Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Cop29 negotiations aren’t moving fast enough. The Pacific is running out of time | Surangel Whipps Jr

admin — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 04:24:12 +0000

Small island states must continue to be protected by special circumstances and need access to sufficient climate-based finance, Palau’s president writes

A week into Cop29 negotiations, we’re not moving fast enough – or anywhere for that matter – on some key issues.

Climate finance, or more specifically the new collective quantified goal (NCQG) to replace the current $100bn a year goal, and the work to operationalise the loss and damage fund, are key expected outcomes here in Baku.

‘Graveyard of corals’ found after extreme heat and cyclones hit northern Great Barrier Reef

admin — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 00:13:34 +0000

Marine scientists say one area around Cooktown and Lizard Island had lost more than a third of its live hard coral after bleaching event

Let’s not waste another summer debating climate science – Australia’s energy transition can work for everyone | Peter Lewis

admin — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 23:45:13 +0000

When the heat is on, the onus should be on the Coalition to explain why they don’t support measures to ensure their newly discovered battlers have access to rooftop solar

Cop29: ‘We’re here for life and death reasons,’ says ex-climate minister of Pakistan

admin — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 18:00:15 +0000

Sherry Rehman says rich nations should pay ‘internationally determined contributions’ to help poorer and worst-affected countries

Amid the endless politicking and inscrutable arguments at the UN climate negotiations in Baku, Azerbaijan, this month, it can be hard to remember what is at stake. That’s why Sherry Rehman, Pakistan’s former climate change minister, is calling on global leaders to “keep an eye on the big picture”.

“We’re here for life and death reasons,” Rehman said.

Tree islands restore nature in oil palm plantations

admin — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 17:57:19 +0000

Southeast Asia's tropical forests are renowned for their biodiversity, but at the same time face significant threats from the expansion of oil palm plantations. With global demand for palm oil rising, the urgency for effective restoration strategies in these landscapes has become critical. A long-running experiment has investigated how ecological restoration promotes biodiversity recovery in oil palm plantations in Sumatra. Their findings reveal that establishing islands of trees within large oil palm monocultures can promote the recovery of native tree diversity through natural regeneration.

Bee alert: Pesticides pose a real threat to over 70% of wild bees

admin — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 17:52:23 +0000

A new study reveals alarming risks that pesticides pose to ground-nesting bees, which are crucial for pollination and food production. As agriculture increasingly relies on pesticides to protect crops, the unintended consequences for these essential pollinators are becoming clearer.

Cop29 delegates told to ‘cut the theatrics’ and tackle climate crisis

admin — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 16:21:55 +0000

UN climate chief addresses climate summit with no agreement in sight on how to help developing countries

Countries meeting in Azerbaijan to discuss a new global financial settlement for tackling the climate crisis must “cut the theatrics” and get down to serious business, the UN has said.

Countries could use nature to ‘cheat’ on net zero targets, scientists warn

admin — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 16:00:12 +0000

By relying on natural carbon sinks such as forests and peatlands to offset emissions, governments can appear closer to goals than they actually are

Relying on natural carbon sinks such as forests and oceans to offset continued fossil fuel emissions will not stop global heating, the scientists who developed net zero have warned.

How Trump 2.0 might affect the wildfire crisis: ‘The harms will be more lasting’

admin — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 16:00:11 +0000

As the US grapples with smoky skies, Trump is solidifying an anti-science agenda – here are the challenges ahead

In the days that followed Donald Trump’s election win, flames roared through southern California neighborhoods. On the other side of the country, wildfire smoke clouded the skies in New York and New Jersey.

They were haunting reminders of a stark reality: while Trump prepares to take office for a second term, the complicated, and escalating, wildfire crisis will be waiting.

Pollution in Delhi hits record high, cloaking city in smog

admin — Mon, 18 Nov 2024 15:49:20 +0000

Indian capital imposes emergency measures including closing schools and offices and barring heavy vehicles

Pollution levels in India’s capital, Delhi, have soared to their highest levels this year, forcing schools and offices to close and cloaking the city in thick brown smog.

In some parts of the city, a live air quality ranking by IQAir put pollution levels at more than 30 times the maximum level deemed healthy.