Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Exclusive: Cutting 2030 goal would be a ‘step backwards’, say MPs, as ministers clash over proposed reductions UK politics live – latest updates Cop31 live – latest updates Labour MPs are urging the government not to weaken its electric vehicle targets as divided cabinet ministers prepare for a crunch meeting on Thursday to thrash out a compromise. Members of the climate and nature crisis caucus (CNCC) say ministers must not water down a legal requirement for carmakers to ensure that 80% of the vehicles they sell in 2030 are electric, saying doing so would be a backward step and “shortsighted”. Continue reading...

181GW of gas-fired capacity proposed for sites in US and Europe because of delays in connecting to national grids, says report Developers of AI datacentres plan to build on-site climate-destroying gas power stations on a huge scale to meet their energy demands, research reveals. Datacentres planned across the US, the UK and mainland Europe have proposals to build fossil fuel plants on-site to create 181GW of gas-fired capacity because of delays to connect to national grids, according to the findings. This is almost four times the total peak electricity demand of Great Britain. Continue reading...

Announcement comes ahead of visit to Cop31 climate conference with PM also set to face MPs at PMQs The national security of all countries is at risk from the climate crisis, as “science fiction” scenarios of widespread destruction are already coming true and economic shocks from fossil fuels are now the norm rather than the exception, Ed Miliband, the foreign secretary, will warn at the Cop31 summit today. Fiona Harvey has the story. The CBI has issued a statement welcoming the PM’s offshore wind announcement. (See 8.55am.) This is from its chief executive, Rain Newton-Smith. The prime minister’s announcement of major investment in offshore wind is a powerful restatement of the UK’s clean energy ambitions and the economic opportunities they can unlock. Investment on this scale can attract further private capital, create skilled jobs and support growth in communities across the country. Continue reading...

As the IUCN global conservation body prepares to update its red list of endangered species, scientists explain why calculating the true toll of a pandemic is so hard It began with the brown skuas. The migratory seabirds had arrived on the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia in 2023, harbouring a deadly passenger. Within months, the southern elephant seals that had come ashore to breed became sick. Mothers and newborn pups were weak and trembling, with many struggling to breathe. What followed was a horrific mass casualty event, caused by the highly infectious avian influenza (H5N1). By 2025, more than 53,000 female elephant seals had died on South Georgia. That is especially alarming, scientists say, because the island is home to more than half of the global breeding population. Continue reading...