Environment news

• Ciwem environmental photographer of the year 2018 winners – in pictures

  20-09-2018 20:56
  The Iranian photographer Saeed Mohammadzadeh has been named Ciwem’s environmental photographer of the year. End Floating, his haunting image of a beached boat on the solidified salty remains of Urmia Lake, illustrates how climate change, water mismanagement and drought have decimated the landscape Continue reading...
  
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• Australia’s GDP figures are meaningless when the boom in datacentres means destroying jobs and the climate | Greg Jericho

  03-06-2026 17:00
  In the March quarter Australia’s economy grew 0.3%. But the real issue is what drove that growthGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe March GDP figures, not for the first time, showed that the focus on economic growth seems rather foolish when you place it within the context of the climate crisis. While the economy did grow in the first three months of this year, the big driver was investment in datacentres, which a new report on Wednesday revealed is greatly incre
  
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• ​Why is Europe still not ready for extreme heat?

  03-06-2026 16:25
  ​The first heatwaves of the season reveal how ​ill-prepared governments across the continent are to protect people from increasingly dangerous temperatures• Don’t get This Is Europe delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereMeteorological summer has begun, ushered in with scorching heat that struck before spring was up. Although western Europe is now mostly free from last week’s heat dome – which shattered temperature records for May in the UK and Ireland – it
  
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• The row at Hampstead Heath is about far more than a few thoughtless swimmers in a heatwave | Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett

  03-06-2026 16:02
  As summers get hotter, investment and education are vital to ensure we all have access to the clean, safe water we needA local row about swimmers and swans in Hampstead Heath has now inspired a government reaction. Environment ministers over the weekend wrote to the City of London Corporation, which oversees the heath, to say that they were “deeply concerned” by footage of crowds of people in the water during last week’s heatwave.One viral video showed young revellers – w
  
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• Bathing warning issued after 'potential water pollution incident'

  03-06-2026 14:15 via bbc.com
  The National Trust, which manages Portstewart Strand, has urged visitors to the beach to be vigilant.
  
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• Antibiotics use in livestock could rise by a third in next 15 years, UN report warns

  03-06-2026 13:04
  Governments urged to act to prevent potentially disastrous impacts on human resistance to medicinesThe use of antibiotics on livestock will rise by nearly a third in the next 15 years without government intervention, according to new global estimates, with potentially disastrous impacts on human resistance to essential medicines.Animal husbandry accounts for close to three-quarters of global use of antimicrobial medications and in many countries their use is poorly monitored. Some herds are rout
  
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• Deprivation, resilience and a giant bunny: Polly Braden on capturing the ‘beauty and bleakness’ of young lives on the coast

  03-06-2026 12:00
  In the Guardian’s Against the tide series, the documentary photographer got to know some ‘amazing’ 16- to 25-year-olds living on the fringes of England and Wales, and now her work is the centre of a new touring exhibitionIt was while reading a landmark report about the poor health of people who live on the English coast that documentary photographer Polly Braden had her big idea. “I was just blown away by it,” she says. “I thought: this is about England. And i
  
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• Noted swift nesting site destroyed by contractors in peak season

  03-06-2026 08:00
  Campaigners say builders’ demolition of nest site highlights weak protection of wildlife from developmentA building that was a noted nesting site for swifts, among the UK’s most at-risk birds, has been demolished during the nesting season, highlighting significant weaknesses in the protection of wildlife from development, campaigners say.Contractors for the housebuilder Hill Group carried out the demolition of Regent House near Dorking station in Surrey over the last few weeks, durin
  
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• What next for Upton Heath after charity buys land?

  03-06-2026 07:08 via bbc.com
  Dorset Wildlife Trust starts restoring 110 acres of heath it bought after a fundraising campaign.
  
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• Specieswatch: Scientists trace haunting sea thrums to humpback whales

  03-06-2026 07:00
  Understanding whale sounds could help prevent strikes from ships and even aid in search for extraterrestrial lifeIf you stand on certain shorelines and listen carefully you might just hear deep rumbling noises. Sharp-eared fishers, lighthouse keepers and sea kayakers have been haunted by these late-night sounds for centuries and now, for the first time, scientists have recorded these thrums and pinpointed them to humpback whales, proving that whales have a far larger vocabulary than previously t
  
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• Country diary: My family has lived near here for 300 years – no wonder it feels like home | Andrea Meanwell

  03-06-2026 06:30
  Tebay, Cumbria: Some of my ancestors were fell pony hauliers and our farmhouse used to be a coaching inn. Might they have called in for a drink?There is always some waiting around at lambing and calving time, so I like to have a project ongoing. Some years I have written books; this year I’m researching my family tree, in particular whether any of my ancestors may have visited Low Borrowdale farm when it was a coaching inn in the 18th century. I knew they had been involved in fell pony hau
  
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• Puffins, dolphins and bumblebees in running to feature on new UK banknotes

  03-06-2026 01:01
  Bank of England says updated imagery will celebrate native wildlife while bolstering anti-counterfeit featuresPuffins, dolphins and bumblebees are among the wildlife that could feature on new banknotes in the UK as the Bank of England announces its shortlist.There has been controversy over the decision, with figures including Nigel Farage criticising the Bank for, he claimed, wanting to replace Winston Churchill with a beaver. The Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, said it was “a silly th
  
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• ‘My son is still suffering’: the ill effects of water contamination in ‘Brixham incident’

  02-06-2026 18:09
  Physical and psychological impacts of a tap water parasite outbreak continue to be felt in south DevonSouth West Water fined £1.85m over parasite outbreak in DevonMost of the tourists milling around the busy fishing harbour or visiting Agatha Christie’s riverside holiday retreat have probably forgotten what South West Water euphemistically calls the “Brixham incident”.But for residents at the centre of the “incident” – a parasite outbreak that caused per
  
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• One Nation says it wants a Norway-style gas policy – but it’s not actually in favour of higher taxes on profits

  02-06-2026 17:00
  Pauline Hanson wants the government to take a stake in resource operations. While experts say this may sound reasonable, the devil’s in the detailsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIn September 2022, Pauline Hanson stood up in the Senate to berate the chamber – but she wasn’t fired up about immigration or the latest battle in the never-ending culture wars.The One Nation leader was arguing for gas and
  
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• Next El Niño could be strongest in decades

  02-06-2026 16:50 via bbc.com
  A new phase of the natural El Niño weather pattern could begin in a matter of weeks, the UN has warned, boosting temperatures on a planet already under strain from climate change.
  
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• There are thousands of dirty old drill sites in Colorado. The state gave oil firms a $1bn pass

  02-06-2026 16:00
  Investigation reveals regulator let firms off the hook on cleanup bonds despite backlog that will take decades to clearWhen Christiaan van Woudenberg moved to Erie, Colorado, in 2007, he never imagined he would become an anti-fracking activist. He simply thought he was buying his dream home – a four-bedroom with a panoramic mountain view, 30 minutes north of downtown Denver.Then, in 2014, the drilling started. Oil and gas rigs sprang up, some just 800ft (240m) from his bedroom window. The
  
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• Paralympian could become first astronaut with disability to live and work in space

  02-06-2026 10:16 via bbc.com
  John McFall takes one step closer to becoming first disabled astronaut.
  
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• Prepare for imminent return of El Niño, UN warns

  02-06-2026 09:00
  UN agency predicts phenomenon that supercharges weather extremes has 80% chance of forming before SeptemberThe world must prepare for the imminent return of El Niño and the supercharged weather extremes it brings, the UN has warned.The powerful natural weather pattern, which raises global temperatures and worsens some rainfall, has an 80% chance of forming before September and a 90% chance before November, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Tuesday. Continue reading...
  
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• Kids collect five bags of litter left on riverbank

  02-06-2026 07:19 via bbc.com
  A farmer says he is having to remove litter from his fields on a daily basis.
  
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• Water voles brought back to river after 20 years

  02-06-2026 07:07 via bbc.com
  About 300 water voles are released in Farnham as part of a bid to restore the species to the river.
  
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• 'Mornings and nights no longer exist' at 47C: A day in the hottest place in India

  02-06-2026 00:31 via bbc.com
  What a day in India's hottest district reveals about life on the frontline of extreme heat.
  
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• Watch: Moment a meteor creates sonic boom over Massachusetts

  01-06-2026 16:56 via bbc.com
  According to Nasa, the meteor released the equivalent to about 300 tons of TNT when it broke up.
  
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• Wildlife Park welcomes mischievous bush dogs

  01-06-2026 16:33 via bbc.com
  Four bush dogs are the newest mischievous residents at Lake District Wildlife Park.
  
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• Night sky events to watch out for this summer

  01-06-2026 12:44 via bbc.com
  The Milky Way, the Summer triangle, eclipses and a meteor shower can all be seen over the next few months.
  
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• The Guardian view on the Aberdeen South byelection: the politics of energy take centre stage | Editorial

  31-05-2026 18:30
  While Westminster’s attention is focused on Andy Burnham and Makerfield, another pivotal byelection is taking place in Scotland’s north-eastThe coming byelection in Makerfield, from where Andy Burnham aspires to make rapid progress towards Downing Street, is perhaps the most consequential in British political history. But the decision by the Scottish National party’s former Westminster leader, Stephen Flynn, to relocate to Holyrood means that another pivotal contest is taking p
  
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• 'Killer fungus' could be good news for habitats decimated by invasive moss

  31-05-2026 01:03 via bbc.com
  A newly discovered species raises hope that some native British habitats could be restored.
  
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• Footage of rare giant otter pups at Chester zoo – video

  29-05-2026 19:17
  The 15-week-old triplets get their first swimming lesson from their mum, Bonita, and dad, Manu. The two boys, Uca and Yali, are named after an area of the Amazon rainforest and the second largest region in Peru. The female pup is named Yara, which means ‘river spirit’ in Brazilian folklore. Endangered giant otters face an uncertain future as conservationists estimate that only a few thousand remain across South America. The pups have been born as part of the international conservatio
  
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• Rare 'Blue Moon' set to light up UK skies

  29-05-2026 17:53 via bbc.com
  Sophia Herod explains what is meant by the phrase "Blue Moon" - and it doesn't mean the Moon is turning blue.
  
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• What does Blue Origin rocket mishap mean for Nasa's Moon mission?

  29-05-2026 14:48 via bbc.com
  Science correspondent Pallab Ghosh explains why the explosion is a setback for space exploration.
  
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• Exploding rocket casts doubts over Nasa's Moon plans

  29-05-2026 12:38 via bbc.com
  Explosion of Blue Origin rocket is a setback for the company and for Nasa's Moon plans.
  
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