Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Trump touts ‘drill, baby, drill’ agenda – but no mention of climate crisis

admin — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 11:00:10 +0000

President derided Biden’s ‘green new scam’ during State of the Union address, and hailed the rise in US oil production

Trump didn’t say the words “climate change” during the State of the Union, but it loomed large over his 108-minute speech as he touted his “drill, baby, drill” agenda and derided Joe Biden’s “green new scam”.

Toward the beginning of his address, the president discussed last year’s flooding at Camp Mystic in Texas, saying they were “one of the worst things I’ve ever seen”.

Chronic ocean heating fuels ‘staggering’ loss of marine life, study finds

admin — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 10:00:07 +0000

Fish levels fall by 7.2% with as little as 0.1C of warming per decade, northern hemisphere research shows

Chronic ocean heating is fuelling a “staggering and deeply concerning” loss of marine life, a study has found, with fish levels falling by 7.2% from as little as 0.1C of warming per decade.

Group expands legal claim over South West Water sewage pollution

admin — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 06:00:03 +0000

Thousands more people across Devon and Cornwall could join case against water firm

A group legal claim against South West Water alleging sewage pollution into coastal waters is harming businesses and individuals has been expanded across Devon and Cornwall.

Thousands more individuals could now join the first environmental community group legal action against a water company over the impact of sewage pollution.

Humans – not Mimmo the dolphin – need managing in Venice lagoon, say scientists

admin — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 05:00:02 +0000

Researchers say solitary bottlenose has adapted well to city waters, but tighter controls on boat traffic and human behaviour are needed

Italian scientists monitoring the movements of a dolphin in the Venice lagoon have said humans are the ones who need managing, rather than wildlife.

Scotland’s new emissions strategy ‘too reliant on science fiction’, critics say

admin — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 05:00:01 +0000

UK Climate Change Committee voices concern over Scotland’s progress on decarbonising buildings and reliance on unproved technologies

Scotland has finally produced realistic short-term plans on cutting its climate emissions, but there is “real concern” about the credibility of its overall strategy, the UK’s climate policy watchdog has found.

Nigel Topping, the chair of the UK Climate Change Committee, said there were “flashing amber lights” about the quality and seriousness of some of the Scottish government’s medium- and long-term proposals to reach net zero by 2045.

Anger over plans to abolish New Zealand’s dedicated environment ministry

admin — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 01:41:42 +0000

Critics say proposal to fold department into a new ‘mega ministry’ will dilute accountability and put nature protections at risk

New Zealand’s government is seeking to abolish its dedicated environment ministry to cut down on bureaucracy, a move critics say could dilute environmental protections.

Under the plan, the department would be folded into a new “mega-ministry” that will cover housing, urban development, transport, local government and the environment.

Farmers in England face losses under new cap on sustainable farming payments

admin — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 18:27:22 +0000

Environment secretary says payments will be limited to £100,000 per farm so ‘more farmers can benefit’

Some farmers will lose money by opting into environment schemes under new plans to cap payments available for sustainable farming.

NT environmentalists ‘gobsmacked’ at federal green light to bulldoze nearly 3,000 hectares of tropical savanna

admin — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 14:00:39 +0000

Daly River region is home to threatened species such as the ghost bat, Gouldian finch, pig-nosed turtle and red goshawk

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Australia’s most costly anti-climate policy hits taxpayers for $30m a day as calls mount to wind back fuel tax credits | Adam Morton

admin — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 14:00:38 +0000

The government will hand over $10.8bn this financial year under the scheme that makes it cheaper for miners and other industries to use diesel and petrol

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Congo basin blackwater lakes are releasing ancient carbon into the atmosphere

admin — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 13:16:20 +0000

Deep in the Congo Basin, vast peatlands quietly store enormous amounts of Earth’s carbon — but new research suggests this ancient vault may be leaking. Scientists studying Africa’s largest blackwater lakes discovered that significant amounts of carbon dioxide bubbling into the atmosphere come not just from recent plant life, but from peat that has been locked away for thousands of years.