John Abbott obituary
My friend John Abbott, who has died of cancer aged 63, was a talented mathematician and liberal-minded individual who improved the air that we breathe. John was the first (in 2005) to understand that nitrogen dioxide concentrations were not decreasing as expected. A decade later, this is now widely known and understood, with diesel cars […]
Rising sea levels could reduce several UK mountains to hills
Some peaks that are just a few centimetres above minimum height face being downgraded amid advancing seas Rising sea levels could topple the proud status of some British mountains, reducing them to the status of mere hills. Those in greatest danger of demotion include a peak in the Yorkshire Dales that was only reclassified as […]
Sister on a mission: the Texas nun using oil company money to fight fracking
Sister Elizabeth Riebschlaeger, 80, funded by mineral rights fees on a family property, is backing a campaign against fracking in the sleepy town of Nordheim “I call it redeeming the money,” said Sister Elizabeth Riebschlaeger, munching a turkey sandwich in a bar with a stuffed steer’s head mounted on a wall next to a life-sized […]
World Bank says Paris climate goals at risk from new coal schemes
Jim Yong Kim says slowing down growth in coal-fired power stations is essential in order to reduce emissions Slowing down construction of coal-fired power stations will be vital to hit globally agreed climate change goals, the World Bank president, Jim Yong Kim, said as he outlined a five-point plan to flesh out last year’s Paris […]
Carmichael mine to be given 'essential' status in sign of Palaszczuk support
Queensland government poised to declare mine ‘critical infrastructure’ to speed remaining approvals process The Queensland government is poised to declare Adani’s proposed Carmichael coal project “critical infrastructure”, a rare step that will elevate its status to an operation that is “essential to [the] state’s economic and community wellbeing”. The Palazsczuk government appears to be bolstering […]
Sand tiger sharks: far friendlier than you think
They are thought to be solitary, but new research shows one shark species to be intensely social They have a reputation for being sinister loners, creatures that swim the seas in solitary silence before pouncing on unsuspecting prey. Think of the deadly predator in Jaws and you have the perfect stereotype of a shark. But […]
The eco guide to unleaded playgrounds
Beware toxic lead paint on climbing frames and seesaws Everyone assumes that lead poisoning is no longer a real risk, and that the horror story of lead-laced water in Flint, Michigan, would mean that the only safe amount is no lead at all. Yet lead is still in use and that means we run the […]
Drones to monitor shark activity off Western Australia coastline
Three-month surveillance trial will stream live pictures to surf lifesavers at metropolitan and regional beaches A three-month trial of drone surveillance will be used at West Australian beaches to monitor shark activity and potentially spot other dangers such as rips and schools of bait fish, which attract the predators. Under the trial, $88,000 will be […]
The Australian coastline that reveals a glimpse of early life on Earth – video
Hamelin pool contains the world’s largest collection of active stromatolites – stony mounds of sand and calcium carbonate stuck together with a kind of biological glue, which emerge from the water as the tide goes out. Studying stromatolites today promises an insight into how life began as well as what the Earth was like 3.7bn […]
Wildcats, foxes, squirrels or bats? Britain asked to vote for its favourite mammal
The Royal Society of Biology is inviting the public to pick the animal closest to its heart, to raise awareness of threats to wildlife Britons have been asked to name their favourite mammal. A Royal Society of Biology (RSB) poll, launched on Sunday, will seek to pinpoint which non-domestic creature – found within our shores and […]