Breaking Waves: Ocean News

05/22/2024 - 23:00
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. Continue reading...
05/22/2024 - 18:01
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. Continue reading...
05/22/2024 - 17:35
NSW Labor agreement with Origin to keep Eraring plant open for two more years to 2027 leaves environmental groups ‘deeply disappointed’ Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast Environmental groups say they are “deeply disappointed” by the New South Wales government’s decision to extend the life of Australia’s biggest coal-fired power station for at least two more years, saying it would have “far-reaching consequences” for investments in renewable energy. The agreement, announced with Origin Energy on Thursday, involves NSW taxpayers potentially underwriting the 2.88-gigawatt Eraring plant to keep generating power beyond the scheduled closure date of August 2025 Origin set two years ago. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...
05/22/2024 - 16:38
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. This article was amended on 23 May 2024 to clarify that the FTC did not accuse Occidental of collusion with Opec. Continue reading...
05/22/2024 - 14:22
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. Continue reading...
05/22/2024 - 13:02
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. The state-owned Alaska Gasline Development Corporation has proposed a $38.7bn gas export project that would roughly triple the state’s greenhouse gas emissions for decades, the lawsuit says. Scientists have long warned that fossil fuel extraction must be swiftly curbed to secure a livable future. This story has been updated to add comments from Taylor and Fitzpatrick. Continue reading...
05/22/2024 - 11:50
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. “We believe that there is adequate evidence that fossil fuel industry companies and trade associations may have violated one or more federal statutes,” the Senate budget committee chair, Sheldon Whitehouse, and Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House oversight committee, wrote in a Wednesday letter to the attorney general, Merrick Garland. Continue reading...
05/22/2024 - 10:00
Projections of the size and scale of a future CCS industry should come with heavy doses of scepticism Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast As far as bonanzas go, a claim this week that Australia could pull in almost $600bn by storing carbon dioxide from other countries is one that puts even the Aukus nuclear submarine deal in the shade. The oil and gas industry lobby group Australian Energy Producers made the claim, reported in the Australian, pointing to a study carried out by global energy analysts Wood Mackenzie. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...
05/22/2024 - 10:00
Older adults face a shortage of affordable and accessible homes as climate change worsens From their hillside home above Barre, Vermont, Doug and Rhoda Mason thought they were safe. It was 11 July 2023, and record rains were flooding their small city. Then, just before 5am, a landslide crashed into the Masons’ house. The mud hit with such force it pushed the structure 10ft off its foundation. Continue reading...
05/22/2024 - 07:52
MP, not renowned for action on environment, chosen for efforts to tackle global deforestation and restore UK’s wildlife habitats To the surprise of many, the Conservative Environment Network named their favourite MP as … Chris Grayling. Despite not being renowned for his action on the environment, the former Cabinet minister was chosen as parliamentarian of the year by the network, which said it was honouring his efforts to tackle deforestation internationally and restore the UK’s vital wildlife habitats. Continue reading...