Environment news

• Pine marten babies born on Exmoor for first time in 100 years

  31-07-2026 19:04 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Nine females and 10 males were introduced to the area by the Two Moors Pine Marten Project last year.
  
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• England and Wales on course for driest July on record

  31-07-2026 17:37 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Met Office records indicate England and Wales are likely to have had their driest July since records began 190 years ago.
  
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• Wildfire near Sizewell nuclear plant causes ‘total devastation’ to Suffolk landscape

  31-07-2026 14:23 via theguardian.com
  Situation ‘stabilising’ as more than 100 firefighters continue to battle blaze that broke out on Dunwich HeathA wildfire near Britain’s biggest nuclear power station has caused “total devastation” to one of the UK’s most important landscapes, experts have warned, as fire crews said the situation was “stabilising”.More than 100 firefighters have been battling the blaze on Dunwich Heath, near Leiston, on the Suffolk coast since Wednesday evening. The
  
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• ‘It’s too fast, too big’: speed of climate crisis is devastating crops, say farmers

  31-07-2026 13:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Drought and extreme heat are killing plants, driving up prices while also making some farms economically unviable“It’s a constant battle,” says Tim Young. He and his family have been tracking the rainfall on their Norfolk farm since 1976, and the data shows the last six years have seen two-thirds the amount of rain compared with previous years. The lack of water has become the number one risk to Young’s business.This summer has seen record-breaking climate induced heatwav
  
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• Week in wildlife: snub-nosed monkeys, amorous cobras and a milk-snatching fox

  31-07-2026 11:13 via theguardian.com
  This week’s best wildlife photographs from around the world Continue reading...
  
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• New solar panels in Great Britain at 15-year high as fossil fuel costs soar

  31-07-2026 11:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Boom in solar farms and home installations in first half of 2026 began shortly after start of US-Israel war against IranGreat Britain has recorded more new solar power installations in the first half of this year than in any six-month period since 2011, as households turn to rooftop panels to help cut their energy bills.An analysis of the government’s official figures shows that Great Britain added 142,536 solar installations in the first six months of the year, putting it on track to top
  
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• Suffolk wildfire near Sizewell nuclear plant ‘stabilising’ after 24 hours

  31-07-2026 10:22 via theguardian.com
  
  More than 100 firefighters remain at scene after Dunwich Heath blaze spread across 150 hectares and forced evacuationsFire crews tackling a large wildfire burning for more than 24 hours near Britain’s biggest nuclear power station have said the situation is “stabilising”.More than 100 firefighters have been battling the blaze in Dunwich Heath, near Leiston, on the Suffolk coast since Wednesday evening. Continue reading...
  
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• ‘Extremely scary findings’ show climate crisis is supercharging Europe’s wildfire weather

  31-07-2026 09:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Latest study says global heating has made hot, dry and windy conditions in Spain at least 20 times more likelyThe extreme heat and drought stoking huge wildfires in Spain and France were made far more likely by the climate crisis, a scientific analysis has found.Global heating made hot, dry and windy weather at least 20 times more likely in Spain and twice as likely in France, experts from the World Weather Attribution (WWA) consortium calculated. The finding is the latest to pin the blame for t
  
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• ‘We can’t make it better again’: what Europe’s wildfires tell us about the climate crisis

  31-07-2026 08:00 via theguardian.com
  In this week’s newsletter: As France and Spain battle huge fires in this summer of relentless heat, will it be enough to spur us to take action? • Don’t get Down to Earth delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereWhen Stefan Rahmstorf walked through the ruined streets of Dresden after the river Elbe flooded in 2002, and again when severe heat killed 70,000 people in Europe the following summer, the German climatologist wondered if worsening weather would make the political world &ldq
  
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• Hedgehog road deaths 'devastating' populations

  31-07-2026 07:11 via bbc.co.uk
  
  A study finds road traffic kills have an exaggerated impact on the viability of small groups.
  
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• Where to see the biggest solar eclipse since 1999

  31-07-2026 07:09 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The UK's biggest solar eclipse since 1999 arrives on 12 August. Here's where to see it safely.
  
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• 'Upsetting' that camp fire likely led to rare habitat blaze

  31-07-2026 07:04 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The area's National Trust countryside manager says nesting birds, reptiles, small mammals and amphibians will have died.
  
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• ‘It’s all right for them’: private schools and golf courses stay green despite England’s hosepipe bans

  31-07-2026 07:00 via theguardian.com
  As parks turn brown and paddling pools go unfilled, exemptions mean sports pitches can stay lush – even in school holidaysAfter multiple punishing heatwaves, and no rain in parts for over a month, it seems the whole of the south of England is golden brown.But by Hammersmith Bridge in Barnes, south-west London, there is the unmistakable scent of damp soil. The playing fields of St Paul’s school, where fees are up to £57,000 a year, are a bright, lush green. Continue reading...
  
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• Soy sauce refills and reused jars: can Philippines’ tingi culture hold back deluge of plastic waste?

  31-07-2026 06:00 via theguardian.com
  A zero-waste shop set up by a district council provides plastic-free products at affordable prices in a country that gets through 164m sachets a dayJust after classes finish for the day in Malabon City, in the Philippines, a corner shop begins to fill. Mothers arrive with their children, handing over empty bottles to be refilled with soy sauce and cooking oil. Plastic tubs that previously held ice-cream or biscuits are weighed and filled with flour or sugar. The kids get some sweets and banana c
  
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• ‘It makes your heart sing’: can a pioneering project show that rewilding really works? – podcast

  31-07-2026 06:00 via theguardian.com
  Intensive farming has all but destroyed England’s ancient woodlands and freshwater wetlands. On a farm in Lincolnshire a radical aristocrat hopes to show there’s money in protecting natureBy Patrick Barkham. Read by Dermot DalyRead the text version hereSupport the Guardian today: theguardian.com/longreadpodThe summer issue of the Long Read magazine is out now. Click here to order Continue reading...
  
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• Drought conditions may worsen before improving as little rain in sight

  31-07-2026 03:28 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Conditions in the most parched areas of the United Kingdom could worsen before they improve, according to the latest forecasts.
  
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• India wants to join the strawberry superpowers

  31-07-2026 00:04 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Indian strawberry farmers rely on varieties imported from the US and Europe, but that could change.
  
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