Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Revealed: how a US public university courted the gas industry despite climate impacts

admin — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 13:00:10 +0000

McNeese State University in Louisiana building a liquefied natural gas center, prompting fears of ‘corporate capture’

One of Louisiana’s top public universities has prompted concerns about “corporate capture” over its expanding relationship with the liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry, despite environmental warnings about pollution and prolonging fossil fuel use.

Bird flu sweeps through zoos with ‘grave implications’ for endangered animals

admin — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 12:00:07 +0000

Call for additional precautions as captive species including lions, tigers and cheetahs are killed by virus

Dozens of rare animals including tigers, lions and cheetahs are dying as bird flu infiltrates zoos, with potentially “grave implications” for endangered species, researchers have warned.

Taps dry in 58,000 Hampshire homes due to Southern Water fault

admin — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 11:19:54 +0000

Outage comes as customers hear they will face the highest bill increases in England and Wales

Tens of thousands of homes in Hampshire are without water because of a technical fault at a Southern Water supply works.

About 58,000 homes in Southampton, Romsey, Eastleigh, Totton and parts of the New Forest have outages after a problem at the Testwood water supply works prevented water from leaving the site.

US environmental agency fast tracking new PFAS approvals for semiconductors

admin — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 11:00:09 +0000

Hastened reviews of compounds as industry ramps up could increase pollution from likely toxic chemicals

The Environmental Protection Agency is quietly fast tracking approval of new PFAS “forever chemicals” for use by the semiconductor industry at the same time the agency is publicly touting increased scrutiny of new PFAS and other chemicals.

Biden declares tougher 2035 emissions targets weeks before Trump return

admin — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 10:00:12 +0000

President formally files new plans under Paris agreement and hails ‘boldest climate agenda in American history’

Joe Biden has announced tougher targets on the US’s carbon dioxide emissions for the next decade, in a defiant final gesture intended as a “capstone” on his legacy on the climate.

Thames Water to pay £18m penalty after breaking dividend rules

admin — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 07:41:44 +0000

Regulator says it will claw back £131m in ‘unjustified’ payments as it announces companies can increase bills by 36% by 2030

Water bills for households in England and Wales to rise by 36%

Thames Water will have to pay an £18.2m penalty after the water industry regulator confirmed the troubled utilities company had breached dividend rules.

Albanese government approves four coalmine expansions as Greens condemn ‘despicable’ move

admin — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 07:38:21 +0000

Tanya Plibersek says projects in NSW and Queensland produce coal for making essential steel as critics say move ‘opposite of climate action’

Just four fines issued for wood-burning complaints in a year in England

admin — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 06:00:07 +0000

Law around illegal wood burning in smoke-control areas is not being enforced, campaigners say

Only four fines out of 5,600 complaints have been issued for illegal burning of wood in smoke-control areas from September 2023 to August 2024 in England, data has revealed.

The new data, from freedom of information requests submitted by the campaign group Mums for Lungs, shows that the law around illegal wood burning is not being enforced in England, campaigners said.

Toadstool with teeth and ghostly palm among plant and fungus finds of 2024

admin — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 05:00:06 +0000

Scientists race to discover new species before destruction of natural world drives them to extinction

From a toadstool with teeth to a vine smelling of marzipan and a flower that has cheated its way out of having to photosynthesise, a weird and wonderful host of new plant and fungus species have been discovered in 2024.

Time to be shellfish: why the UK should go back to feasting on oysters and mussels

admin — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 05:00:05 +0000

Popular in Victorian times, they are sustainable, a good source of protein and brilliant for biodiversity, say those championing the bivalves

A splash of white wine, a handful of basil leaves and a few minutes preparation are all it takes to transform mussels that 24 hours ago were filtering seawater off the south Devon coast, into a delicious starter.