65 m. ago UK heatwave 'made 100 times more likely' by climate crisis as 'deadliest extreme weather' sparks amber alert

Scientists have warned that the extreme 32C heat hitting the UK this weekend was made more likely by human-caused climate change

Events

4 h. ago Deadly weekend heat in England ‘100 times more likely’ due to climate crisis

High temperatures likely to cause deaths and will worsen in future as global heating intensifies, scientists warnThe dangerous 32C heat that will be endured by people in the south-east of England on Saturday will have been made 100 times more likely by the climate crisis, scientists have calculated.Global heating, caused by the burning of fossil fuels, is making every heatwave more likely and more intense. The 32C (89.6F) day forecast on Saturday would have been expected only once every 2,500 years without the climate crisis, the researchers said, and June heatwaves are now about 2-4C (3.6-7.2F) hotter than in the past. Continue reading...

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7 h. ago A climate crisis, a ballot, and a chance at a new life in Australia

World-first agreement that creates a visa in the context of climate change stirs hope among young people in TuvaluOn the sandy shores of Vaiaku, as coconut trees sway gently in the breeze, Tekafa Piliota sits in his small classroom and dreams of becoming a doctor. The 13-year-old, who lives in Tuvalu’s capital Funafuti, knows that would mean leaving his homeland. There aren’t any universities in the small Pacific island nation, which lies between Australia and Hawaii. The country has another problem: it is predicted to be one the first countries to become uninhabitable due to rising seas.“I would like to go to Australia to study. There is higher ground in Australia, and it might be safer during natural disasters,” Piliota says. Continue reading...

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15 h. ago Pupils in England face lost learning from flooding and extreme heat, study finds

School leaders call for action on adaptation measures as DfE research warns of potential impact of climate crisisChildren in England face prolonged “lost learning” caused by extreme heat and flooding at school, according to research on the potential impact of the climate crisis on education.School leaders and teachers said the scenarios published by the Department for Education made for grim reading and urged ministers to move quickly to improve school resilience. Continue reading...

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22 h. ago Climate misinformation turning crisis into catastrophe – major report

False claims obstructing climate action, say researchers, amid calls for climate lies to be criminalisedRampant climate misinformation is turning the crisis into a catastrophe, according to the authors of a new report.It found climate action was being obstructed and delayed by false and misleading information stemming from fossil fuel companies, rightwing politicians and some nation states. The report, from the International Panel on the Information Environment (Ipie), systematically reviewed 300 studies. Continue reading...

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27 h. ago 'I spent Shane Warne's final Christmas with him – his life in Australia was different'

Just months before Shane Warne tragically passed away, one of his great old rivals Michael Vaughan was a guest at his house for Christmas

Events

35 h. ago Only two years left of world’s carbon budget to meet 1.5C target, scientists warn

Breaching threshold would ramp up catastrophic weather events, further increasing human sufferingThe planet’s remaining carbon budget to meet the international target of 1.5C has just two years left at the current rate of emissions, scientists have warned, showing how deep into the climate crisis the world has fallen.Breaching the target would ramp up the extreme weather already devastating communities around the world. It would also require carbon dioxide to be sucked from the atmosphere in future to restore the stable climate in which the whole of civilisation developed over the past 10,000 years. Continue reading...

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41 h. ago Key crop yields could fall due to climate crisis even if farmers adapt, study finds

Researchers say average daily losses for every 1C the planet heats up could add to equivalent of not having breakfastSome of our critical staple crops could suffer “substantial” production losses due to climate breakdown, a study has found, even if farmers adapt to worsening weather.Rice, maize, soy, wheat, cassava and sorghum yields are all projected to fall by as much as 120 calories per person per day for every 1C the planet heats up, according to new research in Nature, with average daily losses that could add up to the equivalent of not having breakfast. Continue reading...

Society

41 h. ago Climate crisis could hit yields of key crops even if farmers adapt, study finds

Production of staple crops projected to fall by as much as 120 calories per person per day for every 1C of heatingSome of our critical staple crops could suffer “substantial” production losses due to climate breakdown, a study has found, even if farmers adapt to worsening weather.Maize, soy, rice, wheat, cassava and sorghum yields are projected to fall by as much as 120 calories per person per day for every 1C the planet heats up, according to new research in Nature, with average daily losses that could add up to the equivalent of not having breakfast. Continue reading...

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3 d. ago World’s largest banks pledged $869bn to fossil fuel firms in 2024, new report finds

Two-thirds of the biggest 65 banks increased financing by $162bn from 2023 to 2024, walking back climate promisesThe world’s largest banks boosted the amount of financing given to fossil fuel companies last year, committing $869bn to those involved in coal, oil and gas despite the worsening climate crisis and the banks’ own, fraying, environmental commitments, a new report has found.The report, compiled by a coalition of eight green groups, shows that while the amount loaned by big banks to fossil fuel firms had been declining in 2021, last year saw an abrupt reversal. Two-thirds of the world’s largest 65 banks increased their fossil fuel financing by $162bn from 2023 to 2024. Continue reading...

Economics

3 d. ago Warning as England faces 5bn litre a day water shortage without urgent action

Pressures on the public water supply include the climate crisis, population increases and emerging technologies, as well as the need to generate energy and to grow food

Events

4 d. ago From the climate crisis to a fried egg sandwich: Edith Pritchett’s week in Venn diagrams – cartoon

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4 d. ago British politics is in a loop and it's Farage's vision that's stuck on repeat | John Harris

Unlike Keir Starmer and his cabinet, Reform UK’s leader actually understands and exploits the rules of engagement in our digital ageAs so often happens, what Nigel Farage said on a recent visit to south Wales deserved endless pejoratives. It was ludicrous, condescending, half-baked, opportunistic and plain stupid. Even he didn’t seem to know exactly what he wanted. At a Reform UK press conference in Port Talbot, he seemed to make the case for reopening the town’s steel-making blast furnaces, before admitting that “it might be easier to build a new one”, though he also acknowledged that it would “cost in the low billions” to do so. But he had even more dizzying visions of reopened Welsh mines. “If you offer people well-paying jobs many will take them,” said Farage, “even though you have to accept that mining is dangerous.”The climate crisis, predictably enough, was not worth considering. He also did not offer any opinions about coal-related issues such as slag heaps, land slips, rive...

Politics

4 d. ago Why nuclear war, not the climate crisis, is humanity’s biggest threat, according to one author

Mark Lynas has spent decades pushing for action on climate emissions but now says nuclear war is even greater threat Climate breakdown is usually held up as the biggest, most urgent threat humans pose to the future of the planet today.But what if there was another, greater, human-made threat that could snuff out not only human civilisation, but practically the entire biosphere, in the blink of an eye? Continue reading...

Events

6 d. ago Life around the sea: a celebration of Australian surf culture – in pictures

There are people all around Australia whose hearts beat in unison with the rhythmic swells of the sea; people who have found solace in the ocean. Life Around the Sea is an odyssey around Australia and an exploration of remarkable individuals who have been transformed by the sea. This book will transport you to coastal villages, hinterland hideaways, remote beaches and solitary bays that form the backdrop to these unique lives. Their personal stories, told by surf writer Alex Workman and captured by Russell Ord’s evocative and breathtaking photography, are a testament to the boundless beauty, mystery and inspiration of the oceanGet our weekend culture and lifestyle email Continue reading...

Culture

7 d. ago Plumber who had just £9 in bank scooped £11m lottery win – then life began to unravel

Joshua Winslet was 22 when he won $22m on the Australia lottery - but the life of the plumber who had endured years of bullying and misery was soon to take a tragic turn

Economics

8 d. ago Chemtrails: why is RFK Jr battling a debunked conspiracy theory?

The US health secretary is among those who believe nefarious substances are covertly added to commercial jet fuelThe Trump administration appears sceptical about the climate crisis but is deeply concerned about another weather phenomenon: chemtrails.To conspiracists, chemtrails are visible trails left by commercial airliners, lasting longer than the usual condensation trails from jets and containing unknown, sinister chemicals. Continue reading...

Events

8 d. ago Funds to tackle Europe’s forest fires poorly targeted, says EU watchdog

Report raises concerns that money allocated to combat fires not reaching areas where it could make biggest differenceEuropean funds to prevent forest fires have been poorly targeted and sometimes distributed in a hurry, according to a report from the EU’s spending watchdog.The number of forest fires in EU countries has increased dramatically over the last two decades as the climate crisis fuels ever bigger conflagrations. An area twice the size of Luxembourg has been consumed by flames in an average recent year, killing people, destroying homes and wildlife and sending megatonnes of planet-heating emissions into the air. Continue reading...

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1 week ago Aid cuts put vital work to protect millions in Ethiopia from climate crisis at risk

Programmes helping vulnerable communities in Ethiopia to deal with the financial shock of extreme weather and drought are under threat, writes Nick Ferris

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1 week ago The scientists warning the world about ocean acidification – ‘evil twin’ of the climate crisis

There’s frustration among researchers that falling pH levels in seas around the globe are not being taken seriously enough, and that until the buildup of CO2 is addressed, the consequences for marine life will be devastatingRead more: ‘Ticking timebomb’: sea acidity has reached critical levels, threatening entire ecosystems – studyOn a clear day at Plymouth marina you can see across the harbour out past Drake’s Island – named after the city’s most famous son, Francis Drake – to the Channel. It’s quite often possible to see an abundance of marine vessels, from navy ships and passenger ferries to small fishing boats and yachts. What you might not spot from this distance is a large yellow buoy bobbing up and down in the water about six miles off the coast.This data buoy – L4 – is one of a number belonging to Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), a research centre in Devon dedicated to marine science. On a pleasantly calm May morning, Prof James Fishwick, PML’s head of marine technology and...

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