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Plastic now pollutes every corner of Earth

The Guardian - Sun, 2016-01-24 10:05

From supermarket bags to CDs, man-made waste has contaminated the entire globe, and become a marker of a new geological epoch

Humans have made enough plastic since the second world war to coat the Earth entirely in clingfilm, an international study has revealed. This ability to plaster the planet in plastic is alarming, say scientists – for it confirms that human activities are now having a pernicious impact on our world.

The research, published in the journal Anthropocene, shows that no part of the planet is free of the scourge of plastic waste. Everywhere is polluted with the remains of water containers, supermarket bags, polystyrene lumps, compact discs, cigarette filter tips, nylons and other plastics. Some are in the form of microscopic grains, others in lumps. The impact is often highly damaging.

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Going underground: meet the man who lived as an animal

The Guardian - Sat, 2016-01-23 18:00

Naturalist Charles Foster wanted to reconnect with his inner beast – so he tried living as a badger, a deer and a fox

Charles Foster lifts a wriggling worm to his lips. “Cheers,” he says.

We clink worms.

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Japan's David vs Goliath battle to preserve Pacific bluefin tuna

The Guardian - Fri, 2016-01-22 20:20

A group of small-scale fishermen are waging an increasingly public struggle against industrial fleets using sonar and huge nets to scoop up massive catches of spawning tuna, reports Environment 360

One after another, the fishermen stream into a makeshift office at Katsumoto port, on the island of Iki in the Sea of Japan. Outside, their small white boats are docked as a storm rages; inside, they chain-smoke and banter with the ease of lifelong acquaintance. Their business, however, is serious: Pacific bluefin tuna are disappearing from the sea, and somehow they must stop the decline.
“Twenty years ago, we used to see the tuna swimming under our boats in schools that went on for two miles,” says Kazuto Doi, a sun-weathered man in his 40s who, like all the Iki fishermen, uses a pole and line to catch the prized source of sushi. “We never see that now.”

“I have three kids, but I can’t send them to university,” adds Koji Harada, who now supplements his catch with squid and other less lucrative fish. “We used to make a good living at this.”

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Burke, Wills, King and Yandruwandha National Heritage place included in the National Heritage List

Department of the Environment - Fri, 2016-01-22 11:54
The story of the Burke and wills Expedition – and the crucial role of the Yandruwandha Aboriginal people who assisted them – has been formally recognised by inclusion in the National Heritage List.
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US navy launches first biofuel-powered aircraft carriers

The Guardian - Thu, 2016-01-21 20:37

Carrier strike group of four ships is the first to begin operating regularly with a blend of petroleum and biofuels made from beef fat

The US navy on Wednesday launched its first carrier strike group powered partly by biofuel a mix made from beef fat, calling it a milestone toward easing the military’s reliance on foreign oil.

The maritime branch touted the warships as the centrepiece of its “Great Green Fleet” part of a navy-wide initiative that aims to draw 50% of its power from alternative energy in four years.

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New recovery plan for Ecological Community

Department of the Environment - Thu, 2016-01-21 13:33
The Minister has approved the National Recovery Plan for the Alpine Sphagnum Bogs and Associated Fens Ecological Community.
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Why do so many cyclists love to hate Rapha? | Dave Nash

The Guardian - Thu, 2016-01-21 00:15

Yes, £480 for its latest cycling jersey and shorts is steep, but I’m still puzzled why the high-end brand, and those who wear it, are the focus of such ire

When it comes to cycle clothing, one brand polarises cyclists like no other: Rapha. The very word will leave some purring at the thought of their next visit to its Soho store, while others will twitch involuntarily at the very mention of the name.

Forums see these two entrenched camps trading blows, which often fall below the waistline. Rapha occupies a position in the high-end sector of the market and there’s no denying that its clothing is expensive, but premium fabrics and construction deliver performance and longevity. I rate their kit highly, but it is not infallible.

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Overfishing causing global catches to fall three times faster than estimated

The Guardian - Wed, 2016-01-20 02:00

Landmark new study that includes small-scale, subsistence and illegal fishing shows a strong decline in catches as more fisheries are exhausted

Global fish catches are falling three times faster than official UN figures suggest, according to a landmark new study, with overfishing to blame.

Seafood is the critical source of protein for more than 2.5 billion people, but over-exploitation is cutting the catch by more than 1m tonnes a year.

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BHP Billiton Strategic Assessment: Public invitation to comment on the Draft Impact Assessment Report and Draft MNES Program

Department of the Environment - Tue, 2016-01-19 14:46
BHP Billiton Iron Ore is inviting public comments on the Draft Impact Assessment Report and the Draft Matters of National Environmental Significance Program from 21 March to 2 May 2016.
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Denmark broke world record for wind power in 2015

The Guardian - Tue, 2016-01-19 02:44

Windy year helps Denmark to produce 42% of its electricity from wind turbines, despite two major windfarms being offline

Denmark produced 42% of its electricity from wind turbines last year according to official data, the highest figure yet recorded worldwide.

The new year-end figures showed a 3% rise on 2014, which was itself a record year for Danish wind energy generation.

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World's oceans warming at increasingly faster rate, new study finds

The Guardian - Tue, 2016-01-19 02:00

Ocean water has absorbed more than 90% of the excess heat and nearly 30% of the carbon dioxide generated by human consumption of fossil fuels

The world’s oceans are warming at a quickening rate, with the past 20 years accounting for half of the increase in ocean heat content that has occurred since pre-industrial times, a new study has found.

US scientists discovered that much of the extra heat in the ocean is buried deep underwater, with 35% of the additional warmth found at depths below 700 meters. This means far more heat is present in the far reaches of the ocean than 20 years ago, when it contained just 20% of the extra heat produced from the release of greenhouse gases since the industrial revolution.

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Hammerhead sharks - wildlife trade operation proposal

Department of the Environment - Mon, 2016-01-18 13:24
Proposal to declare an approved WTO under Part 13A of the EPBC Act for the harvest of hammerhead sharks. Invitation to comment open from 18 January 2016 to 26 February 2016
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Flint's water crisis: what went wrong

The Guardian - Sat, 2016-01-16 23:30

After the water supply was found to contain high levels of lead, evidence is mounting that officials ignored or neglected indicators of a growing crisis

Lee and Ernie Perez knew something was amiss when their three cats started throwing up after drinking water.

In 2014, the longtime residents of Flint, Michigan, were dealing with the same circumstances that had consumed most of the town. The problems began in April that year, after the city switched its water source and started pulling water from a local river as a cost-saving measure. Almost immediately, residents levied complaints about the smelly, discolored and disgusting fluid that was now flowing into their households.

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Venomous sea snake washes up on California beach in El Niño-linked event

The Guardian - Sat, 2016-01-16 05:16

A 20-inch snake was discovered near San Diego on Tuesday, the third reported instance since October of the deadly animal washing up on California beaches

California beachgoers have been urged to steer clear of a species of highly venomous sea snake following a third, and unprecedented, instance of an aquatic serpent washing up on to the state’s beaches.

A 20-inch yellow-bellied sea snake was discovered on a beach near San Diego on Tuesday, where it was placed into a bucket before dying. The sighting was the third reported instance since October of the species, which prefers the tropical waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans, washing up on California’s beaches.

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England’s waters to remain illegally polluted beyond 2021

The Guardian - Fri, 2016-01-15 21:49

England set to break extended deadline to meet EU water pollution targets and already risks legal action for failing to meet original 2015 deadline, reports ENDS

Most rivers, lakes and coastal and ground waters in England will still not meet legally binding EU water pollution targets by 2021 – six years after the initial deadline.

According to the Environment Agency’s (EA) draft river basin management plans (RBMPs), analysed by ENDS, compliance with Water Framework Directive (WFD) standards will have risen to just 25% in 2021, up from 17% in 2015 (see table 1).

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UK’s last resident killer whales 'doomed to extinction'

The Guardian - Fri, 2016-01-15 00:00

Western European waters are a global hotspot for lingering toxic PCB pollution, research reveals, damaging the reproduction of orcas and dolphins

The UK’s last pod of killer whales is doomed to extinction, with new research revealing western European waters as a global hotspot for the lingering legacy of toxic PCB pollution.

The persistent chemicals, used in electrical equipment but banned in the 1980s, are still leaking into the oceans and were also found in extremely high levels in European dolphins, whose populations are in decline.

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Meet the conservationists who believe that burning is good for wildlife | George Monbiot

The Guardian - Thu, 2016-01-14 19:20

Our national park authorities are vandals and fabulists, inflicting mass destruction on wildlife and habitats, then calling it conservation

At one end of the country, conservation groups are doing all they can to stop the burning of moors. Challenging the grouse shooting estates, for example, the RSPB argues that “there is an urgent need to restore these landscapes by … bringing an end to burning.”

At the other end of the country, conservation groups are doing all they can to ensure that moors are burnt.

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Nevada solar industry collapses after state lets power company raise fees

The Guardian - Thu, 2016-01-14 06:09

State public utility commission gave only power company permission to charge higher rates and fees to users, shattering industry’s business model

There are 36 solar panels sitting in a row behind Richard Stewart’s home in north Las Vegas. The panels cost about $40,000 – most of his savings, he said. He made the investment with his wife, who has since died, hoping to save money heating and cooling their high desert home. The retiree worried then, as retirees on fixed incomes often do, about rising energy costs.

Now he regrets the investment entirely. “I’ll be lucky to get my money back in 20 years,” said Stewart, 69.

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Deadly eastern brown snake found under fridge in Adelaide house – video

The Guardian - Wed, 2016-01-13 11:55

An unpleasant house guest has been discovered at an Adelaide home – a highly venomous eastern brown snake. After seeing the snake’s head appear from under her refrigerator, a justifiably shaken Moana resident contacted Snake Catchers Adelaide. An extra surprise came later – the snake went on to lay more than a dozen eggs.

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Heavily pregnant deadly snake found under fridge by Australian woman

The Guardian - Wed, 2016-01-13 11:02

Highly venomous eastern brown snake discovered peering out from under refrigerator in suburban Adelaide is captured, then goes on to lay 15 eggs

An Adelaide woman got the fright of her life when she went to get a drink from the fridge and discovered a brown snake peering out from underneath.

The venomous eastern brown snake had a surprise in store for the homeowners – it was heavily pregnant and later laid 15 eggs.

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