US landfill waste, methane undercounted: climate study 23/9/2015

The volume of waste in landfills, a major source of the potent greenhouse gas methane, was grossly underestimated in the United States in 2012, researchers said Monday. ...more

Report card raps Australian efforts to improve reef water quality 23/9/2015

Australia's attempts to curb damage to the Great Barrier Reef, which was almost listed as being in danger earlier this year, are falling well short of targets, a report released by the national and Queensland state governments on Monday said. ...more

Britain joins calls for limits on truck carbon dioxide emissions 23/9/2015

Britain and three other countries have joined calls for mandatory European Union limits on the amount of CO2 pumped out by trucks, which account for 30 percent of road transport emissions but only a small fraction of vehicles on the road. ...more

UN values ecosystem loss to trillions of dollars a year 23/9/2015

There are some things that you can’t put a price tag on – and nature is one of them. Unfortunately, in today’s society value is only understood if it is expressed in currency. This might have been a reason for the United Nations University to try to quantify the losses we suffer each year due to land degradation. ...more

Critically endangered Sumatran rhino pregnant again 23/9/2015

A rare Sumatran rhino in Indonesia is pregnant with her second baby and expected to give birth in May, raising new hope for the critically endangered species, conservationists said Tuesday. ...more

Syrian war spurs first withdrawal from doomsday Arctic seed vault 22/9/2015

Syria's civil war has prompted the first withdrawal of seeds from a "doomsday" vault built in an Arctic mountainside to safeguard global food supplies, officials said on Monday. ...more

UN climate chief presses speedy action after pledges 22/9/2015

The UN climate chief urged nations Monday to ensure the speed of future efforts, saying the planet was on course for warming of a still-dangerous three degrees Celsius. ...more

BP tops the list of firms obstructing climate action in Europe 22/9/2015

BP is Europe’s fiercest corporate opponent of action on climate change, according to a ranking of companies by their efforts to obstruct carbon-cutting initiatives. ...more

Sumatran rhinos likely to become extinct, warn environment experts 22/9/2015

Earth’s last remaining Sumatran rhinos are edging perilously close to extinction, according to one of the world’s top conservation bodies. ...more

Oldest traces of heavy metal pollution caused by humans uncovered 22/9/2015

The oldest signs of heavy metal pollution caused by human activity, dating from the early Stone Age, have been found in caves in Spain and Gibraltar, officials said Monday. ...more