Breaking Waves: Ocean News

05/29/2024 - 13:48
Research that looked at 53 million births says Black and Hispanic mothers and those in lower socioeconomic groups most at risk Heatwaves increase rates of preterm births, which can lead to poorer health outcomes for babies and impact their long-term health, a new study found. Black and Hispanic mothers, as well as those in lower socioeconomic groups, are particularly at risk of delivering early following heat waves. Continue reading...
05/29/2024 - 10:12
It’s not just pommes frites. Beef bourguignon, avocado and foie gras will also be unavailable Name: french fries. Age: invented about 300 years ago, ironically in Belgium. Continue reading...
05/29/2024 - 10:00
New study published in Cell Reports Sustainability finds emission reductions provided $249bn of climate and health benefits By increasing its use of renewable energy, the US has not only slashed its planet-warming emissions but also improved its air quality, yielding hundreds of billions of dollars of benefits, a new report has found. The study, published in Cell Reports Sustainability on Wednesday and based on publicly available data, focuses on uptick of renewable energy in the US from 2019 to 2022. Continue reading...
05/29/2024 - 10:00
Exclusive: Five facilities named in documents tabled in NSW parliament defend practices, as independent experts question whether testing system is failing consumers Recycling fill sold in Sydney stores tests positive for asbestos Big waste companies broke rules on testing for contamination Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast Facilities belonging to some of the leading commercial laboratory companies in Australia were among those that retested samples of landscaping products at the request of their waste company clients, after initial tests found contamination not compliant with NSW laws. Guardian Australia revealed earlier this year the testing regime meant to limit toxic chemicals in landscaping material known as “recovered fines” had been compromised by the practice of waste companies asking private laboratories to retest samples until they passed. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...
05/29/2024 - 08:48
Global industry ‘in crisis’ as fears about Brazilian harvest help push wholesale prices to record highs Orange juice makers are considering turning to alternative fruits such as mandarins as wholesale prices have “gone bananas” amid fears of poor harvests in Brazil. Prices of orange juice reached a new high of $4.95 (£3.88) a lb on commodity markets this week after growers in the main orange producing areas of Brazil said they were expecting the harvest to be 24% down on last year at 232m 40.8kg boxes – worse than the 15% fall previously predicted. Continue reading...
05/29/2024 - 06:35
Hundreds of Indian farmers who have been camping for more than 100 days between the Punjab and Haryana states to demand better prices for their crops have been enduring a savage heatwave sweeping swathes of northern India. Temperatures in Delhi, not far from the protest, have hit a record high of 49.9C (121.8F), as authorities warned of water shortages in the capital Delhi temperature hits 49.9C as India’s capital records hottest day Record breaking heat hits Delhi – in pictures Continue reading...
05/29/2024 - 06:00
Los Angeles has long owned large swathes of the Owens valley. An investigation reveals how the city has tightened its grip This article is reported by AfroLA and co-published by AfroLA, Guardian US and Inyo County’s The Sheet. It’s the first of several stories examining the impact of Los Angeles’s extensive landownership in the Owens Valley. A red horse statue perched on a 12ft pole greets drivers coming to the town of Bishop from the south. It’s one of the first landmarks here, part of Mike Allen’s corrugated metal feed store – a local institution that sells camping gear, livestock feed and moving equipment in this expansive region of inland California. Continue reading...
05/29/2024 - 05:34
Regulator understood to be looking at ‘recovery regime’ for Thames Water and others in sector Business live – latest updates Ofwat, the water regulator for England and Wales, is understood to be considering cutting fines for sewage-dumping water companies if they are facing financial pressures. According to the Financial Times, which first reported the plan, the regulator intends to draw up a “recovery regime” for Thames Water, which is facing collapse or restructuring owing to its high debts, and others that find themselves in similar positions. Continue reading...
05/29/2024 - 05:00
Officials are now incentivizing testing, but experts say workers need protective equipment and paid sick leave to prevent further spread On a US dairy farm, working in the milking parlor can mean seven-day weeks, 12-hour shifts and intimate contact with cows and everything they expel. “When you disconnect the machine from the udder, it can shoot milk in your face,” said José Martínez, a former dairy worker and United Farm Workers advocate based in Washington state. “And there’s no time or place to eat. So we ate our tacos in spare moments with cow shit on our hands.” Continue reading...
05/29/2024 - 03:00
Study confirms huge concentrations of potentially dangerous PFAS in rivers, lakes and taps in Dhaka Rivers, lakes and tap water in areas of Bangladesh that host garment factories are swarming with dangerous levels of toxic “forever chemicals”, some with links to serious health issues, according to new research. In the first study of its kind conducted in Bangladesh, a global fashion hub supplying international brands, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as forever chemicals, were found in 27 water samples collected close to textile factories in the capital, Dhaka. Continue reading...