Environment news

• Summer song

  29-07-2017 02:20 via bbc.co.uk
  How field crickets are being brought back from the brink of extinction by a unique conservation project.
  
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• The UK government didn't want you to see this report on ecosystem collapse. I'm not surprised | George Monbiot

  27-01-2026 17:52
  It took an FOI request to bring this national security assessment to light. For ‘doomsayers’ like us, it is the ultimate vindicationI know it’s almost impossible to turn your eyes away from the Trump show, but that’s the point. His antics, ever-grosser and more preposterous, are designed to keep him in our minds, to crowd out other issues. His insatiable craving for attention is a global-threat multiplier. You can’t help wondering whether there’s anything he w
  
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• Through the heatwave haze, the hypocrisy of Australia’s fossil fuel policy shines bright | Clean Air

  27-01-2026 15:00
  The heatwave in Melbourne and Adelaide this week is likely to become the norm. We should prepare nowWant to get this in your inbox when it publishes? Sign up for the Clear Air Australia newsletter hereOn Tuesday, Australia’s second largest city baked through one of its hottest days since modern instrumental records began in 1910. Several Melbourne suburbs topped 45C.The country’s fifth largest city, Adelaide, reached that temperature on Monday. Its residents then suffered through the
  
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• The 16-month battle to reveal the truth about Sydney Water’s poo balls

  27-01-2026 15:00
  After debris balls closed Sydney beaches in October 2024, Guardian Australia reported they could be linked to sewage outfalls. Authorities were less keen to talkGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastLast week, after torrential rain in Sydney, fresh poo balls washed up on the beach at Malabar, the closest beach to the problematic Malabar sewage treatment plant.Signs were erected on the beach warning people not to touch the “debris balls” or swim. But authorities d
  
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• Europe’s supermarket shelves packed with ‘misleading’ claims about recycled plastic packaging

  27-01-2026 14:48
  Manufacturers use method that labels plastic as ‘circular’ and climate-friendly, despite being mostly fossil-basedEurope’s supermarket shelves are packed with brands billing their plastic packaging as sustainable, but often only a fraction of the materials are truly recovered from waste, with the rest made from petroleum.Brands using plastic packaging – from Kraft’s Heinz Beanz to Mondelēz’s Philadelphia – use materials made by the plastic manufactu
  
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• ‘The land will be left as ashes’: why Patagonia’s wildfires are almost impossible to stop

  27-01-2026 13:00
  Funding cuts, conspiracy theories and ‘powder keg’ pine plantations have seen January’s forest fires tear through Chubut in southern Argentina Lucas Chiappe had known for a long time that the fire was coming. For decades, the environmentalist had warned that replacing native trees in the Andes mountain range with highly flammable foreign pine was a recipe for disaster.In early January, flames raced down the Pirque hill and edged closer to his home in the Patagonian town of Epuy
  
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• Air pollution kills thousands a year in the UK and abroad – why isn’t there a bigger uproar? | Devi Sridhar

  27-01-2026 10:00
  Initiatives such as London’s ULEZ can be a model for other cities. But even more could be done to save lives and protect us from deadly toxins in the airBreathwork is everywhere, whether it’s in yoga studios, corporate retreats or self-help reels. We’re told to “just breathe”. Be mindful. Lower our stress levels. Inhale. Exhale. In the yogic tradition, bringing clean air into our lungs and our body (pranayama in Sanskrit) is about purifying and detoxing, and then ex
  
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• Ouyen may have hit the highest recorded temperature in Victoria’s history – and some fear it could get even hotter

  27-01-2026 08:48
  As the temperature nears 49C in the Mallee region, residents take refuge in air-conditioned rooms Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastIn the slanting, late-afternoon summer sun, the fields around the small Australian town of Ouyen – almost 450km north-west of Melbourne – turn the colour of honey. The edges shimmer with silver, that old cruel trick of feigning water where it hasn’t rained for weeks.Summ
  
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• The Fukushima towns frozen in time: nature has thrived since the nuclear disaster but what happens if humans return?

  27-01-2026 08:00
  Fifteen years after a tsunami caused the Fukushima nuclear accident, only bears, raccoons and boar are seen on the streets. But the authorities and some locals want people to move backNorio Kimura pauses to gaze through the dirt-flecked window of Kumamachi primary school in Fukushima. Inside, there are still textbooks lying on the desks, pencil cases are strewn across the floor; empty bento boxes that were never taken home.Along the corridor, shoes line the route the children took when they fled
  
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• Country diary: In my moment of loss, birds came like gifts | Amy-Jane Beer

  27-01-2026 06:30
  Ripon City Wetlands and Welburn, North Yorkshire: First a starling ​and then a robin​ arrived like visitations​. I am truly grateful for ​them bothI’ve heard it said that birds come to people who’ve lost someone dear. It seemed a nice thing to believe, but I never really imagined it might be true. But neither did I imagine losing my only sibling at the age of 53. Nic’s childhood nickname, Twinkle, was apt. She was the brightest, kindest person I’ve
  
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• Number of people living in extreme heat to double by 2050 if 2C rise occurs, study finds

  26-01-2026 19:29
  Scientists expect 41% of the projected global population to face the extremes, with ‘no part of the world’ immuneThe number of people living with extreme heat will more than double by 2050 if global heating reaches 2C, according to a new study that shows how the energy demands for air conditioners and heating systems are expected to change across the world.No region will escape the impact, say the authors. Although the tropics and southern hemisphere will be worst affected by rising
  
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• UK joins European offshore windfarm plan to create world’s largest ‘clean energy reservoir’

  26-01-2026 16:07
  Britain among 10 countries to build 100GW grid in North Sea linking countries through subsea cablesThe German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has said he wants the North Sea to become the “largest reservoir of clean energy worldwide”, as he announced plans to accelerate efforts to link up offshore wind power projects with Europe.The UK and nine other European countries have agreed to accelerate the rollout of offshore windfarms in the 2030s and build a power grid in the North Sea, in a l
  
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• Life with and without water: from riding waves to disappearing lakes – in pictures

  26-01-2026 12:30
  The variety and scope of entries to the global Walk of Water photography contest reflect the intimate connection between water and humanity Continue reading...
  
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• Country diary: Bursts of white in the winter murk | Kate Blincoe

  26-01-2026 06:30
  Caistor St Edmund, Norfolk: As chief clothes-washer in our home, I see egrets and snowdrops and wonder how anything living in the marsh or riverbank can stay so cleanThe dazzling white of snow gave way to sludge underfoot. Then came the heavy rain, returning us to mud and the drabness of late winter.A ghost rises beside the lake, taking form as it separates itself from the low mist. Against the grey of the sky, the impossible brilliance of its perfect white, metre-wide wingspan is jolting.
  
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• UK among 10 countries to build 100GW wind power grid in North Sea

  26-01-2026 01:01
  Energy secretary Ed Miliband says clean energy project is part of efforts to leave ‘the fossil fuel rollercoaster’The UK and nine other European countries have agreed to build an offshore wind power grid in the North Sea in a landmark pact to turn the ageing oil basin into a “clean energy reservoir”.The countries will build windfarms at sea that directly connect to multiple nations through high-voltage subsea cables, under plans that are expected to provide 100GW of offsh
  
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• The 10 best US products to battle seasonal affective disorder, according to experts

  25-01-2026 21:15
  Therapy lights, sunrise alarm clocks and infrared saunas can all help shake the winter blues as the weather dropsHeated socks and puffy booties: what people in the coldest cities on Earth are wearingSign up for the Filter US newsletter, your weekly guide to buying fewer, better thingsAs a lifelong Canadian, I’m no stranger to that familiar sinking feeling in my chest as the days get shorter, dimmer and colder. I suffer from seasonal affective disorder (Sad), which also affects about one in
  
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• Blurry rats and coyotes with mange: the oddly thrilling subreddit dedicated to identifying wildlife

  25-01-2026 15:00
  The most popular posts on r/animalid are exotic lizards and rare birds – but it’s the haziest trail cam screenshots that feel the most dangerous, the most spectacularRead more in the Internet wormhole seriesI spent the first decade of my life in Vancouver Island, Canada, in an area rich with parks, lakes and forests. Deer would occasionally wander into our neighbourhood and nibble on the blossoms in our front yard. In that neck of the (literal) woods, mountains and deer also mean cou
  
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• Why it has not been so easy being green for the white van in the UK

  24-01-2026 15:00
  Electric van sales are behind government targets, but those fleets that have switched are seeing a real differenceSwinging a fully laden electric van around a training centre in Bishop’s Stortford feels easy, with instant acceleration that belies the racks of heavy equipment in the back. Perhaps too easy, as the sudden shriek of its proximity sensor suggests the Guardian was a whisker away from a bill for some new paintwork.The van in question belongs to Openreach, BT’s fibre broadba
  
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• Young country diary: A winter surprise – wood ants busy on their nest | Meg

  24-01-2026 12:00
  Devon: We saw massive mounds of soil and pine needles where ants were hibernating – but not all of themWe pulled into the frosty car park just as the sun was rising. It was early in the morning and I was still a little bit sleepy, but the sharp winter air woke me up. The tall oak trees that surrounded the car park looked like they were crying icy tears. Everything was silent. We set off into the cold, solemn woods with our dog charging ahead.That’s when I saw it! Further on down the
  
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• RHS unveils plans to protect UK gardens from future water shortages

  24-01-2026 09:00
  Environmental charity to prioritise water capture and storage as it urges gardeners to prepare for ‘new normal’The Royal Horticultural Society has unveiled emergency plans to protect its gardens from major water shortages in the future.The environmental charity, which owns and operates five renowned public gardens in England, said on Saturday it will invest in more water-capture and water-management projects in 2026 after severe droughts last year. Continue reading...
  
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• From scorpions to peacocks: the species thriving in London’s hidden microclimates

  24-01-2026 07:00
  An extraordinary mosaic of wildlife has made Britain’s urban jungle its homeLondon is the only place in the UK where you can find scorpions, snakes, turtles, seals, peacocks, falcons all in one city – and not London zoo. Step outside and you will encounter a patchwork of writhing, buzzing, bubbling urban microclimates.Sam Davenport, the director of nature recovery at the London Wildlife Trust, emphasises the sheer variation in habitats that you find in UK cities, which creates an ama
  
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• ‘We cannot say for sure these wolves come from Russia’: Finns try to fathom cause of record reindeer deaths

  24-01-2026 06:00
  Wolves killed more than 2,100 reindeer in Finland last year, and herders are blaming the Ukraine warJuha Kujala no longer knows how many reindeer will return to his farm from the forest each December. The 54-year-old herder releases his animals into the wilderness on the 830-mile Finnish-Russian border each spring to grow fat on lichens, grass and mushrooms, just as his ancestors have done for generations.But since 2022, grisly discoveries of reindeer skeletons on the forest floor have disrupted
  
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• Everything but the kitchen sink: how to get rid of cooking oils and liquid waste without pouring them down the drain

  24-01-2026 00:00
  Oil, out-of-date milk and even roast dinner residues contribute to the growth of fatbergs, a sticky problem for sewerage systemsChange 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] are a sticky problem for sewerage systems – blocking pipes, spawning poo balls, and even forcing the cancellation of a Bryan A
  
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• Canadian backpacker’s death poses question for Queensland’s K’gari: can dingoes and tourists coexist?

  23-01-2026 23:19
  Coroner is yet to determine the cause of death of Piper James, a 19-year-old Canadian woman found surrounded by dingoes on MondayIn the early hours of Monday morning, a young woman’s body was found being mauled by a pack of dingoes near a shipwreck on a windswept stretch of white sand beach on an island off the east coast of Australia.The island was K’gari, formerly known as Fraser Island, in southern Queensland, home to about 150 human inhabitants and a population of dingoes genetic
  
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• 'The world's ugliest lawn' isn't really that ugly, according to its Australian owner – video

  23-01-2026 22:29
  Jarno Coone, the winner of the international 'world's ugliest lawn' competition, says he doesn't let his garden grow wild to annoy his neighbours in the regional Victorian town of Kyneton. He says he is 'proud to get the message out there for water conservation and living more harmoniously with nature'. 'I really do believe it is better for the environment,' he says Continue reading...
  
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• ‘I’ve never watered it’: how an Australian groundskeeper achieved the world’s ugliest lawn

  23-01-2026 15:00
  Neighbours might look askance at Jarno Coone’s unkempt yard, but the local birds, bees and bats aren’t bothered by the aestheticsWhen they moved in about 13 years ago, there was plush green lawn out the front. Nowadays the grass is so high that neighbours fear it could be harbouring snakes. Even the meter reader is a bit wary.“I’d love to have snakes in the front yard. But they need water. And so they stay down by the river, which is a couple of blocks away,” says J
  
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• New filtration technology could be gamechanger in removal of Pfas ‘forever chemicals’

  23-01-2026 14:00
  Researchers found a new way to filter and destroy Pfas chemicals at 100 times the rate of current systemsNew filtration technology developed by Rice University may absorb some Pfas “forever chemicals” at 100 times the rate previously possible, which could dramatically improve pollution control and speed remediations.Researchers also say they have also found a way to destroy Pfas, though both technologies face a steep challenge in being deployed on an industrial scale. Continue readin
  
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• New filtration technology could be game-changer in removal of Pfas ‘forever chemicals’

  23-01-2026 14:00
  Researchers found a new way to filter and destroy Pfas chemicals at 100 times the rate of current systemsNew filtration technology developed by Rice University may absorb some Pfas “forever chemicals” at 100 times the rate than previously possible, which could dramatically improve pollution control and speed remediations.Researchers also say they have also found a way to destroy Pfas, though both technologies face a steep challenge in being deployed on an industrial scale. Continue r
  
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• Hundreds of illegal waste tips operating in England - including 11 'super sites'

  23-01-2026 09:19 via bbc.com
  A BBC investigation uncovers how criminals are operating huge illegal rubbish tips across the country.
  
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• Week in wildlife: a proud eagle, an adorable axolotl and a goofy seal

  23-01-2026 09:00
  This week’s best wildlife photographs from around the world Continue reading...
  
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