IFRC and USAid staging conference to draw attention to risks and share best practice in disaster alerts and responseTwo of the world's biggest aid agencies will host an inaugural global summit on extreme heat on Thursday as directors warn that the climate crisis is dramatically increasing the probability of a mass-fatality heat disaster.The conference will highlight some of the pioneering work being done, from tree-planting projects to the development of roof coverings that reduce indoor temperatures. Continue reading...
They thought their redeveloped 19th-century building was safe - but after learning it still contained toxic levels of lead, they formed a tenants unionKaty Slininger was one of dozens of residents who moved into the Lofts at the Cargill Falls Mill in Putnam, Connecticut, shortly after it opened in late 2020, enticed by the historic charm of the building and affordability of an apartment in an area with significant affordable housing shortages.The building is a redeveloped 19th-century mill that opened in 2020 after government subsidies contributed millions of dollars in grants and tax credits to its renovation and was hailed by local officials as a boon to the local economy. Continue reading...
Some ecologically sound' brands contain as little as 2.7% of the eco-friendly paper alternativeIn the bathrooms of the ecologically conscious, bamboo toilet paper is the new bottom line - a supposedly green alternative to the bog-standard pulp-based loo roll that requires the chopping down of 1m trees a year, just to be flushed down the pan.But findings from consumer watchdog Which? will wipe away that smug feeling: samples of three out of the five of the UK's top bamboo brands were actually made from other woods, some of them heavily implicated in deforestation. Continue reading...
Natural England-backed scheme at most southerly tip of UK will nurture lichens, liverworts and wildflowersThe landscape at the most southerly tip of mainland Britain is expansive and grand: rolling heath and grasslands, spectacular cliffs, crashing waves.But a recovery project funded by Natural England is focusing on unique and vital microhabitats" found in sometimes overlooked spots on the Lizard peninsula in Cornwall. Continue reading...
Just 2% of continent's gas capacity has planned retirement date despite pledges to decarbonise, study showsEurope's tone-deaf" expansion of fossil gas is accelerating climate breakdown and increasing reliance on hostile regimes, campaigners have warned.Just four of Europe's gas-fired power plants have a retirement plan and new projects will increase the continent's gas generation capacity by 27%, according to analysis from the campaign group Beyond Fossil Fuels. Continue reading...
Fears of overcharging on bill grows after jump from 2.7m machines is blamed on reporting errors from energy providersNearly 4m energy smart meters in homes and businesses are faulty, government figures have shown, in a further blow to the troubled" rollout of the technology.Data from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero reported that, at the end of last year, 3.98m meters in Great Britain were not working properly. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Fingers of willow gloves, found in only two woodlands, will be rushed to Cumbria and tied to new treesFingers of a critically endangered fungus will this week be removed from its last sites in Scotland and fixed to trees in three woodlands in England to save it from extinction.Willow gloves, which resembles the fingers of washing-up gloves and grows on dead trees, is found only in two woodlands, and the vast majority is living on just one fallen tree. Continue reading...
Campaigners say activities leading to severe environmental harm usually also violate human rightsThe international criminal court (ICC) has been urged to start investigating and prosecuting individuals who harm the environment.Academics, lawyers and campaigners from around the world have sent expert opinions to the court outlining what they call its current regime of impunity" for serious environmental crimes. Continue reading...
Inexpensive and easy to use, drones are proving invaluable for activists monitoring illegal fishing, hunting and deforestation - as well as keeping tabs on zoos and aquariumsLate last year, UrgentSeas received an anonymous tip from a former employee at the Miami Seaquarium about animal tanks away from public view. The advocacy group went to investigate.In November, they posted a short clip of what they found by flying a drone over the property: an elderly manatee living alone in a decaying private pool. Within a month, the clip had been watched millions of times and the outcry had grown so intense that the US Fish and Wildlife Service moved the manatee, Romeo, and his mate, Juliet, to a sanctuary. Continue reading...
Asymptomatic cases may seem reassuring for the penguins, but scientists fear they could act as Trojan horses' for other speciesAdelie penguins in Antarctica are testing positive for bird flu without showing outward signs of disease, according to researchers who travelled around 13 remote breeding sites on an ice-breaking cruise ship.Since bird flu arrived in the region this year, there have been concerns about the virus reaching the Antarctic's fragile penguin populations. In November last year, researchers warned in a pre-print research paper that if the virus caused mass mortality in these colonies, it could signal one of the largest ecological disasters of modern times". Continue reading...
Horse racing industry insiders said to be pushing for Sydney track to be moved to former brickpit in Olympic Park - a sanctuary for an unlikely urban survivor
by Matthew Taylor Environment correspondent on (#6KKNG)
Government has repeatedly used figure to justify more fossil fuel developments despite climate crisisAre 200,000 jobs really supported by the oil and gas industry in the North Sea? Campaigners and MPs are questioning the longstanding government claim.Ministers have repeatedly used the 200,000 jobs figure as justification for pushing ahead with more fossil fuel developments despite the escalating climate crisis and widespread opposition from scientists and energy experts. Continue reading...
Residents and marine officials in British Columbia hope a changing tide will save her orphaned calfA killer whale stranded off Canada's west coast has died despite efforts to rescue her, but residents and marine officials hope a changing tide will save her orphaned calf.On Saturday, members of the Ehattisaht First Nation, a coastal community along the north-western reaches of Vancouver Island, spotted an orca trapped on a rocky outcropping. Continue reading...
Predatory species, which poses huge danger to bee populations, spotted on 11 March, indicating winter stayAsian hornets may have become established in the UK after the earliest-ever sighting of the predatory insect was recorded by the government this month.This is a dangerous development for Britain's bee population and could have a knock-on effect on agriculture that needs the pollinators, because once hornets are established it is almost impossible to eliminate them. Continue reading...
Funding will go to recipients in more than 20 states in industrial sector, which is responsible for roughly 25% of US emissionsThe Biden administration announced a record $6bn in funding Monday to decarbonize US industry facilities including plants that make cement and concrete, iron and steel, and food production plants including ones which make mac and cheese, and ice cream.The industrial sector is responsible for roughly 25% of all the nation's emissions, and has proven difficult to decarbonize due to its energy-intense, large-scale operations.Constellium in Ravenswood, West Virginia, is going to operate a first-of-its-kind zero-carbon aluminum casting plant and install low-emission furnaces that can use clean fuels such as hydrogen. The company produces aluminum for a range of products including cars and planes.Kraft Heinz will install heat pumps, electric heaters and electric boilers to decarbonize food production at 10 facilities, including in Holland, Michigan, where it makes mac and cheese.Cleveland-Cliffs Steel Corporation in Middletown, Ohio, will retire one blast furnace, install two electric furnaces, and use hydrogen-based ironmaking technology. The project aims to eliminate 1m tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year from the largest supplier of steel to the US automotive industry.Heidelberg Materials US Inc will build a system that captures and stores carbon underground at its plant in Mitchell, Indiana. The project aims to capture at least 95% of the carbon dioxide released by the cement plant, which will prevent 2m tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere each year.Associated Press contributed to this report Continue reading...
Turkey's eighth national Antarctic science expedition is seeking answers to questions about the future of the world with 22 different projects on the continent. Anadolu Agency's photojournalist Sebnem Coskun is documenting the expedition's scientific research, climate change impacts and life in the region to share the findings with the world.
Presenter, whose series Mammals airs on Sunday, says broadcaster has changed opinions on conservation the world overSir David Attenborough has said the BBC's natural history programmes have helped world opinion change" about conservation, as his latest series, Mammals, highlights the damage overcrowded" game reserve tourism has on cheetahs - which he says we are in danger of loving to death".In the same way Blue Planet II raised awareness of plastics, the six-part BBC One programme is likely to prompt questions about safari holidays through footage of large numbers of tourist-filled trucks chasing views of hunting cheetahs making a kill - which can often result in the animals leaving the meat and cubs dying. Continue reading...
In late 2023, Peter Kaestner was about to log his 10,000th bird species seen in the wild. Then Jason Mann showed upIn late 2023, 70-year-old birder Peter Kaestner was within striking distance of a goal that had never been accomplished: seeing more than 10,000 different species of birds in the wild.Such a record had previously been unthinkable, but with new technology facilitating rare bird sightings, improved DNA testing identifying a growing number of bird species, and public listing platforms making it easier to keep track of and share findings, more super-birders are inching towards the five digits. Continue reading...
In letter to TfL boss, Khan says plans will not include new pay-per-mile road user charging scheme'Sadiq Khan has pledged not to extend the scope of London's ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) scheme if he returns to the role after May's election.In a letter to the Transport for London commissioner, Andy Lord, the capital's mayor wrote that he had categorically" ruled out the introduction of a pay-per-mile scheme as well as any tightening of Ulez emissions standards. Continue reading...
For 41 years, the charming Theodore Payne Wild Flower Hotline has led people to California's most bountiful bloomsFor Californians, it is a rite of spring to seek the yearly wildflower blooms that erupt across arid shrublands, hillsides and desert landscapes in kaleidoscopic colour.For the past 41 years, the Theodore Payne Wild Flower Hotline has helped guide their journeys. Wildflower seekers in southern California can dial (818) 768-1802, ext 7, for counsel on where to locate the best and most bountiful blooms in the region. Continue reading...
More than 100 cherry blossom trees getting the axe over the summer when crews begin work to replace crumbling seawallA legendary, gnarled old cherry tree nicknamed Stumpy that became a social media phenom is about to have its last selfies in this spring's annual cherry blossom festivities in Washington DC.Stumpy has been listed for the chop, along with more than 100 other cherry trees along the famous walks near the Jefferson Memorial in the capital - and the climate crisis is part of the equation. Continue reading...
Despite splashy climate pledges, firms including BP and Saudi Aramco have plans to expand fossil fuel production, says analysisIn recent years, virtually all of the world's largest oil companies have made splashy climate pledges. But when it comes to actually slashing emissions, those firms are way off track", a new report has found.The analysis from the thinktank Carbon Tracker assessed the production and transition plans of 25 of the world's largest oil and gas companies. None align with the central goal of the 2015 Paris climate agreement to keep global warming well under" 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels, the report found. Continue reading...
by Kiran Stacey Political correspondent on (#6KHSV)
Environment secretary has been vocal opponent of waste plant plans that must be approved by body he overseesThe UK environment secretary, Steve Barclay, has come under scrutiny for failing to declare a potential conflict of interest over a proposed waste incineration plant in his constituency.Barclay has been a vocal opponent of the waste-to-energy plant in Wisbech, which is due to be one of Europe's biggest such incinerators. Continue reading...
A Bolivian conservation programme has identified at least 60 'Paddington' bears in areas where they had not been spotted before. The animal is the inspiration behind the beloved fictional character Paddington, who travels to London, is adopted by a family and eats lashings of marmalade. In 2017, Chester zoo's Andean carnivore conservation programme installed trap cameras in Tarija forest areas, and in 2023 it spotted members of the thriving bear community playing and walking among the trees. According to Ximena Velez-Liendo, the programme's coordinator, the Andean bear is vulnerable to extinction. The expert said if threats to the species, such as the loss of habitat, retaliatory hunting and the effects of the climate crisis were not addressed by 2030, the region could lose almost 30% of the population Continue reading...
The Long Table says it took thousands of hours of work to turn derelict site into a community space, but landlord has now sold itA Gloucestershire restaurant with a radical business model, in that it feeds all comers regardless of their ability to pay, is losing its premises after the owner sold the property.The community around The Long Table, featured in the Guardian earlier this month, has been left reeling after it was ordered to move out of the mill it occupies in Stroud - even as it sought to engage with the landlord to buy the building. Continue reading...
Campaigners call on banks to cease funding Ithaca, which is playing a key role in Rosebank oilfield planTwo major UK high street banks have been accused of continuing to finance fossil fuel expansion in the North Sea despite signing a pledge to align their activities with the net zero climate goal.HSBC and NatWest have provided tens of millions in finance to Ithaca Energy, a British oil and gas company that is playing a key role in plans to exploit the controversial Rosebank oilfield north-west of the Shetland Islands. Another high street bank, Lloyds, also provided finance but has since sold down the debt. Continue reading...
World water development report warns that access is major source of conflict between countriesWomen and girls are the first to suffer when drought strikes poor and rural areas, and water strategies around the world must reflect this, the UN has said in a plea to countries to mend conflicts over water resources.Stress on water resources, which is being exacerbated by the climate crisis, as well as overuse and pollution of the world's freshwater systems, is a large source of conflict, according to the latest UN world water development report. Continue reading...
States including Texas, Louisiana and Florida say federal government lacks authority to broadly deny permitsSixteen US states, including Texas, Louisiana and Florida, have filed a lawsuit to challenge the US federal government's ban on approving applications to export liquefied natural gas, the office of Texas attorney general Ken Paxton said on Thursday.The lawsuit argues the federal government lacks the authority to broadly deny those permits. Continue reading...
MSPs vote for controls as it emerges another hen harrier has vanished in area notorious' for persecutionGrouse moors across Scotland will be required to hold licences and could face shooting bans as part of radical measures to combat bird of prey persecution passed by MSPs on Thursday.The Scottish parliament voted for the controls amid intense pressure from conservation scientists and campaigners after decades of illegal attacks on birds of prey by gamekeepers instructed to protect grouse on shooting estates from being eaten. Continue reading...
Welney landlord fears business may not survive impact of increasingly lengthy spells of flooding on customer numbersDennis Birch estimates his pub loses about 3,000 a week when the road into the village of Welney is closed because of flooding - and this winter, it was closed for a record-breaking 89 days.Now labelled the most flooded road in Britain", Birch said he questions whether the 18th-century Lamb and Flag can survive the impact the flooding has on the number of customers coming through his door. Continue reading...
Public Citizen, a non-profit group, proposed the idea last year to prosecute companies for millions of deaths due to climate crisisEach year, extreme temperatures take 5 million lives, while 400,000 people die from climate-related hunger and disease and scores perish in floods and wildfires.Now, researchers are promoting a new legal theory that says fossil fuel companies - which, data show, are the leading contributors to planet-heating pollution - could be tried for homicide for climate-related deaths. Continue reading...
New industries such as cryptocurrency and cannabis are boosting industry forecasts, straining efforts to cut emissionsWhat's happening with US energy?Demand for power is soaring, creating a new energy crisis for the United States - one that could make the climate crisis even worse. Continue reading...
Suit claims bibs, produced by Bumkins, leaves babies exposed to high levels of forever chemicals' and do not have warning labelsDC and Marvel comic-themed baby and toddler bibs are contaminated with toxic PFAS forever chemicals", leaving kids exposed to carcinogens that can easily be ingested, a new California lawsuit alleges.Among others, the suit names the bibs' US producer and Amazon as defendants. Under Proposition 65, products sold in California that contain PFOA, a highly toxic PFAS compound that was phased out of production in the US, must at a minimum contain a warning. Continue reading...
Some of our favorite foods and drinks rely on these oft-misunderstood mammals, which are facing multiple threatsIf you've ever enjoyed coffee, tomatoes, corn, bananas, mangoes, walnuts, chocolate, tequila or mezcal, you may just owe bats a thank-you.While bats are often the subject of fear and scorn - they're fixtures in Halloween decor and haunted-house imagery, and are frequently portrayed as harbingers of doom - their presence is often a sign of a thriving ecosystem. Some of our favorite food and drinks would be much less plentiful, or even nonexistent, without them. Continue reading...
Stars of Avatar: The Way of Water photographed in baroque style by Christy Lee RogersPhotographs of the actors Kate Winslet, Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver seemingly floating underwater in elaborate blue dresses, with eyes shut and arms outstretched, are to be sold to raise money for ocean conservation.The images are the work of one of the world's most celebrated underwater photographers, Christy Lee Rogers, who teamed up with the stars of the 2022 film Avatar: The Way of Water and its director, James Cameron, a longtime proponent of ocean conservation, who commissioned the photoshoot. Continue reading...
by Damian Carrington Environment editor on (#6KGPQ)
High temperatures in February affected millions of people and put further pressure on chocolate pricesA searing heatwave that struck west Africa in February was made 4C hotter and 10 times more likely by human-caused global heating, a study has found.The heat affected millions of people but the number of early deaths or cases of illness are unknown, due to a lack of reporting. Continue reading...
Poet laureate produces 10 poems, haiku and a musical EP, working with National Trust as it renews its blossom campaignHe imagines blossom as fancy dress, as an artist or a magician lighting up countryside, town and city. Yes, it is a thing of beauty and joy but also, sometimes, a pertinent reminder of changing climate patterns.On World Poetry Day and to celebrate spring, the poet laureate, Simon Armitage, has launched a collection celebrating the bright blossom that sweeps through the UK at this time of year. Continue reading...
Environment | The Guardian