8 h. ago 'All kinds of nutty about climate.' New York's Rochester draws residents fleeing extreme weather

One of America’s first boomtowns and a former manufacturing hub, Rochester, New York, has captured the eye of some looking to escape extreme weather events

Society

9 h. ago How memories of clean water, frogs and fresh air could help save Rio’s favelas from future climate disaster

A new exhibition in the Brazilian city looks at how water, the environment and extreme weather is interwoven with personal stories from 10 marginalised communitiesLeticia Pinheiro grew up hearing stories about the Acari River. Her grandmother bathed in its clean waters; her father caught frogs on its margins; and many in the community made a living from fishing there.Now, Pinheiro, 28, and her peers do not even call it a river; it’s become known as a valão – an open canal for sewage and rubbish. It borders the Acari favela, which spread over swampy terrain in northern Rio de Janeiro from the 1920s. Continue reading...

Society

29 h. ago Antihistamines, masks and showers: how to manage seasonal allergies

With pollen season in full swing, here is what to know about allergy treatments and when to seek medical helpAllergy season is always rough, and it has only been getting worse.Warming global temperatures and an increasing number of extreme weather events have made the pollen season in North America 20 days longer than it was in 1990, according to one 2021 study. Continue reading...

Politics

59 h. ago Four killed in Milwaukee apartment fire as residents jump from windows to flee from flames

The 85-unit building wasn’t equipped with sprinklers, the Milwaukee fire chief said

Events

63 h. ago Climate crisis threatens the banana, the world’s most popular fruit, research shows

Fourth most important food crop in peril as Latin America and Caribbean suffer from slow-onset climate disasterThe climate crisis is threatening the future of the world’s most popular fruit, as almost two-thirds of banana-growing areas in Latin America and the Caribbean may no longer be suitable for growing the fruit by 2080, new research has found.Rising temperatures, extreme weather and climate-related pests are pummeling banana-growing countries such as Guatemala, Costa Rica and Colombia, reducing yields and devastating rural communities across the region, according to Christian Aid’s new report, Going Bananas: How Climate Change Threatens the World’s Favourite Fruit. Continue reading...

Events

5 d. ago ‘If I had to choose, I’d prefer the earthquake’: the 2015 disaster left Nepal in ruins, now record rains wreak fresh havoc

Despite attempts to build resilience by improving infrastructure and first response, extreme weather events and US aid cuts have left many feeling vulnerableWhen the monsoon rains came last September, they swept away most of the village of Panauti, in the foothills of the Nepali Himalayas. The Roshi River overflowed after the unprecedented rainfall, triggering landslides and destroying most of the roads and bridges.Peering through the thick blanket of relentless rain “felt like waiting for morning to arrive so we could see the world again”, says Bishnu Humagain. “We lost everything – our home, our agriculture, and all of our belongings.” Continue reading...

Events

7 d. ago 130 days worth of train delays caused by floods last year in UK as thousands cancelled

Experts say the figures show how vulnerable Britain's Victorian rail infrastructure is to extreme weather caused by climate change.

Events

7 d. ago Wildfires Scotland: Warning of 'extreme' wildfire risk issued across parts of Scotland

Warnings have been issued by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service of "very high to extreme" risk of wildfires until early next week.

Events

7 d. ago New reports tell us cattle and sheep farming can be sustainable – don’t believe them, it’s all bull | George Monbiot

Feeding the world sustainably is an incredibly complex challenge, yet some people are trying to sell us a bucolic fairytaleThe fire that has just destroyed 500 hectares (1,230 acres) of Dartmoor should have been impossible. It should not be a fire-prone landscape. But sheep, cattle and ponies have made it so. They selectively browse out tree seedlings, preventing the return of temperate rainforest, which is extremely difficult to burn. In dry weather, the moor grass, bracken and heather covering the deforested landscape are tinder.The plume of carbon dioxide and smoke released this week is one of the many impacts of livestock grazing. But several recent films, alongside celebrities, politicians, billionaires and far-right podcasts, seek to persuade us that cattle and sheep are good for the atmosphere and the living planet. This story, wrapped in romantic cottagecore, is now the most active and seductive frontier of climate-science denial. It is heavily promoted by the meat industry,...

Politics

7 d. ago Dumfries and Galloway at 'extreme' risk of wildfires as warm weather continues

Officials are worried there is a high chance of a repeat of the wildfire that destroyed large parts of the Galloway countryside in April.

Events

9 d. ago Two Britons to challenge UK’s ‘weak’ response to climate crisis in Strasbourg court

Doug Paulley and Kevin Jordan say their lives being ruined, and lack of effective strategy infringes their human rightsTwo men who say they are being failed by the UK’s flawed response to climate breakdown are taking their case to Europe’s top human rights court.Doug Paulley and Kevin Jordan say their lives have been ruined by the rising temperatures and extreme weather caused by the climate crisis, and that the government’s response fails to respect their human rights. Continue reading...

Events

9 d. ago Trump cuts will increase devastation after disasters, expert warns: ‘It is really scary’

Layoffs and funding cuts to Fema and Noaa will hamstring emergency managers, warns professor Samantha MontanoThe Trump administration’s sweeping cuts to disaster management will cost American lives, with hollowed-out agencies unable to accurately predict, prepare for or respond to extreme weather events, earthquakes and pandemics, a leading expert has warned.Samantha Montano, professor of emergency management at Massachusetts Maritime Academy and author of Disasterology: Dispatches from the Frontlines of the Climate Crisis, said the death toll from disasters including hurricanes, tornadoes and water pollution will rise in the US unless Trump backtracks on mass layoffs and funding cuts to key agencies. That includes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema), whose work relies heavily on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), which is also being dismantled. Continue reading...

Events

9 d. ago Trump cuts will lead to more deaths in disasters, expert warns: ‘It is really scary’

Layoffs and funding cuts to Fema and Noaa will impact how they predict and respond to disasters, warns professor Samantha MontanoThe Trump administration’s sweeping cuts to disaster management will cost lives in the US, with hollowed-out agencies unable to accurately predict, prepare for or respond to extreme weather events, earthquakes and pandemics, a leading expert has warned.Samantha Montano, professor of emergency management at Massachusetts Maritime Academy and author of Disasterology: Dispatches from the Frontlines of the Climate Crisis, said the death toll from disasters including hurricanes, tornadoes and water pollution will rise in the US unless Trump backtracks on mass layoffs and funding cuts to key agencies. That includes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema), whose work relies heavily on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), which is also being dismantled. Continue reading...

Events

9 d. ago ‘Sitting ducks’: the cities most vulnerable to climate disasters

Extreme weather means wildfires and flooding are becoming more likely, posing a risk to urban areas around the world

Events

1 week ago Furious residents in £400,000 homes on newbuild estate claim they are locked in 'fleecehold' agreements with 'hidden' service fees

Homeowners at the Norfolk estate say 'hidden' service fees could end up costing them hundreds of pounds every year.

Economics

2 w. ago UK is not ready for coming climate ‘disaster,’ government advisers warn

Despite increased examples of extreme weather, advisers say “we are seeing no increase in action”

Events

2 w. ago What caused the Spain and Portugal blackouts? Experts say incident is a warning

From cyber attack to blame on renewables, conspiracy theories have exploded in wake of Spain and Portugal’s power outage

Events

3 w. ago 'That day I lost a piece of myself': Families of 4 killed in paddleboarding tragedy tell of grief

Nerys Bethan Lloyd, a former police officer, led a stand-up paddleboarding tour on the River Cleddau despite 'extremely hazardous conditions' with weather warnings in place

Events

3 w. ago ‘Cañahua chose me’: can an ancient relative of quinoa revive rural Bolivia’s economy?

The effects of the climate crisis and a lack of jobs are driving young people away from the Andean highlands but a long-shunned crop could stem the tideFew young people remain in Bolivia’s highland plateau, the Altiplano. The rising frequency and severity of extreme weather events, such as drought and frost, have reduced their economic prospects and migration has accelerated as the environment becomes more unpredictable.“The climate isn’t like it used to be,” says Nico Mamani Lima, a farmer and agronomist from Ayo Ayo. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago ‘Bordering on incredible’: Coalition under fire for planning to scrap Labor climate policies and offering none of its own

With Peter Dutton’s views on climate change in the spotlight, the focus has turned onto whether there will be any policies to reduce emissions in the next decadePolls tracker; election guide; full federal election coverageAnywhere but Canberra; interactive electorates guideListen to the latest episode of our new narrative podcast series: GinaGet our afternoon election email, free app or daily news podcastThe Coalition is refusing to say if it will introduce any policies to cut Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions in the next decade as it pledges to unwind most climate measures introduced under Labor.Peter Dutton’s position on the climate crisis came under scrutiny last week after he gave contradictory answers on whether he accepted mainstream climate science. Asked during a leaders’ debate on the ABC whether extreme weather events were worsening, the opposition leader said: “I don’t know because I’m not a scientist”.Dropping a Labor goal of 82% of electricity coming from renewable g...

Events