Moves to protect coast from climate

Peter Hannam   Sea level changes, storm cells and changes to swell directions will be incorporated in the planning shake-up.

Greenland glacier sliding more quickly into ocean: scientists

As the world prepares for the most important global climate summit yet - in Paris this month - news from Greenland could add urgency to the negotiations.

Thunderstorm risk to linger for Sydney from early afternoon

Peter Hannam   Thunderstorms are 'a pretty good chance' for Sydney on Friday from the afternoon until mid-evening, with the prospect of localised heavy rainfall, Weatherzone said.

Government spends big on emissions cuts, but falls short on targets: critics

Tom Arup   Almost half the money the Turnbull government has set aside to pay for emissions cuts has now been committed, after a further $557 million was spent under the second auction of its emissions reduction fund.

Emissions climb as coal-fired plants lead 'extreme competition'

Peter Hannam   Extreme competition exists between clean energy being forced into the sector from the renewable energy target and surplus capacity among coal-fired power stations.

PM's climate plan falls far short on carbon cut

Peter Hannam   The centrepiece of the Turnbull government's climate policy will deliver just one-seventh of Australia's post-2020 carbon reduction goals, according to analysis by the Climate Institute.

The air we breathe causes 3000 deaths every year

Lucy Cormack   Air pollution results in 3000 premature deaths each year in Australia, costing the nation up to $24.3 billion in health costs every year.

Thunderstorms brought hail, heavy rain to Sydney Friday afternoon

Kate Aubusson   Thunderstorms rolled across Sydney and north of the city on Friday evening bringing short bursts of heavy rain, hail and damaging winds.

Sydney storms: thunder, hail and damaging winds hit across city

Kate Aubusson   Thunderstorms are rolling across Sydney from the west, bringing short bursts of heavy rain, hail and damaging wind with the prospect they may continue into the evening.

Storm watcher's guide to thunderstorm clouds

Inga Ting   Cloud types are classified according to their shape and altitude. Their Latin names describe their characteristics, for example, cumulus means "a heap", stratus means "a layer" and nimbus means "rain-bearing", according to the Bureau of Meteorology.

Thunderstorm warnings likely on both Thursday and Friday

Peter Hannam   Sydney residents are being encouraged to keep an ear out for storm warnings on both Thursday and Friday as "dynamic" conditions set up ideal weather for thunderstorms, Weatherzone said.

Video in Canadian forest shows the Earth 'breathing'

A video captured in the forest in Nova Scotia has shown the moss-covered ground heaving up and down as though it is breathing.

Chimpanzee mother caring for disabled child in the wild can teach us about human behaviour

Kate Aubusson   The extraordinary case of a chimpanzee mother caring for her disabled infant in the wild may help scientists understand how human beings care for children with disabilities.

Warning issued as storms tipped to return to Victoria

Patrick Hatch and Liam Mannix   Melburnians are being told to brace for thunderstorms and torrential rain on Thursday when the wild weather that smashed the city last week is expected to return.

'It's in the budget every year': the question is why?

Lucy Cormack   Australia and its fellow G20 nations are "paying fossil fuel producers to undermine their own policies on climate change," a UK-based think tank says.

Strong earthquake hits off Chile again

Anthony Esposito   A strong, 6.9 magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of Chile.

Royals bring the rain - and it's not going anywhere

Katie Burgess   Royals, rain and road diversions creating a perfect storm for drivers on Canberra's roads.

Turnbull government accused of blocking US, Japan plan to reduce coal

Adam Morton   The Turnbull government is standing in the way of the US and Japan as they try to dramatically reduce the ability of rich countries to fund coal plants in the developing world.

Australia comes in from the cold

Peter Hartcher   Climate activists have praised Environment Minister Greg Hunt's work at talks ahead of this month's summit in Paris.

Potent brew heats up Pacific

Peter Hannam   The powerful El Nino in the Pacific is going strong, but the worst for Australia may be tempered by record warm waters in the Indian Ocean.

300-kilogram alligator found at shopping centre

An alligator dubbed Godzilla who tips the scales at more than 800 pounds has been found wandering outside a US shopping centre.

The humble dung beetle could save your barbecue this summer

Bridie Smith    For those sick of doing the 'Aussie salute' while juggling a stubby and barbecue tongs, help is on its way - in the form of a dung beetle.

China the 'wild card' as coal projections pared back, IEA says

Peter Hannam   China has become a "wild card" for global coal markets as its demand for the fossil fuel ebbs and it helps drive a worldwide rush into renewable energy, the International Energy Agency says.

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World 1 degree warmer since industrialisation

Peter Hannam   The world has warmed more than one degree since pre-industrial times, passing a key milestone for the first time.

Peabody to come clean on climate

Kevin McCoy   The world's largest publicly-traded coal company has agreed to make fuller public disclosures about the risks climate change poses to its business in a settlement of charges that it misled investors and the public.

New maps show Melbourne's unused rooftops are ripe for greening

Tom Arup   In these days of hand wringing over the "Manhattanisation" of Melbourne it is easy to forgot there is still quite a lot of space in the city - it's just not on the ground level.

Greenhouse gas levels hit record high

Tom Miles   A UN panel of climate scientists estimates that concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide are at their highest in at least 800,000 years.

'It would be a catastrophe for our Pacific'

Peter Hannam   The Australian Greens have endorsed calls by Pacific Island nations for a climate treaty limited global warming to 1.5 degrees, putting further distance between its policies and those of the Turnbull government and the Labor Opposition.

'It was pretty exhilarating': Cage diver's close encounter with Great White

Michael Koziol   Most people would choose to spend their honeymoon unwinding on a tropical beach, or meandering down the Italian coast, or ensconced in a luxury penthouse somewhere.

Fire, hail and earthquake risks rise for Sydney

Peter Hannam   Sydney faces almost one-third more hailstorm days, Brisbane is at a rising risk of a direct hit from a category-three cyclone, and south-eastern Australia will have to endure three times as many high-risk bushfire days over the century because of climate change, one of the world's biggest reinsurers says.