Eggs laid by battery hens would be phased out within 15 years under a plan to improve poultry welfare in Australia. The proposal signals some relief for the 10 million or so egg-laying hens still kept in battery cages in Australia. But it doesn’t go far enough. Among the recommendations of an independent panel were...
The Australian government on Tuesday expressed shock at a draft decision to list the Great Barrier Reef as “in danger”. But the recommendation has been looming for some time. The recommendation, by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), acknowledges Australia’s commitment to implementing...
South Australia has just added almost 150,000 acres (60,000 hectares) to its protected area estate thanks to the work and support of several environmental organisations. In 2019, The Nature Conservancy Australia facilitated the purchase of the 150,000 acre pastoral property located 600 km north of Adelaide – now proclaimed as Nilpena Ediacara National Park –...
Two weeks ago, the G7 world leaders, heads of state from seven of the world’s largest advanced democracies and economies, including Canada, France, Japan, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States, gathered for the G7 Summit in Cornwall, England. The event was long-overdue and marked the first time the world leaders have met...
In its new report, non-profit organisation Break Free From Plastic reveals that leading fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies are missing the mark with false solutions to the plastic pollution crisis. These companies also consistently rank as the world’s top corporate plastic polluters Break Free From Plastic have tracked the plastic solution initiatives and pilots of seven...
To start dealing with Australia’s mounting plastic crisis, the federal government last week launched its first National Plastics Plan. The plan will fight plastic on various fronts, such as banning plastic on beaches, ending polystyrene packaging for takeaway containers, and phasing in microplastic filters in washing machines. But we’re particularly pleased to see a main...
In a bid to tackle pollution and environmental damage, Queensland has become the second state after South Australia to pass bans on single-use plastics. From September 1 this year, the supply and sale of disposable plastic cutlery, plates, straws and expanded polystyrene takeaway food containers and cups will be banned in the state, making it...
On the 11th day of March 1702, Elizabeth Mallet published the first edition of the daily Courant, the world’s first daily newspaper and from then on, news reporting has never been the same. The Courant was a single sheet with two columns, and adverts on the back. It carried digests of news from foreign papers,...
Australia’s trucking industry is making moves to go electric. The latest development — a system for using swappable batteries instead of time-consuming recharge stations for long-haul trucks between Sydney and Brisbane — shows how this transition is gathering momentum. There will be clear socio-economic, environmental and health-related benefits from the switch to electric trucks —...
As momentum builds towards the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference in November – also known as COP26 – experts are calling for effective action to decarbonise the aviation sector. According to Harold Goodwin, Responsible Tourism Advisor of leading global event organiser for the travel industry, WTM, “delaying real emission reductions is irresponsible.” Air travel is responsible for...
After the chaos in the US Capitol, stoked largely by rhetoric from President Donald Trump, Twitter has permanently suspended his account, which had 88.7 million followers, citing “risk of further incitement of violence”. After close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them we have permanently suspended the account due...
We have a problem. Earth is getting warmer. 2019 was the second hottest year on record at 1.15 degrees Celsius above the planet’s pre-industrial average. While the temperature change might seem small to most people, it takes one small increase in global temperature to have a great impact on living beings and ecosystems on earth. Look at...