of Palermo airport after temperatures in the city climbed to 47C on Monday. Continue reading...
Footage captured from residents and local firefighters shows wildfires burning in Croatia's Dubrovnik region, a popular area for tourists in the Mediterranean. The country faced strong winds and extremely high temperatures, causing fires to spread quickly. Croatian authorities said up to 16 fire engines and 95 firefighters were deployed to the area, while the country's airforce sent two specialised planes to help extinguish the flames. Parts of southern Europe, including Italy, Greece, Turkey and Algeria are battling wildfires after suffering from extreme temperatures
Jim McMahon, MP for Oldham and shadow environment secretary, criticises prime minister for tweet about Labour and immigration law firmsMichael Gove has been accused of showing how disjointed" the government's net zero strategy is by Greenpeace UK.In a statement released after Gove's media interview round this morning, in which the levelling up secretary appeared to firm up the government's commitment to at least one green target, while signalling that others might be relaxed (see 10.04am), Doug Parr, Greenpeace UK's director of policy, said:Michael Gove has demonstrated how disjointed the government's new strategy is. If ministers genuinely want to help lower costs for households, they should be doing everything in their power to switch our homes, energy and transport systems away from expensive, climate-wrecking fossil fuels and run them instead on clean technology and cheap renewables.Mr Gove is right to reaffirm the government's commitment to ending the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030 - and Sunak should now do the same, whilst making the transition as easy as possible for people with extensive charging infrastructure and the promised mandate on manufacturers. But allowing more oil and gas drilling, delaying the phase-out of gas boilers and giving landlords longer to insulate the homes of renters will only keep bills high and continue to fan the flames of climate change.The leaders discussed recent developments on the battlefield and the continued progress by Ukrainian forces despite the challenging conditions. The prime minister added that he was appalled by the devastation caused by recent Russian attacks on Odesa.Discussing the Black Sea grain initiative, the leaders agreed on the importance of ensuring grain was able to be exported from Ukraine to reach international markets. The prime minister said the UK was working closely with Turkey on restoring the grain deal, and we would continue to use our role as chair of the UN security council to further condemn Russia's behaviour. Continue reading...
Wildfires in Sicily have led to the temporary closure of Palermo airport after temperatures in the city climbed to 47C. A motorist captured the moment a blaze engulfed part of the highway, while flames could be seen on both sides of the road. Authorities have closed part of the motorway as more than 55 wildfires were reported on the island. Hundreds of firefighters from other regions are due to arrive to help tackle the flames. Italy is battling two extreme weather events, as violent storms hit the north of the country
by Damian Carrington Environment editor on (#6D8TW)
A collapse would bring catastrophic climate impacts but scientists disagree over the new analysisThe Gulf Stream system could collapse as soon as 2025, a new study suggests. The shutting down of the vital ocean currents, called the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (Amoc) by scientists, would bring catastrophic climate impacts.Amoc was already known to be at its weakest in 1,600 years owing to global heating and researchers spotted warning signs of a tipping point in 2021. Continue reading...
A plane deployed to extinguish wildfires on the Greek island of Evia has crashed, shortly after dropping water on the blaze. Footage captured on the Greek news channel EPT shows the plane spraying water before turning into a valley and disappearing out of sight. Moments later, the camera catches a ball of fire. Greek authorities said a helicopter had been deployed to assess the crash site and confirmed both pilots died in the crash. Firefighters from several countries have been sent to Greece to fight the wildfires that have spread across a number of islands, including Evia, Rhodes and Corfu, with thousands of residents and tourists evacuated Continue reading...
Wildfires have spread through at least 120 hectares of forest near the Mediterranean resort of Kemer, in Turkey's Antalya province. Authorities said 10-water dropping planes and 22 helicopters were deployed to try to extinguish the blaze. More than a dozen homes and a hospital have been evacuated as a precaution. Wildfires have torn through neighbouring countries, including Greece, for nearly seven days as southern Europe battles with an extreme heatwave, bringing temperatures of well over 40C
Residents in Sandridge, South Carolina, are up in arms about a proposed highway that would destroy their homesFor decades, Bobbie Anne Hemingway Jordan lived on the same property, in the house where she was born. Her backyard was often filled with the sound of her two dozen grandkids as they ran to and from the park next door. For generations, Hemingway Jordan's family lived and farmed on the land, and the 82-year-old believed it would be passed down to future generations as well. I thought it would be left to my children, and they could leave it to their children," she said.Then, in 2021, appraisers offered to buy the land and her house. The sum she received for her three-bedroom, two-bath house was just enough money to purchase a one-bedroom apartment in a nearby community. Continue reading...
These wild pigs cause billions of damage, but some chefs and meat purveyors are putting this pork on the map - and menusAt Austin, Texas restaurant Dai Due, wild boar often features prominently among the menu choices. Guests can order wild boar summer sausage to go with their brunch entree, and boar boudin fills a Czech-Texan pastry called a klosbasnek. For dinner, wild boar can come with a carrot puree and a savory chili bone broth; for lunch, it tops a luxe Italian sub along with Wagyu beef and nilgai antelope.Notes at the bottom of the restaurant's online sample menus assure diners that wild game is sourced in the nearby Hill Country and almost everything comes from around here". Continue reading...
Palermo's airport, on the Italian island of Sicily, was forced to shut for a few hours on Tuesday morning as firefighters battled a blaze at its perimeter. Areas of southern Europe have been hit by another heatwave, with temperatures rising to 47.6C in some parts of Sicily. Fires were visible from residential buildings in Palermo in a video shared on social media. Firefighters said 30 teams were also fighting blazes in Sicily's eastern city of Messina
Project close to bird sanctuaries in Outer Hebrides gets go-ahead after no objections from Scotland's environment agenciesPlans to build a spaceport on the small Hebridean island of North Uist, close to heavily protected bird sanctuaries, have been given the green light despite significant local opposition.The proposed spaceport at Scolpaig Farm, on the north-west coast of the island in the Outer Hebrides, will host up to 10 launches a year, firing small sub-orbital rockets out over the Atlantic. Continue reading...
Tory former minister and chair of Climate Change Committee condemns absolutely unacceptable' attacks on Labour stanceLabour should counter absolutely unacceptable" and ignorant" Conservative attacks on its climate policies by offering a cross-party consensus on climate action, to bring forward measures this parliament to meet net zero, the outgoing chair of the Climate Change Committee has urged.Lord Deben, a former Tory environment secretary and minister under Margaret Thatcher and John Major, strongly criticised Grant Shapps and Suella Braverman, cabinet ministers who have led vitriolic attacks on Labour as the political wing of Just Stop Oil". He called on the government instead to heed the message of climate protesters. Continue reading...
At least 50 pilot whales have stranded on Cheynes beach, east of Albany in Western Australia. Almost twice that number of whales had been seen massing off the beach since Monday, according to the owner of Cheynes Beach Caravan Park, Allan Marsh. 'Probably about half an hour ago they beached themselves,' he said about 4pm local time on Tuesday. 'They're pretty alive still ... they're able to push a few out.' WA Parks and Wildlife Service officers are on the beach
In today's newsletter: At least ten hospitalised, and nearly 20,000 relocated from Rhodes - how Greece is tackling its climate crisis Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning.Wildfires in Greece were never uncommon but, in recent years, they have become an increasingly catastrophic problem. This year, they look set to be some of the worst the country has ever seen: firefighters have been trying to control 82 wildfires that have been burning for the last week, 64 of which started on Sunday during the hottest July weekend in 50 years in Greece (the mercury reached 45C in the central region of Thessaly). Recent analysis by scientists has shown that the human-caused climate crisis is undeniably to blame for the fatal heatwave that has hit Europe and many parts of the world, causing wildfires like the ones we have seen in Greece. And if nothing is done, the problem will only become more acute, with scientists predicting that if the world heats by 2C, these brutal heatwaves will happen every two to five years.BBC | One of the BBC's best-known journalists and newsreaders, George Alagiah, has died at the age of 67 after being diagnosed with bowel cancer nine years ago, his agent has said. Alagiah presented the News at Six for two decades after a lengthy career as a foreign correspondent.Israel | Doctors are set to strike on Tuesday in protest against the passing of a key part of Benjamin Netanyahu's judicial overhaul, after thousands of protesters took to the streets of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv on Monday night.Fire service | Female firefighters are being forced to strip down to their underwear in full view of their male colleagues and the wider public, in an unnecessary, degrading practice" being enforced by an English brigade, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has said.Water industry | Thames Water has admitted it has failed to install a single smart water meter under a flagship 70m programme to fit hundreds of thousands of the devices to support the UK's green economic recovery" from Covid-19.Strikes | Thousands of radiographers in England will strike today amid a row with the government over pay, recruitment and retention. Members of the Society of Radiographers (SoR) have voted to reject the 5% pay award offered by ministers and called for talks to reopen after other public sector workers, including junior doctors, were offered more. Continue reading...
Company admits delay in rolling out devices to 204,700 customers, with deadline less than two years awayThames Water has admitted it has failed to install a single smart water meter under a flagship 70m programme to fit hundreds of thousands of the devices to support the UK's green economic recovery" from Covid-19.The company has told regulators and investors that it is yet to begin installing the 204,700 smart water meters promised in the Thames Valley region, which are due to be fitted by the end of March 2025. Continue reading...
Airport cites supply issues, but says there has been no impact on passengers or flightsAirlines flying to Heathrow have been told to carry as much fuel as possible in their tanks because of supply problems at Britain's largest airport, in a controversial practice that can increase carbon emissions.The airport asked airlines to carry excess fuel on the way to London and to avoid carrying too much when departing, citing supply issues, in a notice sent on Sunday. The notice covered nine days from Sunday 23 July to Monday 31 July. Continue reading...
Conservative rightwingers push PM to create dividing line with Labour on environment after narrow byelection win in UxbridgeRishi Sunak has signalled the government could delay or even abandon green policies that impose a direct cost on consumers, as he comes under pressure from the Conservative right to create a dividing line with Labour at the next election.The prime minister said the drive to reach the UK's net zero targets should not unnecessarily give people more hassle and more costs in their lives" as he rethinks his green agenda after last week's Uxbridge and South Ruislip byelection. Continue reading...
Since the byelection fought over Ulez, party sources suggest some environmental measures may be on borrowed timeThe Tories' narrow victory over Labour at the Uxbridge and South Ruislip byelection has triggered soul searching in both parties about the direction of their green policies.Voters rejected the Labour candidate, Danny Beales, after a campaign fought almost entirely over a single issue: Sadiq Khan's plans to extend the ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) for cars. Continue reading...
Activist had pleaded not guilty on grounds she acted out of necessity at demonstration that blocked oil trucks in MalmoGreta Thunberg has been fined by a Swedish court after she was found guilty of disobeying a police order to leave a climate protest.The 20-year-old climate activist, who from 2018 became the face of the youth climate movement, had admitted taking part in the protest in Malmo in June, but pleaded not guilty on the grounds she had acted out of necessity. Continue reading...