Australia risks copying US 'ag-gag' laws to turn animal activists into terrorists

Will Potter When Amy Meyer saw a sick cow being pushed by a bulldozer outside a slaughterhouse, she did what any of us would in this age of iPhones and Instagram - she filmed it.

Great Barrier Reef 'facts' TV ads ignore dredge dumping risks

Jon Brodie, James Cook University New “Reef Facts” commercials are currently airing during prime-time television shows in Australia, purporting to tell the “facts” about the environmental health of the Great Barrier Reef. It comes amid growing international concerns – including from the United Nations overnight – about the future of the reef.

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Anti-coal seam gas activists allowed to stay

SAFFRON HOWDEN Less than a week after a council vowed to shut down a large anti-coal seam gas protest camp in the state's north and promised police would be called in to send it packing, the activists have been told they can stay.

Wintry blast to snap Sydney's run of balmy weather

PETER HANNAM A wintry blast is heading Sydney’s way that will knock temperatures 14 degrees below where they were last week, Weatherzone said.

UN warns on health of Great Barrier Reef, but gives Abbott government a reprieve on 'in danger' listing

TOM ARUP The United Nations world heritage body has expressed ‘‘concern’’ and ‘‘regret’’ about Australia’s approval of the dredging and dumping of millions of tonnes of sludge for new coal ports in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef.

Green group refocuses on national issues after funding cut

Beau Donelly Victoria’s green legal centre will turn to national environmental battles in the wake of losing its federal government funding.

China slashes spending on new fossil-fuel power plants

China added nearly 40 per cent less coal- and gas-fired power capacity in the first quarter than it did a year ago mainly due to stronger pollution controls and slower economic growth, a senior government advisor said on Wednesday.

China considers expansion of carbon trading to key industrial zones

China is developing plans to expand its pilot carbon trading schemes into more of its key industrial regions, a top climate official said, as the country continues its drive to curb emissions.

El Nino seen exacerbating drought in south-east Asia

The most-severe drought in 17 years is threatening supplies of palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia, the world's biggest producers, and forecasters say an El Nino weather pattern this year may cause even more damage.

Tony Abbott's climate policies a $40 billion budget slug, says Climate Institute

PETER HANNAM The Abbott government's changes to existing climate change policies would cost the budget as much as $40 billion by 2020, according to the Climate Institute, and the cost will blow out even further if it weakens the renewable energy target.

First snowfall of the year at Thredbo

HENRY BELOT The first snowflakes of winter have fallen on the skiing fields of Thredbo with further snow expected to fall at the mountain later in the week.

Sydney ends gloomiest April since 1990

PETER HANNAM Feel like you’ve been under a cloud lately? There's a reason.

Environment

BHP and AGL still expanding fossil fuel holdings

PETER HANNAM BHP Billiton, Adani Enterprises and AGL are among listed companies expanding fossil fuel holdings.

Ministers agree to work towards improving air quality countrywide by 2016

LISA COX State and territory governments have hammered out a plan to work towards a national agreement by 2016 to improve air quality in cities throughout the country

Households face higher power bills by 2020 if renewable-energy target is scrapped, study finds

TOM ARUP Axing Australia’s renewable-energy target – currently under review by the Abbott government – would halt $11 billion in future investments and mean higher household power bills by decade’s end, new modelling has found.

Peabody and the coal juggernaut

Sharon Beder How’s your carbon footprint going? Did you turn your lights off during earth hour last month? Have you replaced all your light bulbs with energy efficient compact fluorescent or LED bulbs? Do you make an effort to cycle or walk rather than drive your car for short trips?

Solar wind energy tower a 'game changer', company says

Solar Wind Energy Tower won approval to develop a $US1.5 billion project that would use ambient desert heat to create a draft to generate electricity, in a concrete colossus that would be the tallest structure in North America.

Revival beckons for former solar PV giant Suntech

Wuxi Suntech Power's $519 million acquisition by Shunfeng Photovoltaic International paves the way for the company to rejoin the ranks of the largest solar manufacturers.

Disasters

Inquiry sparks fears of clash over disaster funding

PETER HANNAM The federal and state governments may be headed for a fiscal fight, with the Productivity Commission launching a probe into natural-disaster funding.

New life breathed into rescued battery hens

ESTHER HAN When a ray of sunlight struck the soil a metre away, Loulou made a dash for the golden patch, flopping down and stretching a sore leg and a wing. It was only the third day the hen had felt the warmth of the sun on her naked skin.

Canberra gets chilly: cold front to hit the ACT

HENRY BELOT Warm afternoon comes before one the coldest fronts to cross the territory since spring.

Sydney wakes to a wet Sunday

DAISY DUMAS An unseasonably warm autumn has come to an abrupt end as Sydney awoke to rain on the last day of April’s string of long weekends. 

The tree whisperer

MARK BAKER An Australian aid worker's eureka moment has turned the tide for drought-ravaged lands in Africa. Now he is looking to do the same closer to home in East Timor.

Direct action could fail even without Palmer United Party

LISA COX Legislation to implement Tony Abbott’s direct action policy is almost certain to fail in the new Senate in its present form, even if Palmer United Party senators were to vote in favour of the plan.

Lightning may have sparked Newcastle house fire

MEGAN LEVY Firefighters are battling a blaze at a Newcastle home that may have been sparked by a lightning strike as thunderstorms and heavy rain swept over the area on Friday morning.

Coalition's emissions reduction fund poses more questions than answers

ADAM MORTON From the subject of prime ministerial launches promising solutions for the moral challenge of a generation, to a lonely minister holding an afternoon press conference in the shadow of the nation’s most-revered public holiday: climate change policy has fallen so far in Australia’s political life that the government gives a good impression of hoping we ignore it.

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White paper leaves carbon questions unanswered

Lisa Cox and Mark Kenny Economists and environment groups have rounded on the Abbott government’s "direct action" climate change policy after key details of its centrepiece, an emissions reduction fund, were revealed on Thursday.

Sydney weather: final burst of summer breaks 28-year record

Brett Dutschke Sydneysiders enjoyed a final burst of summer on Thursday, experiencing the warmest day for this late in autumn in 28 years.

'Direct action' will achieve 5% emissions reduction 'easily': Greg Hunt

Lisa Cox and Mark Kenny Environment Minister Greg Hunt has said the government will easily meet its 2020 target of a 5 per cent reduction on emissions, despite concerns that the government’s "direct action" scheme will not generate the necessary reductions.

$20m WA native land deal clears way for Anketell Port

NARELLE TOWIE Aboriginal land owners have signed a $20 million deal with the West Australian government paving the way for the development of a new port and iron ore export route from the Pilbara.

Sydney bathes in autumn warmth

Brett Dutschke, Weatherzone Sydneysiders are being bathed by late-season warmth, the warmest for this late in autumn in 28 years, with the city exceeding 29 degrees at lunchtime.

Bentley coal seam gas protesters given marching orders

Saffron Howden Anti-coal seam gas protesters in the state's north are on a collision path with police after vowing to defy a move by the local council to shut down their camp by Saturday.

eReefs tool to assess health of the Great Barrier Reef

CAMERON ATFIELD Measuring the impact on the Great Barrier Reef of industry and disasters such as the recent tropical cyclone Ita has been made a whole lot easier with the introduction of a new satellite based tracking system.

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WA drivers warned to watch for black cockatoos

ALEISHA ORR More than 85 black cockatoos have died after being hit by cars in the past two months prompting a warning for south coast motorists to be extra cautious.

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Spotty the frog puts in a magnificent Easter Show performance

ESTHER HAN Colourful reptiles come to the fore as the Easter Show starts to wind down.

Injection culls reef-killing crown of thorns starfish

It's a killer jab that's injecting new life into the Great Barrier Reef.

Just chilling until it's time to switch on the heaters

JOHN-PAUL MOLONEY Like planting tomatoes after Melbourne Cup Day, the "rule" of Canberra is that heaters shouldn’t go on till Anzac Day.

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Clearer skies ahead after winds rip through Victoria

Aisha Dow, Deborah Gough Trains back on schedule as rain clouds clear following a morning of weather-related chaos.

Above average temperatures consign doonas to the cupboard

James Robertson A few days out from the Anzac Day dividing line used by many, Sydney is deciding whether it's time to get out the doona.

Sick puppy: the photo that sparked an online backlash against Westfield

AMANDA HOH It's the pitiful photo that launched an online backlash against Westfield. But there's more to the situation than the photo would suggest.

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Foreign predators threaten bilbies

INGA TING If meeting the royal family - including two future kings - is not enough to boost your public profile and help save your species from extinction, who knows what is?

Little penguins big in scientific studies

NICKY PHILLIPS The kill takes no more than a few seconds. When little penguins are about to snaffle a fish they speed up on their prey before stopping mid-water where, with head down and tail up, they swallow their catch whole.

Recycling issue brewing in George Clooney's Nespresso campaign

Neil McMahon In marketing terms it's a match made in moneymaking heaven - but George Clooney, king of cool turned emperor of the coffee-pod people, may be serving up a less-than-perfect brew as a caffeine pitchman. Clooney promotes a product whose invasion of our homes may come with serious environmental consequences.

Japan strikes back on whaling

ANDREW DARBY Japan has laid out a roadmap back to commercial whaling in its first comprehensive response to the International Court of Justice ban on its Antarctic "scientific" hunt.

Japan will 'redesign' Antarctic whaling program to make it more scientific

Japan could have harpoon ships back in the Southern Ocean next year, giving a bullish response to a UN ruling calling its whaling a commercial hunt masquerading as research.

Abbott urged to ensure Japan abides by International Court's whaling decision

ANDREW DARBY The Abbott government has been warned it must ensure that Japan abides by an International Court of Justice ban on Antarctic whaling after lawmakers in Tokyo passed a resolution effectively rejecting the judgment.

Bio-energy to reduce emissions

TOM ARUP Technologies that suck greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere, surveyed this week in a major report by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, could play a significant role in cutting Australia's emissions by 2050, according to local modelling.

NSW government divided over allowing anglers to fish in marine parks

PETER HANNAM The O'Farrell government remains divided over to whether to make permanent a so-called amnesty allowing anglers to fish in marine parks, delaying a decision possibly until after the elections next March.

Sydney commuters face a wet trip home

Rob Sharpe Sydney, the Illawarra and Hunter coastlines are expecting a wet afternoon and evening.

Total lunar eclipse to turn moon red

Deborah Gough, Ed Bodkin Sky-watchers are expected to forgo Creedence Clearwater Revival's warning and venture out for a ''bad moon on the rise'' on Tuesday night.

Rare whale fossil sets jawbones wagging at Museum Victoria

BRIDIE SMITH A rare fossilised whale skull found by chance deep in the remote waters of the Southern Ocean has been donated to Museum Victoria.

Canberra's autumn rainfall average exceeded in just six weeks

HENRY BELOT Canberra has exceeded the average autumn rainfall just six weeks into the season.

Acidic water robs reef fish of survival instinct

BRIDIE SMITH An acidic environment makes reef fish become attracted to the smell of their predators.