Breaking Waves: Ocean News https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-waves en When Cyclone Alfred forced a wildlife hospital to close, this rescue koala found a new place to recuperate https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/when-cyclone-alfred-forced-wildlife-hospital-close-rescue-koala-found-new-place-recupe <p>Laura Leaf had a sick possum for company when she spent three nights in a spare room at Mallory Wilson’s Nerang home</p> <ul> <li>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></li> </ul> <p>Laura Leaf, a rescued koala, was the last surgery of the day at Currumbin wildlife hospital, just hours before its doors were due to close to ride out Tropical Cyclone Alfred.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/when-cyclone-alfred-forced-wildlife-hospital-close-rescue-koala-found-new-place-recupe" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Mon, 10 Mar 2025 14:00:13 +0000 admin 99206 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org To win the bush, Australian politics needs to embrace its 'curves' | Nick Rodway https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/win-bush-australian-politics-needs-embrace-its-curves-nick-rodway <p>Regional voters are often stereotyped so I propose a new demographic category ahead of the election: conservative, uncommitted rural voters with environmental sympathies</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/win-bush-australian-politics-needs-embrace-its-curves-nick-rodway" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Mon, 10 Mar 2025 14:00:13 +0000 admin 99207 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org A beaver: to get attention they will slap the water with their tails | Helen Sullivan https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/beaver-get-attention-they-will-slap-water-their-tails-helen-sullivan <p>They prefer to carry branches in their teeth, like dogs. And when they swim, they hold their front paws to their chests, like a severe governess in a Victorian novel</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/beaver-get-attention-they-will-slap-water-their-tails-helen-sullivan" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Mon, 10 Mar 2025 14:00:11 +0000 admin 99208 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Immigration’s a hot topic – and it applies to non-native plants, animals and insects, all over the world | Tim Blackburn https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/immigration-s-hot-topic-and-it-applies-non-native-plants-animals-and-insects-all-over- <p>Biodiversity is great in theory, but there are reasons to fend off invasive alien species and the knock-on effect of their presence</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/immigration-s-hot-topic-and-it-applies-non-native-plants-animals-and-insects-all-over-" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Mon, 10 Mar 2025 11:00:30 +0000 admin 99204 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Weatherwatch: Year’s worth of rain falls in Argentinian city in eight hours https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/weatherwatch-year-s-worth-rain-falls-argentinian-city-eight-hours <p>Rainfall in Bahía Blanca led to 10 deaths, swept away vehicles, destroyed bridges and left areas underwater</p> <p>The city of Bahía Blanca in Argentina had a new rainfall record on Friday, after a recent heatwave. More than 400mm (15.7in) of rain was recorded in just eight hours, more than twice the city’s previous record of 175mm set in 1930, and roughly equivalent to a year’s worth of rainfall.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/weatherwatch-year-s-worth-rain-falls-argentinian-city-eight-hours" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Mon, 10 Mar 2025 10:48:22 +0000 admin 99205 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org We’re facing a ‘forever chemicals’ crisis. We must stop Pfas at the source https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/we-re-facing-forever-chemicals-crisis-we-must-stop-pfas-source <p>Pfas are poisoning our soil and polluting our lungs. The EPA is finally sounding the alarm – but that’s not enough</p> <p>Several years ago, I made a movie called Dark Waters, which told the real-life story of a community in West Virginia poisoned by Pfas “forever chemicals”. DuPont – a chemical manufacturing plant – contaminated the local water supply, killing cows and wildlife, making its workers sick and exposing local residents to toxic chemicals. It was an environmental horror story.</p> <p>It’s still happening across the country.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/we-re-facing-forever-chemicals-crisis-we-must-stop-pfas-source" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Mon, 10 Mar 2025 10:00:20 +0000 admin 99202 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org A cacti-smuggling case with a prickly end: the novel way courts are making poachers pay https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/cacti-smuggling-case-prickly-end-novel-way-courts-are-making-poachers-pay <p>Two Italian cacti smugglers have been fined for illegally trading plants from Chile – and for the cost of restoring the environment. Conservationists hope more cases will follow</p> <p>Chile’s Atacama desert is one of the driest places on Earth, a surprisingly cool environment, sucked clean of moisture by the cold ocean to the west. This arid, golden landscape is home to many rare species of cacti, which attract professional and amateur botanists from around the world keen to make discoveries and experience the thrill of naming a new species.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/cacti-smuggling-case-prickly-end-novel-way-courts-are-making-poachers-pay" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Mon, 10 Mar 2025 10:00:17 +0000 admin 99203 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Destroying the environment and sending species extinct is one thing, but now I can’t take my dogs to the beach!? | First Dog on the Moon https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/destroying-environment-and-sending-species-extinct-one-thing-now-i-can-t-take-my-dogs- <p>The toxic Tasmanian salmon industry has gone too far this time</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/destroying-environment-and-sending-species-extinct-one-thing-now-i-can-t-take-my-dogs-" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Mon, 10 Mar 2025 05:33:56 +0000 admin 99201 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Cyclone Alfred evacuation centres 'not a solution for homelessness', NSW premier says – video https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/cyclone-alfred-evacuation-centres-not-solution-homelessness-nsw-premier-says-video <p>Chris Minns stresses that the New South Wales evacuation centres set up for people fleeing flooding will be closed once the immediate threat from ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred is over. The premier says his government contributed $5bn for social housing in its last budget. 'Evacuation centres are not going to be long-term solutions for homelessness on the northern rivers,' he says. 'And I just want to be really transparent and clear … They can’t operate longer than they were intended to'</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/cyclone-alfred-evacuation-centres-not-solution-homelessness-nsw-premier-says-video" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Mon, 10 Mar 2025 02:04:54 +0000 admin 99200 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org UK government vows to clean up Windermere after sewage criticism https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/uk-government-vows-clean-windermere-after-sewage-criticism <p>Environment secretary points to measures to stop lake being ‘choked by unacceptable levels’ of pollution</p> <p>The government has said it will “clean up Windermere” after criticism over the volume of sewage being pumped into England’s largest lake.</p> <p>The environment secretary, Steve Reed, pledged “only rainwater” would enter the famous body of water in the Lake District, putting an end to the situation where it Windermere was being “choked by unacceptable levels of sewage pollution”.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/uk-government-vows-clean-windermere-after-sewage-criticism" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Sun, 09 Mar 2025 22:30:03 +0000 admin 99199 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org