Tesla’s Powerwall To Be Available At End Of Year In Australia
Tesla’s Powerwall unit is expected to be available commercially by the end of 2015 in Australia. Tesla’s announcement of expected availability in Australia represents a forward movement on the product’s previous timescale, where it was expected to arrive sometime in 2016. Solar panels and similar solar battery innovations have been gaining popularity among Australian households and […]
Campground slaughter of wombats reminds us people are far more dangerous than snakes or spiders
The wanton killing of 10 wombats at the weekend reflects our fear of the bush along with our fundamental ignorance about this particular marsupial This weekend’s hideous killing of 10 wombats at a large and popular public campground, in the back-country behind Nowra on the NSW south coast, reflects a primal Australian fear of the […]
Great Barrier Reef pollution prevention too slow, says Queensland government
Reef report card found despite avoiding an ‘in danger’ listing from Unesco in July, inshore areas are in a bad shape throughout the 2,300km-long ecosystem The Great Barrier Reef is in poor condition and efforts to prevent pollution flowing onto the coral ecosystem are not happening quickly enough, according to a Queensland government assessment. Related: […]
Spider spins silken autumnal web: Country diary 100 years ago
Originally published in the Manchester Guardian on 25 September 1915 This morning early the lane leading to the wheat stubble was full of mist, and the uncut grass at its sides was so heavy with dew that walking through it you were wetted to above the ankles. The hedge is high, there are thorns ripe […]
The shifting sands of time
An auroch’s horn in the visitor centre at St David’s in Pembrokeshire tells a story of our distant past when these now extinct giant cattle roamed the coastal plains. The stumps of trees were revealed in 2014 when a storm scoured away the beach and shifted inland the shingle bank that protects the main road at Newgale. Beneath […]
Birdwatch: Long-eared owl
In birding, as indeed in life, it’s what you don’t expect that can be confusing. And on a sunny late summer’s day, as I was hunting for grassland butterflies on my Somerset coastal patch, I certainly didn’t think an owl would fly past. My first reaction was surprise, followed by complete bewilderment. It was obviously […]
85% of British power can be via renewables by 2030, says Greenpeace
Report expects a rise in wind energy from 13GW to 77GW, with solar rising from 5GW to 28GW, but could cost up to £227bn Britain can produce 85% of its power via renewable energy by 2030 provided it undergoes significant changes in energy production and use, according to a new study by Greenpeace. The study […]
VW software scandal: chief apologises for breaking public trust
Martin Winterkorn orders external investigation after US regulators found cars gave inaccurate data on toxic emissions Volkswagen has ordered an external investigation after US regulators found that software the carmaker designed for diesel cars gave false emissions data, its CEO said today, adding he was “deeply sorry” for the violation of US rules. “I personally […]
Tracking the inferno: where wildfires are hitting California and other states the hardest
California isn’t the only western state to battle destructive wildfires. Here is a visual breakdown of the largest fires burning across the west right now Continue reading… Source: Guardian Environment
Police investigate after wombats found dead at Kangaroo Valley campsite
Police believe up to 10 wombats – including nursing mothers – were deliberately run down late on Friday night or early on Saturday Up to 10 wombats have been killed in an apparently deliberate attack in southern New South Wales. Related: Two of Australia’s three wombat species under threat from killer disease Continue reading… Source: […]