Latest environment news
Mother Earth, yoga, Gandhi and climate change: 10 things you need to know about the Paris summit
Tom Arup On Monday the Paris climate summit kicks off, with delegates arriving from all corners of the globe hoping to stitch together a new international deal to tackle greenhouse gases.
Businesses say: Green is good
Angela Macdonald-Smith As the 40,000-plus attendees to the Paris climate summit congregate, a surprisingly large chunk of Australian big business will be cheering them on.
Between a rock and horse stud: coalmine verdicts divide communities
Peter Hannam The Baird government has been accused of ranking the health of horses above humans after a coal mine near famous studs got knocked back but another near a Hunter village won approval.
Meet Micah. Is he a climate change refugee?
Adam Morton and Tom Arup, in Solomon Islands, Kiribati and Marshall Islands 12:15 AM Micah Puia lives in a shanty town on a dirty beach in Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands. He is 11-years-old, and has lived here all his life. According to some here, Micah has spent his whole life as a climate change refugee. And he will soon be forced to move.
Labor to beef up climate fight with commitment to steeper emissions cuts
Mark Kenny Bill Shorten will take significantly steeper emissions cuts to the 2016 election than the Turnbull government, ensuring climate change policy will once again be a key battleground issue for voters.
Pope Francis urges Paris climate change deal to avoid catastrophe
Paul Richardson Pope Francis urged world leaders preparing to meet at a United Nations conference on climate change to agree an accord that transforms current development models and focuses on the need to adopt low-carbon energy systems.
'Bad news for the planet' as temperatures heat up
Peter Hannam The past five years have been the hottest on record.
Expert questions 'smart' drumlines for sharks
Lucy Cormack GPS buoys will allow sharks to be hooked, tagged and released. But experts have raised concerns.
Paris 2015: Australians back deeper carbon cuts as climate summit looms
Tom Arup Australia will head to the Paris climate summit next week with majority public support for adopting deeper cuts to greenhouse gas emissions if it helps reach a global deal to tackle the problem, according to a new poll by the Lowy Institute.
Car-free housing encouraged in London
Lucy Battersby 9:47 PM Car-park free apartments should be actively encouraged in big cities to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution, as long as there is other transportation available, according to the man who plans London's transportation system.
Protesters rally for change
Deb Snow, Michael McGowan 7:52 PM Thousands of protesters have gathered in Sydney to urge leaders to take action on climate change, with environmentalist Tim Flannery declaring the event the "biggest climate march this country's ever seen".
Optimism as 140 world leaders gather for change summit
Adam Morton 6:05 PM Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is coming from the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Malta, where he lobbied other Commonwealth leaders and criticised Opposition Leader Bill Shorten's uncosted pledge on greenhouse gas emissions.
Analysis: Is this Malcolm Turnbull's moment to stand up on climate change?
Tom Arup 4:00 PM For a political figure once defined by his strong stance on climate change, Malcolm Turnbull has kept his powder remarkably dry on the issue since becoming Prime Minister
Thousands march for climate change action
Drew Creighton 2:33 PM Thousands marched upon the Brisbane CBD for the People's Climate March, ahead of the Paris climate talks next week.
Turnbull dismisses Shorten's emissions target as both head to Paris
Lloyd Jones, AAP 12:39 PM Malcolm Turnbull has dismissed Bill Shorten's 45 per cent emissions reduction target as a "heroic offer" that is too expensive, as he prepares to fly to Paris for key climate change talks.
Momentum for climate deal grows as Obama joins Xi at UN talks in Paris
Alex Morales, Bloomberg 12:33 PM More than 140 world leaders including US President Barack Obama and Xi Jinping of China are gathering in Paris for France's biggest diplomatic event since 1948, striving to reach the first truly global deal to curb greenhouse gases.
How excessive tweeting lets dad off the hook
Bridie Smith 12:15 AM Ever get annoyed that you're carrying more of the parenting load than your partner? You're not alone. Birds do too.
Japan gives green light to its whalers
Andrew Darby Japan has finally confirmed it will commence whaling in the Antarctic this summer, despite the weight of court decisions and scientific opinion against it.
Smell at school so bad children can't eat their lunch
Natalie O'Brien 12:15 AM It is like standing next to a bin of three-day-old prawns only worse
Gates to start multi-billion-$ clean energy fund
Coral Davenport World's richest man is expected to announce creation of biggest ever clean energy fund at the opening of the Paris climate summit.
'It's time for Coca-Cola to pack up and leave'
Nita Bhalla Village councils in northern India are demanding a local Coca-Cola bottling plant be banned from extracting water from the ground, claiming its over-use has led to water scarcity.
Ocean warming worsened 2011 floods: researchers
Cameron Atfield Researchers have found long-term warming in the Pacific and Indian oceans played a role in making Queensland's 2011 floods far worse than they otherwise would have been.
200th numbat set to be released
Kristie Lim Western Australia's dwindling numbat population will get a boost next month when 15 of the captive-bred marsupials are released into the state's south west.
Australian National Botanic Gardens granted eco certification
Nicola Sheville The Australian National Botanic Gardens has been granted eco certification from Ecotourism Australia making it only the second botanic gardens in the country to receive the achievement.
Tasmanian devils escape disease, to be killed by cars
Andrew Darby Up to eight captive-bred Tasmanian devils released as part of a re-wilding program have been killed on the island's roads.
Hot weather to continue as Canberra heads into summer
Nicola Sheville Canberra has enjoyed a run of beautiful sunshine and light breezy weather this week and those hoping for a clear weekend may be in luck with a forecast of gradual heating over the next five days.
Attacks on Labor's climate plan 'nonsense': expert
Nicole Hasham It is a "nonsense" to claim deep emissions cuts would smash the economy while ignoring the economic cost of floods, heatwaves, and other climate change fallout, an expert says, as the Turnbull government and industry attacked Labor's plan to dramatically slash greenhouse gas pollution.
Say hello to Nangua, Taronga Zoo’s little 'pumpkin'
This newborn monkey has been garnering plenty of attention as he begins to explore his exhibit.
'You can run pretty fast in an angel costume'
Larissa Dubecki Hundreds of thousands of climate activists descending on Paris ahead of the UN Climate Conference are preparing to defy a French government ban on street protests in the wake of the recent terror attacks.
Energy companies' risky $3 trillion bet
Rakteem Katakey In Australia alone, more than $140 billion in fossil fuel projects are at risk as producers invest in projects with a doubtful future, non-profit think tank warns.
Make surfers pay for shark protection
Rory Callinan Surfers should bear the cost of shark protection measures by having to purchase shark repellent devices, a scientist has told a symposium on shark management.
Stalled southerly buster draws out another sweltering day for Sydney
Peter Hannam A much-anticipated cool change took its time making it to Sydney, dragging out another unseasonably hot day.
Little relief for commuters as Sydney's temperatures soar again
Peter Hannam Many of Sydney's commuters are in for a sweltering journey to and from work today as temperatures soar towards the high 30s ahead a late afternoon cool change.
