Breaking Waves: Ocean News

UN warns of ‘economic carnage’ if G20 leaders cannot agree on climate finance for poor countries

admin — Sat, 16 Nov 2024 17:55:36 +0000

Wealthy nations are yet to offer the hundreds of billions of dollars that economists say are needed to help the developing world cut emissions

Leaders of the world’s biggest economies meeting in Rio de Janeiro on Monday must agree to provide the finance that the world’s poorest need to tackle the climate crisis or face “economic carnage”, the UN has warned.

Get away, grizzly: why scientists are chasing bears with drones

admin — Sat, 16 Nov 2024 17:00:45 +0000

Wildlife experts in US west have found small aircraft are ideal for protecting humans and livestock from predators

The first time that Terry Vandenbos watched a bear run from a drone, on a spring day two years ago, he was chasing the animal himself. After he saw the grizzly cross a road near his property, the Montana rancher hopped on his all-terrain vehicle, planning to scare it away from his cattle if needed.

United Utilities refuses to hand over data on sewage discharges into Windermere

admin — Sat, 16 Nov 2024 14:26:37 +0000

Water company claims information is not in the public interest despite widespread pollution of UK waters

• ‘It’s a national disgrace’: fury at sewage-filled Windermere over toxic algae and dead fish

One of the UK’s biggest water companies is fighting a legal battle to block public access to data on treated sewage it is discharging into Windermere in the Lake District.

Little sign of rain to alleviate drought and wildfire risks in US north-east

admin — Sat, 16 Nov 2024 13:00:41 +0000

Ongoing dry conditions threaten to aggravate blazes in New York and New Jersey as wildfire seasons grow in intensity

Almost 500 carbon capture lobbyists granted access to Cop29 climate summit

admin — Sat, 16 Nov 2024 07:14:39 +0000

More lobbyists for the controversial technology were present this year, despite debate about its viability

At least 480 lobbyists working on carbon capture and storage (CCS) have been granted access to the UN climate summit, known as Cop29, the Guardian can reveal.

That is five more CCS lobbyists than were present at last year’s climate talks, despite the overall number of participants shrinking significantly from about 85,000 to about 70,000.

Second oarfish, mythical harbinger of doom, found washed up in California

admin — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 19:56:50 +0000

Roughly 10ft-long specimen discovered on Encinitas beach shortly after August spotting of the ‘doomsday fish’

For the second time this year an oarfish, a rarely seen deep sea fish that has historically been considered a harbinger of doom, washed up on the California coastline.

The Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, reported that last week that one of its PhD students came across a specimen roughly nine to 10ft long on a beach in Encinitas in southern California.

Fossil fuel bosses get ‘red carpet’ at Cop29 despite concerns over influence

admin — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 18:48:08 +0000

Revealed: more than 100 executives given special guest badges as activists challenge role of oil and gas firms at talks

The host country of this year’s UN climate summit, Azerbaijan, has rolled out “red carpet” treatment to fossil fuel bosses and lobbyists, the Guardian can reveal.

At least 132 oil and gas company senior executives and staff were invited to the Cop29 summit, and had special badges denoting they were guests of the presidency.

Valencia's president apologises for handling of deadly floods – video

admin — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 18:03:58 +0000

The president of the Spanish province of Valencia, Carlos Mazón, rejected calls for his resignation amid growing public anger over his management of the recent devastating floods that killed more than 210 people in the area. He conceded mistakes were made but claimed the unprecedented and 'apocalyptic' scale of the disaster overwhelmed the system

Valencia’s president admits mistakes in flood response but will not resign

Biodiversity in the city: Designing urban spaces for humans and animals

admin — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 17:48:39 +0000

Animals and plants also live and thrive on public squares. This creates opportunities for greater biodiversity and well-being for the human population. Researchers have studied at 103 locations in Munich how various factors affect flora and fauna. They advocate a close examination of local conditions and a more nature-focused approach to the design of public spaces.

Rainforest protection reduces the number of respiratory diseases

admin — Fri, 15 Nov 2024 17:47:36 +0000

Rainforest protection is not only good for biodiversity and the climate -- it also noticeably improves the health of humans who live in the corresponding regions. Researchers show that measures to combat slash-and-burn techniques significantly reduce the concentration of particulate matter in the air. The number of hospital stays and deaths due to respiratory diseases thus also decreases.