Great Barrier Reef: Unesco pushes for tree-clearing controls
UN agency recognises ‘importance of strengthening our vegetation protection laws’, Queensland’s Jackie Trad says Unesco has acknowledged the importance of stymied tree-clearing controls in Queensland to efforts to protect the Great Barrier Reef, according to the state’s deputy premier, Jackie Trad. Trad has emerged from a meeting in Paris with a Unesco official, Fanny Douvere, […]
China tops WHO list for deadly outdoor air pollution
More than 1 million people died from dirty air in one year, according to World Health Organisation China is the world’s deadliest country for outdoor air pollution, according to analysis by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The UN agency has previously warned that tiny particulates from cars, power plants and other sources are killing 3 […]
Climate change challenge to Gina Rinehart’s Alpha mine dismissed by court
Queensland court of appeal finds ‘proposed mining would not detrimentally affect global greenhouse gas emissions’ because Asian power stations would buy coal elsewhere if Alpha blocked Miners could run afoul of Queensland’s environmental protection laws if the burning of their export coal overseas were shown to negatively impact global carbon pollution, the state’s highest court […]
Tony Abbott at odds with Mike Baird over shark nets after teenager attacked
Former prime minister says commercial shark fishery should be considered for north coast of New South Wales Tony Abbott has called for nets to be put in place to protect beachgoers in regional New South Wales, saying he is on the side of people rather than sharks, after a teenager was bitten while surfing. The […]
Washing clothes releases water-polluting fibres, study finds
Tiny plastic particles released by synthetic fabrics can cause harm to marine life when they enter rivers and oceans Each cycle of a washing machine could release more than 700,000 microscopic plastic fibres into the environment, according to a study. Related: Inside the lonely fight against the biggest environmental problem you’ve never heard of Continue […]
Climate chief: UK must not use Brexit to water down environment laws
Committee on Climate Change chair urges UK to bring in new laws to replace EU legislation and says Scotland must do more to prepare for global warming The UK must not water down its environmental laws as it leaves the European Union, one of the government’s most senior advisers on climate change has warned. Lord […]
Kea simply takes its share of nature’s bounty | Brief letters
NZ parrots | iPhone 7 | Pictures of autumn | Eating dirt | Bootle accents | Welsh signage From your report (22 September) on the endangered New Zealand parrot the kea: “its destructive habits such as … attacking stock and habitually stealing food”. A wild creature has no concept of harm or property, so both […]
Labour's pledge to ban fracking in the UK is 'madness', says GMB
Party’s union donor says Britain would be forced to rely on ‘henchmen, hangmen and headchopper’ dictators for gas Labour’s third biggest union donor has attacked the party’s decision to pledge a ban on fracking in the UK as “nonsense” and “madness”. The GMB, which backed Owen Smith for the party leadership, criticised the move, saying […]
South Africa: 'Saving endangered species is the responsibility of everyone'
As the 17th world wildlife conference opens, South Africa’s environment minister Edna Bomo Molewa explains the country’s commitment to protecting wildlife Over the next two weeks, South Africa will welcome an estimated 3,500 delegates to Cop17, the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna […]
US emissions set to miss 2025 target in Paris climate change deal, research finds
Even if US implements emissions-cutting proposals it could still overshoot target by nearly 1bn tonnes of greenhouse gases, according to scientific study The US is on course to miss its emissions reduction target agreed in the Paris climate accord nine months ago, with new research finding that the world’s largest historical emitter doesn’t currently have […]