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Analysis finds regulator for England and Wales raised issues with untreated water at facilities serving millions
The drinking water watchdog for England and Wales has ordered companies to act after “forever chemicals” linked to cancer and other conditions were found in untreated water sources at levels it said “could constitute a potential danger to human health”.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (Pfas) are a group of manmade chemicals used for their waterproof and grease-resistant properties. These forever chemicals persist in the environment, can build up in the body and some have been linked to cancer, hormone disruption and fertility problems. Two of the most notorious, PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate) and PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) are now banned after being classified as carcinogens by the World Health Organization.
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London mayor says government should stay true to its beliefs and face down those who claim net zero adds to cost of living
Keir Starmer’s government has shown a lack of confidence that it has the answers to the country’s problems, the mayor of London has said, as he called on the chancellor to back green investment in this month’s budget.
Speaking on the eve of a summit of world mayors in Rio de Janeiro, Sadiq Khan said the Treasury should be more supportive of the energy secretary, Ed Miliband, in his pursuit of the government’s target of an 81% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2035.
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Texas-based fossil fuel company financed Atlas Network in attempt to derail UN-led climate treaty process
Exxon funded rightwing thinktanks to spread climate change denial across Latin America, according to hundreds of previously unpublished documents that reveal a coordinated campaign to make the global south “less inclined” to support the UN-led climate treaty process
The documents, which include copies of the actual cheques Exxon sent, consist of internal documents and years of correspondence between the Texas-based fossil fuel company and Atlas Network, a US-based coalition of more than 500 free-market thinktanks and other partners worldwide.
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Others languishing near bottom of 61-country study include Canada, Germany, Israel, Japan and Spain
Britain is one of the least “nature connected” nations in the world, according to the first ever global study of how people relate to the natural world.
Britain ranks 55th out of 61 countries in the study of 57,000 people, which looks at how attitudes towards nature are shaped by social, economic, geographical and cultural factors.
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Tebay, Cumbria: It could take me hours to find my cattle on some mornings. Introducing tech has helped enormously
As the hours of daylight get fewer, they become more precious on a hill farm. Like a lot of other farmers I also have a full-time job off farm, so farming work must be done before and after work. I am lucky that my employer, the National Trust, allows me to work flexible hours, but checking animals that graze remotely can be difficult during the winter as our belted galloway cows can take more than an hour to find.
We decided to try some new technology to help us save time, and it is working really well. The cows are wearing electric collars that show you their location via a phone app. In the morning, before I leave the house, I can see they are grazing at around 1,200ft near one of the masts that sit on top of some fells.
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Researchers to investigate whether environmental factors may have affected female animal’s pigmentation
An amateur photographer in southern Spain has captured unprecedented images of a white Iberian lynx, prompting researchers to investigate whether environmental factors could be at play as wildlife watchers revelled in the rare sighting.
Ángel Hidalgo published the images on social media, describing the singular animal as the “white ghost of the Mediterranean forest”.
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Despite progress in cutting carbon pollution, climate groups say country’s toughest hurdles are yet to come
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The Australian PM’s non-attendance at Cop30 would ‘raise questions’ about his seriousness about co-hosting Cop31 in Adelaide
Anthony Albanese is in the middle of summit season. Since late September he has visited the US twice, and just returned from Malaysia and South Korea. He heads to South Africa in three weeks for the G20.
But diplomatic and business leaders say there is another trip the prime minister should be making if he is serious about the climate crisis – and particularly the Australian government’s bid to co-host a major climate conference in Adelaide in November 2026.
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Inspired by childhood encyclopedias and Jane Goodall, Beth Pratt writes about the more than 150 species in the national park – and transports readers to a rarefied world
A shrill call was followed by a flash of movement through a pile of boulders on a high country slope in Yosemite national park. “Hello, Sophie!” Beth Pratt responded to the round, feisty pika who had briefly emerged to pose defiantly in the sun.
Pratt, a conservation leader and wildlife advocate, has spent more than a decade observing the tiny mammals and the other inhabitants of these serene granite domes and the alpine meadows they overlook, which gleamed gold on a crisp afternoon in mid-October.
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A new, purpose-built 150m viewing platform is giving visitors the chance to ‘connect with nature in the city’
Gordon Watson, 85, remembers penguins living on the rocky breakwater at the end of the old St Kilda pier since he was a teenager. “I learned to sail with the St Kilda yacht club and I remember being with a group of three of us lads sailing around in a dingy going, ‘Oh look, there’s a penguin.’”
Then, in the early 2000s, Watson and his late wife became volunteer guides with Earthcare St Kilda, helping to care for the little penguin colony and manage the public as visitor numbers increased. While “the majority of people were great” there were some “nasty moments” with some members of the public, Watson says.
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