Our message to Japan: Africa's elephants need your support
Paula Kahumbu: Elephant diplomacy is helping to get Japan on board in efforts towards a global ban on ivory trade The global coalition for a total ban on the trade in ivory is taking shape. In Africa calls for the ban are led by the 29 nation African Elephant Coalition (AEC). In the consumer countries, […]
Greg Hunt's approval of Adani's Queensland mine upheld by federal court
Former environment minister entitled to find any assessment of resulting carbon pollution on the Great Barrier Reef was ‘speculative’, court says The federal court has upheld the commonwealth approval of Adani’s Queensland mine, ruling that former environment minister Greg Hunt was entitled to find any assessment of resulting carbon pollution on the Great Barrier Reef […]
Climate sceptic MP appointed chair of environment and energy committee
Liberal Craig Kelly will lead backbench committee that provides advice and feedback on legislation and policies The climate sceptic Liberal MP Craig Kelly has been appointed chairman of the backbench environment and energy committee, with National party MP Kevin Hogan as secretary. The committee will provide feedback on legislation and policies relating to the environment […]
Balsam, a handsome but greedy weed: Country diary 100 years ago
Originally published in the Manchester Guardian on 4 September 1916 Kew Gardens, September 3On a sunny day among gorse bushes, when the wind has fallen, you can hear the seed-pods of the gorse bursting all around you. Lying in a hammock near the Alströmerias in the garden you can hear the same sharp snap as […]
All is not pristine in New Zealand
Cities in the Land of the Long White Cloud suffer from pollution caused by the wood fires, that provide most of the domestic heating in poorly insulated houses Most images of New Zealand show a pristine environment of great beauty. It therefore comes as a surprise that airborne particle pollution in many towns is above […]
Record tourism in national parks comes with increasing threats – antsy humans
Yellowstone and other major parks grapple with illegal camping, vandalism, theft of resources, wildlife harassment and other misbehavior from visitors On the edge of a meadow in Yellowstone national park, tourist John Gleason crept through the grass, four small children close behind, inching toward a bull elk with antlers like small trees. “They’re going to […]
FSA: 4,000 breaches of animal welfare laws at UK abattoirs in two years
Data released by the food watchdog reveals thousands of animals are being subjected to avoidable suffering at slaughterhouses There were more than 4,000 severe breaches of animal welfare regulations over the past two years at British slaughterhouses, according to data released by the government’s food watchdog under freedom of information laws. The reports by vets […]
Britain's biggest shooting lobby riven by infighting, leak reveals
Report appears to show BASC in meltdown with senior staff suspended and resigning amid accusations of a ‘culture of fear’ Britain’s biggest and richest shooting organisation appears to be in meltdown, with senior staff suspended, members of its governing council resigning and an external investigation being conducted by an international law firm into vicious internal […]
Rare blue whales spotted off New England coast in 'unheard of' event
‘We’ve never seen two together,’ says co-founder of marine conservation The whales are the largest creatures on earth Two blue whales have been seen off the New England coast, in a rare sighting of the largest creatures on earth. Blue Ocean Society for Marine Conversation cofounder Dianna Schulte told WMUR-TV she was working aboard the […]
Hinkley Point: EDF boss calls on government to look at 'bigger picture'
Vincent de Rivaz has called for £18bn nuclear project to be approved after it was delayed unexpectedly by Theresa May The head of the energy company behind the Hinkley Point C nuclear reactors has called on the government to authorise the project after its approval was unexpectedly delayed last month. Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, […]