Trump Officials Cancel Rule that Made Conservation a ‘Use’ of Public Lands
The Trump administration has moved to cancel the 2024 Biden-era rule that allowed conservation projects to be leased on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands on the same footing as oil, gas, mining, logging and grazing. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum argues the rule would have blocked access to hundreds of thousands of acres needed for energy and timber production. The repeal, set to take effect 30 days after publication in the Federal Register, restores a traditional multiple‑use approach favored by industry groups. Environmental advocates warn the change will weaken protections for water quality and wildlife habitats.
Supermarket Foods Claiming to Be ‘Natural’ or ‘Sustainable’ Mostly Just Using Marketing Terms, Researchers Find
Australian researchers examined over 27,000 packaged foods across major supermarkets and found that nearly 40% display environmental claims such as “natural” or “sustainable.” Most of these labels are self‑declared, lack independent verification, and often do not correspond to lower carbon...
Lasers in the Sky: Hi-Tech Missions Track Record Snowpack Loss in US West
High‑altitude aircraft equipped with Lidar are delivering 3‑centimeter‑accurate, three‑dimensional snow‑depth maps across the western United States. The latest measurements show California’s snowpack at just 18% of its historical average on April 1, while runoff is arriving two months early. This early...
The Fight Against AI Data Centers Isn’t Just About Tech – It’s About Democracy | Astra Taylor and Saul Levin
A wave of grassroots opposition has stalled or blocked roughly 48 AI datacenter projects worth an estimated $156 billion in 2025, and the movement is gaining momentum in 2026. Communities from North Carolina to Oregon are enacting moratoriums, with Maine becoming...
Meet the Americans Who Choose to Live without a Car in the US: ‘It Takes some Doing’
A Guardian survey of U.S. residents who live without a car reveals a patchwork of experiences across major metros and smaller cities. In Los Angeles, commuters blend biking with inconsistent transit while confronting safety and drug‑related issues. Chicago’s CTA is praised...
Airline Emissions in Europe Top Pre-Covid Levels Despite Pledge to Decarbonise
European airline emissions have surged past pre‑Covid levels, with Ryanair alone emitting 16.6 Mt of CO₂ in 2025 – a 50% rise from 2019. The continent’s total departing‑flight emissions hit 195 Mt, up 2% year‑over‑year, despite newer, fuel‑efficient aircraft and industry decarbonisation...
‘The Worst Time for Wheat’: US Farmers Face Losses to Extreme Heat and Drought
Extreme heat and drought across the Great Plains have devastated the 2025‑26 U.S. wheat crop. Kansas and Oklahoma, the nation’s top hard‑red winter wheat producers, experienced temperatures 10‑11°F above normal, leaving 44%‑49% of wheat in very poor condition and yielding...
Inequality Causing 100,000 Extra Deaths a Year From Heat and Cold in Europe
A new European study links socioeconomic inequality to more than 100,000 excess deaths each year from extreme heat and cold. If the continent reduced its Gini index to Slovenia’s level, temperature‑related mortality could fall by roughly 30%, saving about 110,000...
Climate Campaigners Attack Shell over ‘Windfall’ Profits From Iran War
Shell reported first‑quarter earnings of $6.9 bn (£5 bn, about $6.35 bn), a 115% jump that outpaced analysts’ $6.4 bn forecast. The surge stemmed from oil prices climbing from $61 to $119 a barrel as the Iran‑US conflict disrupted the Strait of Hormuz. Shell...
Diesel Prices Squeeze US Farmers ‘Barely Getting by’ Amid Tariffs and Drought
U.S. farmers are confronting a sharp diesel price jump to about $5 a gallon as the war with Iran disrupts fuel markets, coinciding with the critical spring planting window. The surge follows a $34.6 bn loss from recent tariff retaliation, squeezing...
Fertiliser Shortages to Have Dramatic Effect on Food Prices, Says Duke of Westminster’s Firm
Grosvenor Group, the Duke of Westminster’s property and farming conglomerate, warns that fertilizer shortages triggered by the Iran‑related closure of the Strait of Hormuz have pushed UK fertilizer costs up 50‑70% and could spark a dramatic rise in global food...
UK Electric Car Sales Leap ‘Could Be Hit by Iran War Inflation and Energy Price Rises’
UK battery‑electric vehicle (BEV) registrations jumped 59.1% in April, pushing total electric car registrations past the two‑million mark. BEVs accounted for 26.2% of all new car sales, still short of the 33% share required by the zero‑emission mandate. The surge...
The Guardian View on the Green Transition: Politicians Should Speed It up – and Households Too | Editorial
The Guardian editorial argues that the recent energy‑price shock should accelerate the UK’s green transition, urging politicians and households to act faster. It highlights divergent party positions ahead of the May elections, with the Scottish National Party softening on the...
Reform Government Could Cause Truss-Style Chaos, Says Renewables Industry
Britain’s Reform UK party has pledged to strip existing renewable‑energy subsidy contracts, a move that RenewableUK chief lobbyist Tara Singh warns could trigger economic turmoil reminiscent of the Liz Truss era. Singh argues that cancelling legally‑binding contracts would erode investor confidence and...
‘Point of No Return’: New Orleans Relocation Must Start Now Due to Sea Level, Study Finds
A new study in Nature Sustainability warns New Orleans has reached a point of no return as sea‑level rise and coastal erosion could surround the city with the Gulf by the end of the century. Projections show 3‑7 m of sea‑level rise...
Monday Briefing: Will a New Alliance of Nations Be Able to Guide the World Towards a Post-Fossil Fuel Future?
Oil prices surged to their highest level since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine after President Donald Trump warned of a prolonged Iranian port blockade, reigniting fears of a global recession. In response, nearly 60 governments convened in Santa Marta, Colombia, for...
Solar Booms in Industrial US Midwest as Energy Crisis Persists
D3Energy’s floating‑solar project on Lima, Ohio’s Twin Lake Reservoir installs over 3,400 panels across four acres to power a 24‑hour water‑treatment plant. The system, part of a broader Midwest shift toward clean energy, is projected to save the city roughly...
How LNG Interests Are Seeking to Disrupt Global Talks on Decarbonising Shipping
The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) decarbonisation talks are being stalled by powerful LNG interests and pro‑oil flag states. After the Hormuz Strait closure, LNG trade faced disruption, yet orders for new LNG tankers remain high, with 337 vessels on the...
Iran War May Cause Food Shortages in Africa, World’s Largest Fertiliser Firm Says
Yara International CEO Svein Tore Holsether warned that the war in Iran is driving urea prices up 60‑70% and tightening supplies of ammonia, the key feedstock for nitrogen fertilizers. With 35% of the world’s urea sourced from Gulf states, Africa—already a...
Germany’s Climate U-Turn Is the Worst Possible Response to the Oil Shock
Germany’s coalition government has reversed course on its climate agenda amid the latest oil shock triggered by the US‑Israel war on Iran. Diesel prices spiked to €2.40 per litre (about $2.62), a 50% increase from a year earlier, prompting the...
Australians Will Pay More if Albanese Prioritises Fossil Fuel Projects, Former Oil and Gas Leaders Warn
Former senior executives from BP, Shell and other oil majors warned Australia’s Albanese government that fast‑tracking new fossil‑fuel projects could deepen price volatility and raise consumer costs. They contend that the country’s untapped oil reserves would provide less than a...
Labor Will Back Fossil Fuels in the Budget but the Gas Tax Campaign Isn’t Dead yet | Clear Air
Australia’s Labor government is expected to protect existing gas‑export contracts in the upcoming federal budget, signaling a continuation of the status quo for the fossil‑fuel sector. Despite strong public backing for a 25% levy on gas exports – a tax...
‘Suicidal’ Model of Capitalism Leading to War and Fascism, Climate Summit Told
Colombian President Gustavo Petro opened the first global conference on phasing out fossil fuels in Santa Marta, warning that the current “suicidal” model of capitalism fuels war, fascism and climate catastrophe. The summit gathered ministers from 57 nations, with France unveiling a...
Older than the Dinosaurs: Scientists Finally Unlock Secret of the Mayfly’s Dance
Scientists from Oxford and Imperial College have decoded the enigmatic vertical dance of male mayflies, showing it helps them pinpoint females in swarms. Using 3‑D video reconstruction of London swarms, researchers found the up‑and‑down flight minimizes mistaken mating with non‑female...
Lebanon Accuses Israel of Committing ‘Ecocide’ in Country Since 2023
Lebanon’s environment minister Tamara el‑Zein labeled Israel’s 2023‑24 military campaign an act of ecocide in the foreword to a 106‑page report. The study documents the loss of 5,000 ha of forest, destruction of $118 m in agricultural assets, $586 m in lost production,...
Clean Energy Switch Must Not Be Excuse to Plunder Indigenous Lands, Say Leaders
The inaugural world conference on phasing out fossil fuels in Santa Marta, Colombia, amplified Indigenous leaders’ warning that the clean‑energy transition must not become a pretext for new land grabs. Delegates from more than 50 nations discussed forming a “coalition...
Renewable Energy Will Boost National Security and Protect UK From Sabotage, Minister Says
UK energy minister Michael Shanks argued that a decentralized mix of wind farms and solar panels makes the nation harder to target than large fossil‑fuel power stations. He highlighted Ukraine’s experience under Russian attacks as a proof point that dispersed...
UK Departments at Odds over Energy Demands of AI Datacentres
The UK’s Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) forecasts that AI‑focused datacentres will require at least 6 GW of electricity by 2030, while the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) estimates the entire commercial services sector will grow...
Scientists Believe Birds’ Skulls Hold Clues to Inner Lives of Long-Extinct Dinosaurs
Scientists are using modern bird skulls to infer the cognitive abilities of extinct dinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus rex. Paleontologist Steve Brusatte and an international team propose that specific brain structures, identifiable in avian fossils, can predict behaviors like tool use,...
What Counts as the Woods? Judge Axes Nova Scotia’s Ban that Defied ‘Commonsense Definitions’
During the summer of 2025, Nova Scotia imposed an emergency ban that prohibited anyone from walking in the “woods,” levying fines up to C$25,000 (about $18,500 USD). The ban’s definition was unusually broad, covering forests, rock barrens, scrubland, marshes and even...
‘The Damage Is Done’: Global Oil Crisis Has Changed Fossil Fuel Industry for Ever, IEA Chief Says
The Iran‑Israel war has sparked a global oil crisis that, according to IEA chief Fatih Birol, will permanently reshape the fossil‑fuel landscape. He warns that the shock has shattered confidence in oil’s reliability, prompting governments to accelerate renewable and nuclear investments....
Republican Lawmakers Attempt to Shield Big Oil From Climate Lawsuits in ‘Alarming’ Bills
Republican lawmakers introduced the Stop Climate Shakedowns Act of 2026, led by Rep. Harriet Hageman and Sen. Ted Cruz, to grant oil and gas companies sweeping legal immunity from climate‑related lawsuits. The proposal would dismiss more than 70 pending state...
Bonobos Enjoy Pretend Tea Parties and Chimps Think Rationally: Why Apes Are More Like Us than We Ever Thought
A 2024 study at the Ape Initiative documented bonobo Kanzi engaging in pretend tea‑party play, marking the first empirical evidence of imagination in a great ape. Parallel research showed chimpanzees can rationally revise beliefs when stronger evidence appears, and orangutans...
A Catastrophic Climate Event Is upon Us. Here Is Why You’ve Heard so Little About It | George Monbiot
Scientists now assess that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation – a key heat‑transport system – is far more likely to collapse within this century than earlier models suggested. A recent peer‑reviewed study puts the probability at roughly 30% by 2100,...
One Ship, Three Deaths: The Shocking Truth Behind Working Conditions on a Chinese Fishing Vessel
An Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) investigation has documented three deaths aboard the Chinese long‑line tuna vessel Tai Xiang 5, operated by state‑owned Shandong Zhonglu Oceanic Fisheries. Crew members, paid roughly US$300 a month, endured 16‑hour shifts, drank poor‑quality water, and ate nutrient‑deficient...
US Supreme Court Sides with Michigan in Its Fight to Shut Down Ageing Pipeline
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that Michigan’s lawsuit to shut down Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline segment must remain in state court, rejecting the company’s attempt to move the case to federal jurisdiction. Justice Sonia Sotomayor noted Enbridge missed the 30‑day...
Channel Seven’s Spotlight Digging for Dirt on Clean Energy Ignores Fundamental Facts and Basic Journalistic Standards | Temperature Check
Channel Seven’s prime‑time Spotlight program aired a 50‑minute exposé linking Australia’s renewable‑energy and battery‑storage expansion to “blood cobalt” from artisanal mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The report omitted critical context: the U.S. Geological Survey shows only about 10%...
Miliband’s ‘Break the Link’ Plan Is Not a Magic Formula for Lowering Energy Bills
UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband announced a voluntary "break the link" scheme that moves older wind and solar projects from the legacy Renewables Obligation (RO) onto fixed‑price contracts for difference (CfDs). The reform targets about 30% of UK electricity generation,...
Wildlife and Humans Thriving in Unesco-Protected Sites
A new UNESCO report finds that wildlife and human communities are thriving within the organization’s protected sites, even as global wildlife numbers have fallen by roughly 75% since 1970. Populations of iconic species such as elephants, tigers and pandas remain...
Democrats Urged to Link Clean Energy to Affordability as Iran War Hikes up Prices
The Iran‑Israel conflict has closed the Strait of Hormuz, pushing global oil prices higher and lifting U.S. gasoline to over $4.10 per gallon. Democrats, led by Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Ro Khanna, are being urged to frame clean‑energy policies as a...
Ed Miliband to Double Down on Net Zero with Measures to Combat Iran Energy Shock
UK Labour energy secretary Ed Miliband will unveil a new net‑zero package aimed at insulating the UK from the Iran‑related energy shock. The plan accelerates the Warm Homes scheme, expands solar on public land and proposes delinking electricity prices from...
‘How Much Have We Missed?’: Book Tunes in to Overlooked World of Female Birdsong
The newly released guidebook "The Sound Approach to Birding 2" tackles the long‑standing omission of female birdsong from field guides and sound archives. It supplies a curated library of 300 recordings from 200 species, confirming female calls for 41% of Western...
Coral Reefs Are Nearing Extinction. 2026 Must Mark a Turning Point | Jason Momoa
Coral reefs face near‑extinction as the planet endures its longest recorded bleaching event, lasting 33 months and ending in 2025. Scientists warn that at 1.5 °C of global warming, up to 90% of reefs could disappear, threatening coastal protection and marine...
Drax Claimed Record £999m in Subsidies for Burning Trees in 2025, Thinktank Says
Drax Group received a record £999 million (≈$1.3 billion) in 2025 subsidies for its North Yorkshire biomass plant, which generated about 4.5% of Britain’s electricity and cost each household roughly £13 (≈$16) per year. A climate think‑tank flagged that the wood pellets...
Critical Atlantic Current Significantly More Likely to Collapse than Thought
New research published in *Science Advances* shows the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is far more likely to collapse than earlier estimates suggested. By applying ridge‑regression to align climate models with real‑world ocean data, scientists narrowed projected slowdown to 42‑58%...
Over-the-Counter Pet Flea Treatments Could Be Banned Under New UK Rules
The UK government has launched an eight‑week consultation to limit over‑the‑counter flea and tick treatments for cats and dogs to veterinary practitioners or pharmacists. The move targets pesticide‑based products containing fipronil and imidacloprid, which have been detected in the majority...
How Big Oil Is Cashing in on Iran War - The Latest
The world’s 100 largest oil and gas companies generated more than $30 million per hour in unearned profit during the first month of the US‑Israeli war on Iran. Crude prices averaged $100 a barrel in March, driving an estimated $23 billion windfall...
‘Suddenly, Boom, It’s Completely Warm’: Summers Are Getting Longer – Especially in Sydney, Study Finds
A new study in Environmental Research Letters shows summer periods are lengthening worldwide, adding an average of six days per decade. The expansion is most pronounced in Sydney, where summers are growing by about 15 days each decade—roughly two‑and‑a‑half times...
Troubled Lake Erie Is Being Transformed Into a Vast Water Research Facility
Lake Erie is being turned into the world’s largest digitally connected freshwater research platform, with hundreds of sensor buoys monitoring water quality across 7,750 sq mi. The initiative, led by the Cleveland Water Alliance and partners such as Case Western Reserve University,...
Golden Eagles Could Be Reintroduced to England After More than 150 Years
Golden eagles, extinct in England since 2015, are slated for reintroduction after a Forestry England feasibility study identified eight northern recovery zones. The UK government has earmarked roughly $1.25 million of the broader $75 million species‑recovery budget to fund juvenile releases as...