Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Amphibious boat brings Bond-style glamour to RSPB in Northumberland

admin — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 10:00:38 +0000

Bear Grylls-inspired vessel helps wardens on Coquet Island care for UK’s only breeding colony of roseate terns

It looks like something James Bond might drive – or, more accurately, Bear Grylls. But rather than enabling secret missions or carrying millionaires, this innovative amphibious boat is helping RSPB wardens look after Britain’s only breeding colony of roseate terns.

RFK Jr urged to release nearly $400m allocated to help families combat heat

admin — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 10:00:38 +0000

As part of Trump’s administrations ‘efficiency’ drive, staff running decades old program for energy assistance laid off

Robert F Kennedy Jr, the secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), is facing new demands to release almost $400m allocated by Congress to help low-income US families keep the air conditioning on this summer.

The funds are under threat after the staff running a decades old program were fired – as part of the Trump administration’s so-called ‘efficiency’ drive.

Atomic Secrets: a Chornobyl scientist warns of a toxic future

admin — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 09:40:16 +0000

Dmitry Kalmykov is a Ukrainian scientist who has dedicated his life to investigating environmental disasters, first at Chornobyl and now in Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan - formerly the Soviet Union's primary nuclear weapons testing site. He teaches schoolchildren about how bombs were tested, and how – more than 30 years after the site was decommissioned – the surrounding community is only beginning to comprehend radiation's lasting deadly effects.

Faintings, blackouts and violence: Iraq’s scorching emergency – in pictures

admin — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 06:00:40 +0000

The country’s average temperature has risen by 0.48C a decade from 2000. Last August, photographer Susan Schulman visited Baghdad and Amarah, to capture the impact of extreme weather on everyday lives

The rise of the digital fishmonger: how Covid helped customers buy fresh from the boat

admin — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 06:00:39 +0000

Britain’s traditional retailers were in decline for years. Then the pandemic changed how we buy food and boosted the fishing industry

The seafood chef and restaurateur Mitch Tonks recalls the moment things for him changed dramatically. It was March 2020, the start of Covid, when a local fishing boat skipper called him in a panic. “Nick was having a tough time; nobody was buying his catch, so I emailed our customer network,” he says.

Deadly floods and storms affected more than 400,000 people in Europe in 2024

admin — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 02:00:33 +0000

European State of the Climate report ‘lays bare’ impact of fossil fuels on continent during its hottest 12 months on record

The home-wrecking storms and floods that swept Europe last year affected 413,000 people, a report has found, as fossil fuel pollution forced the continent to suffer through its hottest year on record.

Climate crisis has tripled length of deadly ocean heatwaves, study finds

admin — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 19:00:25 +0000

Hotter seas supercharge storms and destroy critical ecosystems such as kelp forests and coral reefs

The climate crisis has tripled the length of ocean heatwaves, a study has found, supercharging deadly storms and destroying critical ecosystems such as kelp forests and coral reefs.

Half of the marine heatwaves since 2000 would not have happened without global heating, which is caused by burning fossil fuels. The heatwaves have not only become more frequent but also more intense: 1C warmer on average, but much hotter in some places, the scientists said.

Victorian Liberal leader distances state party from Peter Dutton’s nuclear proposal: ‘Our focus is gas’

admin — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 15:00:22 +0000

Exclusive: Brad Battin says he had a conversation with the federal opposition leader about the ‘language’ he would use about plans to build a nuclear reactor in eastern Victoria

Coalition scores just 1/100 points for environment and climate policies from conservation organisation

admin — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 15:00:20 +0000

Australian Conservation Foundation says opposition has ‘failed every single test’ while Labor passes with 54% and Greens achieve 98%

Birmingham bin workers reject deal to end strike

admin — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 14:27:57 +0000

Unite leader says ‘partial deal on pay protection for a few’ was overwhelmingly rejected in vote, as rubbish piles up

Bin workers have “overwhelmingly” rejected a deal that would have ended the all-out strike in Birmingham that has caused bin bags to pile up in the streets and an influx of rats in the city.