South West Water identifies βdamaged valveβ as possible cause of cryptosporidium contamination in Brixham area
Health officials are expecting more cases of a waterborne disease in Devon, as an MP said βheads are going to rollβ over the outbreak and that the anger among residents was βpalpableβ.
The UK Health Security Agency has confirmed 46 cases of cryptosporidium infection in the Brixham area, while more than 100 other people have reported symptoms, including diarrhoea, stomach pains and dehydration.
TV presenter and naturalist Steve Backshall finds a camper truck the ideal way to give children an outdoors experience in untamed parts of northern England
Camping trips with a young family can be thoroughly challenging, especially in the UK, when the weather often skips from sunshine to deluge in the blink of an eye. My extra challenge is that my wife, Helen, canβt join us for our Easter break (sheβs away training for her fourth Olympic Games β reasonable excuse). My three kids (twins of four, and an older brother not quite six) are a tornado handful at the best of times. I definitely donβt want to be flying abroad with them, but I want to give them a memorable wild outdoors experience. So what to do?
Inspiration comes in the form of Wild Camper Trucks, a small enterprise set up by entrepreneur Andrew Clark, who rents out a fleet of four-wheel-drive campers from bases in Kendal and Inverness. The vans are go-anywhere robust and reliable, but kitted out with enough home comforts that they feel like glamping on the go. Thanks to the additional roof tent, theyβre set up to sleep four, but with kids as young as ours we could definitely push it to five. Thereβs a bijou kitchen and eating area, plenty of lounging and kipping space, and a huge amount of storage, which allows us to take all the outdoor toys we want.
Andrew has teamed up with websites Off Grid Camp and Nearly Wild Camping, which connect 4x4, campervan and canvas wild campers with landowners. Campers subscribe to the websites, and pay their hosts as they would at any campsite.
Edible oil droplets trap bugs without the harm to people and wildlife that synthetic pesticides can cause
Tiny sticky droplets sprayed on crops to trap pests could be a green alternative to chemical pesticides, research has shown.
The insect glue, produced from edible oils, was inspired by plants such as sundews that use the strategy to capture their prey. A key advantage of physical pesticides over toxic pesticides is that pests are highly unlikely to evolve resistance, as this would require them to develop much larger and stronger bodies, while bigger beneficial insects, like bees, are not trapped by the drops.
The internet and its associated digital industry are estimated to produce about the same emissions annually as aviation. But we barely think about pollution while snapping 16 duplicate photos of our pets, which are immediately uploaded to the cloud.
Scientist discovers a cast of recurring characters using burrows in the aftermath of bushfire, after sifting through more than 700,000 images
First came a picture of an inquisitive red-necked wallaby, then an image of a bare-nosed wombat, followed by a couple of shots of the wombatβs burrow with nothing else in the frame.
By the time research scientist Grant Linley had looked through a further 746,670 images, he had seen 48 different species visiting the 28 wombat burrows that he had trained his cameras on.
San Pedro Sula is rated βdangerousβ as effects of forest fires, El NiΓ±o and the climate crisis cause a spike in respiratory illnesses
The air quality in San Pedro Sula, the second-largest city in Honduras, as been classified as the most polluted on the American continent due to forest fires and weather conditions aggravated by El NiΓ±o and the climate crisis.
IQAir, a Swiss air-quality organisation that draws data from more than 30,000 monitoring stations around the world, said on Thursday that air quality in the city of about 1 million people has reached βdangerousβ levels.
A 1C increase in global temperature leads to a 12% decline in world gross domestic product, researchers have found
The economic damage wrought by climate change is six times worse than previously thought, with global heating set to shrink wealth at a rate consistent with the level of financial losses of a continuing permanent war, research has found.
A 1C increase in global temperature leads to a 12% decline in world gross domestic product (GDP), the researchers found, a far higher estimate than that of previous analyses. The world has already warmed by more than 1C (1.8F) since pre-industrial times and many climate scientists predict a 3C (5.4F) rise will occur by the end of this century due to the ongoing burning of fossil fuels, a scenario that the new working paper, yet to be peer-reviewed, states will come with an enormous economic cost.
Fossil-fuel dependent country hopes to provide bridge between wealthy global north and poor south at November gathering
Oil is inescapable in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. The smell of it greets the visitor on arrival and from the shores of the Caspian Sea on which the city is built the tankers are eternally visible. Flares from refineries near the centre light up the night sky, and you do not have to travel far to see fields of βnodding donkeysβ, small piston pump oil wells about 6 metres (20ft) tall, that look almost festive in their bright red and green livery.
It will be an interesting setting for the gathering of the 29th UN climate conference of the parties, which will take place at the Olympic Stadium in November.
Authorities confirm 46 cases and warn of weeks-long disruption as firms in Brixham hit by cancellations before school half-term
Cases of an illness caused by a microscopic parasite in a Devon harbour town could continue for a further two weeks, experts said, with businesses predicting thousands of pounds of losses as school half-term approaches.
The comments came as the UK Health Security Agency confirmed that cases of cryptosporidium infection in the Brixham area had more than doubled from 22 to 46, with more than 100 others reporting symptoms of the disease.
Glyphosate found in samples from French infertility clinic raising questions about controversial chemicalβs impact on fertility
More than 55% of sperm samples from a French infertility clinic contained high levels of glyphosate, the worldβs most common weedkiller, raising further questions about the chemicalβs impact on reproductive health and overall safety, a new study found.
The new research also found evidence of impacts on DNA and a correlation between glyphosate levels and oxidative stress on seminal plasma, suggesting significant impacts on fertility and reproductive health.
John Woodcock, whose review proposes bans for protest groups, has lobbying links to firms in arms and fossil fuel sectors
Activists have accused the governmentβs independent adviser on political violence of a conflict of interest, after it emerged that he had lobbying links to companies that would benefit from curbs to protesting.
John Woodcock, formerly a Labour MP and now a crossbench peer, has prepared a review of βfar-leftβ involvement in disruptive protest, which includes activism against climate change and war. At the same time, he has been chairing and advising lobby groups representing arms manufacturers and fossil fuel firms.
Hotline set up in Japanβs capital to report sightings of raccoons, which became popular as pets after success of 1970s TV anime series
Having won the battle to tackle Tokyoβs population of giant, ravenous crows, the cityβs authorities are now embroiled in an even tougher campaign: to rein in another animal menace, the North American raccoon.
The number of raccoons caught in the capital every year has increased fivefold over the past decade, according to media reports, amid concern about the damage the animals are inflicting on the local ecosystem.
Scientists point to loopholes in new legislation that have been closed under European Union regulations
New rules intended to reduce the use of antibiotics in farming in the UK have been criticised as too lax and weaker than their equivalent under EU laws.
The updated regulations come into force on Friday. They ban the routine use of antibiotics on farm animals, and specifically their use to βcompensate for poor hygiene, inadequate animal husbandry, or poor farm management practicesβ.
Unite launches bid to persuade Keir Starmer to invest more in north-east Scotland
The UKβs oil and gas workers risk becoming βthe coal miners of our generation,β Uniteβs general secretary, Sharon Graham, has warned, urging Labour not to ban new North Sea licences without a clear plan to safeguard jobs.
Unite is launching a billboard campaign in six Scottish constituencies aimed at persuading Keir Starmer to commit more investment to north-east Scotland, the centre of the offshore oil and gas industry.
Keir Starmer has unveiled six commitments which, he said, would constitute the first steps taken by a Labour government. The Labour leader was reluctant to use the word βpledgeβ, but the six statements inevitably drew comparisons with Tony Blairβs 1997 pledge card.
Unlike Labourβs promises going into that election, however, the steps Starmer outlined were generally vague and their success is likely to prove difficult to measure.
Reduction in insect numbers contributes to drop, and there are declines across more than a third of bird species surveyed
Swallows, swifts and house martins were once a common sight over UK towns and cities, dextrously catching insects on the wing. But these spring and summer visitors are becoming increasingly rare, according to the definitive survey of the countryβs birds.
Populations of these insect-eating birds have dropped by 40% or more in the past decade, according to the latest Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) report.
In this weekβs Down to Earth newsletter: what the Guardianβs Sirin Kale saw when reporting on environmental disasters in Germany, Belgium and the UK
Government, including far-right leader Geert Wilders, announces it will abandon key green policies in strategy
The Netherlandsβ new right-wing coalition government aims to reintroduce daytime speeds of 80mph on motorways as part of a number of proposed changes to the countryβs environmental policies which have sparked concern.
The move echoes the anti-green stance of other right-wing parties across the continent, as environmental issues become popular bogeymen for populist politicians. In Germany, for example, heat pumps have been politicised, as members of the far-right party AfD have called the Green party βour enemiesβ.
Russian constitutional court is considering claim, which activists hope will raise awareness about emissions
A group of activists are fighting for the right to scrutinise Russiaβs climate policies, and in particular its enormous methane emissions, in court.
Russiaβs constitutional court is considering a claim brought by 18 individuals and the NGO Ecodefense that insufficient action by the Russian state to cut national greenhouse gas emissions is violating their rights to life, health and a healthy environment.
One of Britainβs most polluting water companies has increased its payouts to shareholders by nearly 10% in the same week that it emerged it had pumped raw sewage into Windermere in the Lake District for 10 hours.
United Utilities will pay its investors β which include some of the worldβs biggest asset managers β Β£339m in dividends for this year, up from Β£310m for 2023, after it reported higher operating profits thanks to a rise in customer bills.
Council says primary school in Brixham shut due to having no drinking water as cases of cryptosporidiosis investigated
A primary school in south Devon has closed as it does not have drinking water as officials investigate a local outbreak of a disease that causes sickness and diarrhoea.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said 22 cases of cryptosporidiosis, a waterborne disease caused by a microscopic parasite, had been confirmed in Brixham and more were expected. Other reported cases of diarrhoea and vomiting among residents and visitors to the town are under investigation.
Ex-president at Mar-a-Lago last month hosted more than 20 executives, including from Chevron, Exxon and Occidental
A βdealβ allegedly offered by Donald Trump to big-oil executives as he sought $1bn in campaign donations could save the industry $110bn in tax breaks if he returns to the White House, an analysis suggests.
The fundraising dinner held last month at Mar-a-Lago with more than 20 executives, including from Chevron, Exxon and Occidental Petroleum, reportedly involved Trump asking for large campaign contributions and promising, if elected, to remove barriers to drilling, scrap a pause on gas exports, and reverse new rules aimed at cutting car pollution.
Neoprene is made from toxic chemicals, hard to recycle and, with 400,000 tonnes made a year, a growing problem. So can surfers and swimmers find green wetsuits?
I have been hesitating for months. The wetsuit I swim in every week to keep me toasty warm in the winter and safe from jellyfish stings in the summer is riddled with holes. Yet I canβt bring myself to buy a new one because Iβve learned that comfortable, flexible and insulating neoprene is manufactured using some of the most toxic chemicals on the planet.
Neoprene, a synthetic foamed rubber, is made from the petrochemical compound chloroprene. Exposure to chloroprene emissions, produced during the manufacturing process, may increase the risk of cancer, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Sir John Armitt urges ministers to act swiftly or risk impeding growth and jeopardising climate targets
Rishi Sunakβs U-turns over net zero have delayed progress on vital infrastructure that is needed for economic growth, the governmentβs advisers have said.
Sir John Armitt, the chair of the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC), said good progress had been made on renewable energy in the past five years, but changes to key policies, including postponing a scheme to boost heat pump takeup, had created uncertainty and delay.
The government will fail to meet its targets on heat pump rollout.
The promised lifting of a ban on new onshore windfarms has not gone far enough.
Massive investment is needed in the electricity grid.
Water bills will need to go up to fix the sewage crisis, and more reservoirs are needed to avoid drought, while water companies have done too little to staunch leaks.
The UK lacks a coherent strategy on flooding, with more than 900,000 properties at risk of river or sea flooding and 910,000 at risk of surface water flooding.
Good progress has been made on the rollout of gigabit broadband around the country.
The Strawberry Line network of paths in Somerset has found a way to speed up planning permission and harness the goodwill of the community
In the past two years, multiple sections of a hoped-for 76-mile rural cycling and walking route spanning Somerset have sprouted up around the small town of Shepton Mallet, seemingly every few weeks.
These new routes are popular. One 300-metre section of path in the heart of the town, for example, uses one of Historic Railway Estatesβ bridges for the first time for a cycle route (an organisation usually more given to infilling its structures).
Early springs mean food for young of arrivals from west Africa has already disappeared; this year they face the opposite problem
Migratory birds, especially those long-distance travellers that winter in sub-Saharan Africa, are struggling with the effects of climate change. Specifically, the trend towards earlier springs is causing problems, because when they arrive at their usual time β between mid-April and early May β natureβs calendar has shifted forwards and spring is almost over.
This is a particular problem for three species that travel from west Africa to breed in British oakwoods: the wood warbler, the redstart and the pied flycatcher. This trio feed their young on oak moth caterpillars, but when spring comes early these have already emerged and are beginning to pupate, so the chicks starve.
Cold and wet weather also thought to have led to more lambs dying in early season, as Morrison drops 100% British lamb pledge
The price of British lamb has hit an all-time high as cold weather and disease in the UK and difficulties with imports have combined with a surge in demand.
Wholesale prices have soared by more than 40% year-on-year to more than Β£8.50 a kg , while the amount of lamb expected to be produced in the UK this year is forecast to shrink by 1.4%, according to the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).
Hundreds of climate experts expect global temperatures to rise to at least 2.5C (4.5F) above preindustrial levels by 2100. Damian Carrington reports
When the Guardianβs environment editor, Damian Carrington, decided to survey the worldβs top climate scientists, he had no idea how many of them would want to participate.
βI was astonished by the flood of responses that came back,β he tells Hannah Moore.
Polytag system prints invisible tag on to containers, which can be picked up by readers located at recycling centres
Marks & Spencer is teaming up with a recycling technology group to enable the retailer to trace what happens to its drinks bottles, cartons and other plastic packaging.
The Polytag system prints an invisible tag on to containers, which can be picked up by electronic readers located at recycling centres.
A Guardian survey of leading climate scientists revealed their despair about the future. John Coghlan, Rachael Orr, Natalie Bennett, Dr Robin Russell-Jones and Gregory Johnson find reasons to keep on fighting
I must commend the Guardian and Damian Carrington for the excellent reporting on the views of leading climate scientists (βHopeless and brokenβ Why the worldβs top climate scientists are in despair, 8 May). I have experienced climate despair, which has led me to take part in non-violent protests, and I can certainly bear witness to the fact that this kind of collective action goes a long way to offset the despair. However, protest is not for everyone. There areΒ other ways to play our part.
We can help to accelerate the energy transition. Some 51% of final energy consumption is for heating and cooling, and 32% is for transport, according to the International Energy Agency, so we must ditch the old boiler and invest in a heat pump, and swap our petrol car for an electric model. By fitting solar panels, we can also generate renewable energy to power both transport and heating. Having done these things myself, I have found that the lightening of my carbon footprint brings with it aΒ lighteningΒ of climate despair.
From birdwatching to gardening, we would like to hear from people who have a renewed interest in nature,
Have you recently become intrigued by nature? We would like to hear from people who have recently become more engaged with the natural world, from birdwatching to gardening. Whether it was because of an amazing documentary or a new bird-identifying app, tell us what piqued your interest below.
Read more from TheDIY Climate Changers, a new series on everyday peopleβs creative solutions to the climate crisis
Beverly Loftonβs home in south Los Angeles used to have a water-guzzling grass lawn. Today, itβs a verdant microfarm that uses solar power and recycled water to grow carrots, beets, potatoes and more, with the bounty distributed to her neighbors. The 67-year-oldβs switch was a bold move in a city ruled by cars and concrete, and where the impact of extreme heat and water shortages are acutely felt. Itβs also a powerful rebuttal to food insecurity and big agriculture, in a neighborhood considered a βfood desertβ.
Missing a target doesnβt mean the sense of emergency should fade. What it must do is stop politicians dithering β and fast
I remember the first time I heard the 1.5C target. It was in a room at the Copenhagen climate talks in 2009. With the expectation of a binding agreement slipping away and negotiations failing, some of us activists joined delegates from vulnerable African and island nations in chanting β1.5 to stay aliveβ. It was a frank recognition that the 2C goal the climate diplomats were endlessly talking about β though not pursuing β was insufficient to deal with the increasingly clear realities of climate science.
Since then, three things have happened.
Bill McKibben is the founder of Third Act, which organizes people over 60 for action on climate and democracy
Fossil Free Booksβ statement also demands that the book festival sponsor stops investing in βcompanies that profit from Israeli apartheid, occupation and genocideβ
More than 200 authors including Naomi Klein, Sally Rooney and George Monbiot have signed a statement by Fossil Free Books (FFB), which puts increased pressure on investment management firm Baillie Gifford, sponsors of the Baillie Gifford prize for nonfiction. In addition to the reiteration of its previous demands that the company ceases its investments in the fossil fuel industry, the group is asking that Baillie Gifford also divests βfrom companies that profit from Israeli apartheid, occupation and genocideβ, as it believes that βsolidarity with Palestine and climate justice are inextricably linkedβ.
Literary organisations that accept sponsorship from Baillie Gifford βcan expect escalation, including the expansion of boycotts, increased author withdrawal of labour, and increased disruption until Baillie Gifford divests,β the statement reads.
Clean river campaigner says pollution poses threat as Labour MP calls for water industry to be taken into public ownership
A clean river campaigner has warned of a serious risk someone will die from swimming in English rivers and seas because of the level of E coli from water pollution.
Charles Watson of River Action, speaking on Wednesday as the bathing water season officially opened, said that with warm weather approaching and half-term in a week, thousands of children and families would be taking to rivers, lakes and seas. Most of these sites are not monitored for E coli, as they are not designated bathing sites.
Ban Khun Samut Chin, a coastal village in Samut Prakan province, Thailand, has been slowly swallowed by the sea over the past few decades. This has led to the relocation of the school and many homes, resulting in a dwindling population. Currently, there are only four students attending the school, often leaving just one in each classroom. The village has experienced severe coastal erosion, causing 1.1-2km (0.5-1.2 miles) of shoreline to disappear since the mid-1950s
Cross-party group of 50 calls on prime minister to appoint climate envoy and back Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance
A cross-party group of MPs and peers has urged Rishi Sunak to make a U-turn on his oil and gas extraction plans as part of a broader plea to increase efforts to address the climate crisis.
The 50 politicians, including three Conservatives, wrote to the prime minister calling for the UK to regain its international leadership on the crisis by ending the licensing of new oil and gas fields, appointing a climate envoy, and backing the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance.
Plastic, Plastic Everywhere β Even at the UN's "Plastic Free" Conference. From the moment I landed in Ottawa, the counter-argument of the plastics industry was inescapable, from wall-sized ads at the airport to billboards on trucks that cruised around the downtown convention center. Their message? Curtailing plastic production would spell literal doom. "These plastics deliver water" on an ad depicting a girl drinking from a bottle in what was implied to be a disaster zone.
Asbestos, βforeverβ chemicals, E.V.s and endangered species. Hereβs what 10 new rules cover, and why the administration has been churning them out.
Biodiversity loss, global warming, pollution and the spread of invasive species are making infectious diseases more dangerous to organisms around the world.
White-footed mice, the primary reservoir for Lyme disease, have become more dominant in the U.S. as other rarer mammals have disappeared, one potential explanation for rising disease rates.
Guardian: World's top climate scientists expect global heating to blast past 1.5C target. "Hundreds of the world's leading climate scientists expect global temperatures to rise to at least 2.5C (4.5F) above preindustrial levels this century, blasting past internationally agreed targets and causing catastrophic consequences for humanity and the planet, an exclusive Guardian survey has revealed. Almost 80% of the respondents, all from the authoritative Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), foresee at least 2.5C of global heating, while almost half anticipate at least 3C (5.4F). Only 6% thought the internationally agreed 1.5C (2.7F) limit would be met." [Daily sea surface temperature]
Wild Coast residents demonstrated against Royal Dutch Shellβs plans to start seismic surveys for petroleum exploration at Mzamba Beach, Sigidi, South Africa, in 2021.
New research questions the long-held theory that reintroduction of such a predator caused a trophic cascade, spawning renewal of vegetation and spurring biodiversity.
Some say that the wolvesβ contribution to ecological improvements in Yellowstone were only one piece of a larger picture and that grizzly bears, beavers and even humans played a role.
A mining company wants to build a 211-mile industrial road through Alaskan wilderness to reach a large copper deposit. The Interior Department says it would harm wildlife and communities.
To protect Australiaβs iconic animals, scientists are experimenting with vaccine implants, probiotics, tree-planting drones and solar-powered tracking tags.
A veterinary nurse treats a koala infected with chlamydia at Currumbin Wildlife Hospital in Currumbin, Australia.
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