Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Biden designates two new national monuments after advocacy from tribes

admin — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 18:24:43 +0000

Chuckwalla and Sáttítla monuments in California will be safeguarded against extraction and energy development

Joe Biden will designate two new national monuments in California in his last days in office, after tribes and environment groups asked him to take urgent action.

Biden will travel to California’s Coachella Valley on Tuesday to sign proclamations creating the Chuckwalla monument in southern California and the Sáttítla monument in the far north of the state, which will be safeguarded against extraction and energy development.

Environmental groups sue FDA over refusal to tackle risky plastic packaging

admin — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 16:52:52 +0000

Agency has either ignored petitions or ruled against taking action against chemical that presents serious health risks

A coalition of environmental groups has sued the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over the use of highly toxic phthalates in plastic food packaging because the chemicals have been found to leach at alarming rates and present a serious health risk, especially for developing children.

Thailand bans imports of plastic waste to curb toxic pollution

admin — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 14:05:25 +0000

Campaigners welcome move but say success depends on enforcement and global agreement on a treaty

Thailand has banned plastic waste imports over concerns about toxic pollution, as experts warn that failure to agree a global treaty to cut plastic waste will harm human health.

Canals have vital role to play in UK’s climate resilience, says charity

admin — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 12:29:46 +0000

Waterways can protect biodiversity, help with water security and keep cities cooler, says Canal & River Trust

Protecting the UK’s canals is crucial for improving the nation’s resilience to climate change, campaigners have said.

A report by the Canal & River Trust charity found canals could play a “critical role” in biodiversity, decarbonisation and climate adaptation.

Male mosquitoes to be genetically engineered to poison females with semen in Australian research

admin — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 10:00:06 +0000

Approach could be used to limit outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases, such as dengue fever, which results in 390m cases annually worldwide

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Toxic male mosquitoes will poison females with their semen in a new population control method developed by Australian researchers.

Tuesday briefing: How Britain has coped with an Arctic blast

admin — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 06:34:35 +0000

In today’s newsletter: Widespread flooding, snow and power outages have left thousands of households and travellers facing the aftermath of a cold snap – with more disruption to come

Good morning.

Hadi Nazari's camera and campfire found as search continues for hiker missing in Kosciuszko national park

admin — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 04:47:09 +0000

NSW police ‘hopeful’ of finding 23-year-old Hadi Nazari alive in remote national park as they track movements since he was last seen on Boxing Day

Southern California warned of ‘life-threatening, destructive’ windstorm

admin — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 02:51:22 +0000

Officials warn of fire risks and potential outages as gusts could reach 80mph in Los Angeles county and Ventura

Southern California could experience a “life-threatening, destructive” windstorm this week, with forecasters warning of major fire risks unusual for January and potential power outages.

‘He was prescient’: Jimmy Carter, the environment and the road not taken

admin — Mon, 06 Jan 2025 13:00:33 +0000

The ex-president was a pioneer on renewable energy and land conservation but his 1980 defeat was a ‘fork in the road’

When a group of dignitaries and journalists made a rare foray to the roof of the White House, Jimmy Carter had something to show them: 32 solar water-heating panels.

UK government scraps plan to ban sale of gas boilers by 2035

admin — Mon, 06 Jan 2025 12:59:54 +0000

‘Future homes standard’ will not mandate replacing boilers with environmentally friendly alternative

The government is to scrap the 2035 ban on gas boilers in its new housebuilding standards.

The previous Conservative government had laid plans to phase out gas heating for homes by banning the sale of new gas boilers by 2035, so people replacing their gas boilers after that date would instead have to buy a heat pump or other environmentally friendly way of heating homes.