The Guardian
Andrew Wheeler: a better weapon for Trump against the environment
Scott Pruitt’s replacement is a more dangerous prospect for those aghast at the administration’s attitude to the environment
Scott Pruitt, who on Thursday resigned as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, was a firm favourite of Donald Trump. But Pruitt was plagued by scandal and faltered in carrying out the president’s agenda of peeling back clean air and water regulations. His replacement is likely to be far more adept.
Related: Goodbye to the worst EPA administrator of all time | Richard Wolffe
Continue reading...'Drunk' gull stumbles in footage released by RSPCA – video
RSPCA staff have been left scratching their heads after a string of callouts to collect 'drunk' gulls. The animal welfare charity is concerned the birds have been gaining access to waste products from a local brewery or alcohol producer, making them disoriented and confused.
Jo Daniel, an RSPCA officer, said 'the birds absolutely stink of alcohol' when they collect them
Continue reading...Test tube rhinos, tidal power and a talking crow – green news roundup
The week’s top environment news stories and green events. If you are not already receiving this roundup, sign up here to get the briefing delivered to your inbox
Continue reading...The week in wildlife – in pictures
A rare shark sighting, flying ants and a saltwater crocodile are among this week’s pick of images from the natural world
Continue reading...UK fishing fleets unlikely to gain from Brexit despite Gove's claims, say experts
New government white paper states that Britain is planing no major changes to catch quotas
British fishing fleets will face a tough struggle to wring a substantial advantage from Brexit, despite the prime minister’s promises, owing to key concessions in the government’s fishing proposals and the difficulty of persuading other EU member states to give up their current rights in British and shared waters, the Guardian has found.
Michael Gove, the environment secretary, published a white paper on Wednesday setting out the UK’s approach to fisheries after 2020, when the Brexit transition period is likely to end. He hailed “a sea of opportunity … we can take back control of our waters and revitalise coastal communities”.
Continue reading...'This is unprecedented': right whale forces Canadian island to ban fishing
Grand Manan Island temporarily halted fishing after the sighting of a single endangered whale, to the surprise of fishermen there
In 30 years of fishing for lobster in the Bay of Fundy between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Laurence Cook has been forced off the water by high winds, winter storms and icy conditions.
But until this summer, he had never had to stay home because of a whale.
Continue reading...Trump's promise to 'drain the swamp' proves false even with Scott Pruitt out
Pruitt seemed indestructible as the administration cycled through resignations, with Trump standing by him even at the end
Towards the end of his 2016 presidential election campaign, Donald Trump discovered a new slogan: “Drain the swamp!” He admitted being surprised at how well it went down with crowds at his rallies and kept repeating it.
Continue reading...Scott Pruitt is out but his impact on the environment will be felt for years
Pruitt’s actions at the EPA have left a demoralized agency where staff fear their ability to protect public health is diminished
Scott Pruitt, who has finally stepped down as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency after a long-rumbling corruption scandal, rose to public prominence on the back of a series of increasingly outlandish ethical controversies.
Related: Scott Pruitt resigns: Trump's scandal-ridden EPA chief steps down
Continue reading...Scott Pruitt, Trump's embattled EPA chief, resigns after ethics scandals
Donald Trump announces Pruitt’s departure on Twitter and praises him for doing an ‘outstanding job’
Scott Pruitt, the hugely controversial administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, has resigned.
Related: A scandal for all seasons: Scott Pruitt's ethics violations in full
Continue reading...Suspected rhino poachers killed by lions at South African reserve
Remains of two or three people found near pride with an axe – commonly used to remove horn
At least two rhino poachers were eaten by lions on a South African game farm, according to the reserve’s owner.
A ranger taking guests on a safari drive at the Sibuya game reserve in the Eastern Cape on Tuesday afternoon discovered human remains near a pride of lions.
Continue reading...Hidden in plain sight: what the recycling crisis really looks like
The recycling industry is in crisis, yet for most Australians it’s out of mind beyond the rattle of the recycling bin pickups each week. So what does this crisis really look like? Guardian Australia visited three processing sites to find out what happens to bins once they leave the kerb
The recycling industry has been in crisis mode in Australia since January when China, which previously bought 50% of the recycling we collect, implemented a ban that cut out 99% of what we used to sell.
Recycling companies had relied on this export revenue stream to stay afloat – the amount of waste recycling we create exceeds the demand we have to buy and use within Australia. Without an outlet, some companies began stockpiling recycling or sending it straight to landfill.
Continue reading...Global temperature rises could be double those predicted by climate modelling
Researchers say sea levels could also rise by six metres or more even if 2 degree target of Paris accord met
Temperature rises as a result of global warming could eventually be double what has been projected by climate models, according to an international team of researchers from 17 countries.
Sea levels could also rise by six metres or more even if the world does meet the 2 degree target of the Paris accord.
Continue reading...Tidal power to the people | Letters
In his letter, Jim Waterton (30 June) protests too much. If tidal energy cannot be allowed without the possibility and costs of storage being certain, how is it that nuclear has been allowed when the costs and feasibility of storing the used fuel for countless lifetimes is equally unknown and likely to be much higher?
He describes tidal energy as intermittent, when it is regular and very suitable as a base power source. In contrast, he describes nuclear power as consistent when this is far from the truth. Quite apart from their hopeless record on delivery dates, rising costs and concern that they will work, they’re also offline from time to time. The station at Sizewell is offline for maintenance for five to six weeks every 18 months. By November last year there had been 16 planned outages. But there had also been unplanned outages when dangerous faults have been identified.
Continue reading...Red list research finds 26,000 global species under extinction threat
IUCN fears planet is entering sixth wave of extinctions with research from Australia revealing more risks to reptiles
More than 26,000 of the world’s species are now threatened, according to the latest red list assessment of the natural world, adding to fears the planet is entering a sixth wave of extinctions.
New research, particularly in Australia, has widened the scope of the annual stocktake, which is compiled by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and revealed the growing range of risks to flora and fauna.
Continue reading...'Y'alright love': crow welcomes tourists to Yorkshire castle – video
A pied crow's hearty greeting at Knaresborough Castle in North Yorkshire has been captured on film by two visitors. Lisa and Mark Brooks heard the bird chattering inside the castle grounds and started filming.
'I found it absolutely hilarious. It must be a local, it has a proper Yorkshire accent. We were there for 15 minutes and it switched between saying ‘darling’ and ‘love’. Other people started coming over and were just in shock,' says Lisa Brooks.
Crows are from the corvid family of birds, which are known for the ability to mimic human voices
Continue reading...Baltic Sea oxygen levels at '1,500-year low due to human activity'
Nutrient run-off from agriculture and urban sewage are likely to be to blame, scientists say
The coastal waters of the Baltic have been starved of oxygen to a level unseen in at least 1,500 years largely as a result of modern human activity, scientists say. Nutrient run-off from agriculture and urban sewage are thought to be to blame.
“Dead zones” – areas of sea, typically near the bottom, with a dearth of oxygen – are caused by a rise in nutrients in the water that boosts the growth of algae. When these organisms die and sink to the seafloor, bacteria set to work decomposing them, using up oxygen in the process.
Continue reading...Two amputations a week: the cost of working in a US meat plant
As unions warn of serious injuries, plans to take speed limits off the lines at pig plants are causing anxiety
Amputations, fractured fingers, second-degree burns and head trauma are just some of the serious injuries suffered by US meat plant workers every week, according to data seen by the Guardian and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.
US meat workers are already three times more likely to suffer serious injury than the average American worker, and pork and beef workers nearly seven times more likely to suffer repetitive strain injuries. And some fear that plans to remove speed restrictions on pig processing lines – currently being debated by the government – will only make the work more difficult.
Researchers race to make bioplastics from straw and food waste
Scientists looking to replace oil as the source of the world’s plastic are harnessing everything from wood-eating bugs to chicory
New bioplastics are being made in laboratories from straw, wood chips and food waste, with researchers aiming to replace oil as the source of the world’s plastic.
The new approaches include genetically modifying bacteria to eat wood and produce useful chemicals. But the bioplastics are currently significantly more expensive to make than fossil fuel-based plastics.
Continue reading...Native Americans seek to rename Yellowstone peak honoring massacre perpetrator
Activists also target valley named for advocate of extermination, amid nationwide fight to reject legacy of racism
Continue reading...Adani coal port faces possible 'stop order' after traditional owners object
Exclusive: Queensland government must rule on application to cease work around Abbot Point coal terminal
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Adani is facing the prospect of being ordered to cease work in the vicinity of its Abbot Point coal terminal and planned rail corridor, after Juru traditional owners applied for a “stop order” to protect sacred sites.
Guardian Australia understands the application was lodged with the Queensland Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships on Thursday by lawyers for Juru Enterprises Limited (JEL).