Environment news

• Revealed: the ‘catastrophic scale’ of sewage spills in England and Wales

  22-06-2024 22:31 via theguardian.com
  
  Water companies have logged five sewage spills a day, every day, for a decade, analysis by the Observer shows Water companies in England and Wales have averaged five serious sewage spills into rivers or seas every day over the past decade, the Observer can reveal.Analysis of Environment Agency data has found that the 10 firms recorded 19,484 category 1-3 pollution incidents between 2013 and 2022, the most recent year recorded, an average of one every four and a half hours. Continue reading...
  
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• A reactor in the backyard? What Latrobe Valley residents think of Dutton’s nuclear plan – video

  22-06-2024 22:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Communities in the Latrobe Valley – and those in six other locations around Australia – are on a new energy frontline. On Wednesday, the Coalition promised that, if elected to government, a part of the Loy Yang power station would be one of seven sites to host a nuclear reactor. But what do residents think of Peter Dutton's nuclear plan for their area? The Coalition's decision seems to have split opinions Confusion reigns about the Coalition’s nuclear proposal. Here’s how
  
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• Thousands march in London to urge leaders to tackle wildlife crisis

  22-06-2024 17:38 via theguardian.com
  
  Protest features 350 environmental groups demanding more robust action on UK wildlife lossThousands of people marched through central London to urge political leaders to take more decisive action in tackling the UK’s wildlife crisis.The protest on Saturday culminated in a rally outside Parliament Square with speeches from prominent figures including the naturalists Chris Packham and Steve Backshall, and poetry readings and performances from Billy Bragg and Feargal Sharkey. Continue reading
  
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• Carbon emissions from vans still rising as UK drivers cling to diesel

  22-06-2024 17:01 via theguardian.com
  
  Costly new vehicles, limited choice and scarce charging points are holding back a switch to electric by businessesCarbon emissions from vans in the UK have risen by 63% since 1990, new analysis shows, as cars are getting cleaner.While more people are opting to drive electric or plug-in hybrid cars, van drivers still prefer diesel because electric vans are much more expensive with little choice of models. Continue reading...
  
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• Research reveals toxic PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ accumulate in testes

  22-06-2024 15:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Study suggests exposure to chemicals manufactured to resist water and heat likely to affect health of offspringNew research has found for the first time that PFAS “forever chemicals” accumulate in the testes, and the exposure probably affects children’s health.The toxic chemicals can damage sperm during a sensitive developmental period, potentially leading to liver disease and higher cholesterol, especially in male offspring, the paper, which looked at the chemicals in mice, no
  
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• ‘Multiple disasters all in one day’: New Mexico’s brutal week of fire and flood

  22-06-2024 15:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Burning slopes are now battered by golf ball-sized hail and 8in of rain, creating a grim mix of extreme weather eventsIt’s been a harrowing week of fire and flood in New Mexico. Just days after a pair of fast-moving fires roared across drought-stricken landscapes and into communities, a tropical storm swirled north, unleashing downpours and golf ball-sized hail over scorched slopes that had only just burned.As the dueling dangers of two weather extremes converged, charred debris flowed int
  
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• Young country diary: Total eclipse of the duck | Elizabeth

  22-06-2024 12:50 via theguardian.com
  
  Essex: At first we wondered where the usual mallards were in our local pond – it was as if they had disappeared My little sister and I love to go and feed the ducks in our local pond. We especially love to see the ducklings, their fuzzy little bodies taking one tentative step at a time. Their adorable, big, black eyes glinting in the sunlight, with their protective mother duck watchfully standing close by.As they were waddling around, I noticed something different about the drake mallards.
  
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• Tax giveaways, rent caps and childcare: what the manifestos would mean for your finances

  22-06-2024 10:00 via theguardian.com
  
  We look at general election pledges from Labour, the Tories and the Lib Dems on tax, spending and benefitsThe manifestos are out, and every party fighting for your vote in the general election has included promises that could have an impact on your personal finances. How much of your earnings you take home, what the state pension will be worth, and how easy it will be to get on the housing ladder are among the key policy battles. We’ve looked at the pledges in the Conservative, Labour and
  
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• This Queensland farmer lost half his sheep in a bloody attack – but was it wild dogs or rogue pets?

  22-06-2024 02:00 via theguardian.com
  
  Tree-change communities with smaller lifestyle blocks are causing a ‘breakdown’ of wild dog management programs – and debate still rages over role of dingoesSign up for the Rural Network email newsletterJoin the Rural Network group on Facebook to be part of the communityOn the picturesque foothills of the Great Dividing Range, west of Brisbane, sheep graziers Jim and Debbie Dieckmann woke up to a massacre.“The further I walked the more I saw, dead ones, others trying to g
  
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