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Why focus just on the politicians where there are plenty of CEOs out there with excrement on their hands?

I have an idea in the public policy/apocalyptic light entertainment space. No water company boss should be allowed to collect their salary or bonus unless they take a long and exhaustively reported dip in the waters of one of the beaches they’ve pumped sewage into that same morning. Just think of it. The first wild swimming article you’d genuinely want to read.

In the meantime, the water firms keep on doing it, with one of the hottest summers on record punctuated by daily reports of both drought and sewage discharge. Environment Agency data suggests the amount of raw sewage pumped into seas and rivers by the water companies has increased 2,553% in the past five years. To Jonathan Swift, scatological humour seemed the rational satirical response to the state of early 18th-century politics. To us, it’s simply the factual state of affairs. There’s no real need to write a metaphorical poem about parliamentarians dabbling in their dung, since any MP who has holidayed on these shores this summer has literally done it.

Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnist

Marina Hyde will be in conversation with Richard Osman at a Guardian Live event in London on 11 October. Join them in person or via the livestream – book tickets via the Guardian Live website

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Leaked data shows water companies are replacing 0.05% of England’s crumbling pipe network a year

It would take English water companies 2,000 years to replace their pipes at current rates, leaked data reveals.

Analysis of Water UK data from 2021 by the Angling Trust has found that on average, water companies replace 0.05% of their pipe networks a year.

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EUAs extended losses on Tuesday as buyers retreated after Monday's sharp drop from record highs, while energy markets were mixed as data suggested France's economy shrank in August and Europe's is heading into recession.

Australian lithium miner Pilbara Minerals is almost ready to flick the switch on its first solar plant as it seeks to decarbonise as it expands.

The post Australian lithium miner ready to tap into solar to cut costs and emissions appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Essex police arrest 18 people at three locations as protesters try to disrupt distribution of fuel

Dozens of environmental protesters have blocked critical oil infrastructure in Essex and the Midlands as they revived a campaign to “just stop oil”.

At daybreak on Tuesday, about 50 people took part in protests targeting three oil terminals, from where fuel is distributed to petrol stations, the activist group Just Stop Oil said.

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Sales at world’s top four traders have soared, raising concerns of profiteering and speculation

Companies at the centre of the global grain trade have enjoyed a record bonanza amid soaring food prices around the world, raising concerns of profiteering and speculation in global food markets that could put staples beyond the reach of the poorest, and prompting calls for a windfall tax.

The world’s top four grain traders, which have dominated the global grain market for decades – have seen record or near-record profits or sales. They are forecasting demand to outstrip supply at least until 2024, which is likely to lead to even higher sales and profits in the next two years.

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China is aiming to expand domestic production of natural gas this year despite expectations of slower demand growth, a report has found, further underpinning the government's increased focus on fossil fuel-based energy security.

Japanese shipping company Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) has acquired “in-principle approval” for the design of a large-scale liquefied CO2 (LCO2) carrier by the Tokyo-based classification group ClassNK, it announced on Tuesday.

Researchers design composite resin for blades that can be broken down to make new products including sweets

The next generation of wind turbine blades could be recycled into gummy bears at the end of their service, scientists have said.

Researchers at Michigan State University have made a composite resin for the blades by combining glass fibres with a plant-derived polymer and a synthetic one. Once the blades have reached the end of their lifespan the materials can be broken down and recycled to make new products including turbine blades – and chewy sweets.

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A carbon industry group has urged the Australian Labor government to address skill shortages across the country’s carbon market supply chain, which they argue would cut emissions and create jobs in regional areas.

The Director-General of the European Commission’s climate directorate (DG CLIMA) has passed away at the age of 65, according to media reports.

A species of carpet shark is evolving to better survive warming seas and the climate crisis

Researchers at a Florida university say a small but feisty species of carpet shark with an extraordinary ability to walk on land is evolving to better survive warming seas and the climate crisis.

The epaulette shark, commonly found on shallow reefs of Australia and New Guinea, can walk for up to 30 meters on dry land using paddle shaped fins, and survive hypoxia – a deficiency of oxygen – for up to two hours.

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South Korea has begun negotiations with 17 countries over potential bilateral carbon trading deals under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement, including major emitters such as Brazil, India, and Indonesia.

Climate change is a game changer and our disaster response is no longer sufficient. We must begin to address the underlying causes that make some communities more vulnerable than others. Bruce Glavovic, Professor in Natural Hazards Planning and Resilience, Massey University Shinya Uekusa, Lecturer, University of Canterbury Steve Matthewman, Professor in Sociology, University of Auckland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Local authorities have had to slash funding for maintaining their open spaces, and friends groups are picking up the slack

• Funding for England’s parks down £330m a year in real terms since 2010

Sparse. That’s how Chrisie Byrne describes the playground in Walton Hall park. The outlines of missing equipment scar its black rubber flooring. “It’s a huge footprint, with nothing in it, or at least very little in it,” says Byrne.

There is a set of swings, a low climbing frame with a slide for small children, and a roundabout. A couple of rocking horse-type contraptions date back to the 1990s, well past their usual lifespan, but local people have begged the council not to remove them. Another climbing frame that was burned by vandals was removed and never replaced.

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Deep cuts by local authorities leaving green spaces in decline, with poorest areas losing out the most

• Parks at risk: ‘If it was not for the volunteers, we would struggle’

Local authorities in England are spending almost £330m less a year in real terms on parks and open spaces than they were a decade ago, with the most deprived areas experiencing the deepest cuts, a Guardian analysis has found.

Years of deep budget cuts have left bandstands and playgrounds deteriorating, buildings crumbling, staff numbers decimated and parks’ upkeep in the hands of volunteers, according to park workers, volunteers and visitors.

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Alligator, shrimp and beaverslides … Holly Lynton’s beautiful photographs reveal the spiritual state of being that emerges from nature and tradition

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Senior Tories rule out asking households to reduce energy use despite planning for winter blackouts

No 10 and allies of Liz Truss are resisting the idea that people should be asked to cut their energy use, with the government insisting that consumption of gas and electricity is a “decision for individuals”.

With the threat of shortages possible this winter, officials have raised the option of the UK public being requested to reduce their energy usage, after countries in the EU including France and Germany were asked to cut gas demand by 15%.

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Labor has put fuel efficiency rules on the agenda. But the standards must be stringent and purpose-built for Australia. Robin Smit, Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Technology Sydney Hussein Dia, Professor of Future Urban Mobility, Swinburne University of Technology Nic Surawski, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

South 32 cancels a controversial expansion of the Dendrobium coal mine, saying it is looking to spend money on low carbon investments.

The post South32 ditches big Australian coal mine boost, saying costs no longer add up appeared first on RenewEconomy.