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Yuval Noah Harari: "We are probably one of the last generations of Homo sapiens."
The best and worst of worlds in my Kenya
Paula Kahumbu: When will we learn that wildlife conservation is part of wealth creation and not an obstacle to it?
Three days spent in Samburu Reserve to celebrate World Elephants Day with 91 children from Kenya’s poor neighbourhoods, slums and rural areas were probably the most moving experience of my life.
A team of staff, interns and volunteers from my NGO WildlifeDirect put on an ambitious three-day programme of discovery, play and learning for the children. The children experienced a real safari, in a four-wheeled-drive vehicle. They camped for the first time in their lives. They met wild animals in the wilderness of Samburu, and talked to rangers and scientists involved in wildlife conservation.
Continue reading...China unveils 2020 Mars mission probe and rover
Young rabbit considers us as a threat
Wenlock Edge The rabbit we watched watching us was taking its sentry duty seriously, and had the makings of a dominant adult – if it survived long enough
All ear and eye, the rabbit was as alert as an exclamation mark. It remained still and watchful, as if it thought it was invisible when in fact its attention was so intense it seemed as obvious as a warning beacon in an otherwise languid August afternoon.
The young rabbit was assessing the distance of this particular threat – two people and a dog – the distance to the burrow in the hedge, an escape route across the field, the position of the other rabbits, other potential threats from land and sky.
Continue reading...Mojo agrees with AGL – Disruptors set to take their business
Labor ready to sacrifice ARENA for medal in budget Olympics
New transmission line will open up wind farm opportunities
UNHCR's 'Blue Dot' hubs
In response to the increasing number of women and children fleeing the war in Syria, UNHCR has set up a number of special support centres, also known as “Blue Dot” hubs, along the route through Greece and the Western Balkans specifically catering to their needs.
Continue reading...Five years to zero emissions – Australia’s climate reality check
Investors controlling $13tn call on G20 leaders to ratify Paris climate agreement
Investors say countries that move first will attract investments and call for regulators to force disclosure of climate-related risks
A group of 130 institutions that control US$13tn of investments have called on G20 nations to ratify the Paris agreement this year and accelerate investment in clean energy and forced disclosure of climate-related financial risk.
Countries that ratified the Paris agreement early would benefit from better policy certainty and would attract investment in low-carbon technology, the signatories said in a letter before the G20 heads of government meeting in September.
Continue reading...Tesla Model X arrives in Australia, with news of bigger battery
Tesla claims world’s fastest car* with new 100kWh battery pack
Australia needs to cut emissions by 65% by 2030 to meet Paris target
Solar PV strikes new record low in Chile, first US offshore wind farm completed
Depression: A revolution in treatment?
Seals help show how Antarctica's melting ice shelves affect the deep ocean
Perfume traces could help to solve crimes
MPs call for ban on plastic microbeads
Microplastics should be banned in cosmetics to save oceans, MPs say
Environmental audit committee calls for ban after hearing that microbeads harm marine life and enter the food chain
Cosmetics companies must be banned from using plastic microbeads in scrubs, toothpaste and beauty products because of the marine pollution they are causing, say a group of MPs.
Members of the environmental audit committee have called for a ban within 18 months after hearing that trillions of tiny pieces of plastic are accumulating in the world’s oceans, lakes and estuaries, harming marine life and entering the food chain. About 86 tonnes of microplastics are released into the environment every year in the UK from facial exfoliants alone, they were told.
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