Conservation
Why your Facebook friends are checking in here
BY NOW, you’ve probably seen plenty of your Facebook friends “checking in” at Standing Rock, except most of them are nowhere near the location.
This park is actually a secret motorway
IT MAY surprise some locals but that quiet, unusually long green park behind their homes has another purpose. There are fears it could ruin the area.
Is this Australia’s stinkiest city?
SOMETHING is literally on the nose in this Queensland city — and its colourful mayor, Paul Pisasale, has “had a gutful” of it.
These insects are worth $100 billion
A GROUP of invasive insect species has proven to be the costliest animal group to human society, with new research showing the staggering damage it causes.
Most of the world’s wilderness lost
RESEARCHERS have warned there may be no unspoilt land left within a century as a report shows an area twice the size of Alaska has been lost since the 1990s.
Crabs turning trash into treasure
RESOURCEFUL or sad? These crabs are unknowingly highlighting the problem of human pollution in our waterways.
Planet’s scary plunge into debt
THE WORLD has just broken a worrying new record, and from this day forward the planet is in “credit” mode.
Trophy hunter poses with slain animals
A GLAMOROUS trophy hunter has posted sickening images of endangered African beasts she has just slaughtered in posts that will enrage animal lovers.
‘Vote for the Reef’ campaign launches
A NEW video campaign is asking people to vote for the Great Barrier Reef and the multi-billion dollar tourism industry it creates at the polls on July 2.
The truth Australia doesn’t want to hear
SAVING the Great Barrier Reef should be about more than embracing a photo opp. We need to make the one hard decision that could actually save it.
Do these guys need snipers?
YOU know you’re pretty important when there’s a plan to bring in specialist marksmen to protect you on the way home.
$500 million lifeline for reef
IT IS a major tourist attraction that brings $5.7 billion into the economy each year. Now it’s set to become an election issue.
Deadly impact of coal dust on our reef
IN 2010 a Chinese coal tanker went to ground on the Great Barrier Reef carrying 60,000 tonnes of coal. New research shows how dangerous that event really was.
Central Park’s century-old secret
A SECRET section of New York’s famed Central Park is finally open to the public after being closed for nearly a century.
Is 10c ’cash for cans’ a good idea?
A REFUNDABLE tax on drinks containers could soon be in place across Australia — but is it enough to clean up the country?
This is how desperate scientists are
SOME Aussies are so desperate to be heard they’ve spent $14,000 to get their message across this week.
Radical idea to save Aussie icon
MORE than $40 million has been pumped into a hi-tech research facility in Australia powered by nuclear technology, but has it come too late?
Wild tiger population is rising
THEY’RE critically endangered, but for the first time in a century tigers have seen a population increase.
Meet the world’s toughest woman
SHE lives all alone in one of the most remote and inhospitable places on the planet, but today fans got a personal glimpse into the life of Sue Aikens.
What our biggest coal mine means
JOBS, wealth and the fast-track back to economic growth is up for grabs now that Australia’s biggest coalmine has been approved. But what are we giving up?
Leo may face ban for palm oil claims
LEONARDO DiCaprio will be investigated by Indonesia after he warned its rainforests were being cleared for palm oil plantations on social media.
‘Nobody takes responsibility’
THE United Nations has begun urgent talks in a desperate bid to save the world’s ocean, its wildlife, and by extension, ourselves.
First sighting of rare rhino in 40 years
THOUGHT to be extinct until 2013 a Sumatran rhino has not only been sighted, but captured, to aid conservation efforts.
Pigeon patrol to combat growing problem
LONDON’S pollution has gotten so bad the city has turned to a brigade of computer clad pigeons for help.
The best way to choose your seafood
THERE’S one surprising reason it’s important to know where your seafood comes from, and it’s never been easier to find out.
World-record dive into icy waters
RUSSIAN explorers claim they have set a new record for the world’s deepest under-ice dive. WATCH VIDEO
The reason why this Aussie’s running
WHEN Mina Guli decided to run 40 marathons over 49 days through seven deserts, she had no idea what she was in for.
Shark on bullbar because it was ‘too heavy’
UPDATE: A WA fisherman has explained why he strapped a tiger shark to his bullbar to transport it home after the bizarre scene was captured on video.
WA conservationist Harry Butler dies
MUCH loved Western Australian conservationist Harry Butler has died aged 85 after a battle with cancer.
America’s most prolific terror cell
MEMBERS called it “The Family”, and fought for “the burning rage of a dying planet”. They wreaked havoc across the US and they’re still on the loose.
Humpback whale’s unlikely comeback
IT was on the verge of extinction, but now we’re poised to uncover this majestic creature’s fascinating secrets as we start swimming with whales.
Frozen doomsday vault cracked open
THIS James Bond-style bunker was built to ensure our survival in the event of a catastrophe. Now its crucial mission has been compromised.
Toxin fightback gains fresh zest
AUSTRALIAN scientists have found a way to contain one of the world’s deadliest toxins using a polymer developed from orange peels.
40 elephants killed ‘because of US’
IN the space of only a week, rangers in Zimbabwe have found 40 elephants fatally poisoned with cyanide. And some locals blame the US. Graphic images.
Is this the future of air travel?
IT RUNS on roughly 50,000 units of power a day — and it costs nothing. Could this be the eco travel fix we have been looking for?
MacGyver is still trying to save the world
THIRTY years on, MacGyver star Richard Dean Anderson is still trying to save Earth. But this time, with more than a rubber band, a paperclip and a mullet.
The resource we’ll all be fighting over
IT IS the biggest risk facing the planet over the next decade and will be the subject of conflict around the world, with Australia particularly vulnerable.
Green outed as trophy hunter
HIS party’s Animal Manifesto opposes all forms of hunting, but that didn’t stop this Green from having “a good laugh” on an African killing spree.
Tassie devils to the rescue
LOOK out feral cats and foxes. Scientists have a bright idea about how to stop the scourge of the pests. And these angry buggers will play a leading role.
‘If hunters are prepared to pay the price, let them’
WHEN Emma read about the killing of Cecil the lion, she felt like she had to speak out. But it was actually the “anti-hunting frenzy” that enraged her.
‘Are you willing to die for this?’
THIS is the question asked by the captain of a modern-day pirate ship, chasing down bad guys with James Bond-style gear, wads of cash and total impunity.
There’s a Cecil the lion memorial toy
AN AMERICAN plush-toy maker has created a Cecil the Lion toy in memory of the slaughtered lion that has captured worldwide attention.
Soon ‘as endangered as the panda’
ONLY about one per cent of the population would even recognise it, yet they would have likely heard it. Now there’s a campaign to save it.
‘Do you want lions eating your kids?’
THEY pay thousands of dollars to travel overseas and shoot exotic animals. These hunters have no remorse whatsoever.
‘I love you always and forever’
THESE are the words someone has written to a Melbourne tree. Yes, you read that correctly. 77,000 trees in Melbourne have been assigned emails and people are writing to them.
Deep sea volcanoes found off Sydney
IN AN incredible find, a submerged volcano cluster — thought to be about 50 million years old — has been discovered by chance off the coast of Sydney.
80s star accused of being naughty
THE drought in California is now so bad that watering lawns and being served water in restaurants is banned. Unless you’re Tom Selleck, apparently.
The music festival turning urine into beer
NORTHERN Europe’s largest music festival just collected the urine from over 100,000 attendees to make recycled beer. We’re serious.
Australia offers DiCaprio a reef dive
HE won over world leaders but Environment Minister Greg Hunt could have a tougher battle convincing Leonardo DiCaprio the Great Barrier Reef is safe.
Reef UNESCO verdict confirmed
AUSTRALIA’S reputation on the environment has gone from zero to hero, with intense lobbying convincing the world that enough was being done to protect the Great Barrier Reef.
Earth’s worrying extinction problem
THE earth has embarked on an extinction event which hasn’t been seen for 65 million years, a major study has found. Left unchecked it could precipitate the early decline of the human race.
Who built Stonehenge and why
ARCHAEOLOGISTS have began an ambitious Neolithic dig to try and find the most comprehensive and compelling insight into who constructed Stonehenge and why.
NASA’s terrifying new discovery
SPACE agency has released a sobering picture showing how fast Earth is running out of water — without us even knowing it.
‘Major threats’ to Great Barrier Reef
THE GREAT Barrier Reef will not be listed as endangered but will remain under watch because of “major threats” to its health.
Great Barrier Reef not ‘in danger’
TOURISM and mining groups have welcomed a UNESCO recommendation that the Great Barrier Reef be left off the World Heritage “in danger” list.
These were once 50,000 sharks
IT might be outlawed, but the horrific practice of catching and killing sharks for their prized fins is still rampant. Authorities have just made a major bust.
China’s plan to ruin world beauty
CHINA has plans for a megastructure that will drastically affect one of the world’s most biodiverse environments.
Greer: Start by rejuvenating our planet first
INSTEAD of trying to find a way to live on Mars, humans should be trying to rejuvenate our planet, says Germaine Greer.
People who live completely off the grid
A COUPLE tired of the rat race packed up home and moved kilometres from civilisation. Their only problem, ironically, is “giant rats”.
The hell that’s right here on Earth
LYING hidden in a little-known corner of China is a town that will horrify you, yet it’s responsible for many of the luxuries we take for granted today.
The dark side of life on Earth
THEY say a picture paints a thousand words. What these pictures say will shock you to your core. Warning: Some graphic images.
The little country with a grand plan
IT might be only a small country in Central America, but Costa Rica has powered itself using only renewable energy for 75 successive days.
Crazy new driving rules for Paris
PARIS has introduced some bizarre new rules for drivers and made public transport free in a bid to prevent pollution ruining the city of light.
Why did Tony reject this gift?
A GROUP of Sydney nuns and ministers turned up to Tony Abbott’s Manly office with a particularly large present. So why won’t he accept it?
When koalas attack ... each other
THEY look cute and cuddly but two koalas have taken cues from sumo wrestlers in a bush brawl and it was all caught on camera.
Why your ice cream is bad for monkeys
IT’S a jungle out there. But you won’t believe how your run-of-the-mill ice-cream is creating a threat to the animal world — in more ways than one.
Meet the land-grabber from hell
THIS man deforested an area of the Amazon the size of Manhattan, causing a drought so bad that kids there don’t have enough water to brush their teeth.
The haunting past of this remote island
THIS spectacular isolated island has a dark past but now something rather incredible is happening here and not everyone’s happy.
Where the world’s plastic comes from
WE’VE all seen the pictures of oceans swamped by rubbish. Now new research reveals the true state of the world’s oceans and who the worst offenders are.
The bizarre world of Venus flytrap poaching
THERE is some serious poaching taking place and it has nothing to do with elephants or rhinos. Believe it or not, there is a sinister world of Venus flytrap poaching.
Turn your loved one into a tree
A SPANISH company is offering clients the opportunity for life after death. Well, sort of.
Are humans a dying breed?
DAVID Attenborough warns there’s a deadly threat facing the Earth - and it’s entirely man-made. What’s going on?
