Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Exclusive: Complaint says Equinor is unlawfully connected to Israel’s Delek Group, which has been flagged by UN human rights commissioner The Norwegian oil company Equinor is being sued over alleged business links to the Israeli energy company Delek Group, which has been flagged by the UN high commissioner for human rights for operating in illegal settlements in Palestinian territory. A legal complaint being filed on Thursday by Greenpeace Norway claims Equinor has breached Norway’s transparency act by failing to conduct proper due diligence or limit damage from its connection to Delek Group. The act aims to aid companies “in meeting challenges of human rights abuses”. Continue reading...

Access to balanced diet also affected by inflation and Brexit, hitting most vulnerable households hardest UK politics live – latest updates Numbers of hungry and malnourished households in the UK are on the rise because of climate breakdown and inflation, government figures show, with poorer, younger and disabled people hit hardest. Many households worry about food running out, cannot afford balanced meals, experience hunger and have missed meals in the past 30 days, the figures reveal. Continue reading...

Palau plans to allow more fishing in its marine sanctuary, as countries across the region seek to balance conservation with economic needs Dotted across the north-west of the Pacific Ocean, the limestone islands of Palau rise like forested domes. Beneath the waves, reefs pulse with activity – fish dart through coral gardens, turtles drift nearby, while sharks with black-tipped fins shadow a passing tourist boat. Nearly a decade ago, the country took a bold step to safeguard this vibrant seascape, declaring 80% of its waters a no-fishing sanctuary. Ngerukewid, also known as the ‘Seventy Islands’, is a group of dozens of small, raised coral islands nestled within Palau’s lagoon. Continue reading...

Harnessing wind, hydro and maybe geothermal power, the tiny Canary Island of El Hierro is blazing a trail for sustainable energy – and the secret is all in the mix Words and photographs by Ofelia de Pablo and Javier Zurita A vertiginous outcrop with more than 500 volcanoes, El Hierro, the most westerly of the Canary Islands, is less than 12 miles (20km) wide but features elevation differences of more than 1,500 metres. Swept by strong Atlantic winds and pockmarked with volcanic craters, it has spent the past decade harnessing its natural features to create clean electricity – with the goal of being the first island to reach self-sufficiency in energy. Now, the island is reaching new milestones. Energy generated by wind and water has enabled its 11,000 inhabitants to be completely self-sufficient in electricity for 10,000 hours since its renewables project was established. Wind turbines not only produce most of the energy needed for islanders’ daily use, but also El Hierro’s three desalination plants, which supply water to the island Continue reading...