Breaking Waves: Ocean News

On her @brutalistplants Instagram page, Olivia Broome collects photographs that combine the angular shapes of raw concrete with the greenery of the natural world. “I really enjoy the aesthetic of eco-brutalism and tropical modernism,” she says. “I love mezzanines and ziggurats, and when you pair them with plants it softens them up. Brutalism can be this quite harsh, austere architecture style, but with nature involved, it balances it all out.” Now collected in a book, the images bring together buildings from across the globe, from Hong Kong to Sri Lanka, London to Mexico. “It’s a pleasant movement that people can get behind, especially in smaller spaces and modern cities – it’s nice to fill them with plants and nature.” • Brutalist Plants (Hoxton Mini Press, £20) will be published on Thursday Continue reading...

Virus sent to high-security facility so that experts can examine the potential risks to people and livestock Avian flu typically spreads by infecting wild birds and moving along migration routes, but the virus currently running rampant in the US is about to be transported across the Atlantic by plane. This category A pathogen, which is now spreading among cows in the US, is being sent to a high-security laboratory in the UK so that experts can better understand the potential risks to people and livestock. Continue reading...

Climate scientists have told the Guardian they expect catastrophic levels of global heating. Here’s what that would mean for the planet World is on edge of climate abyss, UN warns Climate scientists expect global heating to blast past 1.5C target Global heating is likely to soar past internationally agreed limits, according to a Guardian survey of hundreds of leading climate experts, bringing catastrophic heatwaves, floods and storms. Only 6% of the respondents thought the 1.5C limit could be achieved, and this would require extraordinarily fast, radical action to halt and reverse the world’s rising emissions from fossil fuel burning. Continue reading...

The climate crisis can seem intractable – especially in an election year. But the remarkable actions of individuals are reason for hope The hottest year on record. Extreme drought, wildfires and flooding. Despairing scientists, wildlife loss and rampant waste. The sheer scale of the climate crisis can feel overwhelming. And when it comes to taking serious action, politicians move at a glacial pace, and the very real possibility of another Donald Trump presidency could stymie progress even further. If you would like to share your story, send us an email at [email protected]. Tell us a bit about yourself, your project and why you started it, and the impact it’s had. Please leave contact details; one of our reporters will get in touch if we are interested in finding out more Continue reading...