Breaking Waves: Ocean News

The expansion in Queensland, which has been approved until 2081, will contribute about 120m tonnes of carbon emissions over its lifetime Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A major coal seam gas expansion, contributing about 120m tonnes of carbon emissions over its lifetime, has been approved by the federal government until 2081. The approval enables Australia Pacific LNG to continue to build, operate and eventually decommission new gas infrastructure in Queensland’s Surat and Bowen basins. Continue reading...

IEA makes 10 recommendations to help households and businesses prepare for a drawn-out disruption to energy markets The world’s energy watchdog has advised governments to reduce highway speeds and encouraged workers to carpool or, ideally, work from home to combat soaring oil prices and impending fuel shortages caused by the Middle East conflict. It has also recommended countries consider limiting car access to designated zones in large cities, by giving vehicles with odd-numbered plates access on different weekdays to those with even-numbered plates. Work from home where possible to save petrol. Reduce highway speed limits by at least 10km/h to reduce fuel usage. Encourage public transport to reduce oil demand. Limit car access to roads in large cities through a number-plate rotation scheme. Increase car sharing. Encourage efficient driving for commercial vehicles through load optimisation and vehicle maintenance. Divert LPG use from transport to preserve it for essential needs like cooking. Avoid air travel where possible. Encourage electric cooking and other options to reduce reliance on LPG. Help industrial facilities switch between different petrochemical feedstocks to free up LPG. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Testing in Bentham, home to UK’s highest recorded Pfas levels, finds one in four have blood levels in greatest risk category Alarming levels of toxic forever chemicals have been found in the blood of people living in a town previously revealed to be contaminated with the UK’s highest recorded level of Pfas. Pfas, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and commonly known as forever chemicals because of their persistence in the environment, have been linked to a wide range of serious illnesses, including some cancers. They are used in a variety of consumer products but one of their most prolific uses is in firefighting foam. Continue reading...

Reform, Tory and some media rhetoric runs contrary to poll showing far more voters for net zero than against it Political elites are out of step with the public appetite for net zero, according to analysis that identifies rightwing media narratives as fuelling a false backlash against climate action. Media coverage of net zero is more than twice as likely to be negative than public attitudes and is driving a false perception that net zero policies are unpopular with voters, the analysis found. Continue reading...