Environment news

• US attack on Venezuela will decide direction of South America’s vast mineral wealth

  07-01-2026 18:37 via theguardian.com
  Outcome of aggression will determine whether rare earths and other resources drive energy transition – or strengthen US military power and oil interestsThe US’s first overt attack on an Amazon nation last weekend is a new phase in its extractivist rivalry with China. The outcome will decide whether the vast mineral wealth of South America is directed towards a 21st-century energy transition or a buildup of military power to defend 20th-century fossil fuel interests.Although this onsl
  
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• Kinshasa’s last baobab: how a tree designed for survival faces its biggest threat yet

  07-01-2026 17:00 via theguardian.com
  In this week’s newsletter: nature’s last stand against the DRC capital’s rampant development, plus looking back on last year’s stories of hopeAnyone who has ever seen a living baobab tree should find it hard to forget. Alongside the ubiquitous acacia – the thorny umbrella tree – baobabs are statuesque icons of Africa’s drier landscapes.The trees have influenced, anchored and fed communities for tens of thousands of years, influencing culture and traditio
  
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• We study glaciers. ‘Artificial glaciers’ and other tech may halt their total collapse | Brent Minchew and Colin Meyer

  07-01-2026 12:00 via theguardian.com
  How might we prevent sea-level rise? Satellite-based radar, solar-powered drones, robot submarines and lab-based ‘artificial glaciers’ could all play a roleSea levels are rising faster than at any point in human history, and for every foot that waters rise, 100 million people lose their homes. At current projections, that means about 300 million people will be forced to move in the decades to come, along with the social and political conflict as people migrate inland. Despite this lo
  
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• The LA wildfire victims still living in toxic homes: ‘We have nowhere else to go’

  07-01-2026 12:00 via theguardian.com
  A year after the Eaton fire, residents returning to Altadena confront lingering contamination and little official clarityOne year on from the Eaton fire, long after the vicious winds that sent embers cascading from the San Gabriel mountains and the flames that swallowed entire streets, a shadow still hangs over Altadena.Construction on new properties is under way, and families whose homes survived the fire have begun to return. But many are grappling with an urgent question: is it safe to be her
  
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• Revealed: how aviation emissions could be halved without cutting journeys

  07-01-2026 11:00 via theguardian.com
  Exclusive: Getting rid of premium seats, ensuring flights are near full and using efficient aircraft could slash CO2, analysis suggestsClimate-heating emissions from aviation could be slashed in half – without reducing passenger journeys – by getting rid of premium seats, ensuring flights are near full and using the most efficient aircraft, according to analysis.These efficiency measures could be far more effective in tackling the fast-growing carbon footprint of flying than pledges
  
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• Carbon capture company lands nearly £1m in backing

  07-01-2026 07:10 via bbc.com
  The Carbon Removers, based near Dumfries, will use the funding to expand its operations across Europe.
  
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• Rare Iron Age war trumpet and boar standard found

  07-01-2026 07:02 via bbc.com
  The discoveries are "extraordinarily rare", say the archaeologists who helped find them.
  
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• ‘The soul of the city’: can Kinshasa’s last remaining baobab tree be saved?

  07-01-2026 07:00 via theguardian.com
  Across Africa, baobabs have rich symbolic meaning, but the breakneck expansion of the DRC’s capital has reduced their number in the city centre to oneThe older inhabitants of Kinshasa can remember when trees shaded its main avenues and thick-trunked baobabs stood in front of government offices.Jean Mangalibi, 60, from his plant nursery tucked among grey tower blocks, says the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s frenzied expansion has all but erased its greenery. “
  
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• Specieswatch: tough times for reindeer as rain increases in warming Arctic

  07-01-2026 07:00 via theguardian.com
  When rain falls on snow it creates a layer of ice that impedes feeding, which in turn has reduced herds’ birthratesReindeer survive typically harsh Arctic winters by using their specially adapted hooves to scrape through the snow to nibble on the lichen and moss below. But paradoxically a warming climate is making it harder for them to reach this food, and research shows it has led to a drop in reindeer birthrates.When rain falls on snow, the snow melts and refreezes, creating layers of ic
  
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• Country diary: A palace of sunlight on a short winter’s day

  07-01-2026 06:30 via theguardian.com
  Inishowen, County Donegal, Ireland: There’s not much light to play with today, deep in midwinter, but this once-coveted fort still puts on a showMaybe it’s the invitation of the slowly lengthening days, but at this time of year I crave a long view. And here, on the approach to the ringfort of Grianán of Aileach, I have it. As the late afternoon sun squints over the fort’s high walls, it’s easy to understand why early medieval monarchs cherished this summit.I watch
  
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