Latest green news
Green investment bank profitable as Abbott axe looms, CEO Yates says
3:49am Clean Energy Finance Corp., Australia’s green development bank earmarked for closing by Prime Minister Tony Abbott, is making a profit and prodding commercial banks to lend, according to its chief executive officer.
Nations should explain their carbon cuts ahead of global talks, Obama says
3:41am The US says nations must be ready to explain their emission-reduction pledges as it unveiled proposals on how countries should conduct climate negotiations before a global treaty in 2015.
What about me?
When a relationship ends, the division of assets begins. But who gets to keep the cat? Peter Munro reports on the increasingly common – and sometimes messy – custody disputes involving pets.
Climate change ship heads into uncharted waters
Wendy Harmer Whether or not it's unseemly for Greens politicians to raise the spectre of future cataclysmic climate change when bushfires are still raging out of control, there's no doubt that many of us who looked up to bruised and belligerent skies swirling with ash and a drift of incinerated gum leaves had to wonder, ''is this what the future will be like''?
Early bloomers a sign of abnormal conditions
PETER HANNAM Bizarre plant behaviour has been seen in the city's gardens.
Their shout: cricketers toast brewery's deal
Amy Corderoy, Chris Barrett Alcohol remains a fraught issue for those who run cricket.
Longer fire seasons to be expected
Craig Butt, Lara O'Toole A bushfire season that starts in spring and stretches well into autumn will be the new normal for Australia's south-east, scientists say.
Teacher hid loss during exodus
Kim Arlington The bushfires were closing in around their school. The flames had razed homes and were threatening others. But the teachers and staff of St Thomas Aquinas Primary in Springwood remained calm as they led their pupils 2.5kilometres to safety.
'I thought of calling my wife'
When The Newcastle Herald photographer Jonathan Carroll pulled up at Doyalson North on Thursday night, fires were surging through Lake Munmorah.
Blaze destroys houses but not street's spirit
Emma Partridge, Megan Levy Catherine Hubbard might have suffocated in smoke had it not been for a phone call.
Fire corners elderly on water's edge
RACHEL OLDING The statuesque gum trees that give Tall Timbers Road its name are charred but central coast residents appeared to escape Friday's once-in-a-lifetime fires relatively unscathed.
More than 100 homes destroyed, conditions set to worsen
RICK FENELEY There is no measuring the relativities of grief in Winmalee.
Resident dies fighting the flames
RACHEL OLDING His 1927 heritage-listed home stands cruelly intact. His four-year-old Alaskan malamute, Rex, is oblivious to the terror that unfolded on Thursday night.
Tiny 'Catho' mostly saved
Dan Proudman On a day of such devastation came the little tale of a miracle.
True devastation of bushfires not yet known
NICK RALSTON ONE man is dead and hundreds of homes have been destroyed but the true devastation of the NSW bushfires may not be known for some days, and maybe not before a dangerous weather conditions fan the flames again.
Temperature forecast raised for fire-hit regions
PETER HANNAM NSW faces a return to extreme fire weather this weekend, with the Bureau of Meteorology lifting its temperature forecasts for regions around Sydney and saying rain probably won't come now until Tuesday.
Family plea for Australian Greenpeace activist held in Russia
ANDREW DARBY Australian Greenpeace activist Colin Russell has been refused bail in Russia, in a decision that leaves his family pleading for action to free him.
Pens down, now: HSC students evacuated mid-exam
Josephine Tovey, Amy McNeilage The fires which tore through NSW on Thursday broke out as many HSC students held pens in hand, studying for or sitting the exams they have worked towards for years.
Canberra wineries hit by coldest October morning ever
HAMISH BOLAND-RUDDER Canberra winemakers were reeling from the heavy frost overnight on Thursday, Canberra’s coldest October morning on record, which wiped millions of dollars from the industry.
Bushfire survivors in Blue Mountains tell of losing homes
Emma Partridge, Megan Levy As Sue Dunlop stood in the blackened rubble of the home she had lived in for the past 41 years, the ferocity of Thursday's firestorm became painfully clear.
Reprieve for firefighters likely to be temporary, forecasters say
PETER HANNAM Another bout of blisteringly hot weather is on the way for NSW regions burnt by Thursday's major fires, making the current cooler conditions merely a temporary reprieve, forecasters say.
Golf pro out of luck as blaze takes family home
Sherrill Nixon Joe Moore's luck ran out on Thursday.
Homes lost as deadly bushfires sweep through NSW
Staff Reporters Hundreds of homes are feared lost as the worst bushfires in more than a decade swept across the state on Thursday.
NSW bushfires: How the day unfolded
The day begins with warnings. There were 65 fires in NSW, 25 uncontained. Forecasts of hot and windy conditions.
Nervous property owners poised to take flight
Shannon Tonkin Frank and Gwen Portelli watched the fire clip the back of their 22-hectare property on Thursday afternoon but didn't believe it would come much closer.
Volunteer firefighters face agony of own homes burning down
NICK RALSTON Volunteer firefighters who spent Thursday trying to save their local communities from raging bushfires have returned to discover their own homes have been destroyed.
Outdoor air pollution leading cancer cause: WHO
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified outdoor air pollution as a leading cause of cancer in humans.
Danger rockets to catastrophic as winds catch bureau unawares
PETER HANNAM The strength of Thursday's winds caught authorities on the hop, with the fire danger only rated "severe" rather than "extreme", as had been forecast for the previous Sunday's heat spike.
NSW fires cause 20-kilometre traffic jam
LISA DAVIES The bushfire crisis has caused traffic chaos around NSW, with the Hume Motorway being cut for more than five hours south-west of Sydney.
Bushfires in NSW 'worst in more than a decade'
NSW would be lucky to survive Thursday's fires, the worst in more than 10 years, with fewer than 100 homes destroyed. By late today, emergencies warnings had been declared in seven areas.
Newcastle Airport closed by bushfire
Newcastle airport has been closed and evacuated except for a skeleton staff because of a bushfire nearby.
New port and dredging plan for Queensland
Dredging to develop major ports will be banned across the majority of Queensland's coast for a decade to help improve the health of the reef.
Climate change 'refugee' seeks asylum from rising seas
A Pacific Island man trying to flee rising seas and environmental risks caused by global warming in his home country of Kiribati asked a New Zealand court to let him pursue his claim as a climate change refugee.
Firefighters prepare for worst as NSW swelters
PETER HANNAM Another day of high temperatures and strong winds is expected to keep fire crews busy across much of NSW.
Julie Bishop backflip over whaling patrol ship
ANDREW DARBY Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has pulled back from the Coalition's previous firm commitment to sending a patrol ship south to monitor the whaling conflict this summer.
Too hot to burn: commissioner winds back hazard reduction
Heath Gilmore, Peter Hannam Record-breaking temperatures are making it too dangerous to continue the hazard reduction burn program in large areas of the state, the NSW Rural Fire Service commissioner says.
Krill face the acid test
Joyce Morgan Artist Lisa Roberts is showing how krill's sex life is critical to the planet.
Scuttled ship succours sea life
Wendy Frew The sinking of ex-HMAS Adelaide has created a marine oasis teeming with fish.
Experts reject Coalition claims of carbon tax savings
PETER HANNAM Experts have rejected claims by the Abbott government that household expenses would be significantly smaller after a repeal of the carbon tax.
High fire alert across NSW as temperatures set to rise
PETER HANNAM Fire authorities will again be on alert across NSW on Thursday with high temperatures and strong winds creating severe fire danger.
Strong winds forecast in severe weather warning for Canberra
Fleta Page and Tom McIlroy A severe weather warning is in place for strong winds in the ACT, while NSW prepares for yet another high fire danger day across much of the state.
Discovery of a lifetime: giant 5-metre oarfish found by snorkeller
A marine science instructor snorkelling off the Southern California coast spotted something out of a fantasy novel: the silvery carcass of an 18-foot-long (five metre), serpent-like oarfish.
Clean energy optimism dimmed by investment drop: Week in review
Clean energy investors had plenty to celebrate last week as share prices of renewable companies rose, big project financing deals were sealed and bullish projections were made on solar growth. The wider view, though, was not so promising.
Efforts to set global carbon market standards may begin next month
Nations could kick-start the first global framework to oversee carbon markets as early as next month should they overcome resistance from some countries, according to a UN climate official.
Abbott government expects early pact with states on environmental approvals
The federal government says it is close to signing its first agreement with a state government to implement its "one-stop-shop" policy for environmental approvals.
Carbon tax conundrum: will companies have to pay?
The federal government is under pressure to explain whether companies will still be liable to pay for polluting if legislation to repeal the carbon tax is blocked in parliament.
Tony Abbott primed for a double dissolution on carbon pricing
MARK KENNY Tony Abbott will have the first half of a constitutional trigger for a double-dissolution election in place by Christmas, after announcing plans to present his carbon price repeal legislation this year.
Water supply at risk
NICOLE HASHAM Radical new rules for assessing large mining projects in NSW risk serious damage to Sydney's drinking water supply, the government agency set up to protect water quality has warned.
Drinking recycled effluent 'inevitable' in smarter Australia
JASON DOWLING It is inevitable that Australians will be drinking recycled effluent in coming decades, the lead author of a scientific report launched on Wednesday says.
Early Canberra tomato growers battle morning frost
HAMISH BOLAND-RUDDER Producers and backyard gardeners around Canberra were holding their breath on Tuesday morning as the second-coldest October night on record left frost over parts of the region.
Clean-energy investments ebb as Europe cuts subsidies
Clean-energy investment fell 14% in the third quarter from the prior three months as Europe curbed subsidies and cheaper U.S. natural gas lured investment.
No sign of King Coal's demise as Asian demand rises
Coal will surpass oil as the key fuel for the global economy by 2020 despite government efforts to reduce carbon emissions, energy consultancy firm Wood Mackenzie said.
Bushfire risk could rise in coming years
PETER HANNAM Australia would be better off with a string of many small bushfires this summer to forestall even worse fires in the following years as conditions turn drier and hotter, researchers say.
Lost Dogs Home criticised over deaths
Melbourne's Lost Dogs Home has been accused of euthanising an unacceptable number of animals.
Green is the new black for capital fashion
Amelia Dale, Josephine Huynh The demand in Canberra for environmentally friendly fashion is growing faster than a protected rainforest and now involves everything from organic fabrics to zero-waste manufacturing, recycled jewellery and clothes that don’t need washing. Amelia Dale and Josephine Huynh look at some of the businesses that are leading the charge to make looking good a guilt-free experience.
A No Sweat solution unique to Canberra
Rachel Packham It’s hard to settle in to a new country, even harder if you arrive as a refugee. Canberra organisation No Sweat Fashions offers migrants a place to hone their skills in the garment making industry and meet new people, while contributing to Canberra’s growing fashion scene.
Cold time looms for Greenpeace activists held in Russia
ANDREW DARBY The benefit of hindsight tells us a there were clear signs Russia was hardening up before the arrest of the Greenpeace Arctic 30.
Coalition stands firm on carbon tax double dissolution threat
JUDITH IRELAND Environment Minister Greg Hunt says the option of a double dissolution election remains on the table as the Coalition stares down Labor over the the repeal of the carbon tax.
Australia vulnerable in a warming planet, leaked IPCC report finds
PETER HANNAM Climate change will increase the likelihood of deaths from heat stress and bushfires, and potentially place more than a quarter of a million Australian homes at risk from rising sea levels, according to a United Nations-backed draft document.
Push to get alpine cattle grazing back on the landscape
JOSH GORDON Both the Napthine and Abbott governments are refusing to rule out another scientific trial.
