Breaking Waves: Ocean News

‘Ironic’: climate-driven sea level rise will overwhelm major oil ports, study shows

admin — Sat, 04 Jan 2025 06:00:44 +0000

Ports including in Saudi Arabia and the US projected to be seriously damaged by a metre of sea level rise

Rising sea levels driven by the climate crisis will overwhelm many of the world’s biggest oil ports, analysis indicates.

Scientists said the threat was ironic as fossil fuel burning causes global heating. They said reducing emissions by moving to renewable energy would halt global heating and deliver more reliable energy.

Record number of electric cars were sold in UK during 2024

admin — Sat, 04 Jan 2025 06:00:41 +0000

Environmental groups urge government to keep tougher green targets despite industry claim they are unsustainable

Carmakers sold a record number of electric cars in the UK last year, prompting environmental groups to urge the government to stick to tougher green targets even as the industry argues they are unsustainable.

The number of new cars sold in the UK rose by 2.6% in 2024 to 1.95m, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) lobby group. Of those, 19.6% were electric, up from 16.5% a year earlier.

Polar vortex expected to bring snow, ice and brutal cold to most of US

admin — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 18:35:31 +0000

Millions from Kansas to Florida will be hit by wintry blast with potential for ‘disaster’ next week, meteorologists say

A strong snow and ice storm followed by brutally cold conditions will soon smack the eastern two-thirds of the United States as frigid air escapes the Arctic, plunging as far south as Florida, meteorologists forecast.

The Guardian view on a carbon-free economy: no just transition in sight – yet

admin — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 18:30:27 +0000

Factory closures highlight the turbulent shift to a green economy, exposing political challenges and the urgent need for a equitable move to net zero

California tribes celebrate historic dam removal: ‘More successful than we ever imagined’

admin — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 15:00:23 +0000

After four dams were blasted from the Klamath River, the work to restore the ecosystem is under way

Explosions roared through the canyons lining the Klamath River earlier this year, signaling a new chapter for the region that hugs the Oregon-California border.

In October, the removal of four hydroelectric dams built on the river was completed – the largest project of its kind in US history.

‘A look into the future’: TV drama about Danish climate refugees divides opinion

admin — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 14:00:21 +0000

Families Like Ours has become national talking point but some scientists say events depicted could not happen

Featuring scenes of huge crowds boarding ferries, protest and desperation as six million Danes become climate refugees and life as they know it rapidly collapses, the new TV series by the Oscar-winning director Thomas Vinterberg is a potential “look into the future”, he says.

Is pistachio the new pumpkin spice? Why production of the nut is booming in California

admin — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 13:00:20 +0000

The trendy green nut is drought-resistant and sustainable – making it appealing to farmers and consumers alike

Pistachios have long polarized the world’s taste buds – the flavor is bold, nothing like the subtlety of an almond or a walnut. You either love them or hate them.

Week in wildlife in pictures: a rare warbler, a young chimp and sheltering joeys

admin — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 08:00:50 +0000

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

Weatherwatch: The need to wake up to sea level rise in the UK

admin — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 06:00:50 +0000

Policymakers and insurers act as if Britain’s coastlines are fixed, but the waters are advancing faster than before

The increasing speed of sea level rise hardly seems to register with policymakers in Britain – even though with the UK weather getting more violent, destructive storm surges are increasingly likely. The future looks bleak for properties on fast-eroding cliffs and large areas of rich agricultural land on the east coast, already at or even below sea level.

Researchers seek to expand ‘citizen scientist’ testing of UK river quality

admin — Fri, 03 Jan 2025 05:00:47 +0000

Volunteers’ data should be included in official monitoring reports to tackle pollution crisis, says Earthwatch

Citizen science testing of river water quality will expand this year in an attempt to make the data part of official monitoring of waterways, the head of an independent environmental research group has said.