Guardian Seascapes reporter Karen McVeigh tells Madeleine Finlay about a recent trip to the Galápagos Islands, where mounds of plastic waste are washing up and causing problems for endemic species. Tackling this kind of waste and the overproduction of plastic were the topics on the table in Ottawa this week, as countries met to negotiate a global plastics...

So long as oil and gas companies remain wedded to self-interest, the push against them isn’t going away Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastAustralia’s south-west is suffering through a historic dry stretch. Perth had the lowest rainfall on record in the six months to March, and trees in eucalyptus forests and scrubland...

Year in, year out, there's a good chance someone in politics has suggested nuclear power as an answer to Australia's energy problems. Guardian Australia's Matilda Boseley explains why. Modern-day nuclear energy is climate friendly compared with coal and gas. But going nuclear isn't practical for Australia – and it's an idea that's more than likely coming...

Exclusive: New documents reveal government division over controversial program as data reveals death tollFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcastMore than 90% of marine animals caught in shark nets off New South Wales beaches over the summer were non-target species,...

RHS Wisley garden manager says composting at home saves money and creates habitat for hedgehogs and invertebratesGet rid of your green waste bin if you want to make your soil more healthy and save money, a Royal Horticultural Society expert has said.Sheila Das, a garden manager at the charity’s Wisley site, removed her garden waste bin “some years ago”...

Motion sets out worldwide target in alignment with Paris agreement to limit global heating to 1.5CCountries are for the first time considering restrictions on the global production of plastic – to reduce it by 40% in 15 years – in an attempt to protect human health and the environment.As the world attempts to make a treaty to cut plastic waste at UN...