SCIENCE

You might have heard that bike lanes are a waste of money. The Australian National Audit Office recently investigated the $40 million bike path scheme, announced in 2009 as part of the Federal Government's stimulus package, and found the scheme "fell significantly short" of hitting its aims.

The circus is coming to town. In a few weeks, Ringling Brothers will be arriving in Los Angeles with all its elephants and other caged animals. But this time they may be getting a muted welcome from the city council.

Strict requirements being imposed on Australian dealers would limit the car outlets nationwide that will be able to sell GM Holden's new hybrid sedan - the mostly electric-powered Volt.

The skin is the body's largest organ. Like a sponge, it eats up and breaths in over half of whatever it comes in contact with. And, while it is true that unavoidable entities such as smoke and other pollutants may cause extreme harm to the appearance of our skin, it is also true that the products we slather on voluntarily may cause the same harm.

As world leaders prepare for the Rio+20 environmental summit in Rio de Janeiro, a United Nations report says that despite over 500 internationally agreed goals and objectives, the world continues to pursue an entirely unsustainable path.

What’s wrong with this country? While cities around the world are making plans to deal with climate change, cities in the United States are just sitting around like there’s no tomorrow. Which, at this rate, there won’t be.

As the nations of the world prepare to meet in Brazil for the environmental summit Rio+20 (20 years since the first one there), one of Brazil's neighbors, Bolivia, isn't waiting for other countries to take action. It's pushing ahead on what it calls the Law of Mother Earth.

The world remains heavily dependent on fossil fuel but a new report issued by the UN Environment Program on Monday highlighted an emerging trend that points to the increasing investments on renewable energy by key economies across the globe.

Creating a wildlife-friendly backyard, or even a balcony, is much easier than you think. Wildlife-friendly concepts can be applied to all types of garden, from huge plantations down to small high rise balconies, the two key elements are water and shelter everything else is a matter of personal preference.

Tornado hit the north-eastern suburbs Dianella and Morley in Perth Thursday noon, leaving a nasty trail of damage and causing power blackouts. Trees were uprooted, cars were damaged, power lines fell down and roofs flew mid air in the height of the tornado, which unleashed about 10 minutes of fury.

The Transit of Venus has long been completed, but some Earthlings are still thrilled by having observed the rare event. Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson is one of the scientists who shouted out on Twitter the relevance of the Transit of Venus in modern day space study.

It's the word of an expert from the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning versus residents on whether coal seam gas (CSG) would damage the environment or not.

The Transit of Venus has begun at 22:09 UTC on June 5th (8:09 a.m. June 6th in Australia) and photos of the astronomical phenomenon have surfaced online. We took a look at the photos being uploaded to Flickr, particularly those in The NASA Venus Transit Observing Challenge Pool.

The Australian economy may be among the worlds' most developed but as far as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is concerned, the country has a lot of catching up to do to achieve a respectable level of green economy.

China took offence on the regular air quality advisories issued by the U.S. diplomatic mission in the country, which Beijing claimed was not only inaccurate but also contradict the official notices issued by the country's environment officials.

After a stressful day at work, you come home, only to discover that Rover has raided the trash and left a disaster all over the kitchen floor.

The Transit of Venus pertains to the spectacular astronomical event when Venus takes a position between the Earth and the sun, thus, it will look like a small dot moving across the face of the sun. Here is a list of websites that will present webcasts covering the grand cosmic event.

Coalition leader Tony Abbott has resorted to using a metaphor to warn Australians of the ill-effects of the carbon tax scheduled to be collected beginning July 1.

Whether you're a dog person or a cat person, you're sure to find something you'll love on The Pet Collective.

I’m no technocrat. I don’t think cool tech alone is going to get us out of the fine mess we’ve made of the planet. But everyday people come up with things that, while not saving the world, at least make it a tiny bit better. Here are four of them.

Green groups in Australia have found an ally in the United National Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in protecting the country's Great Barrier Reef.

Climate Change Minister Greg Combet criticised Opposition MPs for speaking against the carbon tax while at the same time boosting their investment in mining which is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.

Country music star will give away a house on each stop on his upcoming 'Brothers of the Sun' tour with Kenny Chesney.

A regional carrier has blamed the carbon tax for its decision to axe two routes, but no less than Prime Minister Julia Gillard belied the claim.

Items washed away by the 2011 tsunami are already arriving in North America, raising fears of an environmental crisis from Alaska to California.

'Plastic or paper?’ will no longer be asked in the City of Angels, thanks to a historic City Council vote.

The federal government of Australia is set to start collection of the carbon tax in less than five weeks, but a survey found that many small- and medium-sized businesses are still confused about the tax.

Singapore has proven that city-states can flourish and for Chris Anderson, urban sites will be the place that the world will heavily rely on as its population expands and its resources feel the demand of greater pressure.

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Deputy Chairman Michael Schaper warned Australian firms on Monday not to use the carbon tax, slated to be collected beginning July 1, as their excuse to jack up prices.