Breaking Waves: Ocean News

‘Ingrained in our heritage’: UK’s ancient oaks showcased in Tree of the Year contest

admin — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 23:01:21 +0000

Woodland Trust’s competition comes as charity campaigns for more robust legal protection for precious trees

An oak tree shaped like an elephant and the oak with the widest girth in the UK have been shortlisted for the annual Tree of the Year competition.

The Woodland Trust runs the annual competition to raise awareness of the UK’s ancient and at-risk trees.

Marton oak, Cheshire
Sessile oak (quercus petraea) / Approximate age: 1,200 years / Girth: 14.02 metres.

Heat deaths in Europe may triple by end of the century, study finds

admin — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 22:30:19 +0000

Countries in south most at risk, with rise likely to outstrip fall in cold-related deaths if global heating hits 3C or 4C

Heat deaths in Europe could triple by the end of the century, with the numbers rising disproportionately in southern European countries such as Italy, Greece and Spain, a study has found.

Pregnant people and fetuses not being protected from wildfire risks – report

admin — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 21:30:05 +0000

Researchers say public health officials not doing enough to share warnings and safety information with health workers

Wildfires pose serious risks to pregnant people and their developing fetuses, including low birth weight and preterm birth. But public health officials are not doing nearly enough to keep these vulnerable populations safe, according to a new report.

Starbucks’ new CEO faces backlash over 1,000-mile commute by private jet

admin — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 19:02:39 +0000

Brian Niccol faces environmental criticism over commute from southern California to Seattle instead of relocating

Starbucks’ incoming CEO, Brian Niccol, is facing environmental criticisms following the company’s offer for him to commute from his home in Newport Beach, California, to its headquarters in Seattle via a private jet instead of relocating.

Humans to push further into wildlife habitats across more than 50% of land by 2070 – study

admin — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 18:00:14 +0000

Sharing increasingly crowded spaces could result in greater risk of pandemics, human and animal conflicts and loss of nature, say researchers

Over the next 50 years, people will push further into wildlife habitats across more than half the land on Earth, scientists have found, threatening biodiversity and increasing the chance of future pandemics.

The Guardian view on meat: we need to eat less of it | Editorial

admin — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 17:25:12 +0000

Beef, lamb and dairy products are the most carbon-intensive foods by far. More boldness around dietary changes is needed

Mobile species are 'glue' which connect different habitats together

admin — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 16:42:22 +0000

A groundbreaking study conducted across 30 field sites in the southwest UK has revealed the importance of incorporating varied habitats into the landscape at large.

Ford writes off $1.9bn as it cancels plans for all-electric large SUV in US

admin — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 15:59:22 +0000

Carmaker opts to produce hybrid version due to profitability concerns, citing pressure from Chinese EV competition

Ford has written off $1.9bn as it cancelled plans for an all-electric large SUV in the US, opting to produce a hybrid version instead in the latest sign of western carmakers struggling to make profitable electric cars.

One of UK’s largest and rarest spider species making a comeback, says RSPB

admin — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 15:54:19 +0000

Marsh restorations allowing populations of fen raft spider, which can be up to 7cm long, to recover

One of the rarest and largest species of spider in the UK is said to be making a comeback on nature reserves.

After facing near extinction over the last century, the UK’s population of fen raft spiders is steadily increasing, and numbers are at a record high this year, according to the conservation charity RSPB.

Lead found in tap water of Los Angeles community after residents raised alarm for years

admin — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 14:00:09 +0000

Exclusive: researchers tested water across Watts and found lead, after people struggled to draw attention to ‘overarching neglect’

A new report has found elevated lead levels in tap water across Watts, a south Los Angeles community that has faced decades of environmental racism, including in the drinking water of multiple public housing developments.

Researchers working with the Better Watts Initiative, a community environmental group, tested tap water at sites across the neighbourhood, and found lead, a neurotoxic metal, at or above US government limits.