With cost of cleanup to be passed on to bill payers, analysis shows they will also pay £624 more by 2030 to fund investor payouts
English water companies will pay an estimated £14.7bn in dividends by the end of this decade, while making customers pay for new investment to stem the tide of sewage pollution in seas and rivers, analysis for the Observer has revealed.
Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron denounced the billions going to shareholders as “absolutely scandalous” while families struggling with the cost of living would be facing increases in bills to pay for the sewage cleanup.
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Breaking Waves: Ocean News
‘The whole thing stinks’: water firms to pay out £14.7bn in dividends as customers foot sewage costs
05/20/2023 - 10:54
05/20/2023 - 03:00
Just 192 hectares of ‘natural colonisation’ have been established in England under woodland creation offer
A government scheme to support the natural regeneration of trees has in two years created an area of new woodland smaller than Regent’s Park in London.
Just 192 hectares (474 acres) of “natural colonisation” have been established in England through the woodland creation offer, a financial support package launched by the government in May 2021 after natural regeneration was hailed as one of the cheapest, efficient and most wildlife-friendly ways of increasing tree cover and capturing carbon.
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05/18/2023 - 20:00
Mining the deep: Join Shorewords host, Lesley Ewing, in conversation with Vince Beiser, author and journalist, is a conversation about his April 2023 Wired article – “The Mining Industry’s Next Frontier is Deep, Deep Under the Sea”. As the automotive industry gears up for EVs, mining companies are searching for the metals needed for energy storage. Deep sea mining of polymetallic nodules is happening through small pilot studies and large-scale mineral extraction could start in just a few years. Vince discusses what we know about the deep-sea mining areas, the species that dwell there and both the range of disturbances from mining efforts and possible gains.
Shipwreck Expeditions: Diving into the Past for a Sustainable Future | American Blue Economy Podcast
05/16/2023 - 21:06
In this captivating episode of the American Blue Economy Podcast, join retired Admiral Tim Gallaudet as he engages in an enlightening discussion with esteemed guests Dr. Avery Paxton, a Research Marine Biologist at NOAA's National Ocean Service, Cady Breslin, a Marine Educator at the North Carolina Aquarium, and two talented students, Hailey Lewis and Iileyah Braxton, from NCSU. Together, they delve into the profound relationship between shipwrecks and sealife within the American Blue Economy. Explore the ecological significance of shipwrecks, delve into the crucial role of aquariums in the blue economy, and gain insights from their research on fish communities and species abundance. Furthermore, discover the ongoing endeavors to conserve and preserve shipwrecks as both cultural heritage sites and thriving marine ecosystems. Prepare to embark on a journey of knowledge and unravel the mysteries of the deep within the American Blue Economy.
05/14/2023 - 20:00
On The Capitol Beach, Derek Brockbank speaks with Nicole LeBouef, the assistant administrator for NOAA’s National Ocean Service, about NOAA’s recent announcement of $562 million investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to make coastal communities resilient to climate impacts. Funding 149 projects across 30 states and territories, this is the first major announcement of NOAA funds coming from these landmark pieces of legislation. Nicole explains how the BIL and IRA funds complement each other, what lessons NOAA has learned from the first year of funding, and how communities should talk about their funded projects to help ensure this investment is not once-in-a-generation, but a paradigm shift for how we invest in coastal resilience in an era of sea level rise and other climate impacts. You can learn more about the funded projects on an interactive map on NOAA’s website, and learn more about BIL and IRA funding – including upcoming funding opportunities - at: https://www.noaa.gov/infrastructure-law
05/14/2023 - 18:07
This week the multi-part RESCUE series continues with an advancement of the sub-theme of technology. We're talking about the pitfalls of modern agriculture, examples of sustainable fisheries, and the innovative ways that we might farm the marine environment that positively impact human health and have a regenerative, sustainable response to our harvest and use. RESCUE as an acronym offers a plan for specific action and public participation: Renewal, Environment, Society, Collaboration, Understanding, and Engagement.
