Breaking Waves: Ocean News

03/26/2024 - 05:37
Campaigners say activities leading to severe environmental harm usually also violate human rights The international criminal court (ICC) has been urged to start investigating and prosecuting individuals who harm the environment. Academics, lawyers and campaigners from around the world have sent expert opinions to the court outlining what they call its current regime of “impunity” for serious environmental crimes. Continue reading...
03/26/2024 - 04:00
Inexpensive and easy to use, drones are proving invaluable for activists monitoring illegal fishing, hunting and deforestation – as well as keeping tabs on zoos and aquariums Late last year, UrgentSeas received an anonymous tip from a former employee at the Miami Seaquarium about animal tanks away from public view. The advocacy group went to investigate. In November, they posted a short clip of what they found by flying a drone over the property: an elderly manatee living alone in a decaying private pool. Within a month, the clip had been watched millions of times and the outcry had grown so intense that the US Fish and Wildlife Service moved the manatee, Romeo, and his mate, Juliet, to a sanctuary. Continue reading...
03/26/2024 - 02:00
Asymptomatic cases may seem reassuring for the penguins, but scientists fear they could act as ‘Trojan horses’ for other species Adélie penguins in Antarctica are testing positive for bird flu without showing outward signs of disease, according to researchers who travelled around 13 remote breeding sites on an ice-breaking cruise ship. Since bird flu arrived in the region this year, there have been concerns about the virus reaching the Antarctic’s fragile penguin populations. In November last year, researchers warned in a pre-print research paper that if the virus caused mass mortality in these colonies, “it could signal one of the largest ecological disasters of modern times”. Continue reading...
03/25/2024 - 23:24
Bill to be introduced to parliament this week will incentivise carmakers to import cleaner vehicles Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast The Albanese government has watered down flagship new laws aimed at disincentivising the use of high-polluting cars and hastening the importation of cleaner vehicles amid pressure from the auto industry. On Tuesday the transport minister, Catherine King, and the energy minister, Chris Bowen, revealed the details of a compromise bill to be introduced to parliament this week, with the changes largely easing rules for popular large SUVs. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...
03/25/2024 - 21:25
Horse racing industry insiders said to be pushing for Sydney track to be moved to former brickpit in Olympic Park – a sanctuary for an unlikely urban survivor Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast Conservationists have expressed surprise at reported plans to move Sydney’s Rosehill racecourse to a historic brickpit at Olympic Park, which is home to a colony of endangered green and golden bell frogs. The plan has reportedly been devised by racing bosses, in response to the deal between the Australian Turf Club and the New South Wales government to redevelop the famous track into new housing, as well as two additional metro stations. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...
03/25/2024 - 16:24
When officials make tough calls on which areas to prioritize for conservation, biodiversity is often their top consideration. But there are several types of diversity, and not all of them overlap perfectly. In a new study, researchers analyzed 20-years' worth of U.S. Forest Service data and show that the simplest measure of diversity is the best predictor of healthy forest growth, providing a roadmap for quickly and efficiently protecting ecological resources.
03/25/2024 - 11:39
Government has repeatedly used figure to justify more fossil fuel developments despite climate crisis Are 200,000 jobs really supported by the oil and gas industry in the North Sea? Campaigners and MPs are questioning the longstanding government claim. Ministers have repeatedly used the 200,000 jobs figure as justification for pushing ahead with more fossil fuel developments despite the escalating climate crisis and widespread opposition from scientists and energy experts. Continue reading...
03/25/2024 - 11:09
Residents and marine officials in British Columbia hope a changing tide will save her orphaned calf A killer whale stranded off Canada’s west coast has died despite efforts to rescue her, but residents and marine officials hope a changing tide will save her orphaned calf. On Saturday, members of the Ehattisaht First Nation, a coastal community along the north-western reaches of Vancouver Island, spotted an orca trapped on a rocky outcropping. Continue reading...
03/25/2024 - 10:54
Predatory species, which poses huge danger to bee populations, spotted on 11 March, indicating winter stay Asian hornets may have become established in the UK after the earliest-ever sighting of the predatory insect was recorded by the government this month. This is a dangerous development for Britain’s bee population and could have a knock-on effect on agriculture that needs the pollinators, because once hornets are established it is almost impossible to eliminate them. Continue reading...
03/25/2024 - 10:42
Some plant species will 'win' and others will 'lose' as global warming forces them to move uphill, new research shows.