Breaking Waves: Ocean News

In one of the US’s hottest deserts, utilities push gas rather than solar

admin — Thu, 23 May 2024 09:00:06 +0000

In Fort Mohave, Arizona, even Republican voters are fighting gas power plants as utilities try to lock in fossil fuels

Retirement was pretty idyllic for Mac and Debbie McKeever, who moved to Fort Mohave in Arizona for the desert views, starry nights and fresh air. The couple hosted cocktails by the pool and taco Tuesdays with their neighbors – an active bunch of Republican voting retirees with a penchant for gas-guzzling RVs and side-by-sides, and the unlikeliest environmental activists.

National Grid taps shareholders to help fund £60bn low-carbon energy switch

admin — Thu, 23 May 2024 08:40:16 +0000

Infrastructure firm raises £6.8bn to connect homes to renewable energy sources across US and UK

National Grid has tapped shareholders for nearly £7bn to fund a £60bn spending spree to upgrade its networks to cope with the switch to low-carbon energy on either side of the Atlantic.

The energy infrastructure company announced a £6.8bn rights issue – where existing shareholders are offered new shares – to provide fresh funds for investment in thousands of miles of cables to connect homes with renewable energy projects in the UK and the US.

Penguins in peril: why two bird charities are taking South Africa’s environment minister to court

admin — Thu, 23 May 2024 08:00:03 +0000

Conservationists say Barbara Creecy has failed to implement vital changes to stop fishing around colonies amid fears African penguins could be extinct by 2035

Half of world’s mangrove forests are at risk due to human behaviour – study

admin — Thu, 23 May 2024 04:00:08 +0000

The loss of the ecosystems, which are vast stores of carbon, would ‘be disastrous for nature and people across the globe’, says IUCN

Half of all the world’s mangrove forests are at risk of collapse, according to the first-ever expert assessment of these crucial ecosystems and carbon stores.

Human behaviour is the primary cause of their decline, according to the analysis by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with mangroves in southern India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives most at risk.

Almost a third of household smart meters not working properly, says Citizens Advice

admin — Wed, 22 May 2024 23:01:01 +0000

Charity says tech problems and poor customer service mean millions in Great Britain missing out on promised benefits

The number of gas and electricity smart meters that are not working properly is likely to be higher than government figures suggest – possibly 20% to 30% of the total – according to research from Citizens Advice.

The charity said millions of households were missing out on the promised benefits from smart meters due to “problems with technology” and poor supplier customer service.

Extending life of Australia’s biggest coal-fired power station is ‘deeply disappointing’, green groups say

admin — Wed, 22 May 2024 22:35:55 +0000

NSW Labor agreement with Origin to keep Eraring plant open for two more years to 2027 leaves environmental groups ‘deeply disappointed’

Trump attends Houston lunch to ask oil bosses for more campaign cash

admin — Wed, 22 May 2024 21:38:53 +0000

Invitation-only meeting comes on heels of controversial dinner at Mar-a-Lago where Trump reportedly offered $1bn quid pro quo

Donald Trump was continuing to ask fossil-fuel executives to fund his presidential campaign on Wednesday, despite scrutiny of his relationship with the industry.

The former president attended a fundraising luncheon at Houston’s Post Oak hotel hosted by three big oil executives.

Alaskan rivers turning orange due to climate change, study finds

admin — Wed, 22 May 2024 19:22:48 +0000

As frozen ground below the surface melts, exposed minerals such as iron are giving streams a rusty color that pose a risk to wildlife

Dozens of rivers and streams in Alaska are turning rusty orange, a likely consequence of thawing permafrost, a new study finds.

The Arctic is the fastest-warming region in the globe, and as the frozen ground below the surface melts, minerals once locked away in that soil are now seeping into waterways.

Young Alaskans sue state over fossil fuel project they claim violates their rights

admin — Wed, 22 May 2024 18:02:01 +0000

Plaintiffs claim $38.7bn gas export project, which would triple state’s greenhouse gas emissions, infringes constitutional rights

Eight young people are suing the government of Alaska – the nation’s fastest-warming state – claiming a major new fossil fuel project violates their state constitutional rights.

Investigate fossil fuel industry, top Democrats urge justice department

admin — Wed, 22 May 2024 16:50:44 +0000

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Representative Jamie Raskin highlight decades-long efforts to sow doubts about climate crisis

Democrats from two powerful committees are urging Joe Biden’s justice department to investigate the fossil fuel industry over its decades-long attempts to sow doubt about the climate crisis.