Environment news

• The case for a blatantly discriminatory Australian voting system

  01-08-2026 22:00
  Older Australians are overrepresented in every sphere of life, from politics to the economy and media … and they’re living longer. It’s time we stack the deck in favour of young people. Here’s howAs someone nearing 60, I can confidently say my generation, and older generations, have been very good at tilting the policy playing field in our favour. Our political and economic system is very good at prioritising the views of older people. So maybe it’s time to tilt th
  
  Read more

• ‘Worst we’ve known’: UK turns to imports as drought and heat hit vegetable crops

  01-08-2026 13:00
  Growers in dismay after scorching weather and lack of rain affect yields, sending wholesale prices rocketingPubs, restaurants and supermarkets are having to buy lettuce and broccoli from Spain at what should be the height of UK growing season, as drought and extreme heat hit crops.The wholesale price of tomatoes is up by more than 60%, iceberg lettuce by 90% and potatoes by more than 40% as a number of farmers struggle to grow in consistently high temperatures. Even those with irrigation systems
  
  Read more

• Lost income, energy fears and a woolly mammoth: what Europe’s dried-up rivers have yielded

  01-08-2026 13:00
  Heat and drought have affected shipping, power plants and tourism across eastern Europe – as well as unearthing some surprisesBaking temperatures and drought across large swathes of central and eastern Europe have driven water levels on the Danube and Rhine rivers to record lows in some areas, hitting shipping, energy production and tourism hard.Extreme conditions aggravated by the climate emergency left Europe’s waterways from the Netherlands to the Black Sea parched, triggering com
  
  Read more

• Country diary: Pity the poor limpets – must the summer holidays mean they get smashed by a child? | Sara Hudston

  01-08-2026 06:30
  Lyme Regis, Dorset: Busy beaches can be bad news for shellfish. If curious children don’t know they are live creatures, then let’s educate themMy favourite beach at Lyme Regis is the capricious East Cliff, visible only at low tide. The best way to reach it is down a 114-step walkway.The path drops through rough scrub, a feral mix of wild plants and garden escapes, sizzling with grasshoppers. Buddleia flourishes next to sallow bushes, hazel and gorse. Sour blackberries are already red
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• ‘We stared into an abyss’: the men and women battling to tame France’s megafire

  01-08-2026 06:00
  Exhausted firefighters, foresters and volunteers wage ‘war of attrition’ against blaze that forced 200,000 people from their homesBy noon it is time for a break. The temperature is about 35C, the smell of ash, cinders and burnt wood hang acrid in the air. At tables laid out in the shrinking shade on the desiccated grass and sand outside the sports centre in Le Porge, 200 men and a handful of women have gathered. Firefighters, soldiers, police, gendarmes, officials, first aid teams, f
  
  Read more

• ‘We stared into an abyss’: the men and women battling France’s megafire

  01-08-2026 06:00
  Exhausted firefighters, foresters and volunteers wage ‘war of attrition’ against blaze that forced 200,000 people from their homesBy noon it is time for a break. The temperature is about 35C, the smell of ash, cinders and burnt wood hang acrid in the air. At tables laid out in the shrinking shade on the desiccated grass and sand outside the sports centre in Le Porge, 200 men and a handful of women have gathered. Firefighters, soldiers, police, gendarmes, officials, first aid teams, f
  
  Read more

• ‘We stared into an abyss’: the heroes battling to tame France’s ‘megafire’

  01-08-2026 06:00
  Exhausted firefighters wage ‘war of attrition’ against blaze that forced 200,000 people from their homesBy noon it is time for a break. The temperature is about 35C, the smell of ash, cinders and burnt wood hang acrid in the air. At tables laid out in the shrinking shade on the desiccated grass and sand outside the sports centre in Le Porge, 200 men and a handful of women have gathered. Firefighters, soldiers, police, gendarmes, officials, first aid teams, foresters and volunteers si
  
  Read more

• Household chemicals end up as pollutants if not disposed of correctly. What shouldn’t go down the drain?

  01-08-2026 02:00
  To safely get rid of your detergents, paints, pesticides and bleaches without harming the environment, keep in mind handy rules such as the ‘three Ps’Change by degrees offers life hacks and sustainable living tips each Saturday to help reduce your household’s carbon footprintGot a question or tip for reducing household emissions? Email us at [email protected] bleaches, disinfectants and detergents to pest sprays and paints, many kitchen cabinets and laundry sh
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

Follow @UK_Environment on Twitter!