Breaking Waves: Ocean News

03/23/2024 - 03:00
Heritage orchard at RHS Rosemoor to be sampled this spring as part of search for previously unrecorded ‘survivor’ cultivars Gardeners are searching for lost apple varieties by sequencing the genetics of trees in ancient orchards, in the hope they hold traits that can help the fruit survive climate breakdown. Heritage apple trees at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) garden Rosemoor will be sampled this spring with the aim of finding species of apple enjoyed by people hundreds of years ago. Continue reading...
03/22/2024 - 08:58
Critics say it is a missed chance to recognise that the planet irrevocably left its natural state in the mid-20th century The guardians of the world’s official geological timescale have firmly rejected a proposal to declare an Anthropocene epoch, after an epic academic row. The proposal would have designated the period from 1952 as the Anthropocene to reflect the planet-changing impact of humanity. It would have ended the Holocene epoch, the 11,700 years of stable climate since the last ice age and during which human civilisation arose. Continue reading...
03/22/2024 - 08:48
More than 100 cherry blossom trees getting the axe over the summer when crews begin work to replace crumbling seawall A legendary, gnarled old cherry tree nicknamed Stumpy that became a social media phenom is about to have its last selfies in this spring’s annual cherry blossom festivities in Washington DC. Stumpy has been listed for the chop, along with more than 100 other cherry trees along the famous walks near the Jefferson Memorial in the capital – and the climate crisis is part of the equation. Continue reading...
03/22/2024 - 08:00
Despite splashy climate pledges, firms including BP and Saudi Aramco have plans to expand fossil fuel production, says analysis In recent years, virtually all of the world’s largest oil companies have made splashy climate pledges. But when it comes to actually slashing emissions, those firms are “way off track”, a new report has found. The analysis from the thinktank Carbon Tracker assessed the production and transition plans of 25 of the world’s largest oil and gas companies. None align with the central goal of the 2015 Paris climate agreement to keep global warming “well under” 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels, the report found. Continue reading...
03/22/2024 - 07:59
Environment secretary has been vocal opponent of waste plant plans that must be approved by body he oversees The UK environment secretary, Steve Barclay, has come under scrutiny for failing to declare a potential conflict of interest over a proposed waste incineration plant in his constituency. Barclay has been a vocal opponent of the waste-to-energy plant in Wisbech, which is due to be one of Europe’s biggest such incinerators. Continue reading...
03/22/2024 - 04:27
A Bolivian conservation programme has identified at least 60 'Paddington' bears in areas where they had not been spotted before. The animal is the inspiration behind the beloved fictional character Paddington, who travels to London, is adopted by a family and eats lashings of marmalade. In 2017, Chester zoo’s Andean carnivore conservation programme installed trap cameras in Tarija forest areas, and in 2023 it spotted members of the thriving bear community playing and walking among the trees. According to Ximena Velez-Liendo, the programme's coordinator, the Andean bear is vulnerable to extinction. The expert said if threats to the species, such as the loss of habitat, retaliatory hunting and the effects of the climate crisis were not addressed by 2030, the region could lose almost 30% of the population Continue reading...
03/22/2024 - 03:00
The best of this week’s wildlife photographs from around the world Continue reading...
03/22/2024 - 02:00
The Long Table says it took thousands of hours of work to turn derelict site into a community space, but landlord has now sold it A Gloucestershire restaurant with a radical business model, in that it feeds all comers regardless of their ability to pay, is losing its premises after the owner sold the property. The community around The Long Table, featured in the Guardian earlier this month, has been left reeling after it was ordered to move out of the mill it occupies in Stroud – even as it sought to engage with the landlord to buy the building. Continue reading...
03/22/2024 - 01:00
Campaigners call on banks to cease funding Ithaca, which is playing a key role in Rosebank oilfield plan Two major UK high street banks have been accused of continuing to finance fossil fuel expansion in the North Sea despite signing a pledge to align their activities with the net zero climate goal. HSBC and NatWest have provided tens of millions in finance to Ithaca Energy, a British oil and gas company that is playing a key role in plans to exploit the controversial Rosebank oilfield north-west of the Shetland Islands. Another high street bank, Lloyds, also provided finance but has since sold down the debt. Continue reading...
03/21/2024 - 23:00
npj Ocean Sustainability, Published online: 22 March 2024; doi:10.1038/s44183-024-00054-w Macroeconomic impact of an international fishery regulation on a small island country