The Guardian

Nanoparticles found in foetal brains and hearts, but impact on human health is as yet unknown

Tiny plastic particles in the lungs of pregnant rats pass rapidly into the hearts, brains and other organs of their foetuses, research shows. It is the first study in a live mammal to show that the placenta does not block such particles.

The experiments also showed that the rat foetuses exposed to the particles put on significantly less weight towards the end of gestation. The research follows the revelation in December of small plastic particles in human placentas, which scientists described as “a matter of great concern”. Earlier laboratory research on human placentas donated by mothers after birth has also shown polystyrene beads can cross the placental barrier.

WallStreetBets members spend gains on donations for endangered animals also including elephants and turtles

Gorillas, elephants, pangolins and sea turtles have been handed a lifeline by amateur investors who played the stock market at its own game.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent helping endangered animals by users of a Reddit trading tips community, giving conservation organisations across the world a much-needed financial boost during a difficult year.

Car industry dismayed as green car subsidy cap also lowered with immediate effect

The UK government has cut grants for electric car buyers, to the horror of the automotive industry as it tries to rapidly shift away from fossil fuels.

The maximum grant for electric cars has been reduced to £2,500 with immediate effect on Thursday, from £3,000. The government has also lowered the price cap for cars eligible for the subsidy from £50,000 to £35,000.

The chemicals to blame for our reproductive crisis are found everywhere and in everything

The end of humankind? It may be coming sooner than we think, thanks to hormone-disrupting chemicals that are decimating fertility at an alarming rate around the globe. A new book called Countdown, by Shanna Swan, an environmental and reproductive epidemiologist at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, finds that sperm counts have dropped almost 60% since 1973. Following the trajectory we are on, Swan’s research suggests sperm counts could reach zero by 2045. Zero. Let that sink in. That would mean no babies. No reproduction. No more humans. Forgive me for asking: why isn’t the UN calling an emergency meeting on this right now?

Related: US urged to cut 50% of emissions by 2030 to spur other countries to action

Report reveals feasibility study of Collinsvale coal-fired power plant did not meet two of the eligibility requirements

Advice underpinning the decision to spend $4m on a feasibility study into a coal-fired power station at Collinsville in north Queensland was only “partially appropriate”, the auditor general has said.

On Thursday the Australian National Audit Office released its report into the controversial decision to assist Shine Energy with an ad-hoc grant it was invited to apply for after its selection was publicly announced.

Exclusive: documents seen by Guardian show companies fought clean-air rules despite being aware of harm caused by air pollution

The oil industry knew at least 50 years ago that air pollution from burning fossil fuels posed serious risks to human health, only to spend decades aggressively lobbying against clean air regulations, a trove of internal documents seen by the Guardian reveal.

The documents, which include internal memos and reports, show the industry was long aware that it created large amounts of air pollution, that pollutants could lodge deep in the lungs and be “real villains in health effects”, and even that its own workers may be experiencing birth defects among their children.

National Trust aims to build on success of last year’s campaign and help lift lockdown gloom

The valley garden of Glendurgan on the banks of the Helford River in Cornwall is already bright with spring blossom – vivid pinks, deep purples, the purest of whites. “It’s an extraordinary sight after the tough winter we’ve had,” said the head gardener, John Lanyon. “It feels inspiring, blissful.”

The blossom comes early in this sheltered spot in the far south-west of England, and over the coming days, weeks and months the spectacular colours will steadily spread east and north.

Boris Johnson set the goal, but the developers of the Beha had to get private investment for their unique craft

In the shadows of the old Spitfires and Hurricanes that helped win the Battle of Britain, Faradair, a UK startup operating from the historic Duxford airfield, is hoping to help Britain fight the new war against climate change by developing a revolutionary 18-seat bioelectric hybrid plane which will eventually, hopes its designer, be carbon neutral.

The plane, currently in development, will use electric motors to power take-off and landing, the part of any flight with the highest noise and carbon emissions. Once cruising, at a speed of about 230mph, the plane will switch to its turbogenerator, powered by biofuel, which will also recharge the motors with assistance from solar panels, ready for the aircraft’s descent.

Researchers found cows belched out 82% less methane after putting small amount of seaweed in their feed for five months

Feeding seaweed to cows is a viable long-term method to reduce the emission of planet-heating gases from their burps and flatulence, scientists have found.

Researchers who put a small amount of seaweed into the feed of cattle over the course of five months found that the new diet caused the bovines to belch out 82% less methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere.

Dominic Raab says he’s confident the Morrison government ‘will step up to the plate’ before Cop26 summit in Glasgow

The British foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, has stressed he expects Australia to “stretch” climate commitments and set out a plan to meet them before a major summit later this year.

The Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, continues to shift how he talks about the climate crisis without making new commitments to address it. But Raab expressed confidence the Morrison government would “step up to the plate” on climate.

Dragging heavy nets across seabed disturbs marine sediments, world’s largest carbon sink, scientists report

Fishing boats that trawl the ocean floor release as much carbon dioxide as the entire aviation industry, according to a groundbreaking study.

Bottom trawling, a widespread practice in which heavy nets are dragged along the seabed, pumps out 1 gigaton of carbon every year, says the study written by 26 marine biologists, climate experts and economists and published in Nature on Wednesday.

Nearly 8m addresses affected by high levels of toxic particulates and nitrogen dioxide

One in four UK homes are surrounded by air pollution exceeding safety limits set by the World Health Organization, a study has shown following research revealing that road pollution affects virtually every part of Britain.

Nearly 8m UK addresses are affected by high levels of particulate matter or nitrogen dioxide, the study commissioned by campaigning group the Central Office of Public Interest (Copi) showed.

Campaigners welcome ruling that ‘tradition is no excuse’ and practice is not selective and breaks EU rules

European judges have ordered France to outlaw the hunting of songbirds using glue sticks, a practice described by campaigners as barbaric and a threat to endangered species.

French hunters argued the method was traditional and justified exemption from an EU ban introduced in 1979.

Statement by energy secretary is the clearest indication yet of opposition within the government

There are “very compelling reasons” not to open a controversial planned coalmine in Cumbria, the business and energy secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, said on Wednesday.

The statement is the clearest indication to date of opposition to the project within the government, which has been heavily criticised for allowing the mine as the UK prepares to host a vital UN climate change summit, Cop26.

Whalers’ logbooks show rapid drop in strike rate in north Pacific due to changes in cetacean behaviour

A remarkable new study on how whales behaved when attacked by humans in the 19th century has implications for the way they react to changes wreaked by humans in the 21st century.

The paper, published by the Royal Society on Wednesday, is authored by Hal Whitehead and Luke Rendell, pre-eminent scientists working with cetaceans, and Tim D Smith, a data scientist, and their research addresses an age-old question: if whales are so smart, why did they hang around to be killed? The answer? They didn’t.

Investigation appears to show unnecessary cruelty, suffering and disregard for Covid health precautions at more than a dozen farms

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Campaigners are urging the UK government to ban fur imports after an investigation appeared to show widespread animal abuse and disregard for Covid-19 health protocols at more than a dozen fur farms in China.

Videos and photos from 19 farms visited in northern and north-eastern China last November and December appear to show foxes and raccoon dogs packed tightly in unsanitary cages and animals being electrocuted in ways that prolong their pain before death, often in front of others awaiting the same fate.

Their habitat is getting chopped down a lot - not really a surprise. While sad, it has become the cause du jour for men’s rights activists

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Changes to taxes and planning laws, and a national approach, should be priorities to make Australia a leader in the rollout of low-emissions vehicles

Technological advances aimed at responding to climate change are happening at a dazzling pace around the world. We are seeing this most dramatically in the energy sector, with renewable sources having so quickly become the most cost-effective solutions to so much of our future energy needs, including in Australia.

One area of technological potential where change is coming more slowly in Australia, though, is the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs). While EV sales had significant growth before the pandemic, the market share remains just 0.75% of new car sales.

From a glacial river to a lion fight, 2020’s winning shots in 13 categories reflect the natural world’s splendour

• Dubai’s stray cat cafe – in pictures

New research has found that a loss of song culture could be a big problem for one of Australia’s rarest songbirds. A lack of adult males passing on mating calls to younger birds may have forced some to pick up the tunes of other species. Females are less likely to pair and nest with those singing unusual songs, causing further problems for dwindling populations. Conservationists are trying a new technique to arrest this decline, playing songs captured in the wild to birds bred in captivity

• How an endangered Australian songbird is forgetting its love songs