Breaking Waves: Ocean News

The US has a plan to save the Colorado River. Experts say it won’t be enough to stop the crisis

admin — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 19:41:48 +0000

The 10-year blueprint mandates water cuts of up to 40% for California, Arizona and Nevada

It’s official: after years of tense negotiations and missed deadlines, there is finally a plan to govern the future of the imperiled Colorado River - or at least the makings of one.

With the previous framework set to expire in October, the US Bureau of Reclamation publicly released its proposal for a new plan on Friday.

33m tons of toxic seaweed clogs Caribbean beaches – video

admin — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 19:27:08 +0000

A record amount of sargassum has piled up along coastlines of the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. Sargassum is a brown seaweed that causes lower oxygen levels and foul-smelling gases when it decomposes on beaches. Researchers and marine scientists have warned that the algae build-up starves underwater plant life of sunlight, affects human health and can leak arsenic into sand

Britain’s railway prepares for more extreme weather as intense El Niño develops

admin — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 18:07:51 +0000

Experts say more must be done to adapt to changing climate, after two trains derailed within 24 hours during a recent heatwave

Railway companies are racing to prepare for another brutal summer next year, as a developing El Niño could see 2027 break more heat-related records.

Britain’s railway system has already been under stress from extreme heat this summer, with several operators reducing timetables and train speeds.

First ever Fat Marmot Week to kick off in effort to raise money for research

admin — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 14:17:55 +0000

Researchers hope contest – similar to Fat Bear Week – starting Monday will be latest wildlife watching craze

Monday sees the start of what researchers hope will be the latest wildlife watching craze – Fat Marmot Week.

Last winter was tough for marmots living high in the Colorado mountains, where researchers say two-thirds of one population died while hibernating because of insufficient snow cover.

Brazil’s vast iron mine that supplies the world and fractures the Amazon – in pictures

admin — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 12:00:35 +0000

The Grand Carajás project has made the country a mining superpower, but communities living in its shadow face pollution, displacement and silenced histories

Proposed London datacentre ‘incompatible’ with net zero with 1m-tonne carbon footprint

admin — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 10:00:31 +0000

Exclusive: Planning documents show annual emissions from North Ockendon project would be equivalent to 8,480 flights to New York

A “hyperscale” datacentre in outer London would generate more than 1m tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, equivalent to the carbon footprint of 8,480 flights from London to New York, planning documents show.

Cut cost of loans for solar panels on UK homes, ministers urged

admin — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 08:00:28 +0000

Report says ‘solar bonds’ could fund wider access to clean energy, reducing household bills

Solar panels could be cheaper for people on lower incomes if the government stepped in to reduce the cost of loans, a report argues.

Solar panel installations can save households hundreds of pounds a year in energy bills, but at an initial cost of about £5,000 to £10,000 they are beyond the reach of many households.

Biggest El Niño for a century forecast to bring UK more autumn rain and storms

admin — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 07:42:21 +0000

‘Unprecedented’ weather pattern over Pacific Ocean to be felt worldwide, with severe droughts expected in some areas

The El Niño event developing over the Pacific Ocean is likely to be the strongest for more than a century and make 2027 another record-breaking year for heat, the UK’s Met Office has said.

Week in wildlife: Bat in a toilet, a speeding gull and a bird with shoes

admin — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 07:00:27 +0000

This week’s best wildlife photographs from around the world

Eco homes that can stay cool for sale in England and Wales – in pictures

admin — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 06:00:27 +0000

From a triple-glazed barn conversion in a Welsh valley to a thermally regulated home in a busy area of London