Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Mass stranding of whales on Scottish beach caused by loyalty to their pod, report finds

admin — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 06:00:14 +0000

The 55 pilot whales, which had to be euthanised, had been following a female having a difficult birth, scientists believe

The mass stranding and death of 55 whales on the Isle of Lewis in 2023 was caused by the mammals’ loyalty to their pod, a report has concluded.

It had been thought that the unusually large incident on Tràigh Mhòr beach, Tolsta, could have been caused by trauma, disease or acoustic disturbance from military or industrially generated noise.

Marsupials in the news again? Yes! And this time it’s good news | First Dog on the Moon

admin — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 05:52:58 +0000

Lazarus taxa

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Twenty pregnant women evacuated from NT hospital as two states prepare for major flooding

admin — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 22:03:42 +0000

BoM issues flood watch covering most of Queensland while NT authorities warn houses and roads could be inundated

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Germany moves to legalise wolf hunting in response to livestock ‘bloodlust’

admin — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 18:56:07 +0000

Lower house votes in favour of polarising law after rapid increase in population and attack on grazing farm animals

Wolf hunting will be allowed in Germany under legislation passed by the lower house of parliament in response to a rapidly growing population and a sharp rise in attacks on livestock.

The return and growth of the wolf population in the last three decades has emerged as a wedge issue in Germany, the land of the Brothers Grimm who popularised the spectre of the Big Bad Wolf.

‘It creates a sense of belonging’: Brazil bets on hiking trails for conservation

admin — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 14:01:39 +0000

The country’s network of footpaths is growing – with hopes they will develop local economies and better preserve the environment

Follow the yellow footprints along Brazil’s newest long-distance trail, and they will take you through lush green forests and sandy shrubland, past sweeping vistas and bizarre rock formations, into grottos and rural communities.

UK must double down on renewables as wars drive up energy costs, experts say

admin — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 11:00:59 +0000

Fossil fuel price surge after US-Israeli attacks on Iran prompts calls to end dependence on ‘volatile’ energy source

Middle East crisis live – latest updates

The UK government must double down on its clean energy drive to protect bill payers from increasingly volatile fossil fuel markets in the wake of the US-Israel war on Iran, climate groups, academics and energy experts have warned.

Vanuatu moves forward with UN climate resolution despite Trump opposition

admin — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 11:00:02 +0000

Pacific island says the US weakened its proposal to advance a key climate ruling but vows to hold major polluters accountable

The Trump administration’s attempt to sink a UN resolution demanding countries act on the climate crisis has caused cuts to the proposal but hasn’t entirely killed it, according to the tiny Pacific island country spearheading the effort.

South East Water fined £22.5m for ‘repeated supply failures’ in Kent and Sussex

admin — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 08:02:28 +0000

Regulator says failures that hit nearly 300,000 customers made worse by utility’s failure to maintain efficient supply system

Business live – latest updates

South East Water has been fined £22.5m by Ofwat for repeated supply failures in Kent and Sussex between 2020 and 2023 that affected more than 280,000 people.

Lobbyists send legal threats to councils over anti-wood burner campaigns

admin — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 06:00:52 +0000

At least eight councils receive legal threats alleging flyers criticising wood burners are in breach of advertising codes

Lobbyists for the UK wood-burning stove industry have threatened councils with legal action over public information campaigns warning of the harms of air pollution.

Half of Amazon insects could face dangerous heat stress

admin — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 05:47:53 +0000

A sweeping new study of more than 2,000 insect species reveals a troubling reality: many insects may be far less capable of coping with rising temperatures than scientists once hoped. Researchers found that while some species living at higher altitudes can temporarily boost their heat tolerance, many insects in tropical lowlands—where biodiversity is highest—lack this flexibility. Because insects play essential roles as pollinators, decomposers, and predators, their vulnerability could ripple through entire ecosystems.