Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Natural England chair rejects ministers’ claim that nature blocks development

admin — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 14:00:07 +0000

Exclusive: Tony Juniper, who will oversee nature restoration fund, says claims ‘not fully backed by evidence’

The government’s leading environmental adviser has said ministers are wrong to suggest nature is blocking development.

Tony Juniper, the chair of Natural England, is to oversee a national nature restoration fund, paid into by developers, which will enable builders to sidestep environmental obligations at a particular site – even if it is a landscape protected for its wildlife.

UK sales of new Tesla cars slump by more than a third amid Musk backlash

admin — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 13:28:37 +0000

Electric carmaker sold 36% fewer cars year on year in May as it loses ground to China’s BYD and other rivals

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Labour using Brexit to weaken nature laws, MPs say

admin — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 11:21:32 +0000

Clive Lewis says he will vote against planning bill amid concerns it will let developers build over precious habitats

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Labour’s £13.2bn warm homes plan will not face cuts in spending review

admin — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 10:51:37 +0000

Source confirms decision that will help meet net zero targets and pledge to cut energy bills by £300

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Ministers have decided not to cut Labour’s landmark £13.2bn fund to fix draughty homes and install heat pumps and solar panels in next week’s spending review, it has emerged.

‘Really amazing’: joy as 10 Tasmanian devil joeys emerge from Australia’s biggest mainland breeding program

admin — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 07:06:10 +0000

Experts say four more of the marsupials were expected to conceive in breeding season, which runs from February to June each year

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Ten tiny, egg-like joeys have been confirmed as the newest members of mainland Australia’s largest fleet of Tasmanian devils.

Ten Tasmanian devil joeys discovered during pouch check of endangered marsupials – video

admin — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 07:04:41 +0000

Researchers at Aussie Ark have found 10 Tasmanian devil joeys during the first pouch check of the endangered marsupial's 2025 breeding season, which runs from February to June each year.

UK MPs call for ban on bottom trawling in protected marine areas

admin — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 05:00:02 +0000

Environment committee also wants to outlaw dredging and mining due to destructive effects on seabed and marine life

Ministers must ban bottom trawling for fish in marine protected areas, an influential group of MPs has said, because the destructive practice is devastating the seabed and marine life.

Marine heatwave found to have engulfed area of ocean five times the size of Australia

admin — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 00:01:53 +0000

World Meteorological Organization report says record heat in 2024 was driven by climate crisis and intersected with extreme weather events

Almost 40 million sq kilometres of ocean around south-east Asia and the Pacific – an area five times the size of Australia – was engulfed in a marine heatwave in 2024, a World Meteorological Organization (WMO) report has revealed.

Push to reopen old mines in NSW in global race for critical minerals

admin — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 15:00:45 +0000

The Dorrigo Plateau was used for antimony mining until prices collapsed in the 1970s. Now exploration has begun again – but locals are concerned the heavy metal may impact the water supply

‘Putting profit over people’: big gas is waging war on a California clean air rule

admin — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 13:00:44 +0000

Coalition that includes SoCalGas, country’s largest gas utility, has launched fierce campaign against transition away from gas-fired appliances

This story is co-published with Floodlight.