Hurricane Sandy-level flooding is rising so sharply that it could become normal
Findings highlight how US is in grip of significant environmental changes driven by warming temperatures in different ways to processes that fuel hurricanes The frequency of floods of the magnitude of Hurricane Sandy, which devastated parts of New York City in 2012, is rising so sharply that they could become relatively normal, with a raft […]
Coalition urged to regulate Indigenous hunting of endangered animals
Warren Entsch tells party room dugongs and sea turtles are being subjected to cruelty and being hunted commercially The Turnbull government is considering greater regulation of Indigenous Australians’ hunting of dugongs and sea turtles. Malcolm Turnbull has asked the environment minister, Josh Frydenberg, to investigate serious complaints that vulnerable and endangered animals are being subjected […]
Plans for an electric car charging point in every new home in Europe
Car manufacturers welcome plans by the EU to boost the convenience of electric cars by increasing recharging facilities Every new or refurbished house in Europe will need to be equipped with an electric vehicle recharging point, under a draft EU directive expected to come into effect by 2019. In a further boost to prospects for […]
An energy first as UK successfully transmits data via national electricity grid
New technology is a significant step towards the creation of virtual power stations that would enable smarter electricity use by homes and businesses Data has been transmitted across a national electricity grid for the first time, in what could be a significant step towards the creation of virtual power stations, where many thousands of homes […]
Swallows have taken their leave and the sky seems empty
Waltham Brooks, West Sussex Around the pool’s edges, snipe drill into the mud as the sun sinks towards the horizon The air is noticeably colder, and the blue sky above the Brooks seems empty. The swallows and martins that had been following the river Arun south to the sea, in an almost continuous stream for […]
A clean energy transition is already happening, but it is at risk | Alexander White
The transition to a low carbon economy is already happening, but is at risk when residents of Australia’s capital go to the polls in local elections The transition to a low carbon economy is already happening … in the Australian Capital Territory, where the local Labor government has legislated for a 100% renewable energy target […]
BP ditches plans to drill for oil in the Great Australian Bight
Decision follows outcry by environmentalists over risk to delicate marine ecosystem, safety concerns and a corporate review within the company BP has decided not to go ahead with its controversial plans to drill for oil in the commonwealth marine reserve in the Great Australian Bight. It had boasted that the Great Australian Bight had the […]
China's 'extinct' dolphin may have returned to Yangtze river, say conservationists
Amateur expedition team claims it spotted the baiji – known as the ‘goddess of the Yangtze’ – in a stretch of Asia’s longest river Chinese conservationists believe they may have caught a rare glimpse of a freshwater dolphin that was declared functionally extinct a decade ago having graced the Yangtze river for 20 million years. […]
Coral violently spews out algae in response to heat stress – video
For the first time, researchers from the Queensland University of Technology studying bleaching have captured footage of coral from the Great Barrier Reef spewing out the algae that lives within it in response to heat stress. Using a microscope and digital camera to record time-lapse videos, the researchers demonstrate precisely how coral reacts to rising […]
Grubbly Farms: Bugs are a key part of the future of food
Insects are going to be a significant part of the future of food. There are an increasing number of examples of the potential of insects, particularly in terms of its utilisation in animal feed. In a warehouse in Atlanta, Grubbly Farms are aiming to take it to the next level building an automated system to […]