The Guardian
Each special in its own way: bird spotting on Australia's islands
Sue Taylor has visited spots as remote as Macquarie Island in the Southern Ocean and as familiar as Phillip Island in Victoria in search of rarities
- The Guardian/Bird Life Australia bird of the year poll will be back in October
There’s something very romantic about islands. For a start there’s the wonderful isolation, the feeling of relaxing remoteness, the total absence of bustling city commuters. Picture tropical palm trees waving above pristine white beaches, lapped by sparkling turquoise seas. Whatever the reason, everyone loves an island. People go to Rottnest in Western Australia to admire the quokkas, to Norfolk Island to soak up the fascinating history and bucolic scenery, and to Christmas Island for the red crab migration.
I am a twitcher and for me it’s always the birds. I go to Rottnest for terns, waders and red-capped robins, to Norfolk for parakeets, gerygones and California quail, and to Christmas Island for Abbott’s boobies, frigatebirds and rare vagrants. I’ve seen some fantastic vagrants (birds outside their usual range) on my five visits to Christmas Island. Apart from all the exciting endemics (birds that are unique to one place), I’ve seen 12 extraordinary vagrants, including such rarities as a red collared dove, a Malayan night heron and, best of all, a corn crake.
Continue reading...Animals failing to adapt to speed of climate crisis, study finds
Scientists warn of ‘alarming’ lag between human-driven seasons shift and animals’ behavioural changes
The speed of climate disruption is outstripping many animals’ capacity to adapt, according to a study that warns of a growing threat to even common species such as sparrows, magpies and deer.
Scientists behind the research described the results as alarming because they showed a dangerous lag between a human-driven shift in the seasons and behavioural changes in the natural world.
Continue reading...Nissan refuses government request on Qashqai emissions
Manufacturer told DVSA it would not retrofit polluting vehicles, despite other firms agreeing to modifications
Nissan’s decision to ignore a government request for emissions modifications to thousands of polluting cars has been branded a scandal by environmental campaigners.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) discovered that the Sunderland-made diesel Qashqai model emits 17 times more nitrogen oxides (NOx) than EU limits allow.
Continue reading...Singapore seizes record haul of smuggled elephant ivory
Nine tonnes of contraband tusks from about 300 animals found in illegal cargo from DRC
Singapore has made its largest ever seizure of smuggled ivory, impounding a haul of nearly nine tonnes of contraband tusks from an estimated 300 elephants, according to the authorities.
The illegal cargo, discovered on Sunday in a container from the Democratic Republic of the Congo also included a huge stash of pangolin scales – the third such seizure in as many months.
Continue reading...£680m of UK foreign aid spent on fossil fuel projects – study
Cafod says UK is saddling poorer nations with outdated, polluting technologies
The British government has spent £680m of its foreign aid budget on fossil fuel projects since 2010, according to analysis that highlights the UK’s failure to align diplomatic, trade and aid policies with the goals of the Paris climate agreement.
Britain allocated more overseas development cash to oil and gas in the two years after signing the 2015 agreement than it had in the previous five, according to the study commissioned by the Catholic development agency Cafod and carried out by the Commons international development committee.
Continue reading...The powerful undersea images of Roger Grace – in pictures
The marine biologist, conservationist and specialist underwater photographer Roger Grace died at his New Zealand home in June. We celebrate his incredible legacy
All photographs: Roger Grace/Greenpeace
Continue reading...Adani protest: French journalists' charges should be dropped, media union says
Hugo Clément surprised at his treatment but thinks his arrest will draw Europe’s attention to the Queensland coalmine
A prominent French journalist arrested and charged while covering a protest against Adani’s Carmichael coalmine says he’s surprised and disappointed at his treatment, while Australia’s media union has called for the charges to be dropped.
On Monday reporter Hugo Clément and three of his crew members were filming a protest by an activist group near the Abbot Point terminal just north of Bowen when they were were arrested by Queensland police.
Continue reading...20,000 tonnes of recycling dumped in Victorian landfill during SKM ban
Fears grow that figure could compound into hundreds of thousands of tonnes if the company collapses
More than 20,000 tonnes of glass, paper and plastic was dumped in Victorian landfill while beleaguered waste company SKM Recycling was banned from accepting kerbside rubbish due to health and safety concerns.
Councils and environmentalists fear that figure could compound into hundreds of thousands of tonnes if the company is declared insolvent when taken to court this week or just stops operating, as its founder has threatened. SKM processes half of the recyclable rubbish collected from kerbside bins across the state.
Continue reading...Footage of uncontacted tribesman in the Amazon rainforest – video
Footage shot in the Amazon rainforest shows an uncontacted tribesman, the man is bare-chested and carrying a spear. He is believed to belong to the Awá people. The Awá tribe have been described as the world's most threatened tribe by the NGO Survival International, which has tracked killings by loggers, who surround and encroach upon the group's territory. Their existence has been called into question by commercial interests that want to move into the land, but the new footage has been cited as proof that they remain in the territory
Continue reading...Video of uncontacted Amazon tribe highlights threat from illegal loggers
Clip shows a bare-chested man with a spear, who is believed to belong to the Awá people, the world’s most threatened tribe
Remarkable close-up footage that appears to show an uncontacted tribesman in the Amazon rainforest has been released by an indigenous media group that wants to raise awareness of the threat posed by illegal loggers, miners and drug traffickers.
Related: The Amazon tribe protecting the forest with bows, arrows, GPS and camera traps
Continue reading...Icelandic memorial warns future: ‘Only you know if we saved glaciers’
Plaque marking Okjökull, the first glacier lost to climate crisis, to be unveiled in August
The first of Iceland’s 400 glaciers to be lost to the climate crisis will be remembered with a memorial plaque – and a sombre warning for the future – to be unveiled by scientists and local people next month.
The former Okjökull glacier, which a century ago covered 15 sq km (5.8 sq miles) of mountainside in western Iceland and measured 50 metres thick, has shrunk to barely 1 sq km of ice less than 15 metres deep and lost its status as a glacier.
Continue reading...Oh we do like to be beside the seaside: Britons on the beach – in pictures
From Victorian days out to 21st-century staycations, our coastal resorts are an enduring attraction. These images are from the exhibition Seaside: Photographed, which is at Turner Contemporary, Margate, until 8 September and tours to three other venues in 2020: John Hansard gallery, Southampton, Grundy art gallery, Blackpool, and Newlyn art gallery and the Exchange. Supported by Arts Council England’s strategic touring fund
Continue reading...Adani protest: French journalists arrested while filming anti-coal activities
Journalists charged with trespassing after filming Frontline Action on Coal activists include Hugo Clément
Four journalists working for the public television network France 2 have been charged with trespassing for filming a protest near the Abbot Point coal terminal, in north Queensland, targeting the operations of the Adani group.
The group of journalists includes Hugo Clément, a reporter well known in France for his documentaries about climate change and environmental issues.
Continue reading...Air travellers may have to pay carbon charge to offset emissions
Planned tax will make public more aware of climate harm caused by flying, ministers hope
Air passengers may have to pay an extra “carbon charge” on flights as part of a government initiative to reduce CO2 emissions and tackle the climate crisis.
Passengers could choose to pay more for travel tickets, which would then be used to offset greenhouse gas emissions. Or the scheme could work on an “opt out” basis and also be applied to trains, buses and ferries.
Continue reading...Silent, no gears and cheaper every day: electric cars aren't so hard to get used to
An EV test drive reveals they’re not so radically different – except for the sense of future-proofing
A few weeks ago in western Sydney, I fanged around the Eastern Creek racetrack looking to kick the wheels of the electric car revolution.
A lot has been written on the viability of the electric car: the price, the availability, the range, the chargers. But this was solely about the driving experience, from the perspective of someone who has only ever driven petrol cars.
Continue reading...Testing electric cars: is this the silent future of Australian motoring? – video
Naaman Zhou went to Sydney's Eastern Creek racetrack to try out the latest electric and hybrid vehicles that manufacturers hope will be adopted for government and private fleets – as well as the three-wheeler Toyota iRoad and a hydrogen-powered Hyundai model not yet on the market. He found some not that dissimilar to the feel of a conventional petrol vehicle, others radically different, but all disconcertingly quiet and a definite step up from his Toyota Corolla.
Continue reading...Science helps us to produce cheap and plentiful food | Letters
Caroline Lucas (Farming with nature helps wildlife, and humans too, Journal, 18 July) accuses agrochemical companies of “seeking to undermine the transition to environmentally friendly farming”. This statement could not be further from the truth. We are on the brink of the next agricultural revolution; advances in science and agricultural technology are helping to ensure a supply of plentiful and affordable food while reducing the impact on the environment. Our member companies play a critical role in supporting farmers on this journey by providing biological, seed-breeding, data, robotics and pest management solutions that go beyond chemicals.
To help fight climate change, we aim to be as productive as possible on the land we have. By using crop protection products, farmers are able to maximise the productivity of existing farmland, resulting in more land for nature. An organic and low-yield farming system would require more land to be brought into production for yield levels to be maintained, having significant impacts on nature. Indeed, researchers from Cambridge University recently found that high-yielding farming delivered better outcomes for biodiversity, compared with low-yielding systems.
Continue reading...Environment of greater concern than housing or terrorism – UK poll
Climate crisis concerns top British public’s policy priorities, poll findings reveal
Protecting the environment has overtaken affordable housing and the threat of terrorism in the British public’s policy priorities over the last eight months, polling has revealed.
Polling by BritainThinks, commissioned by Engage Britain, found that concern about the climate crisis has risen at roughly the same rate for all age groups, and has emerged as the single most important issue for young people. It comes as the activist group Extinction Rebellion is due to stage another round of protests expected to bring parts of the country to a standstill.
Continue reading...Weeding, writing and arithmetic… why green fingers are good for our children
From the water vole to the Scottish wildcat, the dwindling numbers of Britain’s most at-risk animals are well documented. But now the alarm bell is sounding over a rather more overlooked endangered species: green-fingered children.
Young people are so rarely spotted in gardens across Britain nowadays that the Royal Horticultural Society is warning that the country is facing a green skills crisis unless more learn to garden.
Continue reading...The true cost of eating meat: if we want change, we have to pay for it
Australians can afford to spend more on food that meets higher animal welfare standards. It’s time to demand change from farmers
It’s easy to argue that the intensification of animal farming puts food on the average Aussie battler’s table at a price they can afford. By suggesting we eat less meat, or better-quality meat, it’s easy to be accused of favouring the rich: perhaps only they can afford the grass-fed, organic, free-range alternative?
So let’s take a look at the numbers. The average Australian spends about 14% of their income on food – down from about 19% of income 30 years ago. According to government statistics, total annual expenditure on meat and seafood was only $650 per person in 2015-16 compared with $734 in 1988-89, allowing for inflation (the data for seafood and meat were compiled into one number, unfortunately). We spend less on meat than we used to, and buy more of it. So now, according to the most recent numbers available, each week households spend an average of $13.70 on vegetables and $9.60 on fresh fruit. Compare that to the $40 or more we spend each week on takeaways, fast food and confectionery. Or the 31% of our food budget we spend eating out, a 50% increase on three decades prior. Or the $13 we spend, on average, per household, per week, on our pets.
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