The United States has lost its only stand of the massive Key Largo tree cactus in what researchers believe is the first local extinction of a species caused by sea level rise in the country.
Breaking Waves: Ocean News
07/09/2024 - 11:18
07/09/2024 - 11:06
At least six energy companies prospecting for first windfarms in almost a decade after Labour lifts limits
Renewable energy companies have begun work on new onshore windfarms in England for the first time in almost a decade after the new government reversed restrictions the Conservatives had put in place on turbines.
At least half a dozen renewables developers have begun identifying potential sites for full-scale windfarms in England after the Labour party swept to power last week with the promise to make Britain a clean energy superpower.
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07/09/2024 - 10:21
Forecast predicts ‘most dangerous portion of the heatwave’ would last through Tuesday evening in Pacific north-west
The Pacific north-west endured more sweltering temperatures on Tuesday as authorities in Oregon reported multiple heat-related deaths, with forecasters warning that the dangerous weather was not over yet.
The heatwave, which has cooked Oregon in triple-digit temperatures for days on end, is suspected to have caused at least six deaths in the state, the state medical examiner’s office said on Tuesday.
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07/09/2024 - 08:00
From climate crisis being a crime story to presenting basic weather news in the context of climate change, here are some lessons from journalists
Mark Hertsgaard and Kyle Pope of Covering Climate Now (CCNow) hail the winners of their organization’s annual global climate journalism awards, and here describe some lessons they have taken from the more than 1,250 entries.
Mark Hertsgaard is executive director and co-founder of Covering Climate Now, a global journalism collaboration committed to more and better coverage of the climate story, and the Nation magazine’s environment correspondent
Kyle Pope is executive director of strategic initiatives and co-founder of Covering Climate Now, and a former editor and publisher of the Columbia Journalism Review
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07/09/2024 - 08:00
Key Largo tree cactus no longer growing naturally in US thanks to salt water inundation and soil depletion
Scientists in Florida have recorded what they say is the first local extinction of a species caused by sea-level rise.
The climate emergency has killed off the Key Largo tree cactus growing naturally in the US through saltwater inundation and soil depletion from hurricanes, according to researchers from the Florida Museum of Natural History, and Miami’s Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden.
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07/09/2024 - 05:51
Vibrant blooms mean first stage of plan to cover 1,200 hectares is hailed as a success 18 months after planting
When the sowing began on the coastline of south-west England, conservationists warned it may take a little while for the new wildflower meadows to flourish fully.
But 18 months on, a vibrant display of blooms has popped up in north Devon, a joy for human visitors and a draw for precious birds, insects and mammals.
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07/09/2024 - 05:00
Warning after intensification of storm aided by unusually hot ocean waters in much of Beryl’s path
Hurricane Beryl, which slammed into Texas on Monday after wreaking havoc in the Caribbean, was supercharged by “absolutely crazy” ocean temperatures that are likely to fuel further violent storms in the coming months, scientists have warned.
Beryl left more than 2m people without power after making landfall near Houston as a category 1 storm, after having rampaged through the Caribbean as a category 5 hurricane, with wind speeds reaching 165mph (265km/h), killing 11 people.
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07/09/2024 - 04:00
Report says member states poured $1.34tn into their militaries last year – an increase of $126bn from 2022
As leaders from member countries gather to mark the 75th anniversary of Nato in Washington DC, researchers are warning that their military budgets are eroding the climate, producing an estimated 233m metric tonnes of greenhouse gas, more planet-heating pollution than some entire countries.
“Our research shows that military spending increases greenhouse gas emissions, diverts critical finance from climate action, and consolidates an arms trade that fuels instability during climate breakdown,” says a new report from three international research and advocacy groups, the UK-based Transnational Institute and Tipping Point North South, and the Netherlands’ Stop Wapenhandel.
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07/09/2024 - 03:45
Incidents from sites and pipe network increased by 19 last year to 350 amid delays in investment, company says
Thames Water to tap investors for funds as it will run out of cash by next June
Sewage pollution from ageing Thames Water treatment works that have not been upgraded increased last year, causing the company to again fail to meet its legal targets, according to its financial report.
Across the Thames Water area, the number of incidents of pollution from treatment works and the pipe network increased to 350, compared with 331 in 2022. The rise was attributed to delays in investment to create more capacity at many of the company’s 400 ageing sewage treatment works. Chris Weston, Thames Water’s chief executive, said the works could not cope with a 40% increase in rainfall and exceptionally high levels of groundwater.
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07/09/2024 - 03:39
Wildlife authorities are hopeful about a new technique to identify which waterways have crocs without needing to sight them
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DNA testing could be the latest tool to help park rangers track down elusive crocodiles in tropical north Queensland.
Researchers from the University of Canberra have developed a technique that can detect minute amounts of a crocodile’s mitochondrial DNA in water samples.
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