While barriers are the most widely used method of protecting coastal homes and infrastructure in Australia, landscape architects must consider other options
July 19, 2016 — The extraordinary pictures of subsumed gardens and a swimming pool wrenched from the ground by the giant waves that battered Sydney’s northern beaches last month have revived Continue reading Are seawalls the best answer to rising sea levels
Climate change and El Niño the culprits, says Norm Duke, an expert in mangrove ecology, after seeing 7,000ha of dead mangroves over 700km
July 11,2016 — Climate change and El Niño have caused the worst mangrove die-off in recorded history, stretching along 700km of Australia’s Gulf of Carpentaria, an expert says. Continue reading Massive mangrove die-off on Gulf of Carpentaria worst in the world
Professor Hugh Possingham says authorities must confront prospect that some parts of reef are doomed and focus on what to preserve
July 9, 2016 — Governments must decide which parts of the Great Barrier Reef they most want to save and confront the prospect that some of it may be doomed, an expert on conservation modelling has warned. Continue reading Government must choose which parts to save on Great Barrier Reef
About 90% of forests off the western coast were wiped out between 2011 to 2013, posing a threat to biodiversity and the marine economy, say scientists
July 7, 2016 — A hundred kilometres of kelp forests off the western coast of Australia were wiped out by a marine heatwave between 2010 and 2013, a new study has revealed. Continue reading Australia’s vast kelp forests devastated by marine heatwave
Future in which global concentration of CO2 is permanently above 400 parts per million looms
May 12, 2016 — The world is hurtling towards an era when global concentrations of carbon dioxide never again dip below the 400 parts per million (ppm) milestone, as two important measuring stations sit on the point of no return. Continue reading World’s carbon dioxide concentration teetering on the point of no return
A series of images taken from around Lizard Island reveal the rapid death of coral across thousands of kilometres of the reef as bleaching takes hold
May 12, 2016 — Devastating images showing the complete destruction of coral colonies on the Great Barrier Reef have been obtained by Guardian Australia and illustrate what is happening to coral there that would fill an area the size of Scotland. Continue reading Devastating images tell story of coral colonies’ destruction
Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said the incident happened May 2, and the behavior of those detained on the small island – where Australia sends asylum-seekers arriving by boat – was intensifying
CANBERRA, Australia (May 3, 2016) — A refugee who set herself on fire on the Pacific island of Nauru after being sent there by Australia was in a critical condition Tuesday, May 3, just days after an Iranian man died in a similar act of self-harm. Continue reading Refugee sets herself alight at Australia’s Nauru camp
Former US Democratic vice-president says agency’s decision will deeply affect the source of valuable research for the entire world
April 30, 2016 — Al Gore has said the decision by Australia’s science agency CSIRO to cut climate research should be “re-evaluated at the highest level”, since they limit a source of critical information for the entire world as it attempts to solve the challenges posed by climate change. Continue reading Al Gore attacks CSIRO’s climate cuts
Such coral bleaching could be normal in 18 years, according to preliminary findings by leading climate and coral reef scientists
April 28, 2016 — The hot water temperature that drove the devastating bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef this year was made 175 times more likely by human-caused climate change, and could be normal in just 18 years, according to preliminary findings by Continue reading Great Barrier Reef bleaching made 175 times likelier by climate change
El Niño driving current spike in warm weather and May almost certain to be warmer than average from 1961 to 1990
April 28, 2016 — Unseasonably warm weather across Australia, which is set to continue through the coming month, might be putting a spring in people’s step but is a clear sign of dangerous climate change, according climate scientists and meteorologists. Continue reading Unseasonably warm weather a clear sign of climate change