Australia Day is an annual celebration to mark the first arrival of ships in Sydney Cove from Great Britain in 1788. Held on the 26th January every year, Australia Day began as an anniversary dinner for the original colonists, to celebrate the love of the land they lived in. The name 'Australia Day' was not used until 1935, but today ... Read More
The Sumatran elephant subspecies (Elephas maximus sumatranus) was downgraded to critically endangered on IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species on Tuesday, prompting environmental group WWF to call for an immediate moratorium on destruction of its rainforest habitat, which is being rapidly lost to oil palm estates, timber plantations for pulp and paper production, and agricultural use.
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Scientists have devised a new way to produce ethanol directly from seaweed, offering the potential to generate biofuels that don't compete with terrestrial food production and won't suck up scarce freshwater, reports a study published today in Science.
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A curious chimp, a parading frog and a pardoned beaver – it's the best of this week's images from the natural world
... Read MorePrime minister's lack of leadership on green issues among concerns raised by head of charity that helped rebrand party
The head of the charity that helped arrange David Cameron's memorable husky photoshoot in the Arctic, launching the Conservatives' rebranding as the nice-not-nasty party, has warned that the PM's lack of leadership on environment issues risks "retoxifying" their image.
The striking images of ... Read More
Raw sewage frequently spilling into the Thames is unacceptable, says Lord Chris Smith of the Environment Agency
A super-sewer for London is not a choice but a necessity, and must go ahead despite opposition in order to preserve the Thames and cope with London's rising population, according to Lord Chris Smith, chairman of the Environment Agency.
He said a super-sewer was "absolutely ... Read More
The biggest trees in the world are dying off rapidly as roads, farms and settlements fragment forests and trees come under prolonged attack from severe droughts and new pests and diseases
... Read MoreThailand's revered national symbol is being poached not just for its tusks, but now for its meat
Two wild elephants were found slaughtered last month in a national park in western Thailand, alerting authorities to the new practice of consuming elephant meat.
"The poachers took away the elephants' sex organs and trunks … for human consumption," Damrong Phidet, director-general of Thailand's wildlife ... Read More
Israeli agro-biotechnology company, Rosetta Green, has developed a new technology to develop plants that are better able to withstand prolonged periods of severe drought. The company aims to develop new plant varieties resistant to harsh climatic condition, maintaining an increased yield. The company, based in Rehovot, Israel, experimented on tobacco plants that were irrigated with seawater instead of freshwater. The ... Read More
Post your questions for naturalist and One Show TV presenter Mike Dilger on the UK's biggest birdwatch this weekend
This Friday we're joined at 1pm for an hour by birder and TV presenter Mike Dilger to answer your questions on birdwatching and the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch this weekend.
With over half a million people counting birds in their gardens each year, ... Read More