Breaking Waves: Ocean News

More than 150 whales stranded near Arthur River in Tasmania – video

admin — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 02:22:43 +0000

A group of 157 animals that appear to be false killer whales have stranded, according to the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania, with initial observations showing 136 animals were still alive on Wednesday morning. Veterinarians and conservationists have responded to the mass beaching, but experts warn inaccessibility and poor conditions may limit their ability to help

Clean energy contributed 10% to China’s GDP in 2024, analysis shows

admin — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:01:19 +0000

Study found electric vehicles and batteries added largest amount to country’s clean-energy economy

Clean energy contributed a record 10% of China’s gross domestic product in 2024, an analysis has found.

With sales and investments worth 13.6tn yuan (£1.5tn; $1.9tn), the sector has now overtaken real estate sales in value.

More than 150 whales stranded on beach in remote north-western Tasmania

admin — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:23:03 +0000

Veterinarians and conservationists respond to mass beaching, but experts warn inaccessibility and poor conditions may limit ability to help

Heat pump sales in Europe fall 23% to pre-Ukraine war levels

admin — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 23:01:17 +0000

Growth in 2022 and 2023 was driven by soaring gas prices caused by Russia’s invasion, but 2024 saw sales slump

Heat pump sales fell 23% in Europe last year, industry data shows, reverting to the level they were at before the war in Ukraine and slowing the shift away from gas-burning boilers.

Demand for clean heating devices fell by about half in Belgium and Germany, and by 39% in France, according to data for 13 countries that cover 85% of the European heat pump market.

Rapid environmental change can threaten even a peaceful Daisyworld

admin — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 16:36:47 +0000

Using mathematical modeling, researchers have discovered that rate-induced tipping, which can happen if an environment changes too fast, can happen even in Daisyworld, a simple daisy-filled ecological model. If the planet heats up or cools down too quickly, all the daisies will go extinct, even if they would otherwise have been able to survive just fine under those conditions. This discovery mirrors similar observations found in other models and observed in real-life ecosystems.

Jon Davis on how the UK government is tackling the climate crisis – cartoon

admin — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 15:59:32 +0000

‘An unprecedented situation’: EPA plan for LA wildfire cleanup stirs protests over toxic dangers

admin — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 14:14:43 +0000

Demonstrators have protested against an expedited cleanup process that would involve using a beloved beach as a toxic waste sorting site

Early warning system for climate tipping points given £81m kickstart

admin — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 13:36:29 +0000

Ambitious UK project aims to forecast climate catastrophes using fleets of drones, cosmic ray detection, patterns of plankton blooms and more

An ambitious attempt to develop an early warning system for climate tipping points will combine fleets of drones, cosmic ray detection and the patterns of plankton blooms with artificial intelligence and the most detailed computer models to date.

‘The path forward is clear’: how Trump taking office has ‘turbocharged’ climate accountability efforts

admin — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 13:00:07 +0000

‘Make polluters pay’ laws, led by blue states AGs, and accountability suits will be a major front for climate litigation for the coming years

Donald Trump’s re-election has “turbocharged” climate accountability efforts including laws which aim to force greenhouse gas emitters to pay damages for fueling dangerous global warming, say activists.

I’m obsessed with fish that clean other fish: they remember their clients, much like a hairdresser

admin — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 09:00:02 +0000

I’m campaigning for legal protection for cleaner fish, because no one has done a proper assessment of the impact of removing them from Scottish reefs

I was in my 50s when I first became aware that cleaner fish existed, when I met a fisher who sold them to Scottish salmon farms. Each year, around the world, such farms use more than 60 million cleaner fish to eat – or “clean” – parasites off other fish. But the natural habitat of the cleaner fish is the reef.