Breaking Waves: Ocean News

US farmers say Trump’s $12bn package not enough to undo damage from tariffs

admin — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 11:00:26 +0000

Thousands of farms set to go bankrupt as grain farmers in particular hit by trade disruptions caused by price hikes

Donald Trump, having promised to “NEVER LET OUR FARMERS DOWN”, appeared to come through for them this month when he unveiled a $12bn aid package. Industry leaders say thousands of farms will still go bust this year.

Trump’s shuttering of the National Center for Atmospheric Research is Stalinist | Michael Mann and Bob Ward

admin — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 11:00:25 +0000

This is the latest in the relentless purge of climate researchers who refuse to be co-opted by the fossil fuel industry

The Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin would no doubt have understood and even appreciated the latest attack by the Trump administration on climate researchers and their work.

Ministers defend ‘most ambitious animal welfare strategy in generation’ before publication – UK politics live

admin — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 09:38:52 +0000

Conservatives claim government’s plan for higher welfare standards for farmed animals could undermine British agriculture

Here is a summary from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of what’s in the animal welfare strategy.

Improved welfare for companion animals by:

2025 is ‘year of the octopus’ as record numbers spotted off England’s south coast

admin — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 06:01:19 +0000

Milder weather led to a bloom in the invertebrates in south Cornwall and Devon, wildlife charity says

Record numbers of sightings of one of the world’s most intelligent invertebrates over the summer have led the Wildlife Trusts to declare 2025 “the year of the octopus” in its annual review of Britain’s seas.

Hen cages and pig farrowing crates to be outlawed in England

admin — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 06:00:19 +0000

Humane slaughter requirements for farmed fish and end to puppy farming also in new package of animal welfare laws

Caged hens will be a thing of the past in England, the government has announced, as it launches a package of new animal welfare laws.

Forget elf on the shelf – these Aussie birds are perfect for the festive season | Jess Harwood

admin — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 03:13:06 +0000

Magpie on a mince pie anyone?

‘Miracle’ of Zealandia: chick is born to rare takahē pair thought to be infertile

admin — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 18:00:05 +0000

Unexpected arrival is a boon for birdlife in New Zealand, where there are only 500 takahē left

A pair of rare native New Zealand takahē birds who were believed infertile have stunned staff at the world’s largest urban eco-sanctuary, after hatching a “miracle” chick.

The roughly seven-week old chick was discovered inside Zealandia, a fully fenced eco-sanctuary 10 minutes from Wellington’s city centre, in November, but its arrival has been a closely guarded secret to ensure its safety.

Sea change: the drive to restore millions of oysters on the Norfolk coast

admin — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 13:00:02 +0000

The first ever mass deployment of mother reef bricks aims to rebuild habitats – and could reshape the North Sea

Allie Wharf’s career unfolded amid conflict. As a senior foreign producer for Newsnight, she reported on Iraq and Afghanistan. Just two years ago, she was filming mass graves in Ukraine.

UK supermarkets turn to European turkeys as avian flu hits supply

admin — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 11:00:02 +0000

Asda, Lidl and Morrisons understood to be stocking imported branded turkeys to meet Christmas demand

Several of the UK’s big supermarkets have been forced to source turkeys from elsewhere in Europe to keep shelves stocked this Christmas, after avian flu curtailed UK production.

Asda, Lidl and Morrisons are understood to be stocking branded turkey imported from mainland Europe – a move industry sources described as “unprecedented” – to “protect availability” and ensure sufficient supply for festive meals.

‘The biggest transformation in a century’: how California remade itself as a clean energy powerhouse

admin — Sat, 20 Dec 2025 15:00:33 +0000

The Golden State’s clean energy use hit new highs in 2025. As the Trump administration abandons US climate initiatives, can California fill the void?

As officials from around the world met in Brazil for the Cop30 climate summit last month, the US president was nowhere to be found, nor were any members of his cabinet. Instead, the most prominent American voice in Belém was that of the California governor, Gavin Newsom.