Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Rain gardens and bathwater reuse becoming trends, RHS says

admin — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 05:00:23 +0000

Chelsea flower show to focus on water reuse as gardeners prepare for shortages caused by climate crisis

Rain gardens and bathwater are becoming gardening trends, the Royal Horticultural Society has said, as gardeners battle predicted water shortages caused by climate breakdown.

‘Washout winter’ spells price rises for UK shoppers with key crops down by a fifth

admin — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 04:00:23 +0000

Analysts say impact on wheat, barley, oats and oilseed rape harvests means price rises on beer, bread and biscuits and more food imported

UK harvests of important crops could be down by nearly a fifth this year due to the unprecedented wet weather farmers have faced, increasing the likelihood that the prices of bread, beer and biscuits will rise.

Analysis by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) has estimated that the amount of wheat, barley, oats and oilseed rape could drop by 4m tonnes this year, a reduction of 17.5% compared with 2023.

Taxing big fossil fuel firms ‘could raise $900bn in climate finance by 2030’

admin — Sun, 28 Apr 2024 23:01:17 +0000

Levy on oil and gas majors in richest countries would help worst-affected nations tackle climate crisis, says report

A new tax on fossil fuel companies based in the world’s richest countries could raise hundreds of billions of dollars to help the most vulnerable nations cope with the escalating climate crisis, according to a report.

Alaska has a plan to save its salmon but some Native leaders are wary

admin — Sun, 28 Apr 2024 12:00:06 +0000

A new approach aims to restore fish levels in the Yukon River but some feel it unfairly targets traditional practices while failing to tackle huge losses to industrial fishing in the ocean

Earlier this month Alaska officials announced a new plan they say could revive the Yukon River’s struggling salmon population. The 2,000-mile waterway that runs from Canada’s Yukon Territory to the Bering Sea has seen sharp declines in its Chinook, or king salmon, in recent years.

From petri dish to plate: meet the company hoping to bring lab-grown fish to the table

admin — Sun, 28 Apr 2024 06:00:02 +0000

People want more seafood than the oceans can sustainably supply, so a German firm aims to plug that gap with cultivated fish – but are consumers ready to buy it?

The redbrick offices, just north of Hamburg’s River Elbe and a few floors below Carlsberg’s German headquarters, are an unexpectedly low-key setting for a food team gearing up to produce Europe’s first tonne of lab-grown fish.

Tory staff running network of anti-Ulez Facebook groups riddled with racism and abuse

admin — Sat, 27 Apr 2024 17:30:40 +0000

Investigation finds groups hosting Islamophobic attacks on London mayor Sadiq Khan, white supremacist slogans and antisemitic conspiracy theories

Conservative party staff and activists are secretly operating a network of Facebook groups that have become a hotbed of racism, misinformation and support for criminal damage.

Kenya flood death toll rises as more torrential rain forecast

admin — Sat, 27 Apr 2024 14:35:31 +0000

Total deaths reach 76 and more than 130,000 displaced as weeks of flooding also affects east African neighbours

Seventy-six people in Kenya have died because of flooding triggered by torrential downpours since March, the government has said, warning residents “to brace for even heavier rainfall”.

Kenya and its east African neighbours have been battered by stronger than usual rain in recent weeks, compounded by the El Niño weather system.

Teenager finds ‘holy grail’ Lego octopus from 1997 spill off Cornwall coast

admin — Sat, 27 Apr 2024 14:21:51 +0000

Boy discovers octopus figurine that fell from cargo ship along with 5m other Lego pieces during storm

A 13-year-old boy has discovered a “holy grail” Lego octopus which spilled into the sea from a shipping container in the 1990s.

The octopus is one of nearly 5m Lego pieces that fell into the sea in 1997 when a storm hit a cargo ship 20 miles off Land’s End, Cornwall. While 352,000 pairs of flippers, 97,500 scuba tanks, and 92,400 swords went overboard, the octopuses are considered the most prized finds as only 4,200 were onboard.

Briton in critical care after ‘unusual’ shark attack on Tobago

admin — Sat, 27 Apr 2024 08:41:54 +0000

Peter Smith, 64, received critical care for injuries to arm, leg and stomach after attack in shallow waters

A British man is in intensive care after an “unusual” shark attack on the Caribbean island of Tobago.

Peter Smith, 64, received critical care after sustaining serious injuries to his left arm, left leg and stomach on Friday morning, according to a local official.

Remote working and whiffy workout wear fuel laundry revolution

admin — Sat, 27 Apr 2024 07:00:30 +0000

Home workers aim to tackle smelly athleisure clothing, save money and be kinder to the environment

For years, laundry detergents have focused their cleaning power on stain removal and getting whites white but now a new invisible enemy has emerged in the shape of the musty smell that clings to your gym gear.