The radical Stern report showed that a low-carbon future is also good economics. But it seems that capitalism needs a reminderSaving the only planet we have makes good economic sense. There is, after all, no money to be made on a dead Earth. There may be costs involved now, but they are worth paying to protect our children from certain destruction.These propositions seem self-evident now. But two decades ago, mainstream economists had very different ideas. They had proved that the climate crisis would be a mere economic blip, easily absorbed by growing economies and therefore not worth spending money on. In their accounting, they considered ice caps and glaciers functionally worthless, that trees only add to GDP when they are cut down, and that a livable climate shouldn’t even merit a line on a spreadsheet.Fiona Harvey is an environment editor at the Guardian Continue reading...

The point where land meets sea at Ayetoro, in southwestern Nigeria, is marked by the skeletons of now-submerged landmarks. Birdcalls, crashing waves, and the sounds of local fishing boats’ outboard engines wash over the crumbling remains of old buildings as well as a wetland that’s a vital stopover and wintering site for migratory waterbirds like

When customs officials at Jakarta’s Tanjung Priok Port opened a shipping container flagged for inspection in February 2026, they expected to find sea cucumbers and instant noodles as indicated on the consignment paperwork. Instead, they found 3,053 kilograms (6,730 pounds) of dried pangolin scales destined for Cambodia. It was among Indonesia’s largest seizures of the

A striking transformation takes place along the coast of Qinqdao in autumn, when a native seepweed turns a brilliant shade of red.The ‘red beach’ phenemon can be seen in the salt marshes and wetlands on the coast of China’s Shandong province, where the Suaeda glauca plant matures and absorbs water, changing it from green to crimson between September and November Continue reading...

In the urban landscape of Hong Kong, artificial nest boxes are providing shelter and research opportunities for one of the world’s most threatened parrot species. The yellow-crested cockatoo (Cacatua sulphurea) is critically endangered, with fewer than 2,000 individuals remaining across its native range in eastern Indonesia and Timor-Leste. However, Hong Kong hosts roughly 200 wild

At a government wildlife rescue center in Thailand, dozens of lost and injured baby leopard cats are receiving a second chance at life in the wild. Annual admission of leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis) at the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation rescue center in Khon Kaen, in northeastern Thailand, have surged from an

From the air, the vivid lithium fields of Chile’s Atacama Desert look like an intricate computer circuit board, hinting at the technological destination of this increasingly crucial mineral. Photographer Tom Hegen has spent the past six years documenting some of the world’s most significant mining regions that supply the critical minerals needed for modern technologies

Critics warn of climate danger as president in Texas claims change will save companies and consumers billionsDonald Trump announced his administration is “terminating” Biden-era regulations holding oil and gas companies accountable for large leaks of planet-warming methane during a rally in Lubbock, Texas, on Tuesday evening.Trump said during a campaign rally in Texas that the change would save consumers and energy producers $45bn and unlock 210 million barrels of oil – equivalent to about 10 days of US petroleum consumption. “Tonight, I’m officially terminating Biden’s expensive and unnecessary methane regulations to save consumers and energy producers,” Trump said, lifting what he called “crippling regulations on methane that caused prices to skyrocket” for small oil and gas operators. Continue reading...

AI has made some awesome scientific discoveries. But now, questions are being raised about its accuracy

Legislation requiring mugs to be offered when people drink at cafes to be scrapped, with environment minister stating ‘we need to clear this up’Follow our Australian politics live blog for latest updatesGet our daily political email, free app or daily news podcastThe New South Wales government has backflipped on its plan to force cafes to offer customers who dine in the option of mugs and glasses instead of takeaway cups.Chris Minns’ government will also ditch a law that would have required businesses to participate in a reusable cup scheme or risk a fine up to $110,000. Continue reading...

The public accounts committee has said the risk to billpayers is ‘extraordinary’The government’s plan to fund a multibillion-pound nuclear plant at the Sizewell site in Suffolk represents a “terrible deal” for the UK taxpayer over the rest of the century, according to the government’s spending watchdog.MPs on the public accounts committee (PAC) have warned the government that the cost of the Sizewell C nuclear reactor could spiral to almost £48bn, leaving bill payers on the hook to provide an extra £9.8bn to construct the plant before 2040 and a further £12bn over its 60-year operating life. Continue reading...

New mapping by Amazon Underworld finds that criminal networks or armed groups operate in nearly three-fifths of Amazon municipalities across the six countries surveyed, which include Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. Of the 1,310 municipalities examined, researchers found illicit actors in 768 of them, or 59%. Colombia had the highest proportion of affected

Shafeeqa, a 40-year-old resident of Cherwan village in Ganderbal district, north of Srinagar in Kashmir Valley, remembers a spring that once flowed with enough force to make diverting its water toward agricultural fields a difficult task. During her teenage years, she recalls, the water rushed so powerfully that her brother was once carried along by

Coastal communities across California were preparing for days of flooding amid potentially 'record-breaking tides' this week, as water levels began rising on Monday.Coastal California braces for flooding amid forecast of ‘record-breaking tides’ Continue reading...

President has taken an axe to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, stalling climate research on and response to extreme weather eventsSweeping cuts to the premier US climate agency under Donald Trump have severely hampered the country’s capacity to forecast, research and respond to extreme weather events, former government officials and scientists have warned, as the US faces a cascade of hazards fueled by a potentially historic El Niño this winter.From the start of his second term, the president has taken aim at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), slashing staff levels, canceling contracts and grants, and shutting down databases and research laboratories. The agency that has long been considered a global crown jewel in climate science and forecasting has lost roughly 20% of its staff since January 2025. Continue reading...

Energy provider SSEN says 2,000 properties in the north of Scotland are still without power after days of high winds and heavy rain.