East coast humpback whale population reaches record numbers

Experts say east coast humpback whale population has reached record numbers, as tourism booms
Beneath the surface of the Pacific Ocean off Australia's east coast, record numbers of humpback whales are making their way south on their annual migration journey. After commercial whaling from the late 1800s to 1960s "pushed them to the brink of extinction", experts believe the east Australian humpback whale population is reaching record highs.

'Sea level change is going be a big awakening for Australia': Antarctic scientist sounds the alarm
Reports indicate that huge chunks of Antarctica's ice failed to form over the last winter.
The astounding figure for the loss is somewhere around 1.5 million kilometres of ice - or an eight per cent loss this year. Australian scientists say that "record underperformance" paints a grim picture for the 21st century.

Worst-case scenario isn’t jail but climate breakdown, Queensland activists say as day in court arrives
Fourteen climate protesters will appear before a Brisbane magistrate and may face up to three years in prison. The activists are charged with disrupting Queensland’s parliament in a brief but raucous protest last November.

Australia must act now to raise climate targets
Australian leaders need to step up, put party politics to one side and make the decisions required to help the world stop sliding into a global warming catastrophe, writes Indepedent MP Zali Steggall.

Surging renewable energy sees record supply to Australia’s electricity grid
For a half hour in the middle of a Saturday last month, enough renewable energy was available to meet all but 1.4% of eastern Australia’s entire electricity demand – the closest to reaching 100% clean power in the grid’s history.

A marine survey of Exmouth Gulf reveals unexpected black coral and healthy reefs, prompting calls for protection
A diverse range of hard and soft corals including species usually found in much deeper waters have been found off the coast of Exmouth, with signs of coral bleaching absent at deeper, more remote northern reefs. There are concerns a lot of these reefs will not be included in new marine park boundaries being worked on by the WA government.

A sinkhole, toxic gas and the $2 billion mistake behind Snowy 2.0's blowout
The pumped hydro project, trumpeted as a grand "nation-building" scheme, was first estimated to cost just $2 billion. It's blown out to $12 billion. It was expected to produce its first power next year — now, it won't be keeping any lights on for at least another four years.

How UN food body played down role of farming in climate change
Ex-officials at the Food and Agriculture Organization say its leadership censored and undermined them when they highlighted how livestock methane is a major greenhouse gas.

Children at ‘existential risk’ from climate crisis, UK’s top paediatrician says
The climate crisis poses an “existential risk” to the health and wellbeing of all children and action to tackle it is needed immediately, Britain’s most senior paediatrician has said.

Greenpeace loses legal challenge to UK's new North Sea oil and gas licences
Britain's decision to authorise new licences for oil and gas exploration in the North Sea was lawful, London's High Court ruled on Thursday, dismissing a legal challenge by Greenpeace. The environmental campaign group had argued Britain's failure to assess the greenhouse gases produced by consuming oil and gas rendered its offshore energy plan unlawful.