Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Australian ban on fish-shaped plastic soy sauce dispensers a world first

admin — Sun, 31 Aug 2025 00:00:15 +0000

South Australian law on single-use plastic packaging coming into force on 1 September will ban polyethylene containers known as shoyu-tai in Japan

Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates

Australian Geographic nature photographer of the year 2025 winners – in pictures

admin — Sun, 31 Aug 2025 00:00:14 +0000

A painterly, macro view of a cauliflower soft coral by Ross Gudgeon has taken out top prize in the Australian Geographic nature photographer of the year competition. ‘This is an exceptional photograph that skews perception and leaves us questioning reality,” the judges said. ‘Giving us a unique perspective on coral. There’s nothing fake here, but still we ponder, is this nature or a painting?’ An exhibition is on now at the South Australian Museum

Tories would maximise North Sea oil and gas extraction, Badenoch to say

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 22:38:42 +0000

Conservative leader says it is ‘absurd’ to shift away from fossil fuels and leave ‘vital resources untapped’

The Conservative party will aim to “maximise extraction” of oil and gas in the North Sea if it wins power, Kemi Badenoch is expected to announce.

Badenoch will use a speech in Aberdeen in the coming days to set out her plans to extract as much oil and gas as possible instead of shifting away from fossil fuels, the Sunday Telegraph reported.

Former UN climate chief urges Australia to set ‘prosperity’ target of cutting emissions by 75% by 2035

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 20:00:12 +0000

Exclusive: Ambitious target would increase the country’s chance of winning rights to host Cop31 in 2026, Christiana Figueres says

Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates

A report tied Iowa’s water pollution to agriculture. Then the money to promote it mysteriously disappeared

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 15:00:03 +0000

Roughly $400,000 in the $1m budget was for public awareness – but those funds were recently ‘zeroed out’

When a team of scientists embarked two years ago on a $1m landmark study of Iowa’s persistent water-quality problems, they knew that the findings would be important to share. High cancer rates amid the state’s inability to stem the tide of pollutants flowing into rivers and lakes was a growing public concern.

Scientists breathe new life into climate website after shutdown under Trump

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 10:00:01 +0000

Climate.gov, which went dark this summer, to be revived by volunteers as climate.us with expanded mission

Earlier this summer, access to climate.gov – one of the most widely used portals of climate information on the internet – was thwarted by the Trump administration, and its production team was fired in the process.

UK’s largest lake faces environmental crisis as rescue plans stall

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2025 05:00:52 +0000

Toxic algae cases in Northern Ireland’s Lough Neagh have tripled since last year, as local fishers’ incomes plummet

The UK’s largest lake, Lough Neagh, is on course to record its worst year of potentially toxic algal blooms to date, as rescue plans remain deadlocked.

Murray Watt backs ‘no-go’ zones where development is banned – but not for Tasmania’s Robbins Island

admin — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 15:00:36 +0000

Environment minister says scientific evidence did not convince government that remote island qualified

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‘It’s like Sleeping Beauty; we have to wake them’: winemakers urged to help save earthworms

admin — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 14:00:33 +0000

Transforming bare and compacted soil in vineyards can boost numbers of important invertebrate, say advocates

Vineyards are generally the most inhospitable of landscapes for the humble earthworm; the soil beneath vines is usually kept bare and compacted by machinery.

But scientists and winemakers have been exploring ways to turn vineyards into havens for worms.

Newly elected Scottish Green leaders to campaign on universal income and free bus travel

admin — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 11:55:57 +0000

Ross Greer and Gillian Mackay, elected after 12.7% turnout, also vow to campaign on higher taxation of rich

UK politics live – latest updates

The new leaders of the Scottish Greens, Ross Greer and Gillian Mackay, have promised to campaign for a universal income, free bus travel and higher taxation on the rich after winning a muted election contest.