Environment
Government kicks can down the road on climate target
19 March
Labor has been canvassing Australia’s 2035 emissions reduction target for more than a year leading up to the federal election despite having ruled out a pre-poll announcement, it can be revealed. Countries must refresh goals to slash greenhouse...[Read More]
Explosion in croc numbers triggers feral feast fallout
19 March
Northern Australia’s massive crocodile population is munching its way through huge numbers of feral pigs, with the apex predator’s changing diet having a significant impact on the environment. Since they were protected in 1971, croc numbers in...[Read More]
Only seven countries meeting WHO air quality standards
12 March
Australia is one of just seven countries that met World Health Organization air quality standards last year and researchers are warning the war on smog will get harder after the US shut down its global monitoring efforts. Only Australia, New...[Read More]
‘Growing tide’: clean economy optimism despite Trump
12 March
Global momentum behind decarbonisation is unlikely to be unwound by the United States withdrawing from the international climate pact, the head of the federal Climate Change Authority says. Matt Kean, a former NSW Liberal energy minister and...[Read More]
Science meets tradition to harness power of lightning
5 March
Darryl Lyons probably has the best job title in Australia. He’s chief rainmaker at the Indigenous biotech startup Rainstick, which combines traditional knowledge and modern science. Mr Lyons and co-founder Mic Black have harnessed the power of...[Read More]
More than 800,000 chip in to clean up tonnes of rubbish
5 March
A record 800,000 volunteers wearing gloves and carrying rubbish bags were happy to get down and dirty at about 8000 sites nationwide to clean up beaches, parks, streets and waterways. Sunday marked 35 years of Clean Up Australia Day, an initiative...[Read More]
Fears of reduction in promised koala park coming ‘soon’
5 March
Conservation groups are running out of patience for the declaration of a national park to protect koalas amid investigations into how big it will be, and whether it can produce new funds. The proposed Great Koala National Park aims to link dozens of...[Read More]
Household solar panels create a ‘worry’ for energy boss
26 February
Australia is leading the solar race worldwide thanks to widespread adoption of rooftop panels but the asset could present a serious challenge to the national grid in the short-term, a leading energy regulator has warned. Australian Energy Market...[Read More]
Nuclear plan may miss nation’s energy goal by a decade
26 February
Australia could miss its zero-emission energy target by more than a decade if it pursues nuclear power, according to a Climate Change Authority report, and could add two billion tonnes of carbon emissions to the environment by 2050. Moving from...[Read More]
New additive shows promise in taming cattle emissions
26 February
Australian scientists may have spawned the next star in the race to stop cows and sheep belching so much planet-warming methane. Billed as a naturally derived product that can be produced at low cost in microbrewery-like facilities, the fungi...[Read More]
From farm to table, less food is being wasted: report
19 February
Australia throws out over 7.6 million tonnes of food each year, enough to fill the Melbourne Cricket Ground 10 times over, but some progress is being made to reduce waste as the cost-of-living crisis bites. Big supermarket chains such as Coles and...[Read More]
Food supply at risk as growers look to greener pastures
19 February
Almost one in three vegetable growers are considering quitting in the face of rising production costs and meagre farmgate prices. An average of 32 per cent of growers across industry group AUSVEG’s sentiment surveys since 2023 said they thought...[Read More]
Small cars show a big thirst for petrol in road tests
12 February
Some small cars have a surprisingly big thirst for fuel, with the latest vehicle road tests showing three popular hatchbacks exceeded their advertised petrol consumption by more than 20 per cent. One popular model consumed 35 per cent more petrol...[Read More]
‘Preferred’ koala park opens door to major logging
12 February
Almost 1000 square kilometres of koala habitat could be logged under industry’s ideal scenario for a national park crucial to the species’ survival in one state, new mapping suggests. The proposed Great Koala National Park aims to link dozens of...[Read More]
More than $15bn a year to save threatened species
5 February
More than $15 billion each year is needed to stop the extinction of 99 priority species, with several frogs and other creatures deemed unrecoverable due to climate change and other pervasive threats. Eradicating weeds and replanting vegetation were...[Read More]