More than 100 companies are set to send a letter to the PM voicing fears about the disastrous effects of Britain's overreliance on gasMore than 100 of the UK's biggest energy companies will tell Rishi Sunak this week not to back off the green agenda after a report by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) warned of catastrophic effects on the economy of continued overreliance on gas.The energy sector is becoming so alarmed at what it sees as the Sunak government's mixed messages on switching to more renewable energy that big UK companies are ready to go public with a letter to Downing Street within days. Continue reading...

Once the preserve of farmers, now the dog trials, sheep shearing and food stalls are starting to appeal to everyoneOne of the highlights of the Great Yorkshire Show for Bridlington farmer Geoff Riby - other than his ram winning the Beltex male champion in the sheep class competition - was watching Lorenzo the Flying Frenchman perform in the main ring at the Harrogate show ground.Riby has exhibited at the fair since 1972 and has seen this annual event evolve from an industry trade fair promoting tractors to the sort of festival that would feature one of France's most skilled equestrians on the bill. Continue reading...

Anticyclone Caronte could send thermometer to 48C/118F as Mediterranean heatwave intensifies Read more: Acropolis closes to protect touristsA fierce anticyclone named after Cerberus, a three-headed monster-dog that features in Dante's Inferno, had not even ended before Italians were warned that a more intense one called Caronte, or Charon, who in Greek mythology was the ferryman of the dead, was on its way.Italy sweltered in temperatures reaching highs of 38C over the weekend, while Caronte will grip the country from Monday, sending the mercury beyond 40C in central and southern regions, with the islands of Sicily and Sardinia possibly hitting a peak of 48C. Continue reading...

First-aid workers drafted in to treat visitors suffering effects of 48C - 118F -temperatures at the country's most visited monumentThe Greeks know a thing or two about heat, and they know a thing or two about dealing with it. But last week saw heat of an altogether different order.Temperatures were of such magnitude that they called for measures never before seen in a country that prides itself on being the first in Europe to have appointed an official dedicated solely to dealing with the challenges of global heating. Continue reading...

Soaring hurricane-cover premiums are bad news for the state's homeowners - and Ron DeSantis is accused of dragging his feetHouseholds in Florida, the third most populous state in the US, have been grappling for some time with a property insurance crisis that is making home ownership unaffordable for many. After at least six insurers went insolvent in Florida last year, Farmers on Tuesday became the latest to pull out of the Florida market, saying in a statement that the decision was based on risk exposure in the hurricane-prone state.Climate change is threatening the very existence of some parts of Florida. And the costs are already being felt by Floridians. At the end of 2022, average annual property insurance premiums had already risen to more than $4,200 in Florida - three times the national average. Continue reading...

Video of capture of Burmese python measured at 19ft - as long as an adult giraffe is tall - was posted on InstagramA snake believed to be the longest invasive Burmese python ever recorded was captured by two Florida hunters after a mighty struggle.Stephen Gauta and Jake Waleri caught the humungous reptile in Big Cypress national preserve near the Everglades in southern Florida earlier this week after it lunged at Waleri, 22, who then wrestled it back to the ground. Continue reading...

Zachariah and Mary Ben were struck by the lack of of fresh and local foods near them, so they began growing their own cropsThere's a paleontological site in the center of Zachariah and Mary Ben's family farm plot. Or, at least there is if you're their two-year-old son, Yabiitoh. Neon-colored pterodactyl and stegosaurus toys lay strewn about between freshly sprouted Hopi red dye amaranth and Navajo white corn. As the Bens plunge corn jabbers - a hand-held farming tool - loaded with Oaxacan green corn seeds into the New Mexico soil, Yabiitoh ditches the dinosaurs and races across the farm lot.Just a few miles north of Shiprock, New Mexico, on land long stewarded by the Navajo (or Dine) people in the fertile valley of the San Juan River, Zach and Mary tend the land where they grow produce for their baby food company, Bidii Baby Foods. Continue reading...

Rome, Florence and Bologna among areas affected as forecasters say Sicily and Sardinia could face record 49C temperaturesSixteen cities across Italy have been issued with red alerts as southern Europe continues to experience fierce heat and faces the possibility of record-breaking temperatures.Rome, Florence and Bologna are among the areas affected by the heatwave, with forecasters suggesting that Sicily and Sardinia could see temperatures climb as high as 49C (120F), which would be the hottest ever recorded in Europe. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Former envoy raises concerns over possible deliberate defunding of climate diplomacy under Sunak government'The UK Foreign Office has said it does not know how many of its officials and diplomats are working on climate change and energy issues, in response to freedom of information requests.The government has frequently described itself as a world leader on climate issues and the Foreign Office recently stated that climate change remains an area of utmost importance and is a central focus of our diplomatic relations on a daily basis". Continue reading...

After years of underinvestment, reservoir has had to be topped up from estuary, raising health concernsMore than half of Uruguay's 3.5 million citizens are without access to tap water fit for drinking, and experts say the situation could continue for months.Some had predicted the crisis years ago when pointing out the vulnerability of the single reservoir supplying water to the metropolitan area around the capital, Montevideo. Continue reading...

LGA says single-use e-cigarettes are a litter blight and cause problems in bin lorries and recycling centresCouncils are joining paediatricians in calling for a ban on disposable vapes owing to the environmental damage they cause and the soaring number of young people taking up the addictive products.The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents councils in England and Wales, said urgent action was needed to save taxpayers' money - as single-use e-cigarettes are costly to recycle without going through special treatment - protect the planet and keep children safe. Continue reading...

Licensing for scallop dredging and trawling must comply with National Marine Plan after judicial review by Open Seas charityThe Scottish government should stop approving licences for fishing vessels using methods believed to cause harm to habitats, a charity working to protect marine life has urged, after a court declared a routine licensing decision to be unlawful.Scotland's highest court ruled that the Scottish government had failed to act in accordance with Scotland's National Marine Plan (NMP) when varying fishing licences last December, after a judicial review by the conservation charity Open Seas. It is legally obliged to act in accordance with its environmental duties, as stated in the NMP, when making these decisions. Continue reading...

The 35-year-old had to be airlifted after he shot and fended off the 250lb animal preying on his sheepA black bear attacked a sheepherder in the Colorado mountains, leaving the 35-year-old man severely injured with bites to his head and other wounds, wildlife officials said. The bear suspected of attacking him was later killed.The attack, the first reported in Colorado this year, happened early on Tuesday in the Weminuche Wilderness in the San Juan national forest in south-western Colorado, the state parks and wildlife department said in a news release. Continue reading...

After revealing that sampling from the Cadia Hill goldmine showed a vent was emitting dust at more than 11 times the limit of air pollution regulations, the NSW Environment Protection Authority announced interim test results from dust samples were within regulatory limits. While management says the Newcrest-owned mine is now operating in compliance with licence conditions, residents and experts remain concerned

Two demonstrators removed almost immediately after sounding air horns and throwing confetti on the stageTwo Just Stop Oil protesters disrupted the opening night of the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall after running on to the stage, setting off confetti cannon and sounding air horns.The pair were taken off stage at the west London venue within moments of unfurling their orange banners on Friday evening, according to footage on social media. Continue reading...

Animal fatally attacked Andrea Papi, 26, who was first person to be killed in Italy by a bear in modern timesAn Italian court has suspended a ruling that a brown bear should be put down for mauling to death a jogger in the Alps.The animal, a 17-year-old female identified as JJ4, was captured after the fatal attack on Andrea Papi, 26, near his village of Caldes on 5 April. He was the first person in Italy to be killed in a bear attack in modern times. Continue reading...

Notoriously hot California national park could surpass modern record of 130F amid unrelenting heatwaveTemperatures in the famously sizzling Death Valley national park are predicted to equal or even break modern records this weekend - but that hasn't stopped the tourists from showing up.The US south-west is currently trapped under an unrelenting heatwave, with extreme temperatures forecast to climb even higher in the coming days. In the national park, the thermometer could climb past 130F (54.4C). Continue reading...

Brazilians write to Sunak to urge the UK government to crack down on unethical corporate practicesVictims of Brazil's worst environmental disaster have written to the British prime minister, Rishi Sunak, accusing the mining company BHP of environmental racism" and urging the UK government to act on unethical practices by British companies.About 720,000 Brazilians are suing BHP, an Anglo-Australian company that until recently had its headquarters in London, over its role in the 2015 Mariana dam disaster. The company denies liability. It is facing claims for compensation amounting to 36bn in the world's largest group claim in English legal history. Continue reading...

Scientists caution against rush to mine the seabed, and say it could be decades before the full impact on marine life is knownAnimal populations appear to decrease where the deep sea is being mined, and the impact on marine life of the controversial industry may involve a wider footprint" than previously expected.According to analysis of seabed ecology undertaken after drilling tests in 2020 in Japan - the country's first successful extraction of cobalt crusts from deep-sea mountains - there was a decrease in marine life such as fish and shrimp at the site a year later. The density had dropped even further in areas outside the impact zone, by more than half. Continue reading...

The Bureau of Meteorology's long-range forecast expects more warm weather for the east coast, with Sydney hitting a top of 23C on Saturday

Owner Origin Energy say nothing has changed' on plan to shut the coal-fired Eraring plant no sooner than August 2025

Residents of Arizona's capital are used to scorching heat, but the summer's unyielding sizzle is making harder to live thereIt's Wednesday morning in Phoenix and even under thick clouds, the thermometer is hovering above 100F (37.7C).Arizona's capital city is nicknamed Valley of the Sun", and residents are used to scorching heat. But by day 12 of a vicious heatwave that's sent temperatures soaring into triple digits, with little relief overnight, limits are being tested - and it's only going to get hotter. Continue reading...

Protester Colette Joan Harmsen says she committed offences due to worsening climate crisis' and is not a menace to society'

Policies such as refunds for repairing old clothes put too much responsibility on consumers, say criticsFrance is saving the planet one shirt, one plastic fork and one washing machine at a time. With refunds to be offered on repairs to clothing and household appliances, limits on single-use plastics in fast food and other restaurants and punitive parking fees for SUV owners, the recent green focus has targeted the consumer.It is the latest phase in the government's environment roadmap, pledged by Emmanuel Macron in his presidential re-election campaign last year and announced by the prime minister, Elisabeth Borne, in May. Continue reading...

Tories, including former net zero tsar, among signatories to letter urging PM not to let down developing countriesRishi Sunak must uphold his 11.6bn climate finance commitment, Conservative parliamentarians, including the former net zero tsar, have said.Writing to the prime minister in a cross-party letter, they say recommitting to the target and clearly demonstrating how it would be met would avoid doing further damage to the UK's climate leadership, and help to build a safe and more prosperous future". Continue reading...

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CPRE London hopes to surround capital in trees by weaving existing areas of green belt in outer boroughsAn environmental charity is bidding to create an M25 for nature" that would encircle London in woodland, hedgerows and street trees to boost biodiversity, carbon capture and wellbeing.The countryside charity CPRE London hopes to weave together existing areas of green belt in the city's 18 outer boroughs to create an uninterrupted ring of trees around the capital. Continue reading...

The best of this week's wildlife photographs, including released beavers, fantastic flamingos and a hungry puffin Continue reading...

Latest storm warning comes just days after areas of Vermont and New York were hit with flash flooding, raising concerns over more damageMeterologist Ben Frechette from NBC5 reported that a tornado risk is going up slightly in north-eastern NewYork state:As some parts of the US are sweltering, Vermont was bracing for more rain on Thursday. Continue reading...

As annual three-week survey kicks off, there are signs weather has taken toll on populations of common speciesLast summer's drought may have reduced butterfly populations this year because grasses and flowers that would usually feed caterpillars withered and died in the heatwave, scientists say.People are being urged to help researchers understand the impact of extreme weather on British butterflies by counting the number and species they see this summer as part of the world's largest insect survey. Continue reading...

Fish, beavers and skunks all suffered from the deluge this week. But good news: populations are healthy and they will reboundThe toll to wildlife from climate crisis-related weather events is an area that often gets overlooked in their immediate aftermath. But after the flooding in Vermont this week, previous weather calamities - including Tropical Storm Irene, in 2011 - can offer some clues.Fish in Vermont's rivers, primarily species of trout - brook, rainbow and brown - have been found to move upriver during increased water flow to less turbulent areas, including tributaries or flooded fields, or find refuge behind fallen trees or rocks. Continue reading...

After multiple worker fatalities, the US government warned manual gauging was dangerous. The oil industry seems to have not taken note, activists say

Climactic event will almost certainly strengthen throughout the year, US climate scientists predictMild El Nino climatic conditions brewing in the Pacific Ocean will strengthen throughout the year, with an outside chance of a record-breaking event that will further turbocharge already sweltering temperatures around the globe, scientists have forecast.Last month saw a weak" El Nino form, a periodic climatic event where the circulation of the equatorial Pacific Ocean shifts and its temperature rises, causing knock-on heat around the world, according to an update from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa). Continue reading...

Britain and Switzerland among countries that need to adapt most for heating, says research looking at impact of 2C global riseThe UK and Switzerland will see a 30% increase in the number of days of uncomfortably hot temperatures if the world heats by 2C, and are two of the countries which need to adapt the most for global heating, scientists have predicted.The research, published in Nature Sustainability on Thursday, found that while central Africa will see the most extreme temperatures overall, it is mostly northern European countries that will experience the greatest relative increases in uncomfortably hot days. Continue reading...

Nearly 90 million Americans are facing heat alerts this week, yet GOP members are wrangling over spending to reduce emissionsSwaths of the US are baking under record-breaking heat, yet some lawmakers are still attempting to block any spending to fight the climate crisis, advocates say.Nearly 90 million Americans are facing heat alerts this week, including in Las Vegas, Nevada, which may break its all-time hottest temperature record; Phoenix, Arizona, which will probably break its streak of consecutive days of temperatures over 110F; and parts of Florida, where a marine heatwave has pushed up water temperatures off the coast to levels normally found in hot tubs. Continue reading...

In 2010, Barcelona's nine city beaches were topped upwith 700,000 cubic metres of sand. Since then, 70% of that sand has disappeared. In the past 20 years the rate of erosion along Spain's east coast has been accelerating. It is partly to do with storms and rising sea levels but there are also other factors at play. The local authorities are in a bind, trying to balance economic needs and the environment, with no viable solutions to choose from. It is a tricky situation that could spell the end of Barcelona's beaches Continue reading...

Agriculture ministers agree to phase out cages as animal rights advocates criticise state's lack of deadline

Agriculture ministers criticised for agreeing to continue working' on a strategy to deal with invasive species

Investigation finds polluting farmers may not face action after breaking the rulesA loophole in the UK's pollution legislation allows farmers to pollute rivers by spreading excess manure, an investigation has found, with those acting unlawfully not facing any action in most cases.The government introduced new farming rules for water in 2018, aimed at cleaning up England's waterways. However, after lobbying from the National Farmers' Union (NFU), including at least two meetings with ministers, the guidance was watered down. Continue reading...

ScottishPower expects Hagshaw Hill to produce five times as much energy with half the turbines by early 2025

California governor launches campaign aimed at protecting residents from extreme heat; US president says extreme heat and floods linked to climate

Fourth phase at giant project off Yorkshire coast is expected to have 180 turbines and generate 2.6GWOne of the UK's largest planned offshore windfarms will move ahead after the government gave the green light to a giant project off the Yorkshire coast after a five-month delay.The fourth phase of the Hornsea windfarm development is expected to include 180 giant turbines, capable of generating the equivalent of enough green electricity to power 1m homes. Continue reading...

Animals make first return to the county in 400 years as National Trust introduces family of four to Wallington estateIt was a genuinely tense tale of the riverbank as a family of four beavers were released into the Northumberland countryside on Wednesday, the first time in more than 400 years that the animals are making the county their home.Would they even come out of their cages? Would they be as feisty coming out as they apparently were going in? Would they be happy with their new surroundings? Continue reading...

People will be able to claim back 6-25 of cost of repairing clothes and shoes in latest environmental measureA broken heel, a rip in trousers, buttons missing from a shirt? Don't throw them away if you live in France, where the government will pay a repair bonus" to have them mended in a new scheme aimed at cutting waste.An estimated 700,000 tonnes of clothing is thrown away in France every year, two-thirds ending up in landfill. Continue reading...

Safe levels exceeded in 13,000km of rivers globally with ingredients potentially degrading into more persistent substancesAgricultural pesticides leach far from their original sources into the world's waterways, according to new research which finds pesticides exceed safe levels in 13,000km of rivers globally.Analysing 92 of the most common agricultural pesticides, scientists have estimated that 710 tonnes of pesticide active ingredients leach into the world's oceans each year. Continue reading...

The sea is becoming greener due to changes in plankton populations, analysis of Nasa images findsEarth's oceans are changing colour and climate breakdown is probably to blame, according to research.The deep blue sea is actually becoming steadily greener over time, according to the study, with areas in the low latitudes near the equator especially affected. Continue reading...

Covid pandemic and Ukraine war add to widespread crisis with one in nine people in the world facing severe food insecurity in 2022The number of people going hungry in the world has risen by 122 million to 735 million since 2019 because of the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, the UN has said.If current trends continue, almost 600 million people will be chronically undernourished by 2030 - about 119 million more than if neither of these events had happened, a new report has found. Continue reading...

A wildfire has consumed more than 4,000 hectares (9,984 acres) of a national park in eastern Bolivia over the weekend, Bolivian authorities said. Drone images showed plumes of smoke coming out of Otuquis national park in the Santa Cruz region, near the border with Brazil and Paraguay.The fire entered a wet national park area on Tuesday, reducing its intensity but making it difficult for fire crews to fight the blaze Continue reading...

Country's ministers echo European governments, scientists and environmental organisations in citing need for robust regulation of fledgling sectorCanada has joined a growing list of nations calling for a pause on deep-sea mining in international waters amid fears the nascent, untested industry could cause ecological devastation without further study and clear safeguards.Three ministers, for the country's foreign affairs, natural resources, and fisheries and oceans departments, issued a statement on Monday that in the absence of both a comprehensive understanding of seabed mining's environmental impacts and a robust regulatory regime", they supported a moratorium on commercial deep-sea mining. Continue reading...