Latest green news
Brisbane to hit 36 degrees
Georgia Waters 5:55am Scorching temperatures and storms predicted for southeast this weekend.
Victoria's wettest summer obliterates rainfall record
Megan Levy 4:48am Victorians have sweltered through the state’s wettest summer on record, with the moist, tropical conditions obliterating the previous rainfall record set exactly a century ago.
Flood alert for Brisbane streets
Sean Baumgart 3:00am Minor tidal flooding could hit low-lying areas this week.
Brisbane River to get regular pollution checkups
Tony Moore 5:26am Brisbane will get weekly public reporting of river pollution within months after an agreement was reached between Healthy Waterways, Brisbane City Council and the State Government yesterday.
UK storm blamed on climate change
Geoff Strong and Lindsay Murdoch A British study concludes for the first time that an extreme storm there is likely to have doubled in intensity due to human induced climate change.
Mosquitoes thrive and fevers rise after rain
Julia Medew Hundreds of Victorians have fallen ill with Ross River fever and Barmah Forest virus after heavy rainfall caused mosquito numbers to explode in recent months.
Ship's direction to decide future
The future course of Japan's faltering whaling industry hangs on the direction of the ship Nisshin Maru, as the federal government awaits proof it will leave the Antarctic.
Whale ship holds key to end killings
Andrew Darby THE future of Japan's whaling industry hangs on the ship Nisshin Maru, as the federal government awaits proof the industry will quit the Antarctic.
Backing from Greens comes at a price
Phillip Coorey THE government needs to find another $100 million in budget cuts after it offered concessions to the Greens to secure their support for the $1.8 billion flood levy.
Alert over floodwater crocodiles
Lindsay Murdoch DARWIN AS RESIDENTS began cleaning up yesterday after the most severe storm in a decade, authorities warned people to stay out of flooded waterways.
Judge rules Botanic Gardens can evict bat colony
Kim Arlington JUSTICE Dennis Cowdroy dismissed a challenge in the Federal Court yesterday to the relocation of a colony of flying foxes from the Botanic Gardens.
End to Japanese whaling premature: Burke
2:20pm Australia has had no confirmation that Japanese whalers have ended their whaling hunt in Antarctica this season, the federal government says.
Frog re-emerges in India after a century
2:20pm Researchers have rediscovered frog species including one last seen in India more than a century ago, potentially offering clues on why they have survived a global crisis killing amphibians.
Anti-whalers cautiously welcome suspension
2:20pm Anti-whaling activists say they won't run up the victory flag yet, even though Japanese whalers have announced they're suspending their Antarctic whale hunt.
International court may stop whaling: Liberals
2:20pm International court action will have a real impact in stopping Japanese whalers from future Antarctic whale hunts, the federal opposition says.
Huge Sydney bat colony to be evicted
2:01pm A 22,000-strong colony of flying foxes will be evicted from Sydney's Royal Botanic Gardens after an animal welfare group failed in its legal bid to allow them to stay.
Cyclones, floods, fires as weather lashes WA
Lucy Rickard 3:05pm Two goldfields towns have had their wettest day ever on record as widespread rainfall lashes the region.
Whaling ship turns about: motives unclear
Andrew Darby The factory ship Nisshin Maru has abruptly changed course in the Antarctic, as conservationists watch for proof that Japan's suspension of whaling will turn into a withdrawal.
Birdwatchers barmy over rare dove
Hundreds of British birdwatchers have poured into a quiet Oxfordshire village and lined its streets to catch a glimpse of a rare oriental turtle dove.
Darwin dodges cyclone bullet
Lindsay Murdoch Darwin appears to have escaped the worst of Cyclone Carlos as the category one system moved in-land and weakened overnight 70 kilometres south-east of the city.
Darwin escapes worst of Cyclone Carlos
Lindsay Murdoch in Darwin Darwin appears to have escaped the worst of Cyclone Carlos as the category one system moved inland overnight and weakened 70 kilometres south-east of the city.
Melbourne sweats on fresh storm warning after overnight deluge
Thomas Hunter, Megan Levy Melbourne is expecting further thunderstorms this afternoon after wild weather swept through the city last night, dumping nearly 70 millimetres of rain in some areas and trapping several motorists in their vehicles.
Flood risk 'doubled' by greenhouse pollution
Deborah Smith, SCIENCE EDITOR Scientists have shown for the first time that human activity has made extreme rainfall and floods around the globe worse in recent decades.
Oil disaster puts $464m dent in earnings
Mathew Murphy BHP BILLITON has revealed it took a $US464 million hit to earnings in the second half of last year from the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster.
Darwin homes, rebuilt after Tracy, can cope
Lindsay Murdoch DARWIN HOMES in Darwin should withstand the forces of cyclone Carlos if it backtracks across the city, the territory's co-ordinator of disaster response believes.
Japanese whaling fleet gives up the hunt
Andrew Darby HOBART AFTER decades of bitterly opposed Antarctic ''research whaling'', Japan has suspended its hunt and is near to formally pulling out only halfway through the season.
Japan halts Antarctic whale hunt
Andrew Darby After decades of bitterly opposed Antarctic 'research whaling', Japan has suspended its hunt and is near to formally pulling out halfway through the current season.
Storms lash city
Adam Carey Thunderstorms caused more damaging flash flooding across Melbourne last night, with 20 to 45 millimetres of rain dumped on parts of the state.
Bad luck Barack, lanky Hickory's top dog
A stately looking Scottish Deerhound beat the breed favoured by President Barack Obama and a crowd pleasing Cocker Spaniel to snap up top dog honours at New York's Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
Japanese whalers suspend Antarctic hunt
Japanese whalers have suspended their Antarctic hunt, citing harassment by environmentalists, and are considering ending their annual mission early, a fisheries agency official says.
Gorgon backer fined $US8bn for 'Amazon Chernobyl'
An Ecuadorian judge has ruled that Chevron was responsible for widespread contamination of the country's Amazon basin and fined the company $US8 billion.
Japan believed to be quitting whaling season early
Andrew Darby Japan's whaling fleet is believed to be quitting the Antarctic under heavy conservationist and diplomatic pressure, just half way through its worst ever season.
No 'blank cheque' on relief payments: Swan
Daniel Hurst Treasurer Wayne Swan has refused to say whether the federal government will pay for southeast Queensland's flood-damaged water and sewerage infrastructure.
Darwin on cyclone watch
A cyclone forecast for the Northern Territory coast will not be anything like Yasi but residents should not be complacent, authorities have warned.Northern Territory residents are being advised to prepare a cyclone kit and make a plan for evacuation, as a tropical low moves across the region.
Forests and farms a flood solution?
Courtney Trenwith Development in Brisbane's flood-prone areas should make way for forests and farms as a form of flood mitigation, according to a Brisbane planning academic.
Critics spark EPA changes
Adam Morton Victorians have lost confidence in the ability of the state's Environment Protection Authority to do its job, according to a highly critical internal review.
Dam not to blame for Brisbane floods: general
Tom Reilly THE head of the Queensland Reconstruction Taskforce, Major General Mick Slater, has weighed into the most controversial issue arising from the state's floods, saying he believes the operators of the Wivenhoe dam were not to blame for much of Brisbane being submerged.
Show me the money: mayor
Tom Reilly Money is urgently needed from the federal government to pay for reconstruction after the floods, the Brisbane mayor said.
Fixed carbon price will be first step to trading scheme
Lenore Taylor A ''HYBRID'' model of a fixed carbon price leading to an emissions trading scheme is likely to be agreed by the multi-party climate committee on Friday as the foundation for a new greenhouse reduction policy.
Bumper crops to push up incomes
Clancy Yeates Farmers are likely to experience a bumper winter harvest, thanks to the breaking of the drought and despite widespread floods.
Chevron rejects $8b order by court
QUITO: A court in Ecuador has ordered Chevron to pay more than $US8 billion for environmental damage caused there between 1964 and 1990.
Costner in legal battle over oil cleaning device
Ed Pilkington NEW YORK: When the Hollywood star Kevin Costner unveiled his wonder cleaning device in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill crisis last year he was hailed as a possible saviour. The machine was dubbed the ''Costner solution'', he was invited to speak before Congress and BP sank more than $US50 million into the idea.
Court ruling opens way for gas hub
A Federal Court ruling has helped clear the way for traditional land claimants in the Kimberley to resume negotiations over a $30 billion gas hub north of Broome.
Latin America urges Japan to stop whaling
Latin American members of the International Whaling Commission urged Japan on Monday to stop "scientific" whaling in Antarctic waters and respect sanctuaries for the species.
California to ban shark fin soup trade
California legislators have introduced a bill to ban the possession, sale and distribution of shark fins used in soup.
Whalers flee hunting area chased by activists
Andrew Darby The Japanese factory ship Nisshin Maru is said to have left its whaling grounds far behind as it tries to shake off a conservationist pursuit, and instead is approaching the Antarctic Peninsula below South America.
US court clears way for bison slaughter
A US judge says he will not stop the slaughter of potentially hundreds of wild bison from Yellowstone National Park that had attempted to migrate into Montana.
Man, 67, faces flood looting charge
Amelia Bentley Brisbane resident allegedly tried to steal pontoon with boat attached.
Flood payment rorters exposed
Marissa Calligeros Taskforce investigating 1400 suspicious claims for disaster relief payments.
Flood pollution leads to 'no-go' zones
Tony Moore There are fears that toxic pollutants could still be trapped in Oxley Creek in the wake of last month's devastating Brisbane floods.
Climate cash goes up in smoke
Mark Davis and Lenore Taylor More than $5.5 billion has been spent by federal governments during the past decade on climate change programs that are delivering only small reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
Sewage released into city's waterways
Peter Ker Raw sewage was dumped into a series of rivers and creeks around Melbourne at the height of this month's floods after the city's sewage network failed to cope.
Billions blown on carbon schemes
Mark Davis and Lenore Taylor SUCCESSIVE federal governments have spent more than $5.5 billion over the past decade on climate change programs that are delivering only small reductions in greenhouse gas emissions at unusually high costs for taxpayers and the economy.
SEQ storm warning
Cameron Atfield Residents in the flood-ravaged Lockyer Valley have been warned of severe storms and heavy rainfall this afternoon.
Adios to La Nina, but more rain expected
The La Nina weather pattern that's seen Queensland cop weeks of flooding and three cyclones has passed its peak but the rain will continue, forecasters say.
Wet season retreats ahead of Wivenhoe release
Amelia Bentley Equivalent of one year's drinking water to travel downstream.
Levy has public's backing but not MPs'
Phillip Coorey JULIA GILLARD'S proposed $1.8 billion levy to help pay for flood damage is winning the battle for public support but is still a long way from passing the Parliament.
Fraud investigations into 1400 relief claims
Carol Nader MORE than 1400 claims for flood disaster relief are being investigated for fraud.
Dam release won't flood Brisbane: minister
The equivalent of a year's supply of drinking water will be released from southeast Queensland's Wivenhoe Dam with further heavy rain forecast for the flooded region.
Muchea bushfire alert downgraded
Residents who evacuated have been allowed to return home and the Fire and Emergency Services Authority said there was no longer a threat to lives and property.
