The Elephant

The climate change and environmental emergency: a comprehensive resource for journalists, politicians, policy makers, activists and citizens

Source: The Independent


Visit: independent.co.uk


Articles from this source (73)

Nanoplastics and forever chemicals may hinder child development by altering breast milk, study says | The Independent

  2024-07-12 in The Independent

Exposure may also lead to compromised immunity, reduced mineral absorption and anaemia in infants

  Tagged under: PFAS aka Forever Chemicals


Greece weather heatwave: Foreign Office warns tourists after four dead and more missing in record early temperatures | The Independent

  2024-06-17 in The Independent

The earliest recorded heatwave could be a taste of what is to come for the country expecting record tourism this year, Rich Booth reports from Greece

  Tagged under: Greece


Battery breakthrough could supercharge transition to renewable energy | The Independent

  2024-06-04 in The Independent

Zinc-air batteries hold huge potential for grid-scale storage

  Tagged under: Innovation | Renewable Energy


‘Bug splat’ survey shows 78% decline in flying insects in two decades | The Independent

  2024-04-23 in The Independent

The citizen science project asks people to record the number of flying insects that are squashed on their car number plates after a drive.

  Tagged under: Insects


India’s Supreme Court expands right to life to include ‘adverse effects of climate change’ in landmark ruling | The Independent

  2024-04-08 in The Independent

Supreme Court says right to life and equality can’t be fully realised without clean environment

  Tagged under: India


Ukraine’s Zaphorizhzhia nuclear plant loses connection to last backup power line | The Independent

  2024-02-22 in The Independent

Fears over ‘fragile’ situation at Europe’s biggest atomic power plant

  Tagged under: Nuclear Power


Europe’s deepest mine to become gravity battery for storing renewable energy | The Independent

  2024-02-08 in The Independent

Estimates suggest abandoned mine shafts could store enough electricity to power the planet

  Tagged under: Renewable Energy | Electricity


New UN weather agency chief says rate of global warming is speeding up

  2024-02-07 in The Independent

The new chief of the World Meteorological Organization says the rate of human-caused climate change is accelerating and that warming has triggered more Arctic cold outbreaks further south, weighing in on two issues that divide climate scientists

  Tagged under: Global Warming | Arctic


Caroline Lucas: Create ‘firewall’ between politicians and fossil fuel industry | The Independent

  2024-01-30 in The Independent

The MP for Brighton, Pavilion warned of a “revolving door” between parliamentarians and ministers and fossil fuel companies.


Climate misinformation is mutating on YouTube – and the platform is profiting | The Independent

  2024-01-16 in The Independent

Researchers analysed thousands of hours of YouTube content from the past six years and found that ‘old’ climate change denial is giving way to a new type of misleading content intended to muddy the waters

  Tagged under: Disinformation and Misinformation


Fears for river pollution as UK ditches EU farming rules after Brexit | The Independent

  2023-12-23 in The Independent

Farmers will no longer have to follow EU regulations in areas such as reducing agricultural runoff into rivers

  Tagged under: Farming | Rivers


Solar panel advances will see millions abandon electrical grid, scientists predict | The Independent

  2023-11-09 in The Independent

Solar energy costs have fallen 90 per cent over the last decade, while new discoveries have seen efficiency rates rise

  Tagged under: Renewable Energy | Solar Energy | Electricity Grid


Fossil fuels ‘becoming obsolete’ as solar panel prices plummet | The Independent

  2023-09-27 (or before) in The Independent

Solar costs down nearly 90 per cent over last decade in huge boost for renewable energy

  Tagged under: Renewable Energy | Solar Energy | Fossil Fuels


Tory launches international climate declaration to bring politicians together | The Independent

  2023-09-19 (or before) in The Independent

Chris Skidmore wants to create a cross-party, international group of legislators committed to climate action.

  Tagged under: COP28 | Climate Change


Farms with natural landscape features provide sanctuary for some Costa Rica rainforest birds

  2023-09-04 (or before) in The Independent

A study conducted over 18 years in Costa Rica shows that small farms with natural landscape features such as shade trees, hedgerows and tracts of intact forest can provide a refuge for some tropical bird populations

  Tagged under: Farming | Trees


Air pollution shortens lives of Delhi residents by around 11.9 years | The Independent

  2023-09-02 (or before) in The Independent

Report finds 67.4 per cent of Indians live in areas that exceed country’s own national air quality standard

  Tagged under: Climate Change | India


Millions in Tory donations at risk as property developers hit back | The Independent

  2023-08-29 (or before) in The Independent

Housebuilders and developers - who in the past have accounted for around a fifth of all donations - have turned off the taps.


Norway to spend $6 million a year stock-piling grain, citing pandemic, war and climate change

  2023-08-25 in The Independent

Norway will spend 63 million kroner ($6 million) per year until the end of the decade on filling up emergency stocks with grain


European heatwave - latest updates as red alerts and record temperatures continue | The Independent

  2023-07-13 (or before) in The Independent

Europe heatwave 2023

  Tagged under: Spain | Wildfires


Massive mineral deposit discovery could meet global battery and solar panel demand ‘for next 100 years’ | The Independent

  2023-07-04 (or before) in The Independent

Norge Mining hopes to open first mine in Norway within next five years

  Tagged under: Solar Energy | Minerals | Electric Cars | Cars


Thames Water dumped ‘millions of litres’ of sewage near Gatwick Airport river killing more than 1,000 fish | The Independent

  2023-07-04 (or before) in The Independent

Untreated sewage was pumped into River Mole near Crawley for six and a half hours, turning water black

  Tagged under: Fish | Rivers


Thames Water fined £3.3 million after ‘millions of litres’ of sewage pumped into rivers near Gatwick | The Independent

  2023-07-04 (or before) in The Independent

Thames Water had shown a ‘deliberate attempt’ to mislead the Environment Agency over the incident

  Tagged under: Fish | Rivers


Decarbonisation must not cause ‘undue disturbance’ to public, says Tory MP | The Independent

  2023-05-25 (or before) in The Independent

Dr Liam Fox said the climate debate must be positive if it is to bring people along and ‘augment’ their expected standard of living if possible.

  Tagged under: Climate Change | Decarbonisation


Solar panel efficiency to increase 50% with first production of ‘miracle’ tandem cells | The Independent

  2023-05-20 (or before) in The Independent

World’s first commercialisation of perovskite solar cells follows years of breakthroughs with the material

  Tagged under: Renewable Energy | Solar Energy | Innovation


Brazilian researchers find ‘terrifying’ plastic rocks off remote Trinidade island | The Independent

  2023-03-20 (or before) in The Independent

‘Pollution has reached geology’ says a scientist

  Tagged under: Oceans | Climate Change | Brazil


Somalia drought: 43,000 died in 2022 and this year’s toll will be higher, study finds | The Independent

  2023-03-20 (or before) in The Independent

‘Unrelenting droughts’ have created worst hunger crisis for 70 years says

  Tagged under: Drought | Climate Change | Africa | Famine and Food Insecurity | Health


Solar breakthrough paves way for first ‘miracle material’ panels | The Independent

  2023-02-28 (or before) in The Independent

Perovskite is vastly more efficient than silicon at absorbing sunlight, but until now has been too unstable for commercial use

  Tagged under: Renewable Energy | Solar Energy | Innovation


Europe on the verge of water catastrophe as groundwater reserves dry up, scientists warn | The Independent

  2023-01-30 (or before) in The Independent

The effects of this prolonged drought were evident in Europe during the summer of 2022

  Tagged under: Drought | Climate Change


Flying more than twice as damaging to climate than previously thought, study finds | The Independent | The Independent

  2022-12-13 (or before) in The Independent

The source of non-CO2 warming set to triple by 2050, according to researchers

  Tagged under: Climate Change | Air Travel


Climate crisis ‘threatens rule of law and civilisation’ | The Independent

  2022-09-16 (or before) in The Independent

Major British law firms are contributing to the climate crisis, the letter warns

  Tagged under: Climate Change | Fossil Fuels


Nuclear fusion breakthrough as Korean reactor achieves 100mC for 30 seconds | The Independent

  2022-09-09 (or before) in The Independent

‘Artificial sun’ achieves milestone towards near-limitless clean energy.

  Tagged under: Nuclear Power | Nuclear Fusion | Innovation


Green activists jubilant as Kingsnorth shelved | The Independent | The Independent

  2022-09-07 (or before) in The Independent

E.on says coal plant is no longer needed as recession reduces electricity demand

  Tagged under: Activism | Coal | Climate Change | Electricity | Greenpeace


Mexico should stop making beer in north due to drought, president says | The Independent

  2022-08-21 (or before) in The Independent

Mexico is the world’s largest exporter of beer

  Tagged under: Drought | Climate Change | Mexico


‘Huge’ unexpected ozone hole discovered over tropics | The Independent

  2022-07-08 (or before) in The Independent

The area of depleted ozone is seven times larger than the hole over Antarctica and could affect 50 per cent of the global population

  Tagged under: Climate Change | Antarctic


Fossil fuel projects that qualify for Rishi Sunak’s tax relief ‘could create 899 million tonnes of CO2’ | The Independent

  2022-06-07 (or before) in The Independent

If all 39 projects are approved they could produce the equivalent of nearly 1.9 billion barrels of oil

  Tagged under: Climate Change | Rishi Sunak | Fossil Fuels


Officer ‘surprised’ by Patel’s late night call to superior during XR protest | The Independent

  2022-06-05 (or before) in The Independent

Five activists convicted over a protest at a newspaper publishers are questioning whether there was political interference in police actions.

  Tagged under: Extinction Rebellion | Activism | Extinction


I worked at Shell for 33 years – the government is wrong on North Sea oil | The Independent

  2022-05-30 (or before) in The Independent

Investing into North Sea oil won’t cut our bills or protect Britain’s energy security, so why is the energy secretary saying the opposite?

  Tagged under: Shell | Climate Change


Why I became the UK’s first travel editor to swear off flying | The Independent

  2022-05-29 (or before) in The Independent

‘It’s about the journey, not about the destination’ may be the biggest cliché in the book – but sometimes clichés are clichés because they’re true, writes Helen Coffey

  Tagged under: Greta Thunberg


Eco-activists ‘could undermine energy security and hinder net-zero effort’

  2022-05-25 (or before) in The Independent

Offshore Energies UK said the industry is ‘aligned with their long-term vision’.

  Tagged under: Activism | Net Zero


Extreme weather disasters have increased fivefold in past 50 years, says UN report | The Independent

  2022-05-15 (or before) in The Independent

More than 3,000 disasters linked to climate, water or water extremes in last decade, says World Meteorological Organisation

  Tagged under: Extreme Weather | Climate Change


The government refuses to acknowledge the climate crisis | Caroline Lucas

  2022-05-15 (or before) in The Independent

While climate sceptics wax lyrical about the ‘cost of net zero’, they conveniently omit the cost of not getting to net zero

  Tagged under: Net Zero


Earth’s CO2 hits highest recorded level in human history | The Independent

  2022-05-09 (or before) in The Independent

Unprecedented level comes as greenhouse gas emissions continue around the world

  Tagged under: Greenhouse Gases | Climate Change | Fossil Fuels


BP and Shell signal commitment to UK investment - weakening government case against windfall tax | The Independent

  2022-05-07 (or before) in The Independent

Ed Miliband tells Saphora Smith that arguments against such a move are being exposed as ‘total nonsense’

  Tagged under: BP | Shell | TotalEnergies


UK set to ‘torpedo climate action’ by approving six new North Sea oil and gas fields

  2022-02-14 (or before) in The Independent

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has said he wants to encourage more investment in new fossil fuel drilling

  Tagged under: Climate Change | Rishi Sunak | Net Zero


We are in a Don’t Look Up situation. Here’s what the government should do | The Independent

  2022-01-15 (or before) in The Independent

I’ve developed a practical plan of the steps we need to be taking to tackle the climate emergency – right now, writes Donnachadh McCarthy

  Tagged under: COP27 | Climate Change | Net Zero


Climate terms like ‘crisis’ and ‘emergency’ take over UK climate media | The Independent

  2022-01-06 (or before) in The Independent

The language used by UK media is evolving as the dangers of climate crisis become more evident

  Tagged under: Climate Change


One in 15 Tory MPs believe climate change is a ‘myth’, poll finds

  2021-11-07 (or before) in The Independent

Exclusive: 7% of Tories in Commons do not accept scientific consensus

  Tagged under: Climate Change


A message for Cop26 – from deep within the Amazon rainforest | The Independent

  2021-10-28 (or before) in The Independent

In the run up to Glasgow summit, Nemonte Nenquimo – the female leader of the indigenous Waorani people – demands we respect Mother Nature, writes Donnachadh McCarthy

  Tagged under: COP26 | Rainforests | Amazon Rainforest | Climate Change


Young climate activists from across world urge UK and UN to act on killings of environmental defenders | The Independent

  2021-10-04 (or before) in The Independent

Exclusive: Activists urge Alok Sharma and Antonio Guterres to do more after a prominent environmentalist is shot dead in Kenya

  Tagged under: Activism | COP26 | Climate Change


A recent climate report has left me devastated – I beg you to read it | The Independent

  2021-09-26 (or before) in The Independent

As I thought how best to convey the essential, terrifying message of the report, I decided I should just lay out the raw facts and let them reach your soul, writes Donnachadh McCarthy

  Tagged under: Wildfires | Drought | Climate Change


James Murdoch: Why I pulled the rip cord and resigned from News Corp | The Independent

  2021-09-19 (or before) in The Independent

After deepening estrangement with his father and brother and growing discomfort over the toxicity of Fox News, the son of Rupert Murdoch tells Maureen Dowd why he walked away


Cumbria coal mine: Local Tory MP drops support for controversial project ahead of Cop26 | The Independent

  2021-09-07 (or before) in The Independent

Exclusive: Dr Neil Hudson calls on government to heed scientists’ warnings, and instead invest in clean renewable technologies

  Tagged under: Renewable Energy | COP26 | Coal | Climate Change


Madagascar famine becomes first in history to be caused solely by climate crisis

  2021-07-23 (or before) in The Independent

More than 1.14 million people are food-insecure as severe droughts push communities to the brink of starvation

  Tagged under: Drought | Climate Change | Famine and Food Insecurity | Madagascar


BP is planning to drill for fossil gas on edge of world’s largest cold-water coral reef | The Independent

  2021-06-21 (or before) in The Independent

Exclusive: Oil giant’s plan to drill off west coast of Africa could raise the risk of biodiversity loss, further global heating and toxic fuel spills, an investigation reveals

  Tagged under: BP | Climate Change | Africa | Coral Reefs | Biodiversity Loss


Shell forced to slash global emissions after landmark court ruling | The Independent

  2021-05-26 (or before) in The Independent

Activist groups hail ‘historic win’ as Dutch court orders multinational fossil fuel company to cut CO2 emissions by 45% by 2030

  Tagged under: Shell | Activism | Greenhouse Gases | Climate Change


Oil excavation in Africa’s Kavango region must be stopped to meet world climate promises | The Independent

  2021-05-15 (or before) in The Independent

The climate column: Oil play in the Kavango region of Namibia and Botswana will affect climate targets, endanger indigenous communities and could be disastrous for conservation

  Tagged under: Oil Industry | Conservation | Africa | Climate Change | Wildlife | Namibia


Ban on burning grouse moor peatland ‘not enough to tackle climate crisis’

  2021-02-02 (or before) in The Independent

‘It will be embarrassing if we’re still burning bogs when the climate conference meets,’ says Wildlife Trusts

  Tagged under: Climate Change | Wildlife


Don’t believe the hype – electric cars are not the saviours of humanity | The Independent | The Independent

  2020-04-05 (or before) in The Independent

Buying just one electric car would produce more carbon dioxide than 15 and a half years of electricity usage for the average UK family home, writes Donnachadh McCarthy

  Tagged under: Climate Change | Electric Cars | Fossil Fuels | Cars | Electricity


‘High likelihood of human civilisation coming to end’ by 2050, report finds | The Independent | The Independent

  2020-01-09 (or before) in The Independent

Over-conservative climate scenarios mean we could face ‘world of outright chaos’, says analysis authored by former fossil fuel executive and backed by former head of Australia’s military

  Tagged under: Global Warming | Climate Change


Boris Johnson unveils plan to increase number of flights, despite global climate emergency: 'A total disregard for the planet' | The Independent | The Independent

  2019-12-19 (or before) in The Independent

New aviation bill promises to squeeze more flights into same airspace and growth for sector 

  Tagged under: Climate Change | Net Zero


Australia weather: 50C temperatures could become the norm as hundreds of climate records broken in 90 days, report finds | The Independent | The Independent

  2019-12-04 (or before) in The Independent

‘Climate change is supercharging the extreme weather events we are witnessing,’ says expert panel

  Tagged under: Bushfires | Extreme Weather | Climate Change


Brexit Party and Tories worst for climate change policies, Greenpeace analysis shows | The Independent | The Independent

  2019-12-03 (or before) in The Independent

Conservative support for polluting industries, such as aviation, oil and gas ‘at odds with their net zero target’, analysis says

  Tagged under: Climate Change | Net Zero | Greenpeace


Earth may have already hit climate change 'tipping point' leading to catastrophic domino effect that threatens civilisation's existence | The Independent | The Independent

  2019-11-28 in The Independent

Scientists call for ‘urgent emergency response’ to tackle global greenhouse gas emissions  

  Tagged under: Deforestation | Amazon Rainforest | Trees | Tipping Points | Antarctic | Arctic


Caroline Lucas: Don't let Boris Johnson make this the Brexit election – it's the climate election

  2019-10-31 (or before) in The Independent

Our prime minister is cynically exploiting Brexit to his personal advantage while ignoring the most urgent emergency the human species has ever faced

  Tagged under: Climate Change


Hundreds of people hold 'funeral' for Swiss glacier lost to global warming | The Independent | The Independent

  2019-10-24 (or before) in The Independent

'It is like the dying of a good friend,' says scientist

  Tagged under: Climate Change


Greta Thunberg: I have a dream that the powerful will take the climate crisis seriously

  2019-09-20 (or before) in The Independent

In a highly anticipated speech in Congress after travelling half the way across the Atlantic by boat, Greta Thunberg urges US senators to learn from the sacrifices of Martin Luther King and other civil rights activists in the fight against climate change. Here is the transcript

  Tagged under: Greta Thunberg | Activism | US Politics | Climate Change


Climate crisis: CO2 levels rise to highest point since evolution of humans | The Independent | The Independent

  2019-08-15 (or before) in The Independent

‘We don’t know a planet like this’

  Tagged under: Wildfires | Greenhouse Gases | Climate Change | Coral Reefs | Sea Level


Trump dismisses need for climate change action: ‘We have the cleanest water we’ve ever had, we have the cleanest air’ | The Independent | The Independent

  2019-07-01 (or before) in The Independent

‘It doesn’t always work with a windmill,’ says US president as he rejects green energy

  Tagged under: Donald Trump | Climate Change


India heatwave kills ‘dozens’ of people as temperatures hit 50C

  2019-06-08 (or before) in The Independent

Water poured on roads to stop them melting and farmers struggle to care for animals

  Tagged under: Farming | Heatwaves | India


Police chief says Extinction Rebellion protesters will be arrested 'very, very fast' and suggests officers were not assertive enough last time | The Independent | The Independent

  2019-05-15 (or before) in The Independent

'Next time we will have to quite simply have more people earlier, and be very very fast and assertive about getting people arrested,' Cressida Dick says

  Tagged under: Extinction Rebellion | Climate Change | Activism


Emissions from thawing Arctic permafrost may be 12 times higher than thought, scientists say

  2019-04-17 in The Independent

‘This needs to be taken more seriously than it is right now,’ says author of new study

  Tagged under: Global Warming | Arctic | Alaska | Feedback Loops | Ice Melting | Methane | Permafrost | Greenhouse Gases | Climate Change


Brazil reveals highest deforestation figures in a decade as activists warn Bolsonaro will make issue worse | The Independent | The Independent

  2019-01-01 (or before) in The Independent

Illegal logging and agriculture creeping into jungle land blamed for devastating rise

  Tagged under: Deforestation | Bolsonaro | Rainforests | Amazon Rainforest | Brazil | Activism


Society will collapse by 2040 due to catastrophic food shortages, says study | The Independent | The Independent

  2015-06-24 in The Independent

'The results show that based on plausible climate trends and a total failure to change course, the global food supply system would face catastrophic losses, and an unprecedented epidemic of food riots'

  Tagged under: Collapse


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