Case alleges French company's exploitation of fossil fuel contributed to deaths of victims in extreme weather disastersA criminal case has been filed against the CEO and directors of the French oil company TotalEnergies, alleging its fossil fuel exploitation has contributed to the deaths of victims of climate-fuelled extreme weather disasters.The case was filed in Paris by eight people harmed by extreme weather, and three NGOs. The plaintiffs believe it to be the first such criminal case filed against the individuals running a major oil company. The public prosecutor who received the file has three months to decide whether to open a judicial investigation or dismiss the complaint. Continue reading...

Authorities cut short school term as weather bureau warns of severe heatwave conditions this weekAuthorities in the Indian capital, have ordered schools to shut early for the summer holiday, after temperatures in Delhi hit 47.4C (117F).City officials told schools to shut with immediate effect" due to the blistering heat, according to a government order quoted by the Hindustan Times on Tuesday, cutting the term by a few days. Continue reading...

Tassal staff legally killed 53 of the native birds with permission from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment

The well-preserved huia bird feather was expected to fetch up to NZD$3,000 but ended up selling for more than NZD$46,000A rare and highly prized feather from the extinct New Zealand huia bird has sold for NZD$46,521 (US$28,365), making it by far the world's most expensive feather ever sold at auction.The hammer price far exceeded initial estimates of between $2,000-$3,000, and blew the previous record-holder's price out of the water. Until Monday's sale, the previous record sale was another huia feather that sold in 2010 for $8,400. Continue reading...

Species, with only a few dozen seen by humans since first discovered, usually lives in darkness up to 3,300ft below sea levelOregon beachgoers stumbled across a rare find over the weekend, after a deep-sea anglerfish washed up from the ocean depths.The discovery marked the first time this creature, which typically dwells in the darkness up to 3,300ft below sea level, was seen on Oregon shores according to the local Seaside Aquarium, which posted about it on Facebook. Continue reading...

Critical slowing down' of recovery raises concern over forest's resilience to ecosystem collapseMore than a third of the Amazon rainforest is struggling to recover from drought, according to a new study that warns of a critical slowing down" of this globally important ecosystem.The signs of weakening resilience raise concerns that the world's greatest tropical forest - and biggest terrestrial carbon sink - is degrading towards a point of no return. Continue reading...

Butler is among several writers refusing to appear at the literary festival over sponsor Baillie Gifford's alleged involvement in technology and arms in Israel'Labour MP Dawn Butler and author Grace Blakeley are among those who have withdrawn from scheduled appearances at Hay festival over its sponsorship by investment management firm Baillie Gifford.Butler said in a video posted to X that she was withdrawing from the literary festival because Baillie Gifford is involved directly or indirectly in technology and arms in Israel". Continue reading...

More than 216,000 fish died in 2022-2023, when England recorded a 54% increase in sewage spillsMass deaths of fish in England's rivers have increased almost tenfold since 2020, with fears sewage pollution is exterminating life in the country's waterways.Environment Agency (EA) data from the past four years shows an alarming rise in the number of fish deaths linked to sewage pollution, with figures escalating from 26,690 in 2020-2021 to 216,135 in 2023-2024. Continue reading...

Sensing election-year traction, coalition of 20 environmental groups also demand entrenchment of pause in gas-export licencesJoe Biden's administration is coming under renewed pressure to escalate its curbs on the US's booming trade in fossil fuels by halting new deepwater oil-export facilities, as well as entrenching its pause in gas-export licences.A coalition of 20 environmental groups, sensing election-year traction with Biden as he seeks a second term as US president, has written to officials demanding a freeze on deepwater oil-export facilities, similar to the move announced by the Biden administration earlier this year when it paused new licenses for liquified natural gas (or LNG) exports. Continue reading...

The FDA is developing front-of-package labels that corporations may have to start printing as early as 2027

From maltodextrin to guar gum, these additives are found in 73% of the US food supply - and are linked to health impacts

A growing number of grocery-store foods, from fruit-flavored yogurts to packaged bread, are being tied to health concerns

Jeff Bezos's $10bn climate and biodiversity fund has garnered glittering prizes, but concerns have been voiced over the influence it can buy - and its interest in carbon offsetsLate last month, the coronation of Jeff Bezos and his partner Lauren Sanchez as environmental royalty was complete. At Conservation International's glitzy annual gala in New York, with Harrison Ford, Jacinda Ardern and Shailene Woodley looking on, the couple were given the global visionary award for the financial contribution of the Bezos Earth Fund to the natural world.Jeff and Lauren are making history, not just with the sum of their investment in nature but also the speed of it," said the Conservation International CEO, Dr M Sanjayan, whose organisation received a $20m grant from Bezos in 2021 for its work in the tropical Andes. Continue reading...

Five years after her last companion died and the aquarium's owner pledged to free her, Bella still languishes in a tiny tank amid shopsIn the heart of Seoul, amid the luxury shops at the foot of the world's sixth-tallest skyscraper, a lone beluga whale named Bella swims aimlessly in a tiny, lifeless tank, where she has been trapped for a decade.Her plight is urgent, with campaigners racing to rescue her from the bare tank in a glitzy shopping centre in South Korea's capital before it is too late. Continue reading...

Comms Declare asks ACCC to investigate show sponsor Australian Gas Networks for alleged greenwashing

Scottish government accused of missing deadlines to take action on overfishing and effects of climate breakdownFragile and damaged marine life around Scotland's coasts is not being properly protected because ministers in Edinburgh have broken their promises, environment campaigners have warned.Prominent charities including the Marine Conservation Society and the National Trust for Scotland accuse the Scottish government of repeatedly missing its deadlines to protect vulnerable marine life from overfishing and the effects of climate breakdown. Continue reading...

Exclusive: EPA chief executive says foundational' rule changes put climate impacts front and centre' of planning process

Brandon Johnson promised to address the city's longstanding inequities - advocates want to make the most of the momentOn the campaign trail, Brandon Johnson often talked about the asthma he suffered growing up just west of Chicago, connecting it to industrial pollution.For too long our communities have been seen as dumping grounds for waste and materials that no one seems to know what to do with," the then mayoral candidate said at an event in the majority-Hispanic neighborhood of Pilsen. Continue reading...

Milford Haven, Southampton and Immingham top the list for emissions of gases and particulatesShips calling at the UK's most-polluted ports produce more nitrogen oxides than all the cars registered in the same cities or regions, analysis has shown.A report from Transport & Environment (T&E) said that ships were continuing to discharge huge quantities of air pollutants at ports, with Milford Haven, Southampton and Immingham topping the list for emissions of harmful sulphur oxides and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) as well as nitrogen oxides (NOx). Continue reading...

Death toll in southern state of Rio Grande do Sul increasing daily as authorities plan four tent cities' for 77,000 displaced peopleThree weeks after one of Brazil's worst-ever floods hit its southernmost state, killing 155 people and forcing 540,000 from their homes, experts have warned that water levels will take at least another two weeks to drop.The death toll across Rio Grande do Sul is still increasing daily, and more than 77,000 displaced people remain in public shelters, prompting the state government to announce plans to build four temporary tent cities" to accommodate them. Continue reading...

As the prestige flower event begins, horticulturalists are shown how a waterlogged patch can help counter climate crisisGardeners should embrace the bog" that has formed in backyards across the country after record rain, a designer at this week's Chelsea flower show has said.Naomi Slade will unveil her design for a floodproof garden on 21 May, showing that even with the unusually wet weather seen in recent months, British gardens can still be full of colourful flowers. Continue reading...

PFAS chemicals present in air, rain, atmosphere and water in basin, which holds nearly 95% of US freshwaterToxic PFAS forever chemicals" are ubiquitous in the Great Lakes basin's air, rain, atmosphere and water, new peer-reviewed research shows.The first-of-its-kind, comprehensive picture of PFAS levels for the basin, which holds nearly 95% of the nation's freshwater, also reveals that precipitation is probably a major contributor to the lakes' contamination. Continue reading...

Thousands of homes and farming land damaged in Ghor province, a week after over 300 people killed in flash floodsAt least 60 people have been killed in a fresh bout of heavy rain and flooding in central Afghanistan, according to an official.Dozens others remained missing, said Abdul Wahid Hamas, spokesperson for Ghor's provincial governor, on Saturday. He said the province had suffered significant financial losses, with thousands of homes and properties damaged and hundreds of hectares of agricultural land destroyed in the floods on Friday, including in the province's capital city, Feroz Koh. Continue reading...

But authorities say households in some areas need to continue safety measures amid waterborne parasitic disease

South West Water identifies damaged valve' as possible cause of cryptosporidium contamination in Brixham areaHealth officials are expecting more cases of a waterborne disease in Devon, as an MP said heads are going to roll" over the outbreak and that the anger among residents was palpable".The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed 46 cases of cryptosporidium infection in the Brixham area, while more than 100 other people have reported symptoms, including diarrhoea, stomach pains and dehydration. Continue reading...

About 60 flights cancelled after members of Letzte Generation glue themselves to ground at MunichEight climate activists have been arrested after causing Munich airport to close, leading to about 60 flight cancellations.Six activists broke through a security fence and glued themselves to access routes leading to runways, officials and local media reported. Continue reading...

Edible oil droplets trap bugs without the harm to people and wildlife that synthetic pesticides can causeTiny sticky droplets sprayed on crops to trap pests could be a green alternative to chemical pesticides, research has shown.The insect glue, produced from edible oils, was inspired by plants such as sundews that use the strategy to capture their prey. A key advantage of physical pesticides over toxic pesticides is that pests are highly unlikely to evolve resistance, as this would require them to develop much larger and stronger bodies, while bigger beneficial insects, like bees, are not trapped by the drops. Continue reading...

Authorities confirm 46 cases and warn of weeks-long disruption as firms in Brixham hit by cancellations before school half-termCases of an illness caused by a microscopic parasite in a Devon harbour town could continue for a further two weeks, experts said, with businesses predicting thousands of pounds of losses as school half-term approaches.The comments came as the UK Health Security Agency confirmed that cases of cryptosporidium infection in the Brixham area had more than doubled from 22 to 46, with more than 100 others reporting symptoms of the disease. Continue reading...

San Pedro Sula is rated dangerous' as effects of forest fires, El Nino and the climate crisis cause a spike in respiratory illnessesThe air quality in San Pedro Sula, the second-largest city in Honduras, as been classified as the most polluted on the American continent due to forest fires and weather conditions aggravated by El Nino and the climate crisis.IQAir, a Swiss air-quality organisation that draws data from more than 30,000 monitoring stations around the world, said on Thursday that air quality in the city of about 1 million people has reached dangerous" levels. Continue reading...

NBIM, one of oil group's largest investors, calls for additional disclosures' about green commitments ahead of AGMNorway's state investment fund has urged Shell to clarify its climate targets as the oil group braces for its biggest ever green shareholder rebellion at next week's annual general meeting.Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), which manages $1.6tn on behalf of the people of Norway and is one of Shell's largest investors, urged the company to give investors more information about its plans for the next decade after its new chief executive watered down climate commitments earlier this year. Continue reading...

Fossil-fuel dependent country hopes to provide bridge between wealthy global north and poor south at November gatheringOil is inescapable in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. The smell of it greets the visitor on arrival and from the shores of the Caspian Sea on which the city is built the tankers are eternally visible. Flares from refineries near the centre light up the night sky, and you do not have to travel far to see fields of nodding donkeys", small piston pump oil wells about 6 metres (20ft) tall, that look almost festive in their bright red and green livery.It will be an interesting setting for the gathering of the 29th UN climate conference of the parties, which will take place at the Olympic Stadium in November. Continue reading...

Church asks people to record species found in local graveyards, which can provide good habitat for complex life formThe still calm of graveyards invites visitors to think about the dead, but now the Church of England is asking people across the country to look for surprising signs of life within them.Graves are a haven for lichen, with more than 700 of the 2,000 British species having been recorded in English churchyards and cemeteries so far. According to surveys by the church, many sites have well more than 100 species on the stonework, trees and in the grassland. Continue reading...

Glyphosate found in samples from French infertility clinic raising questions about controversial chemical's impact on fertilityMore than 55% of sperm samples from a French infertility clinic contained high levels of glyphosate, the world's most common weedkiller, raising further questions about the chemical's impact on reproductive health and overall safety, a new study found.The new research also found evidence of impacts on DNA and a correlation between glyphosate levels and oxidative stress on seminal plasma, suggesting significant impacts on fertility and reproductive health. Continue reading...

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

Tanya Plibersek ordered investigation after judge accused law firm of subtle coaching' of Tiwi Island traditional owners during legal challenge

John Woodcock, whose review proposes bans for protest groups, has lobbying links to firms in arms and fossil fuel sectorsActivists have accused the government's independent adviser on political violence of a conflict of interest, after it emerged that he had lobbying links to companies that would benefit from curbs to protesting.John Woodcock, formerly a Labour MP and now a crossbench peer, has prepared a review of far-left" involvement in disruptive protest, which includes activism against climate change and war. At the same time, he has been chairing and advising lobby groups representing arms manufacturers and fossil fuel firms. Continue reading...

Hotline set up in Japan's capital to report sightings of raccoons, which became popular as pets after success of 1970s TV anime seriesHaving won the battle to tackle Tokyo's population of giant, ravenous crows, the city's authorities are now embroiled in an even tougher campaign: to rein in another animal menace, the North American raccoon.The number of raccoons caught in the capital every year has increased fivefold over the past decade, according to media reports, amid concern about the damage the animals are inflicting on the local ecosystem. Continue reading...

Unite launches bid to persuade Keir Starmer to invest more in north-east ScotlandThe UK's oil and gas workers risk becoming the coal miners of our generation," Unite's general secretary, Sharon Graham, has warned, urging Labour not to ban new North Sea licences without a clear plan to safeguard jobs.Unite is launching a billboard campaign in six Scottish constituencies aimed at persuading Keir Starmer to commit more investment to north-east Scotland, the centre of the offshore oil and gas industry. Continue reading...

The behavior, documented in footage from researcher Chris Law, is most seen in females and sheds light on the threatened speciesFloating on its back in the waters of California's Monterey Bay, a sea otter takes a shelled animal and strikes it against a rock sitting on its chest to break open the prey.This behavior, documented in footage from researcher Chris Law, is seen in relatively few animals and allows the otter to access food without damaging its teeth. A new study, which will be published in the journal Science on Friday, sheds light on the threatened species' tactics. Continue reading...

Republicans opposed to plan from Bureau of Land Management affecting Powder River Basin area of Wyoming and MontanaThe Biden administration on Thursday proposed an end to new coal leasing from federal reserves in the most productive coal mining region in the US as officials seek to limit climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions from burning the fuel.The Bureau of Land Management proposal would affect millions of acres (millions of hectares) of federal lands and underground mineral reserves in the Powder River Basin area of Wyoming and Montana. Continue reading...

Commitments range from cutting NHS waiting times to delivering economic stability - and are united by a lack of detail

Reduction in insect numbers contributes to drop, and there are declines across more than a third of bird species surveyedSwallows, swifts and house martins were once a common sight over UK towns and cities, dextrously catching insects on the wing. But these spring and summer visitors are becoming increasingly rare, according to the definitive survey of the country's birds.Populations of these insect-eating birds have dropped by 40% or more in the past decade, according to the latest Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) report. Continue reading...

Critics argue change could lead to people installing smaller solar power systems so they aren't penalised for exporting excess energy during the day

Campaigners accuse Forest Fire Management Victoria of knowingly' killing endangered wildlife after greater glider found dead

Russian constitutional court is considering claim, which activists hope will raise awareness about emissionsA group of activists are fighting for the right to scrutinise Russia's climate policies, and in particular its enormous methane emissions, in court.Russia's constitutional court is considering a claim brought by 18 individuals and the NGO Ecodefense that insufficient action by the Russian state to cut national greenhouse gas emissions is violating their rights to life, health and a healthy environment. Continue reading...

Near-10% dividend increase follows allegation that water company failed to prevent illegal pollution for 10 hours in February Business live - latest updatesOne of Britain's most polluting water companies has increased its payouts to shareholders by nearly 10% in the same week that it emerged it had pumped raw sewage into Windermere in the Lake District for 10 hours.United Utilities will pay its investors - which include some of the world's biggest asset managers - 339m in dividends for this year, up from 310m for 2023, after it reported higher operating profits thanks to a rise in customer bills. Continue reading...

State, which just had its hottest year since 1895, will ban offshore wind power, boost natural gas and reduce gas pipeline rulesClimate change will be a lesser priority in Florida and largely disappear from state statutes under legislation signed on Wednesday by the state's governor, Ron DeSantis, in a move which experts say ignores the reality of Florida's climate threats.The legislation, which comes after Florida had its hottest year on record since 1895, also bans power-generating wind turbines offshore or near the state's lengthy coastline. Continue reading...

Council says primary school in Brixham shut due to having no drinking water as cases of cryptosporidiosis investigatedA primary school in south Devon has closed as it does not have drinking water as officials investigate a local outbreak of a disease that causes sickness and diarrhoea.The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said 22 cases of cryptosporidiosis, a waterborne disease caused by a microscopic parasite, had been confirmed in Brixham and more were expected. Other reported cases of diarrhoea and vomiting among residents and visitors to the town are under investigation. Continue reading...

Ex-president at Mar-a-Lago last month hosted more than 20 executives, including from Chevron, Exxon and OccidentalA deal" allegedly offered by Donald Trump to big-oil executives as he sought $1bn in campaign donations could save the industry $110bn in tax breaks if he returns to the White House, an analysis suggests.The fundraising dinner held last month at Mar-a-Lago with more than 20 executives, including from Chevron, Exxon and Occidental Petroleum, reportedly involved Trump asking for large campaign contributions and promising, if elected, to remove barriers to drilling, scrap a pause on gas exports, and reverse new rules aimed at cutting car pollution. Continue reading...