Water management flawed owing to vastly underestimated drought risk, study finds
Thousand-year rainfall record shows weather in New South Wales over the past 100 years has been unusually stable and absent of mega droughts Drought and flood risk in New South Wales is vastly underestimated, with weather in the past 100 years being unusually stable, according to a detailed reconstruction of rainfall over a NSW catchment […]
Fossil fuel register shows more than a third of Australia earmarked for coal or gas
Interactive map commissioned by Lock the Gate shows fossil fuel claims cover 37% of Australia’s landmass More than a third of Australia’s landmass is earmarked for coal or gas, according to a new analysis and interactive map commissioned by the community group Lock the Gate. No single register of fossil fuel exploration and extraction licences […]
'Triumph or disaster?': MPs question Boaty McBoatface research council chief
Commons committee question Natural Environment Research Council head over ship-naming competition as part of inquiry into science communication No sooner had MPs taken their seats than it began. “Will the minister ask you to walk the plank?” asked Nicola Blackwood, chair of the Commons science and technology committee. Her question was directed at Duncan Wingham, […]
Give the gladiator sandals another summer | Letters
Female fertility | DNA database | Prison reform | Disposable fashion | Last English king I was surprised to be informed (The foul reign of the biological clock, 10 May) that 1.5 is “the number of children the average American woman had in 1976”. At a rough estimate this means 120 million children were born […]
California winery hires earthworms to clean up its wastewater
A glass of wine can require as much as 14 gallons of water to make, prompting Fetzer Vineyards to try a wriggly wastewater solution invented in Chile Next time you open a bottle of merlot or chardonnay, be sure to thank the vintner. And you might want to toast the worms, as well. Everyday earthworms […]
See Earth’s temperature spiral toward 2C rise – graphic
Climate Central: A new graphic shows Earth’s temperatures spiralling toward the 2C global warming limit The steady rise of Earth’s temperature as greenhouse gases accumulate in the atmosphere and trap more and more heat is sending the planet spiraling closer to the point where warming’s catastrophic consequences may be all but assured. Continue reading… Source: […]
It's spring: stop using your dryer already
The sweet ritual of hanging your clothes to dry in the warmth of the sun is not only environmentally effective, it’ll spare your clothes undue damage Everyone hates me in the springtime. As soon as the weather warms up, the clothesline in my backyard gets hauled into action and I become physically unable to stop […]
Headlines 'exaggerated' climate link to sinking of Pacific islands
Report’s author says many media outlets have misinterpreted the science by conflating sea-level rise with climate change Links between climate change and the sinking of five islands in the Pacific Ocean have been exaggerated, the author of a widely reported new study has said. The report, published on Friday, tracked the shapeshifting of 33 reef […]
Climbers hope to reach Everest summit for first time in over two years
Nearly 300 climbers and their guides are waiting for weather window this week after two climbing seasons marred by tragedy Climbers are hoping to reach the summit of Everest this week for the first time in almost three years, following two seasons marked by tragedies on the world’s highest mountain. Summit attempts are expected to […]
Another Bundy standoff possible as groups call for US to seize livestock
Coalition of wildlife groups write to US Bureau of Land Management asking them to remove Cliven Bundy’s cattle from federal land in Nevada Environmental groups have called on the government to round up Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy’s cattle with a mass seizure of livestock that some fear could lead to a tense standoff between armed […]