It was with great sorrow that Friends of the Earth learnt of the passing of Yami Lester in July. Yankunytjatjara Elder, atomic test survivor, Aboriginal rights activist, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, Yami's voice and support will be sorely missed.  

We are not surprised. There have been a number of recent articles in the media slamming the recent independent testing Friends of the Earth commissioned and the concerns that we raised regarding the particles that we found.

Independent testing commissioned by Friends of the Earth has found nanoparticles in popular Australian infant formula products that are both illegal in Australia and potentially dangerous. Three of the seven samples tested contained nano-hydroxyapatite particles. Nano-hydroxyapatite has been found to cause cell death in the liver and kidneys of rats and is prohibited from use in infant formula in Australia in any form.

The long campaign against the environment movement As the environment and climate movements grow in power and influence, various conservative and anti-environmental forces have sought to damage or reduce the power of the movement.The campaign against environmental protectors reached something of a fever pitch while Tony Abbott was the Australian Prime Minister, and has become less overt since Malcolm Turnbull became PM. But it is now clear that the agenda continues, with a new ‘review’ of tax arrangements for non government organisations (NGOs) singling out environmental organisations for particular scrutiny.

Conservation SA, the state's peak environment body, along with national environment groups Friends of the Earth Australia and the Australian Conservation Foundation, have today lodged a submission with the federal Department of Industry, Innovation and Science calling on the federal government to abandon any plan for a national nuclear waste dump in Kimba.

Cold weather and the official start of winter didn't deter fifty enthusiastic citizen scientists from attending Friends of the Earth member group GECO's winter forest survey camp in Goongerah over the long weekend.

National environment group Friends of the Earth say the Federal Coalition government's Finkel Review on energy has ignored the latest science on climate change and health impacts from coal pollution.

South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill made the announcement at a public forum at Victor Harbour this week, and pronounced the proposal to import 138,000 tonnes of high-level nuclear and 390,000 cubic metres of intermediate-level nuclear waste level waste from international nuclear states 'dead'. This announcement has been welcomed by traditional owners, communities and environmental groups who have been opposed to the plans since the beginning of the South Australian Royal Commission into the Nuclear Fuel Cycle which began in early 2015.   

Government scientists have advised Environment Minister Lily D'Ambrosio to issue a conservation order to protect the Greater Glider from logging. The Minister's department has urged her not to follow this advice. Instead the department recommended discussions with the state logging agency for ‘voluntary action’.

The election of Donald Trump, the Brexit vote in the UK, and the continued rise of Right wing populist parties across liberal democratic nations is a huge concern for anyone who wants to see action on climate change and protection of the environment. Today's announcement that the USA will withdraw from the Paris Climate agreement should not come as a shock, but nor should it be seen as the end of climate action.