Climate

Volunteers counted almost 1.4m common butterflies and moths, with painted ladies up 335% on last year The recording-breaking heat of 2026 delivered the second-best British butterfly season of the past 16 years, according to the Big Butterfly Count . The largest insect count in the world, in which more than 100,000 volunteers counted almost 1.4m common butterflies and day-flying moths, confirmed what many people…

The Guardian — Environment · 2026-09-16T06:00:13Z

Aviation is on track to be responsible for 80% of the UK’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2050, according to… The post CCC: Heathrow expansion could push flights to ‘80% of UK emissions by 2050’ appeared first on Carbon Brief .

Carbon Brief · 2026-09-15T23:01:00Z

Study shows Saxifraga candelabrum traps and digests midges – just as the evolutionary biologist predicted back in 1875 In 1875, Charles Darwin predicted that Saxifraga candelabrum , a small alpine plant, could eat insects. Its leaves, petals and stems are smothered in tiny, sticky hairs and – just as the evolutionary biologist suspected – the sweet glue on the hairs can lure and trap midges before digesting them…

The Guardian — Environment · 2026-09-16T05:00:10Z

All the ambulance services in England experienced some of their busiest-ever days during this summer’s record-breaking June heatwave, according to… The post Revealed: England’s June 2026 heatwave sparked record demand for ambulances appeared first on Carbon Brief .

Carbon Brief · 2026-09-14T07:00:00Z

Frome: We’ve been trying to help out struggling hedgehogs, and finally we have a sighting. But how long should we intervene for? Deep into the night, and out of our sight, tiny claws rake over plastic. The animal skitters halfway through a pipe, then stops. A hunter five times its weight is on its tail, but it is safe from harm, and not just because the tunnel is too narrow for the hunter to enter. Curiosity killed…

The Guardian — Environment · 2026-09-16T04:30:09Z

Wildfires currently burning large swathes of land in Indonesia are on track to produce emissions on a par with the… The post El Niño: Indonesia fire emissions in 2026 ‘on track’ to match record for this century appeared first on Carbon Brief .

Carbon Brief · 2026-09-11T14:06:49Z

We are raiding the Guardian long read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors. This week, from 2023: Landfill sites have swallowed many a beauty spot along the Thames estuary in the past 50 years. Now, as those dumps start to disgorge tonnes of mouldering detritus into the river, it truly feels like the Age of Consequences By Tim Burrows. Read by Sam…

The Guardian — Environment · 2026-09-16T04:00:09Z

Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, has emerged as a major force in UK politics in recent years – pushing… The post Factcheck: Reform UK’s 45 false or misleading claims about climate and energy appeared first on Carbon Brief .

Carbon Brief · 2026-09-11T10:12:49Z

Analysis of 29 studies highlights potentially heightened danger from small particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide Air pollution is associated with an increased risk of suicide and suicidal thoughts, according to research. Environmental pollution is known to be associated with poorer mental health but its role in suicide risk is less well understood. Scientists at Queen’s University Belfast examined whether air…

The Guardian — Environment · 2026-09-15T21:30:01Z

More than 1,000 operations at NHS hospitals were cancelled due to heat during the UK’s record May and June heatwaves,… The post Revealed: More than 1,000 NHS operations cancelled due to record UK heatwaves appeared first on Carbon Brief .

Carbon Brief · 2026-09-11T07:00:00Z

Capacity has been overwhelmed by heatwaves that have pushed white goods to breaking point ‘In Oxfordshire, recycling centres are filling almost three articulated lorries with discarded fridges every week,” says Simon Perry of W&S Waste Management, which runs a recycling centre in Ardley. Together, those fridges would cover an area just under half the size of a football pitch. But the space to store them – in…

The Guardian — Environment · 2026-09-15T06:00:28Z

Extreme heat is one of the deadliest climate hazards, but no two heatwaves are the same. Heat extremes that happen… The post Guest post: How extreme heat is ‘creeping’ from summer into autumn and spring appeared first on Carbon Brief .

Carbon Brief · 2026-09-10T13:00:00Z

The UK government has slashed its hopes for electric planes and “sustainable aviation fuels” (SAFs), ahead of giving the green… The post UK aviation emissions to be 50% higher than thought by 2050, government admits appeared first on Carbon Brief .

Carbon Brief · 2026-09-10T10:42:50Z

On the morning of 26 August, flash floods surged through a Himalayan border region of Nepal and the Chinese region… The post Q&A: What can – and cannot – be said about global warming’s role in the 2026 Himalayan floods appeared first on Carbon Brief .

Carbon Brief · 2026-09-08T16:03:25Z