Will the National Energy Guarantee hit pause on renewables?
The National Energy Guarantee proposal seems geared towards locking in the status quo rather than driving the much-needed energy transition.
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Environment + Energy – Articles, Analysis, Comment
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Swift parrots need protection from sugar gliders, but that’s not enough
Tasmania's swift parrots are in trouble. Scientists are aiming to help them by keeping them safe from predators, but without better habitat protection, the species may go extinct.
Rising dragon: China’s carbon market exposes Australia’s energy paralysis
While China launches its new energy market, Australia is still lagging behind in implementing a mechanism to control carbon emissions
Hang ten (decades): Walter Munk, inventor of the surf forecast, turns 100
Walter Munk might be the most under-appreciated man in surfing, but he is a big deal in ocean science. If you've ever checked a surf forecast before paddling out, you have him to thank.
Banded stilts fly hundreds of kilometres to lay eggs that are over 50% of their body mass
A new study gives insight into the strange breeding behaviour of banded stilts. These water birds fly thousand of kilometres to nest in temporary desert salt lakes.
The government’s energy policy hinges on some tricky wordplay about coal’s role
By rebranding coal as 'dispatchable', the government's National Energy Guarantee looks set to preserve demand for coal-fired power by giving it a new role – one it's not well equipped to fulfil.
Federal government unveils ‘National Energy Guarantee’ – experts react
The federal government has announced a new National Energy Guarantee focused on electricity reliability, after deciding not to implement a clean energy target.
Curious Kids: Why do so many animals seem to have pink ears, when their bodies are all different colours?
Animals that evolved in cold parts of the world usually have lighter skin. If a light-skinned animal has blood vessels close to the surface of their ear skin, this will make the ears look pink.
Let’s get this straight, habitat loss is the number-one threat to Australia’s species
The outgoing Threatened Species Commissioner has downplayed the importance of land clearing as a threat to Australia's plants and animals. But it's the biggest threat, and magnifies the others too.
Infographic: the National Energy Guarantee at a glance
The National Energy Guarantee promises to make electricity supply more reliable, cheaper and less polluting.
How the National Energy Guarantee could work better than a clean energy target
The new policy will put the onus on electricity retailers to cut emissions while guaranteeing reliability. And while the scheme isn't perfect, it offers a rare opportunity for bipartisanship.
Tropical thunderstorms are set to grow stronger as the world warms
The amount of atmospheric energy available to thunderstorms will increase in response to climate change, putting the tropics and subtropics at risk of being lashed with more intense storms.
Is it too cheap to visit the ‘priceless’ Great Barrier Reef?
Is Australia undervaluing its most valuable natural asset by only charging $6.50 a day to visit the Great Barrier Reef? And would it help if tourists were asked to pay more?
More sightings of an endangered species don’t always mean it’s recovering
Increased sightings of endangered species doesn't mean it's recovering – but that's the argument being made by the native forest logging industry.
Research suggests Tony Abbott’s climate views are welcome in the Hunter Valley
While Tony Abbott's London climate speech has been widely criticised, research suggests his views have long had a sympathetic ear in Australia's coal heartland.
Satellites are giving us a commanding view of Earth’s carbon cycle
New data from a NASA satellite show in unprecedented detail the flow of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Future satellites should even be able to detect the signatures of individual power stations.
Australia’s species need an independent champion
Australia's species, like this green python, are remarkable and need far better protection.
Money can’t buy me love, but you can put a price on a tree
How do you determine the financial benefit of cutting a tree down, versus leaving it standing? Environmental accounting offers some insight.
Despite the charged atmosphere, Frydenberg and Finkel have the same goal for electricity
Talk of the government preparing to 'walk away' from the Clean Energy Target proposal is unnecessarily cynical.
Construction industry loophole leaves home buyers facing higher energy bills
The law says that newly built houses should have a six-star energy rating, to help residents afford their heating and cooling bills. But some builders seem to be findings ways around this requirement.
To keep heatwaves at bay, aged care residents deserve better quality homes
Aged-care units can be a lottery of comfortable versus uncomfortable temperatures, depending on the building's construction and where you live within it. That needs to improve.
Revenge served cold: was Scott of the Antarctic sabotaged by his angry deputy?
Notes unearthed from the British Library suggest that Captain Scott's Antarctic expedition may have been fatally undermined by Lieutenant Teddy Evans, furious after being sent back to base.
The reality of living with 50℃ temperatures in our major cities
Future extreme heat is worse and coming sooner than you might think. Unless we mitigate and adapt we face increasing death rates.
The government’s new gas deal will ease the squeeze, but dodges the price issue
By signing an agreement with the big three producers, the government has effectively made the east coast gas shortage evaporate. But there's no guarantee the price pain will go away too.
The oil and gas sector needs to diversify if it wants to prosper
A new CSIRO roadmap outlines the options for oil and gas companies to keep pace with the clean energy transition, including solar-powered hydrogen fuel production.