Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Household burning of plastic waste in developing world is hidden health threat, study shows

admin — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 10:01:04 +0000

The practice is ‘much more widespread’ than previously realised, researchers say, with serious environmental impact

The household burning of plastic for heating and cooking is widespread in developing countries, suggests a global study that raises concerns about its health and environmental impacts.

The research, published in the journal Nature Communications, surveyed more than 1,000 respondents across 26 countries.

Tunbridge Wells residents without water again as supplier blames cold weather

admin — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 09:16:29 +0000

South East Water says 6,500 households have no water due to burst mains, a month after drinking water outage

Residents of Tunbridge Wells have been left without water again, just a month after a major outage.

South East Water said 6,500 households have no water at all, while thousands more have “intermittent supplies”.

Germany’s dying forests are losing their ability to absorb CO2. Can a new way of planting save them?

admin — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 09:00:03 +0000

Vast swathes of the country’s trees have been killed off by droughts and infestations, in a trend sweeping across Europe. A shift towards more biodiverse cultivation could offer answers

Even the intense green of late spring cannot mask the dead trees in the Harz mountains. Standing upright across the gentle peaks in northern Germany, thousands of skeletal trunks mark the remnants of a once great spruce forest.

Germany’s dying forests are losing their ability to absorb CO2. Can a new way of planting save them?

admin — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 09:00:03 +0000

Vast swathes of the country’s trees have been killed off by droughts and infestations, in a trend sweeping across Europe. A shift towards more biodiverse cultivation could offer answers

Shifting offshore sandbanks pose unique navigation hazard

admin — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 06:00:04 +0000

Sandbanks can shift position during winter storms, but sonar mapping means charts can now be updated immediately

Supermarkets could help UK shoppers eat more sustainable local fish – study

admin — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 06:00:03 +0000

Shift from ‘big 5’ imports to British fish such as sprats and sardines would help diets and the planet, say researchers

Supermarkets could help to support British consumers to move away from their reliance on mainly imported seafood – the “big 5” of cod, haddock, tuna, salmon and prawns – to more sustainable, nutritious and locally caught fish such as sardines and anchovies, researchers say.

Dog food accounts for 1% of UK greenhouse gas emissions, study finds

admin — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 06:00:02 +0000

Study of 1,000 products finds wet, raw and meat-rich products have higher climate impact than dry kibble

Dog food accounts for 1% of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions, according to research that found wet, raw and meat-rich products were associated with substantially higher emissions than dry kibble.

The analysis revealed striking differences in the environmental impact of commercial dog foods, with the highest-impact foods being responsible for up to 65 times more emissions than the lowest-rated options.

‘The most dangerous day’: bushfires break out in Victoria as BoM warns of catastrophic conditions to come

admin — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 04:12:36 +0000

Temperatures recorded included 48.2C at Wudinna airport on SA’s Eyre Peninsula, 45.9C at Walpeup in Victoria, 45.6C at Paraburdoo, WA, and 45.9C at Hay in NSW.

Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates

Outrage as Trump withdraws from key UN climate treaty along with dozens of international organisations

admin — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 02:50:16 +0000

Experts decry move to leave UNFCCC as ‘embarrassing’ as president orders withdrawal from 66 international groups

Donald Trump has sparked outrage by announcing the US will exit the foundational international agreement to address the climate crisis, cementing the US’s utter isolation from the global effort to confront dangerously escalating temperatures.

Fly-arousing orchid and zombie fungus among 2025 botanical and fungal finds

admin — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 00:01:52 +0000

Scientists also name an overlooked snowdrop growing in the UK and a fruit that tastes like banana and guava

A zombie fungus that springs from a trapdoor and a flame-like shrub named after the fire demon in the Studio Ghibli film Howl’s Moving Castle are among the species of plant and fungi named by scientists in 2025.