Breaking Waves: Ocean News

The tiny world of Australian fairywrens – in pictures

admin — Sun, 08 Nov 2026 14:00:45 +0000

Howard Loosemore, alongside a few talented photographer friends, spent 15 years capturing every Australian fairywren species and plumage in vivid detail that’s been published in a new book about the small and colourful lives of fairywrens

Cop31 must deliver climate progress that people can see is real, host says

admin — Sun, 08 Nov 2026 13:24:00 +0000

High-stakes talks involving 190 countries begin on Monday as world grapples with El Niño supercharged by fossil fuels

The Cop31 summit must produce progress, “a tangible outcome ... that people can see is real”, its host has said as scores of world leaders and representatives of close to 190 countries gather in Turkey for the UN climate talks.

US datacenter demand spurs increased fossil fuel pipeline projects as rules are discarded

admin — Sun, 08 Nov 2026 13:00:40 +0000

Trump administration has gutted regulations that protect lives and natural resources as pipeline build-out continues

Datacenters are spurring a boom in fossil fuel pipeline projects at a time when the Trump administration is gutting rules that protect from disasters along the lines, a new review of federal records shows.

Cop31: what is at stake at the UN climate summit and what can it achieve?

admin — Sun, 08 Nov 2026 11:00:38 +0000

Delegates from more than 190 countries are gathering in Turkey for climate talks, but the US will be absent

As the planet faces unprecedented human-caused global heating, heads of government are meeting for the next fortnight for the latest round of climate talks. We ask why it matters and what is likely to be achieved.

Who’s who at Cop31: key players at the climate talks

admin — Sun, 08 Nov 2026 11:00:16 +0000

What are the relationships and dominant interests in play, as the summit kicks off after a bitter row over its hosting?

Environmentalists criticise choice of Earthshot prize venue owned by fossil fuel firm

admin — Sun, 08 Nov 2026 06:00:33 +0000

Mumbai facility is part of Reliance Industries, owner of world’s biggest oil refinery and funder of controversial mega-zoo

Cold blast brings springtime snow to alpine regions as temperatures plummet across Australia’s south-east

admin — Sun, 08 Nov 2026 02:34:19 +0000

Thredbo, Perisher and Mount Hotham all recorded falls, along with Kunanyi/Mount Wellington in Tasmania

Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast

Snow has fallen across parts of NSW, Victoria and Tasmania as an unseasonal cold blast whips through Australia’s south-east.

Let a thousand blossoms bloom: Sydney’s jacarandas put on their spring show – in pictures

admin — Sat, 07 Nov 2026 19:00:20 +0000

The city enters its purple patch with jacaranda trees blazing into flower in the warmer weather. Every October and November the fast-growing trees are festooned with trumpet-shaped blossoms that soon carpet the ground below them, drawing sightseers, photographers – and people taking photos of people taking photos

Blooming beautiful! The Tesselaar tulip festival – in pictures

How do you broker UN climate talks when your own country is a big coal and gas exporter? Chris Bowen is about to find out

admin — Sat, 07 Nov 2026 19:00:20 +0000

Ahead of Cop31, climate change minister dismisses concerns about whether Australia as a major producer can keep the world moving away from fossil fuels

Listen to the podcast: Chris Bowen on how he’ll reach consensus at Cop31

New ‘high safety’ chemicals in plastic food packaging linked to lower birth weight, study finds

admin — Sat, 07 Nov 2026 12:00:13 +0000

Dinch, an allegedly ‘safe’ alternative, used in the EU and US also found to cause fetal development complications

Exposure to a new generation of allegedly “safe” plasticizers is linked to lower birth weight and fetal development complications, which could cause serious health problems later in life, a new peer-reviewed study found.