Jonathan Watts

@jonathan-watts.bsky.social

Author of The Many Lives of James Lovelock, founder of Sumaúma.com and the Rainforest Journalism Fund. Guardian environment writer.

The Lovelock Papers: Shell’s Hidden Climate Knowledge Under Scrutiny as Court Battle Looms. Ahead of a landmark climate lawsuit, confidential documents show how British scientist James Lovelock warned executives of the risks of burning fossil fuels in the 1960s. www.desmog.com/2026/07/29/t...

The Lovelock Papers: Shell’s Hidden Climate Knowledge Under Scrutiny as Court Battle Looms

“What seems to be important,” wrote the visionary British scientist, James Lovelock, in June 1966, is “the almost certain fact that the climate is worsening and the probability that the combustion of ...

desmog.com

Trump and the Far Right are being fuelled by fossil money to hold back the tide of the energy transition. History and science suggest this will be calamitous for the US and the world. I eleborate on this theory with Bob Grove of Climate Hour. climatehour.net/americas-bea...

America’s Beautiful Epoch Of Oil Is Collapsing - Climate Hour

Despite desperate efforts by the oil industry and its captive U.S. government, the epoch of oil is collapsing.

climatehour.net

Masked gunmen invade Amazon communities in organised crime surge, say local leaders Delegation sent to Brasília after ‘assassins’ enter indigenous homes near Brazil’s border with Peru Story by me on narco-gang threat to rainforest and its people. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Masked men invading and taking Amazon communities ‘hostage’ in organised crime surge, say local leaders

Delegation sent to Brasília after gunmen from organised crime group enter homes in western Amazon

theguardian.com

The world’s biggest meat company, JBS, faces a landmark legal challenge to disclose how its $6 billion global expansion plan is compatible with responsibilities to the climate, nature and human rights. @jonathan-watts.bsky.social reports for @theguardian.com:

​World’s largest meat company faces legal challenge over green credentials of $6bn global expansion

Greenpeace petitions Dutch courts to order JBS to disclose how its aims are compatible with responsibilities to climate and human rights

buff.ly

Fuel on the fire 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? My column on Big Oil’s mad, bad plan to increase production. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

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

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

theguardian.com

Wow! No photo but I am fairly sure I just saw a jaguar on my way home from watching the Brazil game in town. I’ve never seen one before but it crossed the road in front of me as I passed the airport. I can’t believe how big it looked. Breathtaking.

It's almost a month now since I read this EXCELLENT piece by @jonathan-watts.bsky.social, and I still can't get it out of my head. In fact, I probably never will, it explains so much about the times we're living through. That's a mark of the very best journalism. www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...

The American epoch of oil is collapsing. What comes next could be ugly | Jonathan Watts

China is dominating the energy transition with astonishing results, while fossil fuel fascists in the US try to turn back the clock

theguardian.com

‘An equal and habitable world is possible’ New report outlines vision of doubling incomes, halving working hours and keeping global heating below 2C. My article on the Global Justice Report by Thomas Picketty, Cornelia Mohren and colleagues. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

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

Global report provides an alternative to climate breakdown, political extremism and economic tensions

theguardian.com

Rainforests pushed to breaking point by new demands for resources, report says. Need for minerals, biofuels and pulp adding to pressures from ranching, monocrops, oil and logging, analysis finds Story by me. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Rainforests pushed to breaking point by new demands for resources, report says

Need for minerals, biofuels and pulp adding to pressures from ranching, monocrops, oil and logging, analysis finds

theguardian.com

Extraordinary victory for the people of the Tapajos. And all of us Great article by @jonathan-watts.bsky.social - "Amid scientific warnings that the loss of the Amazon is perilously close to the point of no return, we all owe a debt to Alessandra Korap Munduruku & others who stood up" for the river

Guardian Environment@environment.theguardian.com · 5mo ago

‘The river won’: how campaigners in Brazilian Amazon stopped privatisation of waterway

US attack on Venezuela aims to shift direction of South America’s mineral wealth Rare earths and other resources could drive China-led energy transition or strengthen US military power and oil interests Analysis by me of latest US security strategy document. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

US attack on Venezuela will decide direction of South America’s vast mineral wealth

Outcome of aggression will determine whether rare earths and other resources drive energy transition – or strengthen US military power and oil interests

theguardian.com

Trump attack on Venezuela has nothing to do with drugs and everything to do with resources. Maduro warned the US would do anything to “gets their hands on Venezuelan oil” in an interview with Seamus Milne and me in 2014. www.theguardian.com/world/2014/a...

Venezuela protests are sign that US wants our oil, says Nicolás Maduro

Venezuela's president claims the Obama administration is fomenting unrest with the aim of provoking a Ukraine-style 'slow-motion' coup

theguardian.com