Breaking Waves: Ocean News

02/13/2026 - 13:19
Tree has never been granted preservation order to protect it under law and prevent it from being cut down The future of the original Bramley apple tree, which is responsible for one of the world’s most popular cooking apples, is at risk now that the site where it grows has been put up for sale, campaigners have warned. The tree is situated in the back garden of a row of cottages in Southwell, Nottinghamshire, which has been owned by Nottingham Trent University since 2018 and has been used as student accommodation. Continue reading...
02/13/2026 - 13:00
Images confirm xAI is continuing to defy EPA regulations in Mississippi to power its flagship datacenters Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company is continuing to fuel its datacenters with unpermitted gas turbines, an investigation by the Floodlight newsroom shows. Thermal footage captured by Floodlight via drone shows xAI is still burning gas at a facility in Southaven, Mississippi, despite a recent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ruling reiterating that doing so requires a state permit in advance. State regulators in Mississippi maintain that since the turbines are parked on tractor trailers, they don’t require permits. However, the EPA has long maintained that such pollution sources require permits under the Clean Air Act. Continue reading...
02/13/2026 - 10:11
Negotiators disbanded on Friday without a plan for the basin supplying water to 40m people, thrusting the region into uncertainty The future of the American west hung in the balance after seven states remained at a stalemate over who should bear the brunt of the enormous water cuts needed to pull the imperiled Colorado River back from the brink. Negotiators, who have spent years trying to iron out thorny disagreements, ended their talks on Friday without a deal – one day before a critical deadline to form a plan that had been set for Saturday. Continue reading...
02/13/2026 - 08:00
EPA’s records show one environmental consent decree filed in last year – 26 were filed in year one of first Trump term Enforcement of environmental laws against major polluters has virtually ground to a halt under the Trump administration, a new analysis of Environmental Protection Agency records from January 2025 to January 2026 shows. Major polluters typically include companies that are among the largest in the oil, gas, coal and chemical industries. Continue reading...
02/13/2026 - 07:50
Thomas Woldbye says part of airport’s problem is UK passengers walk on the left while others walk on the right Heathrow airport has revealed a crowding problem that a third runway cannot solve: British and foreign travellers walk on different sides, and keep colliding, according to its chief executive. Thomas Woldbye said that while Heathrow serviced more passengers in a smaller overall area than comparable European hubs, part of the London airport’s trouble was the differing continental sense of direction. Continue reading...
02/13/2026 - 03:00
This week’s best wildlife photographs from around the world Continue reading...
02/13/2026 - 02:00
Choice could prove difficult for Thames Water, which is trying to push through a water recycling scheme nearby The first designated bathing water area on the River Thames in London has been shortlisted as one of 13 new monitored swimming areas across the country. The Thames at Ham, in south-west London, was shortlisted as a new river bathing water after campaigners gathered evidence to show thousands of people use the river for swimming throughout the year. Continue reading...
02/13/2026 - 01:00
Number of males at RSPB Abernethy rises to 30, after ‘huge amount of work’ by conservationists in Highlands forests After decades of decline, there are signs of hope for the capercaillie, one of Britain’s most endangered birds. Populations of the charismatic grouse, which in the UK is found only in the Caledonian pine forests of the Scottish Highlands, have increased by 50%, from 20 males in 2020 to 30 in 2025 at RSPB Abernethy. Continue reading...
02/12/2026 - 23:19
Japan says vessel failed to comply with order to stop, with incident coming weeks after row with China over Taiwan Authorities in Japan have seized a Chinese fishing boat and arrested its captain in a move that is likely to inflame an ongoing diplomatic row between Tokyo and Beijing. The seizure, which occurred on Thursday about 105 miles (170km) from the south-western port city of Nagasaki, came after the skipper refused an order to stop for an onboard inspection, according to media reports. Continue reading...
02/12/2026 - 19:01
Report by Tony Blair Institute urges government to drop some green policies amid criticism of decarbonisation goal Analysis: Blair’s oil lobbying is a misleading rehash of fossil fuel industry spin Tony Blair’s thinktank has accused Ed Miliband of driving up energy prices in his push to make Britain’s energy supply more environmentally friendly. The Tony Blair Institute (TBI) published a report on Friday criticising the government’s green policies and urging the energy secretary to drop some of them altogether, including almost completely decarbonising the electricity system by 2030. Continue reading...