Breaking Waves: Ocean News

From showers to tiny fish to windmills, Trump’s climate policies are driven by fixations

admin — Sun, 26 Jan 2025 13:30:50 +0000

‘It was striking that the White House memo included toilets and shower heads as a presidential priority,’ said one expert

From crusading against showers he feels don’t sufficiently wash his hair to reversing protections for a small fish he calls “worthless”, Donald Trump’s personal fixations have helped shape his first environmental priorities as US president.

Home truths: the only thing Labour is building is a bigger, more dysfunctional housing market | George Monbiot

admin — Sun, 26 Jan 2025 13:03:57 +0000

Private developers offer politicians a simple solution for bulldozing through this crisis – build more. But it won’t work

Build baby, build. That’s about the intellectual limit of the government’s housing strategy. Millions are under-housed, so let’s “bulldoze” the planning system and build more homes. But it’s not nearly so simple.

Rachel Reeves indicates support for third runway at Heathrow

admin — Sun, 26 Jan 2025 10:53:10 +0000

Chancellor says runway would mean fewer planes circling London, and points to moves towards sustainable flying

Rachel Reeves has indicated her support for building a third runway at Heathrow airport, arguing that it would have environmental benefits such as fewer planes circling London.

Ahead of a major speech on economic growth this coming week, the chancellor made the case for Heathrow expansion and said there was “huge investment” in more sustainable aviation.

Anglian Water passed thousands of pollution tests at sewage plants that weren’t carried out

admin — Sun, 26 Jan 2025 10:00:47 +0000

Analysis by campaign group finds utility company had highest rate of ‘no-flow’ samples of any water and sewerage firm in 2024

The water firm Anglian Water passed thousands of pollution tests at its sewage plants that were never carried out.

Operational data reveals how more than 6,000 pollution tests from 2015 to 2024 could not be carried out under a controversial self-monitoring regime because it was reported there was no outflow of treated sewage from the plants.

Rain on the way to LA brings fears of toxic ash in wake of wildfires

admin — Sat, 25 Jan 2025 23:34:26 +0000

Weather will aid firefighters, but heavy downpours on charred hillsides could bring the threat of poisonous runoff

Rain on the way to parched southern California on Saturday will aid firefighters mopping up multiple wildfires. But heavy downpours on charred hillsides could bring the threat of new troubles like toxic ash runoff.

Environment secretary lambasts HS2’s £100m bat shelter

admin — Sat, 25 Jan 2025 21:13:19 +0000

Steve Reed says plans for 1km curved structure to protect bats from high-speed railway are ‘batshit crazy’

Launch natural history GCSE in England now, campaigners urge Labour

admin — Sat, 25 Jan 2025 18:08:21 +0000

Environmentalists say new course could be delayed until 2030 because it is viewed as Conservative party initiative

Leading environmentalists have called on the government to introduce a natural history GCSE immediately, amid fears it could be postponed until 2030.

The previous Conservative administration had supported creating the GCSE, which would teach pupils how to observe, identify and classify plants and animals.

Labour risks ‘powder keg’ clash with environmentalists as it puts growth before going green

admin — Sat, 25 Jan 2025 17:49:56 +0000

As chancellor Rachel Reeves’ plan to expand London airports gains traction, the party is accused of back-pedalling on its green commitments

Labour is being warned it is hurtling towards a “powder keg” confrontation with environmentalists, green groups and a swathe of its own supporters in the next few weeks, amid its claims that “blockers” are standing in the way of economic growth.

A flurry of pro-growth measures have been announced by ministers in recent days as part of a government fightback against claims that the economy is stalling.

Rachel Reeves has to realise she can’t plough on with the farm tax | Phillip Inman

admin — Sat, 25 Jan 2025 16:00:25 +0000

The chancellor’s attempt to get rich landowners to pay their fair share was correct in principle. But this measure has missed the mark

Rachel Reeves needs to rid herself of troublesome farmers. It’s become obvious, if it wasn’t at the time of the budget, that they are not going to go away.

Their shouts of protest are getting louder and the petition against proposals to tax inherited farms is growing longer.

Wes Streeting heckled by climate protesters at Fabian Society address

admin — Sat, 25 Jan 2025 15:45:14 +0000

Speech calling for unity against ‘populist right’ interrupted by two women opposed to Drax power plant subsidies

Wes Streeting was heckled by climate protesters during a speech calling on progressives to stand up to the “populist right”.