Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Thames Water nationalisation moves closer as government ‘objects to rescue deal’

admin — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 10:54:29 +0000

Environment secretary reportedly raises concerns that customers would face ‘undue burden’ from £10bn plan

BoM forecasts strong El Niño and warns climate change could amplify effects on Australia

admin — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 07:20:26 +0000

El Niño events linked with extreme weather around the world – and can increase risk of bushfires in Australia and coral bleaching on Great Barrier Reef

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Spanish households save €10 a month thanks to renewables expansion, report finds

admin — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 07:00:47 +0000

Thinktank says decoupling electricity from gas prices has also helped shield Spain from hikes caused by Iran war

Spanish households save €10 a month on electricity bills because of wind turbines and solar panels installed in the last five years, a report has found.

AI could help win ‘race against extinction’ of vital plants, say botanists

admin — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 06:00:48 +0000

Tech is helping to identify and save new specimens and could open ‘genomic goldmine’ of fungi data

The rise of AI and digitisation could be a turning point in the “race against extinction” faced by botanists trying to identify and save vital plants before they vanish, according to a major report from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

The bat that weighs the same as a teaspoon of salt – and the biologist who rediscovered it

admin — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 06:00:48 +0000

The short-tailed roundleaf bat was feared extinct until scientist Iroro Tanshi found one in Afi sanctuary in Nigeria, and set out to protect the only confirmed roosting colony

Half of world’s children exposed to at least three climate hazards, Unicef says

admin — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 05:00:46 +0000

Almost every child, including those from high-income countries, is now exposed to at least one hazard

Half of the world’s children are exposed to at least three overlapping climate hazards threatening their health, education and survival, according to a Unicef report.

Globally, children face increasing threats from heatwaves, storms, floods and droughts as the climate crisis worsens, with more than one billion facing at least three of these at once.

Trump wants to put a $75m coal terminal in this liberal California city. Residents aren’t having it

admin — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 15:01:28 +0000

Residents of West Oakland, which suffers from toxic waste and high pollution rates, rally against a coal export facility

West Oakland, a California neighborhood known for its rich history of Black activism from the Pullman Porters’ union to the Black Panthers, might not seem like the site of the country’s next great coal project.

Critics say Trump’s opening of public lands to off-road vehicles is ‘reckless and nonsensical’

admin — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 13:00:26 +0000

Move is part of broad effort to open public lands to industry and other uses, threatening wildlife and ecosystems

The Trump administration is executing a controversial plan to allow dirt bikes, ATVs, trucks, snowmobiles and other off-road vehicles to drive through tens of millions of acres of public lands and national parks, which environmental groups warn threatens endangered species and the environment.

State bans on Pfas reduce ‘forever chemicals’ in clothing and textiles, US report finds

admin — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 12:00:24 +0000

About 80% of 115 products tested show levels of Pfas that comply with rules – but some firms still exceeding limits

State laws banning Pfas in clothing and textiles have significantly reduced the amount of toxic “forever chemicals” used in the products, which public health advocates say marks a major public health win and underscores the value in protective policy.

However, some companies appear to have ignored the laws as their products still contain high levels of Pfas.

‘Life-changing’ injuries: family reels from ‘tragic situation’ as Coogee shark attack victim loses arm

admin — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 10:31:58 +0000

The family of Leah Stewart is braced for more bad news and the impact on her 18-month-old daughter

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