Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Tropical plants flowering months earlier or later because of climate crisis – study

admin — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 19:00:06 +0000

Changes threaten ecosystems as flowering falls out of sync with fruit-eating, seed-dispersing animals and pollinators

Tropical flowers are blooming months earlier or later than they used to because of climate breakdown, with potentially “cascading impacts across ecosystems”, according to a study of 8,000 plants dating back 200 years.

Researchers looked at flowers from a range of countries, including Brazil, Ecuador, Ghana and Thailand, home to the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth, but also the most understudied.

Fly-tipping across England reaches record high

admin — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 16:09:43 +0000

Fines for illegal dumping decreased over past year with only 0.2% of incidents resulting in court action

Fly-tipping incidents across England have reached the highest level since current records began, with most offences continuing to involve household waste.

Germany accused of ditching climate targets as it scraps renewables mandate

admin — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 15:11:02 +0000

Coalition government agrees to remove parts of controversial law and allow homes to rely on fossil fuels

Germany’s coalition government has been accused of abandoning its climate targets after agreeing to scrap parts of a contentious heating law mandating the use of renewables in favour of a draft law allowing homeowners to rely on fossil fuels.

Why food justice isn’t being served in America | Hanna Garth

admin — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 14:52:38 +0000

Advocates often assume communities of color just don’t know any better when it comes to eating healthy

Toxic waste from screens ends up in endangered dolphins, study finds

admin — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 13:00:37 +0000

Gene-altering chemicals found in humpback dolphins and finless porpoises, raising alarm they may end up in human food chain

Toxic e-waste chemicals from television, computer and smartphone screens have been found in the brains and bodies of endangered dolphins and porpoises in the South China Sea.

Research published in Environmental Science & Technology detected significant levels of gene-altering liquid crystal monomers (LCMs) in Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins and finless porpoises.

Trump touts ‘drill, baby, drill’ agenda – but no mention of climate crisis

admin — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 11:00:10 +0000

President derided Biden’s ‘green new scam’ during State of the Union address, and hailed the rise in US oil production

Trump didn’t say the words “climate change” during the State of the Union, but it loomed large over his 108-minute speech as he touted his “drill, baby, drill” agenda and derided Joe Biden’s “green new scam”.

Toward the beginning of his address, the president discussed last year’s flooding at Camp Mystic in Texas, saying they were “one of the worst things I’ve ever seen”.

Chronic ocean heating fuels ‘staggering’ loss of marine life, study finds

admin — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 10:00:07 +0000

Fish levels fall by 7.2% with as little as 0.1C of warming per decade, northern hemisphere research shows

Chronic ocean heating is fuelling a “staggering and deeply concerning” loss of marine life, a study has found, with fish levels falling by 7.2% from as little as 0.1C of warming per decade.

Group expands legal claim over South West Water sewage pollution

admin — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 06:00:03 +0000

Thousands more people across Devon and Cornwall could join case against water firm

A group legal claim against South West Water alleging sewage pollution into coastal waters is harming businesses and individuals has been expanded across Devon and Cornwall.

Thousands more individuals could now join the first environmental community group legal action against a water company over the impact of sewage pollution.

Humans – not Mimmo the dolphin – need managing in Venice lagoon, say scientists

admin — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 05:00:02 +0000

Researchers say solitary bottlenose has adapted well to city waters, but tighter controls on boat traffic and human behaviour are needed

Italian scientists monitoring the movements of a dolphin in the Venice lagoon have said humans are the ones who need managing, rather than wildlife.

Scotland’s new emissions strategy ‘too reliant on science fiction’, critics say

admin — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 05:00:01 +0000

UK Climate Change Committee voices concern over Scotland’s progress on decarbonising buildings and reliance on unproved technologies

Scotland has finally produced realistic short-term plans on cutting its climate emissions, but there is “real concern” about the credibility of its overall strategy, the UK’s climate policy watchdog has found.

Nigel Topping, the chair of the UK Climate Change Committee, said there were “flashing amber lights” about the quality and seriousness of some of the Scottish government’s medium- and long-term proposals to reach net zero by 2045.