Breaking Waves: Ocean News

First pelicans in 360 years hatch in St James’s Park London

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 17:32:46 +0000

Birds have been in the park since the Russian ambassador gave King Charles II two in 1664 – but none ever bred there

They arrived in the royal park shortly before the Great Fire of London, when the Russian ambassador presented a pair to King Charles II as a gift.

But although pelicans have been living in St James’s Park since 1664, none ever learned the art of courtship – until now, when for the first time in more than 360 years, chicks have been born.

Heathrow third runway GDP yield may be 90% less than previous estimates

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 15:26:25 +0000

Department for Transport analysis suggests tiny economic boost would be outweighed by up to £62.5bn in trade-offs

The economic boost from a Heathrow third runway could be a tiny fraction of previous estimates, government analysis shows, while the overall trade-off from the bigger airport could set the UK back by as much as £62.5bn.

Kidney cancer rates near Pfas factory in Lancashire a ‘major source of concern’

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 13:42:25 +0000

Experts cast doubt on conclusion of government-funded study of factory emitting forever chemicals near Blackpool

Questions have been raised about the conclusions drawn by a government-funded study into kidney cancer rates near a factory linked to forever chemicals near Blackpool.

Two World Cup matches were played in ‘severe heat’, analysis finds

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 12:30:31 +0000

Games in Miami and Monterrey were at heat level a players’ union had warned in the past should trigger delays

Two of the first round of matches at the World Cup were played at a level of severe heat that a football players’ union has previously said should trigger the delay or postponement of games, a Guardian analysis has found.

A further four games were played in cities with temperatures also beyond that level of heat, though conditions inside the stadiums were mitigated by air conditioning.

Macron calls for vigilance as western Europe faces second heatwave of year

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 11:39:11 +0000

More than half of France’s population under severe weather warning with temperatures expected to exceed 40C

More than half of France’s population is under a severe weather warning as large swathes of western Europe endure the second extreme heat event of the year, with temperatures expected to exceed 40C (104F).

The French president called for “extreme vigilance”, urging people to “take care of our oldest and most vulnerable people” and follow government advice. “We are going through difficult days,” Emmanuel Macron said.

Datacenters driving US clean energy growth while still threatening climate

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 11:00:30 +0000

As datacenters’ connections to electric grids are held up, big tech is forced to throw money at producing its own power

Datacenters are driving unprecedented growth in the US clean energy industry, paradoxically boosting a sector that was sputtering before the artificial intelligence boom even as AI’s rollout creates immense environmental challenges.

‘Termination shock’: trust our expert warnings on geoengineering’s planetary risks | Raymond Pierrehumbert, Julia Slingo, Michael Mann and Valerie Masson-Delmotte

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 10:00:30 +0000

Do we really want to play dice with our planet?

A series in the Guardian recently declared “it’s time to talk about geoengineering.” So let’s talk about it. And let us start with some simple truths about this cluster of techno-optimistic “quick fixes” which purport to somehow offset our slow progress towards zeroing out planet-warming carbon emissions.

Week in wildlife: a hungry hoopoe, a hot croc and a snoozing otter pup

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 07:00:28 +0000

This week’s best wildlife photographs from around the world

‘I’m 90 for goodness sake’: rainforest activist to pedal 104 miles down Thames

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 06:00:27 +0000

Veteran campaigner Robin Hanbury-Tenison is raising money for a research station near his home in Cornwall

Pedalling on water for more than a hundred miles in a heatwave, pushed back by east winds and having to navigate 31 locks would be a challenge for anybody. But when that body is 90 years old, with a bad knee, failing balance and malfunctioning arms and shoulders, it’s a herculean feat.

Projecting biodiversity change to support climate-smart ocean planning in Portugal

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 04:00:00 +0000

npj Ocean Sustainability, Published online: 19 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s44183-026-00216-y

Projecting biodiversity change to support climate-smart ocean planning in Portugal