Thinktank says government should set up arm’s-length company to buy Harland & Wolff site, which is in administration
The UK government should set up an arm’s-length company to buy the Harland & Wolff naval shipyard in Belfast as part of a drive to repurpose arms manufacturing towards producing green infrastructure, according to a report.
The study from the thinktank Common Wealth is launching what it describes as a “Lucas Plan for the 21st century” setting out how the UK’s military industrial capacity can be transformed into a supply pipeline for green energy, benefiting workers, communities and the environment.
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Breaking Waves: Ocean News
10/17/2024 - 21:45
Scientists examining petroleum-based balls believed to have come from an oil spill off Sydney as Bondi beach reopens
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Scientists analysing the black debris that closed Sydney beaches this week believe the “tar balls” are likely from an oil spill but have not ruled out a link to a nearby sewage treatment plant.
Bondi, Bronte and Tamarama beaches reopened on Friday after they were closed along with several other eastern suburbs beaches when the mysterious dark spheres washed up on the sand. The balls were first spotted at Coogee beach on Tuesday afternoon.
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10/17/2024 - 17:31
Survey of young people aged 16-25 from all US states shows concerns across political spectrum
The overwhelming majority of young Americans worry about the climate crisis, and more than half say their concerns about the environment will affect where they decide to live and whether to have children, new research finds.
The study comes just weeks after back-to-back hurricanes, Helene and Milton, pummeled the south-eastern US. Flooding from Helene caused more than 600 miles of destruction, from Florida’s west coast to the mountains of North Carolina, while Milton raked across the Florida peninsula less than two weeks later.
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10/17/2024 - 10:11
Only baby formula, expressed milk and prescription medicines will be allowed with large bags also prohibited under new measures
The National Gallery has announced a raft of increased security measures after protesters attacked paintings including Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers, John Constable’s The Hay Wain and Diego Velázquez’s The Rokeby Venus.
From Friday morning there will be a ban on bringing into the London gallery any liquids except for baby formula, expressed milk or prescription medicines.
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10/17/2024 - 09:02
Campaigners call for tightening of measures around ‘wild’ pheasants which are not subject to rules to help control bird flu
The most serious outbreak of bird flu this year has been found in a group of pheasants in England, sparking criticism of the loose restrictions around their rearing.
Twenty of the non-native birds were found by the Animal and Plant Health Authority (Apha) to have been infected with the disease, which is decimating bird populations across the UK, in Worcestershire. All other reports from Apha show no more than five birds have been affected at any one location since January 2024.
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10/17/2024 - 09:01
Spider eyes, butterfly wing scales, truffle spores and slime mould come under the spotlight in the 50th anniversary of the Nikon Small World photomicrography competition. The award celebrates photography through the light microscope, capturing the breathtaking beauty of a world hidden from the naked eye
A year in focus: Walkley award photographic finalists 2024 – in pictures
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10/17/2024 - 08:18
Scientists are working to find cause of death of shark found in Cape Cod, a popular summer tourist destination
A great white shark named Koala, measuring more than 12ft, washed up on the shore of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, on Wednesday.
According to the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy charity, the shark was first identified by the group in 2022, and the cause of death was unknown.
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10/17/2024 - 07:00
Companies often claim ‘confidential business information’ to not disclose key information about dangerous chemicals
Two lawsuits aim to stop US federal regulators and industry from “illegally” hiding basic information about toxic chemicals used in consumer products that are potentially polluting the environment and endangering public health.
Companies often claim that toxic chemicals’ health and safety data, and even their names, are “confidential business information” (CBI) because making the data public could damage their bottom line.
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10/17/2024 - 05:00
Oil majors’ conduct can constitute reckless endangerment due to fossil fuels’ effect on global heating, advocates claim
New York state prosecutors could press criminal charges against big oil for its role in fueling hurricanes and other climate disasters, lawyers wrote in a new prosecution memorandum that has been endorsed by elected officials across the state.
The 50-page document, published by the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen and the progressive prosecutors network Fair and Just Prosecution on Thursday, comes as the US south-east struggles to recover from the deadly hurricanes Helene and Milton, both of which scientists have found were exacerbated by the climate crisis. It details the havoc wrought on New York by 2021’s Hurricane Ida and 2012’s Hurricane Sandy, and other deadly climate events such as extreme heatwaves across the US this past summer.
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10/17/2024 - 01:00
Anti-waste charity Wrap wants ban on 21 items including tomatoes, apples, potatoes, bananas and carrots
Supermarkets should be banned from selling fresh produce such as bananas, apples and potatoes in plastic packaging so we can go back to shopping “like our nan”, according to the influential anti-waste charity Wrap.
It is calling for the government to ban packaging on 21 fruit and vegetables sold in supermarkets, including salad tomatoes, carrots and avocados, by 2030.
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