Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Why am I called The Black Farmer? Because there are so few of us in Britain. I’d like that to change | Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones

admin — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 08:00:57 +0000

Running a farm is tough – TV’s Clarkson’s Farm shows that – but I know many minorities would love the chance. And we would all benefit

Who’d be a farmer? Clarkson’s Farm on Amazon is great entertainment but it also gives some indication of the stresses and challenges behind the farm gate. Would anyone who lacked the significant alternative income that Clarkson is lucky to have want that? Well, actually, yes.

Battery fires at recycling centres are costing UK £1bn a year, figures show

admin — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 06:00:57 +0000

Experts say fires caused by wrongly discarded lithium batteries, such as those in vapes, are putting lives at risk

Fires at recycling centres caused by wrongly discarded lithium batteries such as those found in vapes are occurring at the rate of more than 10 a week, according to new figures.

Experts say the sheer volume of battery fires now occurring at waste facilities has reached a crisis that is putting lives at risk, costing £1bn a year and frustrating fire chiefs.

‘We are in the inferno’: diaspora writers lead new movement of nature poetry

admin — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 05:00:55 +0000

UK anthology inspired by question: ‘Where are our black and Asian nature writers?’ has boosted interest in genre

A new movement of eco poets from black and brown communities in the UK is challenging the canon of nature poetry against the backdrop of the climate and biodiversity crisis.

Mona Arshi, who co-edited the first UK collection of eco poetry from African, Asian and Caribbean diaspora voices, was inspired to put the anthology together after asking in a social media post that went viral: “Where are all our black and Asian nature writers?”

The US has a plan to save the Colorado River. Experts say it won’t be enough to stop the crisis

admin — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 19:41:48 +0000

The 10-year blueprint mandates water cuts of up to 40% for California, Arizona and Nevada

It’s official: after years of tense negotiations and missed deadlines, there is finally a plan to govern the future of the imperiled Colorado River - or at least the makings of one.

With the previous framework set to expire in October, the US Bureau of Reclamation publicly released its proposal for a new plan on Friday.

33m tons of toxic seaweed clogs Caribbean beaches – video

admin — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 19:27:08 +0000

A record amount of sargassum has piled up along coastlines of the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. Sargassum is a brown seaweed that causes lower oxygen levels and foul-smelling gases when it decomposes on beaches. Researchers and marine scientists have warned that the algae build-up starves underwater plant life of sunlight, affects human health and can leak arsenic into sand

Britain’s railway prepares for more extreme weather as intense El Niño develops

admin — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 18:07:51 +0000

Experts say more must be done to adapt to changing climate, after two trains derailed within 24 hours during a recent heatwave

Railway companies are racing to prepare for another brutal summer next year, as a developing El Niño could see 2027 break more heat-related records.

Britain’s railway system has already been under stress from extreme heat this summer, with several operators reducing timetables and train speeds.

First ever Fat Marmot Week to kick off in effort to raise money for research

admin — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 14:17:55 +0000

Researchers hope contest – similar to Fat Bear Week – starting Monday will be latest wildlife watching craze

Monday sees the start of what researchers hope will be the latest wildlife watching craze – Fat Marmot Week.

Last winter was tough for marmots living high in the Colorado mountains, where researchers say two-thirds of one population died while hibernating because of insufficient snow cover.

Brazil’s vast iron mine that supplies the world and fractures the Amazon – in pictures

admin — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 12:00:35 +0000

The Grand Carajás project has made the country a mining superpower, but communities living in its shadow face pollution, displacement and silenced histories

Proposed London datacentre ‘incompatible’ with net zero with 1m-tonne carbon footprint

admin — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 10:00:31 +0000

Exclusive: Planning documents show annual emissions from North Ockendon project would be equivalent to 8,480 flights to New York

A “hyperscale” datacentre in outer London would generate more than 1m tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, equivalent to the carbon footprint of 8,480 flights from London to New York, planning documents show.

Cut cost of loans for solar panels on UK homes, ministers urged

admin — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 08:00:28 +0000

Report says ‘solar bonds’ could fund wider access to clean energy, reducing household bills

Solar panels could be cheaper for people on lower incomes if the government stepped in to reduce the cost of loans, a report argues.

Solar panel installations can save households hundreds of pounds a year in energy bills, but at an initial cost of about £5,000 to £10,000 they are beyond the reach of many households.