Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Wild camping on Dartmoor is legal, supreme court rules

admin — Wed, 21 May 2025 09:23:15 +0000

Case came to supreme court after court of appeal determined the term ‘open-air recreation’ included camping

Wild camping will be allowed on Dartmoor after the supreme court ruled that a multimillionaire landowner was wrong to ban it on his land.

Dartmoor was – until the legal action – the only place in England where wild camping without the permission of the landowner was enshrined in law. In Scotland, people have enjoyed this right since 2003.

Demand for copper to dramatically outstrip supply within decade

admin — Wed, 21 May 2025 05:00:19 +0000

International Energy Agency says it is ‘time to sound alarm’ over future shortages of metal needed for low-carbon transition

Demand for copper, needed for the transition to a low-carbon world, will outstrip supply within the next decade, according to the global energy watchdog.

Supplies of the metal, a key component of every form of electrical energy system at present, will fall 30% short of the amount required by 2035 if nothing is done, analysis by the International Energy Agency predicts.

Plantwatch: Why dandelions should be left to grow in spring

admin — Wed, 21 May 2025 05:00:18 +0000

These simple flowers, which bloom earlier than many others, are a rich source of nectar and pollen for insects

Fires drove record loss of world’s forests last year, ‘frightening’ data shows

admin — Wed, 21 May 2025 04:01:16 +0000

Burning, worsened by global heating, overtook farming and logging as biggest cause of destruction of tropical forests

The destruction of the world’s forests reached the highest level ever recorded in 2024, driven by a surge in fires caused by global heating, according to “frightening” new data.

NSW floods: almost 50,000 people isolated by record flooding on mid-north coast

admin — Wed, 21 May 2025 00:25:09 +0000

Residents describe anxious waits for rescue as unprecedented level of flooding strikes the Manning river

Watchdog urges Scotland to take action after repeatedly missing climate targets

admin — Tue, 20 May 2025 23:01:10 +0000

Climate Change Committee says original goal of a 75% emissions cut by 2030 will now be delayed by up to six years

The UK’s climate watchdog has warned that Scotland needs to take “immediate action at pace and scale” to cut its emissions after ministers axed a series of policy pledges.

The Climate Change Committee (CCC), an official advisory body, said ministers in Edinburgh needed to take urgent action to curb emissions from buildings and transport to cut Scotland’s overall emissions to nearly zero by 2045.

Abandoned a target to cut car miles by 20% by 2030.

Thames Water and Anglian Water face 53 criminal investigations over sewage

admin — Tue, 20 May 2025 21:30:08 +0000

Firms among England and Wales suppliers facing record 81 investigations as sources say ‘polluter will pay’ for their cost

Two of Britain’s biggest water companies, Thames Water and Anglian Water, face more than 50 criminal investigations between them as part of a crackdown on sewage dumping, the government has said.

The utilities were subject to the bulk of a record 81 investigations into water companies between last July’s general election and March 2025, according to new data.

‘Plenty of time’ to solve climate crisis, interior secretary tells representatives

admin — Tue, 20 May 2025 18:25:15 +0000

Doug Burgum defends Trump budget slashing green funds, saying AI and Iran pose bigger threats

The US has “plenty of time” to solve the climate crisis,” the interior secretary, Doug Burgum, told a House committee on Tuesday.

The Guardian view on protecting the Amazon: forest defenders must have support | Editorial

admin — Tue, 20 May 2025 17:53:44 +0000

Dom Phillips’ posthumously published book is an urgent reminder of why this unique landscape matters so much

It doesn’t start for six months, but the build-up to the UN’s annual climate conference is already well under way in Brazil. Hosting the tens of thousands of delegates who make the trip is a big undertaking for any city. But the decision to host Cop30 in Belém, at the mouth of the Amazon river, has multiplied the complications.

Forest management can influence health benefits

admin — Tue, 20 May 2025 16:20:24 +0000

Forests play a crucial role in promoting health and wellbeing, but not all forests provide the same benefits. A large-scale study demonstrates how specific forest characteristics -- such as canopy density and tree species diversity -- can affect various health outcomes.