Evacuation orders as fast-moving California wildfire burns homes
This video can not be played Watch: Aircraft deployed to fight burning Bryson fire in Malibu Evacuation orders in California are in effect due to a rapidly growing wildfire that has already burned six homes in the southern Los Angeles area. The Norte Fire erupted on Friday in Orange County and quickly grew to 465 acres . One firefighter suffered heat exhaustion while battling the blaze. Officials say the fierce Santa Ana winds will blow until Saturday, bringing further risk of more conflagrations. The US National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a red flag warning for several California counties due to strong, gusty winds combined with low humidity and dry vegetation that create critical wildfire spread conditions. The Norte Fire is one of 13 burning across the state, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. In an update on Friday evening, Division 3 Fire Chief Mark Backoff said that six homes had either been damaged or destroyed , and one firefighter had been injured from heat exhaustion. "We continue to engage in the firefight, and have additional resources coming," he said. Footage posted online showed blazes tearing through homes in the communities of San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano. The Bryson Fire, burning in the affluent coastal city of Malibu in Los Angeles county, has also sparked evacuation orders throughout the Santa Monica mountains and has grown to 147 acres. More than 400 firefighters have been fighting the blaze. This video can not be played Watch: Smoke towers over California neighbourhood as wildfire burns homes Further south, the Henderson Fire in San Diego country erupted on Thursday, and has grown to over 2,000 acres, including around Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. The size of the blaze has twice forced officials to close the I-5 highway, an important route that runs the length of the US West Coast. The fires are being fanned , which normally begin during cooler months from late September to May. Officials say the winds peaked on Friday, but will remain dangerous into early Saturday morning. Six homes have been damaged or destroyed in Orange County Winds topped 40mph (64km/h) in the Los Angeles area, the NWS said, adding that motorists should watch for debris blown into roadways. Temperatures were far above average for this time of year in southern California, further driving up the fire danger. The NWS has issued a heat advisory, saying that the danger of heat-related illness remained high.
Arizona Joins Lawsuit Challenging the Federal Government’s Plan for the Colorado River
The Arizona Department of Water Resources filed a motion Friday to join in a lawsuit against the federal government’s plan for Colorado River operations over the next 10 years. “Arizona believes the federal government’s new operating framework ignores basic elements of the law of the river and could result in cuts to the state apportionment […]
For restaurants Covid-19 was a crisis – pandemic loans are proving a disaster
Composite: The Guardian/ View image in fullscreen Composite: The Guardian/ For restaurants Covid-19 was a crisis – pandemic loans are proving a disaster Low-interest loans kept many eateries afloat. But the industry never recovered enough for them to repay the debt For almost 20 years, Jai Mazumdar has served vegetarian curries, samosas, gulab jamun and other Indian delicacies at Spice N Curry, a cafe and grocery nestled inside a modest strip mall near Florida International University (FIU) in Miami. When the Covid-19 pandemic devastated his business, as it did with so many restaurants, Mazumdar took out a $370,000 economic injury disaster loan (EIDL) from the federal government in early 2021. At the time, it provided a desperately needed lifeline. He was confident that once business returned to normal he could begin repaying the 30-year loan, which came with a low 3.75% interest rate and a 30-month deferment period. But when his business didn’t recover, the disaster loan turned out to be a disaster of its own. The Spice N Curry cafe relied heavily on traffic from FIU. Since many students and faculty were studying and working remotely both during and after the pandemic, Mazumdar’s lunch business took a major hit. As the losses mounted, he applied for additional EIDL funds and was extended another $87,000 loan the following year. Years before, it took the life of another farm worker at the same company Borrowers with EIDLs totaling more than $200,000 were required to personally guarantee the loan, which meant that if they default, the government would be able to seize their personal assets. Five years later, Mazumdar is struggling to make his monthly payments, and he’s losing faith that he’ll ever be able to fully repay the loans. Since Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (Cares) Act in March 2020, the federal government has issued 3.9m Covid-related EIDLs totaling $378.4bn to businesses that faced hardship as a result of the pandemic. The Small Business Administration (SBA) was tasked with administering the loans – up to $2m per individual applicant. Despite the attractive rates and flexible terms, according to a congressional report released earlier this year, EIDL defaults have steadily risen to over 30%, resulting in $75.2bn in charged-off loans as of last June. “Covid was an extinction event for tens of thousands of restaurants,” said Erika Polmar, executive director of the Independent Restaurant Coalition, a non-profit advocacy group for independent bars and restaurants in the US. “The ones that survived, if they didn’t receive [restaurant revitalization fund] grants, had to pay off all that debt from small businesses loans or EIDLs.
COP17: Which countries have released new pledges to tackle nature loss?
Some 58% of countries have met a UN call to submit new pledges on addressing nature loss – two years after the original deadline – according to Carbon Brief analysis. Countries were asked to submit new pledges, known as national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs), COP16 biodiversity summit in October 2024. After only 15% of nations met the original deadline, countries agreed at the summit to a new text that “urges” countries to release their NBSAPs “as soon as possible”. Carbon Brief analysis shows that 113 countries have now come forward with new NBSAPs – up from 55 nations a year ago. Countries will gather in Yerevan, Armenia, next week for COP17. COP17 marks the halfway point of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), a landmark agreement made in 2022 to reverse nature decline by 2030. The summit will provide the stage for the first global review of countries’ progress towards meeting the targets of the GBF. Global review In Montreal, Canada, in 2022, nearly every country in the world agreed to the GBF. The overall “mission” of the framework is to “halt and reverse” biodiversity loss by 2030. The GBF includes a list of 23 targets for 2030. They cover an expansive range of topics, including restoring ecosystems, addressing climate change and providing developing nations with finance to help cover the costs of protecting nature. As part of the GBF and its underlying documents, countries agreed to a schedule for monitoring their progress towards achieving the 2030 targets. This included the preparation of a “global report” of progress coordinated , which will inform a “global review” undertaken COP17. The global report draws on countries’ NBSAPs and national targets. It also draws on countries’ seventh national reports, which were due to be submitted to the UN in February of this year. Carbon Brief analysis shows that 113 out of 196 parties (58%) have now met the call to produce a new NBSAP – up from 55 nations just a year ago. Map . Since last year, many African nations have now published new NBSAPs. African countries that have released new plans in the last year include: Algeria, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Comoros, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Namibia, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Zambia and Zimbabwe. More South American nations have also published new NBSAPs. This includes Brazil – the world’s most biodiverse nation – as well as Belize and Chile. COP17 host nation Armenia published its new NBSAP in April.
Floundering North Carolina Fisheries Agency Endangers Workers and Wildlife
On a misty and breezy morning last fall, Marc Hamric, a North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries veteran, and two other technicians were conducting field work in Turnagain Bay, a remote area near Cedar Island. They had brought their boat ashore, but because the water was so rough, it came loose and floated away. One […]
Revealed: VW, Ford and Tesla batteries linked to destructive deforestation of indigenous lands
Deforestation in Indonesia linked to nickel mining. Photograph: Didi Hardiana, NGO Puspaham View image in fullscreen Deforestation in Indonesia linked to nickel mining. Photograph: Didi Hardiana, NGO Puspaham Revealed: VW, Ford and Tesla batteries linked to destructive deforestation of indigenous lands Mines in supply chains of western carmakers linked to widespread deforestation of primary rainforest in nickel-rich lands inhabited , Ford and Tesla are among the electric carmakers whose batteries may contain nickel mined in indigenous woodlands plagued by deforestation, an analysis has found, highlighting the struggle to make vehicles that are free from environmental destruction. Corporate disclosures and trade flows from the last two years show mines in the battery supply chains of automotive giants are linked to the loss of trees in Sulawesi, a wildlife hotspot in Indonesia that houses the world’s largest nickel deposits. The metal is widely used in cathodes in car batteries because it boosts energy density and increases range. Ore from the Cahaya and Hengjaya mines was traced through regional smelters and Chinese processing plants run , a cathode manufacturer that supplies CATL, the world’s largest battery maker. Huayou’s corporate reports list US and European carmakers as end-users, while additional corporate files and trade data show a separate route from Huayou to LG, a South Korean group that also supplies battery products to leading carmakers, via Poland. Environmental groups warn that a failure to curb the boom of material-hungry SUVs is exacerbating the destruction . Ore from the two mining concessions is sent to a nickel smelter in an industrial complex in Morowali, on Indonesia’s eastern coast, operated by Huayou’s local subsidiary, where limonite is refined into mixed hydroxide precipitate, the primary raw material used to make battery cathodes. In 2024, $606m worth of mixed hydroxide precipitate was shipped from the Morowali plant to ports in China, followed $470m in 2025. The processed ore was transported overland to Huayou cathode manufacturing sites in Quzhou, near Shanghai, and Yulin, near the border with Vietnam. View image in fullscreen Morowali industrial park on Indonesia’s eastern coast, operated by Huayou’s local subsidiary. Photograph: Stefano ValentinoPublic filings do not disclose specific volumes or timings of sales from Huayou to CATL, which would be needed to directly connect specific ore shipments to car batteries, but Huayou confirmed group-level supplies to CATL in response to a regulatory inquiry 2024. Chengdu B&M, a downstream subsidiary of Huayou, has also confirmed the supply of “large quantities” to CATL.
Living with a stink? Technology might help
The operators of Newby Island landfill have been ordered to take action over odours Milpitas, an affluent city in California's Silicon Valley tech hub, has an odour problem. For decades, residents have had to endure rank smells wafting from industrial sites, among them a 342-acre landfill. "When I first moved here, I could not open my window for over 10 years," says Chia-Ling Kong, an engineer for a tech firm who lives around half a mile from the dump. While things have got better in recent years, Kong says she and her neighbours must still contend with around "two or three hours of bad smells a day". Perhaps befitting Silicon Valley, the community is putting its hopes in technology. The operators of Newby Island landfill have been ordered . They have also been told to automate the collection of landfill gases responsible for smells. Kong is optimistic a data-driven approach will make a difference. "Hopefully with this continuous monitoring, it makes it easier to pinpoint problems at the moment it starts." The operators of the landfill say they are committed to operating it safely and protecting air quality. Just like in Milpitas, where Kong is part of a citizen's campaign against the odours, communities around the world are raising a stink about bad smells making day-to-day life miserable. Sometimes a rubbish dump is to blame, or it might be a sewage treatment works, or a reeking factory. When the complaints start stacking up, resolving them is not always simple. Many countries have no regulations in place dictating how to manage smells. In the US, for example, the Environmental Protection Agency does not regulate environmental odours as a pollutant. This leaves states and local governments to take charge of the issue. Urban sprawl is often part of the problem, bringing communities closer to stinky facilities that may historically have been kept at a distance. This is creating more demand for technologies to monitor and prevent smells. Odour consultant Micheal Bull says people are increasingly concerned about neighbourhood stinks. "You're getting developments being built nearer to odorous processes… as land has become more valuable, there is also infilling," Bull says. He is speaking about his experiences in the UK, but it's a similar story in many parts of the world. Bad smells from waste sites are among the most difficult to resolve The technologies used to tackle industrial pongs generally fall into three categories: they absorb odours; convert them into something less smelly through a chemical reaction; or burn them away.
COP17: Tracking progress towards the UN’s 2030 nature targets
Countries will meet in Armenia this month to carry out the first global review of progress towards meeting key nature targets by 2030. These targets – and the wider ambition to halt and reverse biodiversity loss around the world – were agreed in the landmark Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in 2022. But the ambitions will not be achieved in time for the 2030 deadline unless action “accelerates rapidly”, a key UN report found. It noted that nations are falling short on 22 of 23 nature targets, which focus on restoring ecosystems, increasing nature finance and reducing harmful subsidies. This report and other findings will inform the global progress review taking place at the COP17 biodiversity summit in Armenia over 19-30 October. The sections below summarise the report’s findings on where progress has – and has not – been made on each of the 23 targets. They also rank the extent to which countries have addressed each target on a national basis, using figures included in the report’s second draft but left out of the final version. Click on each target for more information. Key terms are defined throughout each section and in a glossary below. 1. Plan and manage areas for biodiversity Overall score 0.25 “Ensure that all areas are under participatory, integrated and biodiversity inclusive spatial planning and/or effective management processes…to bring the loss of areas of high biodiversity importance…close to zero by 2030, while respecting the rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities.” So far... 47% of countries have addressed at least half of the elements of the target. 49% of relevant national targets are on track or achieved. 50% of the way towards meeting the global target, according to key indicators. 44% of countries reported quantitative data on key indicators. Lack of progress “Major gaps” in integrating biodiversity into broader planning processes. Expanding implementation beyond protected areas. National targets often do not fully address integrated planning and participation requirements. Challenges include expanding implementation beyond protected areas. Good progress Developing “biodiversity-inclusive spatial planning and management”. Restore 30% of degraded ecosystems Overall score 0.5 “Ensure that by 2030 at least 30% of areas of degraded terrestrial, inland water and marine and coastal ecosystems are under effective restoration…” So far... 56% of countries have addressed at least half of the elements of the target. 46% of relevant national targets are on track or achieved. 50% of the way towards meeting the global target, according to key indicators. 39% of countries reported quantitative data on key indicators. Lack of progress Restoration commitments and implementation “below” levels needed to meet target. “Less progress” in marine, coastal and freshwater areas than land.
Severe drought declared in six areas of England as reservoirs run low
Ardingly reservoir, which serves about 95,000 properties, is only 19% full. Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters View image in fullscreen Ardingly reservoir, which serves about 95,000 properties, is only 19% full. Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters Severe drought declared in six areas of England as reservoirs run low Some reservoirs in south at critical levels as water companies call for extended restrictions that would affect golf clubs, private schools and car washes A severe drought has been declared in six areas of England, with some reservoirs at critically low levels, threatening public supplies. Parts of Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex have moved into severe drought, and urgent measures are being taken to secure public supplies of water after the UK experienced its hottest summer on record. Despite the crisis, the environment secretary, Angela Eagle, has yet to approve requests from three water companies, two in areas now in severe drought, to extend restrictions on water use to businesses such as golf clubs and commercial car washes. Emma Hardy, the water minister, indicated on Thursday that the environment could suffer in the continuing drought. Hardy instructed the Environment Agency to prioritise protecting public water supplies in areas affected -off between environmental rules and water supplies. Map of drought areas in EnglandAfter a meeting of the national drought group, Eagle, said: “This level of drought is something we have not experienced for decades, so this government is stepping up our support and planning. “We are working closely with water companies to protect public supplies in the areas affected, and I’d continue to urge everyone to think about how they can use water wisely over the coming weeks.” South East Water, South West Water and Southern Water want to impose non-essential user bans on businesses to protect supplies. This would affect golf clubs, private schools and commercial properties. But while Eagle called on water companies to step up their drought planning, she did not announce approval for the non-essential user bans. Could England and Wales ever run out of water? The south-east and south-west of England have experienced their driest April to September in more than a century, fuelled , affecting reservoir levels in those areas. Levels at two reservoirs are critically low. Ardingly reservoir, which serves about 95,000 properties in Haywards Heath, Uckfield and surrounding areas, is only 19% full. Storage at Wimbleball, which supplies South West Water customers in East Devon, North Devon, Somerset and West Dorset and Wessex Water customers in West Somerset, is at 16%.
Plan unveiled to increase share of land farmed organically in England to 10%
Some producers said ministers needed to provide financial backing if they wanted to see a significant transition to organic farming. Photograph: Cultura Creative (RF)/Alamy View image in fullscreen Some producers said ministers needed to provide financial backing if they wanted to see a significant transition to organic farming. Photograph: Cultura Creative (RF)/Alamy Plan unveiled to increase share of land farmed organically in England to 10% Government says ambition for 2036 will be good for food and climate resilience, but concerns remain over funding The government has set an ambition to increase the share of English land farmed organically to 10% by 2036, but concerns remain over how the transition will be funded. Currently, just 3.4% of England’s agricultural land is farmed organically, one of the smallest shares in Europe. France, for example, farms 10.4% of its land organically, and aims to increase this to 18% by 2027. Rob Haward, the chief executive of organic veg box company Riverford, said it was a reflection of organic farming having political backing in the EU. Whereas in England, the last organic farming plan was published more than two decades ago. The government’s new plan, which has been more than three years in the making, sets out a vision for growth in the organic sector, with public procurement – in schools and hospitals, for example – cited as a significant opportunity. The government already has a long-term ambition for 10% of public sector food spend to meet higher environmental production standards. The plan states that the organic sector can play a vital role in achieving this. The environment secretary, Angela Eagle, said the plan was about “opening up opportunities across the sector, from backing farmers already producing organic food to helping others decide whether it could work for their businesses”. She added: “Organic farming should not be treated as a niche. More people are looking closely at where their food comes from, how it is produced and whether it meets standards they value.” Haward said public procurement was “impenetrable” for small organic farms, but hoped the plan would be a “catalyst for growth”. However, he said the sector now needed proper backing from the government, including grant funding. In September, thousands of farmers were left empty-handed after the government’s sustainable farming incentive 2026 (SFI) funding was spent in just six hours. Morgan added that increasing the share of land farmed organically could bring down the price of organic food for consumers. “Currently the price of food is subsidised and we don’t pay for the environmental impact.