Latest environment news
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Cyclone Marcia: Climate change is expanding the tropics
Peter Hannam The southward shift of cyclones under climate change will force planners to demand stronger building standards as far south as Coffs Harbour on the NSW coast, according to Steve Turton, a Cairns-based climatologist.
UN climate panel chief Rajendra Pachauri accused of sexual harassment
Archana Chaudhary 2:27 AM Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, has been accused of sexually harassing a woman colleague at a New Delhi-based research institute headed by him.
Harvard's star alumni urge week of protests against fossil fuel investments
John Lauerman 8:20 AM Actress Natalie Portman, environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and other high-profile Harvard University alumni are calling for demonstrations to urge divestment from fossil fuels.
Twin severe cyclones a 'first' for Australia
Peter Hannam Australia’s northern coasts are being battered by two severe tropical cyclones on Friday, the first time meteorologists have seen twin storms of such intensity making near-simultaneous landfall.
Baird announces start date for cash for cans
Kirsty Needham 7:55 AM NSW residents will be rewarded for collecting and returning bottles and cans to hundreds of reverse vending machines from July 2017, Premier Mike Baird will announce on Saturday.
Cyclone Marcia: How storm took forecasters by surprise
Peter Hannam Forecasters were predicting a category 2-sized storm before tropical Cyclone Marcia suddenly intensified.
Solar subsidies 'wasted on cheap, dodgy panels'
Heath Aston 2:39 AM More Australians are buying cheap rooftop solar panels that fail long before their promised lifespan, prompting claims a federal rebate scheme needs to be overhauled to prevent dodgy systems receiving public subsidies.
Cyclone means great surf for the Gold Coast, big swells in Sydney
Luke Malpass 2:13 PM Cyclone Marcia be sweeping through the northern parts of Queensland, but further south at Snapper Rocks and Kirra Heads in Coolangatta on Queensland's Gold Coast it just means great waves for the local surfers.
Crowd map real-time disaster with mobile app as cyclones close in
Hannah Francis Citizens are turning to each other for help when disaster strikes by mapping their own observations about fires, floods, cyclones and more using an Australian-first app.
Where do ants go to the toilet?
Nicky Phillips If you've ever wondered what ants do when nature calls - wonder no more.
North-eastern NSW on flood watch as Cyclone Marcia bears down on Queensland
Megan Levy and Peter Hannam Parts of the north-eastern NSW are expected to be lashed by heavy rain and possible flash flooding from a trough associated with Cyclone Marcia, a powerful Category 5 storm that is expected to make landfall in Queensland on Friday morning.
Cyclone Marcia: What is a category 5 cyclone?
Megan Levy Cyclone Marcia was upgraded to a category-five storm classified as a
Super trawler proponents to bring new vessel to Geelong
Andrew Darby A fresh plan to bring a massive factory freezer fishing boat to Australian waters has been met opposition from marine campaigners.
Cyclone Lam picks up speed towards NT coast
Tropical Cyclone Lam is picking up speed as it continues to move along the Northern Territory's coast.
Citigroup sets $US100 billion funding goal for green projects
Ehren Goossens US banking giant Citigroup plans to lend, invest and facilitate deals worth $US100 billion ($128 billion) by 2025 to support projects that will fight climate change and protect the environment.
Hungry snakes take to Forster's beaches
Janine Watson Brown snakes just seem to love the beach at Forster on the NSW Mid North Coast.
Mystery chemical triggers massive fish kill
Peter Hannam The NSW Environment Protection Authority is investigating the cause of a massive fish kill in the Georges River that has resulted in four tonnes of dead fish being hauled from the river.
AGL reviews troubled CSG operations
Peter Hannam Energy giant AGL has announced a “comprehensive review” of its troubled coal seam gas operations, bowing to community and government pressure.
3D-printed beak for injured toucan in Costa Rica
Ray Sparvell Australians have been outraged by the controversy surrounding the live baiting greyhound scandal that has engulfed that sport since the story was broken by the ABC's Four Corners on Monday.
Warkworth mine on a fast track for approval, emails show
Peter Hannam The Baird government worked "hand in glove" with Rio Tinto to accelerate a key environmental approval for a coal mine expansion in the Hunter Valley, emails obtained under freedom of information laws show.
Meet Ruby, Australia's newly discovered seadragon
Andrew Darby Say hello to Ruby, the "mesmerising beauty" that until recently no one knew existed.
Hot January extends run of record worldwide warmth
Peter Hannam Worldwide temperatures are showing little sign of easing back from 2014’s record levels with January matching the warmest tallies for the month in 125 years of data.
Greyhound whistleblowers 'intimidated, threatened and ignored'
Natalie O'Brien and Lisa Cox Whistleblowers in the greyhound racing industry that have tried to raised the issue of live baiting and illeglaity have been intimidated, threatened or pushed out of racing circles.
Life on Earth may have flourished a billion years earlier than thought
Sarah Kaplan The new findings push back scientists' understanding of when life was widespread.
AGL's CSG operations: waste not, want not
Peter Hannam AGL’s coal seam gas operations in NSW have suffered a fresh setback with the processer of its waste water declining to take further shipments.
Four Corners uncovers systemic cheating and live baiting within greyhound racing industry
Rachel Olding Greyhound racers are secretly blooding their dogs with live bait as part of systemic and widespread cheating within the country's multimillion-dollar industry, according to explosive evidence uncovered by ABC's Four Corners.
Baird vows zero tolerance for greyhound industry abuse
Lisa Visentin Premier Mike Baird has vowed to "get to the bottom" of the animal welfare abuse within NSW's greyhound racing industry after graphic footage of live-baiting was revealed by ABC's Four Corners program on Monday night.
EU policy mash dents carbon markets before Paris climate deal
Mathew Carr The European Union's carbon market, designed to save the environment, is being undercut by a patchwork of national subsidies for renewables and misaligned energy policies that have helped cut in half the volume of power being traded.
New ozone-destroying gases on the increase
Doyle Rice In humanity's ongoing experiment with the Earth's atmosphere, scientists Monday warned of a growing threat from new man-made gases that are chewing away at the ozone layer.
