Local government proposal to revive 1980s M-Bahn described as energy-hogging and vain fantasy projectPlans for a driverless magnetic train that would swoop through Berlin and carry passengers and goods are under way as part of the local government's attempts to boost the German capital's green credentials.The project, put forward by the city's new conservative-led government, is said to have sufficient political backing and, say its backers, would help Berlin achieve its goal to become net zero by 2045. Continue reading...
Conservationists say government strategy to recover England's degraded temperate rainforest is a good start but want a target to double the area by 2050Conservationists have praised the launch of a new government strategy to revive the remaining fragments of the vast temperate rainforests that were once one of the jewels of Britain's nature crown".Temperate rainforest, also known as Atlantic woodland or Celtic rainforest, once covered most of western Britain and Ireland. The archipelago's wet, mild conditions are ideal for lichens, mosses and liverworts. But centuries of destruction have meant that only small, isolated pockets remain. Continue reading...
Conservationists celebrated findings but warned that species and habitats are in overall decline in BritainSpectacular feeding frenzies of Atlantic bluefin tuna, surging numbers of glowworms, and a record-breaking breeding season for pied flycatchers are among the British wildlife highlights of 2023.But conservationists warned that overall wildlife continued to decline, with one in six species at risk of extinction - and that wildlife was being challenged in new ways by global heating, disease and other destructive human activities. Continue reading...
by Australian Associated Press and Guardian staff on (#6HEWE)
Khai Cowley, 15, was killed by a suspected great white shark off Ethel beach on the Yorke PeninsulaA teenage boy killed in a shark attack off the coast of South Australia has been remembered as a talented and dearly loved member of the surfing community.The 15-year-old, identified by friends and a family member as Khai Cowley, was mauled by a suspected great white while surfing off the remote Ethel beach on the Yorke Peninsula west of Adelaide about 1.30pm on Thursday. Continue reading...
by Miranda Bryant Nordic correspondent on (#6HEPA)
Bella Nilsson's company NMT Think Pink accused of illegally dumping tens of thousands of tonnes of wasteEleven people have been charged by a Swedish court in what is being billed as potentially the country's worst environmental crime in half a century.NMT Think Pink - a previously celebrated waste management company known for its trademark pink rubbish bags - is accused of illegally burying and dumping tens of thousands of tonnes of waste at 21 sites across 15 municipalities around Sweden, in what prosecutors described as a very serious crime". Continue reading...
In a year of historic storms, drought and the aftermath of wildfires, a Guardian reporter hit the road to see how three popular routes are faringThe romance of the American road trip has lured travelers into their cars over the last century, offering a break from itineraries and access to wild landscapes across the west. These adventures also provide one of the only ways I can visit the far-flung places I love most.They are places that are rapidly changing. From the coast to the mountains, the forest to the desert, California's long drives offer a frontline view of the climate crisis. Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#6HEM4)
Air quality improvements 2019-2022 from lowering vehicle emissions came even before scheme's expansion to whole of cityMore toxic air pollution has been averted by London's ultra-low emission zones than is produced by the capital's airports or its river and rail transport combined, according to a new analysis of the effects of the Ulez.The report showed that improvements in air quality between 2019 and 2022 from lowering motor vehicle pollution - even before the expansion of the Ulez throughout the capital since August - rivalled the potential savings from entirely cleaning up London's aviation or industrial and commercial heat and power generation. Continue reading...
Most tourists probably don't know anything about the crazy, wacky communities on the sea floor. It's an explosion of colour, it really looks like an art gallery down thereEverything down on the seafloor is amazing to me. When you think of Antarctica, you think of penguins, whales, sea and ice in a stark landscape. I love the charismatic megafauna but there are so many other interesting things in Antarctica - life on the seafloor rivals that of the Great Barrier Reef.The view above the surface is quite monochrome but underneath the organisms are oranges, yellows, pinks - there is a coral that is psychedelic purple! Most tourists that go to Antarctica probably don't know anything about the crazy, wacky communities on the sea floor - all of that intrigues me. It's an explosion of colour, it really looks like an art gallery down there. Continue reading...
Some households could go without electricity into the new year as state endures high temperatures following extreme weatherAreas of Queensland affected by unprecedented" storms now face the prospect of days without electricity amid extreme heat.Storms and flash flooding across south-east Queensland have claimed the lives of seven people since Christmas but households have now been warned to prepare for a heatwave. Continue reading...
by Presented by Phoebe Weston, produced by Madeleine on (#6HECQ)
In this special Age of Extinction mini-series from Science Weekly, which first aired in 2023, the Guardian's biodiversity reporter, Phoebe Weston, explores the illegal killing of birds of prey on grouse moors, and asks why it is so difficult to solve these crimes. In the third and final episode, Phoebe finds out more about the pressures that drive people to commit raptor persecution, discovers how the police investigation into the case of Susie's crushed chicks unfolded, and how Susie, the hen harrier, is doing now Continue reading...
Exclusive: Developers still unwilling to put forward schemes despite change to planning rules in SeptemberNo new plans for onshore wind have been accepted in England since the government claimed it had lifted" the de facto ban, new analysis reveals.Renewable energy organisations warned at the time that this was likely. Despite the levelling up secretary, Michael Gove, having changed planning rules introduced in 2015 by the then prime minister, David Cameron, to stop onshore wind projects being blocked by a single objection, they still face higher barriers than every other form of infrastructure, including waste incinerators. Continue reading...
Successive Australian governments have kicked the can down the road when it comes to the climate crisis - and colourful activism has followed them every step of the way Continue reading...
Activist Davi Kopenawa says miners are returning after eviction operations were scaled back, and others never leftThousands of illegal miners are resisting government attempts to evict them from Brazil's largest Indigenous territory, the renowned activist and shaman Davi Kopenawa has said, nearly a year after operations to displace them began.President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva made expelling an estimated 20,000 illegal gold and tin ore miners from the Yanomami Indigenous territory one of his top tasks after taking power last January. Continue reading...
Forest Stewardship Council-certified packs will eliminate almost 35 tonnes of soft plastic waste a yearTesco is scrapping plastic packaging from its own-brand pocket tissues, in a move that the UK's largest supermarket says will eliminate almost 35 tonnes of new soft plastic waste each year.It is the first big supermarket to make the change, which will result in the individual packaging and the wrapping around multipacks of Tesco tissues in its gentle white and balm ranges being replaced with Forest Stewardship Council-certified paper packs. Continue reading...
by Ajit Niranjan Europe environment correspondent on (#6HDQR)
Switzerland's KlimaSeniorinnen are taking the government to the European court of human rights for doing too little to tackle the climate crisisThe women, mostly in their 70s, strode up the mountain with dogged grace. Clacking their hiking poles against sun-cooked rocks, they set sure feet on shaky stones and held hands to cross slippery streams. They knew the heat and strain were a threat to their health - they were perhaps uniquely aware of the risks - but they did not plan to let it limit their lives.I'm a mountain climber," said 73-year-old Pia Hollenstein, brushing away the hand I offered to help her down a big rock. I can manage." Continue reading...
Highly transparent glass can lead to devastating collisions. But innovations in design are creating safer skylines - without sacrificing beautyChicago's 82-story Aqua Tower appears to flutter with the wind. Its unusual, undulating facade has made it one of the most unique features of Chicago's skyline, distinct from the many right-angled glass towers that surround it.In designing it, the architect Jeanne Gang thought not only about how humans would see it, dancing against the sky, but also how it would look to the birds who fly past. The irregularity of the building's face allows birds to see it more clearly and avoid fatal collisions. It's kind of designed to work for both humans and birds," she said. Continue reading...
by Kalyeena Makortoff Banking correspondent on (#6HDMF)
Campaign at leading universities such as Oxbridge and UCL warns lender it will miss out on top talent if it finances fossil fuelsHundreds of students from leading UK universities have launched a career boycott" of Barclays over its climate policies, warning that the bank will miss out on top talent unless it stops financing fossil fuel companies.More than 220 students from Barclays' top recruitment universities, including Oxford, Cambridge, and University College London, have sent a letter to the high street lender, saying they will not work for Barclays and raising the alarm over its funding for oil and gas firms including Shell, TotalEnergies, Exxon and BP. Continue reading...
National Trust gave long list of species that have suffered in the past yearThe disappearance of reliable seasonal patterns is causing chaos for the flora and fauna of the UK, a long-running annual audit of the impact of weather on nature has found.Extreme weather events, from storms and pounding rain to searing heat and drought are putting huge pressure on animals, plants and the environment, the report from the National Trust says. Continue reading...
1.4bn deal to protect Donana national park will diversify local economy and stop farmers using aquifers to irrigate fruit cropsA landmark agreement to safeguard one of Europe's most important wetlands underscores the importance of harnessing public opinion to drive the green transition and help mitigate the effects of the climate emergency, the country's environment minister has said.The Donana in western Andalucia - whose marshes, forests and dunes extend across almost 130,000 hectares (320,000 acres) and include a Unesco-listed national park - has been at the centre of a furious national and international row over recent years. Continue reading...
Countries less able to rebuild or who have contributed least to climate crisis suffer worst, research revealsA list of the 20 costliest climate disasters of 2023 has revealed a global postcode lottery stacked against the poor", according to an analysis.The research by the charity Christian Aid found that devastating wildfires and floods are hitting those who can least afford to rebuild, and the countries that have contributed least to the climate crisis by burning far fewer fossil fuels than wealthy nations, which have faced fewer climate disasters. Continue reading...
What are the greatest secrets that remain about life on our planet - and how might they affect our future? We asked the experts to pick one burning questionFrom the depths of the Amazon rainforest to the deserts of Antarctica, huge questions remain unanswered about life on Earth. We asked leading scientists and conservationists: what is the one thing you would like to know about the planet that remains a mystery?*** Continue reading...
From carrot tops to potato peels, chefs share how to help reduce landfill by diverting scraps from the trash to your plateIf holiday meal prep leaves you with plates full of potato peels and cutting boards full of carrot tops, you're not alone. The US sees a 25% increase in waste during the holiday season - 21% of which comes from our kitchen tables. Just on Thanksgiving, Americans toss a whopping 305m pounds of food. And all these cheese rinds, apple cores, vegetable skins and crusty week-old leftovers that make their way to landfills are harming the planet by emitting methane, a potent greenhouse gas. According to one estimate by the UN Environment Program, if food waste was its own country, it would be the third-largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world.But it doesn't have to be that way. Much of this so-called food waste is perfectly edible.Recipe: roasted potato peelsRecipe: carrot top chimichurri Continue reading...
Climate Defiance, trying to make the climate crisis a top issue in 2024 election, isn't afraid to anger cowards' and criminals'A climate protest group backed by a cadre of Hollywood film-makers is preparing to take action against cowards" and criminals" of all political stripes as the 2024 election approaches.Climate Defiance, which disrupted events featuring a string of Biden administration officials this year, and targeted Darren Woods, CEO of ExxonMobil, in December, will consider protesting at events staged by both Democrats and Republicans on the campaign trail after concluding that its very disruptive" action was bearing fruit. Continue reading...
International Ski Federation urged to cut emissions, while activists warn of damage through heavy use of snowmakingAfter promising early dumps of snow in some areas of Europe this autumn, the pattern of recent years resumed and rain and sleet took over.In the ski resorts of Morzine and Les Gets in the French Alps, the heavy rainfall meant that full opening of resorts was delayed until two days before Christmas, leaving the industry and the millions of tourists planning trips to stare at the sky in hope. Continue reading...
In today's newsletter: The last 12 months will be remembered for record-breaking temperatures, but also for government-backed clampdowns on climate protesters Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning.Record after record has been broken this year. Antarctic sea ice hit mind blowing" lows; greenhouse gas levels and global temperatures hit record highs, as did ocean temperatures, and there has been unprecedented mass coral bleaching. Another alarming record was hit on 17 November when the Earth briefly hit 2C of warming above pre-industrial levels for the first time. Continue reading...
Temporary roadside barriers set up to channel tens of millions of crabs migrating to the coastlineThe welcome mat has been rolled out for scores of red crabs as they make their annual coastal dash on Christmas Island.Each year, the first substantial rain of the wet season triggers tens of millions of adult red crabs to leave their forest homes, in the interior of the island, and march towards the coast to mate and spawn. Continue reading...
by Nina Lakhani in New Orleans and Dubai on (#6HBW5)
Climate action in New Orleans has found support from faith leaders working across historic dividesIt has been another catastrophic climate year: record-breaking wildfires across Canada scorched an area the size North Dakota, unprecedented rainfall in Libya left thousands dead and displaced, while heat deaths surged in Arizona and severe drought in the Amazon is threatening Indigenous communities and ecosystems.The science is clear: we must phase out fossil fuels - fast. But time is running out, and as the climate crisis, biodiversity loss and environmental degradation worsen, there is mounting recognition that our political and industry leaders are failing us. Continue reading...
Horticulture charity says climate breakdown is influencing trends, based on inquiries from gardenersFruits that thrive in hot weather and can now be grown in the ever-hotter UK summers, and weeds such as cow parsley to decorate borders, are among the 2024 garden trends predicted by the Royal Horticultural Society.Climate breakdown has influenced most of the trends predicted by the horticulture charity, which seeks insights from its more than 600,000 members to forecast which plants may be in fashion in the coming year. While its trends list used to be based on simply which blooms were in vogue, now it highlights the quirks of gardening in a changing climate amid collapsing biodiversity.Greening grey spaces Creative ways to green up grey urban spaces has become a major new trend as city gardeners are growing successfully in pots, growing up instead of out and using innovative ways of colonising indoor space, including terrariums.Grow your own The RHS gardening advice service and website continues to see growth in grow your own". The most popular plants are tomatoes, followed by cucumbers, courgettes, chillies and runner beans.Purple power Purple vegetables have traditionally been difficult for the home gardener but now breeders have begun introducing purple varieties that are easier to grow than traditional ones and avoid previous drawbacks, such as non-fruiting and limited purple colour, especially after cooking. Gardeners and chefs can anticipate purple carrots, cauliflowers, broccoli, tomatoes, peas, radish, French beans and lettuces.Climate change fruits Recent hot dry summers are ideal for certain fruits, grape vines being an outstanding example - but others include figs, almonds, apricots, melons, peaches/nectarines and watermelons.Local seed provenances and survivalist gardens After the temporary hiccup to the vegetable supply chain last spring, some gardeners now favour growing with more independence, including where they source their seeds.Going wild Plants traditionally seen as unwanted weeds such as herb robert and plantain are becoming popular. Cow parsley is now a desirable border plant and dandelions are recognised as being key to providing food for bees early in springtime.Gardening with nature The move away from classical, formal layouts towards naturalistic landscapes will continue to grow, with gardens making people feel that they are in a wild place and providing benefits to wellbeing, wildlife and ease of maintenance.Planet-friendly gardening Gardeners will be increasingly in tune with nature: inquiries to the RHS about wildlife gardening increased by more than 28% in 2023.Houseplants reach the next level - Tropical-looking plants and orchids which create a jungle vibe" have become popular, as has growing up instead of out. Favourites will include epipremnum, sedum morganianum, and old favourites such as string of hearts and spider plants.Succulents Driven by houseplants and sourcing drought-resistant bedding, interest in succulents is increasing, with commercial landscapers introducing the hardier ones into landscapes. New cultivars are also being released, including aeonium, cotyledon and crassula. Continue reading...
Senior hydrologist warns Israeli plan would constitute one element of the crime of genocideA potential plan by Israel to flood the Hamas tunnel network with seawater risks ruining the basic conditions for life in Gaza", one of the elements of the crime of genocide, a senior hydrologist has told the Guardian.Environmental experts have warned the strategy - which Israel has yet to commit to - risks causing an ecological catastrophe that will leave Gaza with no drinkable water and devastate what little agriculture is possible in the 141 sq mile territory. Continue reading...
Lib Dem analysis finds 4,574 hours of sewage has been spilled in festive swimming spots in the last yearLong-established Christmas seaside swimming locations have been flooded with sewage over the last year, prompting concern that swimmers could fall ill.They would not be able to claim compensation, as Tory MPs earlier this month blocked a Lib Dem amendment that would have allowed anyone who got sick as a result of illegal sewage dumping to claim from water companies. Continue reading...
Exemption under federal environment law to allow scientists to collect 25 of the critically endangered walking fish'Scientists in Tasmania will remove up to half of the island's emblematic" red handfish from the wild ahead of expected marine heatwaves deemed an existential threat to their survival.The critically endangered Tasmanian red handfish population has fallen to between 50 and 100 in the wild, due to the degradation of the seaweed habitat it needs to breed.Australian Associated Press contributed to this report Continue reading...
Insiders fear further watering down of party's flagship economic policy could leave leader open to charges of flip-flopping' by ToriesLabour is considering scaling back ambitious plans to borrow 28bn a year to invest in green jobs and industry amid fears the Conservatives will use the policy as a central line of attack in the general election campaign.The Guardian understands that Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves will discuss the party's flagship economic policy next month, with senior Labour figures pushing to drop the 28bn commitment entirely while others want to retain key elements of the plan. Continue reading...
Sales surge as cities and states look to cut pollution from cars and improve options for Americans to get aroundAfter several years of false starts, electric bikes are finally entering the American mainstream, amid booming sales of a multiplying number of models on offer and as more states offer incentives for people to ditch their cars and shift to two, motor-assisted, wheels.This year could be considered the year of the ebike", according to John MacArthur, a transport researcher at Portland State University. Ebike sales in the United States leaped by 269% between 2019 and 2022, with the market size expected to have grown further in 2023, to be worth $2.59bn. Continue reading...
Warnings that slow-moving disaster' in North America raises chances of fatal mad cow-type disease jumping species barrierWhen the mule deer buck died in October, it perished in a place most humans would consider the middle of nowhere, miles from the nearest road. But its last breaths were not taken in an isolated corner of American geography. It succumbed to a long-dreaded disease in the backcountry of Yellowstone national park, north-west Wyoming - the first confirmed case of chronic wasting disease in the country's most famous nature reserve.For years, chronic wasting disease (CWD), caused by prions - abnormal, transmissible pathogenic agents - has been spreading stealthily across North America, with concerns voiced primarily by hunters after spotting deer behaving strangely. Continue reading...
EVs made up just 2% of new car sales in May 2022, but now 8.3% of new car sales in 2023 are battery poweredThe climate change minister, Chris Bowen, has welcomed a boom in electric vehicle sales, revealing the number of fast-charging sites has nearly doubled in the last year.National strategies on electric vehicles are expected to more than double the number of charger stations again within three years, as the federal government seeks to incentivise the use of cleaner cars. New fuel efficiency standards, expected to be outlined in early 2024, are likely to further discourage the sale of higher-emitting vehicles, making electric cars more attractive.Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads Continue reading...
New role for former permanent secretary in energy department raises concerns over revolving door' between public and privateA former national security adviser Sir Stephen Lovegrove is to join the Rolls-Royce-led consortium developing small nuclear reactors as chair of its board, raising concerns about the revolving door between the public and private sectors.The role, which has been approved by the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba), will begin in the new year. Lovegrove's background as a permanent secretary, the most senior civil servant, in the energy department from 2013-2016 are likely to prove valuable to the consortium. Continue reading...
Discarded shells from restaurants and hotels are being used to restore damaged oyster ecosystems, promote biodiversity and lower pollution in the city's baysEvery Thursday around noon, a brown minivan pulls up in the alley behind the glitzy Peninsula hotel at Victoria Harbour in Kowloon, Hong Kong. A porter rushes out to meet it from the back door of the hotel kitchen, lugging a large white rice sack. The driver weighs the bag on a handheld scale - it's 40kg (88lb) - then chucks it into the back of the vehicle with a surprising clank.The van takes the sack to a recycling facility just outside the city, and tips out the contents: not rice, but hundreds of oyster shells. They will lie in the sun for a year to ensure any rotting flesh and bacteria are destroyed, before being reintroduced into Hong Kong's bays as part of a series of restored oyster reefs. Continue reading...
by All photographs by Annika Hammerschlag for Anadolu on (#6HAZA)
Fishing nets abandoned or lost in the sea - known as ghost nets' or ghost gear' - have been called the most deadly form of marine plastic debris'. Dolphins, fish, whales, seabirds and turtles become entangled and die slow, painful deaths. But divers in Dakar are working to remove the threat Continue reading...
Exclusive: We need to listen to the scientists. Excessive pesticide use is killing our bees,' say company heads in letter to ministerThe UK government should stop ignoring the science and block a bee-killing pesticide from being used, business leaders have said.The neonicotinoid pesticide Cruiser SB is used on sugar beet and is highly toxic to bees. It is banned in the EU but the UK has provisionally agreed to its emergency use every year since leaving the bloc. In 2017, the then environment secretary, Michael Gove, promised to use Brexit to ban all neonicotinoids. Continue reading...
Conservationists call for more action after reptiles, fish and birds added to list, including 10 species deemed critically endangeredSeventeen species, including two birds, two fish, several reptiles and the Lord Howe earthworm, have been added to Australia's list of threatened species.The sooty shearwater, known for its long-distance journeys, has been listed as vulnerable, while the red-tailed tropicbird, which breeds on Christmas Island, has been listed as endangered. Continue reading...
Outrage in Colaton Raleigh after trees felled by government agency without consulting communityNot much happens in the sleepy village of Colaton Raleigh, where almost half of the residents are retired. So local walkers were horrified when they woke up one morning to an act of environmental vandalism" that left behind the maimed stumps of 100 ancient beech trees.Residents in the east Devon community are grieving the loss of the beloved trees, which were located in a special conservation area and site of special scientific interest, home to lots of local plants and animals, after they were felled by a government agency without consulting the community or council. Continue reading...
Cloud seeding improves air quality in city of Lahore but experts say practice is not a sustainable solutionArtificial rain has been used in an attempt to lower pollution levels in Lahore, Pakistan.The capital city of the eastern province of Punjab, near the Indian border, has some of the worst air quality in the world and has become extremely polluted because of a growing population of more than 13 million people. Continue reading...
Utilities give rewards to house builders to install and promote gas appliances in homes - and enlist celebrity chefs to extoll the fossil fuelDozens of US gas utilities, serving more than 35 million customers, offer builders and contractors incentives to keep fossil fuels in buildings, the Guardian has found.Washington state's NW Natural offers builders $2,000 for each new single-family home they equip with gas appliances, while Texas's Corpus Christi Gas offers $1,000. And in Minnesota, CenterPoint Energy participates in a program that offers paid vacations to builders who outfit homes with gas. Continue reading...