Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Hospitals, schools and prisons to be given food welfare targets that should benefit British growers Labour can expect hostile reception at farmers’ gathering Hospitals, schools and prisons are to be urged to buy more British food, as part of a government push to heal a rift with farmers over changes to inheritance tax. The environment secretary, Steve Reed, will tell the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) annual conference on Tuesday that the public sector is to be set a target of sourcing at least half of all food from farms with the highest welfare standards, which should benefit British growers and food producers. Continue reading...

Despite conflicting laws, a wave of amateur homesteaders have started keeping fowl in the spirit of self-sufficiency Katie Whalen’s backyard in the Florida city of Port St Lucie is testament to her journey towards a life of self-sufficiency. She grows mangoes, avocados, starfruit, jackfruit and coconuts. She is cultivating a tropical tree spinach known as chaya. What she really wants, however, is a chicken coop and hens to provide eggs that are becoming increasingly unaffordable in stores. As bird flu worsens across the US and commercial suppliers struggle to keep up with demand, the keeping of fowl and production of eggs in home environments, has surged in popularity, and Whalen is keen to join the revolution. Continue reading...

Robust group of organizers – including midwives, environmental justice advocates and urban gardeners – rewrite what it means to be from the US mountain region Appalachia, which spans from southern New York to northern Mississippi, usually evokes images of white working-class people, as depicted in JD Vance’s 2016 memoir Hillbilly Elegy. But it’s little known to people outside of the region that there’s a robust community of Black organizers who are rewriting the narrative of what it means to be Appalachian. While just 10% of Appalachia is made up of Black residents, they are disproportionately impacted by resource extraction that has led to adverse effects on the environment, health and access to food. But Black activists in Appalachia such as Staysha Quentrill, a midwife and reproductive justice advocate in West Virginia; the Right Rev Marcia Dinkins, an environmental justice advocate in Ohio; and Femeika Elliott, a foodways practictioner in Tennessee are working to improve the wellbeing and safety of the people in their communities. Continue reading...

Victim is in a stable condition at a Brisbane hospital with abdominal and leg injuries, authorities say Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A man is recovering in a Brisbane hospital after being bitten by a shark and airlifted for treatment from a Moreton Bay island. The man, who is reported to be 29, was mauled in the waters off the bay side of Moreton Island near the Wrecks Walking Track shortly after 3pm on Saturday. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...