Breaking Waves: Ocean News

TikTok’s annual carbon footprint is likely bigger than Greece’s, study finds

admin — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 12:00:18 +0000

Average user generates greenhouse gases equal to driving an extra 123 miles in gas-powered car a year, data shows

TikTok’s annual carbon footprint is probably larger than that of Greece, according to a new analysis of the social media platform’s environmental impact, with the average user generating greenhouse gases equivalent to driving an extra 123 miles in a gas-powered car each year.

‘Forever chemical’ found in mineral water from several European countries

admin — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 12:00:16 +0000

Contamination thought to stem from the heavy application of pesticides containing TFA, a type of PFAS

Mineral water from several European nations has been found for the first time to be contaminated with TFA, a type of PFAS “forever chemical” that is a reproductive toxicant accumulating at alarming levels across the globe.

‘This was not normal’: US scientists grapple with a year of record heat

admin — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 11:00:15 +0000

Climate researchers presented potential reasons – clouds, shipping, volcanic eruption – for the apparent surge

Scientists are still puzzling over the reasons behind a streak of unexpected, record heat that scorched 2023 and into this year, sparking fears that the climate crisis could be moving faster than previously thought.

Is it the clouds? Or shipping? Or maybe a huge volcanic eruption?

Why birdsong matters more than you think | Natalia Zielonka and Simon Butler

admin — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 05:00:09 +0000

Our natural soundscapes are falling silent as bird populations decline. To improve our lives, we must invest in conservation

Imagine you’re walking across rolling hills that stretch for miles, with warm sunshine and the chirping of birds all around.

This peaceful and serene scene is an increasingly rare one in the modern world.

It goes to show how important nature is for humanity on so many levels and hopefully a study like this supports more investment and help in retaining as well as improving our natural soundscapes.

Labour’s 2030 green energy goal faces ‘significant challenges’, experts warn

admin — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 00:01:03 +0000

UK Energy Research Centre says there is ‘very little room for error’ to avoid delays and protect vulnerable people

Labour’s plan to switch to a clean power system by 2030 faces “significant challenges” to avoid delays and prevent vulnerable households paying higher bills, experts have warned.

Housebuilders supply only half of promised nature-friendly features, survey finds

admin — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 00:01:03 +0000

Developers in England deliver 53% of features such as trees and bird boxes demanded in planning permissions, study says

Nearly half of the nature-friendly enhancements promised by developers building new homes have failed to materialise, according to a study of almost 6,000 new houses.

Developers are failing to keep legally binding pledges to boost wildlife when building new homes, according to the survey by University of Sheffield academics for Wild Justice.

Rare vision of WA’s Scott Reef shows dazzling ecosystem threatened by gas projects – video

admin — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 22:59:43 +0000

A dozen marine scientists, film-makers, musicians and conservationists, including Tim Winton, John Butler and Dr Ben Fitzpatrick, have made an epic voyage to Scott Reef, one of Australia’s wildest and most remote coral reefs, to document the threats posed by Woodside’s Browse gas proposal. Woodside’s Burrup Hub is the biggest new fossil fuel project in the southern hemisphere and, if approved, would emit more than 6bn tonnes of CO2 by 2070

Senate committee recommends national hate crimes database and tougher laws – as it happened

admin — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 19:53:22 +0000

This blog is now closed

Workers farm at night to avoid intense heat – but it can lead to other negative effects

admin — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 17:00:03 +0000

From farm workers in Brazil to India and the US midwest, shifting to a schedule where it’s dark out could mean dangerous conditions and less food

This story was produced by Grist and co-published with the Guardian.

For years, Josana Pinto da Costa ventured out every morning on to the waterways lining Óbidos, Brazil, in a small fishing boat. Gliding over the murky, churning currents of the Amazon River basin, her flat nets brought in writhing hauls.

‘A human face on an abstract problem’: ICJ forced to listen to climate victims

admin — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 16:00:01 +0000

Marginalised communities have been elevated during hearings in The Hague on impact of climate crisis

The village of Veraibari in Papua New Guinea sits at the mouth of the Kikori River, just before it opens into the Pacific. “Veraibari was so beautiful when I was a child,” remembers Ara Kouwo, 52. “I used to walk down to the beach passing under mango trees.”