Oceania > Environment

Environment in Oceania

  • Dealing with the ‘loss and damage’ caused by climate change

    WORLD, 2017/05/14 Scaling down our emissions and building resilience against climate change can only take us so far. Some negative impacts and damages are now unavoidable. The inevitable consequences of human-caused climate change have collectively come to be known as “loss and damage”. First emerging decades ago as a relatively obscure plea by small island states, loss and damage has now gained recognition as the third pillar of international climate policy, after mitigation and adaptation. But turning the concept of loss and damage into something more tangible for countries bearing the brunt of extreme weather or rising seas has proved more fractious.
  • We must act immediately to save the Great Barrier Reef

    AUSTRALIA, 2017/04/15 And so it begins: the end of days. The Great Barrier Reef is bleaching for the second year in a row and presently, according to the results of helicopter surveys released on Monday, it is the middle part (all 300 miles-plus of it) that is suffering the awful reef stress that comes courtesy of a warming ocean. Coral bleaching is incredibly critical. In particularly warm summers, the complex balance between the symbiotic algae and the coral becomes disrupted. To save themselves, the coral expels the algae in the hope of better times ahead. In this national, the coral becomes whitened. That’s what bleaching is.
  • Australia sues Volkswagen over alleged diesel emissions fraud

    GERMANY, 2016/09/02 The Australian government's consumer watchdog sued the Australian arm of Volkswagen under allegations the automaker intentionally concealed the level of toxic emissions from its vehicles. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said the German automaker sold some 57,000 vehicles in the Australia with software that produced low nitrogen oxide emissions at the same time as tested, but switched to higher emission levels under normal driving conditions.
  • Building a Global Action Platform to Create Abundant Food, Health, and Prosperity—While Saving the Planet’s Ecology

    WORLD, 2016/06/11 The grand challenges of poverty, health, and economic prosperity can be solved. Indeed, it is possible to harness an emerging alliance of institutions, a growing knowledge base, technology platforms, and innovations to unleash an abundant and ecologically sustainable next for each person and for the earth. World Action Platform began with this bold vision in 2012. A lot of criticized this vision at the time, but today, our founding vision is gaining ground. Indeed, with the 2015 launch of the Sustainable Development Goals, this vision is being embraced actively by a growing network of corporations, universities, investors, governments, and NGOs around the world.
  • Great Barrier Reef, Reeling Under Extensive Coral Bleaching, Finds No Mention In Key UN Climate Report

    WORLD, 2016/05/28 The Great Barrier Reef — the world’s largest living structure — contributes over $5 billion annually to the Australian economy, with tourism accounting for a huge chunk of the money generated. However, in recent years, climate change-induced ocean acidification has severely damaged the iconic structure, putting at risk not only the countless species that depend on it, but also the revenue stream that supports a significant portion of economic activity in Australia.
  • Air pollution rising at an 'alarming rate' in world's cities

    WORLD, 2016/05/13 Outdoor air pollution has grown 8% globally in the completed five years, with billions of people around the world presently exposed to dangerous air, according to new data from additional than 3,000 cities compiled by the World Health Organisation (WHO). According to the new WHO database, levels of ultra-fine particles of less than 2.5 microns (PM2.5s) are highest in India, which has 16 of the world’s 30 most polluted cities. China, which has been plagued by air pollution, has improved its air quality since 2011 and presently has only five cities in the top 30. Nine other nations, inclunding Pakistan and Iran, have one city each in the worst 30.
  • El Niño takes its toll on Papua New Guinea’s agricultural output

    PAPUA NEW GUINEA, 2016/02/14 Efforts to promote agricultural self-sufficiency in Papua New Guinea saw a setback in 2015, with droughts and supply chain disruptions impeding sector increase. To allow for lower prices and better market competition, Tommy Tomscoll, minister for agriculture and livestock, announced plans in mid-January to lift restrictions on a range of agricultural imports, inclunding fresh produce and poultry, for three months, sparking resistance from a lot of businesses and retail operators.
  • Villagers walk completed damaged vegetation on Tanna Island, Vanuatu, 19 March 2015 next Cyclone Pam.

    NEW ZEALAND, 2015/05/24 Recently, two very powerful and damaging storms have wreaked havoc in the Western Pacific: Cyclone Pam and Typhoon Maysak. These were two of the majority intense storms to impact this region in the completed 15 years and, by some metrics, the worst ever recorded — and they occurred about a month apart. Climate change, once again, was said to have added to their intensity, which has a lot of Pacific Islanders extremely worried. The belief that climate change will force Pacific Islanders to leave their homes is not new. Currently, there is a pending appeal before the Supreme Court of New Zealand involving an I-Kiribati man who is requesting that he and his family be allowed to remain in New Zealand permanently due to the belief that the people of Kiribati face indirect persecution from human-induced world warming.
  • Giant washed-up squid found on NZ beach displayed at Kaikoura aquarium

    NEW ZEALAND, 2015/05/17 The marine creature's dorsal body, known as the mantle, is additional than 2 meters long. In addition, the authorities at the aquarium found that the squid has long tentacles, with the longest one measuring over 5 meters. The diameter of each eye was found to be around 19 centimeters. A local aquarium in New Zealand reported that a giant washed-up squid has been found on a beach at South Bay in Kaikoura. Reportedly, a man—who was out with his dog for a stroll at the beach—accidentally stumbled upon the marine creature with long tentacles. Thankfully, the officials from the Kaikoura Marine Centre and Aquarium claimed the body of the massive cephalopod before the scavenger birds located the squid. The huge squid has currently been kept on display in the frozen form in the aquarium. Kaikoura, the town where the creature was found, is popular for its richness in marine life.
  • Ban launches sustainable energy hub, urges commitments on climate financing

    WORLD, 2013/10/25  UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said the world is at a 'tipping point', and how it produces, distributes and uses energy will determine if sustainable development succeeds. He as well highlighted the need for climate financing, through a new public-private partnerships, increased investment and enhanced market development. Ban made the statement at the launch of the Sustainable Energy for All Energy Efficiency Hub at the UN City in the Danish capital, Copenhagen on Wednesday. PANA reported that in a UN statement on the launch, issued in New York, Ban said promoting energy efficiency would realise massive new investment opportunities in developing and developed nations.