Feed aggregator

In the final week before an election, the biggest-selling newspaper in the Australian state of Queensland screamed a front-page headline that cut into one of the poll’s most divisive issues.

So long solar. NEG design assumes no large scale solar investments in Australia for at least eight years - despite recognition that large scale renewables responsible for most bill reductions.

A Supreme Court Justice launches the first of a series of scientific guides for UK judges.

Corporate leadership, individual excellence and energy efficiency innovation have been recognised and awarded at the National Energy Efficiency Awards 2017.

More than 70,000 seeds have been sent from Kew's Millennium Seed Bank to Lebanon, for vital crop research.

The biohacker movement wants to cure disease without the help of government or big companies

New modelling confirms little if any new renewable energy investment will be made under the NEG. But it reveals that the big savings the Coalition is claiming from the NEG are driven almost entirely by the policy it sought to kill - the renewable energy target.

One of the biggest issues in this Saturday's Queensland election is the controversial Carmichael coal mine. Our infographic breaks down what it means for Queensland, Australia and the world. Michael Hopkin, Section Editor: Energy + Environment, The Conversation Madeleine De Gabriele, Deputy Editor: Energy + Environment Wes Mountain, Deputy Multimedia Editor Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Ferns came along more than 200 million years before the dinosaurs walked the Earth. They were food for plant-eating dinosaurs and they're really great survivors. Heather, age 8, wants to know more. Gregory Moore, Doctor of Botany, University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Google Earth reveals a property on which hundreds of hectares of previously untouched forest have been cleared

The tree-clearing explosion occurring in Queensland, usually reported in seemingly impossibly large numbers of hectares or square kilometres, is now being documented using publicly available satellite and aerial photography, revealing the graphic disfigurement of the remaining untouched bushland there.

Related: For the love of Queensland, this land clearing has got to stop | Lyndon Schneiders

Continue reading...

Figures show more than 2.5m cups were purchased in the past five years despite pledges by the environment secretary to tackle growing plastic waste

More than 2.5m disposable cups have been purchased by the UK’s environment department for use in its restaurants and cafes over the past five years – equivalent to nearly 1,400 a day.

The Liberal Democrats’ environment spokesman, Tim Farron, said the revelation, obtained through a freedom of information request, showed Michael Gove “needs to get his own house in order” in light of his public pledges to tackle the growing scourge of plastic pollution.

Continue reading...

Thousands more cases - including violent and sexual crimes - could be affected by "manipulated" tests.

The weather service says the levels of a radioactive isotope were nearly 1,000 times normal levels.

Poland is given two weeks to end its destruction of the Unesco-protected forest in a landmark ruling by the European court of justice

Poland has been given two weeks to stop illegal deforestation in the Unesco-protected Białowieża forest or face fines of at least €100,000 a day.

In a precedent-setting ruling that will echo across the EU, the European court of justice ordered Poland to show it was acting lawfully in the ancient woodland, or face a €36.5m (£32m) annual penalty.

Continue reading...

Europe's top court says Poland must prove it has stopped logging in Bialowieza forest or face fines.

Single-Column Responsive Email Template SENG SA Newsletter - November 2017 No More Bad Investments - Act One For A Safe Climate A forum exploring climate risk and examining the proposed No More Bad Investments (NMBI) model legislation drafted by Environment Justice Australia and Philip Sutton. The legislation’s purpose is to facilitate a transition to a ‘safe climate economy’ through the prevention of activities with adverse climate impacts, and through driving a transition to activities without these impacts. The Speakers are: Ian Dunlop - Former Chair, Australian Coal Association Philip Sutton - Climate Strategist & Writer Heather Smith - Energy Specialist Peter Owen - Director, Wilderness Society SA Craig Wilkins - CEO, Conservation Council SA Date: Thursday, 23 November 2017 Time: 6.30pm to 8.30pm Venue: Kerr Grant Lecture Theatre, Playford Building, The University of South Australia, City East Campus - 108 North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5001 Cost: $10 (inc-GST) Hosts: Cedamia and Conservation Council SA Register: The Facebook event page is here, and buy tickets via Eventbrite. Can the Silly Season be Sustainable? A panel looking at practical solutions that save money and reduce festive season environmental impacts. Joanne Hendrikx from KESAB environmental solutions will discuss solid waste and how buying behaviour affects waste streams. Sanne Reijenga from OzHarvest will look at festive season surplus food and how we can ensure others benefit from this. Liddy Dolman from Ecolateral will suggest sustainable, environmentally friendly and clever gift options. Fabian Muller from The Simple Market will share ideas and solutions for low waste, frugal, fun events. Date: Wednesday, 29 November 2017 Time: 6pm to 8pm Venue: The King’s Head Hotel - 357 King William St, Adelaide SA 5000 Cost: Free Host: Adelaide Sustainability Connect Register: For further information, or to register, follow this link. Note that printed tickets are not required at the event. Undergraduate Student Awards Applications will soon open for SENG SA's next round of undergraduate student awards, for projects completed in 2017. To express your interest or register for updates, email Kurt van Ryswyk, SA Awards Coordinator. What Do You Want To See? Have yourSAy on SA Government policies and initiatives here. EPA SA consultations can be found here. Get in touch with the SENG SA committee; we welcome feedback, suggestions, and content contributions. Or join us on LinkedIn. If you can't view this email click here to view online Click here to unsubscribe from this newsletter

Humpback dolphins in Western Australia have been observed gifting sea sponges to potential mates in a courtship behaviour that researchers say is very rare.  'It highlights that there's another species out there that's quite socially complex, more than we previously recognised,' says Dr Simon Allen, lead researcher from the University of Western Australia. 'They are thinking animals'

Continue reading...

Holme, Norfolk Myths and misconceptions surround this diminutive bird, which can hide in plain sight despite its dazzling plumage

It’s funny how kingfishers, the boldest-coloured birds in Britain, have inspired so much confusion. The commonest example concerns their size. Many people seeing one for the first time are flabbergasted at its smallness.

A recent encounter reminded me just how sparrow-like they are. For 20 minutes, I’d sat before a pool scanning the middle distance for harriers and winter geese, before noticing a kingfisher had been perched there all the time. It was only when it made its silvery piping notes that I fixed its location on a reed mace head.

Continue reading...

If Australian tax payers are made to cough up for a new coal plant in north Queensland, locals will also be coughing up – literally.

New report says LNP and One Nation support for uneconomic coal fired power station would force prices up in Queensland, and add to system security risks.