Breaking Waves: Ocean News https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-waves/www.nationaltrust.org.uk/www.oserianwildlife.com/www.lloyds.com/the-market/tools-and-resources/research/exposure-management/emerging-risks/emerging-risk-reports/science/www.nsba.biz/docs/www.entergy.com/www.tepco.co.jp/en/%C3%82%C2%A3page/n8/mode/www.guidestar.org/profile/46-5693943 en Businesses and charities call for UK to scrap VAT on refurbished electronics https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/businesses-and-charities-call-uk-scrap-vat-refurbished-electronics <p>Exclusive: Letter to government says lower prices for repaired goods would cut waste, create jobs and help households save money</p> <p>Ministers are facing fresh calls to scrap VAT on all repaired and refurbished electronics, with businesses, charities and community groups arguing the move would help households cut costs and stop electrical goods being binned prematurely.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/businesses-and-charities-call-uk-scrap-vat-refurbished-electronics" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Sun, 06 Jul 2025 12:00:39 +0000 admin 100527 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Weedkiller ingredient widely used in US can damage organs and gut bacteria, research shows https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/weedkiller-ingredient-widely-used-us-can-damage-organs-and-gut-bacteria-research-shows <p>Diquat is banned in the UK, EU, China and other countries. The US has resisted calls to regulate it</p> <p>The herbicide ingredient used to replace glyphosate in Roundup and other weedkiller products can kill gut bacteria and damage organs in multiple ways, <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1562182/full">new research shows</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/weedkiller-ingredient-widely-used-us-can-damage-organs-and-gut-bacteria-research-shows" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Sun, 06 Jul 2025 12:00:38 +0000 admin 100526 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Texas floods: search continues with dozens dead or missing https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/texas-floods-search-continues-dozens-dead-or-missing <p>Hundreds of rescuers searching for those missing in devastating floods including girls from Camp Mystic, a Christian youth camp</p> <ul> <li> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/05/texas-flood-recovery-dozens-dead-children-missing">Texas continues grim flood recovery</a></p> </li> </ul> <p>Officials have said waters in some parts of Texas are starting to recede to where they were before the storm.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/texas-floods-search-continues-dozens-dead-or-missing" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Sun, 06 Jul 2025 09:06:34 +0000 admin 100524 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org ‘We’ve made progress’: environment secretary is upbeat despite Labour’s struggles https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/we-ve-made-progress-environment-secretary-upbeat-despite-labour-s-struggles <p>Steve Reed says changes to living standards are happening and will make a big difference to trust in government</p> <p>It was probably easier for Steve Reed to feel more cheerful about Labour’s most torrid week in government while sitting on bales of hay in the blazing sunshine about 40 miles from Westminster.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/we-ve-made-progress-environment-secretary-upbeat-despite-labour-s-struggles" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Sun, 06 Jul 2025 09:00:34 +0000 admin 100525 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Deadly heatwaves are the new reality – we need to transform the UK's cities and towns to survive them | Hannah Martin https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/deadly-heatwaves-are-new-reality-we-need-transform-uks-cities-and-towns-survive-them-h <p>While we work towards net zero, we also need to adapt. And we can pay for cooling measures like splash pads and trees by taxing the worst polluters</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/deadly-heatwaves-are-new-reality-we-need-transform-uks-cities-and-towns-survive-them-h" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Sun, 06 Jul 2025 07:00:32 +0000 admin 100523 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org As the world grows more unpredictable, Australia’s defence should be focused on people, not purchases | Julianne Schultz https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/world-grows-more-unpredictable-australia-s-defence-should-be-focused-people-not-purcha <p>Activating real civic resilience could be a KPI for the prime minister’s progressive patriotism, rather than spending billions more on big, shiny machines</p> <ul> <li> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2025/jul/06/australia-news-live-victoria-police-charge-nsw-man-over-synagogue-fire-minns-government-confirm-fare-free-travel-days-ntwnfb">Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates</a></p> </li></ul><p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/world-grows-more-unpredictable-australia-s-defence-should-be-focused-people-not-purcha" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Sat, 05 Jul 2025 20:00:19 +0000 admin 100522 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org ‘This bill protects our precious waters’: how a Florida environmental group scored a win against big oil https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/bill-protects-our-precious-waters-how-florida-environmental-group-scored-win-against-b <p>Following the destruction from 2010’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill, an anti-drilling coalition took action with HB 1143 – and got it signed by DeSantis</p> <p>The giant and catastrophic Deepwater Horizon <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/oil">oil</a> spill, also known as the BP oil spill, didn’t reach Apalachicola Bay in 2010, but the threat of oil reaching this beautiful and environmentally valuable stretch of northern <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/florida">Florida</a>’s Gulf coast was still enough to devastate the region’s economy.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/bill-protects-our-precious-waters-how-florida-environmental-group-scored-win-against-b" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Sat, 05 Jul 2025 12:00:09 +0000 admin 100520 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Summer without cherry pie? Michigan’s signature crop faces battery of threats https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/summer-without-cherry-pie-michigan-s-signature-crop-faces-battery-threats <p>Climate change, development, labor shortages and tariffs are making life the pits for the state’s cherry farmers</p> <p>Nearly 100 years ago, north-west Michigan cherry farmers and Traverse City community leaders started a festival to promote the city and their region’s tart cherry crop as a tourist destination.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/summer-without-cherry-pie-michigan-s-signature-crop-faces-battery-threats" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Sat, 05 Jul 2025 11:00:09 +0000 admin 100519 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org Texas flooding latest: 43 dead, including 15 children, as search for some two dozen girls continues – as it happened https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/texas-flooding-latest-43-dead-including-15-children-search-some-two-dozen-girls-contin <p>Girls from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp along the Guadalupe River, are still missing, says city manager. This blog is now closed.</p> <p>We have more from the Associated Press on <strong>Camp Mystic, </strong>the all-girls Christian summer camp from which up to 25 people are missing.</p> <p>Chloe Crane, a teacher and former Camp Mystic counsellor, said her heart broke when a fellow teacher shared an email from the camp about the missing girls.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/texas-flooding-latest-43-dead-including-15-children-search-some-two-dozen-girls-contin" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Sat, 05 Jul 2025 08:15:59 +0000 admin 100518 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org How a £1.5bn ‘wildlife-boosting’ bypass became an environmental disaster https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/how-15bn-wildlife-boosting-bypass-became-environmental-disaster <p>A14 in Cambridgeshire promised biodiversity net gain of 11.5%, but most of the 860,000 trees planted are dead. What went wrong?</p> <p>Lorries thunder over the A14 bridge north of Cambridge, above steep roadside embankments covered in plastic shrouds containing the desiccated remains of trees.</p> <p>Occasionally the barren landscape is punctuated by a flash of green where a young hawthorn or a fledgling honeysuckle has emerged apparently against the odds, but their shock of life is an exception in the treeless landscape.</p> <p><a href="https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org/breaking-wave/how-15bn-wildlife-boosting-bypass-became-environmental-disaster" target="_blank">read more</a></p> Sat, 05 Jul 2025 07:00:04 +0000 admin 100517 at https://www.worldoceanobservatory.org