Juneau’s residents are divided over whether to embrace the economic benefits of millions of visitors, or reclaim their town from an industry that has reshaped it
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“The noise never stops,” says Karla Hart, her voice competing with the hum of approaching helicopters. “I can feel them before I see them.” She looks at her phone to check a website that monitors air traffic and identifies operators. Hart wants to know whether the pilots are adhering to legal flight routes.
A few minutes later, five helicopters, flying in formation, crisscross the grey October skies above Hart’s home in Juneau, Alaska’s capital. “I get groups of two to five helicopters flying over my house every 20 minutes. On any given day, that adds up to 50 to 75 flights. It’s impossible to enjoy my garden or concentrate on work.”
Cruise passengers disembark to explore Juneau, Alaska, in September. Vessels like the Ovation of the Seas can carry more than 4,000 passengers. Photograph: Ed Ou/The Guardian
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Breaking Waves: Ocean News
11/29/2024 - 08:00
11/29/2024 - 07:23
Ban on new petrol and diesel cars starts in 2030 but government may change rules for some models
Car manufacturers may be allowed to sell Toyota Prius-style hybrid models in the UK until 2035, as the government looks at ways to loosen electric vehicle sales rules.
Earlier this week the government launched a fast-track consultation to determine what types of electric vehicles carmakers can sell after a ban on new petrol and diesel cars, which is due to come into force from 2030.
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11/29/2024 - 04:06
Our wildlife series Young Country Diary is looking for articles written by children, about their winter encounters with nature
Once again, the Young Country Diary series is open for submissions! Every three months, as the UK enters a new season, we ask you to send us an article written by a child aged 8-14.
The article needs to be about a recent encounter they’ve had with nature – whether it’s a majestic deer, a busy rock pool or a yomp in the woods.
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11/29/2024 - 03:00
The Tories’ targets glossed over the impact on carmakers and cash-strapped drivers – but the move to net zero won’t be cheap or simple
Have cake, will eat. For years it has been the default political response to awkward questions about the climate crisis, with successive governments insisting that going green would create jobs, not destroy them, and that the planet could be saved without stifling growth or demanding uncomfortable sacrifices. Keir Starmer promised only this month not to “tell people how to live their lives”, suggesting the road to net zero would not be quite as painful as some think. And then, this week, he hit a pothole.
The carmaker Stellantis, which owns Vauxhall, announced it was closing its van factory in Luton, putting 1,100 jobs at risk; its rival Ford is axing 800 jobs. In Sunderland, Nissan has warned of an industry at “crisis point”.
Gaby Hinsliff is a Guardian columnist
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11/29/2024 - 03:00
The best of this week’s wildlife photographs from around the world
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11/29/2024 - 02:00
It is one of the world’s most dangerous materials, and global leaders are meeting in South Korea to thrash out a treaty to curb its effects
This week, world leaders are gathering in Busan, South Korea, to hammer out a global plastics treaty to try to curb pollution from one of the most dangerous materials on the planet. While such a high-level event might seem far removed from our everyday lives, it is the products we use every day that are at the heart of the negotiations. Some plastics are worse than others and have a unique impact in various parts of the world. Here, we look at five of the worst offenders.
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11/29/2024 - 01:00
Early deaths from air pollution in US could be reduced by between 4,000 and 15,000 a year by 2035, study shows
The burning of fossil fuels that harms our climate also produces air pollution that damages ecosystems and harms our health. But we fail to tally up the benefits of reduced air pollution in our climate policies, and overlook opportunities to tackle these problems together.
A reminder of this failure is illustrated in a new study which has found that reduced air pollution from net zero policies in the US could result in a health gain of between $65bn (£51bn) and $128bn in 2035 alone.
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11/29/2024 - 01:00
Satellite data analysis suggests algal blooms could be behind mass die-off in Botswana that sparked flurry of theories in 2020
More than 350 elephants that died in mysterious circumstances probably drank toxic water, according to a new paper that warns of an “alarming trend” in climate-induced poisoning.
The deaths in Botswana’s Okavango delta were described by scientists as a “conservation disaster”. Elephants of all ages were seen walking in circles before collapsing and dying. Carcasses were first spotted in north-eastern Botswana in May and June 2020, with many theories circulating about the cause of death, including cyanide poisoning or an unknown disease.
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11/29/2024 - 00:21
Lord Howe Island is thriving, and so are the raucous local woodhens
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11/29/2024 - 00:00
‘Trees of hope’ will be planted across the UK, including at a prison and a children’s hospital, in National Trust scheme
Saplings from the felled Sycamore Gap tree are to be planted across the UK, including next to one of London’s most famous roads, at a rural category C prison and at a motor neurone disease centre opening in the name of the late rugby league star Rob Burrow.
The National Trust on Friday announced the recipients of 49 saplings it has called “trees of hope”.
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