Environment news

• Automated amphibian teaches us to walk

  29-06-2016 14:15 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Scientists in Switzerland have created a robotic salamander that mimics the gait of the ancient amphibian in great detail.
  
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• Could you be an ‘autumn spotter’? Public asked to track changing colours of trees in England

  22-09-2026 16:16 via theguardian.com
  Forestry England invites people to help it create a record of when and how the season arrives across the countryThe reds and golds of autumn leaves may be beginning to appear, but exactly when the season arrives is not always as predictable as the calendar might suggest.Now, Forestry England is asking people to help track the changing colours of forests to create a record of when and how autumn arrives across the country. Continue reading...
  
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• High-mileage electric cars are more reliable than petrol ones, study finds

  22-09-2026 15:37 via theguardian.com
  EVs with 90,000 to 120,000 miles on the clock are more likely to pass MOTs than petrol models of the same ageMotorists buying a secondhand car with a lot of miles on the clock are likely to find an electric vehicle (EV) ultimately more reliable than a petrol vehicle, according to a study.An analysis of 47.4m MOT tests found that after cars were driven 90,000 to 120,000 miles, EVs were about 25% less likely to fail than petrol models of the same age (based on a failure rate of 16.5% versus 22.1%)
  
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• The Patagonia town where Nepal’s deadly glacier flood could be repeated – and what they’ve learned

  22-09-2026 15:00 via theguardian.com
  The risk to El Chaltén in Argentina has been known for years but recent findings and the Nepal disaster have brought planning for the worst-case scenario into sharp focusThe images from Nepal stopped Daniela Schmidt in her tracks. A geologist at the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina, she watched the deadly flash floods on 26 August tear through everything in their path, people running for their lives as the water and debris swept over the landscape.“I had never seen anything l
  
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• ‘It’s my duty to tell the truth’: UN chief on the climate crisis, capitalism and reasons to be hopeful

  22-09-2026 15:00 via theguardian.com
  Before his final general assembly, António Guterres speaks about why he put climate at the centre of his UN tenureAntónio Guterres, who will finish his second term as UN secretary general on 31 December, has spoken out more strongly on the climate crisis than any of his predecessors. He has criticised “immoral” fossil fuel companies for their “grotesque greed”, warned that we have “opened the gates of hell” and hailed the new “clean energy
  
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• Wasp spider seen in north of England latest ‘climate refugee’ amid global heating

  22-09-2026 14:31 via theguardian.com
  The Argiope bruennichi, spotted in Cheshire for first time, part of worrying trend that could threaten native speciesShe is an unlikely harbinger of the climate emergency: a venomous black and yellow spider who spins mysterious patterns in her webs and eats her mates for breakfast.Native to mainland Europe, north Africa and Asia, the Argiope bruennichi – commonly known as a wasp spider – is rarely seen in the north and west of Britain. But a fully grown female has been spotted in Che
  
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• Robot fashion models and freediving with turtles: photos of the day – Tuesday

  22-09-2026 13:47 via theguardian.com
  The Guardian’s picture editors select photographs from around the world Continue reading...
  
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• Prison Letters: the teenager writing letters to jailed climate activists – documentary

  22-09-2026 13:26 via theguardian.com
  A teenager struggling with climate anxiety searches for hope in an unexpected place – writing letters to imprisoned activists. Max, 14, is on a quest to understand the human stories behind direct action and why so many climate protesters are in prison​. As replies begin to arrive, a dialogue bridging generations unfolds and connection transforms despair into purpose. ​When Max writes to the judge presiding over a high-profile trial​, he is surprised to hear the letter ref
  
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• Poorer nations will be among the last to benefit if global emissions cut to net zero

  22-09-2026 13:13 via theguardian.com
  
  Scientists found unequal impact of the climate crisis would not be reversed even if implicit goal of the 2015 Paris agreement is achievedThe unequal impact of the climate crisis on the world’s poorest people, including those in tropical areas, has been highlighted by new research that finds they will be among the last to feel the benefits if global greenhouse gas emissions are cut to net zero.Temperatures have risen more significantly in tropical areas relative to their historic range than
  
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• Meet Barbie Pig: new documentary reveals the wonders of life on the Pacific seabed

  22-09-2026 09:00 via theguardian.com
  A magical new film captures the secret life of the deep sea in a stretch of the ocean at risk from industrial miningA magical film that explores the wonders of the deep sea through the eyes of a team of scientists and an underwater robot called Isis will be shown in selected cinemas across the UK next month.The documentary, How Deep Is Your Love, offers a playful, irreverent and bittersweet look at our anthropocentric view of Earth, as it switches perspective from humans to deep sea animals and
  
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• Winners of bird photographer of the year 2026 – in pictures

  22-09-2026 07:00 via theguardian.com
  Photographers from all over the world entered more than 24,000 images into the world’s largest bird photography competition, with an image of a northern gannet bursting through the ocean’s surface taking the grand prize Continue reading...
  
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• Country diary: A little love at Larkrise has worked wonders for wildlife | Virginia Spiers

  22-09-2026 06:30 via theguardian.com
  St Dominic, Tamar valley: After just a few years, this rewilded plot of soggy land is home to voles and shrews and vigorously growing indigenous plantsAt last, proper rain has greened the scorched pastures and washed shrivelled leaves and nut husks along the narrow lanes. Springs dribble and streams remain low; inspection of our well, dug more than a century ago by the legendary “Diver/Diviner” Cullas of Metherell, reveals a water level better than feared, but we remain cautious in o
  
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• World leaders address climate crisis before UN meet amid record-breaking El Niño

  21-09-2026 23:26 via theguardian.com
  Prime ministers of Australia and Iceland discuss effects on their countries even as some shy away in face of war and inflationWorld political leaders are descending on New York for the UN general assembly and some of them are putting the climate crisis on the agenda as they spoke on Monday at the start of the city’s annual Climate Week.This year’s Climate Week – which runs alongside UNGA – comes after months of extreme heat in large parts of the world including Europe and
  
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• The best plastic-free cutting boards: I spent six weeks testing 10 boards, and these won

  21-09-2026 22:05 via theguardian.com
  A good, sturdy chopping board will last you many years. I tested the best non-plastic, non-toxic ones, including some made out of wood and synthetic rubberA cutting board is literally the foundation of most things you cook. It’s a must-have for any recipe that needs chopping, smashing, mincing, carving or sometimes even serving. And, let’s be honest, it’s also where we pile up other kitchen items while we make a mess.Plastic cutting boards are affordable and convenient, but res
  
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• Wildlife will be affected by current drought for years to come, UK government says

  21-09-2026 18:52 via theguardian.com
  The number of potentially damaging environmental incidents triggered by this year’s hot and dry weather has surpassed that of 2025Wildlife in England and Wales will be affected by the current drought for years to come, the government has said.This summer saw large parts of England and all of Wales plunged into a serious drought, with both recording their driest Julys since records began in 1836. Continue reading...
  
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• ‘Planetary boundaries’ necessary for flourishing of life have been massively breached, scientists warn

  21-09-2026 16:00 via theguardian.com
  New report shows key indicators of Earth’s health are ‘outside the safe operating space’ as climate disaster loomsThe planetary life support systems relied upon by humans have deteriorated to their worst levels ever recorded amid ongoing pollution and habitat destruction, according to a key yet grim annual update by scientists.Of the nine “planetary boundaries” that help determine whether life can flourish on Earth, seven are being breached at their highest ever lev
  
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• ‘Jaw-dropping’: Super El Niño bursts through temperature record months ahead of peak

  21-09-2026 15:25 via theguardian.com
  The ‘Godzilla-level’ phenomenon is supercharging the climate crisis and will heavily impact communities across the worldThe “jaw-dropping” El Niño currently heating up the planet has burst through the highest temperature ever recorded for the phenomenon, several months ahead of its expected peak.The latest data shows the temperature rise at the heart of El Niño in the Pacific ocean has now reached 3.05C. That is higher than the 3.02C set in late November 201
  
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• ‘Jaw-dropping’ El Niño bursts through temperature record months before peak

  21-09-2026 15:25 via theguardian.com
  ‘Godzilla-level’ phenomenon is supercharging the climate crisis and will have a huge impact on communities across the worldThe “jaw-dropping” El Niño currently heating up the planet has burst through the highest temperature ever recorded for the phenomenon, several months before its expected peak.The latest data shows the temperature rise at the heart of El Niño in the Pacific Ocean has now reached 3.05C. That is higher than the 3.02C set in late November 20
  
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• Millions of dollars in funding but still no plan: can Quebec save its caribou from extinction?

  21-09-2026 13:00 via theguardian.com
  The Canadian government has committed C$25m to try to rescue the caribou in the province – but there is no agreement on how best to save the keystone speciesThe caribou of Quebec are at breaking point. The province, home to 15% of Canada’s population of woodland caribou, has seen numbers crash to about half of what they were a decade ago. For years, local First Nations people, researchers and environmental groups have criticised the provincial government’s lack of action on pro
  
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• ‘Incredibly encouraging’: healing the scars of traditional anchors in Dorset’s seagrass meadows

  21-09-2026 13:00 via theguardian.com
  Eco-moorings help to restore seagrass in just five years, boosting sealife such as seahorses, eels and crabsOne of the UK’s most precious underwater habitats – Dorset’s seagrass meadows – is recovering thanks to “eco moorings” designed to prevent the seabed being ripped up, a study has revealed.Scars caused by traditional anchors in some areas of seagrass in Studland Bay have almost entirely vanished, which is boosting the number of seahorses that thrive in th
  
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• Weatherwatch: wildfires driven by global heating destroy UK bird habitats

  21-09-2026 12:58 via theguardian.com
  Hot and dry summer created conditions for fires in Scotland and England that tore through vital wildlife areasMajor wildfires this summer in the Cairngorms, along the Suffolk coast and in the New Forest have destroyed huge swathes of important bird habitats, affecting the populations of some of our most threatened and specialised species.The first to break out, in mid-July, destroyed much of the RSPB’s Abernethy reserve, home to declining species such as black grouse and capercaillie, as w
  
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• Tree vaccines and gene-edited butterflies among biotechnology projects funded by UK ‘invention agency’

  21-09-2026 12:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Exclusive: The tax-funded research aims to protect British wildlife from the human-caused climate crisisVaccines for ash trees, skin treatments for newts and gene-edited swallowtail butterflies are among 14 tax-funded projects from the UK’s “invention agency” aiming to accelerate nature’s ability to adapt to the climate crisis.The £54m accelerated adaptation programme from the UK’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria) – a public body that funds
  
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• How Saudi oil scientists ended up working on the world’s most important climate reports

  21-09-2026 07:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Guardian investigation reveals fossil fuel links of IPCC authors, with experts declaring the body’s conflict of interest policy ‘not fit for purpose’On her first day as an expert author on the world’s most important climate reports, Prof Julia Steinberger knew nobody else, so she sat down at a stranger’s table for breakfast.“Hi, I’m Julia. I’m from the University of Lausanne,” she said. The man across the table replied: “I’m Musta
  
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• Country diary: The biggest burst of partridges I’ve seen on the farm. We must be doing something right | Colin Chappell

  21-09-2026 06:30 via theguardian.com
  
  Brigg, Lincolnshire: As my attention turns to drilling next year’s cash crops, I create a disturbance out in the fieldsSometimes a moment of surprise has years of experience behind it. Last week as I was out in the oilseed rape fields applying a cocktail of microbe food (molasses, humates and fish paste), I had quite a shock when up went a large flock of grey partridges, a covey of 26. Twelve would be considered large, with red-legged partridges only ever appearing in pairs, but I’ve
  
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• ‘The physical toll is visceral’: How Indonesia’s fire haze affects millions - visual guide

  21-09-2026 05:14 via theguardian.com
  
  Intensified by this year’s super El Niño, fires in Borneo and Sumatra are emitting toxic air for swathes of the population in Indonesia and its neighboursFor months, parts of Indonesia’s Borneo and Sumatra islands have been ablaze. The fires are sometimes lit illegally as a cheap way to clear land for plantations of oil palm, of which Indonesia is the world’s largest producer.So prevalent is the technique that it even has a special term: slash and burn. Continue reading.
  
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• What food items should you stock up on in case of an emergency?

  21-09-2026 01:02 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Extreme weather may be changing the way we need to shop, with the UK government urging people to stock up on canned goods.
  
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• Bear-y good neighbors: humans and animals are learning to live together in an expanding LA

  20-09-2026 16:00 via theguardian.com
  People are increasingly crossing paths with the wild animals as homes ring the outskirts of forests, sparking a new era of coexistenceEvery year, as summer draws to a close and fall begins, California’s bears get hungry.Black bears have long roamed the state, hunting for acorns, ants and pine nuts by the bucketload to pack on calories before hibernation. But increasingly, for every berry and root, there’s an even greater temptation: our trash and the detritus of human existence. Cont
  
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• ‘You could absolutely rip your bloody hand off’: competitors gather for England oyster shucking championship

  20-09-2026 13:00 via theguardian.com
  The English have been eating oysters for thousands of years, and advocates say they are an important indicator of the health of coastal watersBeneath bunting in the middle of Mayfair, there was a feverish atmosphere as the finals of potentially the poshest sport in England began: oyster shucking, judged by actor Stanley Tucci.“The secret is not being scared of stabbing yourself in the hand,” says Quincy Coulter Young from Rocks Oysters, one of the fastest oyster shuckers in the count
  
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• ‘Do you have to be dead?’: US coalminers plead for benefits as black-lung disease cases surge

  20-09-2026 13:00 via theguardian.com
  Trump says he digs coal – but pneumoconiosis cases are at a 50-year high, and sick miners are mired in benefit delaysFor 38 years, Josh Armes worked as a coal miner in West Virginia and Virginia.After retirement, Armes, 74, of Grundy, Virginia, was diagnosed with black lung disease, medically known as coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP), caused by breathing in coal dust over long periods, which irreversibly damages the lungs. Continue reading...
  
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• China’s stranglehold on rare earths must be ended, says hopeful supplier to EU

  20-09-2026 13:00 via theguardian.com
  Rafael Moreno, whose company has opened demo plant in Brazil, says market is ‘nervous’ as Trump-Xi summit loomsThe head of a mining company hoping to supply the EU with rare earths in two years’ time has said it is “paramount” to end China’s stranglehold on the supply of the raw materials used in everything from cars to wind turbines and military jets.As Donald Trump and China’s president, Xi Jinping, prepare to meet on Thursday in their second summit of
  
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