Bushfire-fighting chemicals stunt, kill frogs: study
A Queensland study has sounded alarm bells about new-generation bushfire-fighting chemicals, with two found to stunt and kill frogs.
environmental issue
Coastal critters at home on Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Coastal species are living and breeding on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and raising the prospect of a new kind of ecological community.
Australia needs to attract $400bn for energy investment
There are concerns the federal government's decarbonisation policies won't deliver enough to be consistent with world ambitions to limit global warming to 1.5C.
Watchdog urged to step in on so-called ‘ocean plastic’
There's growing disquiet about the rise of new products claiming to be made using "ocean plastic" or "ocean bound plastic" that's actually come from the land.
Electric car changes needed to stop ‘going in reverse’
Policy changes in the United States and Europe will make it harder to buy a petrol or diesel vehicle – a move lobby groups say should be mirrored in Australia.
Methane worry for Qld river ‘bubbling like a broth’
Environmental activists hold concerns for a Queensland river and surrounding areas after gathering footage showing methane bubbling close to a local weir.
Regional airline buys stake in electric propulsion firm
Regional flights could be quieter and cheaper in future after a major Australian airline invested in an aviation start-up making planes electric.
Australia risks being dumping ground for ‘gas-guzzlers’
New policies to boost electric vehicle adoption in the US mean Australian policymakers must introduce new laws quickly, lobby groups warn.
Chemicals in ‘new car smell’ could pose health risk
That new car smell just lost some of its appeal, with scientists finding cabin materials can emit potentially harmful levels of chemicals linked to cancer.
Rubble-loving fish a ‘glimmer of hope’ for Barrier Reef
While the most colourful denizens of a Great Barrier Reef island may have departed, their rubble-loving neighbours endure at the Australian natural wonder.
Mayors and councillors call for electric car change
Local government figures are urging the federal government to change Australia's electric vehicle policies to improve access to zero-emission cars.
Australia should catch more electric buses, study finds
Less than one per cent of all buses on Australian roads are electric models, a new study has revealed, prompting experts to call for a faster adoption.
Farmers come a cropper as mice keep on multiplying
Mice numbers are on the rise nationally, with swarms of the rodents spotted in northern NSW, sparking a warning for farmers to remain vigilant.
Climate may have ‘big impact’ on rainforest fish
New research on the adaptability of rainbowfish living in the freshwater creeks of Australia's wet tropics can help inform effective conservation strategies.
Extra REDcycle plastic stockpiles uncovered
More stockpiles of soft plastics have been uncovered as the full scale of the collapsed of the REDcycle recycling program becomes clear.
Electric vehicles could go further with an AI boost
Software could be the key to addressing range anxiety in electric vehicles, with one company promising artificial intelligence could add 100km to a battery.
Condition of Pete the platypus unknown as man charged
The man accused of taking a platypus from the wild two days ago before travelling to a shopping centre with the animal has been charged.
Irwin pushes to outlaw social media croc-botherers
The son of the late Steve Irwin is leading a push to penalise those who enter crocodile-infested waters for the sake of social media posts.
Electric cars speed up but utes and SUVs dominate sales
Electric vehicles are continuing to make gains in Australia, according to new sales data, but the popularity of big utes and SUVs dominates.
Aussie ute drivers could save money and cut emissions
A new report into Australians' love for utes has found drivers could save $42 million on fuel in a year by choosing the most efficient vehicles.
Study looks for toxic chemicals in food packaging
Scientists believe they'll find a family of toxic, so-called "forever chemicals" in next-generation food packaging used in Australia.
Palmer’s Waratah coal mine denied environmental licence
A major coal mine slated for Queensland's Galilee Basin has suffered another blow after a landmark court ruling recommended it not proceed.
Utes and large SUVs are speeding past emission targets
A report into pollution from Australia's vehicle fleet has found heavy SUVs and light commercial vehicles, including utes, are missing emission targets.
Frog, turtle meat seized in 38 tonne biosecurity haul
Boxes of turtle and frog meat are among 38 tonnes of high-risk goods seized by federal authorities at a western Sydney warehouse.
NSW winery accused of stealing water during drought
NSW authorities have charged a border-region winery after it allegedly stole 161 Olympic pools worth of irrigation water via an illegal pipeline.
Australia to get an electric vehicle drive-in theatre
Australia's first electric vehicle-only drive-in movie theatre is set to launch in Sydney, weeks after the country set a record for battery-powered car sales.
Scientist in awe of Antarctica’s beautiful frailty
Queensland Scientist Olaf Meynecke says a recent trip to study chubby whales in Antarctica has left him with a odd mix of trepidation and determination.
Electric car road trips could face delays this Easter
The number of electric vehicles in Australia is soaring but their popularity could see a repeat of Christmas charging queues this Easter, experts warn.
Turning the blowtorch on national nursing home problem
As aged care homes nationwide struggle to manage incontinence pad waste, an Australia-first trial has propped an oxgyen-less oven as the solution.
Unknown risk in plastic rubbish lining Australian coast
Three-quarters of the waste littering Australia's coastline is now plastic with authorities yet to fully assess the risk posed by the pollution.
Refinery to make greener aviation fuel from farm waste
A refinery turning agricultural by-products such as sugarcane into eco-friendly aviation fuel could open in Queensland next year with a new funding deal struck.