Around The Web

One of the world's earliest urban civilisations thrived in the absence of a big Himalayan river, a new study finds.

A British spacecraft is trying to clean up what we send up but never bring down.

As part of its 100-day priority plan, New Zealand's new government has pledged to set a target of carbon neutrality by 2050, which means phasing out fossil fuels and products that burn them. Robert McLachlan, Professor in Applied Mathematics, Massey University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Much of Australia's energy debate is centred around 'models' of various policies. But how do they work? And what can they really tell us? Hugh Saddler, Honorary Associate Professor, Centre for Climate Economics and Policy, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Researchers say ‘source reefs’ could produce larvae and help repair damage by bleaching and starfish

A group of “source” reefs have been identified that could form the basis of a life support system for the Great Barrier Reef, helping repair damage by bleaching, starfish and other disturbances.

Researchers from the University of Queensland, CSIRO, Australian Institute of Marine Science and the University of Sheffield searched the Great Barrier Reef for ideal areas that could potentially produce larvae and support the recovery of other damaged reefs.

Continue reading...

A spacecraft that will test the best methods to clean up space debris is nearing completion.

Developing brain circuits shape how adolescents approach their goals, say US psychologists.

Atmospheric rivers, salt lakes and autumn leaf colour are among the images captured by Nasa and the ESA last month

Peak autumn leaf colour in north-central Maine, New England, US. The familiar reds and golds typically appear earliest on deciduous trees and shrubs at higher latitudes and elevations, such as here in the mountains of Baxter state park, and take a few weeks before they reach foliage at the coast.

Continue reading...

The Meteor satellite was found not to be on its planned orbit, hours after launch from a new base.

A crocodile attack in Australia that left a British tourist with a leg wound was captured on camera. In the footage, posted to Facebook by Ally Bullifent, a crocodile can be seen jumping out of the water towards the woman. The attack took place on Monday as the woman walked along the edge of a creek in Cape Tribulation, in the far north of Queensland.

Continue reading...

Woman treated in hospital after saltwater crocodile leaps from water in Far North Queensland and injures her

A crocodile attack that left a British tourist with a leg wound has been captured on camera in Australia. In the footage, posted to Facebook by Ally Bullifent, a crocodile can be seen jumping out of the water towards the women as they scream.

The attack took place on Monday as the woman walked along the edge of a creek in Cape Tribulation, far north Queensland.

Continue reading...

UK fashion designer backs Ellen MacArthur foundation campaign to stop the global fashion industry consuming a quarter of the world’s annual carbon budget by 2050

Clothes must be designed differently, worn for longer and recycled as much as possible to stop the global fashion industry consuming a quarter of the world’s annual carbon budget by 2050.

Fashion designer Stella McCartney condemned her industry as “incredibly wasteful and harmful to the environment” as she joined forces with round-the-world sailor and environmental campaigner Dame Ellen MacArthur to call for a systemic change to the way clothing is produced and used.

Continue reading...

Bedgebury Pinetum, Kent Checked and weighed by surer hands than mine, I felt the hollow-boned weightlessness of a blue tit in the cup of my palm

There’s something extraordinary about holding a bird in the palm of your hand. For me, out bird-ringing with volunteers from the British Trust for Ornithology one brisk November morning, it was a blue tit. It had been checked and weighed by surer hands than mine and then placed delicately in the cup of my palm. A familiar bird transformed by such proximity. I felt the hollow-boned weightlessness of it, the fast-fluttering life that sat there for a moment, looking around with black-bead eyes. Its feathers were iridescent in the low slant of the winter sun. Then it was gone, up into the trees, and it was as if I’d lost something precious.

We were at Bedgebury Pinetum in Kent just after dawn. It was a blustery day and the pines soughed and sighed, the resident ravens cronking overhead. High in the canopy were hawfinches and crossbills, birds that twitchers come from miles to see. We had set mist nets near the pinetum’s eastern edge, up above the lily pond. These nets are so fine as to appear transparent to the birds, who fly into soft pockets and are gently dandled until they can be extracted, ringed and measured.

Continue reading...

WARNING: this footage may distress some readers.

Footage released by activist group Sea Shepherd shows Japanese fishermen harpooning whales in the Southern ocean before dragging them, still alive, along the side of the vessel. The publication of the video follows a five-year legal battle with the Australian government to make the images public. The footage was filmed in 2008 by Australian customs officials and requests from Sea Shepherd in 2012 for the film were denied by the government amid fears it would damage international relations. Sea Shepherd’s managing director, Jeff Hansen, said: ‘The Australian government has chosen to side with the poachers instead of defending the whales of the Southern ocean.’

Continue reading...

Vestas Australia, the only global energy company dedicated exclusively to wind energy - today announced the appointment of Peter Cowling as Country Head /VP, Sales Australia and New Zealand.

New "dual-pol" weather radars promise to spot large hailstones forming inside thunderstorms, giving people a heads-up when it's about to hail. Joshua Soderholm, Research scientist, The University of Queensland Alain Protat, Principal Research Scientist, Australian Bureau of Meteorology Hamish McGowan, Professor, The University of Queensland Matthew Mason, Lecturer in Civil Engineering, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Ambitious solar and storage developer Lyon Group embroiled in an escalating court battle with US solar giant First Solar, just as it seeks to complete sale of some of its biggest projects.

Big win for battery storage in change to market settlement periods that will be introduced .... in four years time.

The red kite is still at risk from poisoning despite the success of conservation schemes, say scientists.

Australia has more than 100 places on its National Heritage List. Find out where they are with this new map.