UN-led panel aims to tackle abuses linked to mining for ‘critical minerals’
A UN-led panel of nearly 100 countries is to draw up new guidelines to prevent some of the environmental damage and human rights abuses associated with mining for “critical minerals”. Mining for some of the key raw materials used in…
Barclays accused of greenwashing over financing for Italian oil company
Barclays is being accused by environmental groups of greenwashing after helping to arrange €4bn (£3.4bn) in financing for the Italian oil company Eni in a way that allows them to qualify towards its $1tn sustainable financing goal. Environmental groups have…
British succulent society chair quits over row about taking specimens from wild
A furious row has blown up in the UK’s leading succulent society over the practice of taking desirable specimens from the wild, with the chair resigning in protest over the behaviour of his fellow enthusiasts. Succulents have risen in popularity…
Exotic spiders flourishing in Britain as new jumping species found in Cornwall
Some are small and jumpy; others are large and intimidating – if you’re a humble housefly. Exotic spiders are flourishing in Britain as international trade offers ample opportunities for spider travel and global heating provides an increasingly hospitable climate. A…
How the overseas owners of the UK’s water companies clean up by polluting our rivers | George Monbiot
So that’s how they do it. I’d been wondering how, when more sewage has been entering our rivers than ever before, some of the water companies have managed to improve the ratio of the sewage they treat v the sewage…
New EU nature law will fail without farmers, scientists warn
The EU’s nature restoration law will only work if it is enacted in partnership with farmers, a group of leading scientists has said, after months of protests have pushed the proposals to the brink of collapse. In an open letter,…
‘Climate denial’ ad pulled from The Australian after regulator deems it ‘deceptive’ | Weekly Beast
For almost a decade, the Australian has been running “climate science denial” ads from the Climate Study Group (CSG) that claim burning fossil fuels is hunky dory and even necessary for life on Earth. But the latest ad has been…
Noise from traffic stunts growth of baby birds, study finds
Noise pollution from traffic stunts growth in baby birds, even while inside the egg, research has found. Unhatched birds and hatchlings that are exposed to noise from city traffic experience long-term negative effects on their health, growth and reproduction, the…
Booker prize urged to consider name change over slavery link
The Radio 1Xtra host Richie Brave has said the Booker prize should consider changing its name because of its links to enslavement. Brave’s legal surname is Booker and his ancestors were enslaved by the founders of the company that originally…
French national library quarantines books believed to be laced with arsenic
France’s national library has removed four 19th-century books from its shelves whose emerald green covers are believed to be laced with arsenic. The library said on Thursday that handling the books, which were printed in Britain, would probably cause only…