Breaking Waves: Ocean News https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-waves/index.php en Heatwaves increase risk of early births and poorer health in babies, study finds https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/heatwaves-increase-risk-early-births-and-poorer-health-babies-study-finds <p>Research that looked at 53 million births says Black and Hispanic mothers and those in lower socioeconomic groups most at risk</p> <p>Heatwaves increase rates of preterm births, which can lead to poorer health outcomes for babies and impact their long-term health, a new <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2819253?utm_source=silverchair&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=article_alert-jamanetworkopen&amp;utm_content=wklyforyou&amp;utm_term=052424&amp;adv=">study</a> found.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/heatwaves-increase-risk-early-births-and-poorer-health-babies-study-finds" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Wed, 29 May 2024 18:48:56 +0000 admin 95888 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org French fries: why chips are off the menu at the Paris Olympics https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/french-fries-why-chips-are-menu-paris-olympics <p>It’s not just pommes frites. Beef bourguignon, avocado and foie gras will also be unavailable</p> <p><strong>Name:</strong> french fries.</p> <p><strong>Age: </strong>invented about 300 years ago, ironically <a href="https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20180730-can-belgium-claim-ownership-of-the-french-fry">in Belgium</a>.</p> <p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/may/29/french-fries-why-chips-are-off-the-menu-at-the-paris-olympics">Continue reading...</a></p> Wed, 29 May 2024 15:12:52 +0000 admin 95886 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Increasing use of renewable energy in US yields billions of dollars of benefits https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/increasing-use-renewable-energy-us-yields-billions-dollars-benefits <p>New study published in Cell Reports Sustainability finds emission reductions provided $249bn of climate and health benefits</p> <p><br /><br /> 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.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/increasing-use-renewable-energy-us-yields-billions-dollars-benefits" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Wed, 29 May 2024 15:00:06 +0000 admin 95885 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Leading Australian labs retested landscape products for waste companies after contamination findings https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/leading-australian-labs-retested-landscape-products-waste-companies-after-contaminatio <p><strong>Exclusive:</strong> Five facilities named in documents tabled in NSW parliament defend practices, as independent experts question whether testing system is failing consumers</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/leading-australian-labs-retested-landscape-products-waste-companies-after-contaminatio" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Wed, 29 May 2024 15:00:06 +0000 admin 95887 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Orange-juice makers consider using other fruits after prices go ‘bananas’ https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/orange-juice-makers-consider-using-other-fruits-after-prices-go-bananas <p>Global industry ‘in crisis’ as fears about Brazilian harvest help push wholesale prices to record highs</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/orange-juice-makers-consider-using-other-fruits-after-prices-go-bananas" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Wed, 29 May 2024 13:48:32 +0000 admin 95884 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Protesting Indian farmers endure severe heatwave – video https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/protesting-indian-farmers-endure-severe-heatwave-video <p>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. </p> <p>Temperatures in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/delhi">Delhi</a>, not far from the protest, have hit a record high of 49.9C (121.8F), as authorities warned of water shortages in the capital</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/protesting-indian-farmers-endure-severe-heatwave-video" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Wed, 29 May 2024 11:35:37 +0000 admin 95883 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Revealed: the rural Californians who can’t sell their businesses – because LA is their landlord https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/revealed-rural-californians-who-can-t-sell-their-businesses-because-la-their-landlord <p>Los Angeles has long owned large swathes of the Owens valley. An investigation reveals how the city has tightened its grip</p> <p><em>This article is reported by<a href="https://afrolanews.org/"> AfroLA</a> and co-published by <a href="https://afrolanews.org/">AfroLA</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news">Guardian US</a> and </em><em>Inyo County’s <a href="https://thesheetnews.com/">The Sheet</a></em><em>. It’s the first of several stories examining the impact of Los Angeles’s extensive landownership in the Owens Valley.</em></p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/revealed-rural-californians-who-can-t-sell-their-businesses-because-la-their-landlord" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Wed, 29 May 2024 11:00:09 +0000 admin 95882 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Ofwat considers cutting sewage fines for financially struggling water firms https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/ofwat-considers-cutting-sewage-fines-financially-struggling-water-firms <p>Regulator understood to be looking at ‘recovery regime’ for Thames Water and others in sector</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2024/may/29/royal-mail-takeover-daniel-kretinsky-ofwat-fines-water-companies-business-live">Business 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-considers-cutting-sewage-fines-financially-struggling-water-firms" 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