The Guardian
Another deadly pandemic seems inevitable – but there is a way to avoid it | John Vidal
We are not helpless: we need to do big things quickly, though, to halt the disturbance of nature. And I fear that’s not happening
- John Vidal is a former Guardian environment editor
When he bought the pretty little striped field mouse on the internet for $8 to give to his daughter for her sixth birthday, the businessman from São Paulo was told it was free of infection and had been bred by a registered dealer. In fact, it had been sourced from the vast sugar cane fields planted in Brazil to grow biofuels to reduce the use of fossil fuels – and which were swarming with rodents after yet another heatwave.
It nipped his daughter on the finger, but no one thought much of it – and six days later, he left on a trip to Europe. By the time he reached Amsterdam, she had started suffering fevers, muscle aches and breathing problems and had been rushed to hospital, and he too felt unwell. It was the start of one of the worst pandemics in human history, killing more people than Covid-19, Sars or the 1918 flu pandemic put together.
John Vidal is the Guardian’s former environment editor and author of Fevered Planet: How Diseases Emerge When We Harm Nature (Bloomsbury, £20). To support The Guardian and Observer, order your copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.
Continue reading...Cane toads’ spread through Western Australia’s Kimberley revealed by motion sensor cameras
Cane toads first crossed into WA from the Northern Territory 15 years ago and have slowly spread through the Kimberley
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Motion sensor cameras have revealed the confronting spread of cane toads across Western Australia’s eastern Kimberley region.
Supported by the World Wide Fund for Nature-Australia, the Nyaliga Rangers deployed cameras at 141 locations between August 2020 and October 2022.
Continue reading...Crisis, crisis, everywhere … why regulatory failure is at the heart of Britain’s many problems | Nick Butler
Thames Water’s woes are a clear sign that basic oversight of our critical industries simply isn’t happening
The potential collapse of Thames Water, sinking under £14bn of debt, is just the latest evidence that the regulatory regimes that oversee large parts of the British economy are failing.
It comes on the heels of Ofgem, the gas and electricity regulator, failing to notice that companies supplying power to consumers were undercapitalised and vulnerable to global price volatility. The rail regulator, Office of Rail Regulation (ORR), has failed to protect the users of northern rail services or of commuter services around London from the incompetence of franchise operators. Ofcom, once the most respected regulator, has failed to prevent egregious telecom double-digit price increases – one of the worst recent examples of corporate exploitation which has helped to push up the cost of living.
Continue reading...Discovered in the deep: the ghost catshark found after an egg hunt
Scientists in Australia solve puzzle of sole egg left in museum and identify new deep-sea species with unique ridged egg case
Off the north-western coast of Australia, near the remote coral atolls of Rowley Shoals, ghost catsharks are slinking through the dim water and searching for bushy colonies of corals growing between 400 and 500 metres (1,300-1,600ft) down.
This is where the elusive sharks lay their egg cases and leave them hanging like Christmas tree ornaments.
Continue reading...Henley regatta organisers complain of sewage pollution from Thames Water
Concerns raised after tests found stretch of river used for world-famous event had dangerous bacteria
The Henley Royal Regatta was marred by sewage pollution from Thames Water, organisers have said, as they call for urgent action on our rivers.
The prestigious event, a rowing competition on the Thames that has been going since 1839, was held last week. Chairman of the event’s organisers, Sir Steve Redgrave said: “At Henley Royal Regatta, we are deeply concerned about the impact that sewage pollution is having on our beautiful river. Sewage pollution is harming the environment that we enjoy and respect so much.” The organisers’ concerns come after two local campaign groups – River Action and Henley Locals – carried out their own tests on the Thames at Henley every weekday over a four-week period and found the stretch of river used for the world famous regatta had dangerous bacteria.
Continue reading...High levels of toxic chemicals in pets living near US manufacturing plant
Researchers alarmed by results of study of dogs and horses living close to Chemours factory in North Carolina
Pets living near a PFAS manufacturing plant in Fayetteville, North Carolina have concerning levels of the toxic chemicals in their blood, and show evidence of health effects linked to exposure, new research finds.
PFAS were present in all 32 dog and 31 horse blood samples checked, and the findings provide evidence that human and animal exposures to the chemicals impacts their bodies, said Scott Belcher, a North Carolina State University researcher and co-author.
Continue reading...Buck full supermoon illuminates skies around the world – video
The first supermoon of 2023 has been seen in Spain, Russia, Greece and Argentina and according to the Old Farmer's Almanac is called the 'full buck moon', named after the antlers of male deers which are growing at this time of year. A supermoon occurs when the full moon takes place at or near the lunar perigee, which means its closest approach to the Earth. When the full moon occurs at or around this point in its orbit, it appears larger and brighter than other full moons
Continue reading...The Guardian view on Europe’s green deal: blowing in the wind? | Editorial
Opposition by mainstream conservatives to key parts of the package is part of an insidious trend
A European parliament plenary vote, held in mid-July, might normally pass under the radar of all but the most passionate aficionados of Brussels politics. That will not be the case next week, when environmental campaigners will watch through their fingers as one of the most consequential decisions so far is made in relation to the EU’s net zero targets.
Before heading for their summer holidays, MEPs are expected to vote on a proposed nature restoration law, committing European governments to rehabilitate and rewild swathes of territory suffering from desertification, deforestation and the draining of peatlands. Along with action on pesticides, this is essentially the biodiversity strand to the EU’s green deal. The law’s role in facilitating carbon capture and creating healthy, resilient ecosystems is deemed indispensable by scientists, if emissions reduction targets are to be met. But as with other aspects of the green transition, Europe’s increasingly dominant right is now mounting a sustained campaign to derail it.
Continue reading...Millions swelter under extreme heat as climate crisis tightens grip on US – live
Heat dome of high pressure hovers over Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma as thousands remain without power in Chicago with heavy rains knocking down trees and power lines
A heat dome of high pressure has been hovering over Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma creating dangerously hot weather for nearly two weeks.
A heat advisory is expected to last through Tuesday, with heat index readings reaching as high as 120F last week and evening temperatures in the 80s offering little reprieve.
So when that internal heat production exceeds the heat loss, the body reaches a point that it can no longer sustain its natural thermal regulation. That’s when core temps start to rise and heat stroke occurs.
Continue reading...Prairie planting takes root in UK as gardeners battle drought and floods
Creator of winning garden at Hampton Court flower show says US plants are ideal for changing climate
Years of hot dry summers parching lawns and killing off prize blooms have caused many gardeners to switch to using gravel and Mediterranean herbs, trees and shrubs.
But a newly fashionable style of planting known as prairie planting could be a way to maintain a lush garden that is good for wildlife, while withstanding drought and floods.
Continue reading...Will El Niño on top of global heating create the perfect climate storm?
Rising temperatures in north Atlantic and drop in Antarctic sea ice prompt fears of widespread damage from extreme weather
“Very unusual”, “worrying”, “terrifying”, and “bonkers”; the reactions of veteran scientists to the sharp increase in north Atlantic surface temperatures over the past three months raises the question of whether the world’s climate has entered a more erratic and dangerous phase with the onset of an El Niño event on top of human-made global heating.
Since April, the warming appears to have entered a new trajectory. Meanwhile the area of global sea ice has dropped by more than 1 million sq km below the previous low.
Continue reading...Prince William to expand Duchy of Cornwall’s temperate rainforest
Aim is to at least double size of Wistman’s Wood, a 3 hectare fragment of ancient woodland on Dartmoor, by 2040
Prince William plans to double the size of a tiny fragment of rainforest on his Dartmoor estate, the Duchy of Cornwall has announced.
Wistman’s Wood is one of Britain’s remaining ancient “temperate rainforests”, brought into the public eye after environmental campaigner Guy Shrubsole’s bestselling book on the subject.
Continue reading...A grieving whale and airborne elephants: Environmental Photography award winners
The winners have been announced in the third edition of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation’s Environmental Photography award. They are being exhibited in Monaco on the Promenade du Lavotto, before touring internationally
Continue reading...Whale calf spotted off NSW south coast looks like rare albino humpback – video
A photographer captured drone footage of the whale calf, which looks like a rare albino humpback, off the coast of Guerilla Bay in NSW. If the calf is verified as an albino humpback, it will be only the second albino humpback ever seen along Australia’s east coast. The famous Migaloo, spotted in 1991, was the first
Humpback whale buried in NSW dunes after stranding on Seven Mile beach
Is that you, Migaloo? Tourist captures video of familiar-looking whale over Great Barrier Reef
Sriracha lovers feel the heat as hot sauce shortage continues
Drought in Mexico and depleting water supply in the Colorado River has led to a scarcity in red jalapeños, the key ingredient
Sriracha lovers everywhere are feeling the not so pleasant sting of the beloved hot sauce shortage, now in its second year. Drought in Mexico has resulted in a scarcity of chilli peppers – in particular, red jalapeños, the raw material of sriracha – leading Huy Fong Foods, the California-based maker of the iconic condiment, to scale back production.
“It is a challenging crop to grow,” said Stephanie Walker, a plant scientist at the New Mexico State University, who serves on the advisory board of the Chile Pepper Institute. “Jalapeños are really labor intensive, requiring people to de-stem them by hand before they go for processing.”
Continue reading...Now, water bosses, you must show how capitalism can work for the common good | Will Hutton
There is universal agreement that privatisation was never meant to result in news like this. Last week, the government announced it was on standby to take Thames Water – our biggest water company, serving 15 million people – into “special administration” as its £15bn of debt threatens to overwhelm it and its CEO resigned. What went so wrong? Is this proof that public ownership should immediately be restored?
After all, we’ve witnessed a litany of debacles, from the government’s takeover of TransPennine Express and electricity supplier Bulb to the creation of Great British Railways to integrate the fragmented management of the rail system. It’s safe to say that privatisation cannot be trumpeted as an unalloyed success.
Continue reading...Sunak U-turn on wind farms in England draws wrath of green Tories
Prime minister under fire as government backtracks on plan for more onshore turbines to keep voters on side
Rishi Sunak is facing mounting criticism for putting politics above the fight against climate change, amid clear signs that ministers are backtracking on plans to allow more onshore windfarms in England before a general election.
The Observer understands that a much-vaunted government consultation on ending what has in effect been a ban on new onshore wind projects will lead to a minimal relaxation of planning rules – because ministers do not want to anger potential Tory voters who oppose huge wind turbines in their neighbourhoods.
Continue reading...Humpback whale buried in NSW dunes after stranding on Seven Mile beach
Research suggests buried carcass unlikely to attract sharks so long as it is placed above water table and high tide mark
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A 30-tonne humpback whale has been buried in the dunes behind where it beached and died on Seven Mile beach on the New South Wales mid-north coast.
The adult whale became stranded early on Saturday morning and, despite attempts by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service to save it, died about 7pm.
Continue reading...Exclusive: UK water giants recruit top staff from regulator Ofwat
Demands for an end to the ‘revolving door’ as ex-Ofwat directors are hired by key firms
Two-thirds of England’s biggest water companies employ key executives who had previously worked at the watchdog tasked with regulating them, the Observer can reveal.
Cathryn Ross, the new interim joint chief executive of Thames Water and a former head of watchdog Ofwat, is one of several ex-employees working for water companies in senior roles such as strategy, regulation and infrastructure.
Continue reading...Just Stop Oil protesters disrupt London Pride over ‘polluting’ sponsors
Met police make arrests after activists block parade in Piccadilly by sitting in front of Coca-Cola truck
Just Stop Oil protesters have disrupted London’s Pride march in protest over the event accepting sponsorship money from “high-polluting industries”.
A number of protesters were arrested after blocking the road in front of a Coca-Cola truck.
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