Over the last five years, the 100 top law firms in the US represented fossil fuel clients in 358 legal cases and transactions worth $1.36tnThe world’s biggest corporate law firms have been making millions of dollars representing fossil fuel companies b…
Why California’s enormous oil spill won’t be its last
The state’s ageing oil infrastructure means more disasters are likely as companies move away from fossil fuelsA gash in an underwater pipeline sent tens of thousands of gallons of oil rushing into the waters near Los Angeles last weekend, blackening be…
Covid restrictions could hinder Cop26 delegates and observers
‘My fear is that we will see fewer delegates from some of the most afflicted countries,’ a Cop26 insider from a developing nation saysCop26 will be a “conference of the parties” like no other, as this is a year like no other. The Covid-19 pandemic has …
‘Eco’ wood stoves emit 750 times more pollution than an HGV, study shows
Only ecodesign stoves can be legally sold from 2022 – but experts say the standard is shockingly weakNew wood burning stoves billed as more environmentally friendly still emit 750 times more tiny particle pollution than a modern HGV truck, a report has…
Weatherwatch: the prized blood oranges from Mount Etna
Volcano’s unique microclimate is crucial for growing high-quality fruit that has earned EU protected statusA special fruit thrives in a unique microclimate around Mount Etna in Sicily. Blood oranges get their gruesome name from a distinctive red-colour…
Clean environment is a human right, UN council agrees
Human rights council also appoints special rapporteur to monitor impact of climate crisis on rightsThe UN’s main human rights body has overwhelmingly voted to recognise the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment as a human right, a…
‘Tiny little balls of pure joy’: why the superb fairywren took our 2021 bird of the year
With their glorious blue plumage, these common urban birds have been a comfort while we’ve been at home during the pandemicAustralian bird of the year: how they finishedDownload the poster as PDF here or JPEG hereSee all our bird of the year coverage h…
Biden restores beloved national monuments, reversing Trump cuts
Restoration of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante represents victory for advocates after protections were slashedJoe Biden restored environmental protections on Friday to three national monuments and their vast expanse of vital ecosystems and sac…
‘It was war’: school-run parents tackle petrol crisis traffic chaos
Residents set up traffic patrol to challenge drivers forming long polluting queues near London schoolBounds Green primary school sits on a road so busy it has a bridge for a pedestrian crossing. Even on a good day the air is acrid, suffused by mephitic…
Can I recycle a pizza box? We ask the expert
Recycling specialist Adam Herriott on what happens when household waste goes in the wrong bin – and what to do with compostable coffee-cup lidsOf all the memories I have of the pandemic last year, the image of bins sticks in my mind. Black bins piled h…