Breaking Waves: Ocean News

John Podesta, Biden’s top climate official, calls for other big economies to step in to help poorer states The US will “continue to be a leader” in climate finance, the White House’s top climate official has promised, though without specifying how much it would provide to poor countries. John Podesta, senior adviser to Joe Biden on international climate policy, also defended the large-scale US expansion of gas production, saying the world was fortunate America was strengthening its supply, given the demand for non-Russian sources after the invasion of Ukraine. Continue reading...

Looking for ethical and delicious seafood? Here’s our pick of shacks, cafés and shops selling shellfish, seaweed and fish Read more in this series At Pam Brunton and Rob Latimer’s restaurant, they want a direct, traceable connection to the sea – they have a fish-purchasing policy that they send to suppliers. “We buy nothing knowingly from dredgers and trawlers,” Pam says, instead taking fin fish from smaller boats that fish off the English shore. Shellfish comes from a local, Mary, who coordinates a few small boats, all of which use traditional creel methods, and hand-dive for scallops, while oysters are bought from Judith at Caledonian Oysters on Loch Creran. Pam’s innovative food is served with a view of the loch outside – in summer, diners may even spot the mackerel for the next day’s menu being caught by a neighbour.Strathlachlan PA27 8BU; inverrestaurant.co.uk Continue reading...

Study identifies 16,825 sites around the world where prioritising conservation would prevent extinction of thousands of unique species Protecting just 1.2% of the Earth’s surface for nature would be enough to prevent the extinction of the world’s most threatened species, according to a new study. Analysis published in the journal Frontiers in Science has found that the targeted expansion of protected areas on land would be enough to prevent the loss of thousands of the mammals, birds, amphibians and plants that are closest to disappearing. Continue reading...

Floods could leave coastal communities in states like Florida and California unlivable in two decades Sea level rise driven by global heating will disrupt the daily life of millions of Americans, as hundreds of homes, schools and government buildings face frequent and repeated flooding by 2050, a new study has found. Almost 1,100 critical infrastructure assets that sustain coastal communities will be at risk of monthly flooding by 2050, according to the new research by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). The vast majority of the assets – 934 of them – face the risk of flood disruption every other week, which could make some coastal neighborhoods unlivable within two to three decades. Continue reading...