Breaking Waves: Ocean News

12/03/2024 - 09:00
As ICJ hears landmark climate case, Grenada’s PM says vulnerable nations expect a long, hard fight for aid It’s a macabre picture: tombs, headstones and wreaths, lovingly selected by family members, floating into the oblivion of the ocean, and with them the remains of loved ones uprooted from their final resting place. Some are dragged back to land, washed up on beaches on the Grenadian island of Carriacou, transforming the beautiful Caribbean shoreline into a chaotic graveyard. This disturbing reality, says Grenada’s prime minister, Dickon Mitchell, is a poignant example of the gravity of the climate crisis and its impact on his country. Continue reading...
12/03/2024 - 08:26
Market share increases after strong demand within country offsets risks from western tariffs on Chinese-made EVs Business live – latest updates China’s share of the global electric vehicle market reached 76% in October, the country’s automotive trade body said, reflecting strong demand for EVs in the country even as western tariffs risk hobbling exports. Between January and October, sales of EVs reached 14.1m units, according to the China Passenger Car Association, with 69% of those sales in China. In October, China’s share surpassed three-quarters. Continue reading...
12/03/2024 - 07:34
Exclusive: Campaigners say company’s apparent abandoning of 2030 pledge is a ‘masterclass in greenwashing’ Coca-Cola has been accused of quietly abandoning a pledge to achieve a 25% reusable packaging target by 2030 in what campaigners call a “masterclass in greenwashing”. The company has been previously found by researchers to be among the world’s most polluting brands when it comes to plastic waste. Continue reading...
12/03/2024 - 07:33
Numbers of red and grey squirrels rising, survey finds, but more greys are present in last remaining red strongholds Campaigners are concerned about the rising presence of grey squirrels in England’s last remaining strongholds of reds. An annual distribution survey of about 250 sites in woodlands and gardens across northern England shows that occupancy figures for red and grey squirrels are increasing – but they are rising more steeply for greys. Continue reading...
12/03/2024 - 06:00
The sprawling Florida mansion sits in one of the most vulnerable places in the US to climate-driven disasters A sprawling Florida mansion set beside a powdery white sand beach overlooking the azure Gulf of Mexico is currently the most expensive property listed for sale in the United States, yours for a mere $295m. It is also in one of the most vulnerable places in the country to climate-driven disasters, and faces an almost inevitable flooding event in the coming years. Continue reading...
12/03/2024 - 02:57
Carmaker, which has faced backlash over rebrand, will reveal production-ready version of Type 00 in late 2025 Experts’ verdict on Jaguar’s electric car launch Jaguar unveils much-hyped electric car after online leak Business live – latest updates Jaguar’s design boss has said the car brand has shown “fearless creativity” as he unveiled a much-hyped electric vehicle that had attracted an online backlash over its unusual marketing campaign. Gerry McGovern, who is in charge of design for Jaguar’s parent company, told a launch event on Monday in Miami: “Some may love it now, some may love it later and some may never love it. That’s what fearless creativity does.” Continue reading...
12/03/2024 - 00:00
Recordings by biologist Heike Vester reveal how oil and gas exploration as well as cruises, fishing boats and even whale-watchers are adding to the din underwater From the moment that the biologist Dr Heike Vester presses play, the sound of the static of the fjord fills the room. First comes the constant, steady rumbling of a boat engine. Then, every eight seconds, like a foreboding bass drum, comes the explosion of seismic airguns – extremely loud blasts used in oil and gas exploration that can travel vast distances underwater. And finally, dancing above it all – and at times drowned out by it – are the soaring vocalisations of whales. Heike Vester at home in Bodø, Norway. Her love of whales comes partly from her interest in matrilineal societies. Photograph: Marthe Mølstre/The Guardian Continue reading...
12/02/2024 - 23:38
Fossil fuel giant’s lawyer says the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility is ignoring years of work by Santos Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Santos says the alleged greenwashing case against it represents a “biased retelling” of the company’s net zero roadmap and climate reports. Neil Young KC, representing Santos, presented the company’s closing arguments in the federal court on Tuesday, in response to allegations of greenwashing by the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility (ACCR). Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...
12/02/2024 - 22:19
Could the fungal apocalypse of The Last of Us have roots in reality? A new study shows that climate warming can potentially make bacterial and fungal infections deadlier for cold-blooded animals like corals, insects, and fish, raising questions about the broader risks warming temperatures pose to ecosystems and biodiversity -- and potentially humans.
12/02/2024 - 20:57
Vanuatu leads the charge of several nations arguing developed nations have a legal responsibility beyond UN commitments Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Australia has been accused of undermining its Pacific neighbours in a landmark international legal case after it argued that high-emitting countries are not obliged to act on the climate crisis beyond their commitments under the 2015 Paris agreement. In the case before the UN’s international court of justice (ICJ), Vanuatu is leading an argument brought by several Pacific nations and developing states – including Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu – that developed countries have a legal responsibility beyond existing UN frameworks. The case does not specify the names of countries that would fall under the definition of high emitters. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email Continue reading...