Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Thousands in Devon no longer have to boil drinking water, says supplier

admin — Sat, 18 May 2024 15:47:43 +0000

But authorities say households in some areas need to continue safety measures amid waterborne parasitic disease

Anger in Devon as more cases of waterborne disease expected

Thousands of people in Devon can now safely drink their tap water again without having to boil it first, the region’s water supplier has announced after a parasite outbreak.

Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ ubiquitous in Great Lakes basin, study finds

admin — Sat, 18 May 2024 12:00:07 +0000

PFAS chemicals present in air, rain, atmosphere and water in basin, which holds nearly 95% of US freshwater

Toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” are ubiquitous in the Great Lakes basin’s air, rain, atmosphere and water, new peer-reviewed research shows.

The first-of-its-kind, comprehensive picture of PFAS levels for the basin, which holds nearly 95% of the nation’s freshwater, also reveals that precipitation is probably a major contributor to the lakes’ contamination.

Eight climate activists arrested in Germany over airport protest

admin — Sat, 18 May 2024 11:42:29 +0000

About 60 flights cancelled after members of Letzte Generation glue themselves to ground at Munich

Eight climate activists have been arrested after causing Munich airport to close, leading to about 60 flight cancellations.

Six activists broke through a security fence and glued themselves to access routes leading to runways, officials and local media reported.

Fresh floods in Afghanistan kill at least 60 after heavy rain brings devastation

admin — Sat, 18 May 2024 10:35:02 +0000

Thousands of homes and farming land damaged in Ghor province, a week after over 300 people killed in flash floods

At least 60 people have been killed in a fresh bout of heavy rain and flooding in central Afghanistan, according to an official.

Anger in Devon as more cases of waterborne disease expected

admin — Sat, 18 May 2024 10:16:49 +0000

South West Water identifies ‘damaged valve’ as possible cause of cryptosporidium contamination in Brixham area

Health officials are expecting more cases of a waterborne disease in Devon, as an MP said “heads are going to roll” over the outbreak and that the anger among residents was “palpable”.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has confirmed 46 cases of cryptosporidium infection in the Brixham area, while more than 100 other people have reported symptoms, including diarrhoea, stomach pains and dehydration.

Sticky trick: new glue spray kills plant pests without chemicals

admin — Sat, 18 May 2024 05:00:04 +0000

Edible oil droplets trap bugs without the harm to people and wildlife that synthetic pesticides can cause

Tiny sticky droplets sprayed on crops to trap pests could be a green alternative to chemical pesticides, research has shown.

Differing values of nature can still lead to joined up goals for sustainability

admin — Fri, 17 May 2024 15:16:02 +0000

Recognizing and respecting the different ways nature is valued can enable better environmental decision-making, according to new research.

Honduran city’s air pollution is almost 50 times higher than WHO guidelines

admin — Fri, 17 May 2024 14:43:12 +0000

San Pedro Sula is rated ‘dangerous’ as effects of forest fires, El Niño and the climate crisis cause a spike in respiratory illnesses

The air quality in San Pedro Sula, the second-largest city in Honduras, as been classified as the most polluted on the American continent due to forest fires and weather conditions aggravated by El Niño and the climate crisis.

Economic damage from climate change six times worse than thought – report

admin — Fri, 17 May 2024 14:00:37 +0000

A 1C increase in global temperature leads to a 12% decline in world gross domestic product, researchers have found

The economic damage wrought by climate change is six times worse than previously thought, with global heating set to shrink wealth at a rate consistent with the level of financial losses of a continuing permanent war, research has found.

Cop29 at a crossroads in Azerbaijan with focus on climate finance

admin — Fri, 17 May 2024 11:00:37 +0000

Fossil-fuel dependent country hopes to provide bridge between wealthy global north and poor south at November gathering

Oil is inescapable in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. The smell of it greets the visitor on arrival and from the shores of the Caspian Sea on which the city is built the tankers are eternally visible. Flares from refineries near the centre light up the night sky, and you do not have to travel far to see fields of “nodding donkeys”, small piston pump oil wells about 6 metres (20ft) tall, that look almost festive in their bright red and green livery.