Breaking Waves: Ocean News

Footage shows the impact of an algal bloom unfolding along South Australia's coastline. The deadly bloom of Karenia mikimotoi algae has devastated marine life from the Fleurieu peninsula, to Kangaroo Island, to the Yorke peninsula and the Ramsar-listed Coorong. Since the start of the bloom in March, more than 7,800 marine animals have died and almost 400 different species have been affected, including shellfish, sharks, rays and many rare and unusual marine species, according to the SA Marine Mortalities project Continue reading...

Exclusive: Letter to government says lower prices for repaired goods would cut waste, create jobs and help households save money 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. In a letter to the environment secretary, Steve Reed, the signatories say that removing VAT on repaired electronics should be part of a wider push to cut waste, extend the life of products and develop a “truly circular economy”. Continue reading...

Rescuers still searching for missing people, including 10 girls from Camp Mystic, a Christian youth camp Texas continues grim flood recovery Officials have said waters in some parts of Texas are starting to recede to where they were before the storm. The Guadalupe River near Kerrville – which surged by more than 20 feet within 90 minutes during the downpour — is, according to CNN, back down to just a foot or two higher than its level before the flood. Continue reading...

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 There’s a lot to be anxious about as a new parent, let alone in a heatwave when the thermometer in your one-year-old daughter’s room is reading 26C. That’s six degrees higher than the upper limit of the recommended temperature for a child’s room. After scrolling my phone for advice on how to cool her room, I couldn’t help waking up every few hours to check she was OK on the baby monitor. In the UK, we are unprepared at every level for the extreme weather caused by climate breakdown. Whether it’s unbearably hot buildings in the summer, our damp and cold homes (some of the leakiest in Europe) filled with mould in the winter, our unprotected towns built on flood plains, or our unfit-for-purpose train tracks that get shut down at the slightest weather warning, the climate crisis is already wreaking havoc on public and private infrastructure – and it’s only getting worse. Continue reading...