Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Want to sponsor a piece of ocean paradise? How one Pacific island’s novel response to rising seas is paying off

admin — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 10:00:06 +0000

The tiny nation of Niue has raised £3m selling sponsorship of its marine protected area at just over £100 for a square kilometre

Look at the underside of a log, and you’ll find my new obsession: the beautiful, bonkers world of slime moulds | Lucy Jones

admin — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 10:00:06 +0000

These tiny organisms matter. They have been used to map dark matter and improve transport networks, and they’re living all around us

Hadi Nazari: hiker missing in Kosciuszko national park since Boxing Day found alive

admin — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 07:32:57 +0000

Hadi Nazari, 23, found after going missing two weeks ago, discovered two muesli bars at a hut while lost, police say

Birdwatch: an unlikely encounter with the least sandpiper in Somerset

admin — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 06:00:03 +0000

Diminutive bird breeds in Alaska and Arctic Canada and sightings in Britain are rare enough to attract a crowd

If you’d asked me which rare bird I might see in Somerset in early January, the least sandpiper would have been very low on my list. Yet on a fine, bright, chilly morning here it was: running along the edge of the water like a clockwork toy, probing the mud for food with its stubby bill.

Labour hopes ‘new deal for farmers’ can reset relationship with industry

admin — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 06:00:02 +0000

Steve Reed to announce focus on making farming ‘more profitable and sustainable’ at Oxford Farming Conference

The government is aiming to reset its relationship with farmers with what it describes as a “new deal” for the industry.

Farmers have protested in their tens of thousands after controversial changes were made to agricultural inheritance tax and the EU-derived subsidy scheme.

Fire reaches Getty Villa museum grounds in California, but structures not burned

admin — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 03:11:07 +0000

Fueled by major windstorm, Pacific Palisades fire touches museum site but officials say collection safe

Biden designates two new national monuments after advocacy from tribes

admin — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 18:24:43 +0000

Chuckwalla and Sáttítla monuments in California will be safeguarded against extraction and energy development

Joe Biden will designate two new national monuments in California in his last days in office, after tribes and environment groups asked him to take urgent action.

The designation of the Chuckwalla monument in southern California and the Sáttítla monument in the far north of the state will place 840,000 acres (339,935 hectares) of land under protection, shielding it from extraction and energy development.

Environmental groups sue FDA over refusal to tackle risky plastic packaging

admin — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 16:52:52 +0000

Agency has either ignored petitions or ruled against taking action against chemical that presents serious health risks

A coalition of environmental groups has sued the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over the use of highly toxic phthalates in plastic food packaging because the chemicals have been found to leach at alarming rates and present a serious health risk, especially for developing children.

Thailand bans imports of plastic waste to curb toxic pollution

admin — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 14:05:25 +0000

Campaigners welcome move but say success depends on enforcement and global agreement on a treaty

Thailand has banned plastic waste imports over concerns about toxic pollution, as experts warn that failure to agree a global treaty to cut plastic waste will harm human health.

Canals have vital role to play in UK’s climate resilience, says charity

admin — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 12:29:46 +0000

Waterways can protect biodiversity, help with water security and keep cities cooler, says Canal & River Trust

Protecting the UK’s canals is crucial for improving the nation’s resilience to climate change, campaigners have said.

A report by the Canal & River Trust charity found canals could play a “critical role” in biodiversity, decarbonisation and climate adaptation.