Australia hopeful of revised Antarctic sanctuary success
Australia said Monday it was hopeful of winning support for its plan to create a vast marine reserve off Antarctica, after revising the proposal to make it smaller.
Environmental news and related issues
Australia
Poor’ outlook for Barrier Reef as climate change threatens
Climate change remains the most serious threat to the Great Barrier Reef and the outlook for the natural wonder is "poor", an Australian government report has warned.
Australia launches ‘Green Army’ for environment
Australia on Saturday launched its 'Green Army' which plans to recruit up to 15,000 young people for projects to conserve and rehabilitate the environment -- the biggest land care mobilisation in the nation's history.
Australia approves huge India-backed mine
Australia has approved a massive coal mine that could ultimately provide electricity for up to 100 million Indians, angering environmentalists who warned Monday it may threaten the Great Barrier Reef.
Dredging near reefs increases coral disease: study
Dredging activity near reefs can more than double the frequency of diseases affecting corals by impacting the light and food they need to survive, a study showed Thursday.
Carbon emissions causing southern Australia to dry
Greenhouse gases and depletion of the ozone layer are causing southern Australia to become drier, researchers reported on Sunday.
Blow for Australia government as carbon tax repeal fails
Australia's conservative government on Thursday suffered a setback when the upper house Senate voted against abolishing a carbon tax, the central platform of its election win last year.
Top marine biologists urge end to Australia shark cull
Hundreds of the world's top marine scientists have called for Western Australia to ditch its shark cull policy, arguing there is no evidence that it makes beaches safer, a report said Friday.
Al Gore joins Australian mining tycoon in climate change plan
Former US vice president Al Gore Wednesday hailed recent moves by the United States and other nations to confront climate change as "extraordinary", and encouraged Australia to join global efforts.
Rare white whale spotted off Sydney
An extremely rare white humpback whale has been spotted off the coast of Sydney in an event onlookers called a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Croc hazard on Australian golf course
Golfers are facing an unusual feature on a links in tropical northern Australia -- crocodiles that live in the course's lakes.
Feral cats behind extinction of unique Aussie mammals: study
An Australian study has blamed feral cats for the extinction of native mammals and warns 100 species are under threat from the creatures that inhabited the homes of early British settlers.
Nuclear waste dump on Aboriginal land invalid, court told
The earmarking of a remote Australian outback area as a nuclear waste dump was invalid because officials failed to contact all traditional Aboriginal landowners affected, a court heard Monday.
Australian environmentalists welcome bank wariness on reef port
Environmentalists on Saturday welcomed Deutsche Bank's reluctance to invest in a major port expansion near Australia's Great Barrier Reef, saying it reflected global concern about the project.
Small Australian marsupials in sudden decline
Small, furry marsupials such as the bandicoot, quoll and tree possums are in dramatic decline in Australia's north and feral cats could be the cause, according to analysis reported Wednesday.
More than 170 sharks caught in Australia cull policy
More than 170 sharks were caught during a controversial cull policy in Western Australia following a spate of fatal attacks, figures showed Wednesday, with 50 of the biggest ones destroyed.
Baby wallaby rescued from Facebook sale
A man is facing charges after he allegedly attempted to sell a baby wallaby on Facebook, attracting bids as high as Aus$10,000 (US$9,291) before he was caught, officials said Thursday.
UNESCO condemns dredge waste dumping in Barrier Reef waters
UNESCO on Thursday condemned a decision to allow the dumping of dredge waste in Great Barrier Reef waters and recommended the Australian marine park be considered for inclusion on the World Heritage in Danger list.