How to stop deforestation: 'Indigenous people are the best park rangers'
Trees soak up greenhouse gases, so how do we ensure their protection? Our experts offer seven ideas for the conservation and restoration of forests Countries need to stop using outdated fiscal policies for agriculture. In some places, such as Brazil and Indonesia, the amount spent by their governments on subsidising agriculture is more than 100 […]
Fuel duty cut for diesel cars was wrong, says ex-chief science adviser
David King, who served Labour and Tory governments, says he was misled by car industry over levels of diesel pollution The former chief scientific adviser has admitted it was wrong to cut fuel duty on diesel vehicles after being hoodwinked by the car industry, as the mayor of London launched a crackdown on vehicle pollution. […]
Health warning issued over barramundi caught near Hazelwood power station
Environmental Protection Agency updates advice due to presence of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances The Environmental Protection Agency has issued a health warning against barramundi caught in the recreational fishing ponds used as cooling for the now defunct Hazelwood power station, after a change in national guidelines. Barramundi were released into the 55ha Hazelwood Pondage lake […]
Former Danish PM says investment is key to developing renewable energy – video
Helle Thorning-Schmidt, appearing on the ABC’s Q&A, says every country needs to determine the right mix of energy sources for its requirements, but the important thing is investment, planning and political will. She says Denmark started investing in its renewables strategy 30 years ago and now makes more from the export of related technology than […]
We can't be Denmark: Josh Frydenberg plays down wind energy potential on Q&A
Energy minister says Australia’s remoteness means it cannot match European countries yet in producing electricity from renewables Josh Frydenberg has pointed to South Australia’s intermittent power issues as evidence that the rest of the country is not ready to transition out of fossil fuels, calling the state Australia’s “great experiment”. The minister for the environment […]
Who'd want to dump Australia's nuclear waste here? Well, this guy
At Kimba in the heart of the country, a community is divided – in one case literally so – over a plan to deposit the national stockpile of radioactive waste At a point almost halfway between the east and west coasts of Australia, a mob of emus scamper along the Napandee property fenceline. The mallee […]
Switch from nuclear to coal-fired power linked to low birth weight in US region
Study reveals fall in birth weight in areas of the Tennessee Valley which had greatest boom in coal-fired power plant activity following nuclear closures Children in a region of the US were born smaller after the area switched from nuclear plants to coal-fired power stations, new research has found. The study looked at of the […]
Grape Britain: UK merry on organic wine as sales soar
Rise in number of environmentally conscious consumers lead to boom in sales of organic wines, beers and spirits It is made from grapes grown without pesticides and chemicals, is kind to the environment and rarely triggers hangovers. Sales of organic wine are booming in the UK as part of the growing trend for “conscious consumerism”. […]
Renewables cut Europe's carbon emissions by 10% in 2015, says EEA
European Environment Agency report solar and and wind is reducing fossil fuel dependency but clean energy capacity still not growing fast enough A surge in the use of wind and solar energy helped Europe to cut its fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by about 10% in 2015, an authoritative new report has found. […]
Fracking firm Ineos leads industry lobbying to avoid green tax
Documents show Anglo-Swiss firm is using Brexit as a chance to seek further exemptions from climate policy costs Anglo-Swiss chemicals firm Ineos is privately leading an industry lobbying attempt to avoid paying for the cost of decarbonising Britain’s economy. Documents released under freedom of information rules reveal that Ineos is pushing the government to use […]