Latest environment news
Warm crimes: The bid to put 'toxic' carbon in the dock
Peter Hannam 8:54 PM Will island nations be able to sue for damages if their lands become inundated by rising sea levels caused by climate change?
Dutch government ordered to speed up greenhouse gas emissions cuts
9:55 PM A district court ordered the Dutch government on Wednesday to ensure that the Netherlands reduces greenhouse gas emissions at a faster rate than currently targeted.
Send more snow
Peter Hannam 4:52 PM Australia's main ski resorts are anxious for a change in the weather, with a lack of recent snow falls limiting their operations just as school holidays loom in NSW and Victoria.
Solar's rise as seen by a tech guru, an ex-billionaire and an emerging talent
Peter Hannam With solar cells falling in cost by 5 per cent a year and the need to cut carbon emissions, it's just a matter of time before fossil fuels are eclipsed, three generations of Australian-trained researchers say.
Pakistan's extreme heat prompts state of emergency
The government has declared a state of emergency in Karachi, Pakistan's largest southern city, after a heatwave killed more than 700 people there and left thousands fighting for their lives at hospitals.
Meet China's clean energy upstarts who are $US9 billion richer
Iain Wilson A new class of clean energy entrepreneurs is emerging in China and creating fabulous wealth -- $US9.13 billion this year alone. Call them the wildcatters of the solar age.
Adelaide to pay for solar batteries to spur 'energy revolution'
Homes and businesses in the centre of Adelaide will be offered financial incentives to connect battery storage to their solar power systems.
Renewable energy target slashed in bipartisan deal
Elise Scott A bipartisan deal - agreed to last month after a lengthy political stalemate that hamstrung the clean energy sector - will slash the renewable energy target from 41,000 gigawatt hours to 33,000.
Call for port lease to help protect coast from threat of rising seas
Tom Arup The outgoing head of the Victorian Coastal Council, Jon Hickman, warns increases in population and rising sea levels will put huge financial pressure on governments to protect the Victorian coast.
Australia - the 'injured' energy superpower: Garnaut
Peter Hannam Australia will become an "injured superpower" of energy as constraints on carbon dioxide emissions inevitably undermine the ability of fossil fuels to bolster living standards and export revenues, says economist Ross Garnaut.
El Nino could last well into 2016
Peter Hannam The El Nino weather pattern continues to consolidate in the Pacific with most climate models indicating it will extend well into next year, the Bureau of Meteorology said.
Following Canada on climate not good enough, experts say
Lisa Cox Climate experts have warned that if Australia matches Canada's climate targets it would show the Abbott government is prepared to accept "devastating" global warming.
Almost $100m more funds for NSW drought, climate change
Peter Hannam The spreading drought and extra funds to prepare for future climate change will cost the government close to $100 million in the coming fiscal year.
Pakistan heat wave death toll reaches 830
Saba Imtiaz 9:30 AM A run of four days of punishing heat has killed several hundred people in Karachi, with temperatures soaring as high as 45C during the fasting month of Ramadan, when Muslims do not eat or drink between sunrise and sunset.
Abbott, Hunt confronted by anti-climate science push from within party
Heath Aston 6:20 AM Prime Minister Tony Abbott is facing a push from inside the Liberal Party to prevent Australia signing up to any binding emissions reduction targets at the upcoming Paris climate talks.
Climate changing costs for insurers
Ruth Liew 10:55 PM Putting houses in harm's way could cost insurers plenty as climate change intensifies.
Pakistan heatwave death toll soars
9:09 PM More than 800 people have died from a three-day heatwave in southern Pakistan as medics battle to treat victims after a state of emergency was declared in hospitals.
12 reasons why you should drive an electric car
Peter Hannam 7:34 PM The price may be prohibitive, but the benefits of going all-electric are manifold.
Coal: is the future really black?
Peter Ker 7:08 PM Will action on climate change kill coal or will developing world demand sustain this increasingly controversial commodity?
Adani halts work amid political dispute over approvals
Lisa Cox, Amy Remeikis 4:24 PM Preparatory works for Australia's largest coal project have been suspended following a political dispute over mining and environmental approvals.
The Pope on filth and the planet
Julie Power 3:19 PM In nearly two dozen passionate tweets over the past six days, the Pope has called on his followers for immediate action on climate change, warning that the earth was beginning to "look more and more like an immense pile of filth."
New renewable energy target to unlock $10b worth of deals, GE says
Jason Scott and James Paton 2:02 PM The new renewable energy target will "create thousands of new jobs and grow the order book of hundreds" of companies, General Electrics' Australia chief says.
Who you callin' bird brain?
Kiona Smith-Strickland Many scientists think the family of birds that includes crows and ravens may be among the most intelligent animals on earth, based on their ability to solve problems, make tools and apparently consider both possible future events and other individuals' states of mind.
Seven ways climate change will transform your home
Esther Han From a "thinking" fridge to solar windows, the power to create a better environment is at your fingertips.
Wedding Cake Rock 'at risk of collapsing into the sea'
Megan Levy A unique cliff-top rock formation in the Royal National Park that has become an unlikely social media star is at risk of collapsing at any time into the sea, a new study has shown.
Museum thrilled with rare shark catch
Bridie Smith A rare basking shark accidentally caught in the nets of a fishing trawler off Portland has had his body donated to science.
Citizen scientists: How you can contribute to climate science
Nicky Phillips You're probably familiar with celebrity selfies, or those posted by your Facebook friends, but soon the internet will be flooded with a new kind - animal selfies.Â
Saving the planet will make us healthier, major medical assessment finds
Tom Arup The best things we can do to improve humans' health turn out to be the same things we must do to address global warming.
Emissions reductions well on track for 2020 target
Greg Hunt The government's policies are delivering a significant reduction in emissions that we can take into global talks on climate change.
Power emissions to stay high despite solar, battery surge
Angela Macdonald-Smith Relentless growth in rooftop solar systems will help renewable energy overtake fossil fuels for power generation by 2040 but the survival of cheap old coal-fired plants will mean Australia's carbon emissions from electricity won't fall significantly for at least 20 years, new analysis has found.
'It shimmered, like curtains being ruffled'
Emma Kelly While most of us were fast asleep Ian Williams captured the stunning red glow of the Aurora Australis.
