Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Concerns that dangerous fine particle pollution can become embedded in bloodstream and lungs Los Angeles wildfires: full report The Los Angeles wildfires have claimed the lives of at least 24 people and have burned more than 100,000 structures. While the focus is understandably on avoiding the flames, another immediate danger lurks across the county and beyond, one more difficult to escape: smoke. The most dangerous component of wildfire smoke is fine particle pollution, also known as PM2.5 or soot. These tiny particles, smaller than one 20th the width of a human hair, can, if inhaled, become embedded in the bloodstream and lungs. It is estimated that about one-third of all particulate matter pollution in the US now comes from wildfire smoke. Continue reading...

Rhino ‘unintentionally’ punctured zebra’s stomach in enclosure they shared, zoo says A male zebra died after a female rhino unintentionally punctured his stomach, a zoo in Essex has said. The rhino, called Astrid, had been sparring with her son Tayo when she tried to move Ziggy out of the way last Friday. Colchester zoo said Ziggy died of his injuries within minutes. Continue reading...

What the president-elect calls a ‘giant hoax’ is changing the strategic calculus in the Arctic and for the Panama canal Donald Trump’s desire to seize control of Greenland and the Panama canal is being shaped in part by a force that he has sought to deny even exists – the climate crisis. Last week, Trump ramped up his demands that the United States annex both Greenland and the Panama canal, refusing to rule out economic or even military interventions to take them and threatening “very high” tariffs upon Denmark, of which Greenland is an autonomous territory, if it opposes him. Continue reading...

Forecasters say there won’t be winds as strong as last week’s record-setting gusts, but LA’s dry season will get worse California wildfires – live updates When it comes to forecasting the conditions for catastrophic California wildfires, there are two main ingredients: fuels (think grasses, shrubs, trees – basically anything that’s available for fires to burn) and winds. When analyzing fuels, forecasters look mainly at the levels of drought, along with any recent rains that may help diminish the effect of longer-term drought. With winds, in southern California at least, it’s all about anticipating the Santa Anas – the fierce winds that blow offshore, from the deserts to the coast, bringing loads of dry air with them. Continue reading...