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A glimpse of a dipper brightens the day

A long weekend in the western Highlands of Scotland gave me the opportunity to catch up with several species I rarely get the chance to see. This was enhanced by our host’s desire to show us as much of this beautiful landscape as possible, which entailed going on very long walks, often involving dauntingly steep climbs. As I pointed out – in vain – I come from the lowlands of England, and “don’t do up”.

En route, in the wilds of Perthshire, we took an eight-mile hike around a valley. Even though autumn can sometimes be rather quiet, the place was thronged with birds. Meadow pipits sprang up constantly; bouncing through the air as if hanging on invisible strings of elastic, while uttering their distinctive “sip” call. They were joined by tight little flocks of siskins and redpolls, which I rarely see at home on the Somerset Levels.

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Source: Guardian Environment

Typhoon Koppu weaker but still dangerous, says Philippines government

Storm leaves at least two people dead and causes massive disruption and power cuts in nine provinces before slowing down

Typhoon Koppu has weakened after blowing ashore in the north-eastern Philippines, but not before it left at least two people dead, displaced 16,000 villagers and knocked out power in entire provinces, officials said.

Troops and police officers were deployed to rescue residents trapped in flooded villages in the provinces of Aurora, where the typhoon made landfall early on Sunday, and Nueva Ecija, where floodwaters swamped rice farmlands during harvest.

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Source: Guardian Environment

Solar industry bosses attack government over jobs and subsidies

One solar executive says the 87% cut in state subsidy is ‘obscene’, and will lead to thousands of job losses

Some of Britain’s most powerful solar executives have accused the government of mounting an ideologically driven campaign against their industry which has driven it into crisis.

Their criticism comes as a solar power company backed by the billionaire inventor Elon Musk has pulled out of the UK, becoming the fourth such firm to close in two weeks.

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Source: Guardian Environment

Josh Frydenberg puts 'strong moral case' for coal exports to prevent deaths

Energy minister says Australia’s coal exports to India can stop millions dying from burning toxic fuels, citing WHO figures that include deaths from coal stoves

There is a “strong moral case” for Australia to export coal to countries such as India in order to help prevent millions of deaths, Josh Frydenberg, the federal resources and energy minister, has claimed.

Related: Tony Abbott wrong on coal being ‘good for humanity’, Oxfam report finds

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Source: Guardian Environment

Thousands of rhinos, 500 poachers; grim toll in the hunt for prized horns

Hundreds of illegal hunters of the rhinoceros in South Africa’s Kruger national park have been shot dead by rangers in the past five years, but the temptation of a rich reward to end an impoverished life in Mozambique keeps them coming

The well-heeled tourists filing through the modest airport at Hoedspruit – Afrikaans for Hat Creek – look carefree and expectant. Guides are standing by to transport them to luxurious bush lodges offering spa treatments, campfire dinners and dawn and dusk game drives offering a potential glimpse of Africa’s “big five”.

But something is different from the safaris enjoyed by the privileged generations of the past. At the 36,000-acre Moditlo private game reserve near Kruger national park, for example, the rhinos do not have horns – they have been removed for their own safety. And during night safaris on dirt tracks under the majesty of a star-studded sky visitors are warned not to use torches, lest they be confused with poachers. When guests – usually affluent and white – gaze from air-conditioned bedrooms into the perfect darkness of the bush, few are likely to consider the murderous chase taking place there between poacher, ranger and rhino. For the poachers – usually poor and black – the risks are immense, but so are the rewards.

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Source: Guardian Environment

Prospect of TTIP already undermining EU food standards, say campaigners

Opponents of Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership say EU negotiator has admitted to approving entry of banned goods

EU negotiators will resume controversial trade talks with the US on Monday amid claims that multinational companies have jumped the gun in advance of any agreement to import goods that are currently banned – including genetically modified crops and chemically washed beef – into European markets.

A campaign group says that a report in a US journal concerning the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) talks show that Europe is already capitulating to huge pressure from the US to allow imports of previously banned goods before an agreement is reached.

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Source: Guardian Environment

Arctic powers gather for Alaska talks as pace of global warming threatens ice cap

US to host summit of polar nations as fears grow that the Earth’s frozen wastes are losing their ability to deflect harmful rays

Scientists in Alaska will raise the vexed issue of methane and “black carbon” pollution as they discuss tipping-point dangers posed by global warming in the Arctic.

A crucial meeting of the Arctic Council, in Anchorage, comes amid evidence that the polar region is warming faster than any other place on Earth and that sea ice coverage there has shrunk by nearly a third since 1979. Researchers now fear that new threats to climate stability are about to be unleashed in the Arctic. Warming in high latitudes is causing permafrost in Siberia and northern Canada to thaw and release plumes of methane stored there, they say. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas and these releases threaten to trigger secondary rises in global temperatures.

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Source: Guardian Environment

Fall colors in North America: Send us your best photos of autumn foliage

Wait for the light to be right and then snap stunning scenes of fall colors. Share your best photographs via GuardianWitness – we’ll feature our favorites

Beautiful fall leaves have started to paint hills and valleys across the United States and Canada. Whether you’re enjoying the warm autumn hues in the park, the forest or your own backyard, we’d love to see the colors of the season wherever you are. Share your best photo with us.

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Source: Guardian Environment

Sierra Leone's stinking seaweed linked to Caribbean invasion

Proliferation of thick brown algae is affecting fishing, tourism and marine life on both sides of the Atlantic, say scientists

The pristine white beaches may not be as famous as those of the Caribbean, but their unspoilt beauty makes them a haven for locals and tourists alike.

But now the shimmering coastline of Sierra Leone is being destroyed by a mysterious brown seaweed which scientists link to a similar invasion affecting beaches thousands of miles away on the other side of the Atlantic.

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Source: Guardian Environment

American coast braced for El Niño return

Oceanic warming event could wreak havoc in western Pacific but provide respite from US fires

Back in March, following months of speculation, the US Climate Prediction Service declared the official start of El Niño. The first such event since 2009 and currently building across the Pacific, El Niño refers to a period of oceanic temperature changes coupled with atmospheric effects that can be a blessing or a curse for those on the receiving end.

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Source: Guardian Environment