Breaking Waves: Ocean News

‘Dead in the water’: key crossbenchers reject Coalition demand to back new environment standards
06/16/2021 - 05:38
Environment minister Sussan Ley stares down Senate on conservation laws and says damage by Kosciuszko feral horses makes her ‘extremely angry’ The Morrison government is attempting to stare down the Senate over changes to conservation laws, warning the wording of controversial new environment standards before parliament is “not negotiable” and will not be strengthened. The push was immediately rejected by two key crossbench senators, with one declaring the legislation to change the laws – which all parties agree are failing – was “dead in the water” unless the standards were strengthened. Continue reading...
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Texans are urged to cut back on cooking and cleaning to ease power grid strain
06/16/2021 - 05:30
The state’s authority has called for Texans to avoid using large appliances such as ovens and washing machines As temperatures rise to unseasonably warm levels across Texas this week, its citizens are being asked to use less energy on basics like cooking and washing clothes to ease strain on the state’s power grid that is struggling to generate enough electricity to cope with the high temperatures. The move triggers memories for many Texans of the cold snap in the winter that incapacitated much of the state’s power infrastructure and raises fears that Texas – and other US states – are not prepared to deal with the extreme weather events that come with the global climate crisis. Continue reading...
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Police hold Greenpeace activist after Euro 2020 parachute stunt goes awry
06/16/2021 - 05:13
Two people injured as protester parachutes into stadium before Germany v France match in Munich Police in Munich are investigating a Greenpeace activist for “several offences” after the 38-year-old parachuted into the stadium before Germany’s Euro 2020 match against France, injuring two people. The stunt, which Greenpeace said did not go as planned, was captured on camera shortly before the game kicked off on Tuesday evening. The activist was seen flying over the stadium in Munich strapped to a yellow parachute microlight aircraft before apparently getting tangled in overhead camera wires. Continue reading...
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Poorer households in UK should get free heat pumps, say experts
06/16/2021 - 01:00
Help is needed to replace gas boilers with low-carbon alternatives, warn builders, energy firms and charities Households on low incomes should be supplied with free heat pumps in order to kickstart the market for low-carbon heating equipment and meet the UK’s climate targets, experts have told the government. Heat pumps can currently cost thousands of pounds to install, but the more that are installed, the faster that cost is likely to come down. They are widely regarded as the best way to replace the UK’s gas boilers and reduce carbon dioxide emissions from homes. Continue reading...
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UK failing to protect against climate dangers, advisers warn
06/16/2021 - 00:01
It is ‘absolutely illogical’ not to tackle the risks of heatwaves and power blackouts, says Climate Change Committee The UK government is failing to protect people from the fast-rising risks of the climate crisis, from deadly heatwaves to power blackouts, its official climate advisers have warned. The climate change committee said action to improve the nation’s resilience is not keeping pace with the impacts of global heating, many of which are already causing harm. The CCC’s experts said they were frustrated by the “absolutely illogical” lack of sufficient action on adaptation, particularly as acting is up to 10 times more cost-effective than not doing so. Continue reading...
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Plantwatch: staghorn ferns – the plants that form colonies like bees
06/16/2021 - 00:00
Species on Lord Howe Island shows remarkable collaboration, with some plants deflecting water to colony and others soaking it up Staghorn ferns are spectacular plants with fronds that look like antlers, and make very attractive houseplants. One particular species, Platycerium bifurcatum, grows on Lord Howe Island in Australia and lives in colonies of hundreds of individuals. A recent study found that these plants cooperate with each other, rather like a colony of ants or bees. The ferns in a colony come in different sizes, shapes and textures but fit together like jigsaw pieces and collaborate with each other to store water and nutrients for the whole colony – especially important because the plants grow high up on trees without soil or much water. Continue reading...
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Jellied, smoked, baked in pies – but can the UK stop eels sliding into extinction?
06/16/2021 - 00:00
Centuries-old trade has been thwarted by trafficking and now Brexit. An unusual rewilding mission hopes to aid a 4,000-mile migration back to British rivers Podcast: Inside the world of wildlife trafficking An unusual rewilding mission is under way just off the M5 motorway. Eels the length of a little finger have finished their 6,600km (4,000-mile) migration from the salty Sargasso Sea in the Atlantic to the brackish water of the Bristol Channel. They have spent two years floating on ocean currents and are hoping to settle in the Somerset Levels. It is one of the planet’s most mysterious wildlife migrations. Three fishers wait for eels on the banks of the River Parrett outside Burrowbridge with a large square net at the ready. The new arrivals look like threads of glass, fizzing with energy. I let out an involuntary squeal as the first batch arrive, much to the mirth of the fishers. “That’s rubbish! You haven’t been doing this long enough if you’re getting excited about catching 10 [eels] at this time of year,” says Steve George, who is a fencer by trade. Continue reading...
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19th-century artwork inspires restoration of Devon estate
06/16/2021 - 00:00
Landscape painting discovered in Killerton house informs National Trust development of grounds A 19th-century painting found in the archive of a Devon country house is being used to help inspire the 50-year restoration and enrichment of the estate. The artwork depicts a healthy and diverse landscape at Killerton, near Exeter, rich in mature trees hedgerows and scrubland being grazed by Highland cattle. Continue reading...
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Volvo to build steel cars without fossil fuels by 2026
06/16/2021 - 00:00
Swedish carmaker joins forces with steel firm to use technology that replaces coal with hydrogen Volvo plans to build cars using steel made without fossil fuels by 2026, as part of a deal that could significantly reduce the carbon emissions from manufacturing its vehicles. The Swedish carmaker and compatriot steelmaker SSAB signed a letter of intent to commercialise technology that replaces coal with hydrogen in a crucial part of the process. Continue reading...
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Disease causing mass deaths of frogs reaches Britain
06/15/2021 - 18:01
Scientists concerned as severe perkinsea infection found in European tree frog tadpoles kept in an aquarium in Surrey A disease that causes mass die-offs in frogs has been found in captive UK populations for the first time, scientists have warned. Severe perkinsea infection (SPI) has caused large tadpole mortality events across the US, and this is the first proof that its geographic range is spreading. Researchers also found the disease-causing microbe in wild and seemingly healthy populations in Panama, where some of the most rapid declines in frog populations globally have occurred. Continue reading...
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