Breaking Waves: Ocean News

09/18/2024 - 00:00
Oxfam says ‘commonsense solution’ would reduce emissions and raise urgently needed climate finance Fair taxes on superyachts and private jets in the UK could have brought in £2bn last year to provide vital funds for communities suffering the worst effects of climate breakdown, campaigners say. Private jet use in the UK is soaring. It was home to the second highest number of private flights in Europe last year, behind only France, according to figures from the European Business Aviation Association. Continue reading...
09/18/2024 - 00:00
Conservation group calls on government to ban insect-killing neonicotinoid pesticides outright A national “butterfly emergency” has been declared by Butterfly Conservation after the lowest Big Butterfly Count since records began. An average of just seven butterflies per 15-minute count were recorded by participants in this summer’s butterfly count, the lowest in the survey’s 14-year history. Continue reading...
09/18/2024 - 00:00
A network of public bodies are supposed to safeguard us from flooding. But, like old boys’ clubs, they are bastions of self-interest Labour’s first stage of government resembles a vast forensic excavation. As it works through the Conservatives’ midden of horrors, it discovers an ever greater legacy of underinvestment, neglect and corruption. However disappointing the new government’s compromises might be, we shouldn’t forget how overwhelming this task must feel. So I’m sorry to expose yet another toxic stratum. It contains a series of stupendous failures in the governance of rural bodies, which, in the case I want to discuss, put human lives at risk. George Monbiot is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...
09/17/2024 - 18:01
Exclusive: analysis finds $800bn increase in direct support for activities including deforestation and fossil fuel use The world is spending at least $2.6tn (£2tn) a year on subsidies that drive global heating and destroy nature, according to new analysis. Governments continue to provide billions of dollars in tax breaks, subsidies and other spending that directly work against the goals of the 2015 Paris climate agreement and the 2022 Kunming-Montreal agreement to halt biodiversity loss, the research from the organisation Earth Track found, with countries providing direct support for deforestation, water pollution and fossil fuel consumption. Continue reading...
09/17/2024 - 18:01
Thinktank says funding from oil and gas firms is attempt to ‘divert attention from their role in fuelling the climate crisis’ Fossil fuel companies pumped at least $5.6bn (£4.2bn) of sponsorship money into motorsports, football, golf and even snow sports in an effort to “buy social licence to operate”, according to a new report. Almost no major spectator sport remains untouched by oil and gas money, according to research carried out by the New Weather Institute (NWI), a climate thinktank, which traced more than 200 sponsorship deals between sports teams and the industry. Continue reading...
09/17/2024 - 15:44
Justin Wayne Halstenberg, 34, was denied bail and entered his plea from jail in a video arraignment Tuesday A California man has pleaded not guilty to starting a fire that authorities said ballooned into the rapidly spreading Line fire that has scorched at least 39,000 acres (15,783 hectares) and forced the evacuations of thousands of homes. Online court records show that Justin Wayne Halstenberg, 34, entered the plea from jail in a video arraignment Tuesday in the San Bernardino city of Rancho Cucamonga. He was denied bail and appointed an attorney, the records show. Continue reading...
09/17/2024 - 12:03
A research team proposes a method to calculate, compare and communicate how different crops affect the loss of agricultural soil, with the aim of raising awareness of this problem and promoting solutions to preserve this vital resource.
09/17/2024 - 11:53
Pollen not only plays a role in allergies, but also influences the local weather. Especially in spring, when large amounts are released, it contributes to the formation of ice in clouds, which can increase rainfall.
09/17/2024 - 11:53
The European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA) pilot project reports its success in uniting scientists from across Europe to produce high-quality reference genomes for 98 species. This marks a significant milestone in the quest to create a high-quality reference genome database for all European animals, plants and fungi.
09/17/2024 - 10:00
Plans to expand Fosterville mine near Bendigo would have economic benefits but some locals are concerned about increased seismic activity Sign up for the Rural Network email newsletter Join the Rural Network group on Facebook to be part of the community As a proposal to extend the life of Victoria’s biggest goldmine goes under the spotlight, Kirsty McDonald stands on one side of a community faultline. Her experience on a bush block she describes as her dream home has pitted her against the mine’s Canadian owners, Agnico Eagle, as they seek approval for plans to expand the underground mine, located 20km east of Bendigo, and extend its life by 10 years. Sign up to receive Guardian Australia’s fortnightly Rural Network email newsletter Sign up for the Rural Network email newsletter Join the Rural Network group on Facebook to be part of the community Continue reading...