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Women in Antarctica making up for lost time
From the rich black soil of the Liverpool Plains springs hope for coalmine-free future
New South Wales government couches its words carefully, but community hopes the end of BHP mine also spells the end of the Shenhua Watermark mine
One of Australia’s biggest mining battles could be drawing to a close, with the enormous Shenhua Watermark coalmine looking set to be stopped by the state government after relentless community pressure.
In a major victory for the uneasy coalition of environmentalists, farmers and conservative politicians and commentators, the New South Wales government said it was moving to stop mining in the fertile farming soils of the Liverpool Plains.
Continue reading...What does a dibbler have for breakfast?
Country Breakfast Features Sat 13th
The fictional, extraordinary life of the Greenland shark – 392 years and counting
The enormous predator is one of the oldest and largest creatures on planet Earth. Writer Thomas Batten imagines a shark’s tale
Researchers in Arctic waters have used new techniques to set the age of a female Greenland shark at a staggering 392 years. The enormous predator – one of the world’s largest at about five meters in length – actually isn’t the oldest creature in the sea, as that honor belongs to a 507-year-old Icelandic clam, but the shark has definitely lived an extraordinary life.
Related: 400-year-old Greenland shark is oldest vertebrate animal
Continue reading...Veganism’s place in the climate change debate | Letters
It is very commendable that George Monbiot has converted to veganism (Opinion, 10 August), but perhaps he is deluding himself into thinking that this will alter our output of CO2 into the atmosphere. We can practise all the accepted methods of reducing carbon emissions, but nothing is more effective than choosing to have no more than two children. As we hurtle towards the point of no return with regards to global warming, choosing not to eat meat is quite low down the scale of things we need to do.
Which are: 1 Stabilise world population. 2 Eradicate poverty. 3 Stop using fossil fuels and change to renewables. 4 Use our land to produce crops more effectively. 5 Reduce excessive meat consumption.
Continue reading...Pigeon fancier receives lifetime ban for cheating in race
Eamon Kelly, 52, from Didcot, disqualified for cheating in Tarbes Grand National race after sending decoy birds
A pigeon-racing champion has received a lifetime ban from the sport after allegations that he cheated to win one of the most prestigious competitions in the sport’s calendar.
Eamon Kelly, 52, from Didcot, was accused of cheating by registering 14 birds for the Tarbes Grand National race but keeping them at home and sending decoys instead.
Continue reading...A 400-year-old shark, fracking 'bribes' and Hinkley C – green news roundup
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
Continue reading...Mystery as fish land in Banff garden
Monkey selfie: Animal charity Peta challenges ruling
Greenland shark is longest-living vertebrate animal – video report
Scientists say the Greenland shark has the longest lifespan of any vertebrate on the planet. Julius Nielsen, who has been studying the sharks, says record goes to a female thought to be between 272 and 512 years old and is five metres in length
Continue reading...Why the Guardian is spending a year reporting on the plight of elephants
Elephant herds face an uncertain future – over the next year we’ll be taking a closer look at what can be done to help
Welcome to the elephant conservation hub. Over the next year, with the support of Vulcan, Guardian journalists will be taking a closer look at the situation of elephant herds around the world.
Elephant conservation has been a particular focus for Vulcan, a private company set up by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen to look for solutions to problems like endangered species, climate change and ocean health. The future of this particular species is precariously balanced. Although in some areas (a very few) elephant herds are expanding and thriving, the overall picture is one of decline, with falls of as much as 60% in elephant population in countries such as Tanzania.
Continue reading...The week in wildlife – in pictures
A basking shark, panda cub and Finland’s bears and wolves are among this week’s pick of images from the natural world
Continue reading...Grouse shooting's rich, influential backers join forces to fire on critics
Supporters are trying to improve sport’s reputation through a campaign group with no members that is funded anonymously
With the Glorious Twelfth, the 2016 grouse season is under way – and the first birds will be served up in many a country house on Friday night. But after raising a glass to the late Duke of Westminster, who owned a vast acreage of grouse moorland, the shooters may also toast a colourful and remarkably influential group of people trying to improve the tarnished reputation of their sport.
They include the retired cricketer Sir Ian Botham, a billionaire hedge fund owner who houses his chickens in a coop that supposedly cost £150,000, and a lobbyist who boasts of his role advising a Russian oligarch.
Continue reading...NZ scientists track penguins' marathon winter travels
Club owned by Shell blocks small Thames hydropower scheme
Club succeeds with an appeal to stop planning permission for the west London project that would power 600 homes
A proposed small hydropower project in west London has received a further setback, as court judges allowed an appeal by a club owned by Shell against the granting of planning permission to the site.
The project, at Teddington lock and weirs, would deliver enough electricity to power about 600 homes. It is proposed by a local cooperative group, run by volunteers, who have raised a potential £700,000 to build the plant, which the proponents say would not have any damaging effect on fish in the Thames or other local wildlife.
Continue reading...Hundreds of tiny Montserrat tarantulas hatch in zoo
Chester Zoo breeds Montserrat tarantulas in world first
Chris Packham and Ian Botham clash over grouse-shooting ban – audio
Wildlife presenter Chris Packham is called an extremist by former England cricketer Sir Ian Botham as they clash over a grouse-shooting ban on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Botham accuses Packham of using his position at the BBC to promote his views
Continue reading...Time-lapse footage of Perseid meteor shower
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