The Guardian

• ‘Its pretty much a guarantee you’ll get stung’: jellyfish keep swimmers out of Delaware beaches

  Beach patrols report hundreds of stings a day as warmer waters and drought create favorable conditions for jellyfish

  An unusually high number of jellyfish are crowding Delaware’s beaches this summer amid climate change and other environmental factors – keeping some beachgoers out of the ocean and stinging lifeguards as well as bathers.

  Beach safety patrols in the state have reported hundreds of daily stings as the jellyfish have increased with intensifying environmental factors, including warmer waters, hot and dry conditions, and water circulation favorable to the invertebrates.

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• The US has a plan to save the Colorado River. Experts say it won’t be enough to stop the crisis

  The 10-year blueprint mandates water cuts of up to 40% for California, Arizona and Nevada

  It’s official: after years of tense negotiations and missed deadlines, there is finally a plan to govern the future of the imperiled Colorado River - or at least the makings of one.

  With the previous framework set to expire in October, the US Bureau of Reclamation publicly released its proposal for a new plan on Friday.

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• First ever Fat Marmot Week to kick off in effort to raise money for research

  Researchers hope contest – similar to Fat Bear Week – starting Monday will be latest wildlife watching craze

  Monday sees the start of what researchers hope will be the latest wildlife watching craze – Fat Marmot Week.

  Last winter was tough for marmots living high in the Colorado mountains, where researchers say two-thirds of one population died while hibernating because of insufficient snow cover.

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• Controversial California oil pipeline can continue to operate, judge rules

  State sought to stop system off coast of Santa Barbara from resuming operations after Trump ordered its reopening

  An oil pipeline can continue to operate off the California coast after a judge gave it the green light this week, despite the opposition of state regulators and environmental groups.

  The system off the coast of Santa Barbara resumed operations earlier this year for the first time in more than a decade after Donald Trump ordered Sable Offshore Corporation to reopen it, citing US energy needs during the war in Iran.

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• Trump plan to allow drilling near US world heritage site sparks alarm

  Administration’s plan to scrap drilling-free buffer zone around New Mexico site prompts scrutiny from Unesco

  The Trump administration’s push to expand oil and gas extraction across the US is set to bring drilling near cherished natural and cultural sites, raising alarm among conservationists and prompting questions from the UN’s heritage body.

  Unesco said it had received information on the administration’s plan to scrap a drilling-free buffer zone around the Chaco Culture national historical park in New Mexico, a world heritage site and one of the most important cultural areas in the US. A Unesco spokesperson said it had procedures regarding “potential threats” to a world heritage property and was awaiting a response from the federal government as to its impact.

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