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Bird bath bullies
Fossil fuel register shows more than a third of Australia earmarked for coal or gas
Interactive map commissioned by Lock the Gate shows fossil fuel claims cover 37% of Australia’s landmass
More than a third of Australia’s landmass is earmarked for coal or gas, according to a new analysis and interactive map commissioned by the community group Lock the Gate.
No single register of fossil fuel exploration and extraction licences and applications exists so, commissioned by Lock the Gate, Energy Resources Insights gathered spatial information on land earmarked for fossil fuels from state and federal regulators.
Continue reading...Five Pacific islands lost to rising seas as climate change hits
Six more islands have large swaths of land, and villages, washed into sea as coastline of Solomon Islands eroded and overwhelmed
Five tiny Pacific islands have disappeared due to rising seas and erosion, a discovery thought to be the first scientific confirmation of the impact of climate change on coastlines in the Pacific, according to Australian researchers.
Related: Sea levels set to 'rise far more rapidly than expected'
Continue reading...Labor president Butler dismisses boats disunity and Greens deal
Why Australian cities need to change as they grow
Unlikely heroes: how lithium mining could change the Pilbara for the better
Currently the world’s biggest producer of lithium, Australia is well-placed to take advantage of the lithium-ion battery solar storage boom
Out Western Australia way unlikely new environmental heroes can be found toiling in the red ochre dust of the Pilbara.
Until recently companies such as Altura Mining, which has a long rap sheet of coal projects to its name, weren’t exactly contributing to the effort to curb global carbon emissions, but that is about to change.
Continue reading...New plant species discovered in 2015 - in pictures
A giant insect-eating plant and a 100-tonne tree were among the 149 species of plants and fungi described for the first time by scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew last year. More than 2,000 species new to science were discovered worldwide the same year, but a new report warns that one in five of the world’s plant species is threatened with extinction
Continue reading...Who is the 'Ivory Queen'?
How a giant air freshener could save our polluted cities
Air pollution kills 28,000 people every year in the UK. But the solution might lie in a hi-tech tower that sucks up harmful particles
High in the skies over London, the UK’s first air pollution monitoring squad have been using the latest sensors to chart the levels of ozone and nitrogen dioxide in our atmosphere. The team is highly trained, each equipped with a hi-tech backpack, and proficient in social media. Which all sounds relatively standard, apart from the fact that it is entirely made up of pigeons.
Using one of the UK’s best-known feathered friends as a publicity stunt for air pollution awareness was the brainchild of Plume Labs, which has created an app for monitoring pollution on the go. It follows on the heels of similar apps released in the past two years, ranging from UCLA’s AirForU to BreezoMeter, the brainchild of Israeli engineer Ran Korber, who was looking to buy a house for his family far away from polluted environments.
Continue reading...Caretaker Conventions
Invasion of the termites
The energy transition could be profound – and there's a lot to lose for those who can't keep up
The energy internet, the ‘smart’ grid, solar energy and battery storage are converging and the economic benefits are clear
Change is coming to the energy landscape. A transition to a new energy economy is happening. In a country like Australia – awash with energy both under and above the ground – this transition could be rapid and profound. There is a lot to lose for those who can’t keep pace.
Last month the government committed $1bn to the Clean Energy Innovation Fund. The fund will have “the primary purpose of earning income or a profitable return” on debt and equity extended to renewable energy, energy efficiency and low-emissions technologies. While many will argue the right way for that money to be used, investment like this is well timed.
Continue reading...The secret of 'toad smart' quolls
So you think you know David Attenborough? – video
A look back at the best known, and not so well known, achievements of Sir David Attenborough to mark his 90th birthday on Sunday. Attenborough influenced more than just nature documentaries, giving the green light to Monty Python and live snooker while head of a fledgling BBC2. He also has a menagerie of species named after him
Continue reading...On the frontline of Africa’s wildlife wars
Brigadier Venant Mumbere Muvesevese, a 35-year-old father of four, became the 150th ranger in the last 10 years to be killed protecting lowland gorillas, elephants and other wildlife in Virunga national park last month. He and his young Congolese colleague, Fidèle Mulonga Mulegalega, were surrounded by local militia, captured and then summarily executed.
Related: Burning the ivory is just the beginning
Continue reading...The Times accused of biased reporting, misrepresenting climate science
Celestial chamber
Celestial Chamber
Australia quietly adds 49 species to threatened and endangered lists
Brush-tailed bettong, three-toed snake-tooth skink, swift parrot and types of orchid and albatross listed
Nearly 50 new species of flora and fauna have been added without fanfare to the federal government’s list of threatened species, including nine that are critically endangered.
Among the species to be added to the list under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act were the brush-tailed bettong (endangered), the three-toed snake-tooth skink (vulnerable), the swift parrot (upgraded from endangered to critically endangered), and several types of orchid and albatross.
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