Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Sick sea lions stranded on California coast as experts fear algae poisoning

admin — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 21:38:02 +0000

At least 23 sea lions with suspected domoic acid poisoning rescued from Santa Barbara and Ventura beaches

Sea lions are stranding themselves on a long stretch of the California coast in what experts say could be a sign of widespread poisoning by a harmful algae bloom this summer.

The Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institute said that since 26 July, it has been inundated by daily reports of sick sea lions along the shoreline in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

Antarctic temperatures rise 10C above average in near record heatwave

admin — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 18:32:11 +0000

Reported temperatures on continent in midwinter reach 28C above expectations on some days in July

Ground temperatures across great swathes of the ice sheets of Antarctica have soared an average of 10C above normal over the past month, in what has been described as a near record heatwave.

While temperatures remain below zero on the polar land mass, which is shrouded in darkness at this time of year, the depths of southern hemisphere winter, temperatures have reportedly reached 28C above expectations on some days.

Five Just Stop Oil protesters jailed for climbing gantries to block M25

admin — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 18:22:09 +0000

Activists had admitted causing public nuisance for their part in four days of disruption on motorway in 2022

Five supporters of the climate activist group Just Stop Oil have been jailed for climbing gantries over the M25 in an attempt to cause gridlock on the motorway.

George Simonson and Theresa Higginson were sentenced to two years each, Paul Bell was sentenced to 22 months, and Gaie Delap and Paul Sousek were sentenced to 20 months for their part in the protests in November 2022.

Love child of slug and hedgehog: fossils may shed light on early mollusc ancestors

admin — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 18:00:08 +0000

Rare specimens found in China from 514m years ago thought to be remains of proto-mollusc

From colourful, enigmatic octopuses, to oysters with their iridescent pearls, molluscs today are as beautiful as they are diverse. But it seems their ancient relatives may have resembled the love child of a slug and a hedgehog.

Soft-bodied creatures are a rarity in the fossil record as their tissues decay rapidly after death. However, researchers say they have found a rare exception in the eastern Yunnan province, in south-western China, in fossils dating to about 514m years ago.

Almost quarter of big fashion brands have no decarbonisation plan, report finds

admin — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 12:00:03 +0000

DKNY, Tom Ford and Reebok among companies to score 0% in Fashion Revolution report ranking top 250 firms

Almost a quarter of the world’s biggest fashion brands, such as Reebok, Tom Ford and DKNY, do not have a public plan for decarbonisation, a report has found.

Anger mounts over environmental cost of Google datacentre in Uruguay

admin — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 12:00:01 +0000

Protesters say recently approved tax-free datacentre will ‘provide nothing except toxic waste and greenhouse gases’

Google’s plans to build a datacentre in Uruguay have angered environmentalists, who say the project will release thousands of tonnes of carbon dioxide and hazardous waste.

Barclays chief praises Wimbledon bosses for ‘resisting’ calls to drop bank’s sponsorship

admin — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 10:44:57 +0000

UK lender has faced backlash for providing services to climate polluters and defence firms with alleged links to Gaza war

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The chief executive of Barclays has praised Wimbledon organisers for “rightly resisting pressures” to drop the bank’s sponsorship, suggesting that protests over issues including its climate policies are “ultimately misguided”.

US Forest Service failing to protect old growth trees from logging, critics say

admin — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 10:00:27 +0000

Biden’s efforts to save mature trees are not getting enough Forest Service support, according to some conservationists

They are the ancient giants of America – towering trunks of sequoias or beech or ash that started to sprout in some cases before the age of the Roman empire, with the few survivors of a frenzy of settler logging now appreciated as crucial allies in an era of climate and biodiversity crises.

Sea change: How the Herring Queen brought promise and joy to a small Scottish town

admin — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 06:00:36 +0000

The annual coronation of a young girl symbolised a fishing community’s hopes. Now, as the industry declines, it has evolved to reflect the powerful role of women and the change they bring about

• Photographs by Christopher Thomond

Cornish conservation charity launches major ‘Tor to Shore’ rewilding project

admin — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 04:00:36 +0000

Cornwall Wildlife Trust initiative aims to benefit creatures from upland marsh fritillaries to seahorses in St Austell Bay

A Cornish conservation charity has launched an ambitious rewilding project intended to benefit creatures from marsh fritillary butterflies living high on the moor to long-snouted seahorses in seagrass in a bay five miles away.