Environment news

• Hollywood actor seeks help from vicar for series

  15-08-2026 15:46 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Rev Paul Cawthorne helped Michael Sheen identify sites where toxic waste was dumped in the 1970s.
  
  Read more

• Destroyed crops, riverbed cyclists and a ‘Rock of Starvation’: how drought has devastated the Danube

  16-08-2026 06:00 via theguardian.com
  The Guardian travelled 100 miles along the EU’s longest river, where some residents are struggling to secure drinking waterFor centuries, the rock was seen as a warning. When it began to emerge from the Danube, beneath Gellért Hill in Budapest, it meant the river had fallen so low that floating mills could no longer operate, crops were probably failing, and hunger would almost certainly follow. That is why, in the Hungarian capital, where over time the boulder became little more tha
  
  Read more

• Hawaii braces for potential first direct hit by a hurricane in 34 years

  16-08-2026 05:54 via bbc.co.uk
  
  In a worst-case scenario, category one Lala could dump up to 25in (63cm) of rain on Big Island.
  
  Read more

• The influencers getting bitten while chasing the perfect shark shot

  16-08-2026 01:04 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Tayane Dalazen was on a shark-diving trip in Brazil when she was attacked.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Firefighters battle wildfire tearing through Belgian nature reserve

  15-08-2026 19:47 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The fire burning through the major park was described as the country's worst in recent years.
  
  Read more

• Cornish sardines back on menu for penguins

  15-08-2026 13:08 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The move follows a chance conversation at the wildlife attraction and replaces imported fish.
  
  Read more

• Natalya Lobanova on the positives to be gained from the UK’s latest heatwave – cartoon

  15-08-2026 12:00 via theguardian.com
  Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Draft dark skies guidance drawn up for the Highlands

  15-08-2026 10:32 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The plan to reduce light pollution could be put out for public consultation at a later date.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• It’s the SUV tyranny: where have all the normal family cars gone? | Coco Khan

  15-08-2026 09:00 via theguardian.com
  They rule the roads and, in their wake, even old-style saloons have been supersized. It’s an illusion of consumer choiceRecently, while traipsing from showroom to showroom in search of a used car for my growing clan, the iconic line from Christopher Nolan’s seminal Batman movie The Dark Knight came to mind: “You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” And by villain, of course, I mean an SUV driver.Because, if you haven’t shopped
  
  Read more

• Solar eclipse inspires talk of Pac-man and Shinto myths

  15-08-2026 08:08 via bbc.co.uk
  
  Thousands turned out to watch the solar eclipse in the South West; here's what they made of it.
  
  Read more

• The Great Stink of 2026? Hot, dry summer leaves London holding its nose

  15-08-2026 07:00 via theguardian.com
  Experts say putrid stench shows overhaul of sewers is needed – like the one prompted by the Great Stink of 1858London was “reeking with ineffable and intolerable horrors” after weeks of temperatures exceeding 30C and minimal rainfall. This was Disraeli’s description of the Great Stink of 1858, but something similarly disgusting has been happening this summer.Once again, an exceptionally hot and dry spell has exposed the putrid stench of untreated human waste. Continue rea
  
  Read more

• Country diary: Down the road from the Edinburgh fringe … a true local tradition of costume and whisky | Doc Rowe

  15-08-2026 06:30 via theguardian.com
  South Queensferry, West Lothian: The Burryman procession is one of Scotland’s most remarkable customs – and a changing of the guard is about to occurWhile the Edinburgh festival grabs the headlines, just 10 miles away, one of Scotland’s most remarkable traditions takes place every August – the Burryman procession.In this, part of the Ferry Fair, a local volunteer is covered in thousands of hooked burdock seedheads, which are attached in dense patches like Velcro. He spend
  
  Read more

• Bin sins: common recycling mistakes and how to avoid them

  15-08-2026 02:00 via theguardian.com
  With so many bins, and ever more complex packaging, recycling in Australia can be complicated and confusing. Here’s what not to doChange 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] consider themselves good recyclers. But while more than 90% say recycling is important, many admit to doing it wrong.Abou
  
  Read more

• Burnham criticised for EV and North Sea drilling approach as wildfires heighten climate fears

  14-08-2026 20:51 via theguardian.com
  Reduction in EV sales targets could add millions of tonnes of CO2 to emissions as UK faces impact of global heatingAndy Burnham has been criticised for moving to cut electric vehicle (EV) sales targets and accept North Sea drilling at a time of devastating wildfires caused by the climate emergency.The prime minister for the first time acknowledged on Friday that the climate crisis was behind hundreds of wildfires that have ripped across the parts of the UK. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Burnham criticised for EV and North Sea approach amid climate crisis

  14-08-2026 20:51 via theguardian.com
  Cut in electric vehicle sales targets could add millions of tonnes of CO2 to emissions in UK, say green campaignersAndy Burnham has been criticised for moving to cut electric vehicle (EV) sales targets and accept North Sea drilling at a time of devastating wildfires caused by the climate emergency.The prime minister for the first time acknowledged on Friday that the climate crisis was behind hundreds of wildfires that have ripped across the parts of the UK. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• Burnham criticised for EV and North Sea drilling decisions as wildfires heighten climate fears

  14-08-2026 20:41 via theguardian.com
  Reduction in EV sales targets could add millions of tonnes of CO2 to emissions as UK faces impact of global heatingAndy Burnham has been criticised for moving to cut electric vehicle (EV) sales targets and accept North Sea drilling at a time of devastating wildfires caused by the climate emergency.The prime minister for the first time acknowledged on Friday that the climate crisis was behind hundreds of wildfires that have ripped across the parts of the UK. Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• ‘It’s due to climate’: the people of Stourbridge on the town’s wildfires

  14-08-2026 19:17 via theguardian.com
  Thursday has been described by residents as ‘horrendous’, ‘distressing’ and ‘one of the scariest days of my life’People in Stourbridge have described the fires that devastated more than a dozen homes as “horrendous” and “distressing”, with one describing blazes that surpassed the height of residential houses.Multiple fires spread across the West Midlands on Thursday as temperatures reached record highs of 38.1C in the UK, during the cou
  
  Read more

• Rare breeding bat found roosting near reservoir

  14-08-2026 18:42 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The Nathusius' pipistrelle is believed to be the first confirmed discovery of its kind in the area.
  
  Read more

• 'Days of the farmers' union dictating policy are over' - Muir

  14-08-2026 18:07 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir says he will continue to engage with the Ulster Farmers' Union.
  
  Read more

• Electric vehicle sales targets could be cut after pressure from car makers

  14-08-2026 17:58 via bbc.co.uk
  
  The government says it is considering cutting the new electric car sales target from 80% to 50% by 2030.
  
  Read more

• Iberian orca known for ramming boats seen with suspected gunshot wounds

  14-08-2026 17:07 via theguardian.com
  Marine conservationist says deliberate attack would be ‘act of extreme cruelty’ against endangered populationSpanish officials have launched an investigation after the matriarch of an orca pod known for jostling and ramming boats off the Iberian Peninsula was spotted with wounds suggesting she had been shot by a pellet gun.On Friday, Spain’s environment ministry said Toñi, the oldest living member of the pod, had been seen swimming in the Strait of Gibraltar with marking
  
  Read more

• The Great Barrier Reef isn’t dead yet. According to News Corp that makes climate science a ‘pseudo-religion’ | Temperature Check

  14-08-2026 17:00 via theguardian.com
  ‘High coral cover is evidence of recovery and resilience, not evidence that the disturbances causing mortality didn’t happen,’ scientist saysSign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter hereThe Australian newspaper appeared to think it had a slam-dunk this week with a front page story pointing to official government data which showed “the Great Barrier Reef is refusing to die” despite decades of warnings that global heatin
  
  Read more

• Bird flu has been evolving and migrating for 30 years. It is a far more deadly virus that has now arrived in Australia

  14-08-2026 17:00 via theguardian.com
  Experts say the H5N1 bird flu virus’s risk to humans is low, but fear an impeding decimation of seal populations after tens of thousands of deaths in South America and AntarcticaGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIn 1996, geese in poultry farms in the Guangdong province of southern China started to get sick with a virus causing “bleeding and neurological dysfunction” and then death.A strain of avian influenza had likely arrived as a relatively harmless v
  
  Read more

• Burnham temporarily bans disposable barbecue sales in ‘tinderbox’ Britain

  14-08-2026 16:50 via theguardian.com
  PM urges people not to risk lives and homes by starting fires as military brought in to help deal with wildfiresUK politics live – latest updatesDowning Street has issued a temporary GB-wide ban on the sale of disposable barbecue and brought in the military to help deal with wildfires as Andy Burnham urged people not to risk lives in “tinderbox” Britain this weekend.The prime minister spoke from Stourbridge in the West Midlands, where at least 19 people have been taken to hospi
  
  Read more

• Burnham brings in military and bans disposable barbecues in ‘tinderbox’ Britain

  14-08-2026 16:50 via theguardian.com
  PM temporarily bans barbecue sales as 19 people are taken to hospital during fires in West Midlands Downing Street has issued a temporary GB-wide ban on the sale of disposable barbecues and brought in the military to help deal with wildfires as Andy Burnham urged people not to risk lives in “tinderbox” Britain this weekend.The prime minister spoke from Stourbridge in the West Midlands, where at least 19 people have been taken to hospital during eight fires that have ripped through se
  
  Read more

• Andy Burnham moves to cut new EV sales targets

  14-08-2026 15:25 via theguardian.com
  Possible cut from 80% down to as little as 50% could add millions of tonnes of CO2 to emissions and comes amid UK heatwavesAndy Burnham’s government has said it will look at cutting electric vehicle sales targets, in proposals that could add millions of tonnes a year to the UK’s future carbon dioxide emissions.The government launched a consultation on Friday on cutting the target for new EVs to as little as 50% of all new cars in 2030, down from 80% under existing rules. The consulta
  
  Read more

• ‘The eww holds power’: why disgust shapes how we see nature, queerness and each other

  14-08-2026 13:10 via theguardian.com
  We learn what to fear and reject from those around us. But if disgust can be learned, it can also be unlearnedVote for your favourite invertebrate of the yearIt was the summer of 2021 and I was standing in Hyde Park, London, trying to persuade passing tourists to come bug hunting with me. I was working on a campaign to increase public appreciation of invertebrates and, while I adore bugs, this job was teaching me how differently other people see them.A woman and her young daughter stopped to cha
  
  Read more

• Green groups urge Andy Burnham to break silence on climate crisis

  14-08-2026 12:58 via theguardian.com
  
  More than 50 organisations say PM urgently needs to show leadership and prepare British people for scale of change needed as UK struggles through another heatwaveUK politics live – latest updatesThe UK’s leading climate organisations have accused the prime minister, Andy Burnham, of “remaining silent” on the climate crisis as the country struggles to cope with its fifth heatwave of the year.As widespread droughts and devastating wildfires grip the country, green groups ha
  
  Read more

• Running dry: drought-hit UK sporting venues and parched pitches – in pictures

  14-08-2026 12:45 via theguardian.com
  With the UK experiencing the driest summer on record, we look at how the weather is affecting the pitches and courses across the country Continue reading...
  
  Read more

• El Niño may peak at the worst time for the Amazon – and it should worry us all

  14-08-2026 12:00 via theguardian.com
  Delay to rainy season in forest already damaged by human-driven heating could trigger powerful ‘Godzilla’ El NiñoAs a supercharged climate scorches Europe with wildfire and deluges Asia with floods, the Amazon is bracing for a drought that strikes fear into the hearts of forest defenders and food producers alike. But it should worry even more of us.Scientists are predicting that the peak of El Niño will occur at the worst possible time for the world’s biggest trop
  
  Read more

Follow @UK_Environment on Twitter!