Breaking Waves: Ocean News

This small Alaska town is swamped by cruise ship visitors every summer. But what happens when they all go home?

admin — Tue, 10 Nov 2026 13:00:52 +0000

Skagway’s 1,100 permanent residents are caught between a boom time – when the ships bring more than a million tourists – and a lull in winter

October comes to the small Alaska coastal town of Skagway like a sigh. The shops that were bustling throughout the crazed tourist season are reducing their opening hours or beginning to close. The hordes of employees sleeping in overcrowded bunkhouses are leaving or have left.

US and rest of world must follow China’s lead on green energy, says John Kerry

admin — Tue, 10 Nov 2026 12:08:23 +0000

Former US secretary of state says most nations are ‘stumbling along’ while Beijing has ‘hugely accelerated’

Cop31 live – latest updates

Cop31 live: host Turkey celebrates new oilfields as climate summit enters second day

admin — Tue, 10 Nov 2026 07:57:12 +0000

UN climate summit prepares to host world leaders from more than 90 countries as scientists find global carbon emissions flatlined this year

We’ve just heard from Patricia Espinosa, the former UN climate boss (succeeded by Simon Stiell) and now we are hearing from former US secretary of state and climate ambassador, John Kerry.

Kerry has congratulated Brazil for keeping the fossil fuel transition issue alive, and the room has erupted in cheers.

Tuesday briefing: The world is falling short on climate action. Can Cop31 change that?

admin — Tue, 10 Nov 2026 06:45:39 +0000

In today’s newsletter: As global leaders gather in Turkey for the UN climate summit, both doubts and hope surround what the annual talks can achieve

Good morning. After another year of unprecedented droughts, floods and wildfires driven by human-caused global heating, 91 heads of government will meet tomorrow in Turkey to discuss the climate crisis. They will do so against a backdrop of global instability and conflict.

Auckland hit by swarms of bees after milder than usual New Zealand winter

admin — Tue, 10 Nov 2026 04:07:54 +0000

Beekeepers say they are fielding a record number of calls from people needing assistance in removing swarms

Engulfing parked cars and blanketing inner-city street signs – New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland, is in the midst of an unusually large bee swarming season, that experts say has been exacerbated by a milder than usual winter.

The Auckland Beekeepers Association says it is fielding five to 10 calls a day, requesting assistance to remove swarms of bees – with individual members of the association being contacted for help as well.

Slight fall in carbon emissions from fossil fuels as Iran war drives renewables push

admin — Tue, 10 Nov 2026 01:00:23 +0000

However, authors of a comprehensive assessment to be presented at Cop31 warn talk of a global turnaround premature

Cop31 live – latest updates

Senate advances bill to speed up projects from gas pipelines to clean energy

admin — Mon, 09 Nov 2026 18:42:32 +0000

Key environmental groups come out against bipartisan Baaja bill over fears it could spur datacenters and ICE jails

The Senate on Monday advanced bipartisan legislation aimed at speeding up permitting reviews for datacenters and other infrastructure projects, in the first major action since last week’s election that soundly repudiated Donald Trump and congressional Republicans.

Air pollution soars as fog traps emissions in England’s urban areas

admin — Mon, 09 Nov 2026 17:50:28 +0000

Particles from fireworks and bonfires likely to have contributed to levels well above WHO’s daily guideline

Air pollution soared to “very high” levels across urban parts of England on Monday as still, foggy weather kept emissions trapped after a weekend of fireworks and bonfires.

High fossil fuel prices spread inflation ‘like a cancer’, UN climate chief tells Cop31

admin — Mon, 09 Nov 2026 17:47:04 +0000

Simon Stiell makes opening address at summit in Turkey, where talks are under way about speeding up shift to electrification

A global fossil fuel price crisis is “spreading inflation like a cancer” around the planet, the UN’s climate chief, Simon Stiell, told the opening plenary of critical UN climate talks in Turkey.

Stiell joined Cop31 hosts Turkey and Australia, which is leading the negotiations, in promoting renewable energy and a new electrification goal as an optimistic alternative to a planet still tied to oil, coal and gas.

Deadly floods hit Iraq as thunderstorms sweep across region

admin — Mon, 09 Nov 2026 10:59:06 +0000

Violent storms lash northern Iraq and parts of Iran, while Portugal faces strong winds and Japan braces for further snowfall

Deadly flash floods hit northern Iraq on Saturday as severe thunderstorms swept across the region, including in neighbouring Iran. The city of Erbil, in Iraq, was particularly badly hit, with extensive damage to homes and businesses. Streets were inundated as torrential rain fell over a short period.

Rainfall exceeded forecasts, with an estimated 80mm falling in the city, compared with expectations of 30mm. Two people were killed in the floods.