Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Scientists find high levels of microplastics in wastewater from unnamed UK plant – and in air surrounding facility Recycling has been promoted by the plastics industry as a key solution to the growing problem of plastic waste. But a study has found recycling itself could be releasing huge quantities of microplastics. An international team of scientists sampled wastewater from a state-of-the-art recycling plant at an undisclosed location in the UK. They found that the microplastics released in the water amounted to 13% of the plastic processed. Continue reading...

Prime minister’s spokesperson says he is gathering ‘all the facts’ before making a decision. This live blog is closed And here are some of the lines from what Rishi Sunak has been saying at the London defence conference. Sunak said the challenge posed by China should not lead to a “blanket descent into protectionism”. He said that China’s rise represented an “epoch-defining challenge”. He explained: It is a country that has both the means and the intent to reshape the global order. Its behaviour is increasingly authoritarian at home and assertive abroad and in light of that we do need to take the steps to protect ourselves. There are a limited number of very sensitive sectors of our economy, or types of technology, where we want to take a particularly robust approach: semiconductors, for example, dual-use technologies, quantum, etc. But this is not an excuse for a blanket descent into protectionism. He said that G7 countries should not be engaged in subsidy competition. Asked whether the UK needed an industrial strategy, he replied: That means different things to different people. If that means we should just be focusing on who can subsidise industries the most, then my answer is no. We discussed that at the G7 and actually you will see in the G7 communique very specific language acknowledging that subsidy races that essentially just shift industrial capacity between allies in some kind of zero-sum competition are not appropriate. Continue reading...

More than £13m of subsidies mainly paid to tenants of Duchy of Cornwall have done little to restore nature in national park King Charles and Prince William could be dragged into a bitter fight over £13m of taxpayer funds paid over the past decade for nature restoration on Dartmoor national park. The funds have partly been paid to tenants farming land in the national park that is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, a land and property estate controlled by the heir to the throne. Continue reading...

Watchdog Ofwat launches inquiry into operations by Pennon Group, which also owns Bristol Water The owner of South West Water is being investigated by the industry regulator over whether it accurately reported leaks and figures showing how much water is used by its customers. Pennon Group, which owns South West Water and Bristol Water Group, told its shareholders that Ofwat has announced an investigation into the company’s operational performance during 2021 and 2022. Continue reading...