australia

The Great Barrier Reef Is Being Polluted Largely by Groundwater, Study Finds

The Great Barrier Reef Is Being Polluted Largely by Groundwater, Study Finds

Groundwater is carrying a significant portion of the pollutants coming into the Great Barrier Reef, a recent study has found. According to the study, previously unquantified nitrogen and phosphorus have been discharging into and impacting the reef system, and researchers have now found that groundwater is responsible for about one-third of new nitrogen and two-thirds […]

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    Number of Australia’s Fish Species Considered Critically Endangered Doubles

    Number of Australia’s Fish Species Considered Critically Endangered Doubles

    The amount of critically endangered fish species in Australia has recently doubled after nine species were newly categorized as critically endangered in March. All nine species are part of the galaxias genus, and an additional tenth galaxias species has been labeled as endangered. The findings present an urgent need to conserve these species. One major […]

    Oyster Mushrooms Could Consume a Million Cigarette Butts in Australia

    Oyster Mushrooms Could Consume a Million Cigarette Butts in Australia

    In a new program trial in Australia, oyster mushrooms are taking on an important new task. The fungi will consume the toxic chemicals and plastics inside up to 1.2 million cigarette butts, which will be diverted from landfills for the trial. In Australia, people smoke about 18 billion cigarettes a year, and up to 9 […]

    Australia’s Renewable Energy Investments Surged by 10x in Fourth Quarter of 2022

    Australia’s Renewable Energy Investments Surged by 10x in Fourth Quarter of 2022

    Australia made a massive investment in renewable energy towards the end of 2022 — channeling $4.3 billion towards large scale carbon-free electricity generation and storage developments.  This is the highest quarterly investment since 2018,  according to data reported Thursday by the nonprofit renewable industry group the Clean Energy Council. But more is still needed for […]

    Wildfire Smoke Linked to Ozone Layer Damage

    Wildfire Smoke Linked to Ozone Layer Damage

    A new study led by chemists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that wildfire smoke particles, which can remain in the stratosphere for a year, can cause chemical reactions that deplete the protective ozone layer. The findings occurred during the megafire in Australia in December 2019 to January 2020. The study, published in the […]

    Australia to Triple Size of Macquarie Island Protection Zone to Shield ‘Remote Wildlife Wonderland’ in Southern Ocean

    Australia to Triple Size of Macquarie Island Protection Zone to Shield ‘Remote Wildlife Wonderland’ in Southern Ocean

    Australia’s Albanese Labor Government has announced its plans to triple the size of the Macquarie Island Marine Park to protect millions of seals, seabirds and penguins in the Southern Ocean, a press release from Australia’s Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek said. The expansion of the marine park would protect the entire Exclusive […]

    How Five of Australia’s Heavy Industry Supply Chains Can Decarbonize by 2050

    How Five of Australia’s Heavy Industry Supply Chains Can Decarbonize by 2050

    One major weakness of corporate net-zero plans is that they often rely on carbon offsets that promise more than they deliver.  However, a new report from the Australian Industry Energy Transitions Initiative (ETI) found that five of the country’s high-emission supply chains could achieve net zero emissions by 2050 with minimal use of offsets.  “With […]