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Faced with a glorious spectrum of colour, songbirds, just like humans, look for the big picture.

An expert team appointed by Alaska Governor Bill Walker (I) has proposed to implement a revenue-positive carbon tax for the US state as part of its ongoing process to create a climate change action plan, continuing efforts that started earlier this year.

Report was with ministers in 2015 but only published three years later, days after a key fracking permit was awarded

A UK government report concluding that shale gas extraction increases air pollution was left unpublished for three years and only released four days after ministers approved fracking in Lancashire, it has emerged.

The report, written by the government’s Air Quality Expert Group (AQEG), was given to ministers in 2015, but was published quietly on 27 July. Fracking firm Cuadrilla was given the first permit under a new regulatory regime on 24 July, the final day of the parliamentary year.

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This photo time-lapse was taken from the International Space Station of a single orbital sunrise over Earth.

United Utilities announces U-turn on controversial ban due to rainfall and cooler weather

A controversial hosepipe ban affecting millions of people in the north-west of England has been called off three days before it was to start because of the “recent deluge and a drop in temperatures”.

United Utilities had said on Tuesday that there would be no U-turn on the decision to start the ban on Sunday, but it has now announced that the demand for water has eased.

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The governments of ACT, Queensland and Victoria are preparing a list of demands for federal Environment and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg ahead of next week’s crunch meeting on the future of the proposed National Energy Guarantee (NEG).

The first long-term residents of Stonehenge came from west Wales, a study suggests.

Researchers uncover a little known source of climate warming gases coming from plastic waste.

Environment minister says unsolicited grant complied with guidelines, and questions about it are a distraction

The environment and energy minister, Josh Frydenberg, has dismissed concerns about the Turnbull government’s decision to hand an unsolicited grant of $444m to a small Great Barrier Reef not-for-profit without a tender process.

He has also rejected claims that the grant process lacked transparency, saying the process complied with governance guidelines on grants and the Australian Audit Office would be able to follow how the money was being spent.

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The week’s top environment news stories and green events. If you are not already receiving this roundup, sign up here to get the briefing delivered to your inbox

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Parts of eastern Australia are suffering their worst drought in memory, as these aerial images show.

RN Drive unpacks the biggest stories from the week in politics.

The government is being investigated by Senate committee over a decision to provide the Great Barrier Reef Foundation with a $444 million conservation grant.

New types of biodegradable or compostable plastic products seem to offer an alternative to conventional plastics. But they may be no better for the environment. Thomas Neitzert, Professor emeritus, Auckland University of Technology Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A daily summary of our news plus bite-sized updates from around the world.

The amount of solar PV installed in Australia so far in 2018 has already surpassed the combined total of all installations for the whole of 2017.

South Korean car maker joins race to bring first all-electric 4WD utility to market, with unveiling of concept e-SIV.

First commercial-scale offshore wind farm in US expected to save electricity consumers around $1.4bn over 20 years, by supplying power 18% cheaper than alternative sources.

ACT lays out conditions for approval of the controversial policy platform, and they won't please the climate deniers in the Coalition party room.

The NEG is looking more and more like a fraud. It is one thing to have a policy that proudly boasts it will do nothing on emissions, but to produce a document that pretends to be able to halt the pace of technology change is barking mad.