RSPCA's euthanasia allowance a 'perverse incentive' to kill, claim critics

Gabriel Wingate-Pearse An extra $14 paid to RSPCA staff on the days they euthanise animals is providing a "perverse financial incentive to kill" and may be driving up death rates, critics say.

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Climate scientist has serious message to sell us

NICK MILLER Dr Nathaniel Bindoff wears a small badge that says, simply, "warming is unequivocal".

Coast not toast: mayor hits back on Bondi

Brittany Ruppert A Sydney council has rejected claims it is not doing enough to safeguard Bondi Beach, the mayor arguing it is ''ahead of the game'' on environmental responsibility.

Government may be forced to increase emissions cut

PETER MARTIN The Coalition government may have to cut Australia's greenhouse gas emissions by twice as fast as has been planned.

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Bushfire respite as cooler weather hits Sydney

Brittany Ruppert Cooler weather conditions are allowing firefighters to tackle the remaining bushfires which swept across the state on Saturday.

Bondi under siege as swelling ocean seeps into suburbs

Nicole Hasham, Peter Hannam Bondi beach will shrink to a thin ribbon of sand and extreme storm surges would reach the top of its concrete sea wall, research commissioned by the local council shows.

Nation's economy to be hard hit in global warming struggle

BEN CUBBY The effects of global warming on Australia are well documented, and some are already being seen in the form of dry winters, unusual summer heat and early spring bushfires.

'Pause' does not show flaw in science

NICK MILLER A so-called 'pause' in global warming was addressed by climate scientists in a new report because governments had asked for an explanation, not because it exposes a flaw in the science, a leading climate scientist says.

Analysis

Heat is on as costs of tackling global warming set to soar

BEN CUBBY The effects of global warming on Australia are well documented. Some are already being seen.

Hunt says no to extra climate measures despite urgent call for action

Nick Miller and Nicole Hasham Environment Minister says there would be no additional measures to counteract climate change.

Scientists take plunge in bid to help understand our climate future

NICK MILLER Scientists have gone to the ocean's depths to understand our climate future, says report author.

No boost in health of rivers

FARRAH TOMAZIN The health of our rivers has not improved despite years of effort, according to latest research.

Nothing standard about show-stopper poodle Lex

Nicky Moffat He might look like a cross between a pony and a cake, but this giant pooch meant business.

The ice gas cometh

Katia Moskvitch The global energy markets, ever susceptible to influences, are balanced on a knife edge.

Severe fire conditions: fight to save homes

AMY CORDEROY A bushfire has broken out on Sydney's northern beaches, cutting access to an iconic lighthouse.

Australia has 'much to lose' from climate change

Nick Miller and Nicole Hasham Australia has much to lose if climate change continues unabated, the head of a new review of climate science has warned.

They shoot horses, don't they?

Susan Chenery Cheered as they thunder down the straight, racehorses face a much gloomier future when their track days are over.

Clouds' role in warming more certain, report shows

PETER HANNAM When it comes to global warming, do clouds have a silver lining?

Evidence is there, so what are we waiting for?

TOM ARUP So what now? Like its previous assessment six years ago, and those before it, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned the planet is warming dangerously and humans are the dominant cause.

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Global warming hasn't stopped; the climate is heating up

Sophie Lewis The latest climate change denial claim before the release of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessment report on Friday is global warming stopped in 1998. A slowing in the observed rate of global warming has prompted dubious suggestions that temperatures have not increased significantly in the past 15 years.

Like the atmosphere, the plot thickens yet again

TOM ARUP Climate change panel yet again warns of dangerous warming, with us to blame. So what now?

IPCC report finds temperatures on track to rise by more than two degrees

Nick Miller and Tom Arup It is more certain than ever that human civilisation is the main cause of global warming, putting the world on track for dangerous temperature rises, the latest major UN assessment of climate change science has found.

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IPCC report: Latest climate change findings

PETER HANNAM As the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change releases its Fifth Assessment Report in Stockholm, we analyse its key findings and reactions.

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Debunking the persistent myth that global warming stopped in 1998

Sophie Lewis The latest climate change denial claim ahead of the release of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessment report is that global warming stopped in 1998. A slowing in the observed rate of global warming has prompted dubious suggestions that temperatures have not increased significantly in the past 15 years.

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Nanik's fate renews pressure on zoo

MICHAEL BACHELARD Political infighting has stymied a bid to improve life for Surabaya's animals. Michael Bachelard reports.

Carbon cycle tracked as Victoria's forests breathe

TOM ARUP Project aims to discover whether plants will continue to soak up CO2 as planet warms.

Climate scientists want urgent action

TOM ARUP On the eve of the next major United Nations assessment of climate change, senior Australian scientists have said the world needs to increase its ambition to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Impact of high carbon dioxide levels in a warming world is great unknown

TOM ARUP Nestled among the dry eucalypt forests behind Nagambie, north of Melbourne, the 36-metre metal ''flux tower'' looks out of place.

Coke uses green group to fight cash for cans

SARAH WHYTE Keep Australia Beautiful, one of Australia's most trusted environment groups, is lobbying governments to oppose a bottle and can recycling scheme, while being funded by Coca-Cola.

Mount Penny approval rides on legal advice

ANNA PATTY The NSW Attorney General will tell the federal government whether it can open the way for mining approval on the controversial Mount Penny site which was the subject of the NSW corruption inquiry.

Fires burn across NSW

JAMES ROBERTSON Fire crews are fighting more than 20 out-of-control blazes across NSW, after winds and high temperatures combined to cause havoc across the state.

Wild winds cause damage across the state

Stephen Cauchi More than 1300 calls to State Emergency Service for blocked roads and property damage caused by fallen trees.

Records tumble as state swelters

MARISSA CALLIGEROS Twelve Queensland towns have sweltered through their hottest September day on record, with little relief from the heat in sight for the state's drought-stricken west.

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Wild weather from snow to severe fire danger

Stephanie Anderson and Matthew Raggatt The elements were on show on Thursday, as dangerous winds caused nearly 2000 Canberra homes and businesses to lose power.

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Imported bees face quarantine test to quell biosecurity fears

JOHN THISTLETON The first queen bees to arrive in Australia in seven years are expected to bring significant benefits and risks to the bee industry.

British zoo bans animal print clothes

A British zoo said it has banned visitors from wearing leopard or zebra print clothes because they are confusing the animals.

Vladimir Putin says Arctic activists broke the law

President Vladimir Putin says 30 Greenpeace activists arrested by Russia were not "pirates" but had broken the law in a protest against Arctic oil exploration, as the authorities detained all the campaigners pending trial.

Pakistan hit by 7.8-magnitude quake, killing 45 and forming mountain-like island in Arabian Sea

A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake has hit southwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, the US Geological Survey says.

September set to break heat record

CAROLINE ZIELINSKI Melbourne is on track for its warmest September ever, despite the winter blast forecast to hit the city in the next week.

Thailand

Rihanna's tourist snap selfie with primate results in arrests

Thai authorities on Monday said two men had been arrested on suspicion of possessing a protected primate after pop star Rihanna posted a picture of herself online holding the creature.

Private funds for new climate think tank to keep public informed

PETER HANNAM The Climate Commission, axed last week by the Abbott government, is to be rejuvenated by private funding in an effort to keep information about global warming prominent in the public arena, former chief commissioner Tim Flannery has said.

Climate change debate muddied by confusion and doubt, says David Suzuki

PETER HANNAM The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has become "ultra conservative" and contaminated by corporate interests, environmentalist David Suzuki says.

Tony Abbott's climate agenda worrying, says David Suzuki

PETER HANNAM United Nations-backed climate-change science reports are too conservative, David Suzuki says

Flight chaos as Hong Kong readies for typhoon

Severe Typhoon Usagi is barrelling towards Hong Kong, shutting down one of the world's busiest sea ports and throwing flight schedules into disarray from Europe to the United States.

Climate report heralds grave fears for state of the planet

TOM ARUP Climate change has been argued about for years, but the latest findings suggest relaxed attitudes towards the phenomenom will result in dangerous consequences for our planet in the very near future.

It's raining cats and dogs

Julie Power Australia is officially pet crazy, with about 2 million more pets than people. A new report - a state of the pet nation - also found owners trust their pets more than their friends.

The tide is rising

TOM ARUP The evidence for climate change is growing, but remains open to misinterpretation.

Copper mine belt to ring Grampians

Nick Toscano Mining companies have been permitted to drill at the doorstep of the Grampians National Park.

Carbon emission target easier than thought: Hunt

TOM ARUP 2020 emissions target will be easier than estimated, according to informal departmental advice.

Global warming 'hiatus' seen as temporary, leaked IPCC report argues

A "hiatus" in global warming so far this century is partly caused by natural variations in a chaotic climate and is unlikely to last, a draft United Nations report by leading climate scientists says.

Obama's EPA opens up battleground against coal

The US Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed limits on power-plant emissions blamed for climate change represents a new battleground for an agency that has for decades focused on the local impact of pollutants such as lead, mercury and ozone.

Norway scraps 'Moon landing' carbon capture project

Norway drops plans for a full-scale carbon capture plant at its Mongstad refinery after cost overruns and delays, ending a project that was dubbed as the country’s “moon landing” by Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg.

Climate change's nasty numbers: why the transition from carbon won't be easy

Robert Bryce As the IPCC discussion unfolds, everyone should keep four numbers in mind: 32, 1, 30 and 1/2. These are the numbers that explain why any transition away from our existing energy systems will be protracted and costly.

Arctic ice rebound not seen bucking long-term melting trend

Arctic sea ice rebounded in 2013 from last year’s record melting season, though scientists warned that the long-term trend is for the ocean to become increasingly ice-free in the summer.