Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Climate change could become the main driver of biodiversity decline by mid-century

admin — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:15:18 +0000

Global biodiversity has declined between 2% and 11% during the 20th century due to land-use change alone, according to a large multi-model study. Projections show climate change could become the main driver of biodiversity decline by the mid-21st century.

Curiosity promotes biodiversity

admin — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 20:14:56 +0000

Cichlid fishes exhibit differing degrees of curiosity. The cause for this lies in their genes, as reported by researchers. This trait influences the cichlids' ability to adapt to new habitats.

Noise from traffic stunts growth of baby birds, study finds

admin — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 18:00:16 +0000

Researchers also find zebra finches 20% less likely to hatch from eggs if exposed to noise pollution

Noise pollution from traffic stunts growth in baby birds, even while inside the egg, research has found.

Unhatched birds and hatchlings that are exposed to noise from city traffic experience long-term negative effects on their health, growth and reproduction, the study found.

Labour says UK nature under threat and pledges to halt decline

admin — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 16:45:09 +0000

Shadow minister Steve Reed vows to uphold targets on biodiversity loss and protecting land and sea

Labour has pledged to halt the decline of British species and protect at least 30% of the land and sea by 2030 if it is elected.

Steve Reed, the shadow environment secretary, also vowed to set a new land use framework that would prioritise the protection of nature, and to deliver on targets to improve the UK’s environment.

Global heating and urbanisation to blame for severity of UAE floods, study finds

admin — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 15:02:25 +0000

World Weather Attribution group says intensified El Niño effects caused torrential rain, but rules out cloud seeding as cause

Fossil fuels and concrete combined to worsen the “death trap” conditions during recent record flooding in the United Arab Emirates and Oman, a study has found.

Environment groups accuse MasterChef of greenwashing after gas sponsorship deals unveiled

admin — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 15:00:29 +0000

Channel Ten show’s planned use of biomethane and hydrogen in cooking challenges ‘completely out of sync’ with changing attitudes, critics say

Fears grow over rising number of oil lobbyists at UN plastic pollution talks

admin — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 13:44:31 +0000

Proposed global treaty to curb production represents challenge to producers of fossil fuels, from which most plastics are made

The number of fossil fuel and petrochemical industry lobbyists at UN talks to agree the first global treaty to cut plastic pollution has increased by more than a third, according to an analysis.

‘Huge disappointment’ as UK delays bottle deposit plan and excludes glass

admin — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 12:05:00 +0000

Scheme for plastic bottles and cans put back to 2027 while environment minister says glass recycling ‘unduly’ complex

A UK deposit return scheme for recycling drinks bottles has been delayed to 2027, meaning it will not be in place until almost a decade after it was proposed.

Campaigners say the delay is a “huge disappointment”, adding they are doubly dismayed that the plan will not include glass bottles.

New rule compels US coal-fired power plants to capture emissions – or shut down

admin — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 11:35:22 +0000

New EPA directive will cut pollution equivalent to the emissions of 328m cars, but industry group decries it as a ‘reckless plan’

Coal-fired power plants would be forced to capture smokestack emissions or shut down under a rule issued on Thursday by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Global battery rollout doubled last year – but needs to be six times faster, says IEA

admin — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 11:17:17 +0000

Energy watchdog warns pace must accelerate to hit targets after new batteries increased capacity by 130%

The rollout of batteries across the global electricity industry more than doubled last year but will need to be six times faster if the world hopes to meet its renewable energy targets, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

A report from the global energy watchdog found that new batteries totalling 42 gigawatts (GW) were plugged into electricity systems around the world last year, increasing total capacity by more than 130% from the year before to 85GW.