Federal review sparks fresh warnings that biodiversity scheme is increasing risk of animals going extinct
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A review of some of the areas chosen for nature restoration as part of Australia’s biodiversity offset system has found a third are in worse condition than before, prompting fresh warnings that the scheme is increasing the risk of animals going extinct.
In one instance, the majority of a site that should have provided grey-headed flying fox and koala habitat was found to be “cleared paddock with negligible foraging value”.
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Breaking Waves: Ocean News
07/02/2024 - 10:00
07/02/2024 - 09:14
Trump appointee indicates he expects states’ suit against Department of Energy to allow new LNG projects to succeed
The Biden administration cannot delay consideration of projects aimed at exporting liquefied natural gas while a legal challenge by 16 Republican-led states plays out in federal court, a Louisiana judge said on Monday.
US district judge James Cain Jr, a Trump appointee, sided with the states, granting a preliminary injunction that puts the Biden administration’s delay on hold.
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07/02/2024 - 06:54
Dropoff in government approvals put billions of investment in offshore wind schemes at risk, ports bodies warn
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The UK’s transition to net zero is under threat as delays in approving new infrastructure put billions of pounds of investment in offshore wind schemes and other vital upgrades at risk, big ports have said.
The British Ports Association (BPA) has written to the government and Labour calling for action to clear the backlog of harbour orders, the legislation needed for ports to make infrastructure changes to support offshore wind projects.
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07/02/2024 - 06:15
Richard Forrest has spent half a century combing beaches for ammonites and other fossils. Along the Dorset coast, the constant shift of earth, rocks and sand continually reveals fresh evidence of life millions of years ago
All photographs by Max Miechowski
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When Richard Forrest walks along the Lyme Regis beach on the Jurassic coast in Dorset, he carries in his small backpack a pointed pick, a geological hammer and an old kitchen knife. But he very rarely uses them until he is back home with a rock or two to work on. “The most important thing to take with you is your eyes,” he says. “And learn what it is you’re looking for.”
Forrest is a fossil finder and has spent more than 50 years on Britain’s beaches hunting for evidence of the country’s prehistoric past. The Jurassic coast, stretching 95 miles (150km) across Devon and Dorset, is world famous for its treasure trove of ammonites and other fossils that lie, in many places, conspicuous beneath visitors’ feet. Others are hidden within the cliffs, only exposed after heavy rains bring on one of the regular landslips. “The best feeling is when you find something you think is potentially interesting and then you get it home and discover that wow, this is really interesting,” he says. “That feeling is amazing.”
The view from Lyme Regis, looking east
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07/02/2024 - 04:26
Activists from the award-winning Mother Nature found guilty on charges of plotting against government
Ten activists from a prominent youth-led environmental group in Cambodia have been sentenced to between six and eight years in jail in a case human rights experts have widely condemned.
The activists from Mother Nature, an award-winning group of environmental campaigners, were found guilty on charges of plotting against the government, while three were also convicted of insulting the king. They denied the charges.
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07/02/2024 - 04:00
President hails proposal to protect millions of Americans from extreme heat – the top weather-related US killer
President Biden on Tuesday trumpeted new rules from his administration that aim to protect Americans from extreme heat.
“Extreme heat is the No 1 weather-related killer in the United States,” he said at the Washington DC Emergency Operations Center. “More people die from extreme heat than floods, hurricanes and tornadoes combined.”
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07/02/2024 - 03:00
A moth garden at Hampton Court Palace shows off plants that can be grown to help the insects, which are threatened by habitat loss
Everyone loves bees and butterflies, but now moths are coming into the spotlight (as long as they don’t fly around it).
The moth expert Charles Waters has seen a surprisingly rapid increase in interest in moths from the younger generation as, he believes, people become more aware of their beauty and diversity, as well as their importance as pollinators.
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07/02/2024 - 02:26
With solar module prices ‘well down’ in 2024 it could yet be a record year for installations, Sunwiz says
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Household solar installations sank by 14% in June as the broader cost-of-living squeeze curbed demand even as panel prices dropped, according to energy consultancy Sunwiz.
In June, small-scale solar installations totalled almost 250 megawatts in capacity, in line with the same month in 2023. New rooftop installations exceeded 1.5 gigawatts in the first half of 2024, up 6% on the same period last year, Sunwiz said.
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07/01/2024 - 22:28
A new study of coral reefs in Papua New Guinea shows ocean acidification simplifies coral structure, making crucial habitat less appealing to certain fish species.
07/01/2024 - 19:42
Sweltering conditions and power shutoffs may overlap with errant fireworks or badly tended campfires
A brutal and long-lasting heatwave is threatening to wreak havoc across the US west this week, as sweltering conditions, power shutoffs and a severe uptick in wildfire risks coincide with Fourth of July celebrations.
Nearly 90 million people were under heat alerts from the National Weather Service (NWS) on Tuesday morning, as swaths of the south-central and western US were scorched. As pressure builds over the west through the week, the dangerous weather event is expected to stretch for days with little reprieve.
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