Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Campaigners call for unlimited ‘climate card’ UK rail pass

admin — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 05:00:09 +0000

Research says flat-fee train travel would bring economic and health benefits as well as simplifying ticket fares

Renationalising the railways does not go far enough – Labour should spur a rail renaissance by allowing people around the UK unlimited train travel for a flat fee, campaigners have said.

‘Vast’ carbon sink of mud on seabed needs more protection, study shows

admin — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 05:00:08 +0000

Landmark research finds 244m tonnes of organic carbon is stored in top 10cm of marine sediment in British waters

Seabed habitats could capture almost three times more carbon than forests in the UK every year if left undisturbed, according to a report published on Thursday.

Researchers at the Scottish Association for Marine Science (Sams) have calculated that 244m tonnes of organic carbon is stored in the top 10cm of UK seabed habitats. That includes seagrass meadows, salt marshes, kelp and mussel beds but most (98%) is stored in seabed sediments such as mud and silt.

Top UK food firms urged to do more to cut ‘staggering’ emissions

admin — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 19:20:09 +0000

Food campaign Bite Back says 10 firms account for more carbon emissions globally than aviation industry

Britain’s biggest food and drink firms are doing too little to tackle the climate emergency and are producing “staggering” amounts of greenhouse gases, campaigners claim.

The 10 companies that manufacture more of the UK’s food than anyone else produce more carbon emissions between them than even the aviation industry, a report says.

Three of the firms increased their annual emissions in 2022 – Ferrero, Kraft Heinz and PepsiCo.

Even marine animals in untouched habitats are at risk from human impacts

admin — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 18:24:17 +0000

Climate change and a range of other human impacts are putting marine animals at risk of extinction -- even those living in almost pristine marine habitats and diverse coastal regions -- reports a new study.

Hope for coral reefs after IVF colonies survive record heat event – study

admin — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 18:00:03 +0000

Scientists found 90% of young coral surveyed remained healthy compared with 25% of older corals, after mass bleaching event in the Caribbean

Young corals bred using in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and planted in reefs around the US, Mexico and the Caribbean have surprised scientists, after most survived last year’s record marine heatwave, while older corals struggled.

Former smugglers’ ship sunk off Ireland to form artificial reef

admin — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 17:00:10 +0000

It is hoped MV Shingle, intercepted in 2014 with 32m cigarettes onboard, will benefit marine life and tourism

The valves opened, the sea gurgled in and slowly, imperceptibly at first, the ship began its journey to the bottom of the Atlantic.

The 60-metre MV Shingle debuted in Ireland a decade ago as a smuggling vessel, but then became an unwanted hulk. On Wednesday afternoon it performed its swan song – scuttled off County Mayo to create an artificial reef.

Australia is a mess. Cop31 is a chance to redefine ourselves from climate laggard to global leader | Anna Cerneaz

admin — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 15:00:55 +0000

Hosting the conference would help us overcome our colonial mentality and the fossil fuel lobby, both of which have held us back from tackling climate change

Global heating is making El Niño and La Niña forecasts less reliable, BoM says

admin — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 15:00:52 +0000

Exclusive: Meteorologists say climate change and the amount of heat being added to the oceans make predictions based on the past less reliable

Stop that capybara! Search party uses drone to spot rodent that fled British zoo

admin — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 14:59:54 +0000

Cinnamon, a one-year-old female, escaped on Friday and has eluded inventive efforts to recapture her

To catch a rat, many call pest control. But how does one go about catching the world’s largest rodent, the capybara?

Zookeepers in Shropshire are wrestling with that very problem after Cinnamon, one of the furry breed native to South America, escaped.

Labour in apparent disarray over Thames cleanup plan

admin — Wed, 18 Sep 2024 13:59:56 +0000

Minister approved Thames Water project at location prioritised by Sadiq Khan for wild swimming

Labour appeared to be in disarray on Wednesday over ambitions to clean up the River Thames for swimming.

The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, announced plans to prioritise an area of the river in Teddington, south-west London, to make it safe and clean for swimming as part of a new 10-year strategy to reduce pollution in the river and encourage people to spend time in and around it.