Environment news

• Water firms could be let off pollution fines as part of government overhaul

  19-01-2026 23:30 via theguardian.com
  Exclusive: Campaigners claim changes will let companies ‘off the hook’, as government prepares to unveil new white paper for water industryWater companies could be let off fines for polluting the environment under changes announced in the government’s new white paper.The environment secretary, Emma Reynolds, hailed the changes as “once-in-a-generation reforms” featuring “tough oversight, real accountability and no more excuses”. Continue reading...
  
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• Bill Gates charity trust’s holdings in fossil fuel firms rise despite divestment claims

  19-01-2026 15:00 via theguardian.com
  Trust had $254m invested in companies such as Chevron, BP and Shell in 2024, a nine-year record, analysis showsThe Gates Foundation Trust holds hundreds of millions of dollars in fossil fuel extractors despite Bill Gates’ claims of divestment made in 2019.End-of-year filings reveal that in 2024 the trust invested $254m in companies that extract fossil fuels such as Chevron, BP and Shell. This was a nine-year record and up 21% from 2016, Guardian analysis found. Adjusting for inflation, it
  
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• Weather tracker: tropical storm brings torrential rain to Philippines

  19-01-2026 12:42 via theguardian.com
  Warnings in place for storm surges and flooding, with landslides and volcanic mudflows possible on LuzonThe Philippines is experiencing its first tropical storm of the year. Ada, also known as Nokaen, slowly developed into a tropical storm on Friday, travelling northwards along the east coast over the weekend and bringing torrential rain of up to 200mm a day and maximum wind gusts of up to 65mph near the storm’s centre.The system is expected to remain a tropical storm until Tuesday as it t
  
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• Scientists warn of ‘regime shift’ as seaweed blooms expand worldwide

  19-01-2026 11:00 via theguardian.com
  Study links rapid growth of ocean macroalgae to global heating and nutrient pollutionScientists have warned of a potential “regime shift” in the oceans, as the rapid growth of huge mats of seaweed appears to be driven by global heating and excessive enrichment of waters from farming runoff and other pollutants.Over the past two decades, seaweed blooms have expanded by a staggering 13.4% a year in the tropical Atlantic and western Pacific, with the most dramatic increases occurring af
  
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• ‘We thought they would ignore us’: how humans are changing the way raptors behave

  19-01-2026 10:00 via theguardian.com
  Experts call for tighter regulation as GPS tracking reveals how people’s behaviour affects the lives of some of the world’s largest birdsMany people look up to admire the silhouette of raptors, some of the planet’s largest birds, soaring through seemingly empty skies. But increasingly, research shows us that this fascination runs both ways. From high above, these birds are watching us too.Thanks to the development of tiny GPS tracking devices attached to their bodies, researche
  
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• Country diary: This is true water music – and the more you listen, the more you hear | Derek Niemann

  19-01-2026 06:30 via theguardian.com
  Frome, Somerset: Get tuned in to the river’s sounds and you’re treated to a symphony of noise, from susurrating hisses to great belchesAfter three decades living alongside mute waterways in East Anglia, with their soundless glide over clay, I am learning a liquid language here, and all its boulder dialects, as our winter‑filled local stream gushes down its limestone gorge.My fellow country diarist and wild swimmer Amy-Jane Beer shares my passion for river music.
  
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• 15 years after Fukushima, Japan prepares to restart the world’s biggest nuclear plant

  19-01-2026 02:46 via theguardian.com
  A return to nuclear power is at the heart of Japan’s energy policy but, in the wake of the 2011 disaster, residents’ fears about tsunamis, earthquakes and evacuation plans remain The activity around the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant is reaching its peak: workers remove earth to expand the width of a main road, while lorries arrive at its heavily guarded entrance. A long perimeter fence is lined with countless coils of razor wire, and in a layby, a police patrol car monitors
  
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• It’s been a busy month for Anthony Albanese on the environment | Jess Harwood

  19-01-2026 01:28 via theguardian.com
  Talk about climate whiplash Continue reading...
  
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