Breaking Waves: Ocean News

How a South African billionaire is turning a corner of Somerset into ‘one man’s estate’

admin — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 13:00:58 +0000

Koos Bekker’s Newt estate encompasses luxury hotels, pubs and high street business, with local concerns including flooding

When South African billionaire Koos Bekker bought an old country estate in a sleepy corner of Somerset to turn it into a luxury hotel, residents thought it was a sign their area was on the up.

Walking through his peaceful manicured gardens, which feature a maze of apple trees twisted into perfect shapes using the espalier method, it’s easy to feel that all is well in this quiet, picturesque pocket of England.

Dozens injured and buildings damaged as tornadoes hit Sicily

admin — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 11:00:31 +0000

Marsala on island’s west coast badly affected after powerful storm approached from Mediterranean

Two tornadoes have struck the coastal town of Marsala in western Sicily, injuring dozens of people, damaging buildings including a school, and overturning cars.

A series of videos began to circulate on Friday morning showing two waterspouts approaching the Sicilian town from the sea as people braced for their arrival.

Climate crisis is coming to crush many of world’s best surf breaks, study warns

admin — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 03:00:45 +0000

Changing tide levels, shifting sands and hardened shorelines put waves at risk, affecting more than just surfers

The climate crisis is coming for some of the world’s greatest surf breaks, submerging some as sea level rises and wiping out others as classic breaks get crushed against coastal developments.

Analysis of dozens of famous waves in world surfing reserves (WSR) found more than three-quarters were at high risk because of changing tide levels, hardened shorelines and shifting sands.

Cop31 host urges wealthy countries to spend ‘much more’ on climate than defence

admin — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 12:00:28 +0000

‘The climate issue is the security issue,’ says Turkish minister at Pacific pre-Cop summit in Fiji

Wealthy countries should spend far more on dealing with the climate crisis than the 5% of GDP promised by Nato members for defence because “the climate issue is the security issue”, the host of the next UN summit has said.

AI and the climate crisis pose existential risks. The law offers a way to reduce them | Robert Reich

admin — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 11:00:26 +0000

Liability lawsuits have held tobacco, oil and pharma companies to account in the past. AI investors won’t ignore this threat

The most basic function of government is to protect people from harm. Two growing phenomena – the climate crisis and AI – pose escalating risks of extraordinary harm.

The climate crisis is already causing floods, wildfires, drought and record heat. AI agents are already escaping super-secure environments to hack into systems they’re supposed to avoid.

Isaias strengthens to become first Atlantic hurricane of 2026 season

admin — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 09:59:06 +0000

Storm expected to make landfall on US’s northern Gulf coast with risk of flash floods and isolated river flooding

Isaias has become the first Atlantic hurricane of the 2026 season, with wind speeds of 80mph and a minimum pressure of 975mb. It is expected to strengthen to a category 2 hurricane as it approaches the US’s northern Gulf coast on Friday, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Week in wildlife: a friendly seal, a furious goldcrest and ‘the swanfather’

admin — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 07:00:41 +0000

This week’s best wildlife photographs from around the world

Tories overstate net zero cost by nearly £500bn in apparent spreadsheet error

admin — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 06:00:41 +0000

Exclusive: Badenoch’s flagship conference policy document cites £957bn estimate, twice the total in climate advisers’ data

Kemi Badenoch’s flagship party conference policy document overestimated the cost of net zero by nearly £500bn, seemingly after someone accidentally double-counted figures on a spreadsheet.

Revealed: the ‘black box’ wastewater trade that rakes in millions for UK utility companies

admin — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 05:00:39 +0000

Exclusive: Firms made more than £340m last year from processing industrial and commercial wastewater at sewage works that are unable to remove many chemical pollutants

Water companies in the UK made more than £340m in revenue last year by pouring billions of litres of industrial and commercial wastewater into sewage treatment works that experts say are not designed to remove most chemicals, leaving pollutants to pass into rivers, seas and farmland.

How a plant selfie in Colombian jungle led to ‘jaw dropping’ giant waterlily find

admin — Fri, 09 Oct 2026 04:00:37 +0000

Species with leaves large enough to be seen from space is already critically endangered – and plans are afoot to protect it

A chance social media encounter has led to the race-against-time discovery of a new species of giant waterlily that has until now been hidden in the depths of Colombia’s jungle.

But the plant, which is so huge it is visible from space, is already considered critically endangered.