Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Harris should take on oil industry if she wins election, climate advocates say

admin — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 10:00:30 +0000

Environmentalists believe presumptive nominee is ‘perfect person’ to prosecute fossil fuel firms over disinformation

If elected president, Kamala Harris should take on the fossil fuel industry for its history of spreading climate disinformation, environmentalists say.

Week in wildlife – in pictures: a feisty sea lion, a retiring elephant and a fleeing fox

admin — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 07:00:27 +0000

The best of this week’s wildlife photographs from around the world

China sees highest number of significant floods since records began

admin — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 06:01:20 +0000

So far this year officials warnings have been issued for 25 floods, and China is only halfway through its peak flood season

Halfway through the peak flood season, China has already experienced the highest number of significant floods since record keeping began in 1998, and the hottest July since 1961, authorities said on Friday.

This year so far it has recorded 25 “numbered” events, which the Chinese Ministry of Water Resources defined as having water levels that prompt an official warning or are measured at a magnitude of a “once in two to five years” event.

Morrisons trials raising temperature of its freezers to save energy and money

admin — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 06:00:26 +0000

Ten stores will raise freezer temperatures by 3C to -15C amid pressure for move away from long-held industry standard

Morrisons is testing out raising the temperature of its freezers by 3C in the first move by a UK supermarket to depart from a long-held industry standard, in order to save energy and money.

The Bradford-based chain said it would increase the temperature on appliances in 10 of its stores to -15C from -18C, the industry standard set almost 100 years ago and left unchanged.

Environmentalist becomes first juror to swear oath on river water

admin — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 06:00:24 +0000

Paul Powlesland, the co-founder of Lawyers for Nature, says he considers the River Roding to be sacred

When jurors are called to court, they are required to swear on a holy book or make a secular promise to tell the truth.

So court officials were perplexed when the environmental activist and barrister Paul Powlesland was called for jury service and produced a vial of river water and asked to swear on the River Roding.

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.