Thinktank expects growth to come in at 1.4% next year but could worsen if China slumps. Follow the day’s news liveGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastChalmers: ‘We are making some welcome progress in the fight against inflation’Is Jim Chalmers confident that interest rates could fall from next year?My job is to focus on this fight against inflation. And we saw overnight from the OECD, we saw from Deloitte Access Economics, we saw in the Bureau of Statistics data which came out yesterday, that we are making some welcome progress in the fight against inflation and that will determine the future directory trajectory of interest rates Continue reading…

Study finds the significant rise is comparable to effect of a high-sodium diet and can contribute to cardiovascular problemsGetting stuck in traffic is one of the most common stressors that millions of Americans face every day. The bumper-to-bumper traffic can come at the cost of wasted gas, environmental pollution, and as new research shows, even spikes in blood pressure.Air pollution from traffic can cause a significant rise in blood pressure that can last up to 24 hours, according to a study via the University of Washington. The spike is comparable to the effect of a high-sodium diet and can contribute to cardiovascular problems. Long-term exposure to vehicle exhaust has been widely linked with respiratory problems such as asthma, especially in children. Continue reading…

Negotiations happen behind closed doors, but for Indigenous peoples, “a lot of work happens in the hallways.”

Fewer than 300 of the endangered carnivores believed to remain in lower 48 states, primarily in fragmented groups at high elevationThe North American wolverine, a species from the badger family that resembles a small bear with a bushy tail, will receive government protections under a Biden administration proposal after scientists warned that its harsh, prairie mountain habitat was being threatened by climate change.The proposal by the US Fish and Wildlife Service to grant wolverines, sometimes called “mountain devils”, federal protections under the Endangered Species Act brings a close to 30-year fight by conservation groups who first petitioned for the species to be listed as threatened in 1994. Continue reading…

Guardian Australia’s data and interactives editor Nick Evershed and data journalist Josh Nicholas crunch some numbers to get to the bottom of what Australia’s love affair with the SUV means for the environment and safety on the roadsSign up for The Crunch newsletter, our free email with the best charts, graphs and datavizRead more about The Crunch, why we’re making charts with sound, and how we’re hoping it will improve the accessibility of our work Continue reading…

The announcement comes after decades of litigation and public calls to save wolverines from development and climate change. The post Wolverines Gain Legal Protections to Ward off Extinction appeared first on Earthjustice.

Sultan Al Jaber calls allegations false as the United Arab Emirates prepares to host the biggest Cop meeting yetSultan Al Jaber, the president of the UN Cop28 climate summit, has hit back strongly at reports he abused his position to try to sign oil deals with other governments, as the United Arab Emirates prepares to host the biggest Cop meeting yet.Al Jaber’s role is to act as an “honest broker” for the 190-plus governments gathering at the global climate talks, charged with leading them to a successful conclusion. He is also the chief executive of UAE’s national oil company, Adnoc, and campaigners say the two roles are in conflict. Continue reading…

Bans on gas-powered lawn equipment are spreading — meanwhile, some advocates are looking for ways to ditch grass altogether.

Bushfire season has begun, followed by school students striking for climate action and 97-year-olds blockading ports. Elsewhere, Australia celebrated 50 years of jousting, the Arias served up glamour, Melbourne shone a spotlight on homemade fashion and working dogs were put through their paces Australia’s best photos of the month Continue reading…

Parliament to hear increased ‘fragility’ of energy networks ‘could be used by hostile actors’ amid existential national security risk to Pacific neighboursFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastThe climate change minister, Chris Bowen, will declare runaway global heating remains a national security threat and predict that countries vulnerable to sea level rise will look to Australia to provide “mobility with dignity” as the climate crisis deepens.Bowen will tell parliament on Thursday that extreme weather events caused by climate change will also place increased strain on Australia’s energy networks, warning “this fragility could be used by hostile actors”.Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading…

Move builds on decisions by states like Oregon to fully or partially prohibit the use of M-44s used to kill predators and other wildlifeA campaign to end the use of so-called “cyanide bombs” within the United States has received a major boost after the country’s largest public land management agency banned the poison devices on hundreds of millions of acres across the nation.The move builds on decisions by states such as Oregon to fully or partially prohibit the use of cyanide bombs, also known as M-44s, within their jurisdictions. The US Department of Agriculture uses these devices to kill predators and other wildlife. Continue reading…

A shortlist of 25 images has been selected for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year People’s Choice award. Vote for your favourite image online, with the winner announced on 7 February 2024. The 25 images are currently on display at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Natural History Museum, London Continue reading…

World leaders have two weeks to decide the fate of the planet. How hard could it be?

Answering that question shows just how tricky it would be to drop meat altogether.

The natural world is caught in a vicious cycle – extreme weather is destroying natural habitats and wildlife, yet these are crucial to fighting the climate crisisNature loss and the climate crisis are locked in a vicious cycle. These two issues are separate yet inextricably linked. As the climate crisis escalates, natural habitats are being destroyed. This in turn exacerbates the climate crisis and loss of wildlife. Here are 10 ways the two issues are connected: Continue reading…

The climate crisis, invasive species, overexploitation of resources and pollution could break down crucial ecosystems. We asked experts to lay out the risks and offer some solutionsThe continued destruction of nature across the planet will result in major shocks to food supplies and safe water, the disappearance of unique species and the loss of landscapes central to human culture and leisure by the middle of this century, experts have warned.By 2050, if humanity does not follow through on commitments to tackle the five main drivers of nature loss critical natural systems could break down just as the human population is projected to peak. Continue reading…

“There’s so many ways that renters are screwed.”

Evidence of Chemours-operated plant contaminating region is ‘alleged human rights violations’, say experts appointed by councilA new investigation by human rights experts appointed by the United Nations has expressed alarm at evidence of pollution from a North Carolina PFAS manufacturing plant, describing it as “alleged human rights violations and abuses against residents”.The ongoing PFAS crisis in North Carolina has been linked to a Fayetteville Works plant operated by Chemours, a chemical giant that was spun off from DuPont in 2015. Continue reading…

The yearly get-togethers are a critical centerpiece for international climate action. But critics say they have outlived their usefulness and are due for an overhaul.

Offshore wind projects cropped up all over the Great Lakes region in the early 2010s. By the end of the decade, all but one were gone. Developers, though still drawn to the lakes’ powerful winds, have been reluctant to return.