33 h. ago Polluting water bosses face up to two years in jail for illegal sewage spills

Senior executives will also be banned from accepting bonuses if firms fail to meet Environment Agency’s standards

Events

63 h. ago ‘I spent five days in hospital’: Surge in swimmers falling ill from polluted UK waters

Diseases such as dysentry and Weil’s disease have led to swimmers and surfers becoming seriously unwell

Science

4 d. ago Shocking state of Britain’s waters revealed as bathing spots with potentially deadly bacteria double

Surge in coastlines, rivers and lakes with unsafe levels of E. coli and intestinal enterococci due to sewage spills

Events

4 d. ago Grassroots activists who took on corruption and corporate power share 2025 Goldman prize

Seven winners of environmental prize include Amazonian river campaigner and Tunisian who fought against organised waste traffickingIndigenous river campaigner from Peru honouredGrassroots activists who helped jail corrupt officials and obtain personhood rights for a sacred Amazonian river are among this year’s winners of the world’s most prestigious environmental prize.The community campaigns led by the seven 2025 Goldman prize winners underscore the courage and tenacity of local activists willing to confront the toxic mix of corporate power, regulatory failures and political corruption that is fuelling biodiversity collapse, water shortages, deadly air pollution and the climate emergency. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago Kicking up a stink: row over sewage pollution blighting Cape Town’s beaches

Campaigners say authorities should be doing more to clean up waters around city of nearly 5 million peopleOn a clear summer’s day in Cape Town, the Milnerton Lagoon was serene, reflecting the bright blue sky and Table Mountain. But there was an unmistakable stench, and up close, the water was murky.A few hundred metres away, adults and children played in the water as it flowed into Table Bay. On the boardwalk, a sign read: “Polluted water: for health reasons, swimming and recreational activities are at your own risk.” Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago ‘No fish, no money, no food’: Colombia’s stilt people fight to save their wetlands

Illegally diverted rivers, seawater and poorly managed building projects have polluted the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta. But the Unesco site has a vital role to play in fighting climate changeFrom the porch of her family home in Nueva Venecia, Magdalena, Yeidis Rodríguez Suárez watches the sunset. The view takes in the still waters of the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta wetlands. Pelicans dip their beaks into the lagoon, ripples breaking the glassy surface. Distant mangroves turn from green to deep purple in the dying light.The 428,000-hectare (1,600 sq mile) expanse of lagoons, mangroves and marshes in Colombia has been a Unesco biosphere reserve since 2000. Yet, for Rodríguez, 27, the natural abundance is little more than an illusion. Continue reading...

Politics

9 d. ago Water pollution across UK surged by nearly a third and highest in decade

Only a third of survey respondents believe their supplier will take the necessary steps to address water pollution

Politics

1 week ago ‘I needed heart surgery after swimming in polluted water’: Health warning as sewage spills reach decade

As a result of sewage pollution, 331 people have seen a doctor with chest infections and gastroenteritis and some were hospitalised

Events

1 week ago 2,487 water pollution incidents recorded in 2024, say campaigners

Firms were collectively set a target of a 40% reduction in pollution incidents but instead recorded a 30% increase, Surfers Against Sewage said.

Politics

1 week ago Jed Gould dead at 69: Radio DJ known as 'Jed The Fish' who worked with David Bowie and Sting passes away

Jed the Fish, an iconic radio DJ from Los Angeles has died at age 69. Jed commandeered the afternoon drive segment for Alt-Rock station KROQ from 1978 to 2012.

Events

1 week ago Jed Gould dead: Radio star who known as Jed the Fish dies from lung cancer

Iconic American radio DJ Jed Gould - who was also known as Jed The Fish - has died at the age of 69 a touching message shared on his Instagram account has revealed

Events

2 w. ago ‘Yoda’ for scientists: the outsider ecologist whose ideas from the 80s just might fix our future

John Todd’s eco-machine stunned experts by using natural organisms to remove toxic waste from a Cape Cod lagoon. Forty years on, he wants to build a fleet of them to clean up the oceansJohn Todd remembers the moment he knew he was really on to something: “There was no question that it was at the Harwich dump in 1986,” he recalls. This was in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, close to where Todd still lives. Hidden away from the picturesque beaches was the town landfill, including lagoons of toxic waste from septic tanks, which was being left to seep into the groundwater below. So Todd, then a 45-year-old biologist, decided to design a solution. What he was “on to”, he came to realise, was not just a natural way of removing pollution from water, it was a holistic approach to environmental restoration that was way ahead of its time, and possibly still is.An early eco-machine purifying toxic waste on Cape Cod in 1986. Photograph: John Todd Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Campaigners find sewage pollution and E coli in Boat Race water

Tests ahead of Sunday’s race revealed E coli levels three times above the threshold for poor bathing waterWater quality along the stretch of the River Thames which will host the iconic Oxford v Cambridge Boat Race has been classified as poor by clean water campaigners, as a result of E coli from sewage pollution.Testing carried out along the four-mile route, which the university rowing teams will tackle on Sunday, has revealed E coli levels which are three times above the threshold for poor bathing water status. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Cornwall beachgoers urged to AVOID swimming after grim 'slurry pollution' washes up

People have been warned against going into a stream in Cornwall after slurry pollution entered the water, which flows into Mawgan Porth beach - a popular spot with surfers

Politics

2 w. ago Asbestos firm accused of 'bullying' and trying to silence cancer victims over compensation offer

French company Altrad, which bought British asbestos board firm eight years ago, has apparently offered just £3 million in compensation to UK victims - much less than the £3 demanded

Events

3 w. ago Pet funeral company accused of dumping dogs by the side of the road instead of cremating them

One pet parent who discovered the remains of his animal had been left on the side of the road was given ashes but isn’t sure if the remains belong to a pet or human

Politics

3 w. ago Fears quarry could be contaminated with toxic waste harming people's health

The land at Ty Llwyd quarry, near Ynysddu, could yet be classed as contaminated because of chemicals reportedly dumped there decades ago

Events

3 w. ago Bosses of polluting water firms will lose bonuses if they fail to clean up Britain's rivers, watchdog warns

From next month regulator Ofwat plans to use new powers to stop executives of water companies being rewarded despite poor performance on cleaning up pollution.

Events

3 w. ago Meera Sodha: ‘I’m thrilled to have new ingredients in the kitchen’

Our cook on why she’s changing the way she writes her recipesSee Meera’s kimchi and cheddar okonomiyaki and Thai fried egg salad hereI’m like a giant panda in that 98% of what I eat comes from plants. It’s a long story, but the short version is that I love animals alive and vegetables on my plate.If I think about who I am and how I eat, I am built from Gujarati ingenuity and Lincolnshire produce when it comes to putting vegetables at the centre of the table. While I eat mainly plants, I do leave a little room in my diet for other things that I enjoy – a fish curry shared with my husband, Hugh, an omelette for a quick dinner, or tidying the edges of a hunk of manchego – and three of my cookbooks, Fresh India, East and Dinner, overall reflect that way of eating. Continue reading...

Events

4 w. ago Bill to nationalise polluting water companies blocked by Government

Clive Lewis says his Water Bill would operate a ‘three strikes and you’re out’ policy but Government points to £200 billion cost.

Politics