Breaking Waves: Ocean News

The Tories’ targets glossed over the impact on carmakers and cash-strapped drivers – but the move to net zero won’t be cheap or simple Have cake, will eat. For years it has been the default political response to awkward questions about the climate crisis, with successive governments insisting that going green would create jobs, not destroy them, and that the planet could be saved without stifling growth or demanding uncomfortable sacrifices. Keir Starmer promised only this month not to “tell people how to live their lives”, suggesting the road to net zero would not be quite as painful as some think. And then, this week, he hit a pothole. The carmaker Stellantis, which owns Vauxhall, announced it was closing its van factory in Luton, putting 1,100 jobs at risk; its rival Ford is axing 800 jobs. In Sunderland, Nissan has warned of an industry at “crisis point”. Gaby Hinsliff is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

It is one of the world’s most dangerous materials, and global leaders are meeting in South Korea to thrash out a treaty to curb its effects This week, world leaders are gathering in Busan, South Korea, to hammer out a global plastics treaty to try to curb pollution from one of the most dangerous materials on the planet. While such a high-level event might seem far removed from our everyday lives, it is the products we use every day that are at the heart of the negotiations. Some plastics are worse than others and have a unique impact in various parts of the world. Here, we look at five of the worst offenders. Continue reading...

Satellite data analysis suggests algal blooms could be behind mass die-off in Botswana that sparked flurry of theories in 2020 More than 350 elephants that died in mysterious circumstances probably drank toxic water, according to a new paper that warns of an “alarming trend” in climate-induced poisoning. The deaths in Botswana’s Okavango delta were described by scientists as a “conservation disaster”. Elephants of all ages were seen walking in circles before collapsing and dying. Carcasses were first spotted in north-eastern Botswana in May and June 2020, with many theories circulating about the cause of death, including cyanide poisoning or an unknown disease. Continue reading...

‘Trees of hope’ will be planted across the UK, including at a prison and a children’s hospital, in National Trust scheme Saplings from the felled Sycamore Gap tree are to be planted across the UK, including next to one of London’s most famous roads, at a rural category C prison and at a motor neurone disease centre opening in the name of the late rugby league star Rob Burrow. The National Trust on Friday announced the recipients of 49 saplings it has called “trees of hope”. Continue reading...