Datacentres are a ticking timebomb. We must make sure AI’s benefits outweigh the costs | Nicki Hutley

8 July 2026 at 16:00

They suck up energy and water, and blast out heat. Just who is better off from all this investment – aside from tech bros?

The two great existential threats of our time – the climate crisis and AI – come hurtling together in the explosion of datacentres across Australia and around the world.

You can hardly avoid hearing about them these days, either with awed reverence of the promised benefits to humankind or with fear and anger given the implications for the climate, inflation, jobs and even housing affordability.

Fuel on the fire: why oil companies are profiting as the world gets dangerously hot

The Guardian - Energy

By: Jonathan Watts

7 July 2026 at 07:00

The scientific consensus is that burning fossil fuels drives the climate crisis, yet the world’s biggest oil companies are planning to increase production

As the world swelters in ever more dangerous heat, why are oil companies being allowed to turn up the gas instead of paying for the consequences of their greed?

That ought to be the question on everyone’s minds amid baking heat domes over much of the northern hemisphere, temperature records being smashed day after day, children dying in locked cars, hospitals filling with heatstroke victims and emergency services tackling wildfires.

GB News co-owner ‘cashing in on climate chaos’ after leap in fossil fuel investments, critics say

The Guardian - Energy

By: Damian Carrington and Sam Bright

6 July 2026 at 15:00

Exclusive: Campaigners argue news channel’s attacks on climate action ‘work in financial interests’ of Sir Paul Marshall

The hedge fund run by the co-owner of GB News almost tripled its investments in fossil fuel companies in the first quarter of 2026 to $2.8bn (£2.1bn), the Guardian can reveal.

Critics have accused Sir Paul Marshall of “cashing in on climate chaos” and have claimed the news channel, which frequently attacks climate science and action, was “working in its owner’s financial interests”.

We can live without AI, but can we live without clean water? | Letters

The Guardian - Energy

By: Guardian Staff

1 July 2026 at 17:12

Readers respond to an article about Erin Brockovich’s battle against datacentres and voice their fears for the environment

What are the benefits obtained from AI’s massive use of electricity and water (‘We’re up against forces that have all the money in the world’: Erin Brockovich on her battle against AI datacentres, 29 June)? Analysis shows that the top four uses of AI are “therapy/companionship”, “technical assistance and troubleshooting”, “fun and nonsense”, and “fan fiction and storytelling”.

AI use for therapy, and due to loneliness, appears not to reduce loneliness. AI provides affirmation, but at the expense of reducing the social skills needed to interact in the real world. Teachers report that students’ use of AI reduces their capacity for critical thinking.

Populist and rightwing figures take aim at Ed Miliband and UK net zero policies at ‘anti-woke Davos’

The Guardian - Energy

By: Ben Quinn Political correspondent

23 June 2026 at 19:45

Kemi Badenoch, who joined US anti-abortion activists and European far-right parties at ARC, described energy secretary as a ‘villain’

Britain’s net zero policies and the energy secretary, Ed Miliband, have come under fire at a conference of conservatives, rightwing populists and wealthy US backers linked to Donald Trump.

The energy policies pursued by the British government were described as a “tragic mistake” by Trump’s energy secretary, one of a number of officials from the US administration attending the event.

Starmer has a strong green record – but a rightwing backlash weakened his plans

The Guardian - Energy

By: Fiona Harvey Environment editor

22 June 2026 at 12:19

Prime minister was forced to row back on some policies despite strong support among voters for climate action

Keir Starmer has faced a problem no Labour government has needed to deal with before. His energy and climate policies – core to solving the cost of living crisis – have come under attack from opposition parties, which have made dismantling the agenda one of their top priorities, second only to immigration, in their pitch to voters.

This is new in British politics, where a cross-party consensus on the climate and environment has held at least since the days of Margaret Thatcher. She warned the UN of the climate crisis in 1988; David Cameron in 2006 urged voters to “vote blue, go green”; Theresa May enshrined in law the requirement to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050; Boris Johnson championed the Cop26 UN climate summit in Glasgow in 2021; even Rishi Sunak only tried a partial rollback of green policies as a last desperate throw before calling an election.

A Cyclone Killed 7% of the World’s Rarest Great Ape

ZME Science

By: Tudor Tarita

19 June 2026 at 16:51

Orangutan sitting among green leaves in a jungle setting.

Extreme rain and landslides pushed Tapanuli orangutans closer to extinction.

‘Mega-consumers’ of food and energy cost environment $5.7tn a year, study finds

The Guardian - Energy

By: Jonathan Watts Global environment writer

18 June 2026 at 16:00

Top 10% generate climate and biodiversity damage bill that exceeds economies of most countries, say researchers

The environmental damage bill racked up by the highest-consuming 10% of the world’s population has reached up to $5.7tn a year – larger than the economy of every country except the US and China, a study has found.

Mega-consumers in this group are concentrated in the global north, accounting for more than half the population of the US and 40-45% of people in the EU.

Channel Migrants Placed on Question Time by Campaigners at BBC’s Invitation

The Daily Sceptic

By: Will Jones

17 June 2026 at 19:00

Small-boat migrants who appeared on a controversial episode of Question Time where Reform's Zia Yusuf was "ambushed" were placed there by campaigners at the invitation of the BBC.

The post Channel Migrants Placed on Question Time by Campaigners at BBC’s Invitation appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Australia can switch from fossil fuel exports to renewables, says next Cop president

The Guardian - Energy

By: Fiona Harvey in Bonn and Adam Morton

13 June 2026 at 01:00

Climate minister Chris Bowen says country must prepare for changing world and can play bigger role in reducing emissions

Australia will find exporting fossil fuels increasingly difficult but can switch to exporting clean energy products, the president of the next UN climate negotiations has declared.

Speaking at a climate conference in Bonn, Germany, Chris Bowen, Australia’s minister for climate change and energy, argued his country had led the global push to “transition away from fossil fuels” – based on the rapid growth of renewable energy and batteries in its domestic power grids – and that its economy could manage the switch.

Two-Tier Tears: Don’t Politicise the Grief of Henry Nowak’s Parents, Warns Starmer – Whilst Politicising the Grief of Henry Nowak’s Parents

The Daily Sceptic

By: Steven Tucker

11 June 2026 at 15:04

Respect Henry Nowak's family’s wishes and don’t exploit his death, intoned Starmer. But when murdered Rhiannon Whyte's mother demanded an end to illegal immigration, Starmer didn't want to know, says Steven Tucker.

The post Two-Tier Tears: Don’t Politicise the Grief of Henry Nowak’s Parents, Warns Starmer – Whilst Politicising the Grief of Henry Nowak’s Parents appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

The rightwing campaign to control how US judges view the climate crisis

The Guardian - Energy

By: Dharna Noor

10 June 2026 at 13:00

US energy secretary Chris Wright featured in seminars to judges when he was a fracking executive

As cities and states sue big oil for billions in damages over allegations that it covered up the dangers of its products, rightwing organizations are attempting to discredit the wave of litigation. They claim the lawyers behind it are teaming up with an environmentally focused legal education non-profit to bias federal judges against oil companies.

But it is actually fossil fuel-backed organizations that are attempting to sway the judiciary in their favor, one of those law firms is countering. Evidence of this includes judicial seminars hosted by one such group featuring pro-industry speakers such as the current energy secretary, Chris Wright, in his former occupation as a fracking executive.

‘Electrify daily life’, urges Cop31 host

The Guardian - Energy

By: Fiona Harvey in Bonn · and Adam Morton

9 June 2026 at 12:00

Third of world’s energy needs should come from electricity by 2035, says Murat Kurum, as priorities set out for this year’s UN climate summit

The world should aim to meet a third of its energy needs from electricity within a decade to cut greenhouse gas emissions, the host of the next UN climate summit has said.

While about a third of global electricity generation already comes from renewable sources, other energy-intensive sectors – chiefly transport, heating and industries – have lagged behind. Close to four-fifths of final energy still comes from fossil fuels, as a result.

Trump uses wartime powers to dole out $700m to ‘clean, beautiful’ coal

The Guardian - Energy

By: Oliver Milman and Dharna Noor

4 June 2026 at 21:22

US president announces plans for two new coal plants, in Alaska and West Virginia, using Defense Production Act

Donald Trump is using wartime presidential authority to hand $700m to coal-fired power plants in the US, the latest move by the president to bolster what he called “clean, beautiful coal”, despite it being the dirtiest of fossil fuels.

“Today, we’re taking historic action to bring down the price of energy and the cost of living for all Americans with the power of clean, beautiful coal,” he said at a press conference on Thursday.

‘Happiness is not just about GDP’: ambitious plan or utopia?

The Guardian - Energy

By: Jonathan Watts

4 June 2026 at 07:28

Some will question its credibility – but the alternative future to the one imagined in the Global Justice Report is far more bleak

‘An equal and habitable world is possible’: academics set out sweeping vision for planetary survival

In our increasingly dystopian world, who wouldn’t want to at least be open to a utopian antidote? The Global Justice Report, published on Thursday, outlines how to build a prosperous, equitable world within safe planetary boundaries. It’s a push from the modern eco-socialist left in a global battle for ideas that will shape the future.

Based on past social achievements and future energy transformation, it indicates that the overwhelming majority of people on the planet could, by the end of the century, work less and earn more – while keeping temperatures down and avoiding much of the current destruction of nature. It is an ambitious, comprehensive and upbeat plan, and a stronger argument around which to build a political campaign than abstract goals of net zero or decarbonisation.

Climate Alarmist Bill Gates Slams “Doomsday” View of the Climate Change Cult

Bible Science Forum

By: John Gideon Hartnett

29 October 2025 at 21:05

This may be stunning news! The infamous climate alarmist Bill Gates now slams the “Doomsday” view of the Climate Change Cult, adopting a surprising change of tone on so-called ‘global warming’ in a setback to the green socialist movement.

The False Choice | Israel or Terrorism

Bible Science Forum

By: John Gideon Hartnett

27 June 2025 at 05:51

I critique the portrayal of the Israel-terrorist binary choice, emphasizing that true followers of Jesus Christ should advocate for peace rather than support wars driven by greed or ideology, instead promote love and coexistence among diverse beliefs.

US National Debt Predicts the Next Big Financial Crisis

Bible Science Forum

By: John Gideon Hartnett

12 December 2024 at 03:31

Recently the US National Debt peaked at approximately $35.46 trillion, with a few notable rapid increases during financial crises. The debt's growth rate predicts another financial crisis by mid-2025 that could surpass previous crises. Preparations for significant economic challenges are advised.

Exclusive: Leaked documents show BHP’s climate backtrack - podcast

The Guardian - Energy

By: Presented by Nour Haydar · with Christopher Knaus. Produced by Miles Herbert and Joe Koning who also did the sound design and mix. Hannah Parkes is the executive producer

25 May 2026 at 11:30

Nour Haydar speaks with Christopher Knaus about the BHP files – the cache of internal documents leaked to the Guardian and the ABC’s Four Corners – which show that the world’s biggest miner has war-gamed ways to massively delay decarbonisation

Additional audio in this episode was sourced by Financial Times Live

Read more:

BHP defies its own climate strategy to spend hundreds of millions on polluting diesel trucks in Pilbara

The Guardian - Energy

By: Christopher Knaus and Adam Morton

25 May 2026 at 11:30

Exclusive: Mining giant says technology is not yet advanced enough to run a fully electrified fleet but experts say it is hooked on federal fuel tax credits

BHP has continued to spend hundreds of millions of dollars buying diesel trucks in the Pilbara despite internal documents suggesting it would increase emissions and be “misaligned” with its decarbonisation goals.

The mining giant is Australia’s biggest consumer of diesel and trucks are its biggest single source of diesel emissions. Replacing the fleet with battery-electric trucks is considered a critical step in the multinational’s efforts to decarbonise.

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