Unearthed

Marsupials previously thought extinct for millennia discovered in New Guinea The chances of finding one mammal species thought to be lost was ‘almost zero’ and finding two is ‘unprecedented’, biologist Tim Flannery says

Say hello to the pygmy long-fingered possum and the ring-tailed glider, two species of marsupial that scientists believed had long been extinct

Quote from the FT: If the disruption continues, consumers could see higher prices for bread within six to 10 weeks, eggs within a few months and pork and broiler chicken within six months, estimates Raj Patel, food system expert at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs.

Fertiliser disruption from Iran conflict prompts global food shortage warnings Prices have jumped and exports been hit as war puts pressure on one of the world’s largest producers

The Iran war is driving fertiliser prices higher, posing risks to global food supply chains.

“We shouldn’t underestimate what this potentially could mean for global food production,” the CEO of Europe's biggest fertiliser company warns.

www.ft.com/content/7efe...

Middle East war strengthens case for renewables, says Microsoft energy chief Oil and gas price shocks triggered by conflict reignite discussion about building defences to volatile fuel costs

Meanwhile Microsoft's head of energy supplies says the war is highlighting the importance of renewable energy as protection against price swings in fossil fuels

UK firms pull fixed energy deals as Iran war pushes up prices Data suggests the number of fixed-term deals has more than halved as prices for wholesale energy surge.

UK energy companies are withdrawing fixed-rate deals as the war in Iran has caused a spike in oil and gas prices

Vanuatu moves forward with UN climate resolution despite Trump opposition Pacific island says the US weakened its proposal to advance a key climate ruling but vows to hold major polluters accountable

The tiny island nation of Vanuatu is defying the Trump administration's demands that it drops a 'loss and damage' UN resolution that could see countries paying reparations if they fail to act on the climate crisis.

Vanuatu removed sections of the proposal but is pushing ahead with the resolution.

Trump’s High-Profile Oil and Gas Lease Sale in Alaska Has No Takers

There were no bids on a Trump administration auction to drill in Alaska, undermining the US president’s push to expand domestic oil production.

www.nytimes.com/2026/03/04/c...

Global sea levels have been underestimated due to poor modelling, research suggests Analysis shows average levels are 30cm higher than thought, and up to 150cm in south-east Asia and Indo-Pacific

Sea level rise could impact coastal communities sooner than thought, an new study has found

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

UK slashes climate aid programmes for developing countries Exclusive: Schemes worth hundreds of millions of pounds to protect biodiversity and oceans likely to be substantially reduced

UK climate programmes worth hundreds of millions of pounds have been in effect axed due to budget cuts, while others have been significantly reduced in scope, the Guardian reveals.

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Dublin now has the worst ferry air pollution in Europe, the analysis found.

It was followed by Las Palmas in the Canary Islands and Holyhead in Wales.

Ferry pollution worse than cars in many European port cities Ferries in Europe emit more CO2 than 6.6 million cars and are responsible for more air pollution than all the cars in major cities like Barcelona, Dublin…

Major port cities like Dublin, Naples and Barcelona face more toxic sulphur pollution from ferries than from all the cars on their roads, according to new analysis from @transportenvironment.org

www.transportenvironment.org/articles/fer...

Read the original investigation for an in-depth list of the EU-banned pesticides that are still used on British farms - and the crops they are sprayed on

unearthed.greenpeace.org/2026/02/18/e...

Two-page spread in the I newspaper titled "Foods to always buy organic... and ones that are not worth it". Article explores which foods are grown in the UK using pesticides that are banned in the EU because of links to health risks like cancer and infertility.

Great coverage in today's i paper of Unearthed's latest investigation!

In Britain, strawberries, raspberries and potatoes are still grown using pesticides that are banned in the EU because of links to cancer and infertility.

(Link to the original UE story in thread)

inews.co.uk/inews-lifest...

Seals, shipwrecks and a screaming swallower: Underwater Photographer of the Year 2026 – in pictures The annual competition draws thousands of entries from across the world and brings together images from below the water’s surface that show the diversity and challenges of subaquatic life

A playful sperm whale, an octopus guarding her young and an otherworldly "screaming swallower": there are some absolutely gorgeous shots in this year's Underwater Photographer of the Year competition

What Your DNA Reveals About the Sex Life of Neanderthals

Scientists studying fragments of DNA in our genome say they are shedding light on ancient human-neanderthal couplings

Judge Axes Exxon’s Defamation Suit Against Environmentalists

A Texas judge has dismissed Exxon's defamation case against environmental groups it claimed tried to sabotage its plastics recycling program - but has allowed a parallel case against California’s attorney general to stand

'Birdbrain' benefits: How being an expert birdwatcher may boost cognition New research shows that seasoned birders — including older adults — had denser tissue in parts of the brain tied to attention and perception.

Who are you calling birdbrain? 🐦🪶🦅

Good news for twitchers: A new study has found birdwatching might reshape the brain and protect against cognitive decline in aging.

US ‘bullying’ could scupper carbon levy on shipping, warn experts Panama joins smaller nations in dropping support for policy aimed at cutting maritime emissions

US “bullying” over a proposed shipping carbon levy may be working, say experts, after key maritime state Panama reversed its support

The shipping industry accounts for about 3% of the world’s carbon output

'Birdbrain' benefits: How being an expert birdwatcher may boost cognition New research shows that seasoned birders — including older adults — had denser tissue in parts of the brain tied to attention and perception.

Who are you calling birdbrain? 🐦🪶🦅

Good news for twitchers: A new study has found birdwatching might reshape the brain and protect against cognitive decline in aging.

Earth's heat to produce electricity for homes in UK clean energy first Water super-heated by rocks will also provide the UK's first domestic supply of the critical mineral lithium.

A Cornish power plant that switched on this morning is the UK's first to generate electricity from underground heat. The project relies on three-mile deep boreholes and will generate enough energy for 10,000 homes

Tropical plants flowering months earlier or later because of climate crisis – study Changes threaten ecosystems as flowering falls out of sync with fruit-eating, seed-dispersing animals and pollinators

Climate change is shifting the flowering seasons of tropical plants - sometimes by months, a study of 200 years of museum data has found

Amazon riverfolk warn blasting rocks for shipping route will kill fisheries Generations of fishers have called these rocky formations home. Now, they say Brazil is not hearing their knowledge.

As Brazil moves to explode the deep, rocky river territory of the Lourenção Rocks, locals on the Tocantins River say the government’s refusal to recognize them as “impacted” excludes thousands of fishers from protections.

Tiffany Higgins for @mongabay.com

news.mongabay.com/2026/02/amaz...

Chronic ocean heating fuels ‘staggering’ loss of marine life, study finds Fish levels fall by 7.2% with as little as 0.1C of warming per decade, northern hemisphere research shows

Chronic ocean heating is causing a “staggering and deeply concerning” loss of marine life, a new study of over 33,000 populations has found

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Bathing water quality at some top beaches can drop sharply in winter, internal Environment Agency study finds

The finding comes after an Unearthed investigation last year revealed that water quality at top-rated beaches can drop sharply in winter.

Historically, these sites have only been monitored in summer

unearthed.greenpeace.org/2024/10/02/w...

‘It was terrifying’: hundreds fall sick after swimming in bathing waters More than 1,200 people became ill last year, despite most waters being rated good or excellent. One mother said ‘no family should have to go through this’

More than 1,200 people got sick last year after swimming in officially designated English swimming spots last year, despite most of those waters being rated 'good' or 'excellent'

New data from @sascampaigns.bsky.social

www.thetimes.com/uk/environme...

Reform mayor courted US oil and gas executive about fracking in UK Exclusive: Documents show Andrea Jenkyns asked how she could help firm after major gas find in Lincolnshire

Last June, Lincolnshire's Reform party mayor Andrea Jenkyns emailed the general inbox of a US company that wants to start fracking her county.

She asked ask how she "could help". The chief exec replied 11 minutes later.

This is how the relationship blossomed:

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

NEW from me: Pesticides that are banned in the EU because of links to health risks like infertility are still in 'major' use in Britain

Now they could be banned here under a planned deal with the EU, but the pesticide lobby is fighting back

Full list here:

unearthed.greenpeace.org/2026/02/18/e...

Plug-in hybrids use three times more fuel than manufacturers claim, analysis finds While most hybrids are said to use one to two litres of fuel per 100km, a study claims they need six litres on average

A large-scale analysis of plug-in hybrids has found that they use three times more fuel than manufacturers claim

Amazon deforestation on pace to be the lowest on record, says Brazil Brazil’s latest satellite alerts indicate that deforestation in the Amazon has continued to fall into early 2026, extending a downward trend that began after a sharp rise earlier in the decade. Data r...

Some heartening news from Brazil 💚🌴🌳

Deforestation from August 2025 through January 2026 has fallen to its lowest level for that period since 2014

British fruit and veg treated with ‘toxic’ pesticides Ten substances linked to medical issues including infertility are no longer allowed in the EU, but continue to be sprayed on UK crops

British fruit and veg treated with ‘toxic’ #pesticides

- Ten substances linked to medical issues including infertility are no longer allowed in the EU, but continue to be sprayed on UK crops

Story by @adamvaughan.bsky.social and @unearthednews.bsky.social

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www.thetimes.com/uk/environme...