Latest environment news
Philippines hardest hit by extreme weather in 2013: report
7:20 AM The Philippines, Cambodia and India were the countries hardest hit by extreme weather events in 2013, according to a study unveiled on Tuesday at UN talks in Lima on a global deal to limit climate change.
Fossil fuel investors risk being stranded by tougher climate rules
Alex Morales 7:37 AM A major threat to fossil fuel companies has suddenly moved from the fringe to center stage with a dramatic announcement by Germany's biggest power company and an intriguing letter from the Bank of England.
Parramatta River clean-up raises shark concerns
Pallavi Singhal 7:26 AM A 10-year initiative to make Parramatta River safe for swimming could raise concerns about sharks and see an increase in regulation for property owners along the foreshore.
Vulnerable potoroos found along Pacific Highway upgrade route
Pallavi Singhal 7:25 AM Three long-nosed potoroos, one of 38 threatened species in the Ngunya Jargoon Indigenous Protected Area endangered by the proposed Pacific Highway upgrade, were caught this week.
Peru climate talks to put heat on Abbott
Peter Hannam 5:57 PM The Abbott government’s stance on global warming is likely come under renewed scrutiny.
Summer's arrival brings dry, hot tidings
Peter Hannam 5:43 PM Talk of the official start to summer brings a wry chuckle from northern grain farmer Scott Flinn. A recent heatwave had temperatures soar to 46-47 degrees at his property near Tamworth, and he can't see how it can get much hotter than that.
El Nino tipped to bring hot, dry summer
Peter Hannam 5:16 PM A hot and dry summer is looking likely for Australia as conditions in the Pacific tilt towards an El Nino event.
Population of world's rarest marsupial more than triples in WA
Aleisha Orr 2:40 PM The success of a small population of quokka-like animals in Western Australia, once thought to be extinct for a century will be celebrated on Tuesday, 20 years on from the rediscovery of what is the world’s rarest marsupial.
Brisbane storm bill passes $300m
2:14 PM The damage bill from a savage hailstorm that tore through Brisbane has passed $300 million.
UN climate talks open with hopes for deal, warning time short
2:09 PM About 190 governments met in Lima on Monday amid hopes that a UN deal to slow climate change is within reach for 2015 despite warnings that time is fast running out to keep global warming within safe limits.
Canberrans capture spectacular sunset clouds ahead of rainy week
Primrose Riordan 2:00 PM Canberrans forgot their washing, cycled off route, and nearly burnt their dinners on Monday night after they were distracted by a magnificent light show.
Power sector emissions rebound as renewable energy wilts
Peter Hannam 12:51 PM Australia’s carbon emissions from the main electricity sector continue to climb, driving up the national total just as nations gather in Peru to negotiate a global pact to halt climate change.
German utility E.ON to split to focus on renewables, grids
12:43 PM Germany's top utility E.ON says it will split in two, spinning off power plants to focus on renewable energy and power grids, in a dramatic response to industry changes that could trigger similar moves at European peers.
A stormy week ahead as more than 100 lightning strikes hit Sydney
Megan Levy More than 100 lightning strikes were recorded across Sydney overnight, and forecasters say that's only the start of what is expected to be a stormy and humid week.
Man on run after bird and snake thefts
Primrose Riordan A thirteen year old, two metre long diamond python called "Goldie" and 15 rare birds are still missing, after police named a man allegedly linked to the theft of wildlife worth thousands of dollars from a Batemans Bay wildlife sanctuary.
Scorching summer tipped to break records
Isobelle Waller The hot and dry weather of spring is expected to continue into summer.
Hottest spring melts records
Peter Hannam If spring felt a lot like summer, you wouldn't have been far wrong – almost anywhere in the country.
Sydney weather: thunderstorm warning cancelled
Peter Hannam Sydney's commuters and school children may be in for a stormy afternoon particularly if they are travelling in the city's far west.
Methane leak study to target CSG
Peter Hannam The state’s chief environmental regulator has quietly begun a year-long study of fugitive methane emissions in a bid to calm community concerns about the coal seam gas industry.
Abbott open to the nuclear option
Latika Bourke Prime Minister Tony Abbott says he has "no theological objection" to nuclear energy but says if a sector were to start up in Australia they would receive no government subsidies.
Wallaby David Pocock charged over Maules Creek Mine protest
Former Wallabies captain David Pocock has been charged after chaining himself to machinery in a long-running coalmine protest in north-west NSW.
Grim reality amid optimism ahead of Lima climate talks
Coral Davenport After more than two decades trying but failing to forge a global pact to halt climate change, UN negotiators gathering in South America this week are expressing a new optimism that they may finally achieve the elusive deal.
Scientists say climate change means sicker world for marine life
Craig Welch It was the most extensive marine-disease event ever documented, and few experts believe it will be the last.
No tipping, please: Australia's contradictory stance on the UN climate fund
Robin Davies, Jonathan Pickering There are no good reasons for the Abbott government to refuse to support the fund and plenty of good reasons to take part.
Bishop reopens nuclear debate
Latika Bourke Previous debate descended to name calling so Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says nuclear energy remains an option for Australia.
Fairfield residents fear post-storm asbestos threat
Cameron Atfield Fairfield residents fear dried-out asbestos, which became dislodged during Thursday's powerful storm, has dried out and become airborne.
Surfing on: Little to fear from shark catches
Peter Hannam The chances of meeting a shark when surfing are extremely slim, expert says.
Devil to be in the detail at Lima UN climate talks
Politically sidelined since a 2009 UN summit almost ended in a bust-up, climate change has resurfaced as a priority but faces a brutal test at talks opening in Lima on Monday.
Dismantling ski lifts in Europe as world warms up
With temperatures rising faster in the Alps than the rest of the world, alpine countries are working together to adapt to climate change and hope to set an example.
