Breaking Waves: Ocean News

03/25/2024 - 11:39
Government has repeatedly used figure to justify more fossil fuel developments despite climate crisis Are 200,000 jobs really supported by the oil and gas industry in the North Sea? Campaigners and MPs are questioning the longstanding government claim. Ministers have repeatedly used the 200,000 jobs figure as justification for pushing ahead with more fossil fuel developments despite the escalating climate crisis and widespread opposition from scientists and energy experts. Continue reading...
03/25/2024 - 11:09
Residents and marine officials in British Columbia hope a changing tide will save her orphaned calf A killer whale stranded off Canada’s west coast has died despite efforts to rescue her, but residents and marine officials hope a changing tide will save her orphaned calf. On Saturday, members of the Ehattisaht First Nation, a coastal community along the north-western reaches of Vancouver Island, spotted an orca trapped on a rocky outcropping. Continue reading...
03/25/2024 - 10:54
Predatory species, which poses huge danger to bee populations, spotted on 11 March, indicating winter stay Asian hornets may have become established in the UK after the earliest-ever sighting of the predatory insect was recorded by the government this month. This is a dangerous development for Britain’s bee population and could have a knock-on effect on agriculture that needs the pollinators, because once hornets are established it is almost impossible to eliminate them. Continue reading...
03/25/2024 - 10:42
Some plant species will 'win' and others will 'lose' as global warming forces them to move uphill, new research shows.
03/25/2024 - 08:00
Funding will go to recipients in more than 20 states in industrial sector, which is responsible for roughly 25% of US emissions The Biden administration announced a record $6bn in funding Monday to decarbonize US industry facilities including plants that make cement and concrete, iron and steel, and food production plants including ones which make mac and cheese, and ice cream. The industrial sector is responsible for roughly 25% of all the nation’s emissions, and has proven difficult to decarbonize due to its energy-intense, large-scale operations. Constellium in Ravenswood, West Virginia, is going to operate a first-of-its-kind zero-carbon aluminum casting plant and install low-emission furnaces that can use clean fuels such as hydrogen. The company produces aluminum for a range of products including cars and planes. Kraft Heinz will install heat pumps, electric heaters and electric boilers to decarbonize food production at 10 facilities, including in Holland, Michigan, where it makes mac and cheese. Cleveland-Cliffs Steel Corporation in Middletown, Ohio, will retire one blast furnace, install two electric furnaces, and use hydrogen-based ironmaking technology. The project aims to eliminate 1m tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year from the largest supplier of steel to the US automotive industry. Heidelberg Materials US Inc will build a system that captures and stores carbon underground at its plant in Mitchell, Indiana. The project aims to capture at least 95% of the carbon dioxide released by the cement plant, which will prevent 2m tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere each year. Associated Press contributed to this report Continue reading...
03/25/2024 - 07:19
Japanese carmaker aims to take on Chinese rivals, launching 16 EVs in the next three years Business live – latest updates Nissan is planning to cut the costs of manufacturing electric vehicles by nearly a third by 2030, as it seeks to compete with Chinese rivals. It comes as the Japanese company, which sold 3.4m cars globally last year, aims to increase sales by an extra 1m by 2026. Continue reading...
03/25/2024 - 02:00
Turkey’s eighth national Antarctic science expedition is seeking answers to questions about the future of the world with 22 different projects on the continent. Anadolu Agency’s photojournalist Sebnem Coskun is documenting the expedition’s scientific research, climate change impacts and life in the region to share the findings with the world.The expedition involves uncovering concealed data within the ice, gathered from years of research on crucial topics like sea ice and glacier dynamics. Continue reading...
03/25/2024 - 01:04
First Nations activists call legislation ‘a betrayal’ while Greens leader tells parliament Labor are ‘climate con artists’ Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast The Albanese government and the Coalition have voted to cut short debate on Labor’s offshore gas bill, which the crossbench and environment groups have labelled “window dressing” that fails to prevent new rules watering down First Nations consultation. Seeking to clear the decks before Easter, the government is expected to reveal tweaks to its proposed vehicle efficiency standards this week. And on Monday Labor introduced amendments to add safeguards to the offshore gas bill after widespread concerns, including from within it own ranks. Continue reading...
03/25/2024 - 01:00
National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme aims to understand why population has declined Artificial intelligence will be used for the first time to track hedgehog populations as part of a pioneering project aimed at understanding how many of them are left in the UK and why they have suffered a decline. Images of the prickly mammals snuffling around urban parks, private gardens, woodlands and farmland will be captured by cameras and filtered by AI trained to differentiate between wildlife and humans. Continue reading...
03/24/2024 - 20:34
The two-day 19km-long track is a tourism boost to the area, which was hit hard by bushfires and La Niña Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast A $10m walking track in the Blue Mountains has been opened by the New South Wales government in the hope of attracting more international visitors to a region still healing from years of flooding and bushfires. “The Grand Cliff Top Walk provides visitors with a new, adventurous opportunity to connect with nature while exploring this track through the Blue Mountains national park,” said the NSW environment minister, Penny Sharpe. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...