Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Denial is back in vogue. As Australia leads climate talks, it’s beyond time we took the issue seriously

admin — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 20:00:25 +0000

It is unlikely that many voters are flocking to Pauline Hanson for her scientific insights – but that is where they are lining up, regardless

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I was a hardcore twitcher. I understand why the Cocos booby has Australia’s birders in a frenzy | Andrew Stafford

admin — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 20:00:24 +0000

Twitchers can be the subject of derision but they have greatly expanded our understanding of birdlife in the age of extinction

Gee, whiz: elephant relieves itself on floor of Texas Republican convention

admin — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 17:16:53 +0000

Four-ton Paige, brought in as surprise for attenders, made gushing debut after governor finished keynote speech

An African elephant weighing roughly 4 tons that was brought to the Texas Republican party’s annual convention to excite attenders ended up drawing widespread attention for the wrong reasons after she urinated on the convention floor and became the focus of animal welfare concerns.

Tropical heron spotted in UK for first time as more exotic birds arrive to thrill birdwatchers

admin — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 07:00:08 +0000

Appearance of a western reef heron in north Wales is unlikely to be the last, as heating temperatures mean species can survive Britain’s winter, say experts

It is a tropical bird typically encountered between west Africa and India, but last week a western reef heron arrived in north Wales in what is believed to be the first ever sighting in the UK.

The heron was first spotted in Foryd Bay at the weekend before flying to nearby Caernarfon harbour where it fed among the boats.

‘Fast-track’ regulation could expose Britons to harmful chemicals, say campaigners

admin — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 05:00:05 +0000

Exclusive: Fighting Dirty taking legal action against government over proposal it says could import weaker standards

An environmental campaign group is taking legal action against the government over proposals that it claims could fast-track chemical hazard classifications from other countries with lower standards into UK law.

Fighting Dirty claims proposals to change the classification and labelling of potentially hazardous chemicals could result in the UK weakening standards on cancer-causing substances.

Trees may store less planet-heating carbon than hoped, study suggests

admin — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 04:00:04 +0000

Photosynthesis does not always result in wood growth, a key factor in carbon dioxide sequestration

Trees may not be able to store as much planet-heating carbon as hoped, a study suggests, with researchers finding photosynthesis does not always lead to wood growth.

Scientists studied 137 sites across the US and found trees stopped growing months before the point in the year at which photosynthesis stopped.

Australia can switch from fossil fuel exports to renewables, says next Cop president

admin — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 00:00:02 +0000

Climate minister Chris Bowen says country must prepare for changing world and can play bigger role in reducing emissions

Australia will find exporting fossil fuels increasingly difficult but can switch to exporting clean energy products, the president of the next UN climate negotiations has declared.

Meet the people protecting the magic beans of life from extinction | Jess Harwood

admin — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 15:00:51 +0000

The Australian PlantBank is like no other place on Earth

See more of Jess Harwood’s cartoons here

Antarctica’s west coast missing an area of sea ice the size of France as temperatures peak 20C above average

admin — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 15:00:48 +0000

Exclusive A vast area of the Bellingshausen Sea should be covered by sea ice by now, with one expert calling the loss of ice ‘depressing’

Antarctica’s west coast is missing an area of winter sea ice the size of France, sparking concerns for threatened penguins other marine life and global sea levels.

‘It’s massive destruction’: outcry in Texas over waivers to allow border wall in Big Bend national park

admin — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 14:00:46 +0000

Despite plunging border crossings, the Trump administration is circumventing laws to expedite building in a vast, pristine wilderness

The Trump administration has waived a slew of environmental and historical preservation laws that would allow it to build a towering border wall that cuts through Big Bend national park, a vast protected wilderness in south Texas.