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Barmah water delivery benefits fish, plants and birds

Department of the Environment - Tue, 2016-01-05 10:52
Moira grass (Pseudoraphis spinescens) plains in the Barmah Forest are benefiting from environmental water delivered between July and October.
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Rare grassland at home in southern wetlands

Department of the Environment - Tue, 2016-01-05 10:49
With its spiky rush-like leaf, Moira grass thrives in warm to hot conditions, lying dormant in the soil before bursting into life when water arrives.
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95% consensus of expert economists: cut carbon pollution | Dana Nuccitelli

The Guardian - Mon, 2016-01-04 21:00

A survey of economists with climate expertise finds a consensus that climate change is expensive and carbon pollution cuts are needed

The Institute for Policy Integrity at the New York University (NYU) School of Law recently published a report summarizing a survey of economists with climate expertise. The report was a follow-up and expansion of a similar survey conducted in 2009 by the same institute. The key finding: there’s a strong consensus among climate economics experts that we should put a price on carbon pollution to curb the expensive costs of climate change.

The survey participants included economists who have published papers related to climate change “in a highly ranked, peer-reviewed economics or environmental economics journal since 1994.” Overall, 365 participants completed the survey, which established the consensus of expert climate economists on a number of important questions.

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Threatened Species Commissioner’s latest progress report now available

Department of the Environment - Mon, 2016-01-04 13:20
Read the Commissioner's update on work underway to help save our threatened animals and plants
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On the trail of the wolf, Europe’s much maligned and misunderstood predator

The Guardian - Sun, 2016-01-03 05:22

When Poland banned wolf hunting, numbers doubled. But now animal scientists fear that politicians could turn back the clock

Robert Mysłajek stops dead. Between two paw prints on a muddy mountain track, the scientist finds what he is looking for. “Scats!’’ he enthuses. Wolf sightings are so rare that a flash of faeces marks a good day, even for a seasoned tracker.

But it is getting easier. There are now an estimated 1,500 wolves in Poland. The number has doubled in 15 years. Wolves are – along with the brown bear, the lynx and the wolverine – Europe’s last large predator carnivores. Conservationists from Britain, Germany and the Netherlands are beating a path here to find out how the country has saved this protected species, slandered even in fairytales.

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Northern Territory removes 290 saltwater crocodiles from waterways in a year

The Guardian - Fri, 2016-01-01 17:29

Residents are warned to take more care as 2015’s figure is announced – it’s a high one, based on recent years, although not a record

Wildlife rangers pulled almost 300 saltwater crocodiles from Northern Territory waterways in 2015, more than in either of the two previous years.

As part of its population management program, the Parks and Wildlife Commission NT (PWCNT) removed 290 crocodiles of various sizes from NT rivers, harbours and waterholes, the largest measuring 4.38m from the Daly River.

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The Indian village learning to live in harmony with snow leopards

The Guardian - Thu, 2015-12-31 17:00

To stop snow leopards killing valuable livestock, villagers in Himachal Pradesh have changed the way they manage land to increase the endangered cat’s wild prey, while an insurance scheme offers compensation for lost stock

In the high altitude treeless expanses of Kibber, Himachal Pradesh, India, snow leopards use boulders and ridgelines to stalk blue sheep and Himalayan ibex. But they also feast on yak calves and horse foals, much to the chagrin of villagers. These animals fetch a pretty penny, and the compensation paid by the state was so measly that livestock owners didn’t even bother to file claims. Had nothing been done to resolve the problem, people’s hostility to snow leopards could have turned volatile.

After studying the situation, scientists at Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF), Karnataka, came up with a couple of ideas. Since livestock overran the pastures, wild ungulates were too few to sustain snow leopards. If people’s losses were to be reduced, the population of wild prey animals had to increase.

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Wylfa nuclear plant closes in Wales

The Guardian - Thu, 2015-12-31 04:15

Station in Anglesey, the oldest in the UK, shuts as focus is on energy provider EDF over its plans for new facilities at Hinkley Point

Britain’s oldest nuclear plant closed on Wednesday, leaving in its wake a £700m decommissioning bill and further questions about the UK’s ability to keep the lights on.

The closure of the Wylfa plant in Wales after 44 years of service puts more pressure on EDF Energy to take a final investment decision for new reactors at Hinkley in Somerset.

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UK floods: torrential rain lashes northern Britain – video

The Guardian - Sun, 2015-12-27 02:34

Parts of Britain are under water again as torrential rain from Storm Eva causes mass flooding in the north west of England on Boxing Day. The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings for rain, snow, wind, fog and ice

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Countdown begins to prevent loss of thousands of footpaths and alleyways

The Guardian - Sat, 2015-12-26 06:00

Right-to-roam law means pre-1949 rights of way that are not on official maps must be recorded in next 10 years or will no longer be protected

Thousands of footpaths, alleys and bridleways across the UK face being lost forever within a decade under a clause in right-to-roam legislation, campaigners have warned.

From 1 January, walkers, horseriders – and even those taking regular shortcuts to the shops in towns – will have 10 years to apply to save any rights of way that existed before 1949 but do not appear on official maps.

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More Chinese cities issue red alerts for heavy smog

The Guardian - Thu, 2015-12-24 19:22

Authorities respond to forecasts of heavy smog by issuing first red alerts for pollution in 10 cities, following two warnings in Beijing this month

More Chinese cities are issuing their first red alerts for pollution in response to forecasts of heavy smog, after the capital, Beijing, issued two this month following criticism for not releasing them earlier.

Shandong province in eastern China issued alerts in four cities after warning that the density of particulate matter in the air would exceed high levels for more than 24 hours. The Shandong environmental protection bureau said the alerts started Thursday morning and that kindergarten, primary and middle schools should close and construction of buildings and roads, and demolition work, should stop.

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Australia’s Second Biennial Report

Department of the Environment - Tue, 2015-12-22 16:15
Australia’s second Biennial Report is a comprehensive summary of Australia’s progress towards meeting its commitments under the UNFCCC.
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Tracking to 2020: an interim update of Australia's greenhouse gas emissions projections

Department of the Environment - Tue, 2015-12-22 16:10
Tracking to 2020 is an interim update of Australia’s domestic emissions projections to 2019–20 and shows how Australia is tracking to meet the abatement task associated with the 2020 emissions target.
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Quarterly Update of Australia's National Greenhouse Gas Inventory: June 2015

Department of the Environment - Tue, 2015-12-22 16:05
Release of the Quarterly Update of Australia's National Greenhouse Gas Inventory: June 2015
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Quarterly Update of Australia's National Greenhouse Gas Inventory: June 2015

Department of the Environment - Tue, 2015-12-22 16:05
Release of the Quarterly Update of Australia's National Greenhouse Gas Inventory: June 2015
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Reef Trust Phase Three Investment Programme now open

Department of the Environment - Tue, 2015-12-22 14:17
The application period for the Reef Trust Phase Three Investment Programme is now open. Applications close 15 February 2016.
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Shark ‘jumps’ on surfer’s board at Bondi beach

The Guardian - Tue, 2015-12-22 10:01

‘Obviously I screamed a little bit. The shark jumped off my board, swam off in the other direction,’ says surfer after close encounter of the marine kind

A Sydney surfer has had a run in with a six-foot shark after it “jumped” on to his board at Bondi beach.

Related: Shark 'eco-barrier' nets for NSW north coast to be installed after Christmas

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SENG wishes you a safe and happy festive season 2015

Newsletters QLD - Sun, 2015-12-20 19:15
SENG wishes you a safe and happy festive season 2015
Categories: Newsletters QLD

Loss of monkeys and birds in tropical forests driving up carbon emissions

The Guardian - Sat, 2015-12-19 05:00

Overhunting affects seed dispersal and thus survival of hardwood trees, resulting in drastic reduction in Earth’s natural carbon storage, study finds

Large fruit-eating monkeys and birds in tropical forests have been revealed as surprising climate change champions, whose loss to over-hunting is driving up carbon emissions. This is because their seed-spreading plays a vital role in the survival of huge, hard-wooded trees.

Tropical forests store 40% of all the carbon on the Earth’s surface and the slashing of trees causes about 15% of the greenhouse gases that drive global warming.

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Kellingley colliery closure: 'shabby end' for a once mighty industry

The Guardian - Fri, 2015-12-18 17:00

The last deep coal mine in Britain closes today, drawing to an end a series of closures in an industry once known as King Coal

When the last shift of underground miners emerges at Kellingley colliery in North Yorkshire on Friday, it will bring down the final curtain on one of Britain’s most successful and enduring industries.

Coal has been dug out of the ground since pre-Roman times. It fuelled the Industrial Revolution and was still providing 40% of power for electricity generation as little as three years ago.

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