Environment

In Spain, weavers reuse shopping bags to shield from sun

The sun beats down on the narrow streets of the Spanish village of Valverde de la Vera, filtered through multi-coloured shades made out of plastic shopping bags and the remains of old advertising billboards.

Noise pollution is hurting animals – and we don’t even know how much

From construction projects to busy roads, aeroplanes and railways, human noise is everywhere. It is an invisible cause of stress, posing serious risks to human health and wellbeing. However, noise also harms animals living in close contact with humans, in homes, farms and zoos.

‘Spanish Stonehenge’ emerges from drought-hit dam

A brutal summer has caused havoc for many in rural Spain, but one unexpected side-effect of the country’s worst drought in decades has delighted archaeologists – the emergence of a prehistoric stone circle in a dam whose waterline has receded.

Low-cost solution to energy insecurity

New research from Stanford University Professor Mark Jacobson outlines how 145 countries could meet 100% of their business energy needs with renewable sources including wind, water, solar and energy storage.

Hotter summers mean Florida’s turtles are mostly born female

Florida’s sea turtles are grappling with a gender imbalance made worse by climate change. Recent heat waves have caused the sand on some beaches to get so hot that nearly every turtle born was female.

Climate change putting Flamingos at risk

Lake Tuz was the second-largest lake in Turkey, and one of the largest hypersaline lakes in the world, until it started to dry up two years ago due to climate change and damaging agricultural practices.

‘Like ocean rips’: CSIRO report identifies 7 ‘global megatrends’ shaping the 21st century

Around 3.7 million Australians have been unintentionally caught in an ocean rip. For the unprepared it can be a harrowing […]

Yes, the state of the environment is grim, but you can make a difference, right in your own neighbourhood

The newly released State of the Environment report paints a predictably grim picture. Species are in decline, ecosystems are at […]

Watch the shocking moment a hero digger driver escapes Spanish wildfire

A Spanish man trying to protect his town from a wildfire had a close brush with death on Monday when the blaze engulfed his digger, forcing him to run for his life while patting out flames on his clothes.

Nestled at the base of a glacier, Norway’s ambitious hotel ‘gives back’ to its environment

A new energy-positive hotel in Norway aims to raise awareness of the possibilities of regenerative travel and the importance of the polar region, in partnership with the local community.

How to find the Matariki star cluster: best times and locations

On Friday 24 June, Aotearoa marks the first public holiday recognising Matariki, the Māori New Year.

Ask the experts: Top tips for winter gardening

A one-stop shop for all your plant needs, Kings Plant Barn is here to help bring your green dreams to life. Why not ask our Plant Doctors about how you can make your garden thrive during the challenging winter months?

One in five of the world’s reptiles are threatened with extinction: new research

Scientists say turtles faced imminent danger of going extinct.

Sir David Attenborough honoured as ‘Champion of the Earth’ by UN

The pioneering broadcaster and naturalist has been honoured with a lifetime achievement award by the United Nations.

‘A viable path to halving global emissions by 2030’: Key findings in the IPCC report

IPCC says the tools to stop catastrophic climate change are in our hands. Four scientists explain how to use them.

New research suggests there is no safe level of air pollution

The World Health Organization (WHO) has established guidelines on air pollution levels which are used around the world to set standards and measure air quality.

Ukraine’s zoos: what is happening to all the animals?

Details are starting to emerge on how Ukraine’s zoos are coping with the war. Some of the animals including lions, tigers and wild cats have been rehomed to zoos in Poland but this is just not going to be possible for many species.

IWD: OzHarvest founder Ronni Kahn shares moving message on breaking the gender bias

OzHarvest founder Ronni Kahn doesn’t just rescue food to feed people in need: she inspires. If she can make a difference, each of us can, and together we can change the world for the better.

Mass starvation, extinctions, disasters: climate change report warns of ‘irreversible’ impacts

This article is written by Mark Howden, director at ANU Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions at Australian National University; Joy Pereira, professor at the National University of Malaysia and Roberto Sánchez, professor at Colegio de la Frontera Norte.

Each Antarctic tourist effectively melts 83 tonnes of snow, says new research

As human activity in Antarctica increases, so will the accompanying effects, writes Matthew Harris, PhD Researcher of Climate Science at Keele University.

Are you guilty of wishcycling? Two waste experts explain

Wishcycling is putting something in the recycling bin and hoping it will be recycled, even if there is little evidence to confirm this assumption.

Back so soon, La Niña? Here’s why we’re copping two soggy summers in a row

Last month was Australia’s wettest November on record, and summer in Queensland and parts of New South Wales is also expected to be soggy for the second consecutive year. So why is our summer parade being rained on yet again?

Fossil spine suggests ancient human relative walked like us, but climbed like an ape

Around two million years ago an ancient human relative, Australopithecus sediba, lived in what is today South Africa, nearby a cave called Malapa that’s a part of the Cradle of Humankind. Until recently, it was not clear how much the species spent climbing in trees and walking on two legs on the ground.

Microplastics aren’t just a problem for the ocean – they’re in our soils too

One of the environmental legacies of Covid-19 may well be vast amounts of plastic pollution. Since the beginning of the pandemic, scientists have warned of the long-term threat of littering face masks and other PPE into the environment.

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