Environment news

• Starbucks pledges £7m to develop coffee cup solutions

  26-03-2018 13:53
  Starbucks has declared a "moon shot for sustainability" by unveiling a £7m funding challenge to develop recyclable and compostable coffee cups, as well as agreeing to new "bean to cup" traceability technology to improve sourcing practices.
  
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• Kyiv zoo braves blackouts and bombardment to keep animals warm

  19-02-2026 12:32
  Staff are using stoves and generators to keep lions, camels and Ukraine’s lone gorilla safe from winter and warEurope live – latest updatesKyiv zoo’s most famous resident lays on his back watching television. On screen: a nature documentary.For a quarter of a century, Toni has been the zoo’s star attraction, drawing tens of thousands of visitors. He is Ukraine’s only gorilla. At 52 – old by western gorilla standards – he needs warm conditions similar to
  
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• ‘They pushed so many lies about recycling’: the fight to stop big oil pumping billions more into plastics

  19-02-2026 11:00
  Plastic production has doubled over the last 20 years – and will likely double again. For author Beth Gardiner, metal water bottles and canvas tote bags are not the solution. So what is?Like many of us who are mindful of our plastic consumption, Beth Gardiner would take her own bags to the supermarket and be annoyed whenever she forgot to do so. Out without her refillable bottle, she would avoid buying bottled water. “Here I am, in my own little life, worrying about that and trying t
  
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• Twenty-five years ago: the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the UK

  19-02-2026 07:30
  22 February 2001: How the Guardian first covered the national crisis that unfolded as a result of the virus that spreads like wildfireAn outbreak of the highly infectious animal transmitted foot-and-mouth disease in the UK was one of the worst in the world. Roughly 6 million cattle, sheep, and pigs were culled, and mass funeral pyres became a striking image of the British countryside. Rural communities were shut off, tourism devastated, and movement across the countryside severely restricted. Th
  
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• How extreme flooding in Somerset has created birdlife winners and losers

  19-02-2026 07:00
  Wet fields drive away rodents, leaving barn owls without much prey, but gulls of all kinds are attracted by the waterThe Somerset Levels flood regularly – but this year, after very heavy winter rains, the fields and moors are overflowing with water. So what effect does this have on wintering birds?Like most extreme weather events, there are winners and losers. Huge flocks of gulls are gathering in the flooded fields to feed, with scarcer Mediterranean and little gulls joining the regular b
  
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• Country diary: Kneeling by the river, hoping the water is clean | Mary Montague

  19-02-2026 06:30
  Forth River, Ligoniel, north Belfast: A riverfly monitoring survey involves rapt focus on these tiny creatures, whose presence is an indicator of water healthI wish I’d worn kneepads. But then I hadn’t imagined that a riverfly monitoring survey would require this much genuflection. Like the followers of an undine creed, we kneel on the riverbank, bent over the Forth’s secrets. What is her message? How do we understand it?With me are Patricia Deeney and Geoff Newell, conservatio
  
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• Beef and lamb get 580 times more in EU subsidies than legumes, study finds

  19-02-2026 06:00
  Report says common agricultural policy provides ‘unfair’ levels of support to unhealthy, meat-heavy dietsBeef and lamb receive 580 times more in EU subsidies than legumes, a report has found, despite scientists urging people to get more of their protein from less harmful sources.Analysis by the charity Foodrise found the EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP) provides “unfair” levels of support to meat-heavy diets that doctors consider unhealthy and climate scientist
  
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• ‘It’s a catastrophe’: Wellington rages as millions of litres of raw sewage pours into ocean

  19-02-2026 04:42
  Abandoned beaches, public health warning signs and seagulls eating human waste are now features of the popular coastline in New ZealandA tide of anger is rising in New Zealand’s capital, Wellington, as the city’s toilets continue to flush directly into the ocean more than two weeks after the catastrophic collapse of its wastewater treatment plant.Millions of litres of raw and partially screened sewage have been pouring into pristine reefs and a marine reserve along the south coast da
  
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• ‘It’s a catastrophe’: Wellington rages as millions of litres of raw sewage pour into ocean

  19-02-2026 04:42
  Abandoned beaches, public health warning signs and seagulls eating human waste are now features of the popular coastline in New ZealandA tide of anger is rising in New Zealand’s capital, Wellington, as the city’s toilets continue to flush directly into the ocean more than two weeks after the catastrophic collapse of its wastewater treatment plant.Millions of litres of raw and partially screened sewage have been pouring into pristine reefs and a marine reserve along the south coast da
  
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• Environmental protest group Extinction Rebellion says FBI is investigating it for terrorism

  19-02-2026 00:58
  Extinction Rebellion says some members have been visited by agents claiming to be FBI amid Trump’s threats toward liberal groupsEnvironmental group Extinction Rebellion said on Wednesday it was under federal US investigation and that some of its members had been visited by FBI agents, including from the agency’s taskforce on extremism, in the last year.Asked for comment, the FBI said it could neither confirm nor deny conducting specific investigations, citing justice department polic
  
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• Plug-in hybrids use three times more fuel than manufacturers claim, analysis finds

  18-02-2026 19:41
  While most hybrids are said to use one to two litres of fuel per 100km, a study claims they need six litres on averagePlug-in hybrid electric cars (PHEVs) use much more fuel on the road than officially stated by their manufacturers, a large-scale analysis of about a million vehicles of this type has shown.The Fraunhofer Institute carried out what is thought to be the most comprehensive study of its kind to date, using the data transmitted wirelessly by PHEVs from a variety of manufacturers while
  
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• Trump has done more than harm the government’s ability to fight global heating | Jamil Smith

  18-02-2026 16:00
  By repealing the EPA’s determination that greenhouse gases threaten public health, the president is denying reality itselfThe climate crisis is killing people. These deaths are measurable, documented and ongoing. Concluding otherwise is just playing pretend. Studies explain the mechanics, but lived experience supplies the truth. The people who suffer the consequences see the fire rising and water closing in. They need their government’s help.Despite that, the president of the United
  
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• Speeding, jaywalkers and imported ‘clunkers’: Romania in safety drive to improve EU’s deadliest roads

  18-02-2026 15:00
  Government has taken first serious steps to crack down on dangerous driving but pace of change is frustrating campaignersThe first time Lucian Mîndruță crashed his car, he swerved to avoid a village dog and hit another vehicle. The second time, he missed a right-of-way sign and was struck by a car at a junction. The third time, ice sent him skidding off the road and into two trees. Crashes four to eight, he said, were bumper-scratches in traffic too minor to mention.That Mî
  
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• Romania in safety drive to improve EU’s deadliest roads

  18-02-2026 15:00
  Government takes its first serious steps to crack down on dangerous driving but progress is slowEurope live – latest updatesThe first time Lucian Mîndruță crashed his car, he swerved to avoid a village dog and hit another vehicle. The second time, he missed a right-of-way sign and was struck by a car at a junction. The third time, ice sent him skidding off the road and into two trees. Crashes four to eight, he said, were bumper-scratches in traffic too minor to mention.That
  
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• US sanctions, power cuts, climate crisis: why Cuba is betting on renewables

  18-02-2026 14:00
  With Trump blocking Venezuelan oil imports and old power plants breaking down, the island – with Chinese help – is turning to solar and wind to bolster its fragile energy systemIntense heat hangs over the sugarcane fields near Cuba’s eastern coast. In the village of Herradura, a blond-maned horse rests under a palm tree after spending all Saturday in the fields with its owner, Roberto, who cultivates maize and beans.Roberto was among those worst affected by Hurricane Melissa, w
  
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• Plaid promises Welsh communities share of renewable energy profits

  18-02-2026 13:20 via bbc.com
  Plaid Cymru says renewable energy projects would have to hand over stakes of up to 25% to local communities.
  
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• Environmental groups sue Trump’s EPA over repeal of landmark climate finding

  18-02-2026 13:10
  Lawsuit from health and environmental justice groups challenges the EPA’s rollback of the ‘endangerment finding’More than a dozen health and environmental justice non-profits have sued the Environmental Protection Agency over its revocation of the legal determination that underpins US federal climate regulations.Filed in Washington DC circuit court, the lawsuit challenges the EPA’s rollback of the “endangerment finding”, which states that the buildup of heat-t
  
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• Second wild beaver spotted living at Norfolk nature reserve

  18-02-2026 13:05
  Exclusive: Pensthorpe was believed to be home to just one individual but pair have been filmed grooming each otherNo one knows where they came from or how they ended up in Norfolk. But one thing is certain: now, there are two of them.Until last week, experts believed there was only one wild beaver living in Pensthorpe nature reserve, about 20 miles outside Norwich. But just in time for Valentine’s Day, two were caught on camera going for a late-night swim together and grooming each other b
  
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• Coffee-growing countries becoming too hot to cultivate beans, analysis finds

  18-02-2026 11:00
  Five countries responsible for 75% of world’s coffee supply record average of 57 extra days of coffee-harming heat a yearIn Ethiopia, the birthplace of coffee, more than 4m households rely on coffee as their primary source of income. It contributes almost a third of the country’s export earnings, but for how much longer is uncertain.“Coffee farmers in Ethiopia are already seeing the impact of extreme heat,” said Dejene Dadi, the general manager of Oromia Coffee Farmers Co
  
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• No trees, no food, shot for fun … yet Serbia’s imperial eagles are making an improbable return

  18-02-2026 10:00
  Less than a decade ago, the Balkan country had just one breeding pair of the eastern imperial species of raptor left. Now things are changing, thanks to the dogged work of conservationistsAt the start of every spring, before the trees in northern Serbia begin to leaf out, ornithologists drive across the plains of Vojvodina. They check old nesting sites of eastern imperial eagles, scan solitary trees along field margins, and search for signs of new nests.For years, the work of the Bird Protection
  
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• 'It's overwhelming': Plastic from 1960s Canada washes up on Orkney beach

  18-02-2026 07:24 via bbc.com
  One litter picker says he has seen a huge increase in the amount of plastic washing up on Sanday this year.
  
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• Country diary: Persistence and confusion – this is how magpies build their nest | Nic Wilson

  18-02-2026 06:30
  Hitchin, Hertfordshire: It’s not quick, it’s not graceful, but these early nesters are hard at work in preparation for egg-laying in a few weeksIs it too early to whisper the S word? If so, I blame the magpies. Every day for the past two weeks, while enjoying my morning cuppa in bed, I’ve been watching a pair nest-building in a Norway maple across the road. But though the arrival of spring advances each year at a faster pace than any other season, the magpies’ calendar is
  
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• The death of Heather Preen: how an eight-year-old lost her life amid the UK sewage crisis

  18-02-2026 06:00
  In 1999, Heather Preen contracted E coli on the beach. Two weeks later she died. Now, as a new Channel 4 show dramatises the scandal, her mother, Julie Maughan, explains why she is still looking for someone to take responsibilityWhen Julie Maughan was invited to help with a factual drama that would focus on the illegal dumping of raw sewage by water companies, she had to think hard. In some ways, it felt 25 years too late. In 1999, Maughan’s eight-year-old daughter, Heather Preen, had cont
  
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• The death of Heather Preen: how an eight-year-old lost her life amid sewage crisis

  18-02-2026 06:00
  In 1999, Heather Preen contracted E coli on a Devon beach. Two weeks later she died. Now, as a new Channel 4 show dramatises the scandal, her mother, Julie Maughan, explains why she is still looking for someone to take responsibilityWhen Julie Maughan was invited to help with a factual drama that would focus on the illegal dumping of raw sewage by water companies, she had to think hard. In some ways, it felt 25 years too late. In 1999, Maughan’s eight-year-old daughter, Heather Preen, had
  
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• One in nine new homes in England built in areas of flood risk, study shows

  18-02-2026 01:01
  Figures from Aviva also show number of homes being built in risky areas is risingOne in nine new homes in England built between 2022 and 2024 were constructed in areas that could now be at risk of flooding, according to new data.The figures show the number of homes being built in risky areas is on the rise – a previous analysis showed that between 2013 and 2022, one in 13 new homes were in potential flooding zones. Continue reading...
  
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• Gotta watch ‘em all? Pokémon-style app for birdwatching launches

  17-02-2026 17:42
  Users of Birdex get points for each bird they see and can compete with friends, with 200,000 sightings logged so farA new app has launched that aims to gamify birdwatching by allowing people to collect digital cards of UK bird species whenever they record seeing one.Users of Birdex accumulate points for each bird they see, with less common and rare species yielding the greatest rewards. It is possible to add friends and compete over bird sightings. The app has got birdwatchers talking online &nd
  
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• Cardboard crazy! Scavenger genius Shigeru Ban on building cathedrals and quake shelters with paper

  17-02-2026 17:16
  From high-end boutiques to housing in disaster zones with beer-crate foundations, the Japanese architect creates with things people throw away. What will his distillery in whisky’s holy land look like?‘I don’t like waste,” says Shigeru Ban. It’s a simple statement – yet it encapsulates everything about the Japanese architect’s work. He takes materials others might overlook or discard – from cardboard tubes to beer crates, styrofoam to shipping cont
  
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• France issues red flood alerts after ‘exceptional’ rainfall

  17-02-2026 13:23
  Aftermath of Storm Nils causes chaos across country with flooding under way or expected on Garonne, Maine and Loire rivers France has issued red alerts for flooding in three départements as the aftermath of Storm Nils causes chaos across the country.Flood waters have inundated homes and isolated villages after the Garonne River overflowed its banks, with hydrologists warning that rain is falling on soils that have hit record-breaking levels of saturation. Continue reading...
  
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• ‘It’s betrayal’: Shetland’s scallop fishers brace for arrival of UK’s largest salmon farm

  17-02-2026 13:00
  Huge project by Norwegian-owned Scottish Sea Farms gets go-ahead amid concerns over the environmental cost of fish farming and threat to traditional way of lifeAt Collafirth, north Shetland, Sydney Johnson is unloading bags of two-dozen scallops by throwing them over his head like medicine balls to the pier above. Johnson, who has just finished a 10-hour shift on his boat, the Golden Shore, is concerned that plans for a new salmon farm will put fishers like him and his two sons out of business.&
  
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• Country diary: It’s extraordinary how much our orchards are founded on connection | Mark Cocker

  17-02-2026 06:30
  Buxton, Derbyshire: From those who planted them, to those who pruned them, to the pollinators and the mosses, it’s a long, collective endeavourAs I prune one of our pears – a black Worcester, incidentally, a British variety from the 13th century – I ponder the linguistic connections that arise from our garden “acre” in a place called “Hogshaw”. The first word derives from Old English æcer, meaning an “acorn”. It was linked to
  
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