Breaking Waves: Ocean News https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-waves en ‘As if a hurricane had passed’: Puerto Ricans at breaking point after weeks without water https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/if-hurricane-had-passed-puerto-ricans-breaking-point-after-weeks-without-water <p>Shortages triggered by pipeline rupture drive up costs and deepen frustrations, as pressure grows on water utility</p> <p>Jonathan Collazo owns two restaurants in a bustling section of San Juan, which has been plagued by water outages, severely disrupting the daily lives of residents and businesses alike.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/if-hurricane-had-passed-puerto-ricans-breaking-point-after-weeks-without-water" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Mon, 13 Jul 2026 14:00:49 +0000 admin 103884 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org A journey down one of the last wild rivers in the American west: ‘The bullseye will always be on its back’ https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/journey-down-one-last-wild-rivers-american-west-bullseye-will-always-be-its-back <p>As US water wars rage, a tributary of the Colorado River faces unprecedented pressure. Visitors worry how long this aquatic ‘relict’ will last</p> <p>On an early morning in mid-May, a group of near strangers shoved camping gear and clothes into waterproof bags, slathered on sunscreen, and ambled into the bright-yellow rafts that would carry them down one of the last free-flowing rivers in the American west.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/journey-down-one-last-wild-rivers-american-west-bullseye-will-always-be-its-back" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Mon, 13 Jul 2026 13:00:48 +0000 admin 103882 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Keystone pipeline operator agrees to pay $26.9m penalty over Kansas oil spill https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/keystone-pipeline-operator-agrees-pay-269m-penalty-over-kansas-oil-spill <p>Proposed legal settlement over 2022 oil spill would resolve allegations that South Bow violated clean water laws</p> <p>A proposed legal settlement with the US government would require the Keystone pipeline system’s operator to pay a $26.9m civil penalty over <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/dec/21/oil-spills-keystone-pipeline-seem-worse-kansas">a large oil spill in Kansas in December 2022</a> and spend about $40m more to prevent future accidents.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/keystone-pipeline-operator-agrees-pay-269m-penalty-over-kansas-oil-spill" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Mon, 13 Jul 2026 12:16:01 +0000 admin 103883 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Plan to restore nature in England by 2030 criticised as ‘completely insufficient’ https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/plan-restore-nature-england-2030-criticised-completely-insufficient <p>Critics accuse ministers of failing to take control of nature crisis and leaving it to private landowners to act voluntarily</p> <p>The government’s plan to protect and restore nature in England by 2030 has been condemned as “pathetic” and “completely insufficient” in the face of the spiralling environmental crisis.</p> <p>The long-awaited plan published on Monday calls for landowners to voluntarily opt to protect and enhance nature, rather than creating legal protections for nature across more of the country’s land, critics say.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/plan-restore-nature-england-2030-criticised-completely-insufficient" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Mon, 13 Jul 2026 11:27:48 +0000 admin 103881 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Zaghari-Ratcliffe condemns Iran’s ‘cruel’ rearrest of wildlife activist couple https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/zaghari-ratcliffe-condemns-iran-s-cruel-rearrest-wildlife-activist-couple <p>Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was in prison with Sepideh Kashani, who worked with husband Houman Jokar to save Asiatic cheetah</p> <p>Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has described the rearrest of two Iranian environmentalists, one of whom she met at Evin prison, as “unimaginably cruel and alarming”.</p> <p>Husband and wife Houman Jokar and Sepideh Kashani were arrested by the ministry of intelligence at their home on 1 July. No reason has been given and their whereabouts are unknown.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/zaghari-ratcliffe-condemns-iran-s-cruel-rearrest-wildlife-activist-couple" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Mon, 13 Jul 2026 09:59:13 +0000 admin 103880 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Firefighting planes scrambled from south of France to tackle huge wildfire near Paris https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/firefighting-planes-scrambled-south-france-tackle-huge-wildfire-near-paris <p>Officials say blaze in Fontainebleau forest is of ‘exceptional scale’, with 900 homes evacuated and road and rail links hit</p> <ul> <li> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/jul/13/emmanuel-macron-keir-starmer-friedrich-merz-volodymyr-zelenskyy-coalition-of-the-willing-ukraine-russia-latest-news-updates">Europe live – latest updates</a></p> </li></ul><p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/firefighting-planes-scrambled-south-france-tackle-huge-wildfire-near-paris" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Mon, 13 Jul 2026 02:57:39 +0000 admin 103879 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Britain’s cars and SUVs are growing bigger – but there is a way to stop this deadly ‘carspreading’ | Christian Wolmar https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/britain-s-cars-and-suvs-are-growing-bigger-there-way-stop-deadly-carspreading-christia <p>Larger vehicles crowd our roads and are far more dangerous to pedestrians. Let’s curb them before they do even more damage</p> <p>We need an Ozempic for cars. They are growing at a phenomenal rate, wreaking havoc on the roads, squeezing out smaller vehicles in car parks and endangering pedestrians.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/britain-s-cars-and-suvs-are-growing-bigger-there-way-stop-deadly-carspreading-christia" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Sun, 12 Jul 2026 15:30:12 +0000 admin 103878 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org UK couple found burned and semi-conscious in Almería amid Spanish wildfires https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/uk-couple-found-burned-and-semi-conscious-almer-amid-spanish-wildfires <p>Pair airlifted to hospital in two-hour rescue operation after Guardia Civil searched area for survivors</p> <p>A British couple have been found badly burned and semi-conscious in a Spanish ravine amid deadly wildfires that have swept through the country’s Almería province, according to local media reports.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/uk-couple-found-burned-and-semi-conscious-almer-amid-spanish-wildfires" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Sun, 12 Jul 2026 14:26:34 +0000 admin 103877 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Flash flooding in Missouri leaves one person dead as 200 campers are rescued https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/flash-flooding-missouri-leaves-one-person-dead-200-campers-are-rescued <p>Woman dies after her home is swept away as heavy rainfall batters parts of state, forcing rescues and evacuations</p> <p>A woman was found dead in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/missouri">Missouri</a> on Saturday after heavy rainfall battered parts of the state the previous day, forcing numerous emergency rescues and evacuations, including at a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/11/missouri-flooding-airlift-rescue">summer camp</a> with more than 200 children.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/flash-flooding-missouri-leaves-one-person-dead-200-campers-are-rescued" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Sun, 12 Jul 2026 14:01:35 +0000 admin 103875 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Britain’s biggest community solar farm forced to shut over grid overload fears https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/britain-s-biggest-community-solar-farm-forced-shut-over-grid-overload-fears <p>Timing of Devon switchoff ‘could not be worse’, says board, as members face an estimated £2m in lost revenue </p> <p>Britain’s biggest community solar project has been forced to shut for the duration of its first summer by the government’s energy system operator to avoid <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jun/24/fans-power-demand-surges-england-viewers-heatwave-world-cup">overloading the local grid</a> with renewable energy.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/britain-s-biggest-community-solar-farm-forced-shut-over-grid-overload-fears" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Sun, 12 Jul 2026 14:00:20 +0000 admin 103876 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org