Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Taiwan referendum on reopening last nuclear plant fails

admin — Sun, 24 Aug 2025 05:17:03 +0000

Clear majority backs restarting Maanshan reactor but doesn’t reach legal threshold, as president says nuclear power may be reconsidered if it becomes safe

A referendum to push for the reopening of Taiwan’s last nuclear plant has failed to reach the legal threshold to be valid, though the president said the island could return to the technology in the future if safety standards improved.

Queensland urged to use TikTok and ‘trusted influencers’ to combat misinformation during natural disasters

admin — Sun, 24 Aug 2025 00:00:15 +0000

A reliance on politicians and lack of government content on TikTok during recent cyclones allowed misinformation to flourish, academic says

Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates

New England states vow to fight Trump administration order to halt work on offshore wind farm that’s nearly complete

admin — Sat, 23 Aug 2025 22:46:06 +0000

Rhode Island and Connecticut officials say project, slated to power 350,000 homes, is essential to their climate goals

The Democratic governors of Rhode Island and Connecticut promised on Saturday to fight a Trump administration order halting work on a nearly complete wind farm off their coasts that was expected to be operational next year.

Australia’s amount of plastic waste surges as recycling rates fail to improve

admin — Sat, 23 Aug 2025 20:00:11 +0000

Australians produced 3.2m tonnes of plastic waste in 2023-24, up from 3m tonnes the previous year

Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast

Plastics recycling rates in Australia have flatlined as the amount of waste continues to grow, the latest government data reveals.

Alaska was lucky to avoid disaster after a landslide and tsunami. What about next time?

admin — Sat, 23 Aug 2025 15:00:05 +0000

The close call in Tracy Arm 50 miles south of Juneau on 10 August is the latest sign that as glaciers melt, risks may rise

The landslide that triggered a powerful tsunami in Alaska’s Inside Passage early on 10 August was a close call, say scientists, tour operators and agency officials, with the risk of such events apparently increasing as glaciers retreat because of climate change.

“It’s a historic event,” said scientist Dennis Staley from the US Geological Survey of the slide, which occurred in the Tracy Arm fjord 50 miles (80km) south of Juneau.

‘We want builders on site, not filling in forms’: Albanese government cuts red tape in bid to boost home building

admin — Sat, 23 Aug 2025 12:30:01 +0000

Pausing changes to Construction Code, establishment of ‘strike team’ within environment department and use of AI in planning among reforms

Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates

Alarming levels of Pfas in blood of those living near US air force base, study finds

admin — Sat, 23 Aug 2025 12:00:01 +0000

Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ were found at a level 10 times higher than people who did not work in contaminated zone

New research shows alarming levels of Pfas in the blood of people living or working near a US air force base responsible for polluting drinking water with high levels of the dangerous “forever chemicals”, a new state regulatory report has found.

Do heatwaves, wildfires and travel costs signal the end of the holiday abroad?

admin — Sat, 23 Aug 2025 11:00:05 +0000

Leading researcher forecasts ‘beginning of the age of non-tourism’ despite industry returning to pre-pandemic highs

It was a prediction nobody wanted to hear. On the main stage of the world’s biggest tourism fair, Stefan Gössling, a leading researcher in sustainable transport, had just calmly announced the looming death of the holiday industry.

“We have already entered the beginning of the age of non-tourism,” said Gössling, to an uneasy audience of travel agencies, car rental companies, cruise operators and hoteliers.

Madeline Horwath on how to block out bad news – cartoon

admin — Sat, 23 Aug 2025 10:00:05 +0000

Most of Earth’s species came from explosive bursts of evolution

admin — Sat, 23 Aug 2025 09:33:02 +0000

A new study reveals that the majority of Earth’s species stem from a few evolutionary explosions, where new traits or habitats sparked rapid diversification. From flowers to birds, these bursts explain most of the planet’s biodiversity.