Breaking Waves: Ocean News

OECD complaint alleges top firm has increased investments in companies implicated in environmental devastation BlackRock, the world’s biggest asset management company, faces a complaint at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for allegedly contributing to environmental and human rights abuses around the world through its investments in agribusiness. Friends of the Earth US and the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil accuse BlackRock of increasing investments in companies that have been implicated in the devastation of the Amazon and other major forests despite warnings that this is destabilising the global climate, damaging ecosystems and violating the rights of traditional communities. Continue reading...

Interviews and analysis of court documents show how the world’s most prestigious consulting firm quietly helps fuel the climate crisis Two giant, mirrored walls are set to rise out of the sands of the Arabian desert. They will run parallel for more than 100 miles from the coast of the Red Sea through arid valleys and craggy mountains. Between them, a futuristic city which has no need for cars or roads will be powered completely by renewable energy. This engineering marvel, its creators say, will usher in “a revolution in civilization”. It’s the jewel in the crown of a $500bn Saudi government project known as Neom, turning a vast scrubland into a techno-utopia and world-class tourist and sporting destination. Perhaps a harbinger for the end of oil, it will supposedly put the powerful petrostate at the forefront of the energy transition. For American consulting giant McKinsey & Company, its advising on this project appears to be making good on the firm’s green promises. Continue reading...

Researchers found no difference in the diversity of species in urban meadows compared with those in rural settings Small patches of wildflowers sown in cities can be a good substitute for a natural meadow, according to a study which showed butterflies, bees and hoverflies like them just as much. Councils are increasingly making space for wildflower meadows in cities in a bid to tackle insect decline, but their role in helping pollinating insects was unclear. Researchers working in the Polish city of Warsaw wanted to find out if these efforts were producing good results. Continue reading...

‘Talks aren’t just about figures on paper, they’re about people’s lives’, says Climate Action International as talks reach critical final days Earlier today I posted about an excellent piece colleagues at the Guardian have published tracking how Earth’s heating has led to rising sea levels and extreme weather – and yet there is no sign of emissions slowing. Unfortunately I did not include a link to the piece [it was early UK time!] so here it is [and as I said original if negotiators at Cop need any motivation to reach a deal they could do worse than read this] Continue reading...