Breaking Waves: Ocean News

‘This is climate change’: Scottish beach eroding by 7 metres a year

admin — Sat, 03 Aug 2024 06:00:08 +0000

Centuries-old Montrose golf links falling into the sea and town at risk of flooding as coastal erosion accelerates

A beach in north-east Scotland is eroding rapidly owing to climate change, leaving a town at risk of flooding and its centuries-old golf links crumbling into the sea.

The Dynamic Coast report in 2021 studied the rate of erosion at Montrose and predicted that 120 metres would be lost over 40 years, an average of 3 metres a year.

Sea level changes shaped early life on Earth, fossil study reveals

admin — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 17:29:09 +0000

Shifts in the Earth's continental plates that drove long-term changes in sea level set the stage for the evolution of the earliest animals on Earth, a study suggests.

Utah’s Great Salt Lake rings climate alarm bells over release of 4.1m tons of carbon dioxide

admin — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 15:00:39 +0000

Study has found that the lake, which has lost 73% of its water, released climate-warming emissions

For years, scientists and environmental leaders have been raising alarm that the Great Salt Lake is headed toward a catastrophic decline.

Choughs breed in Kent for first time in 200 years

admin — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 13:00:33 +0000

Unexpected fledging is result of long-term restoration project to bring red-billed birds back to Kent coastline

The chough, a charismatic cliff-dwelling corvid, has bred in Kent for the first time in two centuries.

A young pair among eight birds released last year defied expectations to successfully breed this summer, making a nest on Dover Castle and rearing one chick, which fledged in June.

Harris is ‘perfect person’ to prosecute big oil, climate advocates say

admin — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 10:00:30 +0000

Environmentalists want DoJ to hold fossil fuel firms accountable and for presumptive nominee to lead charge

If elected president, Kamala Harris should take on the fossil fuel industry for its history of spreading climate disinformation, environmentalists say.

Forty US states and municipalities have sued big oil for allegedly spreading climate disinformation. For years, climate advocates and some lawmakers have said the Department of Justice should file a similar case.

Week in wildlife – in pictures: a feisty sea lion, a retiring elephant and a fleeing fox

admin — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 07:00:27 +0000

The best of this week’s wildlife photographs from around the world

China sees highest number of significant floods since records began

admin — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 06:01:20 +0000

So far this year officials warnings have been issued for 25 floods, and China is only halfway through its peak flood season

Halfway through the peak flood season, China has already experienced the highest number of significant floods since record keeping began in 1998, and the hottest July since 1961, authorities said on Friday.

This year so far it has recorded 25 “numbered” events, which the Chinese Ministry of Water Resources defined as having water levels that prompt an official warning or are measured at a magnitude of a “once in two to five years” event.

Morrisons trials raising temperature of its freezers to save energy and money

admin — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 06:00:26 +0000

Ten stores will raise freezer temperatures by 3C to -15C amid pressure for move away from long-held industry standard

Morrisons is testing out raising the temperature of its freezers by 3C in the first move by a UK supermarket to depart from a long-held industry standard, in order to save energy and money.

The Bradford-based chain said it would increase the temperature on appliances in 10 of its stores to -15C from -18C, the industry standard set almost 100 years ago and left unchanged.

Environmentalist becomes first juror to swear oath on river water

admin — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 06:00:24 +0000

Paul Powlesland, the co-founder of Lawyers for Nature, says he considers the River Roding to be sacred

When jurors are called to court, they are required to swear on a holy book or make a secular promise to tell the truth.

So court officials were perplexed when the environmental activist and barrister Paul Powlesland was called for jury service and produced a vial of river water and asked to swear on the River Roding.

Sick sea lions stranded on California coast as experts fear algae poisoning

admin — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 21:38:02 +0000

At least 23 sea lions with suspected domoic acid poisoning rescued from Santa Barbara and Ventura beaches

Sea lions are stranding themselves on a long stretch of the California coast in what experts say could be a sign of widespread poisoning by a harmful algae bloom this summer.

The Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institute (Cimwi) said that since 26 July, it had been inundated by daily reports of sick sea lions along the shoreline in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.