Australian animals at dire risk as environment deteriorates

Record ID: 1681938

  • Title: Australian animals at dire risk as environment deteriorates
  • Date: 19th July 2022
  • Summary: SUNSHINE COAST, AUSTRALIA (JULY 19, 2022) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) WORLD WILDLIFE FUND CONSERVATION SCIENTIST, MICHELLE WARD, SAYING: "Australia is sleepwalking our way into an extinction crisis. For years we have known what species are threatened by, where species are in the landscape and what actions are needed to mitigate those threats, so it's very simple but ye
  • Embargoed: 2nd August 2022 07:52
  • Keywords: Australia Great Barrier Reef animals bushfire climate change conservation drought environment floods kangaroo koala nature platypus
  • Location: CANBERRA, WYTALIBA, SUNSHINE COAST, GREAT BARRIER REEF, COBARGO, KANGAROO VALLEY, SYDNEY, KANGAROO ISLAND, BYABARRA, MENINDEE, GUNNEDAH, AUSTRALIA
  • City: CANBERRA, WYTALIBA, SUNSHINE COAST, GREAT BARRIER REEF, COBARGO, KANGAROO VALLEY, SYDNEY, KANGAROO ISLAND, BYABARRA, MENINDEE, GUNNEDAH, AUSTRALIA
  • Country: Australia
  • Topics: Asia / Pacific,Australia,Environment
  • Reuters ID: LVA006279019072022RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Australia has lost more mammal species than any other continent and has one of the worst rates of species decline among the world's richest countries, a five-yearly environmental report card released by the government on Tuesday (July 19) said.
    "Australia's environment is bad and getting worse as this report shows, and much of the destruction outlined in the State of the Environment Report will take years to turn around," Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said in a speech at the National Press Club, adding that the new Labor government would make the environment a priority.
    The report, which comes after drought, bushfires and floods ravaged Australia over the past five years, said increasing temperatures, changing fire and rainfall trends, rising sea levels and ocean acidification were all having significant impacts that would persist.
    Scientists and environmental groups said the report was a wake-up call for the government to step up carbon emissions reductions to curb climate change, overhaul laws to protect habitat and invest more money to protect species.
    (Production: Cordelia Hsu)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2022. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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