Breaking Waves: Ocean News https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-waves/index.php en Ofwat could cut sewage fines for financially struggling water firms, say reports https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/ofwat-could-cut-sewage-fines-financially-struggling-water-firms-say-reports <p>Regulator reportedly intending to draw up ‘recovery regime’ for Thames Water and others in similar positions</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2024/may/29/general-election-diane-abbott-rishi-sunak-keir-starmer-angela-rayner-uk-politics-live">UK politics live – latest updates</a></li> </ul> <p>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.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/ofwat-could-cut-sewage-fines-financially-struggling-water-firms-say-reports" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Wed, 29 May 2024 10:34:43 +0000 admin 95881 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org As avian flu hops to cows and at least two humans, migrant farm workers are at risk https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/avian-flu-hops-cows-and-least-two-humans-migrant-farm-workers-are-risk <p>Officials are now incentivizing testing, but experts say workers need protective equipment and paid sick leave to prevent further spread</p> <p>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.</p> <p>“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.”</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/avian-flu-hops-cows-and-least-two-humans-migrant-farm-workers-are-risk" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Wed, 29 May 2024 10:00:08 +0000 admin 95880 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Alarming levels of ‘forever chemicals’ found in water near Bangladesh garment factories https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/alarming-levels-forever-chemicals-found-water-near-bangladesh-garment-factories <p>Study confirms huge concentrations of potentially dangerous PFAS in rivers, lakes and taps in Dhaka</p> <p>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 <a href="https://ipen.org/documents/persistent-threat-pfas-textiles-and-water-bangladesh">new research</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/alarming-levels-forever-chemicals-found-water-near-bangladesh-garment-factories" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Wed, 29 May 2024 08:00:06 +0000 admin 95879 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Make accreditation mandatory for low-carbon heating installers, says Which? https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/make-accreditation-mandatory-low-carbon-heating-installers-says-which <p>Widening government-run scheme would counter mistrust among householders, says consumer group</p> <p>The next government should force all tradespeople who install home heat pumps, solar panels and insulation to sign up to a mandatory accreditation scheme to counter mistrust in the industry, a leading consumer group is demanding.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/make-accreditation-mandatory-low-carbon-heating-installers-says-which" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Wed, 29 May 2024 05:00:04 +0000 admin 95878 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Wealthy white men are UK’s biggest transport polluters, study finds https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/wealthy-white-men-are-uk-s-biggest-transport-polluters-study-finds <p>IPPR research examines transport emissions by income, gender, location, ethnicity and age</p> <p>Wealthy white men from rural areas are the UK’s biggest emitters of climate-heating gases from transport, according to a study.</p> <p>Research by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) looked at transport emissions by income, gender, location, ethnicity and age. The study broke down the transport emissions into international and domestic flights, private road transport and public transport.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/wealthy-white-men-are-uk-s-biggest-transport-polluters-study-finds" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Wed, 29 May 2024 05:00:04 +0000 admin 95877 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org CSIRO stands by nuclear power costings that contradict Coalition claims https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/csiro-stands-nuclear-power-costings-contradict-coalition-claims <p>The Coalition has attacked the GenCost report that found nuclear power plants would be at least 50% more expensive than solar and wind</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/csiro-stands-nuclear-power-costings-contradict-coalition-claims" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Wed, 29 May 2024 01:54:07 +0000 admin 95876 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org EPA accused of ‘egregious’ misconduct in PFAS testing of pesticides https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/epa-accused-egregious-misconduct-pfas-testing-pesticides <p>US agency found PFOS and other types of PFAS in pesticides but failed to disclose those results, watchdog group alleges</p> <p>Documents obtained from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicate the agency may have presented false information to the public about testing for harmful contaminants in pesticides, <a href="https://peer.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/5_28_24_Information-Quality-Act-Demand-for-Correction-final-Signed-TWSL.pdf">according to allegations</a> being made by a watchdog group and a former EPA research fellow.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/epa-accused-egregious-misconduct-pfas-testing-pesticides" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Tue, 28 May 2024 17:33:50 +0000 admin 95874 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Global activity of seafloor biodiversity mapped https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/global-activity-seafloor-biodiversity-mapped <p>A team of scientists has used artificial intelligence (AI) to map the activities of seafloor invertebrate animals, such as worms, clams and shrimps, across all the oceans of the world.</p> Tue, 28 May 2024 15:44:22 +0000 admin 95875 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Majority of US voters support climate litigation against big oil, poll shows https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/majority-us-voters-support-climate-litigation-against-big-oil-poll-shows <p>And almost half of respondents back the filing of criminal charges against oil companies that have contributed to the climate crisis</p> <p>As US communities take big oil to court for allegedly deceiving the public about the climate crisis, polling shared with the Guardian shows that a <a href="https://www.filesforprogress.org/datasets/2024/5/dfp_climate_homicide_oil_gas_tabs.pdf">majority of voters</a> support the litigation, while almost half would back an even more aggressive legal strategy of filing criminal charges.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/majority-us-voters-support-climate-litigation-against-big-oil-poll-shows" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Tue, 28 May 2024 10:00:27 +0000 admin 95872 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org No Tory MPs voted positively on climate issues since party took power, study finds https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/no-tory-mps-voted-positively-climate-issues-party-took-power-study-finds <p>Labour and Liberal Democrats dominated list of MPs who were rated as very good in backing environmental policies</p> <p>No elected Tory MPs have been rated as voting positively on climate issues, under a <a href="https://voteclimate.uk/mps/best_climate_voting_mps.htm">survey of parliamentary voting patterns</a> since the Conservatives took power in 2010.</p> <p>Only a single sitting Conservative was rated as “good” on climate votes in the ranking, but that was Lisa Cameron, the MP for East Kilbride, who defected from the Scottish National Party in October.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/no-tory-mps-voted-positively-climate-issues-party-took-power-study-finds" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Tue, 28 May 2024 05:00:46 +0000 admin 95871 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org