Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Wildfire smoke has reversed US progress toward ozone air quality, study finds

admin — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 19:16:15 +0000

Since 2015, fires have undone years of effort to reduce ozone levels, underscoring a growing public health crisis

The highly destructive wildfires that have battered the US and North America in recent years have significantly increased emissions and been linked to tens of thousands of premature deaths, but their impact on air quality is greater than previously known, according to new research.

Hampstead Heath ponds to remain trans-inclusive after public back existing rules

admin — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 19:05:09 +0000

Policy agreement means trans people will continue to have access to Kenwood Ladies’ and Highgate Men’s ponds in north-west London

The bathing ponds at Hampstead Heath in north-west London will remain trans-inclusive after a public consultation overwhelmingly favoured its existing rules.

There are gender-segregated ponds for men and women, with trans people able to swim in whichever they feel most appropriate, or use the heath’s mixed-gender pond instead.

‘They surprise me every time’: bees can use tools to solve problems, study finds

admin — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 18:00:12 +0000

Insects join list of species capable of solving simple ‘box-and-banana’ problem that demonstrates basic intelligence

Bumblebees can use tools to solve a problem, according to experiments that demonstrate their remarkably advanced cognitive abilities.

Canada endorses embattled marine park’s plan to relocate 30 beluga whales

admin — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 17:40:41 +0000

Beluga whales, which Marineland threatened to euthanize in 2025, will be moved to sanctuaries in Spain or across US

Canada and an embattled marine park have reached a tentative deal on the future of 30 beluga whales, ending a saga that has captivated the public and angered animal rights groups.

Trump uses wartime powers to dole out $700m to ‘clean, beautiful’ coal

admin — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 17:28:06 +0000

US president announces plans for two new coal plants, in Alaska and West Virginia, using Defense Production Act

Donald Trump is using wartime presidential authority to hand $700m to coal-fired power plants in the US, the latest move by the president to bolster what he called “clean, beautiful coal”, despite it being the dirtiest of fossil fuels.

California and New York weaken climate rules as red states ramp up green energy

admin — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 16:00:10 +0000

Republican-led states growing renewable capabilities at faster rate as Texas emerges as clean-energy leader

Democratic-led states are eroding their climate policies, as red states are scaling up their clean energy deployment.

‘That’s a bad combination’: why Australia may be in for a slushy snow season

admin — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 15:00:09 +0000

Snow arrives in time for the start of ski season, but climate change and El Niño mean it may not stick around for long, experts say

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Alarm as once-eradicated flesh-eating parasite found in calf in Texas

admin — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 12:54:31 +0000

USDA confirms first case of new world screwworm fly in cattle in six decades, posing threat to livestock industry

A flesh-eating parasite rarely seen in the US in six decades has been found in a calf in Texas, agriculture officials said, in an alarming development for the country’s cattle industry.

UK car sales hit post-Covid high for May as Chinese EV makers gain ground

admin — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 12:28:04 +0000

Registrations up 7% in the month, with battery EVs recording fastest growth and Tesla jumping 45% as motorists look to cut fuel bills

British car sales rose in May to their strongest level for the month since before the Covid pandemic, driven in part by strong growth from the Chinese manufacturers BYD and Chery.

Car registrations rose by 7% to 160,662 during the month, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), a lobby group.

England’s poorest areas face deepest cuts to green space under planning law changes, report finds

admin — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 12:22:18 +0000

Exclusive: New loopholes for developers will exacerbate extreme disparities across country, charity coalition warns

The poorest and most nature-deprived communities in England will be further left behind in their access to green spaces if proposed changes to planning laws go ahead, a report finds.

More than 7.4 million people in England live in areas completely devoid of immediate biodiversity, including 1.4 million children under 15, the report commissioned by a number of wildlife and environmental NGOs says.