3 h. 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

3 h. 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

3 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

3 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...

Events

6 d. 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

Events

6 d. 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...

Events

6 d. ago The scientists warning the world about the ‘evil twin’ of the climate crisis affecting our oceans

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...

Events

6 d. ago How the ‘evil twin’ of the climate crisis is threatening our oceans

In seas around the world pH levels are falling – and scientists are increasingly frustrated that the problem is not being taken seriously enoughRead 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 autonomy, is on top of the buoy checking it for weather and other damage. “This...

Events

6 d. ago ‘Ticking timebomb’: sea acidity has reached critical levels, threatening entire ecosystems – study

Ocean acidification has already crossed a crucial threshold for planetary health, scientists say in unexpected findingMore on this story: The scientists warning the world about ocean acidification – ‘evil twin’ of the climate crisis The world’s oceans are in worse health than realised, scientists have said today, as they warn that a key measurement shows we are “running out of time” to protect marine ecosystems.Ocean acidification, often called the “evil twin” of the climate crisis, is caused when carbon dioxide is rapidly absorbed by the ocean, where it reacts with water molecules leading to a fall in the pH level of the seawater. It damages coral reefs and other ocean habitats and, in extreme cases, can dissolve the shells of marine creatures. Continue reading...

Events

8 d. ago Parenting in the climate crisis: how to raise kids who care about the environment

From acknowledging big emotions to finding ways to make climate action fun, it’s important to start where your kids areChange by Degrees offers life hacks and sustainable living tips each Saturday to help reduce your household’s carbon footprintGot a question or tip for reducing household emissions? Email us at changebydegrees@theguardian.comAlthough it’s unfair, it’s young people (and the generations to come) who will have to deal with fallout from the climate crisis. So how do you talk to young people about living sustainably and raise knowledgeable kids who care about the future of the planet?Here are some tips for engaging the next generation on the environment meaningfully. Continue reading...

Society

9 d. ago Rapid snowmelt and Trump cuts compound wildfire fears in US west

Region is experiencing an unusually warm spring, raising concerns of fierce wildfire season amid limited resourcesUnusually warm springtime temperatures have contributed to rapid reductions in snowpacks across the western US that rival the fastest rates on record, increasing concerns around wildfire season.The rapid snowmelt, in addition to reduced staffing and budget constraints initiated by the Trump administration, has set the stage for a particularly dangerous season across the west, according to an analysis of publicly available data by the Guardian and interviews with experts in the region. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago Marine heatwave found to have engulfed area of ocean five times the size of Australia

World Meteorological Organization report says record heat in 2024 was driven by climate crisis and intersected with extreme weather eventsAlmost 40 million sq kilometres of ocean around south-east Asia and the Pacific – an area five times the size of Australia – was engulfed in a marine heatwave in 2024, a World Meteorological Organization (WMO) report has revealed.WMO scientists said the record heat – on land and in the ocean – was mostly driven by the climate crisis and coincided with a string of extreme weather events, from deadly landslides in the Philippines to floods in Australia and rapid glacier loss in Indonesia. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago The role water efficiency plays in a greener Scotland: Here’s how your business can save water and money

Given the climate crisis, increasing costs and the need to protect what is fast becoming a precious resource, Stephen Sheridan, Head of Account Management at Business Stream shares his insights into what businesses can do to reduce water use - and benefit from financial and environmental savings.

Economics

1 week ago A moment that changed me: I saw my first wild water bear – and snapped out of my despair at the world

I was in anguish over the climate crisis, ecological devastation and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But this almost indestructible little creature gave me a lesson in resilienceLess than a millimetre in length, the squishy, transparent animal was completely unaware of my presence, my entire existence, while I watched it in awe. On my computer screen, where I gazed at the image generated by a cheap USB microscope, the water bear stumbled over grains of eroded rock and plant matter, an assemblage of soil, and I felt amused by its bumbling nature. Like someone trying to move through a field of beach balls, I thought.I had found this water bear, or tardigrade, in a clump of moss I collected during a wet and windy walk with our dog, Bernie, in late 2021. After changing into dry clothes, I rinsed the moss with water and removed the excess using coffee filter paper. Transferring the residue soil and stray moss leaves – known as phyllids – to a small glass bowl, I found the water bear within...

Politics

1 week ago ‘We need new numbers’: Comedian David Cross cracks jokes to spread climate crisis awareness

The Emmy award winning comic teams up with renowed scientist Michael Oppenheimer for a new video campaignDavid Cross is many things: a famed comic, an Emmy award winner, and a New York Times bestseller. But he is not a climate scientist.That fact might make him the perfect person to communicate the urgency of global heating to mass audiences. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Almost 40% of world’s glaciers already doomed due to climate crisis – study

Glacier loss has profound effects worldwide and will hit 75% on Earth’s current heating trajectory, say scientistsAlmost 40% of glaciers in existence today are already doomed to melt due to climate-heating emissions from fossil fuels, a study has found.The loss will soar to 75% if global heating reaches the 2.7C rise for which the world is currently on track. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Nato rearmament could increase emissions by 200m tonnes a year, study finds

Exclusive: researchers say defence spending boosts across world will worsen climate crisis which in turn will cause more conflictA global military buildup poses an existential threat to climate goals, according to researchers who say the rearmament planned by Nato alone could increase greenhouse gas emissions by almost 200m tonnes a year.With the world embroiled in the highest number of armed conflicts since the second world war, countries have embarked on military spending sprees, collectively totalling a record $2.46tn in 2023. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Revealed: Nato rearmament could increase emissions by 200m tonnes a year

Exclusive: researchers say defence spending boosts across world will worsen climate crisis which in turn will cause more conflictA global military buildup poses an existential threat to climate goals, according to researchers who say the rearmament planned by Nato alone could increase greenhouse gas emissions by almost 200m tonnes a year.With the world embroiled in the highest number of armed conflicts since the second world war, countries have embarked on military spending sprees, collectively totalling a record $2.46tn in 2023. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Hawaii will tax vacation stays and use money to help counter climate crisis

Tax expected to generate nearly $100m annually, to be used for projects such as replacing sand on eroding beachesHawaii’s governor signed legislation that boosts a tax imposed on hotel room and vacation rental stays in order to raise money to address the consequences of the climate crisis.It’s the first time in a government in the US imposes such levy to help cope with a warming planet. Continue reading...

Economics

2 w. ago World faces new danger of ‘economic denial’ in climate fight, Cop30 head says

Exclusive: André Corrêa do Lago says ‘answers have to come from the economy’ as climate policies trigger populist-fuelled backlashThe world is facing a new form of climate denial – not the dismissal of climate science, but a concerted attack on the idea that the economy can be reorganised to fight the crisis, the president of global climate talks has warned.André Corrêa do Lago, the veteran Brazilian diplomat who will direct this year’s UN summit, Cop30, believes his biggest job will be to counter the attempt from some vested interests to prevent climate policies aimed at shifting the global economy to a low-carbon footing. Continue reading...

Economics