Why EV batteries could spark fires – or opportunities
The shift to electric vehicles will leave Australia to deal with a huge battery stockpile and experts say the nation needs an urgent plan for the waste.
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Imperilled ancient fish inflames war over salmon farms
Scientists say it will take more than a crackdown on salmon farming to save Tasmania's ancient maugean skate from extinction.
All new cars should be electric by 2035 ‘at the latest’
Submissions to Australia's fuel-efficiency standard are calling for a bold air pollution limit for new cars and a quick transition to electric vehicles.
Air in childcare settings heavy with plastic pollution
A new air quality study has shed light on how much plastic Australians might be inhaling when they're indoors, with childcare environments the most polluted.
Flannery backs COVID-style approach to climate crisis
Scientist and climate campaigner Tim Flannery says there are several decades of deterioration ahead before the world will see the benefit of climate action.
Court win bittersweet for Indigenous group, lawyer says
A $22 million settlement is "bittersweet" because the Indigenous people of Wreck Bay are still dealing with irreparable damage to their land, their lawyer says.
Govt to force change on packaging industry
Australia's packaging industry will be forced to clean up its act with work underway on new regulations after voluntary reforms failed dismally.
Aussies urged to triple bus, train, bike and hike trips
Australians will need to walk, cycle and catch more trains to significantly cut emissions by 2030 and cannot do it with electric cars alone, a report warns.
Aussie company makes breakthrough on clothing recycling
An Australian company has made a breakthrough in the race to recycle the world's wardrobe - a hungry enzyme that breaks down the plastic in our clothes.
Mixed reaction greets PFAS contamination payout
Landowners whose properties were contaminated by firefighting foam used on RAAF bases have reached a $132.7 million settlement, while others face further talks.
Coles to discard soft-plastic bags by the end of June
Coles says its decision to phase out soft-plastic shopping bags nationwide will remove 230 million of them from circulation within a year.
Washing machine filters a ‘no-brainer’ to cut pollution
Australia has a plan to fit pollution filters to domestic washing machines by 2030 but experts say the rise in fast, plastic fashion demands urgent action.
Why electric trucks could cut more pollution than cars
Action is needed to get more electric trucks on Australian roads, according to a new report and industry groups who say heavy vehicles are missing out.
Clock ticks for supermarkets to shift plastic stockpile
Coles and Woolworths have until May 12 to move high-risk soft plastic stockpiles from warehouses across NSW after environmental authorities denied an extension.
Packaging industry won’t meet its own targets on waste
None of the waste-busting targets the packaging industry set for itself five years ago will be met, a long-awaited review has confirmed.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Coal seam gas waste plan worries farmers and activists
Activists and farmers have raised concerns about a plan to allow coal seam gas companies to store their waste salt in lined landfill sites.
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.
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.
Pollution crackdown hits biggest emitters as laws pass
Changes to the safeguard mechanism putting a hard cap on pollution from big emitters have passed the parliament.
Plastic chemicals doing untold human harm: scientists
Scientists say humans are suffering untold harm from plastics, ranging from cancer and reproductive damage to the loss of intelligence that defines humanity.
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‘This can be done’: UN’s message on net-zero deadlines
The UN secretary-general says developed nations like Australia must bring forward their net-zero timelines by a decade, given the latest climate change report.
Recycler hungry for Australia’s stinky old shoes
As Australia transitions to a circular economy, more and more niche recycling programs are popping up and shoes are no exception.
Unquenched Aussie thirst for world’s most costly water
Aussies are among the top consumers of bottled water globally and we are paying the most for it, a new UN report shows.
Pile of poo ’19 times heavier than Harbour Bridge’
Pet owners are turning to eco-friendly methods to dispose of pet poo in an effort to minimise the environmental cost of picking up after our furry friends.
Funds accused of ‘greenwashing’ by market lobby group
The environment-focussed lobby group Market Forces has criticised five super funds for not doing enough to challenge the fossil fuel firms they invest in.