Breaking Waves: Ocean News

How damaging this presidency is to the planet depends very much on how other countries react. There’s no time to waste US election 2024 live: latest news and updates US election results 2024: live map and tracker Donald Trump’s re-election to the White House is a major setback for climate action but ultimately it’s the US that could end up losing out, as the rest of the world will move forward without it. The US is the world’s biggest economy and its second biggest emitter. Positive US engagement on climate has been crucial to landmark leaps forward, like getting the Paris agreement over the line, and just last year committing to transitioning away from fossil fuels. The US missing in action in the latter half of this critical decade for climate action is nobody’s idea of a good outcome. Continue reading...

The Murrumbidgee River had 55% less water in 2018 than it did in 1988, with the Lowbidgee flood plain hardest hit Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A section of one of Australia’s longest rivers, the Murrumbidgee, lost more than half of its water over a 30-year period due to dams and other diversions, according to new research. Scientists at the University of New South Wales examined the impacts of dam infrastructure and irrigation on natural water flows in the lower Murrumbidgee River since 1890. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...

Westminster plan for UK’s biggest heat network could involve parliament warmed by waste and low-carbon heat About 1,000 London buildings including the Houses of Parliament and the National Gallery could soon be warmed by low-carbon heat sourced from the River Thames, London Underground and sewer networks. Plans to develop the UK’s biggest heat network to supply decarbonised heat to buildings across Westminster were set out on Wednesday by the government as part of its pledge to back seven heat network zones with more than £5m of public funding. Continue reading...

Land reform charities call for better regulation of UK’s carbon market so profits can be shared with public Nature campaigners have called for taxpayers to take stakes in forest and peatland projects designed to store carbon, to avoid all the profits from carbon credits going to private investors. A report from the Revive Coalition, an umbrella group for Scottish land reform and conservation charities, says carbon credits also need to be used much more effectively to bolster demand and help the UK meet its net zero targets. Government-owned banks such as the Scottish National Investment Bank should invest in carbon projects, including on public land. It becomes mandatory for all large and medium-sized companies to have audited carbon reduction targets to avoid green washing. All carbon offsetting projects must register with the official schemes, the Woodland carbon code and the Peatland carbon code. A new land tax is set up that is reduced if the land is managed to protect the climate and promote nature recovery. Continue reading...