![Marine scientist Taylor Simpkins holds up a crown of thorns starfish near the North Opal Reef off the coast of Port Douglas.](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/t/z/a/p/image.related.wideLandscape.620x349.h0ta4z.png/1517741810360.jpg)
Environment
![Marine scientist Taylor Simpkins holds up a crown of thorns starfish near the North Opal Reef off the coast of Port Douglas.](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/t/z/a/p/image.related.wideLandscape.620x349.h0ta4z.png/1517741810360.jpg)
McMansions and the air-conditioned nightmare
![CSR's eight-star demonstration house, built five years ago in Sydney's west, showed how a new home could be designed to ...](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/h/0/r/r/t/e/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0qy5w.png/1517726676252.jpg)
Consumers are quick to complain about their rising bills but not so quick to demand their homes become less wasteful of energy.
Nigel, the world's loneliest bird, dies next to the concrete decoy he loved
![Nigel, right, built a nest out of sticks and mud for his concrete friend.](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/h/0/t/7/3/h/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0t72l.png/1517719031613.jpg)
Nigel the gannet died as he lived, alone on the cliffs of a remote island, surrounded by fake birds.
Environmental pests are best served well done
![Sea urchin expert, biologist and commercial diver,?Craig Shephard harvests Urchins at Oak Park Beach, Cronulla, on 03 ...](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/h/0/t/3/2/r/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0t2zs.png/1517706420858.jpg)
Craig Shephard will be showcasing the briny sweetness of freshly-harvested sea urchin roe at Carriageworks' Night Market.
Greens urge 'straws suck' campaign for Canberra
![Tim Silverwood is co-founder of Take 3 encouraging cleaner oceans and reducing, reusing, recycling.](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/h/0/4/j/h/d/image.related.landscape.120x80.h04i4p.png/1517695999256.jpg)
"It's about placing your dollars behind your values". Achievable and affordable ways to make a difference.
Win on plastic microbeads may bring new environmental problem, expert warns
![Manufacturers and importers are phasing out microbeads from beauty products.](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/h/0/t/2/n/g/image.related.landscape.120x80.p4yzbi.png/1517664408722.jpg)
Australia is ridding its cosmetics and soaps of plastic microbeads, but it may have unintended consequences, a leading scientist has warned.
Heat is on in Sydney as the number of extreme days rises
![A group of friends cool off in the Nepean River in Penrith.](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/h/0/e/o/p/m/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0sdkf.png/1517643984825.jpg)
Australia's mean temperatures have been increasing at the rate of about 0.15 degrees every 10 years in recent decades.
Oil giant sees demand plunge by 2040 - or maybe not
![Is oil a sunset industry in the age of climate change? Depends which forecast you believe.](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/h/0/n/k/m/r/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0t31t.png/1517619522477.jpg)
If climate change curbs live up to their promise, oil demand may fall 20 per cent by 2040, Exxon Mobil says in one forward-looking report. But a more likely scenario is it will grow by 20 per cent, the company says in separate outlook.
House ratings face being overtaken by a warming climate
![Minimum energy ratings for new homes in Australia are based on dated climate data.](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/z/n/u/e/e/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0sdhd.png/1517599432729.jpg)
Australia's minimum energy standards for new homes are based on climate data that is up to decades old, overestimating their true performance as conditions in many parts of the nation warm.
Cooking without gas: Ginninderry to be first Canberra suburb without natural gas
![Ginninderry sustainability manager Jessica Stewart demonstrates the highly efficient induction cooktops that will be ...](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/h/0/s/y/i/0/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0sm7c.png/1517567975158.jpg)
Ginninderry will become the first Canberra suburb without gas, in a trial that could determine if other new developments will also be solely powered by electricity.
'Whales don't follow the Gregorian calendar'.
![A humpback whale breaching off the NSW coast.](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/y/y/h/b/z/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0skdz.png/1517554635704.jpg)
The Berejiklian government should intervene to stop proposed seismic testing off the Newcastle coastline that has been approved right up to start of the annual whaling migration, environment groups say.
Wallaby in harbour pulled to safety on Manly ferry
![Manly Fast Ferry crew haul the wallaby on board.](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/h/0/s/a/r/x/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0sakt.png/1517542316596.jpg)
The wallaby, named "Christine", is now doing well after being left overnight to recover from her ordeal with some water and wallaby snacks.
Mother Nature's daughters on a mission
![An elephant seal calf in the French sub-Antarctic territory of the Kerguelen Islands.](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/h/0/r/b/8/e/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0qzfb.png/1517532570143.jpg)
79 scientists in the largest-ever female expedition to Antarctica are part of a long-term project to change the way environmental policies are made.
Native Americans stake claim to tiny eel with big price
![John Taylor, right, and Suzanne Smith collect elvers from nets left out overnight in Pemaquid, Maine.](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/h/0/s/b/x/3/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0sbob.png/1517528166319.jpg)
Asian markets' demand for baby eels has seen a clash between contemporary rules and ancient customs in a US holiday hotspot.
Calls for review of fish farm after 20,000 kingfish hit marine park
![A file photo of the Huon Aquaculture and NSW Department of Primary Industry commercial-size yellowtail kingfish trial ...](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/h/0/r/p/p/p/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0s90l.png/1517487197016.jpg)
The failure of a fish farm "fortress pen" that saw 20,000 kingfish escape into the Port Stephens' marine park has led to calls for an independent review of the controversial project.
Depths of despair as 20,000 'ravenous' kingfish hit Port Stephens marine park
![A file photo of the Huon Aquaculture and NSW Department of Primary Industry commercial-size yellowtail kingfish trial ...](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/h/0/r/p/p/p/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0rpqi.png/1517465372168.jpg)
There are fears thousands of "ravenous" kingfish that escaped a state-government jointly run fish farm off Port Stephens will devastate the marine park's wild fish population.
'Perfect spot, wrong weather': Sydney misses out on super blue blood moon views
![The moon rises near Bondi beach before the super blue blood moon full eclipse in Sydney, Wednesday, January 31, 2018. ...](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/h/0/r/k/a/7/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0rlf5.png/1517429169534.jpg)
People shared their disappointment with the cloud cover on social media.
Shinier cities and fields 'could help cut extreme heat'
![White buildings in the village of Oia on the Greek island of Santorini.](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/y/b/0/6/n/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0rkxl.png/1517460779151.jpg)
Making cities and farm fields more reflective could reduce extreme heat by up to 3 degrees Celsius.
Australia cops UN climate slap as 'green paradox' looms
![The sun must set for coal, but what happens before the carbon curtain falls?](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/h/0/l/7/s/p/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0qc0f.png/1517407630342.jpg)
Australia's climate policies are "a decade behind" other rich nations, says UN official.
Finally Sydney feels welcome respite from hot humid weather
![A cool change and some showers will arrive in Sydney on Wednesday and stick around for the rest of the week.](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/n/n/b/g/6/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0quzu.png/1517337674989.jpg)
Sydney has woken to a much more comfortable day on Wednesday after a week of insufferable, sticky heat.
Planned recycling plant to face health assessment
![The project plans to use the railway to export recyclables and import rubbish.](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/f/7/5/t/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0mydq.png/1517299070087.jpg)
The company behind a proposed recycling plant will have to prove it won't be dangerous to public health.
Taxonomy funds shrivel amid rising threats and discoveries
![Claire Rowe, a marine biologist at the Australian Museum, is researching the spread of upside-down jellyfish in NSW waters.](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/h/0/o/q/2/f/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0nhzn.png/1517298072344.jpg)
Despite hundreds of new species discovered in Australia each year, the science of taxonomy relies ever more on volunteers and retired scientists.
Emu gives Shark Bay tourists an Australia Day to remember
![</p>](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/h/0/q/m/o/9/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0qmrv.png/1517288009191.jpg)
The backpackers said their experience was "more Aussie than if Crocodile Dundee had offered to buy them a beer".
Relief ahead after Sydney endures most humid week in 15 years
![The coast may be good for sea breezes but humidity can also get oppressive.](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/h/0/e/i/t/1/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0pooy.png/1517220296812.jpg)
Sydneysiders have sweated through the city's most humid week in at least 15 years but the good news is the end of the sultry spell is within sight.
Swatting at mosquitoes may help you avoid bites
![The mosquito may learn to associate your swatting vibrations with your scent and it just may remember: this is not a ...](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/p/b/l/g/d/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0pp4j.png/1517175474592.jpg)
The mosquito may learn to associate your swatting vibrations with your scent and it just may remember: this is not a person who will tolerate me.
More than a month's worth of rain as Wangaratta 'cops it'
![Wangaratta copped a month of rain in a day on Saturday.](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/z/x/k/d/y/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0p8a0.png/1517062237902.jpg)
More than a month's worth of rain fell in hour just outside the regional city in state's north east.
Not extinct: Bizarre pelican spiders that hunt other spiders
![This species of pelican spider (Eriauchenius workmani) was discovered in the wild after having been known only from ...](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/h/0/p/5/k/5/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0p5dk.png/1517054129173.jpg)
With an elongated neck and a curved, beak-like mouth, this spider bears a striking resemblance to a pelican.
Australia among countries growing hotter faster: report
![A tennis fan does his best to keep cool on day four of the Australian Open in Melbourne, this week.](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/h/0/k/o/n/5/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0p57f.png/1517025003706.jpg)
But the bigger worry is what will happen as more people crowd into big cities, a new report says.
Where are the bull sharks in Sydney?
![Bull sharks can survive in fresh and salt water.](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/1/0/k/s/x/3/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0nf9n.png/1517016996439.jpg)
Bull sharks are are more common in Sydney's waterways than you probably want to think about.
At Davos, bosses paint climate change as $7 trillion opportunity
![Anand Mahindra, chairman of Mahindra & Mahindra at Davos, Swtizerland.](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/h/0/n/y/n/5/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0owt1.png/1516942762776.jpg)
Businesses should seize a $6 trillion opportunity to invest in tackling climate change over the next two decades, the head of an Indian multinational said at Davos on Thursday.
Planned recycling plant to face health assessment
![The project plans to use the railway to export recyclables and import rubbish.](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/f/7/5/t/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0mydq.png/1517299070087.jpg)
The company behind a proposed recycling plant will have to prove it won't be dangerous to public health.
Emu gives Shark Bay tourists an Australia Day to remember
![</p>](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/h/0/q/m/o/9/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0qmrv.png/1517288009191.jpg)
The backpackers said their experience was "more Aussie than if Crocodile Dundee had offered to buy them a beer".
Relief ahead after Sydney endures most humid week in 15 years
![The coast may be good for sea breezes but humidity can also get oppressive.](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/h/0/e/i/t/1/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0pooy.png/1517220296812.jpg)
Sydneysiders have sweated through the city's most humid week in at least 15 years but the good news is the end of the sultry spell is within sight.
Swatting at mosquitoes may help you avoid bites
![The mosquito may learn to associate your swatting vibrations with your scent and it just may remember: this is not a ...](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/p/b/l/g/d/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0pp4j.png/1517175474592.jpg)
The mosquito may learn to associate your swatting vibrations with your scent and it just may remember: this is not a person who will tolerate me.
Taxonomy funds shrivel amid rising threats and discoveries
![Claire Rowe, a marine biologist at the Australian Museum, is researching the spread of upside-down jellyfish in NSW waters.](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/h/0/o/q/2/f/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0nhzn.png/1517298072344.jpg)
Despite hundreds of new species discovered in Australia each year, the science of taxonomy relies ever more on volunteers and retired scientists.
More than a month's worth of rain as Wangaratta 'cops it'
![Wangaratta copped a month of rain in a day on Saturday.](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/z/x/k/d/y/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0p8a0.png/1517062237902.jpg)
More than a month's worth of rain fell in hour just outside the regional city in state's north east.
Not extinct: Bizarre pelican spiders that hunt other spiders
![This species of pelican spider (Eriauchenius workmani) was discovered in the wild after having been known only from ...](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/h/0/p/5/k/5/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0p5dk.png/1517054129173.jpg)
With an elongated neck and a curved, beak-like mouth, this spider bears a striking resemblance to a pelican.
Australia among countries growing hotter faster: report
![A tennis fan does his best to keep cool on day four of the Australian Open in Melbourne, this week.](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/h/0/k/o/n/5/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0p57f.png/1517025003706.jpg)
But the bigger worry is what will happen as more people crowd into big cities, a new report says.
Where are the bull sharks in Sydney?
![Bull sharks can survive in fresh and salt water.](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/1/0/k/s/x/3/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0nf9n.png/1517016996439.jpg)
Bull sharks are are more common in Sydney's waterways than you probably want to think about.
At Davos, bosses paint climate change as $7 trillion opportunity
![Anand Mahindra, chairman of Mahindra & Mahindra at Davos, Swtizerland.](http://web.archive.org./web/20180204131853im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/h/0/n/y/n/5/image.related.landscape.120x80.h0owt1.png/1516942762776.jpg)
Businesses should seize a $6 trillion opportunity to invest in tackling climate change over the next two decades, the head of an Indian multinational said at Davos on Thursday.