Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Drax Group to give shareholders £300m windfall as profits rise

admin — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 11:31:25 +0000

Owner of North Yorkshire power station earned £393m in government subsidies to biomass

The owner of the Drax power plant in North Yorkshire will give shareholders a £300m windfall after a surge in taxpayer subsidies boosted its profits for the first half of the year to more than £500m.

The power station, which earns hefty subsidies from burning biomass wood chips, mainly shipped from North America, generated almost a third more electricity over the first half of this year compared with the same months last year.

Wildlife enthusiasts called on to help record dolphins and whales on UK coast

admin — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 11:00:51 +0000

National Whale and Dolphin Watch organisers say data collected will help with research into marine mammals

Hundreds of wildlife enthusiasts are expected to gather along UK coastlines over the next 10 days to count and record whales and dolphins.

The National Whale and Dolphin Watch, taking place from 26 July to 4 August, is hosted by the Sea Watch Foundation and aims to get volunteers to observe and record sightings of the UK’s most impressive marine mammals.

Green economy could generate 3.3m jobs across Africa by 2030 – report

admin — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 11:00:49 +0000

Policymakers and funders are being urged to invest in training a workforce to serve the industries of the future

A greener economy could bring millions of jobs to some of the largest countries in Africa, according to a new report.

Research by the development agency FSD Africa and the impact advisory firm Shortlist predicts that 3.3 million jobs could be generated across the continent by 2030.

Backpack-wearing dogs enlisted to rewild urban nature reserve in Lewes

admin — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 09:25:53 +0000

Organisers hope dogs will mimic behaviour of wolves that in past would have helped disperse wildflower seeds

Backpack-wearing dogs are being enlisted to “act like wolves” to help rewild an urban nature reserve in the East Sussex town of Lewes.

Before wolves were persecuted to extinction in the UK in about 1760, they were known to roam large areas, typically covering 12 miles (20km) or more each night.

NSW EPA investigates consultant accused of faking contamination reports on childcare centre sites

admin — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 08:07:43 +0000

More than 30 councils relied on reports during development approval process for 135 sites but EPA says no immediate risks to public health identified

Week in wildlife – in pictures: an escaped tortoise, friendly harvest mice and a giraffe on the move

admin — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 07:00:43 +0000

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

Roots and refuge: the year’s best mangrove images – in pictures

admin — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 06:00:42 +0000

From an unexpected glimpse of a silky anteater to a tagged terrapin, here is a selection of this year’s winning, runner-up and commended images from the 2024 Mangrove photography awards, run by the Mangrove Action Project

Childhood air pollution directly linked to adult lung health, study says

admin — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 05:00:41 +0000

Connection found between early exposure and bronchitic symptoms in adults without previous lung problems

Air pollution breathed in during childhood is one of the factors in adult lung health, according to a new study.

The origins of the study date back to 1992 when researchers began investigating the effects of air pollution on groups of children in California. Some of these children are now in their 40s.

Olympic demand for ‘unproven’ ice therapy is unsustainable, scientists say

admin — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 22:30:32 +0000

Researchers say 650 tonnes on order for Paris Games is a potential stress on local and regional resources

From cold-water swimming to ice baths, deliberately freezing yourself has been hailed as a panacea for everything from menopause symptoms to arthritis, headaches and immunity conditions.

And for sportspeople, ice is widely used to aid recovery after exercise. But now researchers have said the clinical benefits of ice therapy are not evidence-based and its popularity is bad for the environment.

Man gets third-degree burns from walking on sand dunes in Death Valley

admin — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 22:00:29 +0000

European visitor rushed to hospital after briefly walking barefoot in California national park amid extreme heat

A European visitor got third-degree burns on his feet while briefly walking barefoot on the sand dunes in California’s Death Valley national park over the weekend, park rangers said Thursday.