Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Panama canal traffic to be cut again as drought from El Niño worsens

admin — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 02:43:18 +0000

Latest daily reductions will further choke one of the world’s most important shipping lanes

The Panama canal plans to again cut maritime traffic due to worsening drought caused by the El Niño climate phenomenon, further choking up one of the world’s most important shipping lanes.

The canal handles 5% of global maritime trade and about 40% of US container traffic; it is favoured by shippers because it usually reduces cost and transit times, especially for companies trading between China, Asia and the US.

Europe’s summer emergency was a dire warning for Australia. What can be learned before it’s too late? | Nick Rowley

admin — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 01:36:10 +0000

Between 2000 and 2018, extreme heat caused more deaths in Australia than all our bushfires, floods, storms and cyclones combined

Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates

Texas governor threatens to penalize datacenters not obeying water laws

admin — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 22:57:15 +0000

Republican Greg Abbott says datacenters must help ‘protect’ drought-prone state and disclose water use

Greg Abbott, the Texas governor, has directed state regulators to penalize datacenters that fail to comply with state laws requiring them to disclose their water use.

US ‘super-emitters’ of planet heating methane identified by satellite analysis

admin — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 20:42:35 +0000

Energy Transfer, whose CEO is a major Trump donor, named as biggest single methane producer in new rankings

Down a short gravel track in a largely nondescript corner of Louisiana sits a gas processing facility, operated by a company whose chief executive is a major donor to Donald Trump. It may be the largest emitter of methane in the US.

Firefighters make progress to contain northern California’s Lucas fire

admin — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 19:53:57 +0000

Cal Fire official says Sunday was ‘big turning point’ to reduce blaze in Lake county, now 30% contained

Firefighters made progress toward containing northern California’s Lucas fire, state officials said on Sunday.

Maryland boy recovering from surgeries after rabid beaver attack at state park

admin — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 17:38:59 +0000

Teen was swimming at a popular spot at the time of the attack, the latest in a string that have occurred in the state

A 13-year-old Maryland boy is reported to be recovering from multiple surgeries and nerve damage after being attacked by a rabid beaver.

Australia’s dependence on gas generation during evening energy peak falls by almost 70%

admin — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 15:00:12 +0000

Batteries now meet almost half of the grid’s dispatchable power needs during hours of highest demand

Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates

One Nation under fire for abandoning gas reservation plan in favour of policy benefiting Gina Rinehart

admin — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 15:00:10 +0000

Pauline Hanson’s gas policy and the party’s relationship with Rinehart is examined in a new Guardian podcast series, The Populist

Listen: The Populist: Aeroplanes and bulldozers | Episode 1 – podcast

US ends limits on coal and gas plant emissions, removing key tool to battle climate crisis

admin — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 14:34:59 +0000

Trump’s EPA strips itself of regulation ability, gutting Clean Air Act in what experts say is a gift to planet polluters

On the heels of the hottest summer ever recorded in the US, the Trump administration has said it will erase any limits on emissions from coal and gas plants that are dangerously heating up our planet.

Scientists find nine new sponge species in glimpse of Alaska’s deep-sea diversity

admin — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 11:30:56 +0000

But their habitat is threatened by bottom trawling in the region and Trump’s plan to expand seafloor mining

Scientists have discovered nine new deep-sea sponge species off Alaska, offering new insights into the region’s largely unexplored marine biodiversity.